‘Well, your boiler was definitely knackered. But I also think your husband is possessed. Oh, and his dad has been haunting him.’

  ‘What?’ He pulled out a chair and sat down. I didn’t really blame him.

  ‘Long story short, Gabe popped in while I was taking out your old boiler. Mentioned Felix has been acting weird lately. When I spoke to you before, I asked about the house itself, but it stupidly never occurred to me to ask about its occupants. So yeah. Really sorry about that.’

  ‘It’s not your fault. I didn’t think to mention it. And you mentioned mood swings could be related to the poison. But he’s just as bad – if not worse – now that we’re at the hotel. And he’s like it more now, too.’

  ‘Do you think the other spirit is winning?’ Javi asked me.

  I shrugged. It sounded like it if Felix was coming through less and less.

  ‘Can you describe how Felix’s personality has changed recently? And when it started happening?’

  Jason rested his elbows on his lap and his head in his hands. ‘It started around September, I think.’

  Fiddlesticks. That was when the ghosts from First Pit had been released. Had a particularly stroppy one made its way into Felix’s body? And been fighting it out inside of him ever since?

  ‘He’s always been so kind-hearted and thoughtful. But now…it’s more and more like all he cares about is himself. Does that make sense?’

  I nodded.

  ‘I just thought he was stressed at work or something, you know? But then we all started hallucinating and there was the boiler thing, and…’ He trailed off, cradling his head in his hand. ‘The neighbour’s dog used to always come over and ask him for a belly rub, but the last few weeks, he growls at him and looks ready to pounce.’

  That did not sound good. Dogs could tell when someone was possessed. I had no doubt that one was aware of what’d been happening.

  Gabe hovered over Jason, a ghostly hand on his shoulder.

  ‘Felix’s dad is trying to comfort you. He feels bad for knowing something was wrong but not being able to tell you,’ I said.

  ‘Oh. Thanks.’ It was pretty clear on Jason’s face that he didn’t know how to react. How was he supposed to respond to the ghost of his husband’s dad trying to comfort him?

  ‘You know the ghosts you may or may not have hallucinated?’ I continued.

  Jason nodded.

  ‘Were they dressed in early 1800s clothes, or dirty looking?’

  ‘What do early 1800s clothes look like?’

  ‘Boots, hat, britches, waistcoat…’

  He nodded again.

  ‘Fiddlesticks.’ I ground my teeth together. This was not good. I knew the ghosts from First Pit had been causing problems for some people, but I thought a lot of it had died down. There hadn’t been any reports in the local newspaper of animals or people behaving weirdly recently. Wishful thinking, I know.

  ‘What?’

  ‘I think your situation is tied to some other things going on in town that we’re trying to deal with,’ I said.

  ‘We?’ he repeated.

  ‘Me and some other people. And ghosts. It’s a long story. The important one right now is getting Felix back to himself.’

  ‘How do we do that?’

  As I was about to answer, a car engine revved outside. We ran to the front door. Felix was driving off, their two kids inside the car.

  19

  Niamh

  ‘Where’s he going?’ I asked.

  Jason ran outside. ‘I don’t know. He said he’d wait. He doesn’t normally drive like that, either.’

  ‘Probably because the ghost inside of him doesn’t know how to drive, so he’s trying to tap into Felix’s memory to learn,’ said Javi.

  ‘They can do that?’ I said.

  ‘Do what?’ said Jason.

  Wow, ghost conversations were confusing when other people were around. It made me appreciated Edie and Ben even more. I missed them so much.

  But I needed to help the Ritters. They had to be my focus.

  ‘It’s a theory, but a relatively untested one,’ Javi clarified. ‘By me, anyway. Looks like our guy Felix is giving it a go, though.’

  Well wasn’t that just a great time to test how much control the ghost had over Felix’s body?

  ‘What is going on?’ said Jason.

  I glanced over at Javi, then to Gabe, who’d followed us into the hallway. Javi shrugged.

  ‘So my dead husband is also here – he helps out sometimes, even though he’s not supposed to—’ Javi smirked at my admission ‘—and he thinks that the ghost possessing your husband is trying to tap into Felix’s memories to basically learn how to drive.’

  Jason put his hand to his forehead. ‘Oh god. My kids are in that car!’

  He grabbed his phone from his coat pocket. There was a text on it. ‘My eldest, Alyssa, says that Felix got really annoyed and just drove off, and now he’s mumbling to himself. She’s really scared. She may be smart but she’s only eight. My son is only five.’

  ‘I’ll go keep an eye on them,’ said Javi, disappearing before I could argue.

  ‘My husband is going to keep an eye on them.’

  ‘What good can a ghost do! No offence to your husband.’ He looked around as if apologising to the air.

  ‘He can do more than you think.’ And that was my concern, since he wasn’t supposed to get involved. No ghost was once they’d crossed over. I had to intervene before Javi did too much and got himself into trouble. I had no idea what the consequences of him getting involved were, but I didn’t want to, either. There were restrictions and rules in place for a reason. Not that Javi had ever been a fan of either.

  It wasn’t his problem to fix, though. It’d been my fault for not noticing something was wrong sooner.

  ‘Come on, we’ll follow them in my car,’ I said.

  Jason quickly locked the house as I dove for my car and turned on the engine. Gabe slid into the back, too. I wasn’t sure how far he’d be able to travel with us, since he haunted the house and Felix, but I didn’t say anything. He was pretty visible, which meant he was one of the stronger ghosts I’d dealt with, but that didn’t always mean he could travel long distances.

  Jason clutched his phone as if it was his only life force. ‘Alyssa says they’re on the bypass, heading back into Hucknall.’

  ‘And I take it he isn’t driving at the speed limit?’

  ‘Is he even going to understand what the speed signs mean? How old is this ghost?’ asked Gabe.

  I glanced up and met his eye in the rearview mirror. He looked even more nervous than he had when we’d first met. Understandable.

  Things were getting more complicated by the minute. Spirits possessing humans didn’t usually care about consequences because they were already dead, and if something happened, they could just move on to another body. I didn’t have that luxury if I got caught speeding or breaking some other law to try to save those children. Also, I kind of liked my body. And not being in prison. And not having hefty fines. I didn’t have any connections in the police force who could help me if a ghost got me into trouble.

  Javi appeared behind me, on the middle passenger seat beside Gabe. ‘That was weird. The boy could see me. I guess because he’s younger. Felix could, too. Or at least, the ghost inside of him.’

  ‘Felix could see you?’ I repeated.

  ‘Yeah. Wasn’t happy. Thought I was interfering or something.’

  ‘That’s because you are interfering,’ I said.

  Javi shrugged. ‘The kids are pretty freaked out, but I did my best to reassure them. Told the younger one to tell the older one to keep sending updates to Jason.’

  ‘I feel strange,’ said Gabe. ‘Like I’m being pulled away.’

  Javi looked him up and down. ‘I think you’re being pulled back to Felix. You should go. Keep an eye on them.’

  ‘How do I do that? How do I know I’m really being pulled to them?’

  ‘How do you normally move between your son and the house?’ said Javi. He was so calm compared to Gabe’s nervousness, and I admired how he could be like that even under such stressful circumstances.

  ‘I just think about where I want to be, or who I want to be with. But I’ve never had this happen before!’ He was getting fainter in my mirror. I was pretty sure if he didn’t move himself, he’d be pulled towards his son, but I couldn’t be sure.

  ‘Think about Felix. That should take you to him. I’m coming too, to see what other information I can get,’ said Javi.

  I wasn’t sure if them going back would further antagonise the ghost inside of Felix, but what else could they do?

  Gabe nodded, then disappeared.

  ‘Why do I feel like I just missed something?’ said Jason.

  Javi chuckled.

  ‘Be careful!’ I said.

  Javi smirked, then disappeared.

  ‘Was that your husband checking in?’

  Close enough. I filled him in on what Javi had said, although I wondered if that was a good idea or not, because I swear it made him go even paler than Gabe.

  ‘Phew, that was intense!’ said Javi, reappearing again.

  ‘What was?’

  ‘Hold on,’ said Javi. He did something. Not sure what. ‘Can you see me?’

  Jason jumped. ‘Another ghost?’

  ‘Javier Garcia Hathaway, at your service. Thought it’d be easier to talk to you both at the same time. Felix just broke through. Only for a moment. But he managed to say that the ghost is driving the car to the building site, where the mine was, although he’s getting confused about the new road layouts. It’s obviously changed a lot since he was alive. Felix also tried to steer him off course.’

  ‘Perfect. We know where to meet them,’ I said. ‘Thanks.’

  Javi grinned. ‘They were coming on to the bypass when I left them.’

  ‘Fiddlesticks. They’re closer than we are, and in a faster car.’

  ‘Yeah, but what’s he going to do when he gets there?’ said Javi. ‘It’s a secure site.’

  ‘Not anymore it isn’t,’ I said. ‘It’s almost finished. Most of the residents have moved in.’

  ‘Gwendoline might be able to do something!’

  ‘Gwendoline’s not here. She’s checking on Tilly,’ I said. ‘Which means all the ghosts have gone for a wander, too. They generally only stick around when she’s there.’

  ‘Bugger,’ said Javi. ‘What’s now on the site of First Pit?’

  ‘The park where Gwendoline and her friends hang out,’ I said through gritted teeth. It was frustrating I had to choose between the safety of my family and the lives of people I was trying to help.

  I pulled up into the staff car park of the site. It was pretty quiet, thankfully, as a lot of people were at work or school and this side of the new development was almost finished. Hopefully none of my former colleagues would notice I was there. Especially Eamon.

  I dreaded to think what my colleagues would’ve said or done – or how traumatised the children would be – at whatever Felix’s ghost had planned.

  We ran – or in my case, hobbled – to the location of the mine. No one was there yet. We’d beaten them, but by how much?

  It didn’t really change anything, anyway. We still had to get the ghost out of Felix without any potions and with my crappy powers. However I span it, there was no solution.

  Javi’s eyes darted around the site. He was trying to find a solution, too. If he came up with one, he didn’t say.

  Jason and Felix’s car swerved on to the estate, almost crashing into the park’s small metal fence. It slammed to a halt.

  Gabe stayed inside the car with the children, his expression helpless as he tried to comfort the young boy inside the car. I didn’t think Alyssa could see him, but I wasn’t sure. Most children lost the ability to see ghosts around that age, which explained why her brother could still see and talk to his granddad.

  Jason ran over as his children pulled at the doors to try to get out, but the child locks meant that they couldn’t. It didn’t matter how hard anyone, ghost or human pulled on the car doors. They weren’t budging.

  Felix got out of the car and descended on his partner. ‘What are you doing here?’

  ‘Let my husband go!’

  Jason pushed Felix into the car. It was a weird fight, because Jason didn’t want to hurt Felix’s body, but the spirit inside of Felix didn’t care for Jason or Felix. Which gave him a massive upper hand.

  ‘We have to do something,’ I said. I started reciting the exorcism spell, but it was useless without the potion or any powers that were actually worth a damn.

  Javi joined in, too, but if the spirit inside of Felix felt it, it wasn’t enough power to even make him flinch.

  ‘I have an idea,’ said Javi.

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘Dangerous.’

  Dangerous? What was dangerous supposed to mean?

  He looked me dead in the eyes: ‘Whatever happens, remember I love you. And tell Edie I’ll always love her, too.’

  Before I could respond, he flew at Felix and disappeared into his body.

  20

  Niamh

  What the hell had just happened? Was Javi on some sort of suicide mission to save the Ritters?

  No. He wouldn’t do that. I wouldn’t let him.

  Not that I could stop him.

  Helpless, I stood watching as Felix stopped fighting Jason and began to writhe and scream.

  Jason stepped back. ‘What’s happening?’

  I joined him by the car. ‘Javi went inside of him, I think to try to pull the other spirit out.’

  Jason’s eyes went wide. ‘Can he do that?’

  ‘Honestly? I have no idea. But we don’t have the equipment with us to do a proper exorcism.’ I wrapped my arms around myself. It was the only source of comfort I had.

  ‘So your husband is using my husband as a guinea pig?’

  ‘Thereabouts.’

  When he put it like that, it didn’t sound so good. But what other option did we have?

  The children continued to bang on the car windows, watching in horror as Felix’s body began to puff up. It looked like he’d gained several stone in seconds.

  ‘What’s happening? Why does he look all puffy?’ said Jason.

  I was really hoping he wouldn’t ask that…

  ‘Human bodies are only designed to hold one spirit. Felix has already shown he can hold two better than most, but three?’

  ‘So it’s killing him?’ said Gabe, floating through the car and towards Jason and me.

  ‘Not necessarily.’ Probably. ‘But it won’t be comfortable.’

  Mumbled voices came from everywhere and nowhere. I looked around but couldn’t see who they belonged to.

  I glanced into the car to see two horrified children in the backseat. Was it better for them to witness it from inside the car, or from the outside? Neither. But it wasn’t like we could blindfold them.

  And if Felix did die, it was better they knew the truth about how it’d happened. I’d learned that the hard way.

  Jason reached out to his husband, but I grabbed his wrist and moved his hand away. ‘What can we do? There must be something we can do!’

  I shook my head. ‘I wish I could tell you there was. But even if I did go home and get everything we needed, by the time I got back…’

  Jason shook his head. ‘This is bullshit!’

  Felix froze. It was almost like he’d turned into a statue right in front of us. We watched him, holding our breaths.

  Then, he screamed. I really hoped anyone working from home was wearing noise-cancelling headphones or had the TV on really loud.

  His knees buckled. Jason reached out and caught him as he fell to the floor.

  Javi seemed to split from Felix’s form, pulling another ghost I didn’t recognise out of Felix’s body. Javi looked faint; exhausted. So did the other ghost. But he was still trying to put up a fight, and Javi was doing his best to control him.

  Javi’s suicide mission may not have destroyed his spirit completely, but it had definitely depleted it. I’d never seen his ghost form so transparent.

  After one final tug, Javi and the other ghost fully left Felix’s body. When Javi was satisfied they were far enough away, he let go. The ghost disappeared into the ether.

  Javi lowered his head, resting his hands on his knees.

  ‘Are you all right?’ I said.

  ‘Yeah, yeah, I’ll be fine. Hell of a ghost, that one. Do you mind if I go rest for a bit? I don’t feel so good.’

  I wanted to reach out and to hold him so badly in that moment. To thank him and reassure him and tell him I was proud of him, but I could tell that if he didn’t return to the Other Side and stat, there wouldn’t be much left of him. He’d already stayed with me too long, something ghosts weren’t meant to do once they’d cross over. To fight off another ghost as well? It was no wonder he looked as rough as he did.

  ‘Go. Thank you,’ I told him.

  He flashed me one last smile, then disappeared.

  I turned back to Jason and Felix. Had Javi saved Felix, or had all his efforts only saved the children?

  Felix lay on the grass, cradled by Jason. Thankfully, he’d returned to his normal size.

  The two children were still banging on the car window. Alyssa climbed through the middle of the seat, grabbed the key from the ignition, and unlocked the doors. Both of them bolted out and ran over to their dads.

  ‘Daddy? What happened?’ said the youngest.

  Jason glanced up at me. ‘I wish I could explain it, honey.’

  I wished I could, too.

  Gabe watched on from a distance, smiling. A white light appeared over his right shoulder. It looked both really close and really far away. He turned around, a look of bliss washing over him. ‘I think it’s time for me to go. Thank you for your help, Niamh.’

  I gave him a knowing nod, then watched as he crossed over, happy that his family were safe. At least I knew that what Javi had done had really worked, as Gabe wouldn’t have been able to cross over otherwise.

  ‘Is Dad all right?’ asked Alyssa, kneeling next to Felix.

  ‘He’s still breathing, but he’s weak,’ said Jason.

 

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