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reason to be friendly. Still, I liked to avoid drama where I could, so I tried to defuse the tension a bit.
    “Would you like coffee as well, Ian?” I asked, desperate to start a conversation of some kind. I detested awkward silences, but I was certain there’d be many to come if I couldn’t keep the conversation flowing.
    “Yes, thank you.” Ian sat down.
    “How are you doing, Basil?” Mom asked him, sounding genuinely concerned.
    “I’m okay, thank you, Thelma. Though I think I might still be in shock.” He took a long drink of his coffee after he spoke, seemingly to avoid further conversation on the topic.
    “If you don’t mind my saying so,” Mom said, “it seems clear that God has taken Lewis before his time because he was too pure for our corrupt world. He’s gone to a much better place.”
    Somehow, Mom’s wise words didn’t seem to put Basil at ease.
    We sat and spoke for what felt like an eternity, but was probably only an hour. Basil was very civil, but it was easy to see that he was restless and upset—easy for me, at least, but apparently not for Ian or my mother. They continued to prod him with questions about Lewis and the case before imparting their wisdom regarding God’s plan for the world. Basil managed to sit through the whole thing without so much as flipping the table, though I’m not sure I could have done the same had our positions been reversed.
    “Well, we’d better get going,” Mom said as she stood up.
    I wanted to say, “It’s a miracle!” but somehow restrained myself. Basil and I said our goodbyes to Ian and Mom, and went back to the kitchen, where I made us each another coffee.
    “Sorry I don’t have a stronger drink,” I said, and Basil responded with laughter, despite it not being a joke.
    “I’m glad they’re gone,” Lewis announced.
    I very nearly spilled my coffee as Basil and I jumped out of our seats. “How long have you been here?” I asked angrily.
    “Longer than I’d like.” Lewis shot me his trademark creepy smile and walked over to the table. “She wouldn’t shut up about God’s grand plan, would she? Not everybody loves me, but I’m not sure God had a reason to assassinate me.”
    I sighed dramatically, but it occurred to me to ask. “Do you know who would have a reason to assassinate you?”
    Lewis considered for a moment before replying. “As a matter of fact, yes, I think I do. I mean, I’m an auditor, right? And I’m a real good one.” Lewis took a moment to flash us a smile before he continued. “Or was , rather.” His smile vanished, but he continued. “I was auditing one of the largest accounting firms in Australia, It’s Accrual World .” He paused for dramatic effect, but I had no idea what was going on. Lewis seemed rather put out. “It’s a funny name, right?” he asked.
    “I don’t get it,” I admitted.
    “I know the company and I do get the joke, only it just isn’t funny,” Basil said dryly. “It’s a play on the words accrue and cruel .”
    I still didn’t get it, but I forced a smile. He went on to explain what accrue meant, but I stared into the distance and wondered where my next chocolate fix was coming from.
    Lewis frowned. “Fair enough, I suppose. Laurel, It’s Accrual World is one of Australia’s biggest firms. The name is much funnier if you’re into accounting. Probably. Anyway, I’ll get to the point.” He took a deep breath—something I wasn’t sure ghosts needed to do—before continuing. “I was auditing the company, as I mentioned, when I found evidence of embezzlement. Somebody was embezzling huge amounts of money, and I do mean huge amounts, from the company’s trust fund. I called the head of the firm to tell him about it the night before I went skydiving.” Lewis took on a much more serious tone when he mentioned the head of the firm, and it was the first time I’d seen him behave seriously.
    “In hindsight, I shouldn’t reveal massive fraud before participating in