Silence reigned, and Joe thought, None of us know what to do. We all thought Manfred would question the spirit, if she appeared. They hadn’t foreseen it was possible that Rachel might inhabit the psychic.

Joe said, “Rachel, where did you hide the jewelry?” He was not frightened of the dead, but he was uncertain how to handle the situation, which was a first for him.

Rachel said, via Manfred, “In Morton’s study. Where Lewis will never look. He and his dad never got along.” She shook Manfred’s head sadly.

“Where in the study?” Joe asked, trying not to sound impatient.

“Inside . . .” It was like a cell phone had dropped the call.

“Inside what?” Olivia snapped.

“I see the world . . .” Rachel whispered, and then Manfred was back in his body. His eyes opened. He looked from one of them to another. “I feel like something happened,” he said. “Tell me what it was.”

“Are ghosts always irritating and vague? Is that part of dying?” Olivia said.

Chuy released her hand. “Olivia,” he said reprovingly.

“Well, it was exasperating,” she said. “At least now we know which room.”

“Could someone tell me what happened?” Manfred looked from face to face.

Joe said, “Rachel paid us a visit. She said she’d put the jewelry in Morton’s study, because Lewis and Morton didn’t get along. Inside something.”

“Inside what?”

“She didn’t tell us that. We lost the connection before she could specify. She said something about the world. How do you feel?”

“That’s the first time I’ve ever been taken over like that,” Manfred said. “Interesting experience, and a little too personal for me.” He seemed excited about the possession, rather than exhausted or terrified, which was what Joe would have expected.

“That was an interesting experience for all of us,” Chuy said. “I thought we’d be here for hours trying to summon a spirit, and she popped into you like a hand into a puppet.”

“I’m not sure I like that analogy,” Manfred said. “But I’ll accept it. I was definitely somewhere else.”

Olivia stared at Manfred. “I couldn’t do that,” she said. “I couldn’t lose control like that.”

“Then the chances are overwhelmingly good that you won’t,” Manfred said. “Usually, the spirits visit people who are open to the experience. I hate to sound all abracadabra, but it’s true. I have a theory or two about why spirits are so vague.”

“Let’s hear them.” Olivia got up and leaned against the kitchen wall. She seemed too restless to sit any longer.