After Aiden and I reach our realization, we’re silent for a long moment, struggling to understand.

John Botswick intentionally collapsed this farmhouse, on the same night that he was shot and killed on the beach.

Aiden leads the way back out of the tool shed, and points his flashlight at the rubble of the destroyed house. He slips one of the toys - the Hot Wheels car - out of his pocket. We both look down at it, then back at the ruins.

“Why?” Aiden asks, and I shake my head.

“Honestly, I have no idea.” I stride over to the crumbling well, where I start stuffing all of the go-bag items into the backpack. “But we’ve got all the intel we’re going to get, and I, for one, would like to get the hell out of here.”

Aiden looks around at the darkness of the forest, the gaping doorway of the tool shed. The ghostly wreckage of the house, which we now know to be the handiwork of a murdered man.

“Yeah, you know what?” He shuts the door of the tool shed, then uses the old silver key to lock it again. “Fair. I’ve hit my limit for one night.”

I’m glad to know that it’s not just me. I scoop up the backpack, and the remains of the waterproof bag, too. Aiden slips the key back into his pocket, and we pat ourselves down to make sure we have our phones, our flashlights, everything we came with.

We both startle as a sudden owl call rises from somewhere in the wind-tossed trees.

“Um - back to the car, right?” I ask.

I was trying to appear calm, keep my voice even. An effort entirely undercut by the way I automatically seized Aiden’s arm.

“Mhm.” He nods firmly, pulling me closer to him. “Yep. Let’s go.”

Aiden and I set off towards my car, away from the farmhouse. Not jogging, exactly, but at a faster clip than we normally go.

Halfway up the dark, winding road, we hear some kind of movement. A rustling sound in the pitch-blackness around us.

We freeze, lock eyes with each other, then both start to run.

“Shit, man!” I gasp, racing along by Aiden’s side. “What’s-?”

“Jesus fucking Christ, I don’t know, Jamie, just go, go!”

We vault the ancient, rusty fence, then scramble for my car. My heart is pounding in my ears, and I’m already fumbling the keys out of my pocket. I click the unlock button frantically, probably ten or twenty more times than I need to.

Aiden and I wrench the doors open, dive inside. I knock my knee into the wheel, but don’t even stop to think about it as I slam the door closed.

Aiden closes his, too, and I reach for him automatically again, feeling to make sure that he’s okay. His hands move to take my face, and we press our foreheads together, panting.

“Are you alright?” we both ask, at the same time.

“What was that?” I manage, pressing a hand over my hammering heart.

“I have no idea.” Aiden stammers, “But I know I heard someth-”

We both gasp and whip around as two deer go charging past the front of my car, leaping gracefully through the darkness. They disappear into the trees, sending up another sound like the first one we heard.

There’s a brief silence in the car. Aiden and I stare out through the windshield, still clinging tightly to each other. Then I bite my lip and turn to look at him, right as he looks back at me.

We both burst into stupid, uncontrollable laughter. I double over the wheel, and Aiden sinks down in his seat, his palms pressed over his eyes. Eventually we collapse into each other, gasping for air.

“Okay,” Aiden says, fighting to get his breath back. “That wasn’t, like - our most dignified moment of all time.”

“No, dude. It wasn’t.”

“What did we even think it was?” he groans.

“Let’s just agree that we don’t tell Will or Kasey that we panicked so hard over some deer,” I answer, brushing tears of laughter from my eyes. “Let’s not tell anyone, actually.”

Aiden nods firmly. “Yep, we take it to our graves.”

“Or that’s how we admit it,” I suggest. “Slap it on the headstone. Here lies two dumb idiots-”

“We’re in the same grave, in this scenario?”

“-who, as grown-ass men, ran like children from one of nature’s most benign animals-”

“Oh, my god.” Aiden cringes, then covers my mouth with his hand. “Please stop.”

He yelps when I lick his fingers, twists to glare at me.

“I’m gonna kill you, Keane!”

“Cool, just let me order my headstone first, there’s something specific I want it to say.”

“No,” Aiden groans, but he ends up laughing again, which sets me off, too.

When we finally calm down, I back my car up and turn it out onto the road. We draw away from the farmhouse, finally leaving it behind.

I could take a left, which would bring us back to Port Sitka, or I can take a right, which would bring us to Ketterbridge.

We can break into the corner store next weekend, and I really just want to go home and relax in Aiden’s arms for a while, so I take the right turn.

Aiden flashes me a smile, which I think means he’s feeling the same way.

It’s getting late, and even when we get back to the freeway, only a handful of other cars pass us. But to see them feels good. The farmhouse felt like its own world, a long-forgotten place, separate from everything else. Signs of other human beings come as a relief, right now. Even if it’s just a few semis with tired drivers at the wheel.

I weave my fingers into Aiden’s when we hit an open stretch of the freeway, and he strokes his thumb over my knuckles. I turn my head, catch him looking at me thoughtfully.

“What?” I ask, and he shrugs, a smile playing around his mouth.

“Nothing, I just…” He huffs out a soft laugh. “It’s gonna sound weird, given that whole experience at the farmhouse, but - I like doing this with you. Cases. Ghost-hunting.” He lifts my hand to his mouth, brushes a kiss onto my fingers. “Sounds stupid, I know, but I’m having fun.”

I find myself smiling back at him. In the movement of the moonlight, his blue eyes shimmer brilliantly, like melted stained glass. I have to force myself to tear my gaze away from his, to keep an eye on the road.

“It’s gonna sound even weirder coming from me,” I answer, “But I feel the same way. I really like doing this with you.”

“Wow.” Aiden huffs out another laugh. “That’s shocking to hear, given the level of grumbling.”

“I wasn’t grumbling, I don’t grumble, I was just-”

Aiden makes such an incredulous face that I cut myself off with an unexpected burst of laughter.

A contented silence falls over the car. I’m swimming happily in my love for Aiden, breathing in the comforting aroma of vetiver that clings to his clothes, his windswept hair. It’s an odd mindset to be in when we have a backpack full of sinister evidence in the backseat, but that’s how it is, with him.

The warmth of Aiden’s presence is enough to let me know that I’m safe, even when we’re navigating through such strange and spooky places for our Ghost Office missions.

“I wonder if there’ll be other cases,” Aiden says suddenly, breaking the peaceful quiet. “After this one, I mean.”

I smile to myself, chewing the inside of my cheek.

Aiden showing back up in my life has taught me a lot of things, but a big one is that the world is so much more mysterious, complex, and interesting than we tend to give it credit for. I kind of already thought that - I am a card-carrying member of the Bigfoot Field Research Association, after all - but falling in love with a Heliomancer really drove the point home.

I’m starting to believe that if you look hard enough, there’s always another mystery, waiting patiently for someone to come along and uncover it. And I can see myself doing just that, so long as Aiden is by my side, Will and Kasey in my corner.

“I hope so,” I tell Aiden, because that seems like a lot to try and explain to him. “It would be a shame to shutter the Ghost Office.”

“I don’t think we should ever do that,” he answers, after a moment. “We might need it again, you never know. Besides, it’s a good place to practice with my magic, and we have some good memories there, so - let’s just - let’s not, right?”

I bite back another smile. As he often does, my Companion Plant practically read my mind.

“Yeah,” I agree. “Let’s not.”

~~~~

When I pull up to Kent’s house around sunset the next day, I expect Aiden to be waiting outside. But right as I turn the car off, I get a text letting me know that he was slammed at work, and he’s running late. He says that he’ll be here soon, that he’s already on the bus.

I had a busy day at the shop, too. Regardless, I’m buzzing with energy. Aiden and I crashed hard when we got back to Ketterbridge last night, but we’re both dying to tell Kasey and Will what we found. I’m sure that they’re already hanging out at the Ghost Office, waiting for us.

But if Aiden is going to be a minute, I may as well go inside and say hi to Kent.

The door is unlocked, so I let myself in. Then I stop, caught by surprise.

Kent is sitting on the stairs, his shoulders slumped, his head in his hands. When he hears the door open, he startles and looks up at me, then slides his glasses back onto his face.

I come over to join him, concern growing in my stomach.

“Everything okay, boss?”

“No.” Kent rubs his temples, wincing. “Ellen is upset about some argument she had with Olivia. She texted me about it while she was at school, so I spent all afternoon cleaning up her bedroom. She’s supposed to do it herself, but I thought I’d surprise her. Make it nice for her to come back to, since she had a rough day.”

“Aw, Kent.” I smile down at him, folding my arms over my chest. “That’s sweet.”

“It didn’t help at all,” he says flatly. “She kind of cheered up for a second, but then she just closed herself in there. She won’t come out, or talk to me about what happened with Olivia.”

I wince at him, caught off guard. “Oh, no.”

Kent lets out a heavy sigh.

“I’m aware that it’s a grade-school level problem she’s having, okay? But she’s really upset, for some reason. I just want to be there for her, and she won’t let m-”

A call from upstairs cuts Kent off. “Dad?”

Kent had his phone in his hand, open to his texts with Gabby. He drops it in his rush to scramble up the stairs, so I pick it up, then follow after him.

He stops outside of Ellen’s closed bedroom door. “Baby? Can I come in?”

“No.”

Kent puts his hand against the door. “Then why did you call me?”

There’s a long silence before Ellen answers.

“I... I want mom.”

Kent freezes.

My heart drops as I watch his expression change, and I reach out to brace his arm. He looks at me with pained eyes, then turns back to the door.

“Is that why you’re upset, baby?” he asks.

No answer.

I open my mouth to say something - I don’t know what, anything that might be reassuring - and draw a total blank. But I can’t handle seeing Kent like this, so I try again.

“Kent,” I begin, then break off, hearing swift, light footsteps on the stairs.

Kent blinks in surprise as Gabby steps up into the hallway. She’s still in her work clothes, though she left her heels by the door. She’s shorter without them, and she has to tip her head back a little to peer up into Kent’s defeated face.

She takes one look at him, and lets out a soft, sympathetic breath. “Oh, tesoro.”

“Call me Superdad, Gabs.” Kent speaks quietly, so that his voice doesn’t carry to Ellen, but the mirthless sarcasm is apparent. “Really, I’m the best. My own daughter doesn’t feel like she can talk to me, and only wants her mom-”

Gabby presses a manicured fingertip over Kent’s lips. “You’re spiraling, Kent.”

“I know, I know.” He tries to take a breath, his eyebrows furrowed with frustration. “It’s just - sometimes I think I must be doing everything wrong.”

“No, I don’t think so.” Gabby holds up her phone, which is open to her texts with Kent. “I’ve assessed the situation. I’m here to posit a theory, then propose a solution.”

I could almost laugh at how businesslike this sounds. Kent looks like he wants to do the same, in spite of everything.

“What-?” he begins, and Gabby puts her finger over his mouth again.

“I think that Ellen is missing her mom because she’s in critical need of girl time. She had a fight with her best friend, and she needs a girl to talk to about it. You didn’t do anything wrong, tesoro. It’s just that you wouldn’t understand, because it’s girl stuff, and you’re her dad. That’s all.”

“What?” I stare at Gabby, baffled. “You got all that, from the tiny amount of information we have? That’s - I’m sorry, but that’s impossible.”

Kent narrows his eyes. “Yeah, I don’t buy it.”

“Oh, no?” Gabby arches an eyebrow. “Let’s put my theory to the test, then. See if Ellen is in need of some girl time.”

Kent steps away from the door. “Be my guest.”

Gabby hands her purse to Kent, strides past us, and goes directly to Ellen’s door. She knocks softly, her bangles jingling.

“Ellen?” she says gently. “It’s Gabby. Can I come in?”

Silence, for a moment - and then the door opens, just wide enough to let Gabby through.

Gabby breaks into a knowing smile. She winks at us, steps through the door, then pokes her head back out.

“Kent, we don’t really need your help,” she says, “But if you want to do something, you can make us some popcorn. Up to you.”

And she shuts the door after herself.

Kent and I stand there for a minute, then swivel to look at each other.

“What the hell?” Kent sputters. “I guess… I guess I didn’t do anything wrong, then. How was I supposed to know-? This shit is like a whole other language, I swear!”

“Seriously.” I shrug my shoulders, equally lost. “Good thing you’ve got Gabby around, since none of us are fluent.”

“Yeah,” Kent says, dazed, turning back to the closed door. “She’s really-”

He pauses as a faint burst of laughter comes from Ellen’s room. Ellen and Gabby’s, mingled together.

Kent breaks into a bright, glowing smile.

“She’s really an angel,” he finishes, kneading his palm.

I turn in surprise as a familiar hand spreads against my back.

“Hi,” Aiden says, bending to press a kiss onto my temple.

He’s just come in from outside, and cool air is clinging to his jacket. His work clothes are a little rumpled, his hair messy after his long day at the archives. He’s already wearing the glasses, in anticipation of our meeting with the ghosts.

He wears that look very well, and warmth spreads through my chest at the sight of him.

“Hi,” I answer, wrapping my arms around his waist.

“Sorry I’m late, work was-” Aiden breaks off, glancing between me and Kent. “What’s going on? Why are you guys just standing in the hallway? Is that Gabby’s purse?”

Kent lets out a soft laugh. He heads for the stairs, smiling to himself.

Aiden watches him, confused. “Where are you going, Kent?”

“To do my job as a dad, and make some popcorn,” he answers, over his shoulder.

Aiden turns back to me, his eyebrows arched high. “Um, what’s-?”

“It’s Companion Plant stuff.” I tap a finger to his nose. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Okay, if you say so.” He shrugs his broad shoulders. “As long as everything’s alright?”

I glance at the door of Ellen’s bedroom, then nod firmly. “It is, yes.”

“Cool.” Aiden ruffles my hair, looks at me with warm blue eyes. “You ready to go to the Ghost Office, show the ghosts the evidence we found?”

I break into an excited grin.

Aiden matches it, and leads the way down the stairs.