Page 74 of Love, Legacy, and Little Green Aliens

She passed him the pendulum.

“Right.” He held it as she had and concentrated, but no matter how still his hands were, the stubborn rock refused to cooperate. It jiggled and jumped, but no circle.

An odd little shiver slid down his back.

“There you go.” Zora took the pendulum, stilled it by touching the point to her palm, then lifted it again until it hung perfectly still and asked, “Am I faking this?”

The pendulum slid into a clear back-and-forth movement.

Zora chuckled. “Now then, let’s get started.” She gazed intently at the blue stone. “Is the spirit of Gus Anagnos with us in this room?”

The pendulum trembled and slowly began to move.

Xander reached for Hannah’s hand. She squeezed his fingers tight, just as nervous as he was.

The blue stone inscribed a circle over Zora’s palm, round and round, causing the hairs on Xander’s nape to rise.

“Do you have something you wish to share with us, Gus?” she crooned.

The stone gave a jump and wiggled at the end of its chain.

“Hmm. Unclear.” Zora eyed Xander. “What would you like to say to Gus, dear?”

Feeling not a little foolish but definitely spooked, Xander gazed up at the ceiling. “I’m doing my best, Uncle. I’m trying to make you proud, and I’ve nearly run through my reno budget. What do you want from me?”

Again, the stone jumped.

Great. I’m debating with a ghost.

“Try a yes or no question,” Hannah whispered.

“Okay.” He closed his eyes and tried to picture Gus as he’d been years ago, a smiling, portly man, light on his feet despite his fireplug physique, his pockets stuffed with saltwater taffy and his head stuffed with silly jokes and riddles. He’d been happy back then, a shining example of how to enjoy life. Gus would halt a business transaction to pull Aunt Marty into a whirling dance behind the cash register. He could wiggle his ears and sing Greek folksongs in a booming baritone voice, and he entertained customers by juggling the tchotchkes he sold.

Uncle Gus was the pure embodiment of fun.

“Gus, I want to love this shop just like you did. In your letter, you said I could make it shine even brighter, right?”

The pendulum began to stir.

Encouraged, he continued. “But we both know the building needs lots of repairs, and you’re scaring away my contractors. So what I need to know is, will you trust me? Will you let me update the building so I can reopen the shop and make you proud?”

The stone jumped and wriggled.

Damn it, the stubborn ghost wasn’t convinced.

“I love you, Gus, and I’m so grateful for this gift. So please, let me do what I need to do.”

The pendulum settled into a circular path.

Well, I’ll be damned.

“Very good, old friend,” Zora cooed. “Now, are you aware that you’ve passed on?”

The stone continued to rotate over her palm.

“Would you like our help to leave this place?”

The spiral tightened and grew faster.