a suspiciously large trolley of beer for someone who owns a boozer.’
‘He buys it from there?’ I ask, wanting to clarify the rule breaking. Why am I not surprised?
‘Yeah, if I were you, I’d be contacting the brewery and asking for a stock inspection.’
‘Sean, you’ve saved the day!’ I’d kiss him if I wasn’t worried I’d scare another customer away.
Later, when he’s gone, and after I’ve chased Suki back into the living room for what feels like the thousandth time, I interrogate Clooney.
‘So how do you know that Sean? And why does he hate your dad?’
He sighs, his shoulders tensing. ‘It’s a long story.’
I look around at the near empty pub. ‘Funnily enough, I have time.’
He fidgets, hopping agitatedly from foot to foot. ‘Trust me, Phoebe, you’re better off not knowing.’
Now he really has me intrigued.
‘Why do you say that?’
‘Just trust me,’ he says, cutting me off from any further questions. ‘It’s safer for you to not know. The less you know the better.’
Well now I’m left thinking the worst. Damn Clooney and his mysterious secrets. He should have just made something up. Now I’m more intrigued than ever.
‘Hello there.’
I freeze on the spot. Dammit, just when I was hoping the ghosts had lost me, one appears.
‘I hear you’re the lady to come to when I want something passed on, before I… well, pass on.’ The voice laughs.
‘I’m just going out back,’ I say to Clooney, backing out and rushing through so I won’t be called a lunatic.
‘Hello?’ I ask as soon as I’m in the cellar.
‘Hi, my name is Geraldine and I need your help. I’m told you’re the lady.’
‘Right okay. Let’s just crack on. What is it you need?’
I already know she’s not going to quit. These dead people have nothing but time on their hands.
‘It’s a bit of a delicate one,’ she pauses, for dramatic effect, ‘you see my daughter is getting married and I wrote her a letter to be given to her on her wedding day. My husband doesn’t want to give it to her until after. He’s scared it’ll upset her.’
Ah, that’s actually really sad. The thought of me getting married without my parents there, however nutty they are, has my heart aching. Crap, will I have to invite my new sisters? Not that I even have a groom yet.
‘Okay, when is she getting married?’
‘In an hour.’
‘What? I have a bloody hour to do this?’ Ghosts can be so unreasonable. What kind of person gets married on a Tuesday?
‘Afraid so. So are you in?’
‘Ugh, fine.’
That’s when I hear footsteps and Ella walks round the corner.
‘Pheebs, who are you talking to?’ She scrunches up her nose, searching around for someone.
Oh crap. Caught in the act.
‘Err…’ I look around for my phone but I left it in the bar. ‘Myself.’
She raises her eyebrows. ‘Yourself?’ she repeats, her tone unbelieving. ‘You were talking to yourself again?’
‘Yes, okay,’ I snap, already wondering how I can get into town. I don’t have time to explain that I’m not insane. I have to find this bride’s house.
I’ll have to ask Clooney to borrow his car. I walk back into the bar, desperately trying to think of a reasonable excuse.
‘Clooney, can I borrow your car?’ I smile hopefully, pushing my breasts out. Time is not on my side here. I’ll have to resort to desperate measures.
He frowns, his eyes travelling down to my boobs. Gotcha. ‘You’re not insured on it.’
Dammit, he’s right. I didn’t think of that.
‘What do you need picking up? I can do it for you,’ he offers kindly, trying to keep his gaze on my eyes and not my boobs.
‘Um, thanks, but it’s something I need to do myself.’
He squints his eyes at me. ‘Ri… ght. Well you’re not driving the car without insurance. I can take you somewhere if you like.’
It would be quicker than waiting for a taxi. Especially with only three taxi men in town.
‘Ugh, fine, then you’ll have to. Don’t want to hurt your precious car.’ I roll my eyes. Boys and their toys.
‘Fine.’ He grabs his keys and calls to Ella. ‘We’re just popping out somewhere. You’ll have to cover the bar.’
‘Where are you going?’ Ella questions, appearing from the kitchen. She looks at me with more suspicion by the second. I suppose I do normally tell her everything. This is the first thing I’ve kept her in the dark about.
‘It’s just an errand,’ I answer vaguely, rushing out of the pub to avoid further questioning.
We get in the car, but Clooney stops