“No.”
“But we might as well be,” Althea said, emerging from the bathroom, “for all the business we’ve had this morning. You might want Fred to have a look at the toilet while he’s here, Vi; I had to jiggle the handle again. Why are you limping?” She stared at my foot.
“Didn’t Mom tell you about my adventure this morning?” I didn’t want to talk about the Lindsay incident, so it was easier to let her think I’d twisted my ankle in the sea.
“Yes, she did, and let me tell you, baby-girl, that was the stupidest damn thing you’ve ever done. And also one of the bravest.” Concern and pride warred on her handsome cocoa face. “Why, you don’t swim much better than a cat.”
“Thanks,” I said drily, helping myself to a diet A&W from the mini fridge.
“Facts is facts,” she observed. “I’ve never been one to mince words.”
Mom and I laughed.
“What?” Althea gave us a mock glare.
The door swung open and I glanced over, thinking it was Fred, but a stranger stood on the threshold. Almost six feet tall, she had glossy black hair that draped from a side part, almost obscuring one eye, and fell to mid-back. Pale skin, pale blue eyes, and lush lips made a dramatic contrast with her hair. Designer jeans and boots emphasized long legs. She’d wrapped a spangly silver scarf twice around her neck and the ends dangled to her waist.
“Hello.” Her voice was warm and throaty. “I’m looking for Grace Terhune.”
“That’s me,” I said, setting my soda on the counter.
“That’s Avaline,” Althea suddenly said. “Avaline van Tassel.”
“Who?”
Mom and I looked from Althea to the newcomer. She clapped her hands together and I saw she was wearing at least one ring on every finger. Blue, red, and green stones—surely they couldn’t be real gems?—twinkled even in the low light. “That’s right. How lovely of you to recognize me. Are you a fan of the show?”
“What show?” Mom asked.
“She’s the spirit whisperer,” Althea said. “And, no,” she answered the woman’s question. “I wouldn’t say I’m a fan. I don’t believe in that nonsense . . . talking to spirits and all.” She jutted her chin out in her characteristic way. “Dead is dead, is what I say. Until the Second Coming.”
“A nonbeliever.” A small smile curved the corner of Avaline’s mouth. “That’s okay. The world is filled with disbelief, but still I carry on with my mission.”
“What mission?” I asked. “And why are you looking for me?”
“My mission is to communicate with the spirits,” she said, “especially ones tied to the earth by profound emotion—usually anger or sorrow—experienced at their deaths.”
I had a feeling I knew where this was going and wished I’d gone straight home from the high school.
“I understand you were present when the ghost of Cyril Rothmere pushed a local boy down a staircase. I want to interview you about that for my television show.”
The three of us looked at her with varying degrees of mistrust and discomfort. I didn’t know which part of her statement to disagree with first, so I asked, “Who gave you my name?”
“A Dr. Lucy Mortimer at Rothmere. She also gave me the name of the high school teacher who sponsored the trip, but he’s teaching and I can’t get hold of him.” She smiled winningly. “So I decided to start with you.”
I was going to kill Lucy. “Well, I appreciate your thinking of me,” I lied, “but I don’t want to be on your show.”
“Really?” She looked puzzled. “We have a viewership of almost twelve million. Friday nights at eight o’clock.”
“Twelve million? Really?” Althea sounded flabbergasted. “And I thought you had lame plans for your weekend nights, baby-girl. Can you believe there are twelve million people in this country with a sorrier love life than yours?”
“Leave her alone, Althea,” Mom commanded.
“I like my Friday nights the way they are,” I said loftily, “and besides—” I stopped short of telling them I was going out with Agent Dillon this Friday. Turning back to Avaline, I said, “I’m not interested. And anyway, I didn’t see the accident, but whoever pushed Braden wasn’t a ghost.”
“Well, we’ll let Cyril tell us about that,” Avaline said with a throaty laugh.
“Come again?” Mom said.
“That’s what she does,” Althea explained. “She talks to spirits. Or so she says.”