Finders Keepers

Amanda didn’t know what the temperature was outside, but she was very sure it wasn’t anywhere near ninety-nine degrees. It had been cool when she left the seance.

‘Where are you?’ she asked.

The woman sounded amused. ‘Where do you think I am? Miami, of course. You’ll be coming down to visit next month, won’t you?’

‘Um, I guess. I’ll try.’

‘You must come,’ the woman said. ‘It’s been too long. We’ll send you money for a flight. Daddy and I want to see you. Wait, he wants to say hello.’

A man spoke. ‘Margie, listen to your mother. We’ll expect you in December.’

‘OK. I have to go now. Bye.’

‘Here, say goodbye to your mother.’

‘Bye, Margie!’ the woman chirped.

Amanda swallowed. ‘Bye. Mom.’

They were disconnected. Amanda just stood there for a minute, still holding the phone. Daddy. Mom.

What was going on here?

CHAPTER SEVEN

SO HOW DID IT go with Amanda?

Ken yawned. It was Saturday morning, he was still in bed, and for once he didn’t mind having a chat with his old friend.

I don’t know. She was sort of weird.

How do you mean, weird?

Well, like, at first things were really good. I mean, we were kind of connecting, you know? We talked a lot on the way there. And during the seance I couldn’t even look at her because I was afraid we’d start laughing. I thought things were going pretty well for us.

Cool.

But then things changed. After the seance, coming home, she barely spoke to me. I asked her if she wanted to get something to eat, but she said she wasn’t hungry. So I took her home. And she didn’t invite me to come in.

Did you kiss her?

I didn’t even get a chance. The second we arrived at her place, she went inside and closed the door. She didn’t even say goodbye!

That’s pretty weird. Maybe she’s just not into you. Hey, what are you doing today?

I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it.

Why don’t you go to the pool?

The indoor pool at the Community Centre? Nah, it’s too crowded on Saturdays.

Oh, c’mon, you could use a good swim. Work out your frustrations over Amanda. And you’d be doing me a favour.

How’s that?

Lucy goes to the pool every Saturday. It’ll give you a chance to talk to her. Find out what’s going on between her and Dowell.

Ken sighed. Well, if he was going to help Jack he’d have to talk to Lucy sooner or later, and he might as well get it over with. The pool was as good a place as any.

When he arrived, he saw that the pool wasn’t as crowded as he’d expected. He didn’t see Lucy around so he decided to make the most of it. He dived in.

The thing he liked best about swimming was that he could put his mind on automatic pilot and let his thoughts wander. And his thoughts went back to Amanda. He hoped she didn’t go to the pool on Saturdays. Nah, the public swimming pool was probably beneath her.

She’d really been a major disappointment, he thought as he swam his lengths. He’d been feeling positive about her at the seance and when the seance was over he’d looked forward to discussing what they’d just observed, and comparing their reactions.

But Amanda had been totally uninterested in having any kind of conversation. When he tried to talk to her, she acted like the whole thing had been boring. She just kept shrugging her shoulders and saying, ‘Whatever’. He’d asked her if she was worrying about her operation, and all she said was that she hoped she could get a manicure at the hospital! She was like a different person from the one he’d gone to the seance with. Maybe Jack was right, and she just wasn’t into him. Maybe she’d decided his ‘gift’ really did make him a freak.

When he emerged from the pool, he saw that Lucy had arrived. She was setting down her bag beside a table and chairs, and she was alone. He ambled over to her.

‘Hi.’

She looked up. ‘Oh, hi, Ken. How’s Jack?’

‘Fine,’ he murmured, hoping no one he knew could overhear their conversation.

She pulled out a chair for herself and one for Ken. ‘Sit down.’

He did.

‘I was just wondering, what’s it like, talking to a dead person?’

Ken couldn’t meet her eyes. ‘It’s hard to describe.’

‘Did you contact more dead people at the seance?’ she asked.

‘Some people did. Not me.’

‘Do you ever talk to dead people besides Jack? Anyone famous?’

‘No, nobody famous. Listen, Lucy, I really don’t like talking about this, OK?’

She nodded. ‘I can understand that. Because most people aren’t as open-minded as I am. They’d think you were nuts.’

He couldn’t argue with that. Just then, Lucy’s handbag started to beep.

‘Ooh, I’ve got a text message,’ she said. She fumbled in her bag and pulled out her phone. She punched some buttons and looked at the screen. ‘Yay!’ she exclaimed.

‘Good news?’ Ken enquired politely.

‘Simon Dowell wants to know if I’ll go to the basketball game with him on Tuesday evening.’

‘Oh.’ He scratched his head. ‘Are you going to go?’

‘Sure. Why not?’

‘Um, well. you know, Simon has a reputation. I’ve heard he’s kind of a player, if you know what I mean. Do you really like him?’

Lucy shrugged. ‘He’s OK. But if you don’t think I should go out with him, I won’t.’

He wished he could tell her it was Jack who was concerned, not him. ‘Well, I can’t tell you what to do. I just wanted to warn you.’

‘Thank you, Ken. Listen. what are you doing later?’

‘Later?’

‘Mm. Like, tonight.’

‘Tonight?’ he repeated stupidly.

‘I thought maybe you’d like to come over to my place.’ She lowered her eyes demurely. ‘My parents are going out.’

Ken swallowed. ‘Uh, thanks, but, no, um, I have to do something. See ya, Lucy.’ He jumped up and hurried to the boys’ locker room. Once he was safe in all-male territory, he leaned against the wall and let out the breath he’d