by K E O'Connor
Helen’s mouth opened and closed several times. “Beans on toast?”
“It’s my favorite meal,” said Alex. “I eat it almost every night. I change the flavors by having different sorts of noodles on the side. They come in all different varieties. I like the Chinese Chicken ones the best, but they always sell out. Whatever you can find in the cupboard will be fine.”
Helen’s mouth flapped again.
I grabbed the unwanted soufflé from her and gently pushed her back toward the door. “She’ll make a note of your favorite noodles for next time.”
Alex nodded, already distracted by the game he was in the middle of.
Helen scowled at me. “Right. Noodles on toast it is.” She stomped out of the room.
Flipper looked eagerly at the unwanted soufflé in my hand. I discreetly gave him a small bit but didn’t want him to have too much because the richness could upset his stomach.
“This is really good,” said Eva, half of her noodles already gone.
I sat in an armchair and made a start on my food. “Helen is a great cook.”
The doorbell rang, and Alex glanced up. “That’s probably Piers and Harriet.”
Eva groaned. “Don’t they have homes of their own?”
Alex shrugged. “They like hanging out here. Can you let them in?”
“They’re your friends.”
“I’m in the middle of an important grudge match. If I leave, I die.”
“Important in whose world?” sneered Eva.
“Children, there’s no need to bicker,” said Camilla. “Eva, answer the door.”
“Alex should do it. He’s just playing one of his dumb computer games,” protested Eva.
“Go. Now.” Camilla’s tone was not to be argued with.
Eva stuffed a huge pile of noodles into her mouth before stamping into the hallway. “They’re not even my friends.” She returned a moment later and slumped into an armchair in the corner, her food forgotten.
A tall, slender blonde in skin tight, dark jeans and a fitted T-shirt walked in. She squealed when she saw Alex, ran over, and flung her arms around him. “I’ve missed you.” She planted a kiss on his cheek.
Alex struggled out of her embrace. “In a minute, babe. I’m on an important mission.”
The blonde pouted. “I’m your important mission.”
“You will be in just a second.”
The blonde looked around, her pale blue eyes narrowing when she saw me. “Who are you?”
“I’m Lorna,” I said. “Alex’s new assistant.”
“I’m Alex’s girlfriend, Harriet Fawcett.” She thumped Alex’s arm. “You should have said if you needed an assistant. I can help you. I’d be a great personal assistant. I can see to all of your needs.”
“Lorna is not that kind of assistant.” Camilla finished her last mouthful of salad and neatly placed her knife and fork together. “She’s here to make sure Alex’s business is successful and all the paperwork is in order.”
Harriet pouted again. “I can do that. Doing paperwork must be easy. He didn’t need to hire her.”
“Yes, he did.” Camilla picked up her empty plate and stood. “It can’t all be computer games and fun. He needs to think about his long-term future and who will be in it.” Her icy gaze settled on Harriet. “I’ll leave you all to it. Enjoy your evening. And, Alex, don’t forget to spend time with Lorna going over her work duties.”
Alex waved a hand in the air as his mom left the room.
Harriet studied me in silence before turning back to Alex. “Well, I guess she’ll do. She’s not your type, so I don’t need to be jealous.” She shot me a cold look before circling Alex’s arm with both hands and tugging on his elbow. “Finish your silly game. I’m already bored.”
I resisted the urge to remind her what my name was. Being called she all the time was grating on my nerves.
Alex shot Harriet an irritated look. “This isn’t silly. This is important. I’m playing Mickey.”
Harriet groaned and slumped onto the couch as if realizing she’d been defeated.
I finished my food and shuffled closer toward the screen. “Who’s Mickey?”
“Mickey Kill is a legend.” A tall, dark-haired guy stood in the doorway, leaning against the door jamb. At first glance, he was attractive, but there was a coldness in his eyes that set me on edge.
“Mickey Kill is an idiot,” said Harriet. “He takes up far too much of Alex’s time.”
The dark-haired guy strolled into the room. “I’m Piers Torrington, Alex’s best friend.” He raised his eyebrows at me.
“Lorna Shadow, his new personal assistant.”
Piers nodded. “I remember Alex mentioning something about his mom getting him an assistant. She’s worried he can’t look after himself.”
“I do fine on my own,” muttered Alex. He shot me a guilty look. “Maybe I could do with a hand with some paperwork now and again.”
“You don’t need to worry about the paperwork.” Piers settled on the couch on the other side of Alex. “All you need to do is come up with brilliant business ideas to make your next few million.”
“I do my best,” said Alex.
“What’s your latest idea?”
Alex shrugged. “I haven’t thought up anything good for a while.”
“Then you need to,” said Piers. “Your latest hot app will be an old app in a month’s time. If you don’t innovate, you go out of date quickly in this business.”
“What is it you do?” I asked Piers.
He smirked. “This and that.”
“Piers lives off his parents,” muttered Eva from the corner.
He glared at her. “My business dealings are none of your concern. Don’t you have a graveyard to haunt? You’re certainly dressed for it.”
Eva glared at him. “I’m in mourning.”
Piers shook his head. “Mourning your lack of style and inability to find a boyfriend.”
“Piers is an entrepreneur,” simpered Harriet. “He’s brilliant.”
“Thank you, gorgeous.” Piers smiled at her and winked.
Helen walked in with a tray of instant noodles and beans on toast. “Here’s your dinner.”
Alex’s face brightened, and he paused the game. “Brilliant. Any chance you can make some for Piers and Harriet?”
Piers’s gaze raked over Helen. His tongue traced across his lips. “I like the sound of that.”
“Nothing for me,” said Harriet. “I need to watch my weight. Alex is taking me to a movie premier soon, and I must fit into my new white tube dress.”
“Beans on toast for one it is.” Helen sighed, turned on her heel, and left.
Alex tucked into his food, one eye still on the game.
“I can take over if you like,” said Eva.
“There’s no need,” said Alex.
“Mickey Kill is getting agitated.” Eva gestured to the screen, where a series of short messages were pinging up. Are you giving up? Have I beaten you? You a loser? It’s a fight to the death. Are you scared?
I watched the text scroll down the screen. “This Mickey Kill doesn’t sound like a nice guy.” Mind you, neither did Piers, and I was sitting in the same room as him.
“He’s just playing,” said Alex. “We’re as bad as each other.”
“It would be different if you were face-to-face,” said Eva. “You know what these gamers are like. It’s all bravado and show when they’re hidden behind their screens. Get them talking to each other, and I bet they wouldn’t say boo to a mouse.”
“That’s not true,” said Alex. “Besides, you have to play the game. Mickey Kill plays some of the best game around. I can handle his trash talk so long as we can play together.”
“I could beat him if I made the effort,” said Piers. “He wouldn’t be a match for me.”
“You can take him on if you like,” said Alex. “But you’re not using my game credits to do so. It’s taken me all week to build up to this level.”
&n
bsp; Piers yawned and stretched his arms over his head. “It’s hardly a challenge for me.”
Alex snorted. “Yeah, right. Mickey Kill would obliterate you in seconds.”
I can beat anyone. The message on the screen from Mickey Kill was eerily accurate.
I blinked and stared at it. It was as if he was listening to our conversation and had heard Piers.
Alex scooped up the last of his beans before setting his plate on the floor. “Let’s play.”
For the next twenty minutes, I watched, spellbound, as Alex slaughtered zombies in a variety of inventive ways. He was competing with Mickey Kill to get the most zombie slays. I flinched as Alex sliced off various limbs from a slow-moving zombie and used them to beat another around the head.
I felt old. When did computer games get so violent? I used to like the ones where you’d chase balls around the screen, jump onto different platforms, and catch magic coins in the sky. If games had been like this when I was a kid, I’d have been scarred for life.
Helen returned with Piers’s food, ignoring the lecherous looks he gave her as she handed him the plate.
“Are you staying?” I asked her.
She looked at the screen and grimaced. “I’m busy in the kitchen.” Helen scooped up the empty plates and made a hasty retreat.
Eva perched on the edge of my seat and leaned over. “This was Gregory’s favorite game. He used to love to play it with Alex.”
Alex glanced up. “He did enjoy it. We had a lot of fun with this game.”
“I could have beaten Greg at this,” sneered Piers. “He wasn’t all that good. He didn’t have the killer instinct.”
“He did. He was brilliant,” said Eva. “You never played with him because you knew he’d always beat you.”
“That’s rubbish,” said Piers. “I was out of his league. Besides, he never asked me to play.”
“Because he was Alex’s friend, not yours,” said Eva. She leaned even closer and lowered her voice. “Gregory and Piers did not get along.”
“We were all mates,” said Alex.
“Whatever you say, buddy.” Piers slapped Alex on the shoulder. “We had fun together.”
“Gregory wasn’t just great at this game,” whispered Eva. “He was the brains behind everything Alex did.”
I looked up at her. “Like what?”
“Their business success is down to Gregory. If it weren’t for Gregory, Alex would be sitting in a single room apartment playing this game on his own. He wouldn’t have the likes of Harriet and Piers hanging around trying to get a handout.”
I glanced at Harriet and Piers. They were both cheering Alex on as he killed more zombies. Their friendships looked genuine enough, but maybe they were hiding something. Maybe they could be here because there was money to be had.
“Alex is a sucker,” muttered Eva. “He can be a real idiot. I’ve told him not to trust those two, but he won’t listen to me.”
“What are you muttering about?” Harriet glared at Eva. “If you keep talking, you’ll distract Alex from his game.”
“She’s not the only one,” muttered Alex. “I could do with some peace.”
“Why don’t I join in?” Piers went to grab the second game controller sitting on the coffee table.
Alex scooped it up and tucked it under his arm. “It’s me and Mickey Kill tonight. We’ve been playing all day. I’m not going to give up now. It wouldn’t be fair to bring a second player in on my side.”
Piers shrugged. “Suit yourself. I’ll go grab some beers from the kitchen, shall I?”
“I’ll have a soft drink,” said Alex. “I need to keep a clear head for this game.”
“One beer won’t hurt.” Piers shoved Alex in the shoulder.
“I need to stay alert. Maybe I should have a coffee, instead?”
“You’re such a wimp.” Piers jumped off the couch and headed into the hallway.
“Do you see how Piers treats Alex?” whispered Eva. “He’s always like that around him. He’s always picking on him and trying to undermine his confidence.”
I glanced over to see Harriet fiddling with Alex’s hair while he leaned away from her. “Why would he do that if they’re friends?”
“That’s my point,” said Eva. “They aren’t, not really.”
Harriet glared at Eva. “If you two are going to keep whispering, then you must leave. Alex needs to concentrate.”
“They’re fine,” said Alex. “I can’t hear them now.”
“Neither can I, but I can hear them mumbling. It’s annoying,” said Harriet. “We’re all friends here. There’s no need to keep secrets.”
Eva snorted and stood. “I’m bored, anyway. I’ll catch you two lovebirds later.” She gave me a knowing nod before leaving the lounge.
Feeling awkward about being the third wheel sitting with Alex and Harriet as she pawed him, I made my excuses and headed to the kitchen.
As I got to the door with Flipper, I heard voices on the other side. One of them was Helen’s. She was not sounding happy.
I shoved open the door to find Piers standing far too close to Helen, who was backed up against the kitchen island.
Piers looked up as I came in and took a step back, giving me a sly grin as he did so. “I was just getting to know your friend, thanking her for the beans on toast she so kindly made me.”
Helen scowled at Piers. “You can keep your thanks to yourself.”
“There’s no need to be like that.” Piers grabbed the cans of beer off the kitchen island. “I was being friendly.”
“I don’t need that kind of friendly from you.”
Piers shrugged as he walked past me. “It’s your loss. You’re too old for me, anyway.”
I watched the door shut and then turned to Helen. “Was he trying it on with you?”
“Yes! What a disgusting little creep. He was acting as if I should be grateful for his attention. And, as if I’m too old for him! Not that I’d want him. He smelled of cheap cologne and beans.”
I sank onto a chair and propped my chin on my hand. “This family is weird.”
“You’re telling me,” said Helen. “Anyone who prefers instant noodles and beans on toast over my cooking has to have something wrong with them.”
“Most of your soufflés got eaten,” I said. “I thought mine was lovely. Flipper enjoyed his as well.”
“Flipper always enjoys my food.” Helen switched on the kettle. “It’s time for hot chocolate.”
“And, it’s time we figured out exactly what happened to our ghostly friend, Greg.”
Chapter 6
The hot chocolate was made, and I was working my way through a plate of double chocolate chip cookies with Helen.
“I’m not sure about this place,” I said. “Alex doesn’t want me here. I can’t work with him if he doesn’t want me around. It will make everything awkward.”
“I don’t think Alex will be a problem,” said Helen. “Do what his mom does and boss him about. He responds to that. It’s all his hangers on and his weird sister who worry me.”
“I don’t think Eva is weird.”
“She told me I was a sexual deviant. That is weird.”
I smiled. “Eva said you were adventurous. There’s a big difference. Or is there something you’ve been hiding from me?”
Helen broke apart a cookie and dumped a piece into her hot chocolate before sucking the chocolatey foam off. “I still think she’s a bit strange. She’s mourning a dead guy, who didn’t even know she was alive.”
“Haven’t you ever experienced unrequited love?”
“Never! Well, I thought the lead singer from Hot Rod would marry me. But I was eight years old when I had that fantasy.”
“Well, Eva hasn’t been so lucky. It looks like she had a crush on Greg and he didn’t even notice she was around. That’s got to hurt. Now he’s dead, she’ll never get the chance to tell him how she felt.”
Helen shrugged. “If she didn’t mope around in so much black, Eva mig
ht stand more of a chance with guys.”
I shook my head at Helen’s lack of sympathy. “We can’t all be as lucky in love as you are.”
“Maybe Eva had something to do with Greg’s death,” said Helen. “She could have declared her interest in him, and he rejected her. That’s a good motive for wanting someone dead. All this mourning nonsense is a cover.”
“It’s possible,” I said. “I get the impression she really liked him.”
“That’s even more of a reason,” said Helen. “Greg told her there was no way they could be together, and she saw red and attacked him.”
“By stealing a top-secret military drone, learning to fly it, and then shooting Greg? There are grounds for pre-meditation there.”
“We have no idea what Eva’s hobbies are,” said Helen. “She could be great at flying drones.”
“I’m not so sure,” I said. “I wondered about Alex, but Greg seemed convinced he had nothing to do with it.”
“What about creepy Piers?” asked Helen. “From what I’ve seen of him so far, he’s got the kind of sly character that would do anything to get what he wants.”
“What would he gain from killing Greg?”
“Piers was jealous of Greg’s friendship with Alex,” said Helen. “Didn’t Eva say Greg and Alex grew up together? If they were close, Piers might have felt left out. He thought he wasn’t getting his fair share of Alex’s newfound wealth and fame. He figured the only way he could do that was to get rid of Greg.”
“Piers seems super confident. He wouldn’t be threatened by some computer geek.” My phone signaled I had a message. It was from Zach.
I smiled. He was missing me and was sorry he hadn’t been there to say goodbye. I typed a quick reply. I also missed him. But that was another problem to deal with. I had a pesky ghost hunt at home to solve. I still hadn’t figured out what to do about the Amelia problem.
It was time for another cookie and then bed. Maybe in the morning, I’d figure a few of these ghost puzzles out.
***
It was after ten the next morning. I’d been waiting in the study for over an hour for Alex to appear. I’d wandered around the house to see if he was working in another room, but there’d been no sign of him.