Page 92 of The Haunting of Lockton

Alan’s body lost a bit of solidity. I could see the frame of the window and the sink through him. “He’s different than you. He sees more. Feels more.”

Skyler shifted in his chair. “Are you saying you can sense that he’s gifted?”

Alan nodded, and his body flickered again. “It may be why the ghosts at Lockton became so active with your visit when they hadn’t been that way with previous paranormal investigators. He can sense us, but we sense him just as well.”

“So why doyouavoid him?” I asked. “He already knows you’re here.”

Alan offered me a sad smile. “Even ghosts can wish for privacy, Pax. Perhaps there’s things about me I don’t want him to know.”

Without another word, Alan disappeared. The TV then turned on in the living room. The sound of the channel being changed reached me before loud gunshots rang out. The volume lowered by a few clicks.

“Saving Private Ryan,” Skyler said with a nod. “He has good taste in movies for a ghost.”

“He loves war movies. I don’t understand it.”

Skyler shrugged. “Maybe they give him some peace. Strange thing to say, I know. But people often find comfort in the familiar, no matter how horrible that ‘familiar’ may seem to others.”

Was that it, then? Part of it anyway? Something familiar for Alan to hold on to when every other aspect of his life had drastically changed.

And what didn’t he want Julian to know? DidIeven know? It was a weird feeling, being so close to someone, having spent so many years with them, and then realizing that maybe you didn’t know them as well as you thought you did.

Around eleven o’clock, Skyler and I hopped in my car and drove to town to meet Julian.

Julian was settled into a table at the bookstore café, on his second cup of coffee—considering the empty cup beside the fresh one—and halfway through a ham-and-cheese croissant. He was more focused on the book in front of him than he was on the food. Food that Skyler helped himself to after we approached the table.

“Hey, I wasn’t done with that, you asshole,” Julian said, peering up from the page.

Skyler shrugged. “We’re twins. What’s yours is mine.”

Julian rolled his eyes before pinning them on me. “Next time, please keep him longer.”

“I have to get to work,” I said, fighting a laugh. “It’s your turn to watch him.”

“I’m not a child.” Skyler snarled his lip at me before taking another bite of the croissant. He nodded in appreciation. “The food’s actually pretty good here.” He shoved the rest of it into his mouth and spoke with his mouth full. “I’m gonna get another one.”

“Get me one too,” Julian said. “Since you stole mine.”

“You were too busy with your little book and didn’t give it the attention it deserved. I rescued it from the cold fate of going stale and being thrown in the trash.”

“I’ll throwyouin the trash.”

“What are you reading?” I asked, skimming a few words on the displayed page. It was talking about clairsentience.

Julian lifted the book to show me the front cover. “It’s about the different types of mediums. I… well, I think I may be one. Possibly. I don’t know.” He set the book back on the table. “I’m hoping it’ll give me more insight about myself so I can do more than just investigate places but also help the ghosts in those places.”

I got the feeling that’s what he’d wanted to do all along but had never been able to put it into words. Or maybe he never thought it was possible until now.

Skyler returned with croissants and two coffees. He handed a cup to me. “House blend. One pump of hazelnut syrup and a dash of milk. Did I get it right?”

“You did.” And it made my sternum act up again. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” He tore into the croissant, and crumbs flecked off on his lips. “Man, this is hitting the spot.” I instantly didn’t trust the humored gleam in his eyes. “Not the same spot you hit earlier though.”

My face heated. Before leaving the house, we’d taken a shower together and had a quickie.

I glanced at the time on my phone. “I have to be at work in twenty minutes. I should go.”

“I’ll walk you,” Skyler said, visibly fighting a smile.