It was in the evening that Lug finally returned home, arms drooping and looking disoriented.

He was physically exhausted from the walk and mentally drained from what he had just experienced with Hannah.

Once home, he put the water on and sat down next to Gavan.

As usual Gavan watched him from the corner of his eye.

"You look as pale as a dead man." Gavan commented.

"Mmmh." Lug didn't look open to discussion, yet he had sat at the table instead of going to bed.

"How was the walk?"

"Long."

"And did your friend get home?"

"I guess."

Gavan was getting impatient, wanting to know what had happened to put Lug in this state.

"I think the water is boiling." he announced as he stared at Lug.

You could hear the teapot steaming.

One could have believed that this noise came from Gavan as he grew irritated by the apathetic behavior of his roommate.

Lug stood up and poured the water into a red cup into which he had previously poured herbs.

He then sat down again near Gavan and said:

"I don't understand women."

Gavan began to smile upon hearing this.

"Aaah women! Of course you don’t, ahahahah!"

His face had suddenly changed, he looked ready to trade on this subject all night.

"My little Lug, tell me what's bothering you, Uncle Gavan will help you."

Lug found it embarrassing the way Gavan had taken a paternalistic tone, but he could use some support. Anything was good for him.

"I lied to Hannah a few times to hide my ability to see ghosts. She was mad at me for lying and wanted to hear the truth... Once I told her everything she didn't believe me, threw a fit and left. Lying is not good, telling the truth is not good... I did my best to help her and this is what I get? If this is what it means to hang out with the living, I prefer the company of the dead, they are more predictable."

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Gavan took his time answering, he created suspense by taking a long breath that was more of a habit than a need because ghosts don't need to breathe.

"Lug, my little Lug... There are conflicts that cannot be avoided. Did you expect a hug when she heard you say you see ghosts? You've been lying all along, did you think she'd believe a story like that? She opened up to you by telling you about her grandmother..."

"Great grandmother." Lug corrected him.

"Great grandma... Whatever... She opened up to you, showed you her vulnerability and in return you lied to her, it could only go wrong."

Lug didn't seem to agree.

"But I did all that to help her!"

"Hell is paved with good intentions. No matter your reasons, you betrayed her trust and it had to be paid for at some point."

Lug had nothing to say, looking even more defeated.

"But with women, you never know. She might very well forgive you... If she was angry and disappointed it's because she had expectations about you."

"What do you mean?" Lug asked curiously.

"Find the treasure she seeks and prove to her that you are telling the truth. Redeem yourself. Women hate cowards, get rid of that cowardly cloak that doesn't fit you at all."

Lug did not move, closed his eyes, took a deep breath and pulled some torn pieces of paper from his pocket.

He began to spread them out on the table, as if he wanted to get an overview of a puzzle.

Gavan was curious about this reaction and asked him:

"What is this?"

"Hannah had made me a photocopy of the letter Linette had left for her sister, it is in this one that she talks about her treasure."

Gavan guessed the reason it was torn.

"She was so disappointed and upset that she tore it apart... She must have been upset with herself too, sharing something so personal with a stranger who’s constantly lying..."

Lug stopped talking to focus on the paper puzzle in front of him.

Gavan helped him put the pieces together in the right order, and after a few hours, several cups of tea and some scotch, the letter was readable again.

They read it together.

In it, Linette spoke of an illness that was killing her slowly, it was a farewell letter.

The part that interested Lug the most was the following:

"I'm going to die but I'm not afraid, my only nightmare would be to take my treasure with me."

This is the only reference she made to this infamous treasure in this letter.

"She was afraid to take her treasure with her...to her grave?" Lug thought.

He didn't understand the meaning of this sentence.

Gavan gave him one last piece of advice before returning to silence.

"When you discover a new piece, you need to have a bird's eye view of the puzzle to know where to place it."

After saying that, he turned to his cup and began to drink.

Lug knew he would get no more help from Gavan.

He thanked him and went to bed after brushing his teeth.

In bed he thought about all the clues he had found since the beginning.

The postcard in which Linette talked about a hidden lake that was a treasure.

Near this lake a picture of her with a buried man.

The letter in which she shares her fear of taking her treasure to the grave...

Suddenly the image of the naked ghost at Hannah's aunt's house came to mind.

"This ghost didn't know Mary, he didn't really know himself why he was there..."

Lug had the impression that the key was there.

He fell asleep with a head full of questions.

He woke up the next morning, went to the bathroom and then went to heat up some water to make a tea.

As he poured the hot water into his cup, Lug had an epiphany.

"A baby."