The Ex Who Saw a Ghost (Charley's Ghost Book 4) by Sally Berneathy Page A

hated it?”
    Lila relaxed visibly. “Yeah, he said he didn’t understand why a geology major needed to read Shakespeare.”
    “I’m glad he got to see both of us one last time. You must have been the friend he said he was going to visit when he left my place Sunday two weeks ago.”
    She nodded. “Yeah, he came by for a little while on his way back to school.”
    “Was that the last time you saw him?”
    Lila’s eyes narrowed. “Yes.”
    “She’s lying,” Charley said.
    “Yes,” Amanda said softly. “I recognize the signs. Thank you for the training.”
    She spoke in a whisper, but Lila looked over at her, tears dry, dark eyes squinting. “Who are you talking to?”
    “Myself. Nobody.” She cleared her throat. “Bad habit. You smoke cigarettes, I talk to myself.”
    “Parker was doing really well in school.” Ross skillfully drew Lila’s attention back to the subject at hand. “Was it hard on your friendship, not seeing him often? Did he call you from school?”
    She nodded.
    “When was the last time he called you?”
    “I don’t remember.” She focused on picking a bit of ash off the sleeve of her blouse.
    “Lying again,” Charley said. “This is getting really monotonous. I’m going to look through the rest of the house and see what I can find while that woman tells lies and you all pussy foot around.”
    Amanda shot to her feet. “You can’t...”
    All eyes turned to her.
    She coughed and sank back to the sofa. “Talking to myself again. Don’t mind me. Just go on as if I wasn’t here.”
    Lila’s expression said she thought both these strange women were...strange.
    “He gave you money every month,” Teresa said, “so you wouldn’t have to worry about working, so you could recover because you were on drugs.” The last part of the sentence sounded like a question and Amanda suspected she was fishing, that Parker hadn’t said that. Teresa was relying on Ross’ information about Lila’s drug arrests and Charley’s belief that she was using again or still.
    Lila glared at Teresa. “He had plenty of money and he wanted to share. He was a nice man.” She didn’t deny the accusation of drugs.
    “Did he ever bring Steven Anderson to meet you?” Ross asked.
    Lila’s gaze shifted to one side. A slight flush spread over her cheeks.
    Amanda vaguely recalled watching some crime show where the detective said looking to the left meant the person was getting ready to lie, right meant they were going to tell the truth. Or was it vice versa?
    “No,” Lila said.
    “But you know who he is,” Ross continued.
    “Of course I do. The senator’s son. He’s dead.”
    “Did Parker try to help him get off drugs too?”
    Lila blinked twice and reached for her cigarettes again.
    “It helps to have somebody else in your same situation,” Ross said casually. “Talk about what you’re going through, help each other with the bad times. Steven had a few of those. His dad had to bail him out of jail more than once. But maybe he couldn’t stay clean the way you did. Maybe Parker had to give up and walk away from him. Did he ever talk about Steven?”
    She lit her third cigarette, her complete attention on the action, took a puff and shook her head. “No.”
    Teresa tilted her head toward the television as if listening then turned her attention back to Ross. “She’s telling the truth.”
    “Of course I’m telling the truth!” Lila smashed her cigarette so hard, ashes from the first two flew upward.
    Ross looked dubious.
    Amanda felt dubious.
    Charley darted through the wall. “Holy crap! You need to see all the papers in this chick’s night stand. They weren’t sleeping together! She’s his sister!”
     
     

Chapter Eleven
     
    Teresa spun and faced the television again. “She’s your sister? Why didn’t you tell me that?”
    Lila shot to her feet. “One of you talks to the television and the other one talks to herself! There’s something wrong with both of you!”
    “You’re