The Ghost from the Sea by Anna J. McIntyre

eye, Danielle studied him. She wondered how old he had been when he had died. He looked to be around her age, early thirties. She hadn’t noticed before, but he wore a thin mustache. Had his hair been dark like Walt’s it might have looked attractive. However, with his sandy colored hair it practically disappeared on his face. At first glance, one might think he needed to wash above his upper lip.
    It was a nice enough face, but Danielle thought he needed to tone down the men’s hair oil. She could only imagine the stain that hair had left on a pillow. However, since he was no longer alive, and his body—along with his head of hair—was only an illusion, it was no longer an issue.
    She assumed his death was around the time the Eva Aphrodite went down, because he mentioned the spirits of the murdered passengers and crew were still there when he had arrived—they were arguing. However, it was entirely possible his death occurred a few years later, and the spirits had lingered. Perhaps they had made the decision to depart after Jack had shown up. His arrival might have served as the catalyst to help them come to terms with their new reality. She thought of Lucas, and how he had lingered for months in a building not far from the site of his death before he continued on his journey.
    They were halfway down the street when they noticed a Frederickport police car driving toward them. Danielle assumed it was on its way to the wreckage site. She was surprised when it pulled over beside them, causing Jack to leap out of its way, onto the sidewalk behind Lily and herself.
    With its engine still running, the vehicle parked and the passenger side window rolled down. Danielle peeked into the car. It was Chief MacDonald.
    â€œI was just heading down to the beach to tell Joe he can leave. You can come with me, and see if you can find your ghost,” he told her.
    Danielle leaned into the open window, resting her elbows on the car door. “I don’t need to now.” She nodded toward Jack. “He’s here. He’s going back to Marlow House with us. You almost ran over him.”
    The chief turned off his engine and moved closer toward the open passenger window. “He’s with you now?”
    â€œYes. He’s agreed to go back to Marlow House with me, and talk to Walt.”
    â€œWhy did he call me your ghost?” Jack sounded annoyed.
    Danielle looked over to Jack. “Don’t let the chief bother you, Jack. He doesn’t understand.”
    â€œI don’t understand what?” MacDonald asked.
    Danielle looked back at the chief. “How some things you say might be offensive to someone in the spirit realm.”
    The chief let out a sigh. “I guess this means you’d rather I not come with you.”
    â€œI don’t think that would be a terrific idea. But I can tell you what I learned about that metal box you found on the boat.”
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    â€œAccording to Jack, the Eva Aphrodite was under water. A diver visited the boat. That’s who left the box.”
    â€œDoes he know who killed the passengers and crew?” the chief asked.
    Danielle glanced at Jack, who shook his head no. She looked back to the chief. “No, Chief. I get the impression his spirit showed up on the boat after everyone was killed.”
    â€œSo he wasn’t killed there with the rest of them?”
    â€œI don’t think so.”
    The chief didn’t respond immediately. Finally, he said, “You be careful Danielle. If it wasn’t Walt, maybe it was him.”
    After the chief drove away, Jack asked, “What did he mean? If it wasn’t Walt, maybe it was him?”
    Danielle shook her head. “It’s not important.” She started back down the street again.
    â€œDoes everyone these days know about people like me?” Jack asked.
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œWhen I was alive, if I started having conversations