They both nodded and stood there quietly. Benji was back beside me minutes later, slipping his hand into mine.
“Nothing paranormal going on?” I asked him.
“Really?”
“That wasn’t me making fun. I was sincerely asking.”
From the look I got, I could tell he wasn’t convinced.
“I swear.”
He nodded slowly. “There are no entities or even cold spots in this house. I think this cleansing will clear the air, and the house will feel like theirs again when Sian and Delly are done.”
Once they finished and had gathered their things, Bill showed us out and shook all our hands but held onto Benji’s longer.
“You’re being careful around stairs, aren’t you?”
“Absolutely,” Benji assured him before Bill thanked us all again and went back inside to join his wife.
“What was that about?” I asked as we started down the path.
“Bill thinks he caught me when I tripped on the back staircase of the county courthouse, but that’s not what happened.”
“How can Bill think he caught you? He either did or didn’t.”
“No, I mean Bill did catch me, but I didn’t trip.”
“What happened?”
“I was pushed.”
I stopped and rounded on him. “When was this?”
He had to think for a moment. “I want to say…two weeks ago.”
If he was killed and I’d never gotten to meet him—the thought made my stomach flip, and I grabbed his arms. “Tell me.”
“It was at night. I was researching one of the properties where I took some pictures a while back, and I was at the stairs when I heard a noise behind me, so I turned to look, and that’s when I was pushed. Hard.”
“Benji,” I rasped, staring at him, at his face, which I found myself liking more and more with each passing moment. “Why didn’t you tell me this?”
“Because it was the spirit,” he affirmed, “the one that’s not at rest I took the picture of in the woods. He thinks I forgot about him, but of course, I haven’t.”
“You––”
“I think he’s getting tired of waiting, which is why he’s attacking me.”
“What woods?”
He waved me off. “Listen, there’s nothing you can do about angry spirits. Once I figure out who the man was, then I can solve the mystery of his death and release him. If I can’t figure out who he was, then I can’t speak to him by name, and releasing him becomes impossible, which is a problem. That’s why I was doing research, in hopes of identifying him.”
“What?” I nearly shouted.
“It’s very simple,” he explained patiently. “I have to find out who the spirit is in order to solve the mystery of his passing.”
I looked at Sian and Delly, who had stopped to wait for us on the path. “Did you guys know about this?”
“Of course we did,” Sian explained, “But Shaw, that one was a specter, and like Benji said, it’s not connected to the shots or him being tailed by a car.”
But it was; it had to be, since I didn’t believe in ghosts.
“Can we eat now?” Delly whined. “I’m starving.”
I was quiet on the way to the pub, while Benji kept up a steady stream of conversation about how I had inspired him to make some changes in his house.
“I do need to turn it into a home,” he told me. “It’s time.”
Why that bugged me I had no idea.
The pub was in the oldest building in town, which made sense; the loggers would have needed a place to drink. Inside it was rustic, with stone walls and a wood-burning stove that made me feel as though I’d stepped back in time. The red brick nearest the stove was blackened with age and soot, and the rest was beautiful. My Greystone at home had a lot of exposed brick as well, and everyone said it always felt cozy. I was surprised, with only the stove to heat the place, that it was so warm inside.
We took a seat at what was, I was told, their regular table, and Chris came out from behind the bar, bent and kissed Sian, then asked me what I wanted.
“Bring me whatever everyone else is having, and the same for my buddy, who should be here momentarily.”
“I’ll figure something out, because you won’t like what they eat,” Chris assured me. “It’s all vegan, and you look like a carnivore to me.”
“Yeah no, not a vegan. Thank you.”
“Anything for the man who helped my girl figure out her life.”
I squinted at him. “I’m thinking she was getting there on her own.”
“We’ll agree to disagree,” he said, patting me on the shoulder before he left.
Moments later, a waitress dropped off a large pot of hot water for them and one full of coffee for me. She brought a pitcher of cream and a wooden hinged box full of tea that was opened and dived into.
When Rais walked in, I had fun watching the locals look him over.