Page 50 of Last Resort

“Yeah. I think she’s been waiting for someone who could hear her.” Monty closed his eyes and picked up a chip in each hand. Ben guessed the medium was putting himself in a trance so he could better contact the ghost. Whether he would channel the spirit to speak to him depended on several factors, including the ghost’s strength and if Monty thought it was safe to attempt.

“Please speak to us,” Monty said to the spirit. “We want to know your story and why the chips were sent to the store.”

They sat in silence for a moment, and Monty’s expression twitched as if he were trying to make out a hard-to-hear conversation.

“Her name is Opal Quinn,” he reported.

Erik’s eyes went wide, and he caught his breath but didn’t interrupt. Ben glanced at his boyfriend, noticing the reaction.

“She says that her mother, Eleanor, was a housekeeper for Edwin Raines. She worked for him for many years, and he was always polite. He said he was going to take a trip and wanted her to keep something safe for him. Said she must keep it a secret and give it to no one but him.”

Monty listened a little longer before adding to the story.

“Opal says Eleanor was scared, but didn’t want to disobey Edwin. She knew he wasn’t a good man, but he treated her well and paid on time. She took the bag home and kept it hidden. Edwin died, and she didn’t know what to do, so she kept the chips where they were,” Monty continued.

“Before Eleanor died, she passed the burden of protecting the chips to Opal, and in time, Opal passed it to her daughter, Dolores,” Monty said. “Dolores didn’t have children, and she was getting up in years. She didn’t know what to do, and she wasn’t sure it mattered anymore since so much time had passed, but she didn’t want to have the chips be found by someone after she died, so she sent them to Trinkets.”

“Someone broke into Dolores’s house a few days ago,” Erik said. “Ransacked the place and hit Dolores hard enough to put her in the hospital in a coma. So she can’t tell us what she saw.”

“Opal saw.” Monty’s voice had a faraway, sing-song quality that he took on when he conveyed conversations from the spirits.

“Did she see the attacker?” Ben asked. “And did he take anything?”

Monty was quiet again before he raised his head. “Yes, and yes. Opal says he was a young, handsome man with blond hair. He kept shouting ‘where is it?’ and he hit Dolores when she wouldn’t tell him.”

“Carr,” Ben snarled. Erik nodded.

“Did Dolores tell him that she had mailed the chips to Trinkets?” Ben asked, more worried than ever for Erik’s safety.

Monty shook his head. “No. She just kept pretending she didn’t know what he was talking about. That made him angry.”

“She should have told him,” Erik murmured. “It wasn’t worth getting hurt.”

Under the table, Ben gave his leg a squeeze in support, knowing Erik felt guilty.

“Opal says Dolores has always been stubborn.” Monty chuckled. “Says it runs in the family.”

“Does Opal know what the markings on the chips are?” Ben asked. “There had to be a reason why it was so important for Edwin that the chips were kept safe. The casino burned, so the chips themselves didn’t have value. Is it a code?”

Monty shook his head. “She doesn’t know. Opal only glanced at them once, and she doesn’t think her mother ever looked inside the bag. She told Dolores to keep them hidden and not touch them. Opal thought they might be cursed—or haunted.”

Erik sighed. “Not exactly in the way she meant, but they might as well have been for all the trouble they’ve caused.”

“Has Edwin’s ghost ever showed up?” Ben asked.

Monty hesitated, listening to the ghost. Ben could hear a low whisper, but his gift wasn’t strong enough to see the spirit or make out her words.

“No,” Monty reported. “Eleanor didn’t stay behind either. Opal felt guilty leaving Dolores with the burden since she lived alone. Now that Opal has told her story and the chips are in other hands, she’s willing to move on once she knows whether Dolores will wake up or go with her.”

“Thank you, Opal, for telling your story,” Ben said, and Erik murmured his assent.

“I hope Dolores makes a full recovery,” Erik added.

Monty went silent, and his head dipped. For several minutes, he sat very still, taking deep breaths. Finally, he looked up and opened his eyes. “Did you get what you needed?”

Ben nodded. “And more.”

“Susan was right that the break-in at Dolores’s house had a connection to the murder at the rental unit,” Erik said. “I’m so sorry this whole situation hurt her.”

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