#1Second Hand Ghosts - The Final Bet (A Paranormal Mystery) Read Free Page B

she admitted.
    “Yours?” I was surprised. She didn’t look like a gambler. But there again, what do gamblers look like?
    Peggy shook her head, “Frank’s debts. He’d been secretly gambling for years. I only found out about it after he died. I’ve had horrible letters and nasty phone calls from people saying that I have to pay off his debts. It’s thousands of pounds! I don’t have that sort of money.”
    “So that’s why you’re selling your rings,” I said.
    Peggy sniffed, “I don’t want to but they’re the most valuable things I own. I don’t think they’ll cover all the debts though. Why do you think he gambled? Why didn’t he ask me for help if he had all those debts?”
    “I’ve no idea. If I see him again I’ll be sure to ask him,” I said. I was quite annoyed with Frank for not telling me about the debts.
    “Did you really see him? What did he look like?” Peggy asked.
    “He was wearing a navy cardigan,” I answered. I didn’t mention the dead looking eyes or that he seemed quite cheerful.
    Peggy smiled, “I do love him but I’m still furious with him. The last thing I want to do is sell my lovely rings. But I’ve got to do something, those people who keep phoning are getting even nastier. It makes me feel so ...grubby.”
    I decided that I must do something to help Peggy. I wasn’t sure what yet.
    “Have you got anything else you could sell? We buy and sell all sorts of things at the shop,” I suggested.
    Peggy stood up, “I was just sorting through some things of Frank’s. There might be something in there, might there?”
    She looked so hopeful that I nodded vigorously and said, “I’m sure there will be.”
    I followed Peggy to the bedroom where I saw four boxes already piled high with things. My heart sank as I could see that most of it was junk. I took the boxes to my car and put them in the boot. I looked at my watch. It was nearly time to pick Emily up. I wouldn’t have time to take the boxes to the shop.
    I said goodbye to Peggy and told her I would search for treasure in the boxes.
    “I’ll let you know what I find,” I smiled as I got ready to walk away.
    Peggy touched my arm and said, “Thank you, you’ve helped me just by listening to me.”
    I walked quickly to my car and drove away. Within 2 seconds I was crying again. I was turning into a human waterfall.
    I really hoped I would be able to help Peggy.
     
     

Chapter 11
     
    I picked Emily up from school. She was her usual chatty self. On the drive home I kept looking in my rear view mirror, expecting to see a pair of dead eyes looking at me. But Frank didn’t appear.
    When we got home Emily stopped talking so much. She didn’t say a lot through tea and the rest of the evening. I asked her what was wrong.
    “I don’t know, I feel sad and I don’t know why,” she said.
    When I tucked her into bed she looked up at me and said, “I think I’m sad because that man is sad.”
    “What man?” I asked.
    “That grey looking man downstairs, on the settee. I think he’s a ghost like Rose,” Emily said.
    I hoped the ghost downstairs was Frank. I didn’t want anymore ghosts turning up.
    Emily began to close her eyes, “Can you make him happy, mum? I don’t like him being sad.”
    I told Emily I would talk to the man and then I kissed her goodnight.
    I walked downstairs. I was mad with Frank. Not only had he ‘forgotten’ to tell me about his gambling debts, he was now getting my daughter to feel sorry for him. I had a word or two to say to him!
    But when I saw Frank all my anger went away. He wasn’t just sitting on the settee, he seemed to have collapsed into it. His whole body seemed to have shrunk and his face was hollow. Emily was right about his colour, he looked grey. Even his navy cardigan had turned grey.
    He looked up at me, “Please don’t be angry, Kate. I’ve been such a fool. No one can hate me as much as I hate myself.”
    I sat down next to him and asked him to explain.
    “When I