The Ghost from the Sea by Anna J. McIntyre Page A

with someone other people couldn’t see, I’d be called crazy.”
    Danielle laughed. “Trust me; I’ve been called that often enough.”
    â€œCalled what?” Lily asked.
    â€œCrazy,” Danielle told her.
    â€œBut your friend here seems to accept that I’m here, even though she can’t see me. And that cop who just drove away, he did too.”
    â€œThere are three people in my life who accept my ability to communicate with spirits. You’ve met two of them.”
    â€œHe didn’t meet the chief,” Lily reminded. “You didn’t actually introduce them.”
    â€œI suppose you have a point,” Danielle conceded.
    â€œWho’s the third person?” Jack asked.
    â€œA friend of mine, who’s out of town at the moment, and who, by the way, can also communicate with spirits.”
    They paused a moment when they reached the sidewalk in front of Marlow House. Danielle looked up to the attic window. She didn’t see Walt there, but Max sat in the window, watching them.
    â€œIt looks just as I remember,” Jack said. “Although, that police car your friend was driving looks nothing like the cars back in my day.”
    Danielle looked over to Jack, who stared up at the house. He didn’t appear to be in a hurry to go inside. “I understand you were over here yesterday.”
    â€œYes. I saw Walt. He told me he doesn’t want to see me.”
    â€œHe’s changed his mind,” Danielle assured him. “You have to understand, seeing you after all this time came as quite a shock to him.”
    â€œI think I’ll go back to Ian’s house,” Lily announced. “You know how I hate these one sided conversations. Anyway, you don’t want Ian and Sadie coming over here, interrupting the reunion.”
    â€œI suppose that would be for the best,” Danielle agreed.
    When Lily crossed the street and headed for Ian’s house, Jack turned around, and watched her. “She’s rather a doll, even if she does dress like a boy. Is she going to George Hemming’s house?”
    â€œYes. Her boyfriend lives there now.”
    â€œAnd George?”
    â€œWell, George has been gone for years. But his daughter still owns the house.”
    Jack looked at Danielle. “George had a daughter?”
    â€œOh that’s right, I don’t imagine Marie was born when you lived there.”
    He shook his head. “No, George didn’t have any children when I knew him.”
    They watched Lily disappear into the house.
    â€œYour friend’s boyfriend, he has a dog, doesn’t he?”
    â€œYes he does. How did you know that?”
    â€œI went to George’s house first. After I got here. The dog was in the kitchen. Walt called it Sadie.”
    Danielle smiled at Jack. “Yes. Sadie and Walt are old friends.”
    â€œI could swear I heard the dog ask me a question.”
    â€œIt works like that for spirits—being able to communicate with living animals.”
    Jack looked at Danielle and smiled, as if he had just figured out a mystery. “You mean like the dolphins!”
    â€œThe dolphins?”
    â€œYes, they’d come by the boat sometimes, and we’d talk. It scared me at first, but I found it comforting, having someone I could talk with. Although, they didn’t speak in words, exactly. It’s hard to explain.”
    Danielle nodded. “I think I understand. Was the boat always underwater—I mean when you were on it?”
    â€œYes. As far as I can remember.”
    â€œHow did the boat get here?”
    Jack smiled again. He looked up the street, toward the beach where the Eva Aphrodite had landed. “I believe I brought it here.”
    â€œHow did you do that?”
    â€œThat diver—the one who left the box—had just gone back to his boat. I watched him. After the boat disappeared, I started wondering, could I have gone with him? Had I