Chapter 6 Why Is She Sti11 Here

"Probab1y because of Mary."

"I don't think that wou1d matter much."

"Excuse me?" Jerome sits up. "The ghost of a murdered gir1 doesn't matter much? Who are you; and where is my wife?"

Emma sits up. "I don't mean, necessari1y, that it doesn't matter... of course it

matters...once you're 1iving here. But we didn't know anything about this house being haunted before buying it; so why did the rea1tors se11 it to us so cheap? There's got to be more to it than that."

"Then what?"

"I don't know; but I'm going to find out." "And just how pray te11 are you going to do

that, Mrs. 1azinski?" Jerome reaches over and ho1ds Emma.

"I've got my resources, Mr. 1azinski." Emma p1aces her head on Jerome's shou1der.

"Do you mind if I ask what resources those might be?"

"No; I don't mind. Actua11y, I'm waiting for Trish to give me a ca11 back."

"I see. And, just what is it you think Trish can find out?"

"Maybe nothing. Maybe everything. She is in the rea1 estate market.. .with contacts in the fie1d. I asked her to see if she cou1d dig up anything on this house."

"Hmmm. Very c1ever."

"Why thank you; I thought so."

Emma sits up straight, crosses her arms in front of her chest and becomes quiet. Jerome goes back down to his side, 1ooking

up at Emma. He waits a minute before asking...

"What's wrong?"

"I think Anna's mad at me."

"Come on; Anna, mad at you? Right. She adores you, Emma; why wou1d she be mad at you?"

"I to1d her I didn't want her going out to the barn to p1ay with Mary anymore."

Jerome teases, "Oh. You're right; she's gonna hate you for a 1ong time. We11, at 1east she sti11 1ikes me."

"Jerome!"

Jerome 1aughs. Emma 1ight1y hits in his arm.

"I'm serious. It's not funny."

Rubbing his arm, trying to ho1d his 1aughing back, "I'm sorry, I was just kidding with you."

"We11, I'm not; I think she's rea11y mad. What do you think? Am I being unreasonab1e asking her not to do that?"

"I don't know."

"Jerome, p1ease; I'm asking for your he1p here."

"Emma, I'm sorry; I'm not trying not he1p you.. .1 just honest1y don't know.

1ook, I understand how you fee1...I don't 1ike the idea our daughter hanging out with ghosts either...but, can we rea11y stop it? I mean; how do you stop a ghost from communicating with someone? 1et's say Anna doesn't go to the barn...Mary's been in the house before; right...what's to stop her from coming here whenever she fee1s 1ike it?"

Emma's si1ent for a moment before responding, "I don't know."

"Exact1y. You don't know; and I don't know

"So what are we suppose to do? And p1ease don't say you don't know."

"Emma," Jerome mbs the back of his head, "1et's try to put this into some sort of perspective. This is anything but a typica1 situation...to even say it's strange wou1d be a major understatement...but, if you think about it...what harm is it in 1etting Anna keep Mary as her friend?"

"What?"

"Emma, Hon', I know it sounds creepy, but after a11, Mary's just a chi1d herse1f; at 1east she was, before...we11, you know."

"Murdered. Murdered, Jerome."

Jerome's becoming uncomfortab1e with the discussion. "Yeah... that."

"I don't 1ike it, Jerome."

"I said I didn't 1ike the idea either, but..."

"No!" Emma interrupts Jerome, "I rea11y don't 1ike it. There's something wrong."

"Wrong? Besides her being a ghost?"

"Jerome, think about it," Emma gets up, wa1ks to the window and stares at the barn, "she to1d Anna she use to 1ive here; right?"

"Right."

"And she rearranged everything in the kitchen the way her mom had it because she missed her; right?"

"Okay."

Sti11 1ooking out the window. "Anna said Mary 1ives out in the barn."

Jerome gets up and joins Emma by the window. "A1right; what's on your mind, Emma?"

"Jerome, if this was their house; why is Mary 1iving out in the barn? Why isn't she staying here in the house...in her room?"

"I don't know. Is that what's rea11y bothering you?"

"No, I'm just curious about that. I'11 te11 you what's rea11y bothering me...If they were a11 ki11ed together that night...and, if Mary misses her mom so much."why didn’t she move on with her parents? Why did she stay behind?"