Interview with Ethan Taylor, male protagonist from Past Sins, available now from Amazon.

Me:      Welcome, Ethan. Thank you so much for coming out of your usual habitat to join me today.

Ethan:  No thanks needed. Happy to do this.

Me:      I must say, you are a rather scrumptious looking fellow.

Ethan:  Excuse me?

Me:      (coughing) Sorry, I didn’t realize I’d said that out loud.

Ethan:  (dark eyebrow arching) Uh-huh.

Me:      Seriously.

Ethan:  Right.

Me:      So, uh, let’s start with you telling us what you do for a living. You get to do something I’m sure I’d really enjoy.

Ethan:  Restoring old houses? Really? You’d like to do that?

Me:      What? Don’t you think I could handle that sort of work?

Ethan:  I’m not saying that… I wouldn’t dare.

Me:      So, getting back to the point, you go into older homes, historic homes, and restore them to their former glory.

Ethan:  That’s the plan, but sometimes alterations need to be made, to modernize, or because damage is too severe.

Me:      I assume you have a liking for history, too.

Ethan:  I have to, or I don’t think I’d ever really get it quite right. But yes, history is my thing. You can almost feel the past when you’re in those houses. It’s—

Me:      And when you’re in those houses, have you ever seen anything, you know, odd?

Ethan:  (quiet for a moment) I’m not sure what you mean.

Me:      I’ll be blunt. Are they ever haunted?

Ethan:  I’d rather not comment on things that ‘go bump in the night’. Are you saying you believe in ghosts?

Me:      Sure. Don’t you?

Ethan:  I’ve never seen definitive proof, so…

Me:      Haven’t you?

Ethan:  No.

Me:      Not even—(at the expression in his eyes, I stop, realizing I’ve dragged him out of the story for the interview before the events I wish to discuss).  Ethan, I think we’re going to have to reschedule for, say, a few weeks out?

Ethan:  (disconcerted by the abrupt dismissal) If you’d like, sure.

Me:      We’re going to have a lot more to discuss at that time, I assure you. I’ll see you soon, okay?

As he exits, returning to the point in the story from which he was extricated, I almost feel sorry I’ve sent him back. But, of course, not sorry enough to change what’s coming.