The encounter with Franklin did not have the effect on me that I thought it would.

What bothered me more, was the fact that, it did not bother me at all.

Was I actually getting used to the fact that ghosts did exist and that Maynard's Rock seemed to have their share. I was actually convinced that they probably had more than their share, something that even Sheila had hinted at.

.

I went to the Oceanview website and took a look.

It was coming along fantastically. Eva was doing a great job.

.

I picked up my cell phone and dialled her.

The call went directly to her voice mail.

.

"Shit. Ah. Its just me, Will. So sorry I missed you before I left. I hope that everything is going okay and I promise that as soon as I get back, we will have that fire and share another Black Horse.

Anyway, give me a call when you check this.

Strictly business, of course.

Night."

.

I sent off an email to Hank and Cavelle and decided to call it a night. It was 2 am.

.

~~~~~

.

I was awaken from a deep sleep by the sensation that someone was pushing me.

It was no sensation.

I rolled over and Jessie was standing at my bed.

.

"WHAT IS THIS SHIT ABOUT YOU SELLING AND MOVING?"

She was standing there, hands on hips, glaring at me.

.

I shook my head, half asleep and confused.

"How did you get in?"

.

She held up the key.

"I have a key, asshole and besides, your front door wasn't locked."

.

I sat up, still trying to wake up.

I stared at her, silently.

.

"Well?"

.

"Well what, Jess?"

.

She turned.

"Get up and come to the kitchen. I will get the coffee going."

She went off down the hallway.

.

Ten minutes later, I was fully awake.

I saw Bobby first.

He stood and we hugged.

.

When I turned, Jessie was standing in front of me.

"Here is your coffee."

.

"Thanks."

I sat next to Bobby at the kitchen table.

.

"Wasn't my idea," he said quickly, patting me on the shoulder.

"Jess dragged me here after we talked to Cora at the store."

.

"Yea. That."

.

"What is all this shit about, Will? You gonna leave the Rock?"

Jessie's voice was calmer now and even had a tinge of sadness.

.

I sipped my coffee. I looked around for my cigarettes.

.

"Here."

Jessie tossed me a pack.

.

"When did you start smoking?"

.

"This morning. When I heard that one of the few men in my life, that I actually care about, was about to run away on me."

.

I lit a cigarette.

"I am not running away, Jess."

.

"Then what do you call it?

Yea, you messed it up with Sheila and yea, I am super pissed at you, but that is no reason to pack up and run away."

.

"I'm not running, Jess," I repeated.

.

"Then what are you doing, Will. Relocating?"

.

I got up and walked by her, kissing her on the cheek as I did. I went to the liquor cupboard over the sink and took down a bottle of Irish Creme.

I brought it to the table and poured some in my coffee.

"I am not doing anything."

.

"You call leaving, nothing?"

.

I shook my head.

"Jess, my love. You are misunderstanding me. I am not going anywhere.

It was just a spur of the moment comment."

.

Jessie stared at me.

"You had a visitor."

.

I sat back.

"Talk about changing the subject."

.

"Just a spur of the moment comment," she hissed, sarcastically.

.

"Touche."

.

"So?"

.

I smiled.

"I did. I had an unexpected visitor."

.

"But it wasn't the one that lived here."

.

"Ah, shit," Bobby remarked.

"You two aren't going to start that again, are you?"

.

I laughed, partly at Bobby and his attitude.

"I had a visit from an old guy named, Franklin. I have no idea who he is."

.

"Franklin Murphy," Jessie said, nonchalantly.

"He is the resident Spirit here at the Rock."

.

"Okay," Bobby snapped.

"Can we talk about something else?"

.

Jessie ignored him and continued.

"Did you see him?"

.

I nodded, as I lit another cigarette.

"Oh yea. We had a chat, right out there on the veranda."

.

"That is so cool," Jessie sighed.

"I never get to see them, just feel their presence.

You are so lucky."

.

"I wouldn't go that far, Jess. But it does keep things interesting here."

I sipped my coffee.

.

"So tell me about your niece."

.

Bobby got up.

"Okay, I'm leaving."

.

"Sit down," Jessie demanded.

.

Bobby walked to the coffee machine and brought back the pot, filling all the cups. He then got a bottle of scotch and poured some in his coffee.

"Gonna need more than Irish Creme, if I am going to listen to this."

.

I let out a long sigh.

I had promised Jessie that I would tell her.

"Remember at the New Year's party when Sheila introduced me to her grandparents?"

.

Jessie nodded.

"I remember you sitting with them, yea."

.

"They told me about the family that used to have a house out here. Calvin and Alice Dove. They had an 11 year old daughter, Jenny."

.

Jessie sat back in her chair, wide eyed.

"She is the one that was here?"

.

I nodded.

"Yea. Her parents perished, when their house burned to the ground, but Jenny got out."

.

"So what happened to her?"

.

"It was a terrible snowstorm. She got disoriented in the storm and ..."

I took a deep breath, fighting back the tears.

"She fell over the cliff, just at the far left corner of my lawn."

I got up and went to the sink, wetting some paper towels, to wipe my stinging eyes.

.

"You okay, Will?"

.

I nodded and returned to the table.

"Yea."

.

"Did they ever find Jenny's body?"

.

I shook my head.

"Nope."

.

"Then how did they know what happened to her?"

.

"They don't."

.

"Jenny told you?"

.

I took a deep breath.

"No. When I came back and talked to Whisper."

.

"Whisper?"

.

I smiled.

"She didn't know her name, so I named her Whisper."

.

Jessie smiled.

"That's so beautiful."

.

"Anyway. When I told her about it, she started remembering and before I knew what was happening, I was in the middle of the fire, in the Dove house."

.

Jessie gasped.

"Are you serious?"

.

"Very."

I looked at Bobby.

"You okay?"

.

Bobby shook his head.

"No. Not at all, but it is kinda fascinating."

.

I looked back at Jessie.

"I saw it all and the worst part was, I saw Jenny fall over the cliff."

I wiped my eyes.

"And then ...

my Whisper was gone."

I forced a smile.

.

Jessie pulled her chair closer to me and hugged me.

"She hasn't come back?"

.

"No," I whispered.

I let go of her and sat back.

"And, as silly as it might sound.

I miss her. She was like ..."

I searched for words that would not make me look like like kind of idiot.

.

Obviously Jessie completely understood.

"She was like your daughter."

.

I nodded.

.

"So. The room we did was not for a human?" Bobby wondered.

.

Jessie answered for me.

"Will did the room for Whisper. Obviously she was a very talented Spirit."

.

I smiled.

"She was."

.

I spent the next couple hours talking about Whisper.

Jessie even prepared us breakfast as I related the whole story to them.

It felt good being able to talk to someone about Whisper.

.

I also told them about the Motel and about the wonderful woman I had met.

.

"Ahhhhh, ha," Jessie snapped.

"There is another woman."

.

I shook my head.

"No. Eva and I were truly just friends. But, she was a wonderful woman."

.

"Well I am sure she will call soon."

Jessie continued to stare at me.

.

"What?"

.

She shook her head.

"Shave off that hair and that beard.

You look like some kind of mad scientist."

.

Bobby laughed.

"She is right, Will. But I was gonna say a stalker."

.

The mad scientist look was gone by bedtime that night.

.

I was back to myself.