Victoria’s hand went up as if she were answering a question in class. “I have,” she said.
“There’s a line in one of the stories, maybe more than one: After you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth—something like that. You can’t explain what happened to you, so you assume it was ghosts, but you can’t do that unless you eliminate all the other possibilities first. That’s how I look at it.”
“That’s how we look at it as well,” a voice said. I looked up to see the young man who had been interviewing Erica earlier. “We don’t believe in ghosts, either—until there is no other possibility.”
I gave him room to sit, and he began talking about his work as a paranormal investigator. He was an earnest young man and made a rapt audience of Erica and Victoria. He explained how he and his crew would spend the evening in Rickie’s armed with equipment that measured electrostatic fields, cameras, sound equipment, and a K2 meter, whatever that was. Both Erica and Victoria wanted to hang out with him, but he refused the offer. After all, he and his crew were the stars of the show, I thought but didn’t say.
“What do you know about curses?” I asked.
“I don’t believe in them,” he said.
“No?”
“How can a nonliving, non-energy-producing object affect the world around it?”
“Good question.”
“I do believe, however, that sometimes spirits will attach themselves to an object,” he said. “It could be a favorite chair, a photograph—something the spirit cherished in life.” He gestured at his surroundings. “It could be a house or a jazz club.”
“How ’bout a centuries-old art object?”
“Yes. Certainly. Why do you ask?”
“Just curious,” I said.
The ghost hunter excused himself and returned to his crew. Perhaps he saw Nina approaching out of the corner of his eye and wanted to avoid her for now.
Nina’s movements were smooth and effortless—a trained dancer who knew all the steps. She had cut her jet black hair short again, and the style seemed to set off her eyes even more than usual—the most startling silver-blue eyes I had ever seen. She spoke with a clear, unaffected voice in a way that suggested she was in the habit of speaking up for herself. She possessed high cheekbones, a narrow nose, and a generous mouth that required little makeup; her figure was well set off by a rose-colored sweater dress; her athletic legs—look, I know I’m being fanciful when I describe her. But then, I love Nina. I love everything about her.
When she reached the booth I gave her a hug and a short kiss.
“Do you believe this?” she said. She was looking directly at Erica when she spoke. “I’d throw them out except apparently I’m contractually obligated.”
“This is fun,” I said. “It probably will increase business, too. Why not?”
Nina sat next to me in the booth. “So you’re taking Erica’s side.”
I leaned away. I had learned long ago, never takes sides between mother and daughter.
“Ghosts,” Nina said. “I don’t have ghosts.”
She could have substituted the word “rats” and it would have sounded the same.
“Speaking of ghosts, guess who I met today,” I said. “Heavenly Petryk.”
“That slut?”
“Whoa, Mom,” Erica said. “You don’t usually use language like that unless you’re talking about my father.” She tilted her head toward Victoria. “Exes.”
“Mmmm,” Victoria intoned.
“The two of you, out of here. Victoria, your mother is going to kill me as it is. And, Rickie, don’t forget you have a plane to catch at six fifteen tomorrow morning.”
“I won’t.”
Erica and Victoria slid out of the booth, grabbed their coats, and bundled up for the cold. As they moved to the door, Nina called to them. “Hey.”
Erica turned to look at her mother.
“I miss you already,” Nina said.
Erica smiled and said she would see her later.
“So what are you up to now?” Nina asked. “If Heavenly’s involved, it can’t be good.”
I explained about the Jade Lily. I didn’t tell her I was speaking in strict confidentiality and needed her to keep my secrets. Why insult the woman? When I finished, she shook her head and smiled ruefully the way she does whenever I embark on one of my adventures—that’s the word she uses, not me.
“You do get involved in the weirdest stuff,” she said.
“Me?” I waved at the ghost hunters.
“They’re going to stay here all night, too,” Nina said. “I can’t believe Rickie set this up.”
“Maybe they’ll find some real ghosts. You could become a tourist attraction.”
“Stop it.”
“Well, I’m out of here.”
“What? No, no, no, no, McKenzie, c’mon. Stay with me.”
“I’m going to get some takeout and watch the hockey game.”
“You said this could be fun. What if they really do find a ghost?”
“That’s why I’m leaving.”
“Scaredy cat.”