Nearly Departed, Max Schlienger [the gingerbread man read aloud txt] 📗

matter of how many people are there,” she said. She placed one plate in front of Dennis, and another at a vacant spot on the table. She continued speaking as she walked back into the kitchen and retrieved two pitchers. “I’m sorry to say, but it’s more because of your skin tone, Barnaby.”

“It’s ‘Bobo,’ ma’am,” he said again. “Am I too pale, do you think?” He nudged Dennis, who continued eating in silence.

“Milk or juice?” Elspeth asked. She poured a selection of each into a set of small glasses on the table, and each of the men helped themselves to one. Dennis avoided the milk, but Bobo seemed moved to devour all that he was offered. “Evy hasn’t had much experience with… Dark-skinned folks,” Elspeth explained. It was the first time that Dennis had heard caution creep into her voice. “She’s only ever known one man with skin darker than her own, and he was the house boy for some neighbors back in London.”

“A slave, you mean,” said Bobo.

Elspeth shook her head with an expression of distaste. “A servant. He made small enough wages, but they did pay him.” She served herself from the assembled plates, and took dainty bites from her toast as she spoke. “I had another black man come and see her once, right when she first appeared.” She shook her head disdainfully. “She acted as though he was there to wait on her. He hasn’t spoken with her since.”

“Why haven’t I heard anything about this?” Dennis murmured absent-mindedly. Both Elspeth and Bobo turned to look at him, but it took several seconds for him to notice their curious expressions. “Sorry,” he stammered. “I was just wondering why this place isn’t more famous.” He looked at both of them, still staring at him in confusion. “I mean, a real ghost? I’m surprised it hasn’t been on one of those reality television shows.”

“What?” asked Bobo.

“Oh, you know,” Dennis replied. He made nonsense motions with his hands, as though the meaningless gestures would add something to his explanation. “They go around and they find places that are haunted and they try to catch the ghost on tape.”

“Then what?” Bobo pressed. Elspeth remained quiet, having shifted her focus back to the consumption of her morning meal.

“Well, then they usually get scared and run around screaming until a commercial break.” His hands fell back to his lap. “Now that I think about it, they don’t really ever show you the ghost or anything, either.”

“People like to pretend,” Bobo answered. He pointed at Dennis with a piece of bacon. “You know full well what happens when they find the real thing.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dennis asked, a trifle irritably.

Bobo smiled and leaned towards Elspeth. “He was a gibbering mess yesterday, he was. Looked like he’d gone swimming in a cesspool.”

“Oh, no, it was only water,” Elspeth replied quietly.

Bobo looked taken aback. “What?”

“After he fainted,” she continued. “I had to dump two pitchers of water on him.”

Bobo turned back to Dennis with a giddy laugh. “You fainted, September? Christ, that's a change from bludgeoning a bloke with a statue.”

Dennis felt the tips of his ears start to burn. “I told you that I passed out, remember?”

“Must have missed it, with all the bruises you gave me.”

“Look, I apologized, didn’t I?”

Bobo titled his head. “No, actually, I don’t think you did.”

“Well, it’s hard to feel sorry when you keep smiling like that.” Dennis wolfed down the contents of his plate as he struggled to think of a topic change. “Elspeth,” he said, “how many other people have visited Evy?”

“Quite a number, I should think,” Elspeth replied.

“Give me an estimate.”

Elspeth looked up from her plate and gave Dennis a quizzical look. “I haven’t kept a count of them. Twenty or thirty, perhaps? Why?”

Dennis didn’t reply. A tiny bell had started ringing in his head, but he couldn’t figure out exactly what it meant. “How long have you been doing this?” he asked. “Trying to get rid of Evy, I mean.”

“Hey now, that’s a bit harsh,” Bobo protested. Elspeth’s gaze landed on him for a moment before going back to Dennis.

“While I’m sure I don’t know what Barnaby means,” Elspeth said with a hint of a smile, “I’ve been trying since she appeared, so, eight years. Ever since my parents died.”

“It’s ‘Bobo,’” muttered a sullen voice. Elspeth dabbed at her lips with a napkin, although the act didn’t hide the smile from her eyes.

“Mind you,” continued Elspeth, “I wasn’t particularly serious about it until the doctors gave me a time limit. Most of that number has been over the past year.”

Whatever glimmer of intuition had been prodding at Dennis before, it faded away and vanished as he fought to pinpoint it. He scowled to himself, more out of frustration than any sense of ineptitude, and focused an accusing glare on the empty plate in front of him.

“Well,” he said, putting his hands on the table. “I suppose we should go and have a talk with Evy, then.” Without waiting for an answer, he pushed away from the table and rose. Bobo hurriedly followed, murmuring thanks to Elspeth for the meal as he moved.

“You go on ahead, Dennis,” Elspeth said. “I’ll take care of the cleanup here. You remember the way?”

Dennis nodded. “Do you need to introduce me again or anything?” he asked. Bobo raised a curious eyebrow, but remained silent.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine on your own,” Elspeth replied. Dennis nodded again and marched back towards the foyer with Bobo close behind. Behind them, Elspeth set to gathering up the plates and glasses, causing a melodic clatter of porcelain and glass to follow them through the hall. Once the pair was out of earshot, Bobo put a hand on Dennis’ arm and slowed his pace.

“Hey,” he said. There was a mixture of worry and confusion in his tone. “What did you mean by that?”

“Mean by what?” asked Dennis. He retraced the steps he had taken the day before, and soon found the door that would