Desperately Seeking Heaven Read Online Free PDF

doing anything dodgy. Besides, he always seemed to me to be a true gentleman. Honest and caring. No, I can’t imagine there were any skeletons in his cupboards.’
    ‘Aw, that’s such a nice thing to say.’ Jimmy beamed under the weight of my compliment. ‘Thanks, Alice.’
    ‘Huh, and when did you become such a fan of JM anyway?’ Lexie said, spoiling the moment. ‘You always said he was a bit too smooth, a bit too squeaky-clean. I don’t like to speak ill of the dead, but honestly, I’d rather have Barney Roberts any time of the day.’
    I paused, suddenly aware of Jimmy’s laser-like stare bearing down on me. Lexie took my hesitation for complicit agreement.
    ‘Come on, you have to admit Barney has something special going on.’
    An awkward silence punctured the air as I searched for something to say.
    ‘You have a thing for Barney Roberts?’ Jimmy spat the words out as he ran his hands through his hair, looking indignant. ‘Please tell me it isn’t true. Really Alice, if you knew him, you’d never think that way. The guy’s a complete loser. What on earth would you see in him?’
    I shrugged helplessly, giving up the search for something placatory to say.
    Lexie though was in full-on swooning mode, as she examined her fingernails, deep in thought.
    ‘Oh yes. He’s hot. Mmm, mmm. Young and sexy. A bit dangerous too. I like that in a man. You know, that whole bad boy unpredictable thing.’ She shivered exaggeratedly as if imagining unimaginable things with Barney.
    Jimmy shook his head, tutting.
    ‘What is this? The Barney Roberts Appreciation Society?’
    ‘Come on,’ I said, finding my voice at last, eager to separate the pair of them and lower the sizzling temperature within the flat, ‘let’s get going, before it gets too busy out there.’
    I gave Jimmy a furtive little wave, then slammed the door shut on him and the flat for a few hours, grateful for a little respite from the huge problem that had bulldozed into my life. I took a deep breath. I would deal with it all later. Maybe by the time I got home, Jimmy would have received a communication from the powers upstairs.

Chapter Four
    Three hours, a lot of walking and four carrier bags, all belonging to Lexie, later, we settled at a pavement table outside a bustling cafe on the High Street. It was bright and the cold pinched my skin, but as the sun was making such a valiant attempt at breaking through the clouds, the least we felt we could do was make the most of the uncharacteristically good weather.
    ‘You sure you’re okay?’ She asked through narrowed eyes. ‘You seem, I don’t know, a bit distracted, that’s all.’
    I smiled wryly. The distractions were everywhere, but what could I possibly tell her?
    I’d been determined to forget about Jimmy for a few hours at least, but that was proving impossible. Every newsstand, every paper, every television shop we passed in the street served as a reminder that I hadn’t dreamt the whole mind-blowing episode up. Jimmy Mack was dead and for reasons that I couldn’t entirely fathom, he’d decided to make a detour on his way to the other side and camp out at my place for a while.
    ‘Well, you seem a bit on edge, a bit strung out. You need to relax. Get out and enjoy yourself a bit more.’
    I raised my eyebrows. She’d be strung out if her new lodger was a ghost. That sort of thing takes some getting used to.
    Besides, I knew from experience exactly what Lexie had in mind when she talked about me enjoying myself more. I braced myself.
    ‘I mean, how long has it been now, since Mike?’
    She knew just as well as I did, but I humoured her.
    ‘Oh about three years, I suppose.’ Three years, six months and four days to be precise. Not that I was counting.
    ‘Exactly! Far too long. You need to get out there, move on, make a life for yourself.’
    ‘I have a life, thank you very much,’ I said, lowering my voice as I noticed the guy on the next table beginning to take an unnatural