The Ghost of Valentine Past by Anna J. McIntyre Page A

asleep so he could sneak back later and dispose of the body?”
    â€œIt’s not a bad theory, since Morris did come to see Chris.”
    Danielle slumped down in the chair. “I suppose from Joe’s limited perspective, it is a reasonable theory.”
    â€œOf course…” MacDonald absently tapped his fingertips on the desktop. “I’d have to ask myself, wouldn’t Chris worry about Peter Morris’ ghost sticking around and telling you or Walt what he’d done?”
    â€œWell, actually Morris’ ghost did stick around.”
    The chief leaned forward. “You saw Morris’ ghost?”
    Danielle shook her head. “No, Walt did.”
    â€œDid he say who killed him?”
    â€œNo. But it’s always possible he’s talked to Walt since we’ve been here. Although, the thought of Morris’ spirit lingering around Marlow House rather freaks me out.”
    â€œI can’t say I blame you. You already went through that with Stoddard.”
    Danielle leaned toward the desk. “I’ve a question for you. One I couldn’t ask Brian.”
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    â€œWas there a second body? Did your people find another man’s body?”
    He frowned. “A second body? Why would you ask that?”
    â€œBecause last night—technically early this morning—Walt saw two spirits. One was Peter Morris, and the other was a younger man Walt didn’t recognize. I have to wonder, if two ghosts suddenly appear, and we find the body of one—shouldn’t there be another body out there?”
    â€œIf there’s a second body, we haven’t found it. Tell me what you know—what you couldn’t tell Brian.”
    â€œI was having this lovely dream hop in Hawaii,” she said with a sigh. “At least I think it was Hawaii.”
    MacDonald frowned. “Dream hop?”
    â€œSome spirits have the ability to visit people in their dreams—even people unlike me, who can’t normally see spirits.”
    MacDonald smiled. “I sometimes dream about my grandmother. Those dreams always feel a bit...different.”
    â€œI assume it’s the grandmother I met at the cemetery?” she asked.
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWouldn’t surprise me if it wasn’t a regular dream. I call it a dream hop. Walt does it with Lily sometimes. It gives them a chance to have a real visit, where she can see and hear him. And sometimes, well, sometimes he does it with me.”
    â€œWhy would Walt have to dream hop with you?”
    Danielle smiled softly. “Because in a dream, you make your own reality. We can set sail on the sea, kick back on a sandy beach, or go sky diving.”
    â€œSeriously?”
    Danielle grinned. “Yep. Last night I was lounging on a tropical beach when I started to get cold. Unfortunately, in a dream our body is still vulnerable to the real world. My blankets had fallen to the floor, and I was freezing. Instead of waking up, Walt offered to leave the dream world and return to my room, and cover me up. When he got there, he saw the two spirits.”
    â€œThey were together?”
    â€œNo. He saw the first one in my bedroom. It was the younger man. Walt asked him a couple questions, but he just disappeared. So, Walt headed downstairs, looking for him, and that’s when he saw Peter Morris’ spirit, running down the hall. Morris said something about having to get out of there and then vanished.”
    â€œSo what did Walt do? Did he find the body?”
    Danielle shook her head. “No. He decided to wake up Chris. I guess he thought Chris could help him figure it out without waking me up. Chris was asleep, when Walt went into his bedroom. That’s how I know Chris was telling the truth about finding Morris later, after he thought Morris had left.”
    â€œWas Walt with Chris when he found the body?”
    â€œNo. Chris went to investigate the parlor, because