“Well, I knew there was something,” she said, then looked to her ghost again. “He was really weird about wanting me not to talk to you. He said we didn’t know each other . . .”

“But we do.”

“That’s what I said when I first saw you.” Addy smiled, and Sanjiv was suddenly aware of being very sweaty. “But he convinced me that I was combining childhood memories and I was confusing you with someone else.”

Sanjiv frowned. “This is complicated.”

Addy nodded, glaring at her ghost. “I think we’ve uncovered a massive ghost conspiracy.”

“So you just planned on avoiding me?” Ching shouted at the air, vibrating with fury.

“How do they know each other?” Addy asked, oblivious to Sanjiv’s raging ghost. “Who was your relative?”

“Ching Shih. She’s a pirate captain from the early nineteenth century. Then after a defeat by the Portuguese—”

“I didn’t get defeated!” Ching yelled, and again it was unclear whether this was directed at Sanjiv or not.

“After, uh, her fleet was defeated, she struck a deal and retired and opened a brothel.”

“Ooh,” Addy said. “That makes sense.”

“That is an insulting description of my life!” Ching rounded on Sanjiv.

Sanjiv ignored that. “What makes sense?”

“My ghost was a bounty hunter during the same time period,” Addy answered, then winced as her ghost presumably yelled something at Ching.

“You lost me my entire fucking fleet!” Ching screeched.

Sanjiv nodded and diplomatically translated. “My ghost said your ghost’s men injured her when they tried to capture her, and her fleet lost an important battle because she hadn’t recovered in time to take command.”

Addy nodded as her ghost seemed to respond to Ching. “My ghost is saying your ghost invited him onto her ship for a peaceful meeting and left him to die on an island.”

“He was planning to betray me!” Ching argued. “I saw the letters!”

“Apparently he was going to betray her,” Sanjiv said. “There are letters?”

“Those were from his partner,” Addy said, coming to stand next to him so they could both look at the screaming ghosts. “Who thought she was manipulating him.”

“Oh yes, of course! I was seducing you for nefarious reasons!” Ching shouted. Sanjiv shivered as Addy shifted nearer to him.

“Well, how was I supposed to know that?” Ching argued after a pause.

Addy leaned her head closer to him, a curl tickling his shoulder as she whispered, “Yeah, they definitely want to bang.”

Sanjiv choked on a laugh. “How do ghosts even do that?”

Addy snorted. “I don’t know. I’m glad I can’t see your ghost, though. I don’t want to be picturing that.”

“That is a very good point,” Sanjiv said, pointedly turning away. Addy did too.

There was a very, very painful pause as they tried to ignore the fighting behind them.

“So.” Oh cool, Sanjiv, good start! Excellently done.