Page 73 of Ghost of a Chance
She rolled her shoulders and pulled her notebook from her bag.He took that as a good sign.
“Did something you noticed on your socials trigger that?”She pointed to his phone, the app still open.
“Nah.It was more what you said earlier about ruling out logical things.So if it’s not Paul it has to be someone else…just so you know I’m not ready to rule him out yet.I mean he likedJudge Judyand physics was his thing,” Jasper pointed out.
“Fine.But it will still be good to have other possibles.What have you got so far?”
“The night Paul died, I went to that frat party, and it seems I went to Pop’s Pizza before.That was typical for us…looks like Paul was with me for pizza,” he said, zooming in on the photo.His cousin wasn’t as tall as he was and where Jasper had black hair, Paul’s was a reddish blond.They shared the same blue eyes.In the photo they were grinning without a care in the world.Arms around each other, leaning over an extra-large pizza that filled the entire table.
He’d forgotten this.That night had started out fun.For years now he’d focused on Paul’s death and not his life.He’d meant what he said about not letting go of Paul as the ghost.It seemed more logical to him that the spirit was Paul’s.Little patterns that Jasper had picked up, the timing of the songs and the song choices, the way it was always tuned toJudge Judyfirst thing in the morning at the same time as when Paul used to leave for his run.
Jasper wasn’t sure what any of that meant but his gut told him it had to be more than coincidence.
Kirsty leaned on her elbows to see the photo better.“You both look so young.”
“Yeah,” he said.Paul was locked in that moment.Now it felt like Jasper had decades on him even though it had only been five years.There was no denying that those last years had been tough.The toughest he’d ever had.
Losing Paul had been a blow.Then the haunting, slowly making him think he was losing touch with reality, until he was so angry that he couldn’t remember any of the good things about Paul.
“I have an idea how I might help Paul move on.”
Kirsty gave him a pointed look.“And what if it’s not him?”
For now he’d ignore that.“No idea.”
“What’s your idea?”she asked.
“Retrace the night he died.There might be something that I didn’t realize he was hanging around for.If it’s not Paul, then I have no other suggestions and I really don’t want to think some rando has been in my life.”
Sighing.“Yeah I’d be creeped out by that too.Talking worked last night…want to do it again?”
“Fine, let’s try that.Talk to the book.”
“We’re in public.He never acts up when we are out.”
“Except that day in your studio,” he pointed out.
“Yeah you’re right.”
“What was special about that day?”she asked him.
Not a clue.
“You were getting flustered.I was secondhand embarrassed for you and then…the lights exploded…like he was determined to make sure you were believed.”
That had been it.He’d wanted to melt into the floor and then boom.He was emotionally connected to the book.Made sense as he’d been dragging it around for five years.“So Paul, right?”
“Did anyone else from your frat die?”she asked.
“No.Just Paul,” he said.“When we get back to the house I’ll talk to him again.”
Whatever logic she was following via Sherlock Holmes didn’t work.That dude was super old and the book was ancient so it made sense that new logic needed to be applied.Paul was the ghost in the book.He was sure of it.
* * *
It was dark and stormy as they left the diner.
Jasper’s insistence that the book contained Paul’s spirit was proving difficult.
