Page 35 of Shake Your Boo Thang

Then she smiles at me. “He was like you. Preferred blokes to birds.”

I laugh.

Her expression saddens. “He had a partner, but when he got really sick, Tony couldn’t handle it and left.”

I take hold of her hand and squeeze it. “Sadly, some people can’t cope with a loved one dying, and they see themselves out of the situation before things get really bad. It can be a form of self-protection, but it’s marked by denial and usually ends up hurting them a lot more later.”

“I’m sure you’re right.” She pats my hand again and carefully gets to her feet. “You two should be on your way. Have fun, all right?”

“We will, ma’am,” I promise.

It’s already dark and much colder when we step outside than it was earlier, and I shiver. To my surprise, Callum offers me his arm, and I’m no fool. I take it and hold on tight.

“You’re nice and warm,” I say, pressing in closer.

“Your landlady seems nice,” he says, ignoring my words.

“Miz Edna’s lovely.” I sigh. “I feel bad because she doesn’t know her son’s spirit is haunting the B&B.”

Callum stops. “What?”

I shrug and tug him along. “It’s not uncommon. He can’t stop worrying about his mother and wants to stay and watch over her. I’m hoping I can convince him to move on before I have to go home.”

“Do you think that’s likely?”

“Hard to say, but he finally spoke to me today. I’ve been trying to get his attention for a while, but he’s been resistant.”

I lean in closer, changing the subject so as not to ruin our date with too much dead people talk. That can be a bit of a mood-killer.

“So, where are we going this evening?”

“I figured I’d take you for dinner down around Southbank. Afterwards, we can walk along the Thames.”

“I like the sound of that.”

He shrugs awkwardly. “It’s been an age since I last planned a date, so my apologies if it doesn’t live up to your expectations.”

The fact that he’s worried about whether I’ll have a good time or not is so sweet. I haven’t had too many dates who’ve worried about that before. Yet another gold star for Callum Fraser in my book.

I smile. “Being alone with you for a whole evening when we’re not working is going to be phenomenal. I just know it.”

“If you say so,” he mutters, sounding uncertain, and I realize he may be a bit more self-conscious than I would have guessed.

But my goal this evening is to draw him out from behind his defenses. I only hope he won’t retreat even further back into that darned shell of his.

CHAPTER

TWELVE

RULE #127: SALT KEEPS SPIRITS AT BAY

Always carry a copious amount of salt on you when hunting spectral entities. Rock salt is preferred, but some have reported moderate success with table salt in a pinch, no pun intended. Use it to form a protective circle around yourself and others. This will not defeat the entity, but it can buy you time and temporary protection.

Note: Pepper does NOT work as a substitute, as some have learned this the hard way. RIP.

—ExorSquad Employee Safety Manual and Operational Guidelines (Revised Edition)

Callum