Death and Taxes

In a sleepy coastal town, the council meets to decide the fate of the crumbling Waukeena Lighthouse, a beloved landmark whose upkeep has become a financial nightmare. The mayor, the historical society’s president, and a zealous taxpayers’ league argue over heritage versus budget, while a proposal to sell the site to a salvage company looms. The debate feels ordinary—until the specter of Captain MacGreggor, the lighthouse’s long‑dead keeper, is invoked as a symbolic resident whose “rent” is about to be evicted.

Enter Jerry Masterson, a struggling artist with paint‑stained shirts and a penchant for odd encounters. While mulling over the council’s decision, he hears a voice from the night and finds the ghost of Captain Wully materializing, cigarette in hand, demanding a drink and a favor. Their witty, slightly eerie exchange hints at a partnership that could turn the town’s fiscal crisis into something far more supernatural—if Jerry’s skepticism can survive the ghost’s unconventional demands.