Ghost to the Rescue Read online

Page 24


  Did she really want to marry Richard? He was suitable. That’s what everyone said. Suitable. Jane sighed. She felt a quick pang, resolutely suppressed. She’d met Richard’s old friend last night. His name was Clive. . . .

  As she walked up the narrow steps, she had no idea that life would never be the same for her after she opened the old leather-bound trunk in search of the tablecloth. She knelt by the trunk, lifted the lid, saw a yellowed slender cardboard box. On the outside, it simply read: June.

  June?

  Jane opened the box. Yellowed tissue paper. For some reason, she gently lifted the tissue apart, and there was a beautiful baptismal gown, delicate white lace on the cuffs and the hem. She picked up a small card inscribed in spidery writing: June’s gown.

  Jane lifted out the lovely gown.

  A shaft of light, rather like exploding sparklers on the Fourth of July, dazzled Jane. She blinked, came to her feet in alarm. Standing on the other side of the trunk was a lively image of herself, but so different . . . dark hair in a jagged, sleek cut, perfectly sculpted dark eyebrows like wings, eyes dancing with laughter, cheeks flushed with excitement.

  “I thought you’d never come.”

  The voice was Jane’s own, but deeper, compelling. Oh, and the rich raspberry of a V-neck crepe dress and a necklace of silver and turquoise. Jane always wore brown or gray or black.

  Jane scarcely breathed a faint, “Who are you?”

  The vision placed her hands on her hips. “I’m June, your twin, and now I’m finally here. Oh, honey, are we going to have fun!”

  Deirdre’s fingers flew. A gurgle of laughter sounded as she paused, wrote again.

  I smiled. “Have fun with Jane and June.”

  Startled, Deirdre looked around. “You’re leaving?”

  I smiled at her. “I’m done. Hal will be here soon. Good-bye, Deirdre.” I disappeared.

  The call was faint, receding. “Good-bye, good-bye. Thank you. . . .”

  I clung to the railing on the caboose, watched the blue orb of Earth recede. The wheels clacked going home, going home, going home. The deep whoo of the whistle lifted my spirit.

  Wiggins was suddenly there. He stood beside me, large hands placed on the railing, feet spread apart to maintain his balance as the Rescue Express sped upward.

  I turned, looked up at his kind face, felt welcomed. Though perhaps he had come to hold me accountable for not following a Precept. Or two. Sigh. Or three.

  He cleared his throat. “In the main, satisfactory. A few mishaps, but the results amaze me. And just in time. My, that was close.”

  Silence.

  Upward we climbed, the wind rushing past.

  Another throat clearing. “I did have just one question.”

  I braced. “Yes?”

  “Jane. And June. How does their story end, Bailey Ruth?”

  Jane? June? I pictured Deirdre hunched over her laptop, fingers racing. I hoped she remembered that Hal was coming. I beamed at Wiggins. “I have no idea. But I did see Deirdre’s working title.”

  He bent nearer.

  “Ghost to the Rescue.”

  Looking for more?

  Visit Penguin.com for more about this author and a complete list of their books.

  Discover your next great read!