Page 32 of The House on Sunset Lake

They got out and walked up to a pair of big iron gates. Beyond, they could see the shapes and shadows in the cemetery lit by the glow of the moon.

‘I love this place,’ said Jennifer, peering through the grille in the darkness. ‘Have you read the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil?’ Jim shook his head. ‘The cover is a picture of a statue in the grounds.’

‘What’s the book about?’

‘A murder. I’ll lend you a copy.’

Jim gave a low, slow laugh.

‘What?’

‘Nothing,’ he said as his bare arm brushed against hers. ‘You’re just not what I expected.’

They stood there, arms laced through the iron gate, although Jennifer made sure that they didn’t touch again.

‘You know, I think we could climb over this thing if you want to give me the full tour.’

Jennifer turned to him and smiled. ‘You’re really up for breaking into a cemetery in the most haunted city in America?’

‘Is it?’

She nodded. ‘They say everyone in Savannah has a great ghost story.’

‘What about you? Tell me about your spectral encounters.’

She smiled. ‘I’m still waiting for something to happen. I guess that’s the story of my life.’

He looked at her as if he was really interested in her. His eyes were the most extraordinary colour, a greyish-green not dissimilar from the colour of Spanish moss, she mused, deciding that her first impression, that Bryn Johnson was the most good-looking member of the Johnson family, was wrong.

‘So what is it you want to do?’

‘I don’t know. That’s why I’ve come home. To think about it.’

‘Tell me your dreams,’ he said, nudging her playfully.

‘Easy, tiger,’ she smiled.

‘I’m serious. Where do you see yourself when you’re thirty?’

Jennifer tried hard to picture it, but she could not. She had actually given the question a lot of thought over the past few weeks. She saw glimpses of her future self when she was working in the art gallery, a joyless salesperson in black Issey Miyake, and knew that was not the path she wanted to take.

‘Married, I suppose,’ she said, wanting to give some response.

‘You don’t just want to be a wife,’ he scoffed. ‘You’re far too interesting for that. Come on, blue-sky thinking. When did you last see someone do something and think, “I’d love to do that”?’

Jennifer thought for a moment.

‘You know that new Tom Hanks movie that comes out this weekend? They filmed some of it right here in Chippawa Square a few months ago. I liked going down to watch that.’

‘So you want to be a film director?’ replied Jim without any hint of amusement.

‘I don’t know. It’s a ridiculous dream,’ she said. Some things were too big to fantasise about. To say them out loud sounded arrogant at best, laughable at least. ‘I did a few video production classes at college and loved it, but I wouldn’t know where to start.’

‘Get a camcorder and

start shooting. Savannah is so photogenic, it’s crying out to be in a movie.’

‘I’d need actors and stuff. Where do I find them?’