Free Hungry Spirits [Spirits 04] by Alice Duncan

than Sam Rotondo climbing from the machine. It was one of the few times since I’d met him that I’d been happy to see Sam. Billy never acted grouchy around Sam, although I don’t know why that was. Maybe he didn’t think being grouchy was manly or something.
    “ Good afternoon, you two.”
    “ Hey, Sam,” said Billy, cheering up slightly.
    “ What are you doing here?” I asked. I hadn’t meant the question to be impolite, but it certainly was.
    “ I was just out for a Sunday drive and thought I’d stop by and see if you’d like to join me,” said Sam, ignoring the tone, if not the intent, of my question.
    “ A drive?” Billy said.
    “ A drive where?” I asked.
    Sam shrugged. “I don’t know. We can drive up into the foothills, if you want to. I’m sure Spike would like to chase some chipmunks.”
    I was sure he would, too. I glanced inquiringly at Billy, who seemed to be pondering Sam’s offer. It was a very nice offer. Sam knew how Billy hated being the way he was, and to give him credit, he did his best to assist in making Billy’s life more bearable. Heck, he and Billy and my father played gin rummy together all the time, and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t because Sam loved the game, but because it was something both Billy and my father, who had bad heart problems, could do. Maybe he wasn’t quite as bad as I liked to think him.
    Naw.
    “ A drive sounds like a good idea,” Billy said after thinking about it for a minute or two. He didn’t sound awfully enthusiastic, but he never did about anything at all anymore.
    “ It does,” I agreed, kind of surprised to discover I wasn’t fibbing. “Are you sure you want Spike and me to go along, too?”
    “ Sure. Why not?” said Sam with another shrug.
    “ We’d better tell my folks we’re taking a drive so they don’t fret.” I’d caused my parents enough worries this past year. I’d been on my best behavior ever since February, even though the incident then hadn’t been my fault. Well, not much of it had been, anyhow.
    So Billy, Spike and I rolled on home, and Sam followed in his car, a nice, roomy Hudson. Then Sam and I got Billy into the front seat of his machine, and Spike and I piled into the back. Thanks to my huge dinner, I fell asleep to the desultory conversation between Billy and Sam, which centered mostly around sports. Billy used to love to play baseball, and evidently Sam had played football during his youth in New York. I awoke when the Hudson turned off the paved road and onto a bumpy dirt track.
    “ Where are we?” I asked groggily.
    “ I thought we might drive to Millard Canyon,” said Sam.
    “ It’s pretty up there,” added Billy.
    “ Spike will love it,” I said through a yawn. Patting my mouth, I said, “Sorry.”
    Billy grinned, which was a distinct improvement over his mood prior to Sam’s sudden intrusion into our Sunday.
    It was a rocky climb in the big car, but eventually we made it to the canyon, which truly is a pretty place, with a nice stream running through it and lots of trees and bushes and cabins. People with money used the canyon to get away from the trials of city living every now and then. I understand they aren’t allowed to buy those cabins, but have to lease them for something like a hundred years. Sounded strange to me, but I wasn’t rich and wouldn’t ever be able to rent, lease or buy a getaway cabin anywhere at all.
    Sam had thought of everything that day. When the Hudson came to a stop, he went to the auto’s rear end and untied a folding metal chair he’d stowed away. I hadn’t even noticed the chair before, which goes to show how observant I am.
    “ I thought you could sit on this while Spike chases squirrels, Billy,” he said.
    It was a brilliant idea, but I didn’t say so, my relationship with Sam being what it was. I did, however, smile at him. “Thanks, Sam.”
    “ Yeah,” said Billy. “That’s a great idea.” He smiled, too. I think that was the first genuine smile