2 A Different Shade Of Death Read Free Page B

him is going to get away with it.”
    “I
don’t care,” Grace said. She knew she was being unreasonable but she couldn’t
seem to stop herself.
    “Stop
that right now!” Pearl exploded. “You’re acting like a child. You’ve got this
gift of seeing ghosts and helping them, and you will use it! You don’t get to
pick and choose which ones to help, they come to you. Get yourself together and
start asking him some questions.”
    Grace
took a step back. Pearl was smaller than her but her anger made her bigger.
Grace said, “But what about Frankie?”
    Pearl
said, “I’ll deal with Frankie, he’ll be fine. And don’t ask me how I’ll deal
with him! That’s for me to know, not you.”
    Pearl
and Grace stared at each other for a moment. Then Pearl let out a bark of
laughter. “I like you more with this spark of defiance in you! That’s just what
you need in this business.”
    “The
shop business?” Grace asked, a smile growing on her face.
    “The
murder business! Now, get on with it.”
    Grace
and Pearl turned back to the man. He was rubbing his head again. Grace’s
thoughts flew to Frankie, she hoped he was fast asleep and not feeling any of
this man’s pain.
    She
addressed the man. “Let’s start from the beginning. I’m Grace Abrahams, this is
Pearl. I presume you can see her?”
    The
man nodded. “I can hear her too, she’s loud for an old woman.”
    “What’s
your name? Can you remember it?” Grace asked.
    He
rubbed his head again. “It’s Charlie. I think. Sorry, my head hurts. I didn’t think
I’d feel any pain once I was dead. Why am I here?”
    Grace
was glad to see that his obnoxiousness had gone. Maybe that had just been a
show, a business persona that he’d had to adopt when he was alive. She said, “I
can see ghosts and I can help them. I recently helped a ghost who had been
murdered. She came to me because the man who murdered her had got away with it.
I suppose her spirit wouldn’t let her rest until he was brought to justice. I’m
assuming the same is true of you.”
    The
man shook his head, wincing as he did so. “Why would anyone kill me?”
    Pearl
pointed a finger at him. “You acted like a complete prat when you first
appeared to Grace. I heard what you were saying, ordering her about like she
was a piece of dirt. If you were like that when you were alive then there was
probably a queue of people waiting to do you in!”
    “Pearl,”
Grace said. “I can handle this. He seems different now.”
    Pearl
tutted. “Don’t forget first impressions, they tell you about the character of a
person.”
    Charlie
said, “I’m sorry about my behaviour. I’m not sure what’s going on. I think you
might be right about a murder though. My head really hurts and so does my
stomach. I might have been poisoned. Oh! What’s wrong with my head? It feels
like it’s turned into a washing machine! I can’t grab my thoughts.”
    Charlie
swayed slightly.
    Grace
looked at Pearl and raised her eyebrows. Pearl gave her a knowing nod and
stepped forward. She slowly placed her ghost hands on Charlie’s head. She
closed her eyes and muttered something. Then she opened her eyes, lowered her
hands and returned to Grace.
    Charlie
blinked rapidly. “Oh, that’s better. I don’t know what you did but I feel much
better, thanks.”
    “You’re
welcome,” Pearl said quietly.
    Grace
shot her a look. Pearl shot her one back and said, “Don’t even think of asking
what I’ve just done. Get your questions in before he has another funny turn.”
    Grace
frowned at the old woman but turned back to Charlie. “Can you tell me more
about yourself?”
    He
smiled. Grace noted it was a genuine smile and not the smirk that he’d shown
her earlier.
    He
said, “My name is Charlie Ford.”
    Ford?
    Grace
reached into her pocket and took out the business card that she’d been given
earlier. She showed it to Charlie and said, “Is this one of your cards?”
    “It
is. And Amy is my wife. Have you met