Page 16 of Ghost Town Boogie

Colt held up a silencing finger. “Set it aside and concentrate on what happened when you died. Any little detail will help. You went for a run. Alone?”

“I think so.”

If he’d died of a heart attack or some other medical event while running, someone would’ve found the body soon after. “You’re not sure?”

“I’m not sure of anything!” There was a small tremor, but it didn’t grow. Not this time.

“You haven’t given me anything that will help me find out what happened to you.” Or where the body was. If it was out to sea…

Anna’s voice echoed up the stairs. “Supper’s ready when you are.”

Colt took a deep breath and prepared himself to face Jack’s mother and sister with his ghost hovering over them all. “Stay in your room. In this quiet space, look back and think. I need details.”

As he opened the bedroom door a whispering voice behind him said, “I saw how you looked at Anna. Don’t you dare fuck my little sister.”

“Still an asshole,” Colt responded. He closed the door firmly behind him.

CHAPTER 6

Colt’s mind wasn’t on work when he opened the depot Thursday morning. He was fifteen minutes late turning the “open” sign around, but it wasn’t like there was a line at the door.

Last night, after a meal of leftover surprise, he’d allowed Anna to drop him and the four boxes of records at the door. He’d planned to drive back over with his truck to collect them, but she’d offered to drive and he hadn’t been able to come up with a good reason to turn her down. I don’t want to be alone in that small car with you wouldn’t go over well and he could hardly explain.

He lied to her with every word he spoke. Not that he had a choice but still, it felt wrong. Deception always was, but it had become an everyday part of his life. He couldn’t tell Anna that Jack was dead. Not until he had answers. Proof. Something besides I see dead people…

He could’ve asked her to stay, after they’d carried the boxes inside, walking into a dimly lit and oddly silent depot. No music was playing, no ACDC or Frank Sinatra. All the regular ghosts had been present, but they’d hung back, giving him much needed space. Even Maude had remained silent.

Anna had lingered a bit, she hadn’t been eager to leave. Maybe she’d wanted him to ask her to stick around for a while. She wasn’t loving all the work at her mom’s house, she’d made that clear, but maybe it was more.

Unlikely. She just wanted a friend, an escape.

Just as he decided to bring his laptop down and try his hand at a search for Jack, business picked up. Tourists, a couple of locals looking not at records but at doodads. Mugs, keychains, Seawolf Beach snow globes. Well, sand globes. Seemed to him that September was much too early for Christmas shopping, but these ladies were determined to get an early start.

Sawyer Wakefield stopped by. He didn’t come in often, but he had been known to stop by. Sawyer never bought a record but he did browse as if he was interested, and he’d purchased a t-shirt or two which Colt had never seen him wear. Not that he saw Sawyer around town very often. Wakefield had been a year behind Colt in high school and they’d played baseball together, but they hadn’t been close friends then or now. Their lives had gone in different directions.

Colt and Jack had both headed to college. Sawyer had gone to work at his dad’s nursery right out of high school. He’d expanded the business to landscaping, which had gone so well a few years back the elder Wakefield had retired and left Sawyer in charge. Wakefield Nursery now employed twenty or more people, and business seemed to be going strong.

Colt approached Sawyer as he browsed a rack of t-shirts. “How’s business?”

“Good. Autumn is always a busy time.” Sawyer gave Colt a crooked smile.

“I could use some landscaping help,” Colt said.

Sawyer looked surprised. “You usually handle that yourself.”

He did, but these days he felt like he was being pulled in too many directions. “I’m pretty busy, and maybe I need to give some of the hard work up in my old age.”

“Happy to help, old man,” Sawyer teased. “Call the nursery. They have the schedule. I’m sure we have some open slots for an old friend.”

One less thing to add to his juggling act. The Jasmine Street house had a couple of dead bushes by the front porch, and the Pine Street house needed some beautifying before he rented it out again. For now there was no rush. He didn’t need beautification while he was living there.

Shit. Might as well… “Hey, do you remember the last time you saw Jack?”

“Jack Miller?”

“Yeah. We kinda lost touch, and I’d love to contact him. I can’t even find him on social media.” It didn’t feel wrong to lie to Sawyer, not like it did with Anna.

“I’m afraid I’m no help.” Sawyer shrugged his shoulders. “I can’t even tell you how long it’s been since I saw Jack. I’ll ask around. Harry might’ve kept in touch with him. Mark? Hmm. Tuck might know where he is. Jack hung out at The Magnolia all the time, when Tuck’s uncle ran the place.”