Enter the Dead: A Supernatural Thriller by Mark White Read Free Book Online Page B

often than not, something
serious has to have happened for a little boy or girl to lose their innate instinct
to believe. A divorce, a death in the family; those are two of the most common
explanations. That’s why I asked. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have pried. Force of
habit, I’m afraid.’
    ‘Right,’ Sam said,
relaxing slightly as he considered her explanation, but unable to lower his
guard completely. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d spoken his sister’s
name aloud; just hearing it sent a shiver through him. And then, without any
prompting: ‘Lucy was my younger sister. I…erm…I was only eight years old when
she passed away.’
    ‘Oh, I am sorry, Sam.
That must have been awful for you.’
    ‘Yes, it was,’ he
replied, staring into the fire. ‘It still is.’
    ‘You must miss her
terribly.’
    ‘Every day.’
    ‘Would you like to talk
about her? I’m a good listener.’
    Sam looked up at her.
‘No,’ he replied, shaking his head. ‘I’d rather not.’
    Gracie nodded. ‘I
understand. However, if you ever change your mind-’
    ‘I won’t,’ he said,
cutting her off, his thoughts now somewhere else. Somewhere he would rather
they weren’t. ‘I should be going,’ he said, standing up and taking his coat
from the back of the chair. ‘Thanks for the tea. Maybe I’ll prepare that nice family
dinner you mentioned.’
    ‘I think you should.
Before you go,’ she said, surprising Sam at how nimbly she was able to rise to
her feet. ‘I need to ask you about something.’
    ‘Okay.’
    ‘I know you don’t
believe in my line of work, but I’d like you to bear with me for a moment.’
    ‘Go on.’
    ‘It’s probably nothing,
but over the past week or so there’s been someone coming to see me. A spirit.’
    Sam shook his head.
‘Gracie, really, I’m not the man for this kind of thing.’
    ‘This spirit, this
figure,’ she said, ignoring his protest, ‘refuses to show his face or even talk
to me, and that’s highly unusual. In fact, it’s never happened to me before.’
    ‘Honestly, Gracie, I
can’t help-’
    ‘The funny thing is,’
she said, ‘he tends to appear whenever Max is in the room.’
    ‘Max?’
    ‘Hmm. Don’t worry, he
can’t hurt anyone or do anything. It’s just…well…it’s just strange for a spirit
to appear without any apparent reason for doing so. Usually there’s a message
or something they want me to share, but with him there’s nothing. I can’t
figure it out.’
    ‘I’m afraid you’re
barking up the wrong tree telling me all this.’
    ‘The reason I mention
it, is that this spirit is always dressed the same way: a tattered grey suit
and an old brown hat; I think it’s called a fedora. He’s tall and very thin;
I’d go so far as to call him lanky. I know it’s a long shot, but someone of
that description wouldn’t ring any bells with you, would they? I only ask
because I’m trying to figure out the link – if indeed there is a link – between
him and Max. You don’t know anyone like that, do you? Anyone from the past,
maybe?’
    ‘Not that I believe any
of this nonsense, but no, your description means nothing to me. Sorry I can’t
be of any more help. Now, if you don’t mind, I better go and fetch Max.’
    ‘Of course, I was just
asking on the off-chance. If you do think of anyone, maybe you could let me
know?’
    ‘That’s not very
likely, but okay, I will.’
    ‘Whoever he is, he
seems to know you.’
    Sam sighed heavily. ‘Really?
How come?’
    ‘Because he’s standing
beside you right now.’
    In spite of his open
scepticism, Sam shuddered at this last remark. Such talk was of course
nonsensical to him, but that didn’t stop him from looking around on the
off-chance that there really was somebody standing beside him. He
couldn’t feel anything out of the ordinary, and he certainly couldn’t see anything, but even so, Gracie seemed so sure of herself that he couldn’t help feeling
a little afraid. Eventually, however,