“You were famous,” Chris reminded her.
“Who remembers silent film stars these days?” Eva asked.
“I’m sure you would have been amazing in talkies,” Heather said.
Eva flashed Heather a smile. “That’s very sweet of you to say.”
“I’m rather looking forward to meeting Seraphina Bouchard,” Chris said. “I’m a huge fan of hers. She’s got one hell of a voice.”
“She’s the one playing the jazz singer?” Eva asked.
“Yes,” Chris told her.
“Didn’t Walt say the jazz singer in the book was based on a real person?” Heather asked.
“Yes, on Desiree Davis,” Eva said.
“Did Desiree Davis really have a sister who was a silent screen star who passed for white?” Heather asked.
“Yes, that part of the story was fairly accurate. In fact, I knew the sister.”
“Did you know she was black back then?” Chris asked.
“Yes, a few of us did. But I never said anything. She was beautiful and a talented actress, and there weren’t leading-lady roles for black actresses back then. I didn’t blame her; of course, Desiree didn’t see it that way. She felt her sister was betraying her people.”
“Wasn’t she part white?” Heather asked.
“Yes, their father was white. But Desiree took after her mother’s side of the family, while Charlene took after her father’s side,” Eva explained.
“That’s so lame,” Heather grumbled. “They were of both races. Why are you black because one parent is black? What about the other parent?”
“It didn’t work that way back then,” Chris told her. “If someone had just a drop of black blood, they were considered black. I find it sometimes amusing when a white friend gets annoyed at someone who identifies as black when they’re part white, taking insult. When the fact is, that whole—you are black if any of your ancestors were black—is a notion our slaveowner ancestors came up with.”
“And it is lame,” Heather reiterated.
“True,” Chris agreed.
“I’ve watched much change since I passed to this side,” Eva said. “The fact Seraphina Bouchard can stay with the others at Marlow House without raising a brow is a notable stride forward.”
“I suppose.” Heather sighed.
“When Marie and I stopped in the library the other day, they had an article about Seraphina Bouchard, and they mentioned Moon Runners. I would have loved to have taken the article for Walt, but Marie refused to help me.”
“What did you find out about her?” Chris asked.
“She’s single, which might interest you.” Eva flashed Chris a smile.
“I thought she was dating someone. I remember reading about it,” Heather said.
“She was in a long-term relationship, but according to the article, they broke up last month, after she found him cheating on her with her assistant.”
“Why is it always the assistant?” Heather asked. “As I recall, he wasn’t in the business. Some trust fund guy.”
“That’s what the article said. But I don’t think it’s going to work out for the assistant,” Eva said.
“Why do you say that?” Chris asked.
“Two weeks ago he was killed. Drowned in his own spa. According to the article, drugs and alcohol were involved.”
Chris sat up abruptly. “Do you know if he was white?”
“Yes, why? Are you interested in Seraphina and are afraid she won’t date someone white?” Eva asked.
“No. I was wondering if we found our ghost,” Chris said.
“Ghost? What ghost?” Eva asked.
FOUR
Across the street from Marlow House resided Danielle’s best friend, Lily Bartley, who lived with her husband, Ian, and their six-month-old son, Connor. Lily sat in her living room reading a book while Connor played quietly nearby on a blanket on the floor with their golden retriever, Sadie. Connor busily explored a small rubber ball, passing it from hand to hand while periodically mouthing it. Sadie waited patiently for him to drop the ball so she could retrieve it should it roll away.
Sprawled lazily on the sofa, Lily peeked over the book and checked on the baby and dog. She smiled at the pair and refused to think of the dog germs when the baby gummed the ball Sadie just had in her mouth. Lily smiled again when she heard Connor giggle with delight as Sadie pushed her nose along the baby’s cheek.
“You look comfortable,” Ian said when he walked into the room several minutes later.
Lily tucked a bookmark between two pages, closed the book, and set it on her lap. She smiled at Ian. “I could get used to this. Sadie does a wonderful job entertaining Connor.”
Ian glanced over at his dog, who had just snagged the ball and was returning it to the baby. “I’m not sure who is entertaining whom,” he said with a chuckle before joining Lily on the sofa. As he sat down, he lifted her bare feet from the cushion and then dropped them on his lap as he took his seat next to her.
“You don’t seem to miss teaching,” Ian noted.
“You’re right. As much as I loved it, I don’t miss it. I’m surprised at how content I am right now. In fact, I’ve been giving that some thought.”
“When I’m content, I just enjoy it and don’t think about it too much,” Ian teased.
“What I mean, I have a better support system than most. If I had a husband who believed I should be solely responsible for Connor and taking care of this house, I don’t think I’d be as happy.”
“Ahh, I’m responsible for your happiness,” he gloated.
Lily laughed. “That’s not exactly what I meant. But I do appreciate that you don’t think it’s solely my job to care for Connor—even though I’m not teaching right now. But it’s not just you. It’s our friends. Marie has been great. How many people have a ghost who doubles as a nanny?”
Ian laughed. “I don’t imagine many.”
“Having Dani and Walt across the street is so convenient, and even Heather has been awesome. I feel blessed having such a great support system. Plus, it is never boring on Beach Drive. Although, I could do without some ghostly visits.”
“You’re talking about the ghost Danielle told you about this morning?” Ian asked.
“I wish they could figure out who he was before those people show up in a few days.”
“I did a little research on everyone who’ll be staying at Marlow House,” Ian said. “The only thing I found for recent deaths of men about that age within that social group was Seraphina’s ex-boyfriend. I could only find a couple of photos of him online—not terrific pictures and none straight on. I emailed them to Walt. He said they could be him, but he can’t be sure.”
“Why recent deaths?” Lily asked.
“According to their mystery ghost, his death had something to do with Moon Runners. I looked for deaths after the book came out. But it was just a quick search, and there was limited online personal information on the people coming. And who knows, maybe this has absolutely nothing to do with them. It’s all a shot in the dark.”