didn't answer quickly. He looked at her in the eyes and he really wanted to believe that there were going to be other occasions, but knowing Luisa he knew that it would've been very difficult.
“ Now it’d be better open the wine bottle, at least we make a toast.” he said.
Luisa nodded and brought two glasses.
“ This toast is for us two, hoping that we can see each other again as soon as possible, Roni permitting.” Ernest said and got his glass closer to Luisa’s who did the same thing.
They had just started drinking, when the doorbell rang.
“ Here he is.” He said.
Luisa went to open the door.
“ Good evening,” Roni said “Sorry to disturb you, but it’s an emergency.”
“ Yes, Roni, we know how much you’re sorry, but now we’d better go.” Ernest said greeting Luisa and going out. Roni did the same.
After closing the door Luisa stayed still in the living room, thinking about what had happened. Ernest had messed her up. Maybe she still loved him! Maybe it was only cuteness? A strong smell of burnt brought her back.
“ Oh no!” she said “Dinner went down in flames!”
While they were heading towards their cars, Roni was looking at Ernest who strangely seemed calm.
“ We’d better go with mine,” Roni said “Don’t worry. We’ll use yours later on.”
Ernest obeyed, he went towards Roni’s car and they left.
Roni couldn't speak; he knew how much his friend cared about that night, but with his big surprise it was Ernest who asked him what happened.
“ Well, I don't know much. Mr. Houg phoned me warning me that the event happened again.”
“ The event?” Ernest asked.
“ Yes; clearly he was referring to the ghost. He sounded really worried about it and he immediately asked about you.” Roni ended and with the corner of the eye looked at Ernest, which kept looking calm though.
“ Who did it appear to, this time?” the investigator asked, “To his son again?”
“ Probably yes, we’ll know it soon.”
“ You're right, Roni, soon we’ll know how things are. It’s weird. In this moment I should've been dining with Luisa and I’m not. I should be mad at you, but I’m not. Can you explain me why?”
Roni looked at him in the eyes for a while and tried his best to give an answer.
“ I'm really sorry about the dinner, but I’m happy to see that you’re not angry. I can't tell you why. Even though we’ve known each other for years, I’ve always tried to understand you, but I think you’ll stay a big mystery to me.”
Ernest, after having listened to Roni, started laughing and gave him a pat on the back.
“ I'm talking seriously, you really are a mystery,” the antiquarian continued.
“ Instead, I find out tonight for the first time that you’re really reckless when you drive. I’d like to arrive to your friend’s house in one piece, bit if you keep driving like this the odds are just a few.” Ernest made him notice.
“ Don’t worry; we'll arrive safe and sound.”
In the meantime in front of Ernest’s eyes the shadow of Houg’s house appeared that kept getting bigger as they were getting closer.
Roni didn't slow down not even when, got past the gate of the mansion, they got the internal road. That house was beautiful, but at night it looked sad, it looked like there wasn't anyone living inside it; it was lifeless and it made you dread by looking at it.
Arrived at the entrance, Roni hit the brakes abruptly. They got out of the car and they didn't even have the time to knock that the housekeeper had already opened the door.
“ Mr. Houg is waiting for you in his study,” she said, gesturing them to follow her.
They followed her in silence, climbed the stairs and arrived in front of the door of the study that was open.
“ Please, take a seat,” the housekeeper said again, taking two steps backwards.
Getting into the room, Ernest observed her face and understood she was scared.
As soon as Houg sensed that they were there, he suddenly got up and headed towards them.
“ I don't know how to apologize for disturbing you at this hour, but I couldn't avoid it, seeing that the ghost has appeared again.”
Ernest approached the armchair in front of Houg’s desk, then, turning to the banker, said: “I already knew that. To be honest, I was hoping to hear something more.”
“ This time, my daughter saw her,” Houg muttered; then he went to sit in front of Ernest.
“ And where was your daughter when she saw her?” Ernest asked.
“ In her brother’s room. She was keeping him company because Rebecca, the nanny, had gone into town.”
“ But where did the ghost appear?” Ernest asked again.
“ In the family’s chapel that is behind the house; you can see it as well from that window,” Houg answered, showing the window that was at his left.
Ernest just turned his head to take a look, but he didn’t do anything else.
“ Can I talk to your daughter?” Ernest asked.
“ Sure,” Houg said and pressed a grey button he had on the table.
Not even thirty second passed and the housekeeper entered the room.
“ Please be so kind as to call Barbara. Tell her that Mr. Devon needs to talk to her,” Houg said.
The housekeeper nodded and went out.
Silence fell in the study. Roni, who was sitting on the couch on the right of the desk, wasn't making a sound. His silence was due to the fact that the story was making him enthusiastic and he couldn't wait for Houg’s daughter to arrive to understand what she had seen.
Houg instead put his head into his hands and, lost in his thoughts, he mentally drifted away from the room until when, back in himself, he said: “I’m so shocked that I didn't even offer you something to drink.”
“ I'm good like this,” Ernest said.
I’d like to drink a shot of brandy instead,” Roni said.
“ I agree with you, a shot of brandy is what we need,” Houg said and he headed towards a minibar to take the bottle and two glasses.
In the meantime Ernest went near the window and looked outside in
