Martin looked confused, but hung on Alice’'s every word, thinking that the next thing she said would piece it all together.
“"I never got a response from you, Martin. I gave you my phone number and all of my other contact information, but I never heard from you,”" she explained. “"So after several months—--more than several months—--I wrote you again, and again, and again. You never answered any of my letters.”"
“"Alice, I don’'t know what to say,”" Martin said, knowing the situation to be a misunderstanding. “"I’'m sorry you’'ve been upset about this, but I never received anything from you, a year ago or since. I certainly would have replied to a letter from you had I gotten it. I’'m terribly sorry.”"
“"Martin, you did get the letter,”" Jilly interrupted. “"But you thought it was from Lucy. That was the letter you threw away, the one you got right after she left.”"
Martin looked puzzled. “"What?”" he asked. “"What do you mean? That wasn’'t from Lucy? Of course it was from her. It had her name on the return address.”"
“"It was my name on the return address,”" Alice said. “"I changed it back after the divorce.”"
“"I thought it was from her,”" he said, not looking at anyone. “"I always thought it was from her. Well, you see the confusion now, Alice. I apologize. I don’'t know what else to say. But whatever was in the letter, I’'d be happy to discuss it with you now.”"
“"It’'s about Lucy,”" Alice said, hesitating a bit.
“"I assumed so,”" Martin said, and nodded. “"What is it? Do I have something of hers, did she need money, was it an issue with the wedding? Because I canceled all the arrangements, and all the deposits were forfeited. There was nothing left to split. I lost everything.”"
“"I really don’'t think any of that ever crossed her mind,”" Alice said. “"It isn’'t about any of that.”"
Then Alice went on and told Martin about that last day, how Alice’'s car wouldn’'t start and how Lucy gave her the truck, saying she’'d take a bus to the unemployment office, and then what happened after that. Then about the accident.
What she didn’'t mention, Lucy thought when Alice had finished, is that it was a beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly and the breezewas perfect. My hair looked great for a change. I was wearing my favorite boots, the ones I’'m wearing now. I never saw the bus. I never saw it. I just saw the bus driver’'s eyes and then heard it on me. She was nice, the bus driver. Everything was perfect that day. I feel terrible that she hit me.
No one would ever know that, Lucy thought. No one would ever know that part of the story.
Martin didn’'t respond to Alice. He said nothing and looked far, far past her.
Lucy watched Martin, who was confounded by what he couldn’'t grasp, not yet. He sat there in a moment of shock, the last moment he would be able to push it away for a long, long time.
Jilly reached out and took his hand.
“"I’'m so sorry, Martin,”" she said so lightly that it was barely audible. “"I didn’'t know, either. Lucy’'s phone was destroyed in the accident, and without it, Alice didn’'t know how to find me under my married name. She counted on your reading that letter and then telling the rest of us what happened.”"
“"See, Lucy?”" Naunie said, with comforting eyes. “"Alice didn’'t just let you vanish. She did try to tell them. It’'s just that no one heard her.”"
“"They’'re lying,”" came a bold declaration, and everyone in the room looked up to see Nola standing in the doorway. “"Lucy Fisher is not dead. She was standing in this living room, two feet from me, a few days ago. I saw her. The mailman saw her. She’'s broken into the house numerous times, and whatever you’'ve said, it’'s not true. I saw her.”"
“"That’'s impossible,”" Jilly said. “"Why would you say such a thing?”"
“"Because it’'s true!”" Nola asserted. “"She told me I needed to leave and that she was back. That was the last thing she said before she walked out the door, ‘'I’'m back.’'”"
“"I don’'t know you,”" Alice interjected. “"But I can guess who you are. My sister was killed in a terrible accident almost a year ago, and I happen to think that your little joke is in poor taste. For you to call me a liar is unthinkable. What would I possibly have to gain by saying and pretending my sister is dead?”"
“"Get her, Alice!”" Naunie cheered from the sidelines.
Nola scoffed. “"Well, her life insurance policy, for one,”" she huffed.
“"Again, that’'s ridiculous,”" Alice protested. “"Lucy didn’'t have a life insurance policy.”"
“"Yes, she did!”" Jilly said quickly.
“"I did?”" Lucy said.
“"We all have one at the office,”" Jilly added. “"It’'s included in our benefits.”"
“"But she had gotten fired. She was no longer employed,”" Alice reasoned.
“"Her benefits were good until the end of the month,”" Nola said with a wry smile. “"So if you’'re claiming she died when she did, she just made it under the deadline. What a coincidence. Another coincidence is that there is an accidental death benefit rider to the life insurance policy we have, double the amount of the benefit. And another coincidence is that you have a year to make a claim. And your time is almost up.”"
Alice tossed up her hands. “"I don’'t know about a life insurance policy, and I don’'t care about a life insurance policy,”" she said angrily. “"I lost my sister. Just when she lost everything, I lost her.”"
“"It all adds up very nicely to a case of insurance fraud,”" Nola barked. “"But I won’'t let you get away with it. Lucy Fisher is alive and well, and I can prove it!”"
Jilly gave Nola a dirty look. “"How?”" she questioned her co-worker. “"How are you going to prove that, Nola? I’'m sure Alice has a death certificate and a coroner’'s report. I’'ve seen the clipping from the story in the newspaper, and it seems no one has seen her, not one single person, not a loved one, best friend, or ex-fiancée in almost a year. No one has seen her but you. Only you, Nola. And she never liked you. Why would she stop in and chat with you?”"
“"And she stole drugs from Dr. Meadows,”" Nola added. “"She’'s lucky he never pressed charges against her! Now I will see that he does!”"
“"That’'s not true,”" Jilly said, shaking her head. “"Lucy didn’'t touch those drugs. Marianne did. She finally told me the truth at Tulip’'s wake, feeling bad because Lucy had been such a good friend to her. She took them before we went to Hawaii, but was too scared to do them, and actually put them back the day Lucy got fired. You noticed when they were gone, but you never noticed when they were returned.”"
“"That’'s why she never came back for Tulip,”" Martin said quietly. “"I should have known something was wrong when she didn’'t come back for her.”"
“"Don’'t listen to them, Martin,”" Nola demanded. “"Don’'t fall for it. It’'s all a scheme. I swear I saw her a couple days ago. I don’'t know how they’'re pulling this off, but—--”"
“"Enough, Nola,”" Martin said harshly, finally breaking out of his daze to look her. “"That’'s so much more than enough. Not one more word. I mean it. I can’'t bear one more word.”"
Nola spun on her heel, charged down the hall, and slammed the bedroom door.
Martin stood up and raised his hand to Jilly and Alice. “"I’'m so sorry. You’'ll—--You’'ll …... please excuse me …...,”" he said, and went into the hallway, disappearing into the shadows.
Oh, he is not chasing after her, Lucy thought. He can’'t be. Martin, where are you? What happened to you? Is this what you are now? How can I help you if there’'s nothing left to save?
Lucy left the living room, determined to do whatever she could to stop him from making another concession, another mistake. She walked almost to the bedroom door and stopped. He wasn’'t in there. He couldn’'t be in there, she could feel it. She took two steps backward and peered through the open doorway of the hobby room.
She saw th
e back of him, just a silhouette, sitting in his chair in front of his desk. She walked in and stood just inside the threshold, listening to him breathe.
The room was quiet, static, like it had been flash frozen. As if this moment in time, this very moment, would always remain, never disintegrate, fall away, or erode.
Martin didn’'t move, as if he could keep the truth farther from him if he didn’'t react, respond, or feel.
Lucy walked toward him and put her hand on his shoulder. Unlike the time in the kitchen, he didn’'t flinch or pull away. She went around behind the chair and put her other hand on his other shoulder, and then slowly wrapped her arms around him. With her face next to his, she stood for a moment, then whispered, “"I’'m all right. I am here. I am fine where I am.”"
He breathed in one sudden, impatient breath, and then choked slightly as he let it back out.
“"Oh, no,”" he said, his eyes narrowing, his breath quickening. “"Oh, no.”"
chapter twenty Over the Hills and Far Away
A week later, the last spirit Lucy expected to see walking out of the bathroom was Ruby Spicer.
Her teacher greeted her with a warm hug.
“"Naunie!”" Lucy called. “"Look who’'s here! You won’'t believe it!”"
Naunie came into the living room almost bursting. Her smile, though, quickly faded when she realized why Ruby had probably come.
“"I’'m getting transferred again, aren’'t I?”" she asked. It had been a couple of weeks since the boomerang frame incident and the exorcism that had resulted, and truth be told, Naunie had been waiting for Ruby to pop up.
Ruby just smiled slyly and put her arms around her two students. “"WE,”" she said with a bold, wide smile, “"are going to a party.”"
“"You’'re kidding!”" Naunie said, clapping her hands. “"Really? I had no idea there were ghost parties! Is it a mixer? Do you think I might meet someone? It really is too bad that alcohol has no effect on me anymore….... I was such a lively drunk!”"
“"Speaking of lively,”" Ruby said, looking around, “"this place is dead! This is the quietest haunted house I’'ve ever seen! Where is everybody?”"
Lucy nodded, then shrugged.
That morning, Martin had called in sick to work as he had done every day for the entire week. By 6 A.M., he’'d had his coffee thermos by his side and had pulled out of the driveway in his truck. Lucy could only guess that he had gone to one of his favorite fishing spots, though he’'d neglected to take a pole.
Nola, too, had been going in early, and coming home late. Several nights before, she hadn’'t walked through the front door until 9 P.M. Her shows had been entirely neglected, even to the point where they were getting deleted on their own because so much time had passed.
“"That’'s too bad,”" Naunie had said, shaking her head as she’'d checked the menu for the recorder and had seen that Nola’'s programs were already gone. “"She would have bawled her eyes out on the one where the lady got her feet narrowed and her toenails permanently dyed red. Even I teared up a little.”"
The day before, a small van had pulled up in the driveway, and Nola had hauled out a dozen boxes and loaded them into the van herself. There had been no words, not even a note; she’'d simply left her key on the console by the front door and locked the door on the way out. She hadn’'t looked back, and neither Naunie nor Lucy had waved goodbye.
It had been very quiet around the house since Jilly’'s and Alice’'s visit, to the point where Lucy and Naunie were even getting bored with their own company. There was only so much TV watching and card playing they could do. A party was going to be a very welcome change of pace for them both.
“"Where are we going?”" Lucy asked as the three of them walked through the front door and out into the yard.
“"Oh.”" Ruby laughed. “"You’'ll see.”"
“"I’'m excited,”" Naunie exclaimed. “"I hope I’'m the only White Lady there! I don’'t want to blend in.”"
“"It’'s just a short ride on the bus,”" Ruby said, fishing something out of her cloak pocket as they walked to the corner. Once they got there, she lifted her hand, which held a cigarette between her forefinger and third finger, all the way up to her shine, which instantly lit the end of the cigarette a fiery orange.
“"I didn’'t know you still smoked!”" Lucy gasped.
“"Chica, I’'m off the clock,”" she replied, exhaling a tremendous haze of smoke. “"Don’'t be surprised if you see me tie one on. Just don’'t let me go home with anybody, no matter how haunting their good looks may be.”"
When the bus pulled up, the three specters slid on board and made their way to the back, where, to Naunie’'s great dismay, another White Lady and a mining prospector were already sitting and glowing.
“"Are you going to tell us what this is about?”" Lucy asked as they jostled and swayed with the bus’'s movement. “"I really prefer not to take city transportation if I can at all help it.”"
“"Relax. We’'re almost there. Next stop,”" Ruby reassured Lucy. A minute later, Ruby reached up and pulled the line, which immediately rang out a pleasant, tinkly chime.
The bus came to a stop soon after, the three of them climbed off, and Ruby started off in one direction.
“"Hold on. Hold on. Stop, please!”" Lucy called. “"Lucy Rule: Cross behind the bus, please. Never in front unless you want to wear the same thing for the rest of your death.”"
They walked a couple blocks farther, until Ruby stopped in front of another ranch style brick house similar to Martin’'s, with a perfect short hedge all the way around the yard. Music could be heard loudly playing from the inside, and through the windows, Lucy could see the place was packed with people laughing, dancing, talking, and having the time of their lives.
“"This is Jilly’'s house,”" Lucy remarked, a little startled. “"They’'re playing ‘'You Can’'t Always Get What You Want.’' That’'s my favorite song!”"
“"Lucy,”" Ruby said, standing behind her and grabbing her by the shoulders, “"welcome to your funeral!”"
“"Oh, Lucy!”" Naunie said, and clapped her hands in delight. “"You’'ve earned it, kid!”"
Passing through the front door, Lucy saw what seemed like everyone she had known in life; her best friend, Jilly, and Marianne, people she had gone to dental school with, high school with, hung out with at the Round About, and even people whose teeth she had cleaned. As she worked her way through the crowd with Naunie and Ruby by her side, Lucy beamed at the dining room table overflowing with photos of her from her teenage years on, beads that she and Jilly had acquired at Mardi Gras one year, ticket stubs from concerts they had seen together, and even Lucy’'s fake nurse’'s dental smock.
They eavesdropped on all of the conversations, Lucy stories being recalled again and again, most getting a little grander with each pass.
“"Led Zeppelin—--‘'Over the Hills and Far Away!’'”" Lucy shouted as another song started. “"This is my favorite song!”"
Lucy sidled up to Marianne, who was busy talking to Scott, one of the cutest bartenders at the Round About, not that there was an assortment to choose from, but still. Marianne was doing well; she didn’'t seem too nervous, hadn’'t spit food out on him yet, and was apparently telling a great story by the looks of it.
“"Oh, it’'s definitely true. I work in the office. I was there when the agents came in and talked to my boss,”" Marianne relayed. “"Lucy was still covered by the insurance policy. It had three days left on it. Can you believe that? Three days! Can you believe that luck? Well, I guess that depends on how you look at it, but …... And, yep, there was a double death thingy attached to it because it was an accident. I forget what you call it. So, yeah, in the end, it came to a pretty, pretty penny. Everything goes to her sister and her nephew. Isn’'t that nice? I’'m thinking about leaving everything to my sister and my nephew, but I really don’'t want to get hit by a bus, you know?”"
“"Lucy, look at this!”" Naunie shouted over the laughter
and noise of the crowd, and pointed to a photograph in the assortment of everything on the Lucy shrine. It was of her, in the redwoods, standing underneath Babe the Blue Ox, pretending to hold up the legendary figure’'s Volkswagen-size blue balls of concrete.
Lucy burst out laughing. “"I cannot tell you how much Martin did not want to take that picture!”" she cried, pointing at it. “"Oh, I thought he was going to shrivel up just looking at it! He could simply not be talked into touching them, let alone letting me take a picture, so I had to do it. That’'s funny. That’'s Martin’'s picture. That’'s one of the ones I saw Nola crumple and shove into the drawer.”"
Lucy felt someone touch her arm and heard Naunie call her name softly.
“"Look,”" her grandmother said, and nodded her head in the direction across the room.
Lucy followed with her eyes and saw her sister talking to someone that she couldn’'t make out. Alice was smiling a little, and that made Lucy want to smile. She moved through the crowd to get closer to Alice, saying hi to all of the people who had come to say goodbye to her, some she hadn’'t seen for a very long time. When she got to Alice, she stopped in her tracks when she saw who Alice was talking to.
It was Martin.
“"No, I had no idea,”" her sister said. “"I decided to drive by the old place on my way back up to Flagstaff after Jilly and I left your house, and that’'s when I saw the sign. The house was empty, completely empty, like the owners had fled in the middle of the night. I knew they were renovating it, but to up and leave like that? Anyway, the inside is pretty torn up. It doesn’'t look like they finished anything they started, and they’'re listing it for a song. I made an offer, so I’'ll see what happens. It would be good to be back at the old place, start over anew in someplace old, you know? Jared would like it down there, all of that room …... The only thing is that the place really is a wreck. There’'s about one wall left standing in the whole place. I’'ll have enough from Lucy’'s settlement to cover the house, but the rest would be pretty costly. I’'d have to really fix it back up.”"
“"I’'d be happy to help,”" Lucy heard Martin say. “"I do okay with a hammer and nails.”"
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