“Max, are you feeling okay?” Harry asked. “Sol Baker’s been dead at least fifteen years.”
“Eighteen years and seven months,” Max said. “I know that. It’s his ghost, he’s finally come back.”
Bertie tried to hold back a smile as Harry groaned aloud. “Max, you know my feelings about ghosts. There’s always a logical explanation.”
Max seemed not to hear him. “Several years before he died, Sol was trying to convince Victoria she should be married. She insisted that she had no interest. Then he told her he did not want the house to be sold, that it must stay in the family, and if it was sold, he would come back to haunt it, and force the new owners out. And his old retreat at the top of the silo is exactly where he would be.”
“But it hasn’t been sold… not that we know of,” Harry reminded him.
“Maybe she’s arranging a private sale that we don’t know about. But Sol would know,” Max said firmly.
“Ghosts don’t exist.” Harry stood up and reached for his jacket. “Come on, we’re going out to the Baker place.”
“Why? I don’t want to see Sol’s ghost.”
“It’s time to solve this mystery, and there’s just one thing we haven’t tried yet. It’s time we tried knocking on the front door.”
Max gave him a puzzled look, but followed him anyway.
***************
As they stepped out of the truck, Harry looked around. No visible signs of life, no sound except for a few birds in the nearby trees.
“I don’t think there’s anyone around,” Max said nervously, as they walked up to the door
“Relax,” Harry said. “It’s a feeling.” He pressed the doorbell button several times.
“I will be down in a minute. Please wait.”
Harry looked pleased, while Max’s eyes grew wide. “Someone’s in there,” he whispered.
Harry grinned at him. “I think you’re right.”
The door swung open to reveal an attractive woman, tall and slim, dark hair caught up in a ponytail.
“Can I help you?” she asked, with a smile.
“Victoria Baker, I presume,” Harry said. She nodded. “My name is Harry Hogan, and this is Max Marshall.”
“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Hogan.” Then she reached out to grasp both of Max’s hands with her own. “Uncle Max, it has been many years but I have not forgotten you. You were my father’s only real friend.”
“I… I never expected you to come home again,” Max said. “Your father would be pleased.”
She moved back to open the door further. “Please come in and tell me why you’re here.”
When they were seated, Harry told her what had been going on. “I finally decided it was time to find out if someone was actually living here.”
Victoria laughed. Then she told them what she had been doing with the place, answering their questions at the same time. “It’s not quite finished yet, but when it is, I’ll invite you both out for a tour.”
“We’ll look forward to that,” Harry said.
