The Disinvited Guest by Carol Goodman

Author:Carol Goodman
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2022-04-13T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

“I SUPPOSE YOU THINK THAT’S FUNNY,” REED SAYS, RISING TO HIS FEET and looking accusingly at Ada.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ada says.

“Making it move to spell out that message because you’re mad that I didn’t want you to come.”

Ada furrows her brow. “First of all, I’m not mad. I completely understand your concerns.” She turns to me. “In fact, I voiced the same ones to Lucy when she called to invite us, didn’t I, Lucy?”

I nod. What she had said was Isn’t Reed worried that I’ll bring the virus from the hospital? And I had told her—

“And Lucy told me that you trusted me to take all the necessary precautions.” Ada smiles at me as if proud that she has recalled my exact words. “And we did. So why would I be mad at you, Reed? And even if I were mad at you, why would I manufacture a message from the beyond, and why would you think that message was for you?” She looks around the table. “The ghost didn’t say who it was calling a murderer.”

“Yeah, Reed,” Niko says, “it sounds like you’ve got a guilty conscience.”

“Shut up.” Reed spits the words at Niko.

“Don’t you dare tell my girlfriend to shut up,” Liz spits back at her brother. You’re acting—”

“Like Dad?” Reed asks. “Is that your response to everything when anyone disagrees with you? That they’re the intolerant one and you’re the victim? If anyone should feel guilty about what happened, it should be you. You’re the one who was on Dad all summer, stirring up trouble—”

“Fuck you, Reed. You’re the one who was breaking the quarantine by screwing your girlfriend. You gave Mom and Dad the virus and let poor Hannah take the blame. You’re the murderer—”

Reed raises his arm as if to slap Liz but I grab it to stop him and he jerks away so hard that I stumble backward, colliding with the table and knocking in one of the flimsy metal folding legs. The table crashes to the floor, sending board, planchette, scorepad, and candle flying. Hot wax spills across my bare feet. Niko nimbly slides out of the way and goes to Liz, putting her arm around her. Ada switches on a standing lamp.

“Let’s get out of here,” Liz says.

“I think that’s a good idea,” Reed says. Then he looks at me. “I’m going—”

“To check on something?” I ask, too upset to keep the bitterness out of my voice. “I know. But what’s the point, Reed? Everything’s already broken.”

His face contorts into an expression I’ve never seen on him before. I don’t know if he wants to cry or hit me. He does neither; he leaves. I kneel on the floor to straighten up the mess. Ada kneels beside me and takes the folded Ouija board out of my trembling hands.

“I’m so sorry, Lu. I didn’t mean for any of that to happen. I swear I didn’t make it say those things.”

“I didn’t think you did,” I say, picking up the scorepad with Reed’s neat block print spelling out MURDERER over and over again.

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