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Authors: Tamsyn Murray
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held up a hand. ‘Scout’s honour. You do know I was kidding about that?’
I hadn’t. The nose flute had been an obvious joke, but plenty of guys had been into dubious music at school. It was a massive relief that Ryan wasn’t like them.
‘Correct answer,’ I said cheerfully. ‘Congratulations. You’ve just won tonight’s star prize – a date with Lucy Shaw.’
‘Great.’ He smiled back at me. ‘Deciding to throw that party was the best decision I ever made.’
After he’d gone, I considered the evening. Getting sucked back to the toilet was something I never wanted toexperience again, and I made a mental note to make sure I spent at least a few hours at home every day. I prodded my feelings some more. In spite of being stuck underground with only a dripping tap for company, I was the happiest I’d been for ages. Picturing Ryan’s gorgeously dimpled smile, a grin of pure pleasure crept over my face. The afterlife had just got a whole lot more interesting.
Chapter 10
‘We need to talk,’ Jeremy announced as he delivered a fresh batch of reading material a few days after the party.
I didn’t look at him. Ryan had suggested we go to the cinema, and I was scanning the local paper trying to find the perfect date film. It was harder than I thought.
‘I’ve been doing some research, and I think I’ve discovered something about your murderer.’
My head jerked up, a sick feeling washing over me. ‘What?’
‘After I spoke to the psychic from the Dearly Departed, I spent a few hours surfing the internet looking for clues. I found some disturbing things.’ His eyes rested seriously on my face. ‘I don’t think you were his first victim. There are others. I think he’s tried it before.’
I shivered. Jeremy kept harping on about helping me to cross over, but if it meant reliving the dark night of my murder over and over again, I wasn’t sure I was ready. Besides, things were pretty rosy in my garden at the moment. It wasn’t perfect but, after a blissful first date at the Science Museum with Ryan, it felt as though things were just starting to go right for me again. As much as I hated living in a toilet, I didn’t want to move on if it meant I lost the new friends I’d gained.
‘Maybe we shouldn’t start this.’ I knew it wasn’t what Jeremy wanted to hear. ‘If the police couldn’t catch my killer what chance do we have? I don’t know if I even remember what he looked like.’
Jeremy seemed to have been expecting my reluctance. ‘It isn’t going to be easy, but what choice do we have?’ His face softened. ‘You can’t hang around here forever.’
How could I explain that I wasn’t sure I wanted to go? All Jeremy saw was what I’d lost by dying. He didn’t understand that this shadowy existence was better than none at all, that maybe I’d found something I wouldn’t have had otherwise. I seized at the nearest excuse to put him off. ‘I don’t have time for this now – Ryan will be here soon.’
Eyes resting on mine, he wasn’t letting it go. ‘Maybe if you could give me a few details, they might help me to join up the dots?’
I didn’t want to. The part of me which had helped me cope with the aching loss of my family was telling me to leave the past alone. Something in Jeremy’s insistent gaze,though, wouldn’t allow me to run away. Reluctantly, I forced myself to remember.
‘I was on my way home from a really crappy party, about eleven-thirty. My best mate was supposed to come with me, but she’d got stupid chickenpox and couldn’t go, so like an idiot, I went on my own. Anyway, the party sucked and I decided to cut my losses. I promised my dad I’d get a taxi home, but it was a really long wait so I thought I’d walk.’ My voice cracked to barely a whisper as the memories started to flow. ‘The streets were quiet. Everyone was still partying, I guess.’
Jeremy nodded encouragingly. ‘Then what happened?’
My chest heaved and I could almost taste the
I hadn’t. The nose flute had been an obvious joke, but plenty of guys had been into dubious music at school. It was a massive relief that Ryan wasn’t like them.
‘Correct answer,’ I said cheerfully. ‘Congratulations. You’ve just won tonight’s star prize – a date with Lucy Shaw.’
‘Great.’ He smiled back at me. ‘Deciding to throw that party was the best decision I ever made.’
After he’d gone, I considered the evening. Getting sucked back to the toilet was something I never wanted toexperience again, and I made a mental note to make sure I spent at least a few hours at home every day. I prodded my feelings some more. In spite of being stuck underground with only a dripping tap for company, I was the happiest I’d been for ages. Picturing Ryan’s gorgeously dimpled smile, a grin of pure pleasure crept over my face. The afterlife had just got a whole lot more interesting.
Chapter 10
‘We need to talk,’ Jeremy announced as he delivered a fresh batch of reading material a few days after the party.
I didn’t look at him. Ryan had suggested we go to the cinema, and I was scanning the local paper trying to find the perfect date film. It was harder than I thought.
‘I’ve been doing some research, and I think I’ve discovered something about your murderer.’
My head jerked up, a sick feeling washing over me. ‘What?’
‘After I spoke to the psychic from the Dearly Departed, I spent a few hours surfing the internet looking for clues. I found some disturbing things.’ His eyes rested seriously on my face. ‘I don’t think you were his first victim. There are others. I think he’s tried it before.’
I shivered. Jeremy kept harping on about helping me to cross over, but if it meant reliving the dark night of my murder over and over again, I wasn’t sure I was ready. Besides, things were pretty rosy in my garden at the moment. It wasn’t perfect but, after a blissful first date at the Science Museum with Ryan, it felt as though things were just starting to go right for me again. As much as I hated living in a toilet, I didn’t want to move on if it meant I lost the new friends I’d gained.
‘Maybe we shouldn’t start this.’ I knew it wasn’t what Jeremy wanted to hear. ‘If the police couldn’t catch my killer what chance do we have? I don’t know if I even remember what he looked like.’
Jeremy seemed to have been expecting my reluctance. ‘It isn’t going to be easy, but what choice do we have?’ His face softened. ‘You can’t hang around here forever.’
How could I explain that I wasn’t sure I wanted to go? All Jeremy saw was what I’d lost by dying. He didn’t understand that this shadowy existence was better than none at all, that maybe I’d found something I wouldn’t have had otherwise. I seized at the nearest excuse to put him off. ‘I don’t have time for this now – Ryan will be here soon.’
Eyes resting on mine, he wasn’t letting it go. ‘Maybe if you could give me a few details, they might help me to join up the dots?’
I didn’t want to. The part of me which had helped me cope with the aching loss of my family was telling me to leave the past alone. Something in Jeremy’s insistent gaze,though, wouldn’t allow me to run away. Reluctantly, I forced myself to remember.
‘I was on my way home from a really crappy party, about eleven-thirty. My best mate was supposed to come with me, but she’d got stupid chickenpox and couldn’t go, so like an idiot, I went on my own. Anyway, the party sucked and I decided to cut my losses. I promised my dad I’d get a taxi home, but it was a really long wait so I thought I’d walk.’ My voice cracked to barely a whisper as the memories started to flow. ‘The streets were quiet. Everyone was still partying, I guess.’
Jeremy nodded encouragingly. ‘Then what happened?’
My chest heaved and I could almost taste the
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