My mom says nobody lived here since old man richmond moved out.
Betcha it's not really haunted.
Go inside and find out.
You go.
You go!
I'll go.
What's the matter? Chicken?
Am not.
Come with me.
Melinda,what are you doing here?
You know,it's late.
You three should be in bed.
We're looking for ghosts.
I can't see them anymore.
sometimes that happens.
You grow out of it.
Can you?
nope.i don't see any.
You can't see ghosts.
You hear them or feel them.
Right.
I did not know that.
what's that?
Is something in there?
Good boy,homer.
The kids would have been disappointed without a good scare.
Go get it!
I don't get it.
Why does a ghost dog need to go for a walk?
If i could answer that, i could cross him over.
Poor homer.
He's probably just waiting for the ghost kids from the orphanage
to come back and get him.
thanks.
As if i don't feel bad enough that he got left behind.
Here's what i think.
If we take the ball and we throw it far enough,
he will keep going until he goes into the light, right?
What was that?
The kids.
what are you doing?
Hang on a second.
That is private property,right?
mine. I just rented the place.
Don't you have keys?
Lost 'em.
I'm sorry about the noise.
I tried every door,but...
todd darja.
Jim clancy.
This is my wife melinda.
Nice to meet you guys.
So you're moving in now?
I've been real busy
and i don't have much stuff,so...
you need a hand?
No. no.
No.
Ok,then.
If you need anything,
we're right across the street.
Welcome to the neighborhood.
You lose your keys, you call a locksmith.
And who moves in in the middle of the night?
Probably somebody who had to move out of their last place in the mile of the night.
I don't know.
I think that guy was weird.
Maybe it'll be a short-term rental.
I kind of miss cranky old mr. Richmond.
Maybe he'll come out of retirement and move back.
What?
Homer.
He's growling.
He can't bite me, can he?
Something scared him.
a ghost dog catcher?
Todd's not the only one moving in at night.
Anything?
No. Just todd.
maybe he likes to sleep in?
Very funny.
It's also an angry ghost.
How can you tell?
I can feel it
and see it in the way he moved.
great.
For our new neighbors,
we have the cast of in cold blood.
I should go talk to todd.
Make sure he understands what's going on.
You know,i wouldn't.
Why not?
You never know how people are gonna react
when you tell them what you do.
I always seem to handle it.
because most of the time you can walk away, right?
And so can the people you help.
But,i mean,this guy lives right across the street.
What if he's got a big mouth,you know?
And starts telling everybody.
You're gonna have to see him every day.
You can't avoid him.
Maybe you're right.
It's rare,but it happens.
I am going to have to have a word with the departed,though.
Morning,neighbor.
I hope i didn't wake you.
I don't sleep much.
What do you want?
I just wanted to make sure we didn't get off on the wrong foot last night
and thought maybe you'd like a home-cooked breakfast.
Thanks.
look, i'd invite you in,but...
that's so nice,
but i can only stay for a minute.
i have always wanted to see the inside of this place ever since we moved here.
Not much to see.
You travel light?
Move around a lot.
Really?
Where are you from?
Look,...
those are gorgeous fixtures.
Really....
original?
Sure,i guess.
Am i keeping you from work?
I got to buy some things for the house.
What do you do for a living?
Internet.
Website designer.
Listen,
melinda...
i appreciate the breakfast.
I do,but...
i like my privacy.
You understand?
You see me?
Stay away.
What?
Sorry.
Sorry,i was,...
great moldings on that door.
Look...
i really appreciate the breakfast,but...
seriously, i gotta get going.
I understand. Sorry.
I own an antique store...
most earthbound spirits are excited to know
there's someone there they can talk to and that can see them.
Not this guy.
Maybe this one wants to be left alone.
no.
This ghost is on a mission.
He walks with purpose.
He's evasive,
like he's up to something.
there he is.
He who?
Todd or the ghost?
Both.
Ok,what are you doing?
I'm gonna follow them.
Melinda,stop.
Don't get involved in this.
I'm already involved in this.
There's a ghost living across the street.
You can pretend he's not there.
I can't.
Then i'm going with you.
No,you have work to do, and so do i.
Ok?
I'm gonna try and get the ghost alone
and see if i can't help him move on.
Watch out.
Are you all right?
Why are you following me?
I'm not.
I wasn't.
Never met a ghost who's so proactive before.
Melinda,this one hurt you.
It wasn't like that.
He definitely wants to hurt todd,though.
Like "dead" hurt.
How is that even possible?
I thought spirits couldn't touch anything real,
like a living person.
It's always been that way with earthbounds.
Usually,they move things.
It's like they're learning how to interact more,
make a bigger impact on this world.
Speaking of crossing over,
i have been doing some research into man's best friend.
This guy is the best dog trainer in the world,
and he says that all dogs have issues.
What kind of issues could homer have that would keep him here?
Tons.
Phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorders.
Or he's just a dog who doesn't know he's supposed to walk into the light.
Maybe he thinks the light is a car coming at him.
there's something in here about that.
you keep me posted on that.
What's he doing?
Getting ready for a hurricane?
Trying to lower property values.
I can't decide.
What?
We have to get him off that ladder.
Ok.
it looks like you need up there.
I'm fine.
Can i talk to you for a minute?
It's important.
Why don't you people just leave me alone?
I want privacy.
Don't you get that?
we get it.
Stop it.
Todd?
Todd, can you hear me?
Is he ok?
No. Call 911.
Let him die.
Why?
What is your problem?
keep breathing, you'll be ok.
jim,
is melinda ok?
Why?
Wanted to make sure she didn't get hit in the head,too.
Bob.
What are you talking about?
He killed my granddaughter.
He's going to get what he deserves.
And if you don't stay out of my way,you will,too.
You ok?
I don't know.
This ghost really wants to kill him.
He thinks that todd murdered his granddaughter.
Wait,...
he's a killer?
I don't know for sure.
Do ghosts lie?
They can make mistakes.
That's it.
You're staying away from this guy.
I'm calling the cops.
And tell them what?
I don't need your help.
no.I can get them to check up on him.
Clark'll do that for me.
Please let me handle this.ok?
Don't do anything until i can get the whole story.
He's home.
The son of a bitch lived,
and he's home again.
It took everything i had to do that to him.
Now i'm too weak.
It's a vicious circle.
You thrive on his energy,
but when he's weakened,so are you.
Whose locket?
My granddaughter's.
I gave it to her for her tenth birthday.
What's the inscription say?
"Patience. "
They buried me with it.
They should've buried her with it,
but they never found her body.
What's your name?
What the hell do you care what my name is?
My granddaughter's dead,
and that bastard killed her,
and he got away with it.
Why do you think he killed her?
I know.
Should've never sent her away.
I didn't know what else to do.
Sent her away where?
Boarding school.
She needed the discipline.
And that's where she met him.
Todd.
He was older.
He had no business befriending her.
They called me,
they told me she was missing.
They had everybody out there looking for any sign of her.
That's the first time i ever laid eyes on todd darja.
Over here.
Found something.
That's all they ever found of her.
The cops knew he killed her.
Why isn't he in jail?
In jail?
They never even made an arrest.
No body.
No evidence.
They could never put a case together.
But my heart was broken.
I should've killed him while i was still alive,
but i promise you,
i promise you,
i will find the strength to make him pay.
Wait.
This is just too weird, mel.
I don't want you near this guy.
This ghost is actively trying to kill him.
I can't turn away.
You know what it's like to have a ghost attached to you.
This isn't an innocent bystander.
He might be a murderer.
I know what i'm dealing with.
You're overreacting.
And you're underreacting.
People are getting hurt.
I know,
and that's not gonna stop unless i do something.
No,not if it means you're gonna go up close and personal with todd the ripper.
I'm sorry,mel,
i can't let you do this.
Can't let me?
Come on,
you know what i mean.
I know what you mean.
It's just too dangerous.
Melinda...
i heard ya the first time.
I'm gonna go to bed now,
if you'll let me,that is.
No,don't go making me the bad guy because i care about you.
Don't get all noble.
There's a difference between caring and controlling.
Wait,you know i don't do that.
Good night.
All right,fine.
Good night.
that's what i said.
I love you,too.
Is that her?
Missing for 8 years.
Don't you think you should call the police?
And tell them what,
that a ghost told me he's guilty?
Melinda,you saw the guy bury plastic bags.
It'd be stupid to bury evidence in your backyard, wouldn't it?
We can test his iq after we call the police.
Let me get rid of this ghost,ok?
Then i'll check in with the police.
You have anything yet on homer the dog?
you know,i'm getting close,actually.
This book says dogs are into their pack leaders,
and in this case,
i think you have become homer's pack leader.
And i have to cross over,then he'll follow me?
I said i was close.
I didn't say i had it.
Ok,according to the book,
dogs are very migratory.
They like to go w places,
try new things,
travel,shop.
Wait,that's me.
-It's him. -Who? Homer?
My next-door neighbor.
Keep an eye on him.
The minute he gets back in his truck,
call me on my cell.
Why?
Where are you going?
Melinda!
Andrea?
Get out of there.
How long ago did he leave?
I don't know.
I'm swamped,
i was ringing up customers,
and when i looked,
his truck was gone.
ok.thanks
You just can't mind your own business,can you?
it was my dog homer.
I thought his ball had rolled in here,
but i don't see it anywhere,so...
i'll help you look for it.
What's the matter?
Are you scared?
Just like everybody else.
L... i should go.
Please,just let me go.
Do what i say,
and everything'll be ok.
Why are you doing this?
Because i'm haunted.
There's something in here with us right now.
You hear that?
He thinks i'm some thing.
He doesn't know who i am.
Now that you're here,
you can tell him.
No.
You shouldn't have come in here.
I can only protect myself.
I can't protect you.
Is that what all this is for,protection?
To ward off evil.
Keep the ghosts away.
Talismans and offerings.
I keep 'em buried in the yard
so the spirits don't seep up from below,
but if they do, the incense confuses 'em.
none of this will work.
I will work.I've gotta keep trying.
New things, different things.
Combinations.
Something's gonna work.
Tell him why i'm here.
Stop it.
I can't...
tell him why he's being haunted.
Tell him why he's being haunted!
Tell him!
You're being haunted because of stacy.
How do you know about stacy?
You tell him you know he killed her.
I want you out of here.
Get off my property and leave me alone.
He's a murderer.
Maybe he'll kill you next.
Get away from me!
He's going to die.
Sooner or later,i'll get the strength, i'll find a way.
You can't save him.
If he dies,you may never find out what happened to stacy.
I know what happened.
He murdered her.
But you don't know how.
You don't know why.
You don't know where she is,
You don't where he left her.
Those are the things that are keeping you here.
Those are the things you need to find out to get closure.
He'll never admit to it.
Let me help you.
Please,tell me your name.
Lyle.
Lyle chase.
I'm going to get you.
I'm going to get you!
Going to get you.
that's enough.
That's enough.
All right?
Somebody lives here.
Go find something else to do.
ok,come on guys
And you...
Todd,it's melinda again.
If i could just talk to you for,like, 2 minutes.
Look,i...
i know you're being haunted.
I believe you.
You're not crazy.
I know about these things.
And i know it's been happening to you.
I spoke to the person who's haunting you.
His name is lyle chase.
He wants to know about stacy and he thinks that you know.
I can help you.
if you'll let me.
But he's not gonna leave you alone until you tell him what happened.
Todd?
Hello?
Do you know the origin of the term graveyard shift?
I thought you weren't speaking to me.
Back in england in the 1500s,i think,they...
discovered that they'd been burying people sometimes
that they only thought were dead.
So they started burying them with a little string tied around their wrist that...
led up through the ground,
you know,to a bell...
that sat in the grass by their grave.
And then someone from the village had to stay up all night
waiting for a bell to ring.
Graveyard shift.
Dead ringer.
This is the kind of tidbit you're gonna miss if you stay mad at me.
You were mad at me.
Still am.
A little.
Mel,i can't stand it when things aren't right with us.
I don't like it when you treat me like i'm a child.
I don't.
Ok.
But look,are you gonna honestly tell me
that i shouldn't feel worried about what's happening here?
You're gonna tell me that you feel safe?
I have to do what i have to do.
And sometimes,that's not totally safe.
I mean, there's your job,
but i don't tell you that i can't let you do it.
I love you.
And when i think about losing you,i can't...
you have to love what i do.
He's getting ready to go somewhere.
I have to go.
Go where?
Do you trust me?
Yes.
i have to go.
Listen for the bells.
Watch for the dead ringers.
I need you to back off.
I don't wanna let that bastard out of my sight.
I can't connect with him with you in his face.
He can't focus.
I need to do this alone.
You will have your time to talk to him through me.
But not until i've talked to him first.
She's alive.
What are you doing here?
Please, can we just talk?
Todd,who is this?
She's a nosy neighbor from across the street.
But she knows.
What do you mean,she knows?
Knows what?
She says your grandfather is haunting me.
Lyle's the one who's been doing all of this.
My dead grandfather.
He's still here.
And he's attached to todd.
You don't know what it's been like.
She says that lyle thinks that i killed you.
And you believe her.
Your grandfather just wants to know what happened to you.
We have to tell him.
Don't say anything else, todd.
Just chill out!
Stacy,he's not gonna leave me alone.
This man is trying to kill me.
Your grandfather, he loves you...
he loves me.
Did he love me when he sent me to that place?
I can help you talk to him.
He searched for you. He was heartbroken.
You must be talking about some other lyle chase.
Look,i didn't want to talk to him when he was alive.
I sure as hell don't wanna talk to him now.
Stacy,please.
I'm not stacy anymore.
Look,my grandfather is dead.
And so's stacy.
Stace...
come on,stacy!
I met stacy my senior year.
She was one tough little girl.
Of course,every other guy tried to hit on her.
But not you.
I'll tell you the truth.
I always thought she was way outta my league.
Did she tell you why she decided to live with lyle?
Her mother was a drug addict
and they were practically living on the streets.
Her grandfather disowned her mother, you know,years before.
And when her mom oded,
the old man decided he would take stacy in.
He wasn't ready for her.
That's why he sent her away to boarding school.
Boarding school?
Is that what he called it?
Wasn't it?
It was...
it was a boot camp for kids.
The shelter harbor school for boys and girls.
It was the kind of place where parents would send their kids to break their spirit.
They come and get you in the middle of the night.
There was this one teacher who really loved his job.
Mr. Papaso.
Sadistic bastard,
and he wanted to break stacy in the worst way.
He'd play games with your head and beat you.
Thank you, mr. Papaso,sir!
One more,sir!
On the day she fought back,he...
told her she was going into the observation room.
We all knew that that room was run by papaso,
and it was just another guaranteed beating.
She knew she'd never make it through 3 more years there.
So she decided to run away.
I just don't want anybody to come looking for her.
So you helped her stage her own murder.
That was the last time i saw her.
That's when you became a suspect?
The suspect.
Didn't realize it would be such a big deal.
We were just stupid kids.
We didn't even know if faking your own murder was illegal.
Then they started questioning me and...
people were out searching and....
It just got way too big.
No goin' back.
Where did she go?
She's good at taking care of herself.
It's all she'd ever done since she was a kid.
You risked going to jail.
You... kept her secret all this time.
You really love her.
Doesn't matter.
You know,i really changed for both of us that night.
She had to become somebody else and me,i...
i haven't had a good night's sleep since.
I feel like i'm cursed.
My guts are churning all the time and...
the past 8 years,i haven't lived anywhere longer than 6 months
because of lyle the friendly ghost.
Maybe it's me who should be dead.
I want my life back.
He's lying!
He's not,lyle.
I saw her for myself.
She's alive and well.
I don't believe it.
I wanna see her.
He doesn't believe it.
I know what we did was wrong,all right?
We didn't know what else to do.
I mean,there was...
nobody there for her.
You weren't there for her.
Shelter harbor was the only place for her!
She was beaten,lyle.
There was a teacher there that singled her out.
She was abused.
I didn't know that.
He said he didn't know that.
That's bull.
You... you signed the papers,lyle.
You gave them permission.
All necessary measures.
Remember that?
And she tried to tell you, but you didn't care!
You're lying!
You're trying to make this all my fault!
You...
you are the one who killed her!
You...
you were the one who killed her!
Stop it!
Now,you stop it!
Stacy is alive and she chose to disappear because you wouldn't help her!
That is why you lost your granddaughter,all right?
Not because he took her.
I never wanted to hurt her.
Please...
you have to bring me to her.
I want to see her.
Stacy made it very clear she doesn't want to talk to you.
You have to bring me to her.
Please.
Do you know where she is?
She'll kill me.
You'll finally get your life back.
I don't understand.
Why would she come back here?
It's completely different now.
See, she saw this as a chance to help kids like her,
help make sure they'd feel safe here.
In a sense, she gives back.
Go on,you guys.
I'll meet you on the field.
She's all grown up.
You shouldn't have done this.
You promised never to come here.
Look,your grandfather is here,all right?
He knows everything that happened,
and he feels terrible.
But he can't...
what's the thing?
Cross over.
He can't cross over until he talks to you.
What are you doing, todd?
Tell her i have her locket.
Your grandfather's telling me that he...
has your locket,
the one that he gave you when you were 10.
You told her about that?
No,i didn't.
What's on the locket?
What?
What's engraved on the locket?
Patience.
He's here?
He can hear you.
You never gave me a chance... grandpa.
I just wanted to matter.
You tell her she did matter.
I thought i had to be tough with you
so you wouldn't end up like your mother.
He was afraid that you'd end up like your mom.
I wanted you to save her,grandpa!
sweetheart, i tried to save her.
I couldn't.
You don't know.
Stacy,people do things and make choices.
Sometimes they have to save themselves...
and sometimes they just can't.
But you did,stace.
You saved yourself.
I would take it all back if i could.
I would do anything.
But look at her.
She grew up strong and she's so beautiful.
She's the picture of her mother.
He wants you to know that he's sorry.
And he would take it all back if he could.
And he's so proud.
He's really proud of who you are
and he thinks you look just like your mother.
I'm so sorry,grandpa.
I should have told you that i was...
ok.
But i just...
i just didn't know what i was doing.
You tell her...
that i love her
and i didn't know how much until she was gone.
What do you see?
It's so bright.
I could touch it.
That means you're ready.
You can cross over.
It's my daughter...
waiting for me.
He sees your mother.
Mom?
She looks so happy.
Thank you.
He's gone.
what's this? You just got here.
Time to move on.
Why? Lyle's gone.
I got an interesting job offer.
Teaching computer to the kids at shelter harbor, so...
i'll have room and board...
and...
stacy?
stacy.
What about your secret?
We decided to confront it all and let the chips fall.
I'm really sorry about everything.
You were never a dull neighbor.
Good luck.
I can't thank you enough.
Seriously,for me, for stacy,
and...
and lyle.
Come here.
Ok.
maybe you should just keep doing what you're doing...
like you do it.
I can...
i can adapt.
I can do that.
I love you.
I love you,too.
I love this dog.
I love you!
How are we gonna get you to cross over?
No crossing the dog over.
I like the way he makes you smile.
Let's go home.
-All right. -Ok.