Page 90 of Dead Serious Case 4 Professor Prometheus Plume

“He’s still got a pulse,” Bertie reminds him.

“And a boyfriend.” I give a little growl.

“I’m happy to share,” he says with an innocent shrug.

I shake my head. “Funnily enough, I’m not.”

Danny lets out a snort of amusement and sends me an affectionate smile before turning his attention back to Professor Plume. “I think we’ve veered off course here. Professor, do you remember what happened to you?”

“I’ll never talk and you can’t make me,” he states emphatically.

Suddenly, Leona flits back across the room towards us and appears to mime something. I glance at Danny but he seems to be as dumbfounded as me. Leona prances around and does a complicated series of gestures before turning to me and Danny expectantly.

“I’m beginning to understand how Lassie’s owners must’ve felt,” Danny mutters.

“Bertie.” I glance over to the other ghost. “What’s she saying?”

“She says that all the answers are on the professor’s phone. You know, that little square thingy you all seem to carry around with you.”

“Okay.” I glance over to the corpse.

“She’s wrong,” Professor Plume blurts out. “There’s nothing on my phone.”

“Then you won’t mind us taking a look, will you?” Danny says.

I go to the corpse, reaching into my pocket where I’ve stashed the spare gloves that Rosie gave me earlier. Pulling on a pair, I kneel down and roll the body over, then shift some of the black plastic covering out of the way and thoroughly check his pockets.

I look over my shoulder towards Danny. “It’s not here.”

“Perhaps it’s still in the study,” Danny says as I stand.

“Excuse me mister, I know where it is,” a young voice pipes up and I look down to see Arthur, the young ghost who likes to hide things, standing beside me.

“Can you show me?” I ask.

“Sure.” He grins and I can see he’s missing a front tooth. My heart gives a little knock at the sight of the freckled boy. He’s just so young. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

He darts toward the library doors and I follow but as I reach them, they slam shut in my face.

“No.” Professor Plume appears in front of me, barring my way.

“Why?” I ask suspiciously. “What is it you’re hiding?”

“Nothing,” he says, his lips a thin, stubborn line. “But that’s my phone and there are private things on there.”

“Uh-huh,” I murmur.

Suddenly, I feel a familiar presence at my side. “Don’t worry, boo,” Dusty says. “I’ve got this. Kid, show me where it is.” And then they’re both gone.

“Why don’t you want us to know what happened?” I ask, puzzled at his reluctance. “Surely you’d want to know who was responsible for your death? You won’t be able to move on otherwise. I mean… as lively as this place is, I can’t imagine you’d want to spend an eternity here locked in a death cycle and unable to change anything. I know some of the ghosts chose to stay. For Bertie, this is her home, but the whole point is to move on. For your soul to evolve, not be trapped here.”

“No,” he says again. “Even if you find my phone, I’m not giving you the code.”

I sigh heavily, feeling like I could sleep for a week. We’ve been up all night, and it’s got to be close to approaching dawn.

I feel a tiredness right down to my bones. No, I realise, not tiredness. Weariness. I meant it when I said I don’t know why I was chosen to deal with the dead.

“Got it,” Dusty says, reappearing next to me.