Kate, oozing good health, and Hannah, with a dodgy heart, had been friends since primary school. Now in their early twenties, they touched base once a month at 'Chuck and Chastity's Coffee Caff' to get themselves on the outside of a couple of cappuccinos and toasted teacakes while they put the world to rights. The world never listened, of course.
       On one such occasion, the subject of their discourse was Hannah's announcement of her twin brother Alex's recent bereavement. "Olivia shuffled off the mortal coil," she said. "He should never have married the demon spawn, but the poor chump's devastated."
       She was interrupted by Chastity, who shimmied over to take their order. "Same as usual, ladies? Two capps and teacakes?"
       Kate said, "Spot on, Chaz. Ferry 'em over." Chaz nodded and departed.
       Hannah continued. "She only married Alex because he has plenty of funds. The slapper was having sweet hochmagandy with Ross Melancamp, the local loan shark. Not that Ross's wife cared. She'd been looking for an excuse to divorce him for years."
       Kate said, "Rein in the wrath, Han. Whatever frolics Olivia indulged in, Alex must be in turmoil. What happened to her?"
       Hannah shrugged. "Some kind of accident. I'll spare you the blood and guts. It's him that worries me. He's not coping. I wish he'd hooked up with someone like you."
       "Oh, don't look at me. I'm done with men. Once bitten..."
       "Get over yourself, Kate. You were seventeen. The first taste of love turned sour. It happens. Move on."
       "What do you know about love? You've never even had a boyfriend."
       "Ah, well, there's a reason for that. The old ticker's not so tickety-boo. It's not fit for a long haul, and I don't want to leave some poor bloke lumbered with bringing up our babies with a evil stepmother, so I steer clear of Cupid's arrows."
       Chaz reappeared with the goodies, said, "Enjoy," and scooted away.
       Kate glared at Hannah. "Stop talking so daft and drink your coffee."
       "Not daft, Katie girl, just realistic. I'll be heading for the undiscovered country before I make my quarter century."
       She was right. She died two months before her twenty-fifth birthday.

       At Hannah's funeral, Kate offered her condolences to the grieving parents. She looked for Alex. She hadn't seen him since they were in primary school, but she was sure she'd recognise him. He must resemble Hannah. He wasn't there.
       Feeling too miserable to stay for refreshments at the British Legion function rooms, she made her escape as soon as it was respectfully acceptable and walked home to grieve alone.
       The date for their usual assignation at 'Coffee Caff' came and went. Two months later, while Kate was still grieving, she received a call from Hannah's phone. She answered.
       Hannah's voice said, "Don't freak out, Kate. It really is me."
       She freaked out. Her voice trembled. "Is this a sick joke? You can't be Hannah. She's dead."
       "Okay. I'm dead, but I'm still me. Thanks for coming to my funeral. Suspend disbelief for now, and listen to me. I'm an earthbound soul, and I can't move on to the Elysian Fields because I did a terrible thing. I need your help to put it right."
       This was beyond weird, but Hannah was her friend. She couldn't refuse. "What do you want me to do?"
       "I'll tell you face to face. I can only manifest in the mortal realm within my normal routine, so meet me at 'Coffee Caff,' usual date and time, and I'll explain."
       Kate waited outside the rendezvous, hoping Hannah would look no different in death. She arrived, looking somewhat healthier. The friends hugged each other. Hannah said, "Let's go in. I won't be having a teacake, but we'd better order two coffees to avoid suspicion. You'll have to drink them both. It'd run right through me."
       Two seconds after they sat down, Chaz bounced across to them. "I've missed you two. Where have you been?"
       Hannah said, "The Elysian Fields."
       "Oh, right. Did you have good weather?"
       "Heavenly. No teacake for me, thanks. I'm dieting."
       Chaz turned to Kate. "Did you go too?"
       "No, I had stuff to deal with. Same as usual for me, please."
       "Okay, Two capps, one teacake. I'm on it." She whizzed away.
       Kate turned to Hannah. "I thought you couldn't go to the Elysian Fields."
       "I can't, but I know what they're like. The sun always shines but never burns, and the cool breeze is like the touch of a lover's fingers on your skin."
       "How would you know?"
       "I can use my imagination with a little help from Homer's Odyssey."
       "Really? I never got past page one. I prefer Terry Pratchett."
       "I know. I'll say hello from you if I ever cross his path."
       "Actually, I meant, how would you know the bit about a lover's fingers on your skin?"
       "That was entirely my imagination."
       Conversation stopped when Chaz delivered the capps and solitary teacake. When she retreated Kate said, "Right. Down to business. What terrible thing did you do? Did you murder someone?"
       "Yes, I murdered Olivia."
       Kate choked on the teacake.
       Hannah said. "Wash it down with coffee. You have two full cups to get through."
       She gulped down the coffee, placed the empty cup in front of Hannah and took a sip out of the second cup. "Let's get this straight. You killed Olivia because she was a slapper. Now you're sorry because the sin's keeping you earthbound, and you want me to help you make amends. How can you do that? You can't stop her being dead. How did you kill her, anyway?"
       "I invited her to join me on a walk along Anglesey's coastal path. She was paranoid about her waistline, so I said the exercise would help her to lose weight. When the path crossed the cliff at Cemaes Bay, I pushed her off, called the police and told them she'd fallen."
       "Well, I don't see how we can put that right. You might as well wave goodbye to the Elysian Fields."
       "The thing is, Kate, I told myself I was doing it for Alex because she was no good for him, but now I'm dead I have to face the truth. I did it because I was jealous. He and I had been so close before she showed up. I wanted us to be close again, so I got rid of her. It didn't work. He's put up the metaphorical shutters, won't talk to anyone and spends his days walking around on his own. I ruined his life, and that's what I have to put right. You can help me. You're just what he needs, and he's what you need too."
       Kate shook her head. "Hang on. We've been through this. I'm not in the market for matchmaking."
       Hannah gave her a blood-chilling stare that only a ghost can carry off with panache. "Get a grip, girl. You got over what's-his-name years ago. Unless you want me haunting you forever, you'd better stop being so damn stubborn and get a life. I'm your friend, I need help, so do you, and so does my brother. Do the right thing."
       Kate's defences collapsed like the biblical walls of Jericho. "Okay, I'll try, but that's all I can promise. What's the plan?"
       "Dig out those books I loaned you and take them to him. Say you felt you should return them, bla, bla, bla. Leave the rest to your good looks and his good manners."
       "Which books?"
       "A couple of Anne McCaffrey's 'Dragons of Pern' novels."
       "Are they yours?"
       "They were. I've just bequeathed them to Alex, so you'd better deliver his legacy."
       "Right. Give me his address, and don't blame me if this goes all wrong."

       She stood on Alex's doorstep remembering the shy little boy she hadn't seen since their early childhood. When he was seven years old his parents had sent him to a boys' academy that had received glowing reports. In recent times, the academy had lost its glow. It closed down two years ago. She remembered the slavering headlines in the gutter press reporting a scandal involving the Geography teacher, the P.E. teacher and a cluster of sixth formers.
       Her heart pounded and her mouth felt dry. Why was she panicking? Calm down, Kate; what's the worst that can happen? She rang the bell.
       Alex opened the door. His sandy-coloured curls reached to his shoulders, he wore denim jeans, a black tee-shirt with a picture of Greta Thunberg on the front, and when he smiled he looked like Hannah. "You must be Kate."
       "How did you know? You haven't seen me for nearly twenty years."
       "Long dark hair, blue eyes and a tiny mole on your left cheek, just as Hannah described you. She talked about you a lot."
       Her panic subsided. She liked him. "Hannah loaned me some books. I thought I'd better return them."
       Without glancing at the books he said, "Would you like to come in?"
       "Okay." She followed him into the kitchen.
       He opened the fridge. "I'd offer you tea or coffee, but there's no milk. I'm not much good at shopping. There should be a few cans of Newcastle Brown and Coca-Cola. Will either of those do?"
       She considered the options and in the interest of keeping a cool head, dismissed the Newkie Brown. "Coke, please."
       "Coke it is. I'll join you."
       He filled two glasses, and they sat together at the kitchen table. She felt more content than she had since before Hannah died.
       He said, "My parents told me you were at the funeral. Thank you for going. I wasn't there."
       "I know, but I don't understand why?"
       "After my wife's funeral, I made up my mind to give misery fests a miss in future. I planted a tree in Hannah's memory instead."
       "She told me about your wife. I'm so sorry."
       "Olivia caused it herself, Kate. She must have taken that bend like Lewis Hamilton, and she'd strayed to the wrong side of the road."
       Kate's head spun. What was she hearing here? "Hannah didn't go into details. What happened?"
       "She hit a refuge collection lorry head-on. There was hardly a dent in the lorry. Those things could survive a nuclear missile attack, but there wasn't much left of the car. At least it was quick. She didn't suffer."
       "That must be some consolation, but you've had a lot to deal with, Alex. Losing Hannah must also have been hard. I miss her too." She meant it, but she wasn't sure the lying minx deserved to be missed.
       He nodded, "I know how close you were. Would you like to see her tree?"
       "Yes, please."
       He led her into a garden rich in the colours of irises, peonies and marigolds. The cool breeze and calming cent of honeysuckle lightened her spirit. She felt at home here. She said, "Your garden's beautiful and so peaceful."
       "I think so. I'm glad you like it, too." He pointed to the newly planted sapling. "It's a rowan. In folklore, it protects against evil and prevents those on a journey from getting lost."
       She said, "Good choice. Hannah would approve. She couldn't resist sorting people out."
       He laughed. "You knew her so well."
       They stood in silence for a while. There seemed to be no need for words.
       When they returned to the house, Alex said, "Do you like Italian food, Kate?"
       "Well, I like cappuccinos."
       "There's an Italian restaurant, 'Giovanni's,' just opened on the High Street, next door to 'Heidi's' hair salon. They do cappuccinos, and the food's pretty good, too. Would you join me there for a meal tomorrow evening?"
       "Yes, I'd like that, but I'll pay my share."
       "Whatever you're comfortable with. Seven-thirty suit you?"
       "Suits me fine."

       She was making her way home when Hannah called her. "I was right, wasn't I? You clicked."
       "Yes. He reminds me of you."
       "But you like him anyway?"
       "Behave. I meant because of, not in spite of. Anyway, you've got some explaining to do. He told me how Olivia died. What was all that tosh about pushing her off the cliff at Cemaes Bay?"
       "Sorry, but I had to convince you that you were saving me from eternal damnation or some such, or you'd never have gone to see him, would you?"
       "No, I suppose not."
       "There you are, then. It's all fixed. I can go now."
       "Must you? I'll miss you."
       "You'll survive. When you're skipping along the Primrose Path with Alex, tra la la, you won't be pining for me."
       "Steady on. We haven't even been on a date yet."
       "So what? I know you two better than you know yourselves. You'll make each other happy, and the Elysian Fields are waiting for me."
       Kate fought back tears. "Will we see each other again?"
       "I expect so, but you have a life to live first, and we'll always have 'Coffee Caff,' won't we?"
       "Humphrey Bogart said something like that in 'Casablanca,' right?"
       "Right. But in Bogey's case, it was Paris. Now stop prolonging the agony."
       "Okay, sorry. Safe journey, Han."
       "Thanks. Here's lookin' at you, kid." She ended the call.
       Kate felt happy, sad and bewildered at the same time. An intake of caffeine would restore her equilibrium. She reached 'Coffee Caff' and made her way to the table she'd shared with Hannah.
       Chaz limped towards her with one foot in a plaster cast. Kate said, "What happened to you?"
       "Chuck dropped a coffee pot on my toes. Silly Beggar. I'll live." She glanced at the empty chair. "Where's your friend?"
       "In the Elysian Fields."
       "Where exactly are they? Geography was never my strong point."
       "Nor mine, but wherever they are, the climate suits her constitution."