After breakfast, Trisha led them out through the kitchen to where her car was parked behind the building. It was an old ’78 King Cobra Mustang. Michaela looked it over and whistled. Trisha smiled.

‘Not bad, is it?’ she said. ‘It was my dad’s. He gave it to me just before he died.’

Michaela was surprised. ‘We don’t know much about each other, do we?’ she said.

Trisha shook her head, and Michaela thought again there was something so tired about her friend. It wasn’t the same Trisha she’d met last year up at the lake. There wasn’t near so much swearing and posturing and that was just for starters.

‘We don’t at that, Trisha agreed. ‘My dad died of bowel cancer when I was Caro’s age.’ She shrugged. ‘At least I didn’t have to have him kick me out and swear to have nothing more to do with me.’ She looked down at the car. ‘I couldn’t have handled that.’ She shrugged and unlocked the door. ‘But hey,’ she said. ‘Life goes on well after you’re done living, right?’

‘So, where are we going now?’ Michaela asked once they were in the car.

‘I’ll drop you off at your car and you can follow me home,’ Trisha said. ‘And with a bit of luck the ghosts will jump out and say boo and you can just see them for yourself without me sounding like a dick telling you about it all.’

Michaela’s eyes widened. Ghosts? Not for real, surely? She wanted to ask, but some instinct told her not to rush. Trisha was concentrating on driving now, but she was looking almost green in the brightening fall light. Michaela reached out instead and lightly touched a shoulder, then looked out the window at the town.

It was built crouched on the side of a wide green snake of a river. Main Street behind them, the town straggled and lingered like a naughty child after school. Everywhere there were trees showing their fall kaleidoscope of brilliant reds and oranges.

‘The trees are pretty,’ Michaela said.

Trisha snorted. ‘Yeah,’ she said. ‘But not pretty enough to make us one of those rich little tourist traps.’ She shrugged. ‘We get our share, I suppose, but they’re only passing through to somewhere better. Taking the scenic route off to see the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.’

 She turned the car down a residential street and pulled into the driveway of small ranch house looking neat and prim under a new coat of paint.

‘Well,’ said Trisha. ‘Here we are. I painted the place during the summer. Tidied it up a bit. Mom doesn’t get much time for stuff like that. She’s down at the diner every day of the week.’ She looked over at Michaela and Michaela thought she could see shadows in those lovely eyes.

‘Come and meet Caro,’ Trisha said.

Trisha’s young sister was probably the most beautiful teenager Michaela had ever set eyes on. The same dark curls and light olive tint to the skin as her sister, but instead of Trisha’s short stature and generous curves, Caro was tall and slender, with jean clad legs that went all the way to heaven. She smiled shyly at Michaela and her eyes were a clear, deep green.

Trisha was watching Michaela look at her sister, a smile playing around her lips. ‘You’ve got a stunned mullet look on your face, Michaela,’ she said.

Michaela turned glassy eyes towards her amused girlfriend. ‘This is your sister?’ she asked.

Trisha laughed. ‘Real polite, babe.’ She put her arm around her kid sister’s shoulder and gave her a peck on the cheek. ‘Yup this is the kid. The hope and dream of the family aren’t you, gorgeous?’

Caro laughed and blushed at the same time and Michaela realised this girl was the real deal. Beautiful and somehow at fifteen, still unaffected.

Trisha was still talking. ‘But it’s not her looks going to get her far, is it sweetheart?’ She turned to Michaela. ‘Caro’s making the top grades in the school. She’s a real swot, but that’s not the reason. She’s a bright kid. Really bright.’ Trisha gave Caro another kiss and stepped back toward Michaela. Her face was serious again. ‘I have high hopes for Caro. She has a real chance to make it in the world.’ Trisha was looking suddenly fierce now. ‘Nothing is going to ruin it for her, okay?’

Michaela looked back at Caro’s green eyes and bright red face and nodded. ‘Okay, I hear you, Trisha,’ she said. But she wasn’t really sure what she was hearing.

Trisha seemed to realise it. She took a breath and lightened up. ‘Come on, let’s put your bags away,’ she said and led the way down a narrow hallway.

Michaela looked around at the house as she followed Trisha. It was clean and tidy but frayed around the edges. The carpets were worn, the furniture old though serviceable. Someone had arranged some fall branches in a vase to brighten up the place, but behind the cheerful gesture, the house seemed sad and dark. Michaela shivered, telling herself not to be fanciful. It was Trisha’s brief mention of ghosts before that had the hairs on the back of her neck all fluffed up.

Trisha pointed to a door. ‘Bathroom,’ she said and opened a different door. ‘It’s not the Hilton,’ she said and indicated Michaela to go in. Michaela put her bags down and turned around.

‘Are you sure I should be staying here with you?’ she asked. ‘Your mom didn’t seem too keen on the idea. It’s okay, you know, if I have to go back to the hotel.’ She looked around the little room, also clean, bed neatly made.

Trisha rubbed her forehead with the heel of a hand. ‘You have to stay here,’ she said. ‘Mom’s okay with it, really. She understands the necessity. She’ll put up with it at least, though if there was a spare room, she’d probably insist you sleep in there.’

She looked back down the hallway behind the open bedroom door and her face had that tired, wan look again. Michaela looked at her, and remembered the day she and Trisha were locked in the Gardener’s rank and dark swim house, unable to get out. Then she realised. Trisha wasn’t just tired. Trisha was afraid.