Second Hand Ghosts - The Final Bet (A Paranormal Mystery) by Larkin Gillian

Author:Larkin, Gillian [Larkin, Gillian]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2013-02-26T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

I picked Emily up from school. She was her usual chatty self. On the drive home I kept looking in my rear view mirror, expecting to see a pair of dead eyes looking at me. But Frank didn’t appear.

When we got home Emily stopped talking so much. She didn’t say a lot through tea and the rest of the evening. I asked her what was wrong.

“I don’t know, I feel sad and I don’t know why,” she said.

When I tucked her into bed she looked up at me and said, “I think I’m sad because that man is sad.”

“What man?” I asked.

“That grey looking man downstairs, on the settee. I think he’s a ghost like Rose,” Emily said.

I hoped the ghost downstairs was Frank. I didn’t want anymore ghosts turning up.

Emily began to close her eyes, “Can you make him happy, mum? I don’t like him being sad.”

I told Emily I would talk to the man and then I kissed her goodnight.

I walked downstairs. I was mad with Frank. Not only had he ‘forgotten’ to tell me about his gambling debts, he was now getting my daughter to feel sorry for him. I had a word or two to say to him!

But when I saw Frank all my anger went away. He wasn’t just sitting on the settee, he seemed to have collapsed into it. His whole body seemed to have shrunk and his face was hollow. Emily was right about his colour, he looked grey. Even his navy cardigan had turned grey.

He looked up at me, “Please don’t be angry, Kate. I’ve been such a fool. No one can hate me as much as I hate myself.”

I sat down next to him and asked him to explain.

“When I first met you I’d forgotten about the gambling thing but as soon as I saw Peggy then I remembered the whole horrible mess. I only started a few years ago. I got this voucher for a free bet at a casino in Leeds. I was good at it at first and won a lot of money. I thought I could win lots of money and then take Peggy to all the places she’s wanted to go. But then I began to lose money, more money than I had. So I took out loans and credit cards.”

“I’m surprised you got credit, you know, at your age,” I said as politely as I could.

Frank gave me a sad smile, “Some people will always lend you money. There were people at the casino who did that. The gambling was like an addiction. I couldn’t stop and I was too ashamed to tell Peggy. And now she’s found out. No wonder she hates me.”

“She doesn’t hate you, she told me so. I think she’s still in shock,” I said, trying to make Frank feel better. “Lots of people have debts, there are places that can help.”

Frank shook his head, “Me and Peggy have never been in debt. If we didn’t have the money for something we’d save up or do without.

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