 
### Paranormal Revenge

### Copyright 2013 Mia Rodriguez

### Smashwords Edition

Thank you for downloading this free ebook. Although this is a free book, it remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy at Smashwords.com. where they can discover other works by the author. Thank you for your support.

### Dedication

To Aziz. Wherever you may be.

### Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

### Chapter 1

Couples fought.

Sometimes their words even drew blood and if they weren't careful, those ugly scratches could become scars. Annie Ryder especially hated arguing with her husband. He was every bit as stubborn as she was and fighting with him really took it out of her.

_When you were a kid and dreaming of your knight in shining armor,_ thought Annie, _no one ever told you that he had bad breath in the mornings and that his ideas wouldn't always be compatible to your own._

She took in thick, crisp air in her lungs. Stretching before her daily jog, her limbs tried to work out the tight knots in her body. Running cleared her foggy head and made the world a better place. Annie was at her favorite spot in Central Park, probably the only quiet spot in Manhattan, and she was basking in the energy of her favorite time of the morning—dawn.

_What was so bad about wanting to own your own home?_ wondered Annie. Why was he fighting her on it? He wanted to stay in their rent-controlled apartment, but she felt it was time to put down stronger roots. For heaven's sake—they were married and had a child. He had accused her of never listening to him, of never considering his feelings. But what about her sentiments? Was he considering hers? Even his own mother agreed with her about the house.

Yes, maybe she shouldn't have been looking at homes without him. Maybe they'd have to move out of Manhattan. Maybe they'd actually have to make a huge financial commitment. So what? Didn't they have a whole lifetime ahead of them and needed to make these kinds of choices?

CLUNK!

The excruciating pain that struck from the back of her head was the last thing she felt before blacking out.

### Chapter 2

_Groggy—groggy. Ouch! Sharp pain. Throbbing head. Open the eyes—can't. What happened? . . . Got hit on head . . .Where am I? . . . Darkness . . . Sounds of traffic . ._ _._ _Open eyes—_ _open them!_ _. . . Force yourself!_

Annie's eyes fluttered open after several attempts, her head in a violent and anguished spin. But her woken state didn't last long because the chilling last words she thought before plunging into deep unconsciousness again were, _I'm tied up . . . I'm in the trunk of a car . . . Someone has abducted me!_

"Wake up, sleepy head," a voice above her said, a teasing quality to it.

"I . . . I . . ." Annie mumbled, trying to unglue her eyelids and ignore the pulsating agony coming from her head.

"Wake up, my lazy one," the man's voice said with quiet tones. "We're home."

Slowly, she managed to get her eyes open, moaning profoundly. The world was a blur until her sight started to focus. She wasn't in a trunk anymore.

"Ahhh!" Annie screamed. The voice that sounded almost kind belonged to a man in a black ski mask, his sharp blue eyes attentively on her.

"Ahhh!" Her voice turned to a screech as she desperately struggled to free herself from her constraints, a taut rope around her legs and stiff handcuffs on her wrists.

"Help! Please help me!" she pleaded for someone to hear her outside the home office they seemed to be in.

He eyed her nonchalantly. "Scream all you want. My nearest neighbor is very far away."

She kept yelling and struggling as much as she could as incapacitated as she was. He quietly stared at her with boredom until she eventually stopped. Her desperate sobs muffled down.

"Did you get it all out?" he asked. "Do you feel better?" He put his hand on her shoulder, and she violently shrugged it off. "What was that for?!" his voice pierced the air, angry and hurt.

"Let me go! Let me go!" she begged desperately.

"Everything is going to be okay," he said soothingly.

"Let me go! Let me—"

"Maybe I should put you back in the trunk until you calm down."

She stared at him with horror. Ever since she had been a small child, she had been terrified of small spaces. Claustrophobia. She quieted down and slumped in a heap.

"That's better. . . So, what's your name?" he asked.

She glared at him, her eyes large and round.

"I don't like menacing you, my dear, I really don't, but if you don't play nice, I'll be forced to put you back in the—"

"Annie," she blurted reluctantly, her voice shaky.

He sat her up, his hands stinging her. "That's a pretty name. An old fashioned name." He looked at her as if expecting something.

"Aren't you going to ask me _my_ name?" he continued. "That would be the polite thing to do."

Annie stared at him with disbelief. He eyed her as if he was about to menace her again, the blueness in his eyes contrasting sharply with his ominous black ski mask.

"What's . . . What's your name?" she stammered.

"Well, I can't give you my name for obvious reasons but you can call me _Friend_."

"What are you going to do to me?"

"Don't worry, Annie. If you do what I ask you to, everything will be okay."

As his hands gently stood her up, she winced at his touch. Then he sat her on a sofa next to his desk. His study seemed like an ordinary, run-of-the-mill, home office except for one thing. Annie stared at an ominous scarlet door with a shovel next to it. He followed her gaze and smiled. He strode to the other door leading to the rest of the house, locked it, and put the key in his pocket.

"Are you married, Annie?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Happily married?

"Yes."

"People just don't understand what it takes to make a marriage work.

Communication and compromise are the keys, wouldn't you say?

"I suppose so."

"Take me and my wife. I stick by her even when my parents don't like her.

We've been together for eleven years. That's a lot of time, don't you think?

"I guess."

"My wife is a blonde, but I've always preferred red heads. You've got such beautiful hair, all curly and everything. And your eyes—what color are they? I can't tell with all those tears in the way."

"Green."

He nodded. "They're green all right but with yellow specks in them. I bet you broke a lot of hearts in high school."

"Please let me go! Please!"

"Annie, you don't have to be afraid. We're going to have some fun. Just a little fun."

"Please let me—"

"I'll tell you what I'm going to do so I show you I'm acting in good faith. I'm going to take the handcuffs off and undo the rope from your legs. Would you like that?"

Annie nodded wearily.

"What did you say? I couldn't hear you."

"Yes."

"Did I hear a please.'

"Please take the cuffs and rope off."

"I'll be happy to."

As he removed the constraints, Annie fiercely pushed him away. _Friend_ did nothing to fight back. With all the strength that remained inside of her, she rushed to the scarlet door. _Friend_ sat on the sofa with a smile. His calm and amused gaze sat lightly on her.

"You can't escape, Annie," he murmured with a chuckle in his voice.

Realizing the door was locked, she ferociously grabbed the shovel. He stood up, grinning as she tried to land the shovel on him with furious blows. He jumped out of the way as if it was a child's game.

"You're a fighter, aren't you?" he asked as he overpowered her, seizing the shovel.

"Annie . . . Annie, come to me."

She rushed to the window, her breathing hard and labored. _Friend_ stayed close behind her. Throwing her to the ground, he caressed and kissed her neck as she desperately struggled to escape.

"Stop! Stop! Let me go!!" Annie cried.

"We're just having a little fun."

"Stop!"

_Friend_ ran his hands over her arms to her hands. Suddenly noticing something, he stopped.

"Didn't you say you were married?" he asked frantically. "Why aren't you wearing a ring?"

"Let me go! Let me—"

He shook her. "Answer me! Where's your ring?"

"At the jewelers getting fixed," she said, terrified.

"Darned!" he exclaimed furiously.

He suddenly noticed her silver hoop earrings. In a fast swoop, he tore one out of her ear, leaving globules of red trailing out. He placed the earring on her finger as Annie tried to catch her breath.

"Now you've got a ring," he stated.

He unzipped himself.

"Get off of me, you pig!" she exclaimed, struggling violently. "Get off of me!"

"Stop it!"

"Get off of me!"

He angrily smacked her. "If you keep screaming, I'm going to have to shut you up permanently. You do want to stay alive, don't you?"

She stopped screaming and sobbed.

Annie never realized when it had become the next day. One excruciatingly painful moment was the same as the next. She stared heavily at the scarlet door, a zombie in a human body. Not being able to feel the physical bruises her body was covered with or even the handcuffs he had put back on during the night.

_Friend_ glanced at his Rolex watch. "It's about time to leave." He still wore his black ski mask—not having taken it off the whole night and even though it was ominous, Annie was relieved. Surely it was a good sign that he didn't want her to see his face. "Time to go."

Annie nodded from the ground. "Okay."

He grabbed a champagne bottle. "Let me give you something to calm your nerves."

"No, I don't—"

"You will drink this." After opening the bottle, he poured the alcohol into a wine glass and set it on the desk next to her. She winced as he stood her up.

"I don't—"

"Stop arguing with me. This will make you feel better. Just one glass, okay?"

"Okay."

When she finished it, he shoved her back to the floor.

"What are you doing?" she asked frantically. He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Aren't you going to take me to your car?" she asked with desperation.

"No."

"What?"

"I can't let you go, Annie," he stated.

"But you promised," she blurted with anguish. "You said—"

"I know what I said."

"Please don't kill me," she pleaded, sobbing.

"Stop begging," he demanded, disgusted.

"Please don't kill me. Please."

"Have some dignity for heaven's sake."

"I'll do anything you ask, but please don't kill me."

"Give me a good reason why I shouldn't," he stated.

"I'm not asking for myself. I've got a little girl with Down syndrome, and she needs her mother. Please, please let me go back to her. I promise I won't tell anybody about this. I don't know who you are. You haven't taken off the ski mask."

"Annie, I can't let you go," he stated.

"But my little girl. But—"

"Down syndrome? So what? Give me a break. My little girl has a heart defect, and you don't hear me whining, do you?

"So you should know what it means to want to care for your child."

"Shut up!"

"Please, please don't kill me," Annie cried. "I'll do anything if you let me go back to my little girl. Don't do this. Don't. Please!"

"I said shut up!" he pulled his hand up as if he was going to smack her. When she quieted her cries, he put it down.

"While this weekend has been a pleasure," _Friend_ stated, "I have to be getting home. "

Annie pummeled him from the ground. Managing to grab a paperweight from the nearby desk, even while being shackled with handcuffs, she abruptly hit him on his privates. He doubled over in agonizing pain. As she was about to pound him on the head, he tackled her. Angrily climbing on top of her, his gnarled fingers encircled her throat and started squeezing slowly.

"I hate doing this, Annie. I really do but it's the only way I know you won't talk."

Annie's fiery green eyes with flashes of yellow igniting with hatred suddenly locked into his. It was nothing but a game to him—the ski mask he wouldn't take off, his baiting her, his explanations. Her life was his _game._ "This isn't over," she hissed.

"What?"

"This isn't over," she repeated venomously, "You haven't heard the last of me. See. You. Later."

"Don't take this so hard," he said, swallowing with difficulty.

" _I'll COME FOR YOU_."

"You can't! You can't come back," he insisted nervously as his fingers thrust into her skin. Squeezing her neck with obsessive determination, he wouldn't let her go for a long, long moment.

Her harsh, stony glare bore into him, never leaving him even when she took her last breath.

Two ice-cold eyes. Unwavering. Still. Accusing.

He frantically tried shutting them, but they wouldn't close. Abruptly grabbing her vacant body, he strode to the scarlet door. As he stepped over the threshold, he grabbed the shovel. A fierce wind pushed past him, abruptly knocking him down. Curtains violently shifted. Furniture collided with the walls. Decorations crashed to the ground. But just as soon as the wind had come, it was gone. The air grew still again. Many minutes passed until he managed to stand up and continue with his plan of action.

When he stepped into the chaos in his study again, filthy and dirty, he poured himself the last of the champagne into the glass Annie had drunk out of. Fondling the earring/ring, he told himself that the wind had been a coincidence. People didn't come back from the dead. As he was about to take a drink, the phone rang, startling him so much that he dropped the glass, breaking it. The last of the liquor seeped into the carpet.

"Darned!" He angrily snatched the phone. "Hello!"

"Are you happy with your internet service?" a voice asked.

He furiously slammed down the phone.

### Chapter 3

Many years ago, Antonio Salas loved his job. He loved the mystery of it, the intricate details it took to do it well, and the surge of ecstasy when everything came together. Now, at forty-five, he was starting to think he should look for another career. He took a swig of milk and tried hard to concentrate on what the man in front of him was saying.

"I don't care about the cost, Antonio. I need this done as soon as possible," asserted Mitchell, a short, balding man with small, round eyes.

"You sure she's having an affair?"

"Yes, she's screwing him all right, making a damn fool out of me. I need proof. I need pictures. That's where you come in, Mr. Detective Extraordinaire."

"You're going to divorce her I imagine."

"And that bitch is getting as little of my money as possible," Mitchell said furiously. "When you're rich, you're plum for the taking, but I'm not going to let her take me."

"Didn't you have a pre-nup?"

"How stupid was I? I was madly in love, so I didn't get a prenuptial agreement done."

Antonio shook his head. "Love will do it to you every time."

"You aren't kidding about that. I'll never fall into that trap again. In fact, the woman I'm seeing now doesn't know how much money I have."

"The woman you're seeing now?"

"She's pretty dim, fortunately."

"How long have you've been _seeing_ this woman?" Antonio asked.

"About a year."

"How long has your wife been having an affair?"

"A few months," Mitchell said nonchalantly.

"Let me get this straight, you're cheating on your wife? And you've been cheating on her longer than she has on you?"

"What's your point?"

"I can't stand my job anymore! I've had enough of people like you!"

"What do you mean?" asked a shocked Mitchell.

"Get out of my office!"

"Hey, I'm paying you plenty to do a job. What's wrong with you? What's your prob--"

"What's wrong with _me_? I'm so sick of your kind—no class, no integrity, no responsibility for yourselves. You're nothing but specs of crap. Human garbage!"

"Don't you be calling me human garbage!"

"Did I offend you?" Antonio asked sarcastically. "I'm so sorry. You're not human garbage. You'd have to be a step above scum to qualify as human garbage. You'd have to be a step above a cockroach to be human garbage."

"What's your problem?"

Antonio opened his coat to show a holster with a gun. "Get out! Get out before I shoot you!"

"You're crazy!"

Mitchell rushed out the door. Running into a man, he almost knocked the stranger down..

"Hey, pal," Mitchell told him. "Do yourself a favor and find yourself another detective. This one is one hundred percent certifiable."

Mitchell rushed away, but the man kept heading into Salas Detective Agency.

"Didn't you hear that guy?" asked Antonio. "I'm certifiable."

"I need your help!" he pleaded desperately.

"I'm closed for the day," Antonio said, putting on his overcoat.

"I'm not leaving until you hear me out."

Antonio opened his coat, showing his gun. "My friend here thinks otherwise."

"You're not going to shoot me, Mr. Salas."

"I don't need to shoot you to make you leave."

"My wife is missing!"

"How do you know she didn't run away with some lover?" Antonio asked sarcastically.

"There is no way she would've done something like that."

"In my business I've learned that people are capable of doing all kinds of things their spouses would've never dreamed they'd do."

"There's no way she'd leave me for anyone else."

"So you think."

Lucas took a picture from his wallet and showed it to Antonio. "This is Annie with our daughter. Cindy has Down syndrome and Annie is devoted to her. There's no way she'd leave her."

Antonio stared hard at the picture. "Maybe Annie was tired of taking care of her."

"Would you give up on someone you cared about?"

"But—"

"Annie wouldn't leave her," he declared, his voice certain.

"You're sure about your wife?" Antonio asked, still eyeing the picture.

"Yes."

"Absolutely positive?"

"Yes, of course."

Antonio let out a long breath. "Okay, sit down. Tell me everything

### Chapter 4

Antonio almost skipped the luncheon with him having taken on a new case in the morning but at the last minute, he decided to attend. The Law Enforcement Luncheon For Charity, benefiting children with disabilities, was a good cause. Also, it was an opportunity to mingle with the police who came in handy when he was working on a case.

As soon as he arrived, he immediately regretted his decision to attend. He was seated next to Officer Bob Laramie who despised private detectives and hated Antonio in particular.

"Look who's here," sneered Bob.

"Yeah, look at what the cat dragged in," Antonio retorted.

If Antonio left now, Laramie would know he had gotten the best of him so Antonio stayed put, trying to make the best of a bad situation.

"Any new cases lately?" Laramie asked. "Cases you can mess up for the police department?"

"Do you have any new cases I have to solve for you?"

Laramie's face squeezed into an angry knot. "You haven't solved anything for me ever, Salas. You got it?"

"What about the Tyler case?"

"You lucked out. Pure stupid luck!"

"Yeah, right!" Antonio snorted sarcastically.

"It was luck whether you want to admit it or not!."

"You were on that case for six months and I solved it in one."

"You—"

"Come on, guys," pleaded Officer Morales.

"Let's act like adults," said Officer Morales' wife.

"I can't help it if he's an idiot," sneered Laramie, trying to get another rise out of Antonio, but Antonio wasn't paying attention. Antonio's eyes were fixed on a woman coming in the door. Being a mature adult, he had subjugated his base animal instincts a long time ago but one look at this woman and all his hard work went out the window.

She was absolutely gorgeous.

From her long, dark, shiny locks, to her almond shaped ebony eyes, to her rich tawny skin tone, to her luscious Angelina Jolie lips and then there was her body. What a body. Women weren't built like that anymore.

In Antonio's younger years, he had had posters of voluptuous women like Raquel Welch, Sofia Loren Marilyn Monroe, and the Mexican actress Veronica Castro on his walls. He like curves then and he liked them now. The fashion industry could keep their emaciated boyish looking models, and he would keep his preference for round hips, small waists and what he called the _Wow_ factor.

One thing he noticed about most women today was that many were insecure about the way they looked. Even when they were skinny, they still were self conscious that they weren't skinny enough. They walked around apologizing for who they were but Elva carried herself with no such insecurities. She seemed fully comfortable with herself and the image she projected.

"Here comes my woman—Elva," announced Bob, standing up. "She's beautiful, right, Salas?"

"Yes," mumbled Antonio as Laramie went to meet Elva.

"Don't let Laramie bug you," stated Officer Morales.

"He's quite a piece of work," proclaimed Antonio, grimacing.

"No one at the precinct likes him, including his own partner," Officer Morales grumbled.

"I wonder why?" Antonio asked sarcastically as he saw Bob hugging the lovely Elva. Jealous nips sprang up inside him.

"Hi, Elva," greeted Laramie.

"Officer Laramie," Elva Ortega said, taken aback by his bear hug.

She had only met this man once at the courthouse. Being a paralegal, she had had to file some paperwork. Officer Morales had also been there filing a report and had struck up a conversation with her.

"It's so great to see you again, Elva. By coincidence, you're seated at my table, over there," he said pointing. Earlier, he had switched the name plates on the tables when he had seen her name. Unfortunately, he hadn't seen Antonio's name or he would've changed it out.

"Who's that?" Elva asked, looking straight over to Antonio.

Bob's eyebrows snapped together. "That's private detective Antonio Salas—a real idiot."

"Why do you say that?" Elva asked, trying to mask the disappointed in her voice.

"Last year, we were on the trail of a missing child. He was hired on by the family and he asked them not to cooperate with us. By the time the family wizened up to his incompetence, six months had gone by. I found the kid within the month of her parents giving me more information."

"How's the child?" Elva asked anxiously.

"Kimmy is great. A half crazed cousin had her, thinking Kimmy was her child."

Elva sighed in relief. "So Kimmy was not harmed?"

"The cousin actually took good care of her, but the parents almost went crazy. I just can't believe what he put that poor couple through. I'm just glad I was able to help."

"No thanks to him," Elva said, eyeing Antonio angrily.

"Some people are very selfish."

"To say the least."

They headed towards the table where Bob introduced Elva to the Morales couple and Antonio. Unfortunately for her, the only seat left was in between Bob and Antonio. After a few words from the keynote speaker about the importance of taking care of disabled children, Cordon Bleu chicken was served.

Antonio couldn't keep his eyes from frequently going to Elva. He memorized the curve of her cheek, her subtle sweet scent, and her glowing tawny skin. But one thing was clear, he kept telling himself. This woman didn't like him at all. Whenever she caught him looking at her, she'd glare back and avoid talking to him. For some reason, this really bothered him, but he tried to shake it off.

What can I expect from a woman going out with a rat like Laramie?

### Chapter 5

"Good afternoon, Mr. Barrett," said Elva as her boss, Ted Barrett, stepped into the law office. Elva was his paralegal and administrative assistant. Her desk sat in the waiting area, in front of the door.

"Good afternoon, Elva. How did the luncheon go?"

"Good."

"I can't thank you enough for going by yourself. I was in court all morning."

"I was happy to go to this fundraiser," Elva assured. "Helping children with disabilities is an important cause."

"How was your weekend, Elva?"

"Fine, and yours?"

"Excellent," he said. "Is my itinerary ready for today?"

"Yes, it's on your desk."

As Ted went into his office, Elva placed her concentration back on her paperwork. After the weekend, there was much to get done. She was soon immersed in legal jargon. When the door to the outside swung open, she automatically put on her welcome smile.

"Hi there."

Elva's smile abruptly left her face. "Good afternoon," she said with a tight voice.

"You're looking as beautiful as always," Carl Lohman cooed as his eyes landed on her chest and didn't budge.

"Are you here to see Mr. Barrett?"

"What if I told you I was here to see you?"

Elva looked at him as if saying, 'give me a break.' "Do you need to see Mr. Barrett or not?"

"Okay, okay, I do but don't be like that."

"I'm a professional, Mr. Lohman. Please don't come into my place of work and start flirting with me."

"Then put me out of my misery and go out with me."

"I already told you that I'm not interested."

"But—"

"Not interested."

"Elva—"

"Mr. Barrett," she said, pressing the intercom button on her telephone. "Mr. Lohman is here to see you."

"Send him in," said Ted.

"You can go in," stated Elva, dismissing Carl.

Carl grinned. "I'll see you when I finish talking to Ted."

Elva took a deep breath once the door to Mr. Barrett's office closed behind Carl. There was something about that man that made her skin crawl and it wasn't just his lasciviousness. She shook herself as if trying to shake away the revulsion that had suddenly come upon her.

As Elva set her eyes and concentration back on the computer screen, she heard a shifting noise. Quickly turning to it, she witnessed the waiting room movie magazines falling one at a time to the ground from the table they sat on.

_What the heck?!_ she said to herself as the last one fell to the ground. But she quickly reasoned that Carl must've dislodged them when he had passed by the table. Elva sighed as she picked up the magazines and put them in their proper place. Jordana Moore, the biggest starlet at the moment, stared at her from a shiny magazine cover.

Getting back to work, Elva heard the door to the outside open again. This time it was Maxwell Griffith.

"Good morning," he said, his voice suave and elegant as his person. The opaque Italian suit he wore fitted perfectly and his arm in a sling did little to mar the effect.

"Good morning," Elva greeted back.

"How are you, Elva?"

"I'm well, Mr. Griffith. Mr. Lohman is already in Mr. Barrett's office. I'll announce you," she said as she pressed the intercom button on her phone. "Mr. Barrett, Mr. Griffith is already here."

"Thank you, Elva," he said, stepping in to Ted's office.

Her eyes turned back to the computer screen, and she got back to work. An hour later, feeling satisfied with her progress, she started logging off but the computer wouldn't allow it. _What's wrong now?_ she asked herself with frustration.

The screen started flashing on and off.

What the heck?!!!

The door to Ted's office opened and just as suddenly as they had started, the flashing stopped.

Carl stepped out and to Elva's relief, Maxwell and Ted were behind him.

"I'll make sure and call you if I need either of you for anything," Ted told Carl and Maxwell as he walked them to the door.

"That'll do," Carl said, his eyes landing on Elva's chest again. "Hopefully, I'll see _you_ soon."

Ted frowned deeply. "Carl, stop making a nuisance of yourself with my paralegal."

"Yes, Carl, stop bothering Elva," stated Maxwell.

"I just tell her how beautiful she is. How's that bad?"

"Carl," Ted said sternly. "I don't need any sexual harassment lawsuits, okay?"

"But—"

"Stop harassing my employee. I'm warning you, Carl."

"Okay, I'll stop the compliments," he mumbled. "But I still don't see what's wrong with nice words."

Ted shook his head. "You're hopeless, Carl, now get out of my office so I can get some work done."

"Bye Ted, Bye Elva," he said, starting to step towards the door. Suddenly tripping, he fell back on Maxwell who in turn stumbled on Ted. The three crashed to the floor.

"For goodness sake, Carl!" yelled Ted.

"You could've re-injured my arm," Maxwell retorted.

"I don't know how I tripped," said a disoriented Carl. "I really don't."

Ted got to his feet and helped Maxwell to his. Carl stumbled up.

"You're clumsy, Carl. That's it," said Ted, aggravated.

"I could've sworn someone pushed me," Carl explained, his face drained of color.

"What are you talking about?" asked Ted, his voice devoid of all patience.

"Yes, what are you talking about?" Maxwell retorted.

"I felt someone push me," Carl insisted.

"So now you think I pushed you?" Maxwell asked angrily.

"No . . . no," mumbled Carl, "But someone did."

"Did I push you from behind Maxwell or was it Elva from all the way over there?" Ted asked sarcastically, pointing at her desk.

"No, of course not."

"Carl, go home and get some rest," stated Ted.

"But—"

"Go home, Carl."

"Okay, bye," he mumbled as he carefully stepped out the door.

"Goodbye, Ted, Elva," Maxwell said, also leaving.

"I'm sorry, Elva. I apologize for Carl," stated Ted. "Unfortunately, he's a key witness in my case."

"He makes me very uneasy, Mr. Barrett."

"Don't worry about him. He's harmless."

"I wouldn't say that."

"He's the guy who never got the girl in high school, so now he's obsessed with every pretty face. I think he fell down to get your attention."

"He's a weird one—that one."

Ted chuckled darkly. "Yes, I can't deny he's weird."

### Chapter 6

Antonio checked his watch for the third time and it was still too early. _What a day,_ he said to himself. So far, he had had to deal with a cheating jerk, a grieving husband, and an uncomfortable luncheon. Now, he had to meet a woman for a bind date.

Why had he ever agreed to one? Because, he reasoned, his cousin wouldn't take no for an answer. Jaime was always accusing him of being anti-social. Call it a byproduct of his job to distrust most people. Antonio had been cornered and had tried everything possible to get out of it.

"I don't do blind dates," he had told Jaime. "I don't like being in the dark about what I'm getting into."

"It's not exactly a blind date, Tony," Jaime stated.

"No, it isn't," insisted Leslie, Jaime's wife.

"Then what would you call it?"

"Tony," Jaime said exasperated. "You know of her so it's not a blind date."

"Honestly, Tony, most men would give their right arm to go out with Jordana Moore. Why are you fighting us on this?"

"Why do you keep trying to set me up?"

"We want you to find the happiness Leslie and I have found."

"Not everyone is meant for coupledom," groaned Antonio. "You should see some of the characters I get in my office."

"Tony, just go out with Jordana Moore as a favor to me," implored Leslie.

"I don't—"

"It's time to stop letting your job affect your personal life."

"I'm just not sure I want to go out with a movie star," Antonio stated, rolling his eyes.

"Why not?" asked Leslie, a slight annoyance in her tone.

"Fame can make people weird."

Jaime shook his head. "Tony, you're just making excuses—stupid ones at that. You just don't know how lucky you are that Leslie is Jordana Moore's new publicist."

"And that she's here in New York in a Broadway show."

"How old is she? She looks like a kid—early twenties?" Antonio asked grimacing.

"No, she's not in her early twenties. She's twenty-six-years-old," Leslie said matter-of-factly.

"What a relief that is," Antonio grunted sarcastically.

"I can't believe you're complaining about her age," Jaime mumbled.

"I'm not a child molester. Do you know that about me?"

"Child molester?" said Jaime with disbelief. "Stop exaggerating."

"Look at it this way," Leslie asserted, "Hugh Hefner has much, much younger women. Compared to him, you're only a few years older than Jordana."

"I'm not Hugh Hefner, okay? Young women don't hold any interest for me."

"They don't?" asked Leslie, not believing him.

"No," Antonio stated firmly. "I like someone who's been around the block. Someone I can actually hold a conversation with. Someone with maturity."

"You've got to at least give Jordana Moore a chance," stated Jaime. "She could turn out to be all those things and _more_ —Moore, get it?"

Antonio rolled his eyes. "Very cute."

"Besides, Tony, think about how beautiful she is. She used to be a fashion model."

"She's too skinny."

"What?" Leslie exclaimed.

"She's too skinny."

"There's no such thing," Leslie rushed to say.

Antonio shook his head. "Yes there is and she's it."

"She's got the perfect body—the envy of everyone including me," Leslie proclaimed.

"I'm sorry, Leslie, but she's not what I would call attractive. Her bones stick out all over the place."

"That's crazy,' Leslie announced. "You're crazy."

"You women who think that all men get off on walking lollipops are the ones who are crazy. Anorexia isn't particularly attractive to me."

"Enough with the excuses, Tony. You're going out with Jordana Moore and that is that," demanded Jaime.

"How are you going to force me?" Antonio asked, amused.

Jaime eyed him firmly. "Okay, keep living on the past with Diana, why don't you?"

"Yes, never get out of your misery," stated Leslie.

"I'm not miserable!" Antonio snapped defensively.

Jaime shook his head. "You're going on that date even if I have to go to your house and push you out the door myself."

"But—"

"You're going!"

_What can it hurt?_ Had he really said that? Antonio had arrived early at the exclusive restaurant hoping he could get this thing going and finish early—get it over with but she hadn't shown up yet. He toyed with the idea of leaving but never in his life had he stood up a woman and he hated the idea of being a flake. He had said he'd be there and it was as good as giving his word. That was that.

As he checked his watch for the fourth time, he heard a lull in the restaurant. When he looked up, he saw Jordana Moore gliding through the restaurant with a tight white dress he guessed came from a designer label. Murmurs started buzzing in the air.

"That's Jordana Moore," could be heard from all sides in whispers.

Antonio stood up as he saw the waiter taking her to him. She grinned, showing off the toothy smile from her toothpaste commercial. Her long platinum hair bounced off her shoulders and silver high heels put her almost to his height.

"Antonio Salas?" she asked when she reach him, putting her hand on his arm.

"Yes."

She enveloped him with her arms and kissed his cheek. "It's so nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," he said, gulping.

She was skinnier than on the screen, not looking at all like that beauty, Elva. He hated all the attention, but he was stuck. _May as well make the best of it._ After they ordered, she a Caesar's salad and he a New York steak medium well, she turned to him, giving him all her dazzle.

"So Tony, you're a detective?"

"Yes, I am."

"How interesting. I played one once."

"You did?" he asked, trying to sound interested.

"In _Detective Secrets._ "

"Oh."

"You saw it, right?"

Antonio shook his head. "No, I'm afraid I didn't. Sorry."

"You didn't?" she asked, disconcerted. "It was a smash hit at the box office and I costarred with Shia LaBeouf."

"Who?"

"Shia LaBeouf," she said, emphasizing each syllable.

Antonio shrugged his shoulders. "I don't—"

" _Transformers_ ," she said, exasperated.

Antonio nodded with acknowledgement. "Great movie. So Shea Laboofa was the kid with the robots?"

Jordana looked at him as if he was hopeless. "In _Detective Secrets_ , Shia played a character who was haunted by a ghost. My character was the detective investigating it."

"Ghosts?" Antonio asked, guffawing.

"I take it you don't believe in ghosts."

Antonio chuckled. "Nope."

"I do."

"You do?"

"I was filming in a castle once and scary stuff kept happening like things that were moved around and weird noises and—"

"It can all be explained."

"I don't know about that."

"Tell me about yourself Jordana," he said, changing the subject.

It was the question that took over the whole evening. Jordana Moore told Antonio of when she was Sally Tippits from Indio, California dreaming against all odds of becoming a movie star. She was driven to show her father, who abandoned her when she was a child, that she was special. After several plastic surgeries, a fifty pound weight loss, and platinum blonde dye, she recreated herself, becoming a high fashion model before going into acting. It had happened so fast that she had barely been able to catch her breath.

"What do you think?" she asked when she had finished her non-stop story.

Antonio was struck speechless, not understanding how she could've told him so many intimacies on their first meeting. Wasn't she afraid he'd sell them to a tabloid? Then again, Leslie had told him that Jordana Moore had hired her to spruce up her image since so much was in the rags about her. _Everything she told me is probably already out there, he thought. How sad to be so open to scrutiny with . . . well . . . everybody._

"What do you think of me?" she asked anxiously.

"You've lived quite a life."

"It's scary, you know?"

"What is?"

"Being so famous."

At the end of the evening, outside the restaurant, she gave him a huge hug. He smiled awkwardly at her after being the first one to disengage. Before getting into her limousine, she handed him a piece of paper.

"That's my private number," she gushed.

"Thank you." It was all he could say.

She put her lips close to his but he kissed her cheek instead.

"Call me," she said, slipping into her limousine.

He waited until the limo was out of sight, tore the paper and threw it in the nearest trash can.

"She's just a kid," he said to himself. His mind went to Elva and he scolded himself for not being able to get her out of his mind.

### Chapter 7

Elva had to force her mouth to say, "Who's there?" She had been fully concentrated on her work when a frozen chill inched itself up her spine and from a corner of her eye, a shadow appeared. When she abruptly turned to look, it was gone.

She let out a long, frustrated breath. This weird stuff had a habit of following her from as far back as when she was a child. It was as if she was a magnet for the supernatural. She just had to do what she had always done and ignore, ignore, ignore whatever strangeness came her way.

With relief she realized she had to leave the office to run some errands for Mr. Barrett.

_Don't think about any apparitions. Don't pay attention to them, and they'll stop paying attention to you,_ she ordered herself as she stepped out the door.

Elva arrived at the courthouse praying that Bob Laramie wouldn't be there. She had finally gotten him off her back about going out with him by telling him it would be a conflict of interest since he was investigating one of the cases that Ted Barrett was representing.

It seemed to her that Bob Laramie was only one step from being as bad as Carl Lohman. Besides, after her divorce six months ago, she still didn't feel ready to trust again.

Elva breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't see Bob Laramie anywhere in sight. As soon as the elevator opened, she stepped on.

"Please hold it," Elva heard a male voice call out and she pressed the button to keep the sliding doors open.

"Thanks," he said, stepping on.

Her eyes widened when she realized it was Antonio Salas. Looking as handsome as ever, Elva tried pushing her eyes away from him. No success.

"Hi," he said, his voice sounding jittery. "The name's Elva, right?"

"Yes," she said dryly.

He might've been gorgeous—tall and dark but he had stood between a child and her family. He had put a child in harm's way to assuage his ego. An awkward silence ensued until the elevator stopped on her floor. Thankfully, he didn't make a move towards the doors.

"Good-bye," she mumbled.

"Bye," he muttered back.

"Hi, Mom," Elva greeted over the phone. She had just arrived at her apartment from work when the phone rang.

"How are you doing, Elvita?"

Elva frowned. Her mama only called her Elvita when she was concerned about her. How old did Elva have to be in order for her Mama to stop treating her like a kid?

"I'm great. How's everything in El Paso?"

"Fine."

"How's dad?"

"Very good even though his back is acting up a bit," informed Mrs. Ortega.

"He needs to stop overworking himself."

"You know your dad."

"He's such a workaholic."

"Elvita . . ." Mrs. Ortega said with hesitation.

"What's up, mom?"

"I've been getting these bad feelings."

"Bad feelings?"

"Yes, Elvita. I'm worried about you."

"Mom, please don't worry. I'm doing great. Really I am."

"Something strange is going on around you. It's knocking at your door."

"Mom, let's not get into that psychic stuff."

"It's your legacy, Elva. You might as well accept it."

"Mom, nothing out of the ordinary is happening to me."

"No?" Mrs. Ortega asked suspiciously.

"No."

"It is. You just don't see it yet."

"Mom, I'm fine. Really I am."

"Okay, Elvita but take care of yourself."

"I'll take care of myself."

"Promise?"

"Yes, Mom, promise."

Hanging up the phone, Elva shook her head disconcertedly. How did her mother know when things were _funny_? How?

### Chapter 8

Antonio took a big gulp from a glass full of milk. It was the only beverage that calmed his upset stomach. He was positive he was only a few steps away from an ulcer. He looked at the four walls of his detective agency and said forlornly to himself, _This is my life-- dealing with the worse of the worse. Maybe becoming a hermit wouldn't be a bad choice._

When the front door opened and Lucas Ryder stepped in, Antonio shook his head.

"You really had me going, didn't you?" Antonio snapped.

"Excuse me?"

"You killed your wife, Lucas."

"What?"

"You heard me. Where did you put her body?"

"What are you talking about?!" Lucas exclaimed.

"Officer Morales said he found your wife's blood in the kitchen."

"She accidentally cut herself when she was slicing bananas for Cindy's cereal."

"Your neighbors heard you fighting the night before," Antonio said.

"Couples fight. That doesn't mean they don't love each other."

"It was a loud fight."

"Look, they already interrogated me at the police station. I've even taken a polygraph and passed."

"That doesn't mean much."

"I did _not_ kill my wife. They haven't charged me with anything because I haven't done anything," Lucas proclaimed angrily.

"They haven't charged you because they don't have a body."

"Why would I hire you if I killed her?" Lucas asked.

"So that it looks like you're looking for your beloved wife."

"Fine! If you won't help me, I'll get someone else to find her killer!"

"Her killer?" Antonio asked suspiciously. "If you didn't kill her then how do you know she's dead? When you came in the other day, you wanted me to look for a missing person."

"She's gone," Lucas said desperately, his eyes brimming with tears.

"She is, is she now? If you didn't do it, then how do you know that?"

"Do you believe in the supernatural, Antonio?"

"Yes, and I believe in Santa Claus and fairies too."

"Annie told me," Lucas said, choking.

"What?"

"You've never completely loved somebody?" stammered Lucas.

"We're not talking about me," Antonio snapped.

"Have you ever felt someone else's feelings deep inside of you?" Lucas asked, tears gushing out. "Their joys, excitement, boredom, love, hate, and pain."

"Let me get this clear. You're telling me you know your wife is dead because of a feeling?"

"At first it was only a feeling," he said, wiping his face with his sleeve. "Then last night Annie spoke to me in my dreams."

"In your dreams?" Antonio retorted.

"Yes."

"Did she tell you who killed her?" Antonio asked sarcastically.

"No."

"Then it wasn't much of a dream, was it? You need to leave my office."

"Please take my case, Antonio," Lucas begged.

"I'll tell you what; I'll take it if she comes to me but in real life, not in any stupid dreams."

### Chapter 9

" _Be careful_."

Elva woke up with her mother's words shouting in her ears. In her dream, they were said over and over again but the odd part was not really the words as much as who said them. It had definitely been her mother's voice but _not_ her mother's form.

Why am I dreaming of a red-haired woman with my mother's voice?

### Chapter 10

Antonio puttered around his apartment, trying to find something to do. It was afternoon, and he felt restless but not enough to go to his office. Lately, he dreaded it so much that he often didn't show up at all. He turned on the radio and the disc jockey announced that the next song would be _Annie's Song_. He clicked it off as the John Denver song started playing. He decided to watch a movie. The main character's name was Annie, so he abruptly turned off the television set.

Antonio reached his kitchen counter and started leafing through the mail he had picked up from earlier. A pink envelope caught his attention. It was junk mail from Annie's Boutique and he flung it to the trash.

"What is happening?" Antonio mumbled to himself.

When the phone rang, startling him immensely, he started chuckling at his own superstitions.

"Hello," he said into the phone.

"Mr. Antonio Salas?"

"Yes."

"This is Annie from your bank. Did you know you could--

"No," Antonio said as he hung up and rushed out of his apartment. Once outside, he decided he was hungry and headed for Dora's Sandwich Shop, across the street. He plopped himself down at the first empty table he saw. A waitress rushed over to him.

"Hi!" she said with pad and pen on hand. "What can I get for you?"

"You're new around here, aren't you?"

"I just started today."

Antonio nodded. "I'll have a pastrami sandwich."

"What would you like to drink?"

"A glass of milk would be good, uh, uh," Antonio said as he looked for a name plate. "No name tag yet?"

"Not yet."

"Your name wouldn't happen to be Annie, would it?"

"No, my name is Lucy. Why do you ask?"

Antonio smiled with relief. "For no reason in particular, Lucy."

"You do know that the pastrami sandwich you just ordered is Annie's special, don't you?"

Antonio shook his head in a bewildered way. "No, I didn't know that."

### Chapter 11

Elva had accidentally discovered a quiet, little hole in the wall bistro a block away from work. Having had to take a late lunch because Mr. Barrett had taken an earlier one and they didn't like to leave the office unmanned, she could hear her own stomach groan with hunger. She had stepped out of the office with the full intention of going to her favorite Chinese restaurant when she was strongly inclined to go left instead of right and ended up at an eatery she had never seen before.

"What will you have?" asked Lucy, the waitress.

"The Annie's special, and I'll have tea with it." said Elva.

"Anything else?"

"That'll be it."

As Lucy stepped away to take care of her order, Elva looked around. With its simple decor, Dora's Sandwich Shop was definitely to her liking. It was full but not packed. Mostly business type people like herself dined there. Then at a corner, Elva spotted Antonio Salas! Why did it seem she always bumped into him? There he was—tall with dark hair and dark eyes engrossed in his thoughts. He was drinking a tall glass of milk. She wasn't quiet sure why he captivated her but he did. _Maybe it's his intense look,_ she thought. _He seems to be wrapped up in something important instead of superficial like some men I know—Carl Lohman. I just wish Antonio was a better person._

She groaned and looked away, hoping he wouldn't see her. Luckily, he left soon after without glancing her way.

Elva took a sip of tea that Lucy had already brought and focused her mind on something else—her dream and her mother. Mrs. Ortega had called once again begging her to be careful.

"Something is up," she had warned Elva.

"Don't worry about me, mom."

"I can feel it, Elva. Something is really wrong around you."

"But—"

"Elva, I've already told you, it's knocking at your door."

"Mom, let's not go there. It's a whole bunch of nonsense," Elva groaned.

"Elva!" chided Mrs. Ortega, hurt.

"Sorry, mom, but I just can't get into all that psychic baloney."

"You've lived with it all of your life. Why are you such a nonbeliever?"

Elva sighed. "I . . . I—"

"You've got to stop being afraid of it and embrace it."

"I just can't, mom. I just can't."

"Maybe one day you will."

"Maybe."

Elva was deep in thought as she bit into her pastrami sandwich. Mrs. Ortega was rarely wrong when it came to her ability to sense things. It was intuition to the umpteenth degree. She finally had to face the fact that there was a strange vibe in the office. And it had started the day Carl Lohman had mysteriously tripped on nothing. Maybe her mother did have a point.

### Chapter 12

"Theodore Barrett's law office," Elva answered the phone.

"Hi, Elva."

Her skin immediately started to crawl.

"Mr. Lohman, do you need to speak to Mr. Barrett?"

"Yes, but I'd also like to speak to you."

"What about?" Elva retorted.

"You and I."

"There's no you and I."

"There could be," he stated.

"How does your wife feel about you asking another woman out?"

Carl cleared his throat. "Let's not bring her into this."

"What about your children? How would they feel abut their daddy going out on date?"

"Elva, leave my family out of this," Carl said angrily.

"Then stop bugging me," she snarled. "Leave me the hell alone."

"Tsk, tsk, Elva. Should you be swearing?"

"Bye, Carl," she snickered, putting him on hold. "Mr. Barrett, Mr. Lohman is on the line for you."

"Thank you, Elva. Can you please bring me your stapler? I seem to have misplaced mine."

"Sure."

Ted didn't understand what had happened to it. He kept Carl waiting as he looked over his desk again. Losing things was driving him crazy. He needed to staple some paperwork in the Griffith file and he frantically looked for his stapler. Not only was it missing but now so was the file. He had had the file in his hands only a few seconds ago. What was going on? Why did it seem that everything connected to Carl Lohman was problematic? Elva stepped in with her stapler.

"Thank you, Elva."

"You're welcome."

He picked up the phone. As he pressed Carl's line, a small electrical current shot through it.

"Ouch!" he yelled, so startled that he jumped up.

"Are you okay, Mr. Barrett?" Elva asked.

"I'm fine," he mumbled, puzzled.

"What happened?"

"I don't know--something with the telephone." Carefully, he picked it up again.

"Carl?" Ted asked.

"Ahhhh!"

"Carl!"

"Ouch!"

"Carl!"

"The stupid phone jolted me!"

"It did the same to me," Ted stated.

"I'm in a lot of pain."

"Carl," Ted said, aggravated, "Get yourself together."

"I'll have to call you back when I'm in less pain," Carl asserted, hanging up the phone.

Ted shook his head and put the receiver back on the cradle.

"That Carl Lohman is trouble, Mr. Barrett," mumbled Elva.

Chapter 13

_ANNIE!_ _ANNIE!_ _ANNIE!_

Antonio was sick of hearing that name over and over again. If he believed in the supernatural, he would've thought that something strange was stepping into his circle.

But he didn't believe in such things and no one would convince him of ghosts. It was simple. They were figments of people's overactive imaginations—nothing less and nothing more.

The phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. With relief to have a respite from Annie, he grabbed it from its cradle.

"Hello," he answered.

"Tony?"

"Yes, who is this?"

"I hope you don't mind me calling you. It's Jordana Moore."

"Jordana," he said, hoping his voice didn't give away the dread of hearing from her.

"You never called me," Jordana declared, her voice somewhat petulant and disappointed. "I had to get your number from Leslie."

"I've been busy. I've got a big case."

"You couldn't find any time to call me? Don't you like me?"

"Jordana, you're a nice kid but I'm forty-five years old."

"I'm not a kid," she retorted.

"You're very young," he said softly. "I'm a lot older."

"I like older men."

"Jordana," Antonio said delicately, "are you sure I'm not a father figure to you?"

"Listen, you jackass," she snapped, hurt. "I don't need a father. If you don't like me then fine! I'll have you know there are thousands of men who would love to be with me! Why I chose you, I don't know," she said, sniffling.

"Jordana—"

Before he could finish he heard a noisy slam and a dial tone. She had hung up and he felt like a heel. He hadn't meant to upset her but he refused to be in a position he didn't want to be in—dating a _girl_. He liked _women_.

Antonio decided to get out of his office. With all the female trouble he was having, Annie and Jordana, he needed a distraction and he was hungry. He went to Dora's Sandwich shop for a meal to clear his mind.

As he was about to take another bite from his pastrami sandwich, his mind went back to Annie. She was seared in his brain. His thoughts went over the case, frustrating him with his inability to let it go. He cut his lunch early, only having eaten half of his sandwich. After paying his bill, Antonio rushed out and inhaled a deep breath.

"Mister! Mister!" someone yelled behind him.

When he turned around, it was a child about ten-years-old.

"Yes?" he asked quizzically.

"You forgot this," she said, handing him his briefcase.

"I can't believe I left it at Dora's," he mumbled, shaking his head.

"Dora is my mother."

"Thanks for bringing it out to me, kid."

"My name's Annie."

Antonio took a few seconds to speak. "The pastrami sandwich special is named after you?"

"Yeah," she said happily.

"Good sandwich," he mumbled.

"My mama said it was so people could remember my name."

"Remember your name?"

"Yeah," she giggled.

"Remembering someone is important," he said, absent mindedly.

### Chapter 14

"Hi, Elva," said a male voice over the phone.

"Hello, Mr. Griffith."

"Why don't you call me Maxwell? I've asked you about a million times," he said, chuckling.

"I'm from the old school and would prefer more formality, Mr. Griffith."

"Old school? How old are you, Elva?"

"I'm forty-three."

"Forty-three years of age?" asked a surprised Maxwell.

"Yes."

"You look like you're in your early thirties."

"No, I'm in my forties."

"Isn't that something? You, Ted, and I are almost the same age."

Elva chuckled. "It's good to be surrounded by mature adults."

"I'd rather be in my twenties or my thirties."

"I'm fine where I'm at."

"Anyway, would you connect me with Ted?"

"Sure," she said, putting him through to Ted.

After turning on the work lamp next to her computer, she pulled out a contract from the desk to check. The light suddenly blew out. I need a new light bulb, she thought as she was about to stand up to go to the storage closet.

The light eerily flashed on.

On-off, on-off, on-off.

Elva eyed the lamp with horror. She stared at it stupefied for a few hypnotizing seconds. On-off. On-off. Adrenaline rushed through her. Yanking out the chord from the electrical outlet, she cut its energy current.

But it kept doing the same thing.

On-off, on-off, on-off.

When the telephone rang, the light blew out again with a noisy fizzle.

"Hi, beautiful," Carl's voice said as soon as she answered. Dealing with this idiot after what had just happened was almost too much for her.

"Mr. Lohman, this is an office and you're not my boyfriend," snapped Elva, trying to normalize her frazzled nerves.

"Would you just let me explain something?"

"It's really not a good time."

"What's wrong? You don't sound like yourself."

She definitely didn't want to tell this idiot why she sounded so weird. "You've got five seconds to explain what you want to tell me."

"Elva, why do you sound—"

She sighed heavily. "You've got five seconds. Talk fast."

"But—"

"Bye."

"Hold on! Don't hang up on me, please."

"Five seconds."

"I know I got defensive the other day when you were talking about my family. Let me explain my situation to you. One of my daughters is very sick and that's why I need a distraction."

"It's pretty low to use your daughter, if in fact she is sick, to cheat on your wife."

"You don't believe me?"

"No."

"But—"

"Mr. Lohman, I'm warning you. I'm not putting up with this harassment anymore."

"Elva, give me the phone, please," Ted said, having stepped out of his office. Elva handed it to him. "Carl, this is Ted. You are prohibited from harassing my paralegal. You are not to call here anymore. I'll give you my private numbers and you can't come here unless arranged by me. Is that clear?"

"Ted, this is a misunderstanding. I—"

"Is. That. Clear?"

"Yes," Carl muttered grudgingly.

"Good," Ted retorted as he slammed down the phone. "I'm so sorry Elva. I really wasn't aware of how out of hand this situation was."

"I do want to make it clear, Mr. Barrett, that if he bothers me in any way, I'm going to the police to press charges and get a restraining order against him."

"I understand."

### Chapter 15

"I decided to investigate your wife's disappearance," Antonio said to Lucas who sat in front of him in the detective agency.

"Thank you, Antonio."

For the next few hours, Antonio asked Lucas questions he hadn't already asked about Annie--specific habits, enemies and etc. Antonio was pleased that Lucas knew so much about his wife. Sometimes, he got couples who didn't know anything about each other. When Lucas left, Antonio was in deep thought.

_You deserve to be remembered, Annie,_ he said to himself.

Chapter 16

In his bathroom, Ted put on his silk pajamas and started brushing his teeth. He couldn't stop thinking about Elva, worrying about her was more like it. She had so much pain behind her eyes, and she was so guarded about her private life. Ted was certain someone had hurt her deeply—a callous jerk.

The light over the mirror started flickering slowly at first and then more erratically. He turned it off, but it kept flickering. Carefully touching the light bulb, he found it was cold, and he unscrewed it. Then he abruptly dropped it. He furiously stared at the angry red mark on his hand, not understanding how it had gone from cold to hot. He stepped into his bedroom.

"Hon, have you noticed the lights over our mirror in the restroom acting strangely?" he asked.

"No, why?" Shanna replied.

"They've been acting funny."

"They have?"

"Never mind."

"I'll call the electrician to take a look tomorrow if you want."

"That's a good idea," he said as he kissed her forehead. "Goodnight."

He turned off the lamp on his side of and Shanna did the same.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," she said.

### Chapter 17

Elva was more disturbed than she cared to admit. Lately, she had seen so many strange things and all of them were connected to her office in some way. She wasn't just talking about the spooky stuff either.

Elva had walked by the break room to get to the copier. The door had been open and what had she seen but Maxwell Griffith with his arm out of his sling, putting a cup of coffee to his lips. Thankfully, he didn't see her since his back was to the door.

_Is he faking it?_ Elva asked herself.

He had complained that the accident had destroyed his back and he could barely get around with all the pain. Yet, she hadn't seen him struggle.

Is he faking that too?

And why not go all the way with it? By using a walker or even a cane? But Elva knew the answer instantly. Maxwell was a vain man. While he'd go as far as to use a sling, that was as far as he would take something damaging his handsome appearance.

A few moments later, after she had gone back to her desk, Carl Lohman stepped into the office. Elva braced herself but he greeted her cordially, keeping his eyes to the side. He went into Ted's office to meet with him and Maxwell without any innuendos towards her. Relief colored her face.

The pen she was using ran out of ink, and she checked her middle desk drawer for a new one. When she looked up, after having found one, a woman stood at her desk. Elva was so startled that she dropped the pen. She hadn't heard the door to the law office open. Composing herself, she smiled at the woman who seemed familiar. _She must've been here before._

"Hi," Elva greeted.

The woman stared at her.

"I didn't hear you come in," Elva said apologetically, starting to be unnerved by the woman's stony silence. "Can I help you?"

The woman opened her mouth but no words were audible to Elva.

"What?" asked Elva.

The woman kept speaking but Elva couldn't make anything out.

"I'm sorry, I just can't hear you."

The woman pointed her finger to her lips as if demanding that Elva look at them. She was so emphatic that her red curls bounced as she made the strong gesture.

Elva finally thought she knew what the woman was mouthing. "Be careful?" Elva asked, puzzled.

As the woman shook her head, her coloring started to change. Elva thought something was happening to her eyes and rubbed them. Somehow the woman's tone, even her clothes' bright colors were becoming opaque. Elva stared in frightened fascination, frozen in her seat. The woman waved as she became lighter and lighter until she slowly faded away.

As soon as the woman was completely gone, Elva rushed to the bathroom, splashing cold water on herself.

_I didn't see what I just saw,_ she kept telling herself. _It must be low blood sugar or something. I'm imagining things._

A few hours later, with Carl and Maxwell gone, Ted noticed her odd behavior. "Is anything wrong, Elva?"

She gulped. "I saw something today that really unnerved me."

"What was that?" he asked, concerned.

"Mr. Griffith was using his injured arm and hand with no problem," Elva blurted nervously. _I can't tell him about the 'ghost'. He'll think I'm nuts._

"The doctor told Maxwell to start exercising it."

Elva felt a tinge of guilt for having assumed that Maxwell was lying about his injuries. "I'm sorry, I thought—"

Ted smiled. "You thought he was faking?'

Elva nodded. "It did cross my mind."

"He's just doing what the doctor asked him to do."

"I'm so relieved to have been wrong."

In the evening, Elva laid on her sofa, trying to concentrate on the T.V. She had been successful at squelching the incident with the red haired woman. The lamp next to her flickered and suddenly, with a jolt, Elva realized why the woman had seemed so familiar. She was the same woman who was in her dream a while back! The one who had used her mother's voice to say—

"Be careful."

Elva's eyes snapped to the TV screen. That was what the protagonist had just said in the movie.

_Be careful_.

Her mama was right. There were strange occurrences around her, and everything was warning her. She wondered if anyone else was being warned like she was.

### Chapter 18

Shanna and Shelby did their morning ritual and walked Ted to the garage where a black Mercedes, a utility vehicle, and a red corvette sat. He kissed his wife and daughter on the forehead, stepped into his car, and waved at them. When he looked at his rear view mirror, he jumped out of the car with terror.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" asked Shanna.

Ted couldn't speak, so she looked into the car. _I'm here_ was written in big, red, awkward letters on the mirror.

"So that's what you did with my red lipstick this morning," Shanna told Shelby, irritated.

"Red lipstick?" asked Ted.

"I caught her with my red lipstick this morning, and she wouldn't tell me what she was doing with it."

Ted was relieved. "Angel, were you trying to tell daddy you were here, in my car?"

"No," answered Shelby.

"Then what were you doing writing on daddy's rear view mirror?" asked Shanna.

"The lady told me to do it," explained Shelby.

"Lady, what lady?" asked Ted.

"My new friend,"

"What new friend, baby?" Shanna asked.

"I can't tell you her name. It's a secret."

"I guess she's got an imaginary friend," Shanna told Ted.

"I need to be getting to work."

### Chapter 19

Antonio hadn't felt this type of purpose in a long time. Sometimes his world moved along as if on automatic pilot, his life only mattering to a select few like his parents who still lived in Puerto Rico. He took a swig of his milk and stared at the information Lucas Ryder had given him, and he had written down.

_Bits and pieces,_ he said to himself. Bits and pieces meant to be fitted together. Inside them was the secret to Annie's mysterious disappearance. He'd uncover it. He always did.

### Chapter 20

Ted pressed the intercom. "Elva, would you come in here?"

Elva stepped in his office. "Yes?"

"I came back from lunch to find everything moved around on my desk. I can't find certain things. Nothing is where it's supposed to be."

"What?"

"And my computer was on."

"It was?"

"I don't understand why there is a new screen saver? Where are my flying toasters?" he asked as he watched the screen immersed in burning fires.

"How strange." A whirlwind swirled in her stomach.

"Do you have any idea how it got this way?"

"I haven't seen anyone other than you come into your office," Elva informed, puzzled

"Have you been at your desk all day?"

"Pretty much."

"Maybe I changed the screen saver by mistake and left the computer on when I left earlier."

"I could've sworn that when I came in to leave the paperwork on your desk, it was off.

"Please don't swear, Elva. I have enough with trying to clean up Carl's potty mouth."

"Yes, Mr. Barrett."

### Chapter 21

Lucas told him the exact spot in central park where Annie liked to jog, and Antonio arrived wishing the trees and ground could speak to him.

"What happened to you, Annie," he said to the air. Then he shook his head. _I'm going nuts. There's no such thing as ghosts. I'm talking to myself._

Antonio meticulously searched around but found nothing. In frustration, he started kicking leaves off the ground. Because it was a windy day, they flew all over. A sheet of newspaper hit him on the face. He angrily balled it up and threw it aside.

A snow white Husky dog appeared out of what seemed nowhere.

A startled Antonio jolted back when he saw it. The dog's pink eyes stared intently at him. Expecting the animal to bite, Antonio started walking backwards, not taking his eyes off the dog. The Husky kept silently eyeballing him without making any movement.

"What do you want?" Antonio asked, stopping in his tracks.

The Husky turned to the balled newspaper and frantically barked.

"You want me to look at that?"

The dog stopped barking and once again stared at Antonio.

"Okay."

When Antonio picked up the paper, the dog scampered away. Antonio opened the balled up sheet. It was a full page advertisement of Ted Barrett's law firm.

Chapter 22

Elva heard the sound of the intercom. "Yes, Mr. Barrett?"

"Would you bring me the Griffith file?"

"I left it on your desk."

"You did?" he asked.

"Yes."

"It's not here."

"What?" Elva asked, surprised.

"It's no where on my desk."

"I'll be right there."

Elva stepped into Ted's office. "May I look for it?" she asked over his desk.

"Go ahead."

She searched over the contents of his desk. "That's strange. I brought it in. I'm positive."

"It's nowhere to be found."

"Is it in your desk?"

He started opening his desk drawers. "I'm sure it's not. It's—" He cut himself off when he found the file in his middle drawer with his pens and office supplies.

"There it is," Elva stated, relieved.

"It's probably just me," said Ted, exasperated. "I'm misplacing things. I've been worried about Shelby."

"Are they any closer to finding a heart donor for her?"

"It doesn't look good at this stage, but the secret is to never give up hope."

"How is she feeling?" Elva asked.

"Tired. Very tired."

"Poor Shelby. It must be terrible to be a child and not be able to play like other children."

"The important thing is that she has Shanna and she has me."

"How's Shanna coping?"

"Not well. She's so fragile."

"You can count on me if there's ever anything I can do," said Elva.

"Thank you. It helps me a great deal to have a support system."

"I'd better get back to my work. Do you need anything else, Mr. Barrett?"

"No, nothing."

Elva stepped out. Ted stared at the computer for a few seconds and then he turned it off. He took a key from his pocket and opened a drawer and took out a box with eight rings. He glided his hand over them and started examining each one.

He pressed the intercom. "Elva, could you hold my calls?"

"Yes, but your one o'clock is here."

"Is that Marsha Odem?"

"Yes, her file is on your desk along with the rest you requested."

"Tell her I'll be right out."

He locked his drawer desk.

"Annie, Annie!" yelled a voice.

Ted was so startled that he dropped the drawer key.

"Annie, would you sit still for a while?"

Ted stepped out of his office to find Marsha Odem scolding a little girl.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Barrett. I couldn't get a babysitter."

"That's okay, Marsha. I'll be with you in a few minutes."

Ted rushed back to his office and slumped down on his chair. It was a few minutes before he could get his heavily beating heart to slow down.

### Chapter 23

_What is with the temperature in here?_ Ted asked himself. Outside, it was shivering cold, but inside his house he felt such heat, he wanted to tear off his clothes. He had already checked the temperature gage on his furnace that read what he always left it at, and he wondered if he was coming down with something.

He folded the sleeves of his pajamas up, wiped the sweat off his brow, and opened his bedroom window. He poked his head outside, breathing in the coolness of the night. He was about to go to bed when he heard a gentle flapping sound. When he looked in the direction of where it came from, a white dove flew past him. It gracefully circled the room with a certain glow and as easily as it came in, it glided out.

Ted stared after the dove in wonderment. Such natural beauty was rarely beheld. His wife's anguished screams cut into his thoughts. He rushed to Shelby's room.

"What's wrong?" he asked Shanna, who was standing over Shelby's bed.

"She's dead! She's dead!" exclaimed a frantic Shanna.

Ted dashed to her bed and shook her. "Shelby! Shelby!"

"Daddy?" Shelby asked as she awakened.

Ted hugged her. "Are you okay, Angel?"

"What's wrong, Daddy?"

"Go back to sleep, Angel."

After Ted kissed Shelby's forehead, he grabbed Shanna as he stepped out of the door and into their bedroom. Shanna's face contorted with fright.

"She seemed so still. I couldn't find a pulse anywhere, Ted. I couldn't—"

"What's wrong with you?" he asked angrily.

Shanna cried frantically. "I don't know why I'm such a failure as Shelby's mother. I don't know—"

"Stop it! Stop feeling sorry for yourself and pull it together!"

"I'm just so scared."

"You can't panic every time she sleeps. She's sick. She takes a lot of medication. She needs a lot of rest."

"I know that. I do."

Ted shook his head and started removing his robe. "Let's just get some rest. It's been a long day."

As Ted climbed into bed, Shanna followed his lead. When he turned off the lamp on his side, it started flickering, slowly at first and then frantically. He pulled out the chord.

On-off. On-off. On-off.

"My gosh!" exclaimed Shanna. "What's . . . what's happening?"

The flickering abruptly stopped. A dead silence ensued.

"It's got to be some problem with the electricity," mumbled Ted after a few seconds.

"But the electrician I hired when the bathroom lights were out of whack said there was nothing wrong with our electricity."

"He was obviously wrong, wasn't he?" Ted asked angrily. "Only you would hire an incompetent electrician. Do I have to do everything around here?"

"But he was licensed. He--"

"I don't want to discuss this anymore. Let's get to sleep."

Shanna quietly snuggled into the blankets. Because of tranquilizers, she soon slipped into a deep sleep. Ted stared at her in a jealous fit. If only he could doze off just like that but if he took her strong tranquilizers, they would completely put him out as if he was dead and frankly, he hated the idea of it. Besides, he'd be groggy for hours after he woke up and that wasn't good either.

Instead, Ted stayed fully awake, listening for every small noise. When he heard a twig break outside, he pulled the covers almost to his face. The dark hole of rest was out of his reach. His eyes darted around, not being able to stay in one place for long.

### Chapter 24

Being in the office by herself made Elva twitchy, paranoid and caused her to experience needles pricks in her stomach. Waiting with baited breath for any unfamiliar noise or sight, Elva tried to keep her heavily beating heart from exploding. Ted had called in, saying he was going to spend time with his daughter.

This had left her alone with the red-haired _ghost._

Yikes!!!

Double yikes!

The skin on her arms bubbled with sharp bumps just thinking about it. Why couldn't she be unafraid of the weird like her mother was?

_Why am I such a chicken?_ Elva wondered as she slowly looked around.

Nothing so far.

Whewww! What a relief.

In fact, Elva couldn't help noticing that the atmosphere in the office felt more normal than it had felt in a while.

Be careful.

The words reverberated in her mind. Be careful of what? It had to be of Carl Lohman, of course.

Who else?

### Chapter 25

"I hope this makes up for last night, Angel," said Ted as he and Shelby enjoyed the elephants at the zoo. "I don't know what gets into you mother sometimes."

"Mommy's probably just tired."

"Don't pay too much attention to her."

"Daddy, I'm always sick. Am I going to die?"

"You're not going to die, Angel. Daddy won't let that happen."

"Really?"

"No, I know how to take care of my girl. In fact, I've got a surprise for you."

"What is it, Daddy?"

Ted excitedly took her to an enclosed habitat that was closed off to the public. Inside a cage was a large silver backed gorilla that sat quietly, moving only his eyes. When Ted and Shelby stepped into the area, the gorilla's full focus went to them.

"They usually don't let the public in here, but your father got them to make an exception," Ted explained proudly.

"You did, Daddy?"

"Yes," Ted responded. "By the way, that gorilla's name is Binky."

"Binky doesn't look like a Binky. He looks mean."

"Don't worry, Angel. Daddy is here to protect you."

Binky started beating his chest, pounding fiercely on himself. **THUD! THUD! THUD!** Guttural sounds escaped his mouth. Harsh and furious noises. Ted was thrilled to see such a display. He had been worried he'd brought his daughter to see an oversized play monkey.

"He's feisty," murmured Shelby.

"Don't be scared of him, Angel."

Binky suddenly went quiet. Stone silence. He slowly turned to Ted. The animal's fierce sight met his, boring into him. The gorilla's unwavering, hostile eyes stared deep into the man.

Silence.

Eerie Silence.

Abruptly jumping menacingly out of his corner, Binky roared. **GR-R-R-R-R-R-R-R!!!** Rushing to the bars, he extended his paw as far as it would go. **GR-R-R-R-R-R-R!!!** Clawing furiously at Ted, Binky's whole demeanor turned wild and savage. Ted, who was only a few inches away from his paw, fell backwards to the floor. Without taking his eyes off of Ted, Binky tried to bend the cage bars apart; his guttural noises became louder in his frustration. Ted sat frozen on the floor.

"What's all the commotion?" asked a zookeeper stepping into the habitat.

"Ha, ha, you got scared too, Daddy," Shelby said, giggling.

The zookeeper went to Ted. "I haven't seen him this agitated since they moved his girlfriend to another cage."

"Poor Binky," stated Shelby.

Ted angrily shoved the zookeeper's helpful hands away. "Is that what's wrong with the stupid beast?"

"Did you spill something on yourself, sir?"

"Do you want to go to the bathroom, Daddy?" Shelby asked as she noticed his dripping pants.

That night, after much effort, Ted finally fell asleep but it wasn't the peaceful rest he had hoped it would be. The nightmares came fast. Binky kept roaring and then turning into Annie Ryder.

"This isn't over. _I'LL COME BACK FOR YOU_." she had said.

His dreams couldn't help but return to that misfortunate day when bad luck was about to catch up to him . . .

When the alarm clock rang at five a.m., Ted had shut it off. Shanna slowly opened her eyes and yawned. His packed overnight bag sat by the door. She started arising.

" _Don't get up, Hon," Ted told her as he dressed._

" _But I want to see you off."_

" _You were up half the night with Shelby. What kind of a husband would I_

be if I made you get up?

" _I'm sorry I hardly ever give you any attention," Shanna said._

He kissed her on her forehead. "I'd rather you give all your attention to Shelby."

" _I'm going to miss you."_

" _I'm only gone for the weekend. I'll be back before you know it. You won't forget how Shelby's medication sequence goes?_

" _No, I won't."_

" _You know how forgetful you are."_

" _I don't know how you put up with me," Shelby said._

" _You're beautiful, you know that?" he asked as he kissed her cheek._

" _I sure wish you didn't have to go, sweetheart."_

" _What's this about? You've never complained before about me having to leave on business."_

" _It's that Shelby misses you so much. It affects her when you're gone."_

Ted kissed her on the lips. I'll make it up to the both of you when I get back." He went out the door, across the hallway.

" _How's my girl today?" asked Ted from Shelby's bedroom._

" _I feel a little tired, Daddy," Shelby answered, the deep circles under her eyes looking like black craters." "I wish you didn't have to go on your business trip."_

" _I know, Shelby, but some things are unavoidable. Besides, you know I'll always be here to take care of you, Angel?"_

" _I know, Daddy."_

This part of Central Park was so quiet in the morning. Only one jogger was out, giving him the perfect circumstances. And she had all that beautiful, curly red hair. He couldn't wait to touch it.

What luck, he said to himself.

He hit her sharply on the head with a Billy club, and she blacked out. He threw her in the trunk of his black Mercedes, quickly handcuffed her hands, tied her feet with rope, taped her mouth, and drove away. His excitement was almost too much to control. It had been a while since he had taken someone, a long while. He had almost sped to Connecticut but had to keep reminding himself of the dangers of a cop stopping him.

He thought she'd be like the others but the surprise was on him.

" _This isn't over._ _I'LL COME BACK FOR YOU._ _"_

### Chapter 26

Ted hadn't wanted breakfast that morning. There was so much to catch up on in the office and besides, he was worried about Elva. She had been acting nervous lately. _Probably that stupid Carl,_ he thought to himself. He left to the office leaving Shanna and Shelby to have the meal by themselves.

"Did you have fun at the zoo with your dad yesterday?" Shanna asked.

"Yeah, we got to see giraffes, elephants _and_ Binky."

"Binky? What's a Binky?"

"A gorilla," Shelby said matter-of-factly.

"A gorilla named Binky?"

"Yes, Mommy, I had so much fun."

"Do you feel tired, baby?"

"I like being outside, Mommy. Can we go to Central Park?"

"Are you sure you want to go to Central Park?" asked Shanna.

"Yes, Mommy, I do."

"You feel up to it?"

"Yes."

"It's been a long time since you've asked me to take you to the park."

"Yeah, let's go."

"I'll call your father to see of it's okay."

"No, Mommy, please don't."

"But he needs to know where we're at."

"He might not let us go if you tell him, and I really want to go. Please, Mommy?"

"Oh, all right but only for an hour or so. Let's just hope he doesn't find out, or we'll be toast."

Shanna wanted to take Shelby to the same areas they had been to already, but Shelby insisted they look for a new place.

"Here, Mommy, here," Shelby said. "This is where my new friend said we should go."

"Your new friend?"

"Yes, Mommy, remember I had told you about her that morning when I borrowed your lipstick?"

"Oh, yes," Shanna said. _It's her imaginary friend._

Shelby noticed a man spoke on his cell phone while a little girl close to him played with a bright red ball.

"Hey, that girl's alone. Maybe she wants someone to play with."

"Okay, but if I see you getting tired, I'm going to take you home."

Shelby walked over to the girl and the man who had gotten off the cell. "Hi, I'm Shelby."

"Hello," the man said, smiling. "I'm Lucas, and this is my daughter, Cindy."

"Hi," Cindy said.

"Can I play with you?" Shelby asked Cindy.

"Okay," answered Cindy.

She threw the red ball to Shelby who promptly threw it back. Lucas stood back and smiled widely.

"Hi, I'm Shanna, Shelby's mother," declared Shanna.

"I'm Lucas," he said, shaking her hand.

"You're daughter has Down syndrome?"

"Yes."

"My daughter needs a new heart."

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said compassionately.

"Only us parents with special children understand each other, don't we?" asked Shanna, sighing deeply.

"It's hard for others to know what we go through."

### Chapter 27

Ted stared without blinking at his computer screen. When had his life started sliding out of his hands? When had he not been able to control every aspect of it? Annie! Could it be? He refused to think she had a hand in anything pertaining to him. _Everything that has happened so far must be an odd set of coincidences. It must! She's dead after all! He had buried her with his own two hands._

His computer screen must've been a joke or mistake. If only he knew who was playing these tricks on him. Who had loaded this new screen saver onto his computer? The picture of the menacing gorilla with the words, 'Want to play, _Friend_?' disturbed him more than he wanted to admit.

Ted tried to open his secret drawer in his desk but it was stuck.

"Mr. Barrett," said Elva, stepping into the office.

"Yes?"

"I left a special delivery box on your desk from your parents, Mr. Barrett."

"It's diamond cuff links."

"Is it your birthday?"

"No, my parents like to spoil me as if I was a child," he remarked.

"Parents never really accept us being grown up."

"It gets embarrassing sometimes. They have too much time and money on their hands."

"Mr. Barrett," Elva said, smiling, "there are much worse things than being doted on by wealthy parents."

"I suppose you're right."

"By the way, Carl Lohman called earlier while you were on your cell," she said. "I left you a message but I wanted to make sure you had seen it since Mr. Lohman said it was very important that you call him back—something to do with his investigation."

A few days ago, Ted and Elva had found out that Carl's testimony was in question.

"Was he on good behavior?"

"Yes, he actually was."

"Elva, I just want to tell you that you have nothing to worry about."

"Excuse me?"

"Your job is secure. I know my witness is being investigated but don't worry."

"To be honest with you, Carl Lohman does seem a sleazy to me. Are you sure he'll come out of this investigation okay?"

"Anyone can see this investigation is trumped up because the owners of Nation's Delivery don't want to pay Maxwell for the accident they obviously caused. Don't worry, Elva. Everything will turn out fine."

The front door of the office opened.

"I'd better go see who it is," said Elva as she stepped out of Ted's office.

With concentrated obsession, Ted tried the secret drawer again. As he pulled on it with all his strength, it abruptly opened. He fell back on his chair which flipped to the ground.

"Mr. Barrett, this is my mother," Elva said as she stepped back into his office. While a puzzled Elva looked at him on the ground, Ted frantically searched for the scattered rings but found nothing.

"Are you okay, Mr. Barrett?" asked Elva.

Ted stumbled up, trying to get his bearings back. "This is your mother?"

"Mr. Barrett, why were you on the fl—"

"I'm pleased to meet you, Mrs. Ortega," he rushed, extending his hand.

"Hello," said Mrs. Ortega, shaking it.

"Elva, you didn't tell me your mother would be coming today."

"She decided to surprise me all the way from El Paso."

"Now I know where Elva gets her looks," Ted told Mrs. Ortega. She eyed him suspiciously.

"We're going to have lunch—if that's okay with you," Elva said.

Ted nodded. "Of course it's fine. Why don't you take the whole day off to spend with her?"

"The whole day?"

"Yes, you deserve it,"

"Thank you," said Elva.

"Don't mention it. Just have a good time," he stated.

As they left, Ted stared after them. _Elva is really special,_ he said to himself. _Beautiful, excellent at her work, and easygoing. Maybe if I had met her before Shanna . . . Who knows?_

Ted sighed and then remembered the missing rings. He frantically pulled out the drawers in his desk and roughly emptied them to the floor. Not one single ring appeared.

_What's happening?!_ he asked himself with desperate consternation.

### Chapter 28

Elva was excited to have found a Mexican restaurant, La Chariada, that equaled the ones in El Paso. As they waited for their plates, Elva smiled at the bright decorations. She and her mother would have a wonderful lunch and thanks to Mr. Barrett, she'd spend the rest of the afternoon showing her mother the wonders of Manhattan.

"I've got to say something, Elva," Mrs. Ortega said.

Elva put down the chip she was about to dip in the salsa. "What is it, Mama?"

"I'm here because I'm worried about you."

"I thought you were here on vacation."

"No, not really."

Elva frowned. "Mama, stop worrying about me."

"I can't help it."

"Mama, as you can see, everything is fine," Elva said, trying hard to make it sound truthful.

"I wouldn't say that," Mrs. Ortega proclaimed dryly.

"What do you mean?"

"About your boss."

"What about him?"

"I don't like him."

"Why not?" Elva asked.

"There's something wrong with him."

Elva let out a deep breath. "I know. I don't like him much either."

"Then quit."

"It's not so easy," declared Elva.

"You can get another job, my very talented daughter."

"I don't want to get another job," Elva stated.

"Why not?"

"It takes a lot of effort to start a new job."

"And?"

"I've had too many changes in my life lately."

Mrs. Ortega stared sadly at her daughter. It had been six months since the divorce. "It's getting easier to deal with your emotions, isn't it?"

"Yes, but it's still hard." She hadn't been able to have children, so her ex-husband had moved on to someone who could give him all the babies he desired. She, in turn, had moved to Manhattan to start a new life.

"It won't always be this way."

"I hope not."

"You do, however, need to get away from Ted Barrett."

"Why?"

"There's something very wrong with him."

"But Mama—"

"Get away from him," Mrs. Ortega demanded, gritting her teeth. "He's not what he seems."

"What is he then?"

"I don't know but I can assure you it's not anything good."

"The poor man has a very sick daughter, and he completely dotes on her. He's can't be all bad."

"No one is _all_ bad."

"So?"

"Some people are more bad than good."

"You think Ted Barrett is more bad than good?"

"Yes," Mrs. Ortega stated. "Why are you fighting me on this? You feel it too."

Elva grew pensive. "Yes," she said quietly. "I feel it too."

### Chapter 29

Antonio had no problems finding the address. He knew his city very well. When he reached the steps leading to her apartment, he nervously took two at a time and then knocked on her door.

"Yes?" Elva asked as she opened the door and gasped. Antonio Salas!

He stared at her for a few seconds before finding words in his throat. What an odd coincidence that she of all people was the paralegal of the man he was investigating. Before having arrived, he had had to convince himself to talk to her.

"Hi," he managed to say awkwardly. "So we meet again. I'm a private detective and I need to ask you some questions." _How dorky did I sound? Is this the first time I talk to a beautiful woman or what?_

"So you're here to investigate this thing with Carl Lohman?" Elva asked.

"Have you noticed your employer acting out of character?" It was to his benefit not to put Barrett on alert in case he was Annie's murderer, so he had decided not to tell Elva exactly why he was there. He'd let her come to her own conclusions.

"I don't think so."

"Is he—"

"I've got to go," Elva said defensively.

"But Ms. Ortega--"

"Good luck," Elva said as she shut the door.

Antonio threw his arms up in exasperation. As he walked away he tried to concentrate on the case, but all he could think about was the gorgeous Elva Ortega.

"Detective! Detective!" Antonio heard behind him. He turned around to see a woman rushing towards him.

"Yes?" he asked her.

"I told my daughter, Elva, that I was going to the corner store for milk," said Mrs. Ortega, out of breath.

"You want to speak to me?"

"Yes," she said, still trying to catch her breath.

"Let's hear it then."

"There's something wrong with Ted Barrett. He's not what he seems."

"How do you know that?"

"I come from a long line of _curanderas_ from Mexico. He doesn't fool me."

"You come from witch doctors?"

Mrs. Ortega let out an exasperated sound. "No, not witch doctors. Healers."

"Is there a difference?"

"A big difference. As a healer, I can see people for who they really are, alive or dead."

"Great! My one key witness sees dead people," he said sarcastically.

"I saw her in Mr. Barrett's office. She's got red hair."

Antonio's full attention was suddenly on her. "Red hair?"

"Yes."

"You saw a ghost?"

"Yes, but I didn't tell Elva. She hates for me to talk about the spirit world."

"What's the ghost's name?"

"I don't know. My grandmother had the gift of speaking to spirits. All I do is _see_ them sometimes."

"What do you think she was doing there?"

"She didn't seem to like Mr. Barrett very much. That's as much as I can tell you."

### Chapter 30

Ted stepped into his office and was relieved to find the computer off. His desk and its contents weren't in disarray. Even though he still hadn't been able to find the rings, he was still glad his office wasn't disheveled.

"Is everything okay, Mr. Barrett?" asked Elva as she stepped into his office. "Is your desk in order?"

"Yes, everything is in perfect order."

"I'll have the Medgar file for you shortly."

"Okay, Elva. Thank you."

Elva heard the front office door open, and she rushed to see who had come in. Carl Lohman was standing over her desk.

"Hi, Elva," he said, leering at her breasts.

Elva grabbed a file from her desk and put it in front of her chest. "Mr. Lohman," she said with acid on her tongue.

"It's about darn time you got here, Carl," said Ted, stepping into the front office.

"I had things to do," responded Carl.

"Really?" Ted said, sarcastically. "Elva, I've got a private meeting with Carl. You can take an early lunch."

"Okay."

Grabbing her purse from her desk, Elva stepped out of the office relieved to be putting distance between she and Carl. As soon as the door closed behind her, Ted turned to Carl.

"What is going on with the investigation?" asked Ted.

"Don't worry. They've got nothing."

"Darn it, Carl! You told me that no one could place you anywhere that afternoon."

"Do you really think anyone is going to believe that whore over me?"

"You didn't tell me you were with a prostitute at the time of the accident!"

"It's her word against mine, and I say I was witnessing an accident. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it."

"If I go down because of you, you're going down with me."

"Quit worrying. Everything is in the bag."

When Ted arrived home that evening, he kept going over Carl's assurances.

"You'd better be right, Carl," he murmured under his breath.

### Chapter 31

With Shelby feeling very tired that morning and sleeping in, her parents ate breakfast without her. Ted was on his first bowl of cereal when Shanna grabbed a bagel and started eating it with cream cheese.

"So, what do you have set up for today?" asked Ted.

"Not much," she answered.

"I'm worried about you, Shanna."

"Why?" she asked, puzzled.

"You've been looking very tired."

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine. Taking care of Shelby is taking its toll on you."

"Stop worrying about me, sweetheart. I'm fine."

Ted eyed her as if an idea just hit him. "I know what you need.""And what is that?

"A night out."

"Where to?" Shanna asked, excited.

"I have a hectic day ahead of me, but you can meet me at Chandler's for dinner."

Shanna smiled broadly. "That would be so nice."

When arriving at his office, Ted congratulated himself for having come up with such a good idea. He had been so stressed lately. A night out would do him good.

"Good morning, Mr. Barrett," greeted Elva, trying to act normal.

"Good morning, Elva. Are those new earrings?"

"No, they're old."

"You should wear them more often."

"Thank you," she said, trying not to be unnerved by the compliment. "How is Shelby doing?"

"She's as well as can be expected."

"I'm so glad. By the way, your parents sent you a package. I left it on your desk."

Ted smiled. "Mother sent me premier tickets to the opera."

"I didn't know you liked the Opera, Mr. Barrett."

"I don't," he said, smiling. "Everything ready for today, Elva?"

Elva nodded. "I've got your schedule for today on your desk, and all the briefs you had asked me for are there too.

"All of them?" he asked.

"Yes, Mr. Barrett."

"Thank you, Elva."

"I'm just doing my job."

"Excellent work."

_She's such a great employee,_ he thought. _An absolute peach._

The work day went by very fast. Before Ted knew it, it was evening and he was on the way to Chandler's. Shanna was already seated when Ted walked in the restaurant with an arm full of flowers.

"For me?" asked Shanna, eyeing the white with red trimmed orchids.

Ted laughed. "No, for the waiter. Of course for you," he said as he handed them to her.

"They are so beautiful. Thank you, sweetheart."

"I'll tell you what's beautiful—you are."

"Thank you, Ted," Shanna said, gushing.

"You look so nice, though I'm surprised you didn't wear your black Channel dress."

"I know it's your favorite dress, but I thought I'd wear this instead," she said, flustered.

"Oh well, its okay. You'll wear it next time."

"Would you like to see a wine list?" the waiter asked.

Ted eyed Shanna. "You ordered my dinner, right?"

Shanna nodded. "A rib-eye."

"You didn't forget that I like it rare, did you?"

"No, I didn't forget."

Ted cast a glance at the waiter. "Yes, we'll see a wine list."

"What's your best champagne?" Shanna asked the waiter.

"No!" Ted announced abruptly. Shanna and the waiter looked at him strangely as he struggled to gain his composure. "I hate champagne. We'll have wine instead. A nice Pinot. Give us your best."

Shanna stared at him, perplexed. "Since when do you hate champagne?"

"It's a recent thing," he muttered, thinking of the glass of champagne he had spilled after he had buried Annie.

In order not to spoil their dinner, Ted tried to keep Annie away from his thoughts and concentrate on small talk. Shanna seemed relieved that her husband was acting normal again.

After finishing their meals, Ted and Shanna waited outside of the restaurant for the valet to bring them their vehicles. Ted kissed her passionately as he discreetly kept one hand closed in a tight fist.

"I haven't felt this way about you in a long time. Let's do something special tonight," he said, his voice hoarse.

Shanna smiled at him as the valet brought her utility vehicle, and she climbed inside.

"I'll see you in a little while," Ted said, giving her a wink.

"I'll be waiting," Shanna returned.

As Ted drove his corvette, he opened his right hand. A sparkling diamond ring sat in it. He grinned with satisfaction. Annie might've stolen his stash of rings, but she hadn't been able to get this one since he kept it on his person at all times. This one was special.

The ring had belonged to Diane—his _first_ woman. Ted could still smell the fruity perfume of her hair. It only became more prominent as she struggled with him. _Why can't Annie lay in her grave like Diane did?_ he asked himself angrily. _Why is she causing so much trouble?_ But in order not to ruin the night, for the second time that evening, he decided to banish any thoughts of Annie.

Ted gently closed his hand around Diane's ring. His fingers started caressing it in feathery strokes. Placing the ring under his nose, he took a deep whiff. He thought he could still inhale some of the scent. Feeling his body in full explosive mode, he thought about how he was going to satisfy his wife.

At home, Shanna and an impatient Ted stood in the living room with Molly, the babysitter.

"She's been just fine Mr. and Mrs. Hughes. Shelby is fast asleep. I just checked on her."

Ted abruptly pulled out his wallet. "Thanks for your help, Molly," he said walking her to the door while handing her the money.

"If you need me again, my cell phone is—"

"We've got your number," he stated, grabbing her coat from her coat rack and throwing it on her shoulders while opening the door.

"Thanks, Molly," Shanna said.

"Your welcome, Mrs. Barrett," Molly returned, puzzled. As she stepped out the door, Ted shut it behind her.

Shanna laughed. "Could you have gotten her out of here any faster?"

Ted grabbed Shanna's hand. "Let's go upstairs, Mrs. Barrett."

He rushed her up the stairs. When they arrived at their bedroom, he planted his lips heavily on hers. Flashing back to when he was with Diane, he became more passionate. Thinking about the ring in his coat pocket set him on fire. In his mind, Shanna's face morphed into Diane's.

"I love you, Ted," Shanna said, full of emotion.

Suddenly, Diane morphed back into Shanna. The illusion had popped like a balloon with too much air. He abruptly stopped the lovemaking.

"What's wrong?" asked Shanna.

"Nothing," he answered gruffly.

Shanna's eyes overflowed with tears. "Is it me?"

"Let's get some sleep," he demanded.

"But—"

"I have to get up early to go on a business trip."

"Business trip?"

"That's what I said," he said, agitated. "I'll be gone for the weekend."

"But you hadn't said anything about it."

"It must've slipped my mind," Ted snapped. "I've got a lot on my plate with me having to take care of everything all the time."

"Did you forget that we needed to take Shelby to her doctor's appointment tomorrow?"

"For heaven's sake, Shanna, you can handle that on your own, can't you?"

"Yes," she said shakily.

"Good! Now let's get some rest."

### Chapter 32

If Ted didn't do something to relieve the stress, he would bust. After kissing his wife and daughter goodbye, he found himself in Central Park at dawn. He waited for a lone female jogger and didn't have to wait long. A woman with long blonde hair arrived.

The woman did her stretches. He started to put on his black ski mask when he saw something very odd at a distance. What seemed to be a huge, white, cotton ball was coming his way.

"Hold it, boy," he said when the cotton turned out to be a snow white Husky dog with pink ferocious eyes. He looked like a larger version of Lassie with different coloring.

The dog sat on its hind legs. Growling and baring its teeth, the dog's glaring eyes stayed on Ted.

"Good boy. Good boy," said Ted, trying to soothe the dog.

But the white dog wasn't a boy and didn't like being called one.

R-R-R-R-R-R

As she growled again, Ted pulled out a Billy club. The dog leapt. To the onlooker, the jogger, the dog seemed to fly through the air as the leap seemed to go on forever. But she finally landed on top of the man, throwing him onto the ground, and making him drop his Billy club.

R-R-R-R-R-R-R

Ted fearfully yelled and tried to push the dog off of himself, but it was of no use. He only managed to provoke the animal further. The dog opened her mouth wide, baring her white sharp teeth at him. As he shut his eyes expecting her to tear his throat out, he let out a sobbing sound from deep in his throat. Feeling a sharp excruciating pain much lower than his throat, he opened his eyes to find the dog on his crotch. Her teeth sunk well in. He fought the urge to pass out as the agony escalated.

"Stop! Stop, please! Please!" he pleaded.

Returning to Ted's face, the dog bared her teeth while growling. Jumping off, the dog refused to leave for the moment. Eyeballing him with satisfaction for a few eternal seconds, the dog then finally ran off. Ted's hand went to his crotch and realized the dog hadn't bitten it off, but it was a small comfort when he was in so much pulsating anguish. He barely kept conscious.

"Are you okay?" the blonde jogger exclaimed. "I saw the whole thing. I've already called 911."

Ted glared at her as he moaned miserably.

Elva nervously walked the corridors of the hospital. _How could my boss have been bitten by a dog? And bitten in such a place?_ Since Shanna had called her to tell her what had happened to Ted, she had run over as soon as she could. How would she be able to broach such a delicate subject?

Elva found his hospital room and stepped in. "Hello, Mr. Barrett," she said awkwardly.

"Hi, Elva," he responded without energy.

"You're here by yourself?"

"Shanna and Shelby are in the lunch room."

"How are you feeling, Mr. Barrett?"

"How do you think I'm feeling?" he said as emotion bursts out. "Just peachy!"

"You must be in pain."

"Of course I'm in pain! A stupid dog tried to yank my nuts off! And then a stupid woman stood there as it was happening!"

"I thought she was the one who called for help."

"Yeah, but she was also the one who stood there while this happened to me!"

"I've got to go," Elva said awkwardly. "I just wanted to stop by and see how you were."

"How's everything in the office?"

"Fine."

"Take care of it for me, okay?"

"Of course."

### Chapter 33

Sitting quietly at what was fast becoming one of her favorite restaurants, Dora's Sandwich Shop, Elva was deep in thought. So much so that she didn't hear when someone bounced over to her table.

"Hiya!"

_Officer Laramie! Great!_ Hadn't she gotten rid of him already?

"I thought I saw you stepping in here," he explained, a goofy grin on his face as he eyed her while smacking his lips. "How great to bump into you."

_This guy is barely a notch above Carl Lohman. Barely!_ The waitress arrived and Elva fervently prayed that Laramie had just popped in for a very quick hello and good-bye.

"I'll have a burger and a Mountain Dew," he told her.

No such luck. This time, I've got to make it one hundred percent clear that I'm not interested in him at all.

"Lucy, I'll have the Annie's special," Elva said.

The waitress nodded and shot her an _I pity you_ look just before she left to fill the order. Laramie didn't seem to be popular anywhere.

"What's an Annie's special?" he asked.

"A pastrami sandwich and a beverage."

"You know, I've just solved a case with an Annie," he commented, his chest puffing up.

Elva wasn't in the mood to listen to his bragging. Besides, she needed to put him in his place once and for all. "I'm not interested—"

"A woman named Annie was abducted a while back. I've got the culprit even if he denies having done it. I know it's him."

"How can you be sure it's him?" she questioned. His arrogant assertions annoyed her.

"The lowlife is known to like redheads and Annie Ryder was one. She—"

"Redhead?" Elva asked, gulping.

"Yeah, quite the looker. We haven't found the body, but it's only a matter of time. You don't have to worry, Elva. _I'll_ keep these streets safe for you," he bragged.

It was preposterous to think that the redhead he was talking about was the same one who had appeared to her. Yet, she had a nagging suspicion that kept poking at her.

"Would you happen to have a picture of Annie?"

His eyebrows shot up. "For what?"

"I just want to picture the poor woman you're talking about."

"Her husband gave us a picture," he explained, his hand in his pocket. "Since we're still looking for the body . . ."

When he handed the picture to Elva, her face turned pasty white. Her hand went to her throat, trying not to choke on her saliva.

"Elva, are you okay?" asked Laramie.

"I'm fine," she mumbled.

"But—"

"I feel bad for the poor woman," Elva rushed. "Who knows what she went through?"

Laramie bought her explanation of why she had reacted that way. He went on and on about his _excellent_ police work. All the while, Elva shuddered when thinking about the photograph. That redheaded woman was definitely the ghost she had seen.

Why is Annie hanging around my office?

### Chapter 34

Antonio stared at the paperwork on his desk. _It's worthless,_ he thought as he flung it to the ground.

"I've got nothing!"

The police department didn't have anything either. That fool Laramie thought he had solved it, but Antonio's gut instinct told him that the killer was still at large. His eyes darted around his office. "Annie, why don't you just tell me how to crack this case? I know Barrett did it."

He felt a familiar breeze flow by him, ruffling his hair. It was a string of wind that didn't come from an open window or door. Antonio was beginning to doubt less and less of where it came from.

"You're here, aren't you?" he asked, and another breeze flowed through. "You can sure communicate when you want. Why don't you help me get him?"

Antonio waited for a breeze, but nothing happened. "What are you up to, Annie? What?"

He shook his head. Never before had he encountered such a case with a victim spirit who sent breezes, flickering lights, and other odd phenomena to announce her presence. Not only that but this spirit actively prevented him from getting anywhere with solving the particulars of her murder. How many times had he had to remind himself that he was thought of as the best in certain circles, but this case confounded him. What was most frustrating was that he knew who the murderer was, but Annie wouldn't let him touch the killer even though she had led him to Ted.

He stood up and started putting on his overcoat. No use cracking his head anymore. The door swung open as he was about to move towards it.

Elva stepped in with a nervous look on her face. After what had happened to her boss and her chance meeting with Officer Laramie the day before, she had decided to speak to Detective Salas. Strange things were happening around her.

"Good evening, Mr. Salas," she said.

Antonio was shocked. He had left numerous messages on her machine asking her about Ted but had gotten no response. "Hello."

"I've been contemplating whether to talk to you or not. I hope you don't mind me here at this hour."

"I was about to leave. I'm starving. Talk to me while we have dinner."

"Well . . . I . . ."

"I'm not asking you on a date, Ms. Ortega. I need to eat, and you need to talk to me. That's all."

"Okay, then."

"I'm sure Laramie can spare you for this one night," he stated sarcastically.

"What?"

"Laramie—your boyfriend."

"What are you talking about?" she questioned, her face in a disgusted scrunch. "I don't have anything to do with that creep."

Antonio smiled. "So he was lying. That figures."

"What?"

"Never mind. Let's go get something to eat."

At Dora's Sandwich Shop, Antonio and Elva sat comfortably before discussing the inevitable. They ate sandwiches and she drank ice tea while he had his signature glass of milk.

"What do you need to talk to me about, Ms. Ortega?" asked Antonio.

"Call me Elva. I need to talk to you about my boss."

"What about him?"

"I can't ignore my suspicions any longer."

"Why is that?"

"The other day, sleazeball Carl Lohman went to see him at his request. Mr. Barrett practically threw me out of the office, so they could talk privately."

"You think he's guilty of hiring a false witness?"

"Yes."

"He seems pretty guilty in my book too. I hope those on the other side of that accident are able to prove their innocence."

Elva eyed him strangely. "You weren't hired by the Wesson Delivery Company? To prove the accident wasn't their fault?"

"No."

"You have nothing to do with the Griffith case?"

"No."

"You're investigating something else altogether?"

"I can't talk about it, Elva."

"I don't want to think about what kind of mess that man is into. Something strange is going on in that office."

"What do you mean?"

"Lately, his desk is always in disarray, even when no one's in the office. I organize it but then when I come back to it, it's always in a mess."

"All I can tell you is to watch yourself around him."

"So my mother was right."

"Probably. She's a wise lady."

"You know my mother?"

"That day I went to your home, she caught up to me when I left."

"I knew there was something funny about her wanting to go to the store for milk. We had half a gallon left."

"She told me that Ted Barrett isn't what he seems."

"Did she tell you that we come from a long line of witch doctors?

"Healers," blurted Antonio.

"I stand corrected."

"Tell your mother thanks for helping me with the case."

"She went back to El Paso but not before she demanded that I quit my job."

"Are you thinking about it?"

"Yes, I'm looking for another job," Elva said.

"Your strong suspicions of Ted Barrett and Carl Lohman convinced you, huh?"

"Actually it was something else."

"What was it?" Antonio asked.

"It was seeing him in the hospital yesterday."

"Who is in the hospital?"

"Ted Barrett," stated Elva. "Didn't you know?"

"No."

"Aren't you the detective?"

"Apparently I'm falling asleep at the wheel. Why is he in the hospital?"

"He got bitten by a dog this weekend," Elva said.

"Bitten by a dog? It must've been severe if he landed in the hospital."

"I'd say it was pretty severe. The dog almost tore off his . . . his . . ."

"His what?"

"His family jewels."

"The dog almost tore off his manhood," Antonio said, barely being able to resist the temptation to put his hand over his crotch in protection.

"Yes, he's in excruciating pain."

"To say the least. I almost feel sorry for the poor schmuck. Whose dog was it?"

"Nobody knows. Apparently, it was a stray."

"In his neighborhood?" asked Antonio.

"No, in Central Park."

"Central Park? Is that what you said?"

"Yes."

"Do you happen to know the breed of this dog?"

"It was a white Husky. Why do you ask?"

Antonio grew pensive. "I think I might've seen that dog."

"What?"

"Never mind, Elva. What do you think Ted Barrett was doing in Central Park? Was he with his family?"

"No, and now that I think about it, what was he doing in Central Park at around five in the morning on a Saturday? He's never said anything about being a jogger."

Antonio was deep in thought. "Five in the morning?"

"If it wasn't for a jogger nearby, I don't know what would've happened to him. He was lucky since no one else was there."

"A female jogger?"

"Yes. She's the one who called 911. And do you know that the jerk had the nerve to blame her for getting attacked by the dog?"

"Looks like your Mom ended up one hundred percent right about him."

### Chapter 35

The enormous plain clock with a clear face showed it was three. The darkness outside the glass doors confirmed it was in the a.m. and not the p.m. In the hospital, all was reasonably quiet and not nearly as noisy as during the day. Ted, because of a combination of drugs and exhaustion from his incident, slept soundly.

He heard people speaking in his room and woke up abruptly to find the television on. He was annoyed with himself that he hadn't turned it off before drifting off. When he grabbed the remote, he pushed the off button. Instead, the channels kept changing abruptly.

Flash, flash, flash.

What the heck?

The sound from the television became an ear piercing, gravely static noise. _H-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h._

Hoarse, spiky words formed through the static. " _Friend_! _Friend_!"

Ted desperately hit the off button on the remote.

"I'm here! I'm here," Annie's strong voice became apparent through the static.

"What do you want with me?" asked Ted, practically whimpering.

"Want to play, _Friend_? Want to play?"

The plate from his dinner earlier flew across the room like a bullet out of its gun. Crashing on the wall, the left-over food splattered. Ted frantically pressed the nurse button on the remote.

"Please don't hurt me. Please," Ted begged.

"Have some dignity," Annie spoke through the TV, her voice still gravely and harsh.

"Mr. Barrett, what's all that noise I hear?" asked a nurse from the corridor.

"Have some dignity," repeated Annie, snickering.

"Shut up!" exclaimed Ted, flinging the remote to the TV but instead he hit the side of the door, barely missing nurse Ashby as she stepped in.

"I know you've been through a traumatic experience but there is no excuse for telling me to shut up and flinging things," she snapped as she started picking up the remote, the shattered plate, and the scattered food. "And why are you watching television at this hour?"

Ted turned his frightened eyes to the T.V. He sighed angrily. The channels had stopped switching and had settled on a movie— _Ghost._

### Chapter 36

The police department had had to let the suspect of Annie's murder go since he had a solid alibi. Laramie had been livid. Antonio smiled when he thought about the jerk getting reprimanded for sloppy police work.

Antonio looked through the paperwork on his desk. How to make the pieces come together? Finally, he looked up and shook his head.

"This case is impossible. Why don't you help me, Annie?"

The papers in his hands rustled by themselves.

He scratched his head. "So he tried to get someone else and you foiled him, making the dog gobble up his power stick. Remind me not to get on your bad side."

His paperwork rustled again.

"I hope you know that I'm going to get him with or without your help. It's a mission for me."

The phone rang, startling him. "Salas Detective Agency," he answered when he got his bearings back.

"Hi, it's me--Elva."

"Hi, Elva."

"I was calling because. . ."

"Yes?"

Elva rushed her words. "Would you like to have dinner?"

"You've got some more information for me?"

"No, nothing like that . . . It's just that my nerves have been a little jumbled since this situation with Ted Barrett started. I hate the idea of going home to a meal by myself. Wouldn't you like company for dinner?"

"I hate eating by myself too. Do you want to meet me somewhere?"

"I know a very good restaurant."

Antonio smiled as he wrote down the address. When he replaced the receiver back on its cradle, the lights above him gently flickered.

"You like her, Annie?"

The paperwork on his desk fluttered.

"So do I," Antonio said as he stood up.

When Antonio stepped into _La Chariada_ Mexican Restaurant, Elva was already seated.

"Hi," he said when he arrived at the table.

"Hi."

Antonio sat down opposite from her. "This place looks busy. I've never been here."

"I love it here. It reminds me of home."

" _Buenas noches_ ," said a waitress handing them menus. "What would you like to drink?"

"I'd like a glass of milk."

"I'll just have a melon _agua_."

"I'll have those out to you shortly and will take your order unless you're ready now."

"I'm ready but I don't know about--" Elva said, looking at Antonio.

"What do you recommend?" Antonio asked.

"Everything is good here."

"I'll have the enchilada plate," said Antonio, handing his menu to the waitress.

"I'll have the taco plate." Elva also gave the waitress her menu.

When the waitress left, Antonio smiled at Elva and she reciprocated.

"You said that this restaurant reminds you of home. El Paso, right?" Antonio asked.

"Yes."

"Why did you move here? To be with someone?"

"No, not really. I didn't know anybody here."

"You moved to New York City without knowing anybody?" asked Antonio, surprised.

"Pretty much."

"If it isn't too personal, why did you come here?"

"I thought living in the big apple would be exciting."

"Has it been?" Antonio asked.

"Yes, very exciting. Especially with what's been happening lately. I do miss El Paso, though. Growing up on the border is a special experience."

"I've been to El Paso. I like it there. It's a city with a small town feel."

"Exactly. Where are you from, Antonio?"

"Puerto Rico."

"I hear it's a beautiful place."

"It is, very beautiful." Antonio stated.

Her eyes abruptly shifted past him in surprise. He turned his head to see what had caught her attention. _Laramie! And . . . and . . . Jordana Moore!_

"He dates movie stars?" slipped out of Elva's mouth, incredible disbelief in her words and a grimace on her face.

Antonio chuckled darkly. "He quit working for the police department after having been reprimanded. He's now part of Jordana Moore's security team."

Laramie looked enthralled with her, and she seemed to be eating it all up. It was obvious that there was more to them than a working relationship. Elva sighed in relief. Now maybe he'd stop bothering her.

"You think he'll move to L.A. once her Broadway play is over and she has to go back to Hollywood?"

"Probably."

"Great!"

Antonio laughed louder. "I'll be glad to see him go too."

The last time she had talked to Laramie at Dora's Sandwich Shop came to her mind. Annie's picture. Why was life so strange sometimes?

"You look like you want to ask me something," he said.

"I do but I don't want you to think I'm crazy."

"Why would I think that?"

"Do you believe in ghosts, Antonio?"

"Like Casper?"

"I guess that answers _that_ question," she said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be sarcastic. Actually, I've been wondering about the supernatural lately."

"This may sound totally crazy but sometimes I'm in the office and feel something there."

"What do you feel?" he asked.

"As if the air is heavy. It doesn't feel harmful towards me, but when Mr.

Barrett is in the room, it's as if a dark cloud sits in the office."

"Are you sure it's not your imagination?"

"I've asked myself that a million times but . . . "

"But what?" he asked.

"Do you remember when my mama told you we come from a long line of _curanderas_?"

"Yes."

"I've tried to run far away from that," Elva stated.

"Why?"

"C'mon, Antonio," Elva said, annoyed. "You know why. How can anyone

believe in such things?"

"That's what I thought too but now I'm not so sure."

"So you believe in the possibility of ghosts?"

"Yes, it's a possibility," he stated.

"Can I confide in you?"

"What do you want to tell me?"

"When I was a kid my mama and I were shopping in downtown El Paso. My mama looked away for a few seconds, and I ran away to play a joke on her.

The joke was on me because I got lost."

"You must've been scared," Antonio said.

"I was so scared that I started praying non-stop. Out of nowhere an elderly lady showed up. She asked me what was wrong. When I told her, she said that if I stood at the corner, my mama would soon come by."

"What happened?"

"My mama came by a few seconds later."

"It could've been a coincidence," he offered.

"I agree with you except for one thing."

"What?"

"The lady waited with me at the corner. When my mama showed up, she disappeared."

"Maybe she left when you looked away."

Elva cleared her throat. "You don't understand. I saw her vanish."

"What do you mean?"

"She gave me a hug and vanished. "

"It must've been a child's overactive imagination," he asserted.

"I'm not a fruitcake!"

"I'm not saying that you are. All I'm saying is that children imagine things.

It's part of being a kid."

"Then why did my mama see her too," Elva stated.

"Your mama saw her?"

"She waved at my mama before disappearing. My mama said, 'I'm glad that your great grandmother was taking care of you'."

"The woman was your great grandmother?" he asked, incredulously.

"When we got home, mama showed me an old picture of her. It was her all right."

"That's strange," he said in pensive thought.

"I'm just glad I'm here in New York instead of in the middle of all that strangeness at home."

"Is that why you moved here?"

"That's one of the reasons. I needed a change, but now it looks like the weirdness is following me here. I guess that with a family legacy like mine, you can't escape from who you are."

"Or what you've done," he said in deep thought.

### Chapter 37

Back home, Ted lay in his bed with a cane next to his night stand. A bite to the privates could almost immobilize a person, and Ted could barely get around, even with a walking stick. Shanna and Shelby were at his bedside.

"It's sure good to be home with my girls," Ted said.

"Sweetheart, do you need any more pillows?" asked Shanna.

"I'm all set. As snug as a bug in a rug," said Ted as he pressed Shelby's nose lightly with his index finger.

"You don't look good, Daddy."

"Shelby!" exclaimed Shanna.

"Don't scold her, Hon. She's right. I must look terrible."

"My friend says your playhouse has a red door."

Ted's face completely drained of its color. Words got stuck in his chalky throat.

"Red door?" asked Shanna.

"My friend said it's a special kind of a playhouse."

"Her imaginary friend," Shanna whispered to Ted.

"Hon, could you get me a glass of cold water?" asked Ted. "I'm parched."

"Sure," said Shanna, leaving the bedroom.

"Shelby, do you talk to your friend a lot?"

"Yes," answered Shelby.

Ted placed his hands on her shoulders. "I want you to stop paying attention to her, okay, Angel?"

"Why, Daddy?"

"You're a big girl now, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"You don't have imaginary friends anymore, do you?" he asked.

"She's not imaginary," Shelby said, pointing her finger behind Ted. "She's right there."

His heart almost shot out of his chest as he slowly looked in the direction of her finger.

"I was just kidding, Daddy," she said, laughing.

"Shelby, it's not nice to trick daddy that way."

"No."

"Mommy doesn't like it when you talk about your friend."

"Okay, I won't do it anymore."

Before the Annie business, Ted looked forward to the night. After a long day at a life of trying to stay ahead of the game, he would turn off the lights to enter into rest. Now he lay in his bed with the covers almost to his face wondering what mischief was afoot. When nothing happened, Ted succumbed to the drowsiness of the medication he had just taken for his still painful crotch and fell asleep.

He entered the hole of dreams, sliding into it effortlessly. He was at his other house, the one with the scarlet door. Reliving the scene that was at the forefront of his brain all the time, he went deeper into his nightmare.

Annie was tied up and penetrating her intense eyes into him. She told him, "This is not over. I'll come for you." He was about to squeeze his hands to her neck.

Don't do it, Ted," his inner voice said. "It'll be a nightmare from now on."

He shook his head. "I'm not going to let that woman control me. I control her," he told his inner voice. He started hardening his hands around her neck. Then he heard a creaky door open behind him and bony fingers on his shoulder.

" _Hello, Friend," a voice said._

He turned slowly around to find the scarlet door wide open and a skeleton with red hair carrying his shovel. She grinned as he turned to look at her, and her bony hand clutched his shoulder.

" _Come, Friend. Let's see what you're made of," the skeleton said._

Ted blacked out, and then awakened with sweat flooding off of him.

_What a nightmare,_ he said to himself. _I need a glass of water._

Ted tried to rise, but his head hit something. As he pulled out his arms, he found he was in a box of some kind. _What is this? Where am I?_ Grabbing a lighter from his pocket, he turned it on.

"Help me! Help me! I'm buried alive!" he exclaimed frantically as he flailed his arms all over the coffin. The flicker fizzled out. "Help! Help!" Ted yelled in the darkness.

Desperately trying to turn the lighter back on, it wouldn't strike a flicker. The solid darkness closed in on him, sitting on him like an elephant.

"Help! Please help!"

"Ted! Ted!" yelled Shanna, her voice coming from what seemed another world.

"Help me, Hon! Help me!"

"Where are you?"

"I'm here! I'm here!"

Light flooded around Ted's surroundings. He saw an opening on the side of his _coffin._ Then Shanna, who was on her hands and knees, poked her head in through the hole.

"What are you doing under the bed, Ted?" asked Shanna, who had turned on a lamp and had pulled away the blankets hanging on the side of the bed. "Are you okay?"

"I had a horrible nightmare. I thought I was in a coffin," he blurted, slurring his words as if he was still trying to come back to reality.

"Sweetheart, it was just a bad dream. You're awake now. Everything's fine."

### Chapter 38

There was nothing Antonio enjoyed more about his city than its busy activity and energetic liveliness. He and Elva headed toward her apartment. Manhattan, the city that never slept was buzzing with more motion at night than during the day.

"That was too much!" laughed Elva. "When he threw himself out of the window and fell in that pig pen, I just about lost it."

"And here I thought we were about to see a serious foreign film and ended up watching grown people in crap," Antonio said.

"I'd rather laugh than cry anyway."

"Definitely."

"Besides, it had some seriousness to it."

"The love story," Antonio said sarcastically.

"You don't like love stories?"

"To be honest with you, no."

"Why not?"

"I'm a cynic when it comes to that stuff," Antonio said.

"Why are you a cynic?"

"A large part of it is my work. I've had to spy on many cheating couples. Many, many, many!"

"You don't think people can be true to each other?"

"I've got my doubts."

"Could you be true to a lover?" asked Elva.

"Yes, of course."

"Have you ever cheated on a woman?"

"No."

"So what you're saying is that you don't think you can find a woman who can be faithful to you?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying," Antonio said.

"Then what are you saying?"

"I don't know what I'm saying. I just don't know."

"I've got something to confess to you."

"What is it?" Antonio asked.

"You asked me once why I came to New York, and I never told you the real reason."

"What is it?" he repeated.

"I was getting away from something or someone should I say."

"A man?"

"Yes. My husband divorced me."

"Why did he do that? Another woman?"

They had arrived at her apartment and stayed outside the door.

"You might say that. I can't have children, and he found someone who can give him all the little ones he wants."

"What about adoption?"

"He wanted biological children."

"Surrogates?"

Elva shook her head. "Too much trouble for him. It was easier to divorce me."

"I'm sorry, Elva. That must've really hurt."

"It hurt for a while."

"It doesn't hurt anymore?"

"Just a little."

"Hopefully, soon it won't hurt at all," Antonio said as he focused his eyes on hers. After a few seconds, he tore his vision away. "Thanks for coming with me to the movies."

"Thank you for your invitation. It sure helped me get my mind off of work."

"You're going to quit soon, aren't you?"

"I'm still looking for another job."

"I'm relieved to hear you say that."

"You know, Elva, if you ever need anything . . ."

"I might take you up on that someday."

He focused his eyes on her lips. Having the impulse to get closer, instead he abruptly pulled back. "I . . . I've got to go, Elva."

"I was wondering . . . I was thinking about . . . Would you like to come in with me?"

"I can't, I really can't," said Antonio, rushing down the steps. At the bottom, he turned around to look at her. "I'm sorry, Elva, but I just can't start something like this."

### Chapter 39

Ted sat in front of his computer in his study at home. At first he approached the screen with trepidation, but then his need to get back to some normalcy took over. He also needed to get some of his backlogged work out of the way.

As he was about to send Elva an E-mail, the screen shut off. When it came back on, the words, 'Hello, _Friend_ ,' appeared. Ted grabbed his cane and limped out of his study as swiftly as he could, stepping out of the house where Shanna was tending to her flower garden. He sat in a chair on the porch.

"I thought you were getting some work done," Shanna said as she looked up from her tulips.

"I wanted to come out here to get some fresh air and spend some time with you."

"Isn't that sweet."

"Where's Shelby?"

"Napping," Shanna said.

"I'm glad she's resting."

Shanna went back to her flowers. "Our little girl is so amazing. You know that we've been going to Central Park and--"

"You've been going to Central Park?" snapped Ted.

"Yes," Shanna responded quietly.

"You haven't told me this before!" roared Ted.

"I . . . I didn't want to bother you with it," Shanna mentioned with a fearful timber in her voice. "I've just been so happy that Shelby has felt up to going."

"I don't want you to go anymore," Ted stated furiously. "You don't know what kinds of sickos go there. Something could happen to the both of you. Don't go again!"

"We won't . . . You should see her at the park, though, sweetheart. Shelby is like a different person. She's so alive and energetic. I think the fresh air and open spaces do her a lot of good. She's actually able to play for hours with this little girl. Can you believe that? She's so attentive to her new friend with Down syndrome. Maybe you could come with us one of these days?" she asked as she looked up from her flower bed to find Ted sound asleep. Shanna quietly returned to her gardening.

Meanwhile, inside Ted's head, he was at his second house. _He clutched his shovel in his hands, and stepped out the scarlet door onto the dark night. The only light came from a full greenish looking moon. He looked down to find his backyard was littered with headstones._

Where did these come from?

Upon examining them, one by one, he found they had names.

Diane . . . Gwendolyn . . . Karen . . . Moira . . .

But when he arrived at Annie's headstone, it was the only one with nothing engraved on it. He knew it was Annie's because he knew where he had buried her. He stared at the ominously blank grayness on top of the grave. A black crow flew by his ear and flapped its wing on his cheek.

" _Stupid bird!" he exclaimed but it wouldn't stop him from what he needed to do._

Ferociously swinging the shovel over himself to knock down the headstone, the dirt on the grave started pulling itself apart in small but frenetic movements. Something was coming out.

A skeleton claw reached out.

Ted jumped back, dropping the shovel and barely missing the hand. He started backing slowly away.

" _Where are you going, Friend? This is not over yet," a voice said behind him. When he turned, he was face to face with Annie. "I'm here, Friend."_

Grabbing the shovel, he lifted it over his head, and brought it thundering down on Annie. She vanished. Instead, Ted hit the empty spot in front of him with such force that he fell back onto the skeleton hand that was patiently waiting for him. It closed over his arm with a vice like grip.

" _Let me go! Let me go!" he exclaimed as he struggled to free himself. Suddenly, she appeared again. Calm and unruffled. He desperately tried to get free and when he couldn't, he tried to reach her with his other hand, but the skeleton hand pulled him closer to the grave._

" _If you're good, Friend, I'll tell the claw to let you go."_

" _I'll be good," said Ted, sobbing. "I'll do anything you tell me. I'll be good."_

Annie nodded. "That's more like it."

" _Please let me go."_

" _You want me to free you?"_

" _Please," Ted begged._

" _Sure."_

" _Thank you, Annie."_

" _Sorry, I've changed my mind," Annie said sarcastically as the claw began to pull him into the grave. Ted whimpered like a small child as he was being dragged into the dirt._

"Ted! Ted!" shouted Shanna. "Wake up! Wake up!"

Ted awakened and frantically looked around. "Shanna? Where am I?"

"You're at home, sweetheart. You fell asleep out here and were having a nightmare. Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not okay," snapped Ted, dripping with sweat.

### Chapter 40

Antonio really did hate eating alone, but he didn't see any way around it. Elva was gone from is life. He didn't feel like dining in a place full of strangers, so he picked up his dinner and brought it back to his office. When taking a bite into the pastrami sandwich, he laid it back down on his desk. His glass of milk tumbled and fell on his food.

_How did this happen?_ he said to himself. He could've sworn he hadn't even touched the glass.

He was able to save half of the sandwich, but he had to throw the other half in the trash can. As he was wiping the milk off his desk, he realized what must've happened.

"Is that you, Annie?" he asked the air.

The paperwork on the left side of his desk rustled.

"Where have you been?" he asked. "And why did you spill my milk?"

The remaining half of his sandwich fell into the trash can.

"What did you do that for?" he asked.

The lights flickered softly.

"You want me to have dinner with Elva?"

The lights flickered again.

"No, that's not happening again ever."

The lighted flickered frantically.

"Stop it, Annie! You're giving me a headache. Besides, you have no right being angry with me. I'm angry with you. First, you won't tell me how to crack this case and second, you leave for days and waltz into my life as if nothing! Where were you? Terrorizing Barrett? Did you get the dog to finish munching on his balls?"

Antonio's portable radio clicked on. A romantic song played softly.

"I'm not gong to go out with her anymore, Annie. Stop your meddling."

The radio switched to a heavy metal rock song with the volume turning up to as high as it would go. The television also turned on to a horror movie with the volume escalating with each passing second. Antonio nonchalantly walked to each and turned them off.

"I'm not scared of you, Annie. Save your spooky theatrics for Barrett. I'm sure he's appreciating every one of them . . . And understand this, I am most certainly not going out with Elva anymore. Whatever was between us is over. No more outings with her. No more. No way. We're done with. Done!"

As Elva stepped in _La Chariada_ Mexican restaurant, Antonio breathed out in relief. He thought she wouldn't show. He waved at her. The unlit candle on the table suddenly sparked, and a beautiful yellow flame arose from it.

"Annie," he mumbled.

"Hi," Elva said as she arrived at the table and sat opposite from him.

"Thank you for coming," Antonio said nervously.

"It sounded important."

" _Buenas noches_ ," said the waitress. "Nice to see the both of you back. What would you like?"

"Our usual?" asked Antonio as he looked at Elva.

"Yes, our usual," answered Elva.

"I'll have it out to you shortly," she said as she stepped away.

"So what's important?" asked Elva. "Is it about the case?"

"No."

"Then what is this about?" she questioned.

"About the other night--"

"Stop there. You don't owe me any explanations. I know that people are not always attracted to each other."

"You think I'm not attracted to you?" asked Antonio, incredulous.

"You did run out on me, didn't you?"

"Yes, I ran out on you, but not because I didn't want you," he said, exasperated. "Have you taken a good look at yourself?"

She rolled her eyes. "Stop the flattery."

"Elva, I think you know me well enough to know that I don't flatter anybody. I tell the truth and you're one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen in my life."

"Thank you," she said, embarrassed.

"The thing is that you're even more beautiful on the inside than on the outside—as impossible as that may seem."

"Thanks."

"I mean every word of it."

"If you think I'm so attractive, then why did you high tail it out the other day?"

"The other night you told me about your former fiancé, but I neglected to be completely truthful with you."

"You did?" asked Elva.

"The other reason, and probably the biggest one, that I'm cynical about romance is that I was married."

"You were married?"

"What happened?"

"My wife left me."

"Another man?" Elva asked gently.

"Not that I know of. She said she stopped loving me."

"That sucks."

"I'm divorced like you."

"Any kids?"

Antonio's face lit up. "I have a son. He's studying at Harvard."

She placed her hand over his. "That's great. The divorce must've been hard on him too."

"Elva, I didn't come to give you a sob story. I came because a friend knocked some sense into me and made me realize how much I want to keep seeing you."

Elva smiled. "You do?"

"You don't know how much."

"We'll take this slow," she remarked.

Antonio nodded. "Yes, slow."

Chapter 41

Ted despised waiting for people. It should always be the other way around. He was too important to have to twiddle his thumbs and count the seconds on the clock, but he didn't have a choice on this one. If he was to get rid of his _small_ problem, he had to sit patiently by the window. After watching a woman about his age and in a navy blue suit walk up his porch, he limped to the door and swung it open.

"Look lady, I'm waiting for someone," Ted said. "I don't want to buy anything or contribute to anyone, so you best be on your way." He started shutting the door.

The woman put her foot in the entryway preventing him from closing the door. "I believe you're waiting for me. Are you Mr. Barrett?"

"Yes, but you can't possibly be the psychic."

"Why? Because I don't carry a crystal ball and wear gaudy jewelry?"

"You don't look like one."

"What are we, who work with spirits, supposed to look like?"

"I don't know. Flaky maybe." Ted fully opened the door again. "Come in," he said as he led her inside. "I hope you know what you're doing."

She pulled off her coat and placed it on the coat rack. "My name is Minerva, but you can call me Madame Zelda if it makes you feel any better."

"I don't care what your name is," said Ted, annoyed. "I need help with a ghost. I normally don't believe in that stuff but a lot has been happening to me lately. I've gotten rid of my wife and daughter for a while, so you can do your witchcraft in peace."

"I don't do witchcraft," said Minerva, insulted. "I practice the art of astral communication."

"Whatever you want to call it. I need you to exorcise this ghost. Get this thing out of here."

Minerva glanced at him with annoyance, and then looked around the house. "Mr. Barrett, you are not making matters any better by calling her a thing."

"If you knew what she had done to me, you'd be calling her one too."

Minerva stopped moving, glaring at him. "And what have you done to her, Mr. Barrett?"

Ted took a big gulp. "I think this place is haunted."

Minerva kept moving around looking at different spaces. "Your house isn't haunted, Mr. Barrett."

"It isn't?" asked Ted, surprised.

"No."

"But--"

"Your house isn't haunted. _You_ are."

"Me?"

"Yes, _you._ "

Walking into his study, Minerva looked around the room. She stepped over to the computer and touched the screen.

"She likes communicating with you, doesn't she?" asked Minerva.

"Somewhat," Ted answered uncomfortably.

"She is not a happy camper," Minerva said as she shook her head. "You've got one of these offices somewhere else, don't you?"

"I've got a business office."

"I don't mean that. I mean another home office. The one with a scarlet door."

Ted was flabbergasted. "No . . . I don't have another study. This is my only house."

Minerva gave him a stern glance and started walking out of the room. He followed her.

"The stupid ghost messes with me in my bedroom sometimes," he said. "Would you like to see it?"

"That won't be necessary," Minerva said as she walked to the front door. She grabbed her coat from the coat rack and started putting it on.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving."

"You've gotten rid of her already," Ted asked happily.

"No."

"I don't understand."

"I can't do anything for you, Mr. Barrett."

"What do you mean?" he snapped.

"I can't help you."

"Do something! I'll pay you anything you want."

"It's your fate."

"What?"

"You didn't think you could commit those atrocities and get away with them, did you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about," Minerva said, disgusted. "People like you always think that what you do won't come back to haunt you. Guess what? Tag, you're it."

"What?"

"Killers murder people thinking that they're off the hook. All it takes is one strong spirit to refuse to leave, to _refuse_ to stay dead."

"If you don't get rid of her, I'll get rid of you," he retorted.

She kept her glare on him. "You can't touch me while she's around, can you?"

"I can do whatever I want," Ted growled.

Above them the lights started to flicker frantically. He eyed them with wide eyes. A rabid dog barked outside. Ted took his startled eyes off the bulbs and limped to the window. As soon as he opened the curtains, he saw a white Husky with the pink eyes on his lawn scowling at him.

The dog's intense eyes bore into him with unwavering strength.

**R-R-R!** exploded out of the Husky's mouth.

"People sometimes become more _powerful_ on the other side. Too bad for you."

"Do something!"

"I can't." Minerva placed her hand on the door knob. Ted moved towards her. "You'd better stop there, Mr. Barrett. You don't want to mess with _me_. If you kill me, I'll make what she's done to you seem like child's play. Just try me."

Furiously grabbing a vase, Ted flung it to the wall where it shattered.

"There won't be peace until she finishes with you." Minerva said as she started to step out the door. "Good luck. You'll need it," she snickered as she closed the door behind her.

### Chapter 42

Elva liked Antonio for many reasons. He was smart, interesting, and handsome to boot. These traits would've been enough for her once, but not anymore.

Now at forty-three, Elva hoped that through the bumps in life, she'd learned a thing or two. She could now see what she didn't see before—the importance of friendship.

Elva especially loved that she and Antonio could stroll around in a busy Manhattan night and feel no need to be anywhere else. Antonio smiled at her as they walked to her apartment from the movie theater.

"That was a much too serious film for me," said Elva.

"I thought that when the hero left her, you were going to cry your eyes out."

"You've got to admit that that part was touching."

"Sort of."

"Sort of?"

"Okay, it was very touching," he said, smiling. "Are you satisfied?"

Elva grabbed his arm and squeezed it. "Yes, I'm satisfied."

A breeze floated by them, ruffling their hair. Elva shivered.

"Are you cold?" Antonio asked.

"A little. Where did that breeze come from?"

Antonio shrugged and put his arm around her. "How's that?"

"Much better."

"I don't want you to think I don't care about your welfare."

She smiled. "I wouldn't think that."

"Elva, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

"What is it?"

"I don't want to tell you what to do, but Ted Barrett is probably going to go back to the office soon, and he's dangerous and—"

"Don't worry. I'm going to quit."

"When?" asked Antonio, concerned.

"I've found another job."

Arriving at her apartment, they walked up the steps to her door.

"You don't know how relieved I am," Antonio said.

"You're not half as relieved as I am," she stated, chuckling. "I'll be quitting soon. I just need to tie up some loose ends."

"You know what this means, though?"

"What?"

Antonio stepped closer. "This," he said, kissing her.

"Nice kiss," Elva said after they disengaged. "But what does it have to do with me quitting the law office?"

"Your quitting will probably make him angry. I'll have to stay here to protect you."

"Really? I only have one bedroom."

"We'll have to make do then," Antonio said.

"What happened to taking it slow?"

Antonio chuckled. "I don't know what got into me. I guess I forgot I'm a man and never want things slow."

Elva chuckled. "Is that so?"

"Yes."

Elva pulled out her keys. "Okay, Mr. Man. Let's go in."

The morning sunlight spilled into Elva's bedroom. She sat on the bed with the covers to her chest. Antonio lay soundly next to her, but he awakened when a bird started chirping outside the window.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm trying to think of a way to make this less awkward."

"Awkward?"

"The morning after is always awkward," she informed him.

Antonio sat up. "Then let's pretend this is our second time."

"The second time is awkward too because you don't know if you lived up to the first time when it was so new and exciting."

"Okay, then let's pretend this is the third time."

"On the third time, it starts getting stale already."

They chuckled loudly.

"Let's shut up, stop thinking, and do it all over again," Antonio said as he kissed her and pulled her down with him.

### Chapter 43

Elva sat quietly at her desk in the office. While she worked on the computer, the door swung wide open. Carl Lohman strutted in.

"Hello there," he greeted.

"Mr. Barrett isn't here."

"I know. It's you I need to talk to."

"What about?"

"It's almost lunch time. Are you hungry?" he asked.

"No."

"I know a great restaurant. You do get hungry sometimes, don't you?"

"Carl, I have a lot of work to do," she said sharply.

"You work too hard," he stated.

"I don't have time for this. I already told you--"

"Let me treat you to a ritzy restaurant. Wouldn't you like that?"

"No, thank you."

"What you need is a man to appreciate you. I would treat you like a queen."

Elva frowned. "I'm not royalty."

"You may not know this but I'm independently wealthy."

"You may not know this, but I'm not a hooker."

"I could take care of you, so you wouldn't have to work," he said.

"Being your mistress would be work."

"What?"

"Carl, let me make this plainly, I don't like cheaters and I don't like you."

"But Elva—"

"Carl, you could be the last man on earth, and I would date a shark before

I dated you."

"Why won't you go out with me?" he snapped.

"Let me see—you're married, you stare at women as if they're pieces of meat, you haven't showered in a month--the list goes on and on. It would take me the rest of the day to explain, and I already told you that I have a lot of work to do."

"You're just like the rest of them!" he yelled furiously. "All tease and when someone takes you up on it, you act all virgin-like!" As he stepped closer to her desk, Elva grabbed a stapler.

"Don't you get any closer!" she demanded, fire in her tone.

Carl laughed darkly. "What are you going to do with that thing? Staple me to the desk?"

WHOOSH!

The stapler abruptly flew out of Elva's hands.

THUNK!!!

Crashing into Carl's head, the sound resonated throughout the office. Elva stared at her hands with complete bewilderment.

She hadn't thrown the stapler.

"OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

Moaning painfully, Carl swiftly shifted his hand to the left side of his head. "Am I seeing things or did that stapler hurl _itself_ at me?" he muttered between groans.

"I . . . I don't know how . . ."

Carl started to move towards her. "Elva, you must be some kind of a magician and—"

The floor mat swiftly bunched itself under Carl's feet.

CRASH!

Tripping, he roughly hit the side of his head on the desk.

"OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

After a few seconds of moaning, he continued, "Flying staplers, moving rugs—what's going on?!!!"

Abruptly, springing up from the floor, he headed towards the door. "Something weird is going on here. Very weird!" Swinging the door wide open, he rushed out.

Elva shakily eyed the air around her. "Thank . . . thank you, Annie." Grabbing her purse, she rushed out too.

### Chapter 44

Ted despised the fact that Shanna could calmly read a book next to him in the living room while he was breaking his head trying to come up with a solution to his _little_ problem. The phone rang, making him almost jump out of his skin. Shanna started to stand up.

"I'll get it," Ted said as he walked over to the phone, no longer with a cane. "Barrett residence . . . Carl, it's about time you called me . . . Great! Absolutely great! Hold on." Ted talked to Shanna. "All charges are dropped, Hon. They're no longer investigating Carl."

"That's wonderful, sweetheart."

Ted returned to the phone. "Carl, this is the best news I've had in a long time . . . What? . . . Are you sure? . . ." Ted's face grew pensive and worried. "Yes, I'll be careful." Distracted, he hung up the phone.

"What's wrong?" Shanna asked.

"Nothing, just business."

As the ringing of the telephone blared again, Ted answered it. "Barrett residence. . . Hi, Elva, how's everything? . . . Are you kidding me? . . . But Elva you can't-- . . . Whatever they're going to pay you, I'll pay you more. . . Elva, please think about this before making a rash decision . . . I can't believe you're doing this to me! After all I've done for you. I've-- . . . Elva! Elva!" Ted slammed down the phone.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" asked Shanna, alarmed.

"She just quit on me," he said, furious and hurt.

Elva and Antonio had brunch at _La Chariada_ Mexican restaurant. The early morning lovemaking made them famished.

"I wish you had waited until I got out of the shower to talk to him," Antonio said.

"What was he going to do over the phone?"

"I hate the idea of you talking to him alone, even if it's over the phone."

"It's done. I no longer work for Ted Barrett."

"How did he take your resignation?" Antonio asked.

"He seemed pretty desperate," Elva said.

"From now on, you don't go anywhere alone, okay?"

"Do you think he'll try to hurt me?"

"A man like him is capable of anything," Antonio said.

"I'll make sure I'm careful."

"Promise?"

"Yes, promise," Elva said. "I can't believe I didn't listen to my instincts sooner about him."

"I'm glad you're listening now."

"I would try to look at the good in him like his devotion to his poor daughter. When he would tell me how he would have to get away from everything sometimes, I would actually feel compassion for him."

"Get away?" Antonio asked with interest. "Would he happen to tell you where he went?"

"He said he had a home in Greenwich, Connecticut."

"I've checked him out thoroughly. He doesn't own or rent a home there."

"He doesn't? He even described it. If it was make believe, he sure made up specific details."

"There must be something I'm missing," Antonio said.

"Suppose his parents own the home? They're always giving him things."

"Why would the home be under their name?"

"Mr. Barrett has told me that his parents don't like Shanna. They feel they're marriage isn't going to last even though they've been married for eleven years."

"So they don't want the house they gave their son to be part of the divorce settlement. That makes sense."

"Lots of sense."

After they finished their meal, they happily walked towards her apartment. To the casual observer, they were another couple in love. To Ted Barrett, who ran over to her apartment to try to convince her not to quit but instead ended up following her to the restaurant, this was nothing short of betrayal. She was with this man instead of being where she should—taking care of his business. He wanted to roar with frustration. He had put so much trust in her.

Stupid witch!

I thought she was special.

She'll pay for her betrayal!

### Chapter 45

Ted was thrilled to be out of the loose track outfits and back in his Armani suits. The red ugly bites of the dog were almost gone, and he could urinate without hurting. As Shanna and Shelby ate breakfast quietly, he took a bite out of his waffle and read the newspaper with the headline on the front page of _Possible Serial Killer_ with a picture of Annie Ryder underneath. He looked around the kitchen suspiciously.

"No problems with the electricity lately?" Ted asked Shanna.

"Everything seems fine," Shanna said.

"It's nice not having to worry about anything in the house," he commented smugly.

"Are you sure you're up to going to the office today, sweetheart?"

"Now that my secretary has quit, I've got to go."

"But, Ted, I'm sure your work can wait until you fully recover."

"Nothing's going to stop me from work."

"Daddy, I was wondering if you'd let us go to the park?" asked Shelby.

"Angel, I don't like you going there without me. Do you know the kinds of whacks who go there?"

"We'll wait until your father can go with us," Shanna said.

"Please, Daddy, just this once, and I'll never ask you again."

"Shelby, I'm going to let you go this once, but I'm going to hold you to that promise."

"I'll get my coat, Mommy," Shelby said, excited.

Chapter 46

As Antonio clicked the keys on his computer, he felt an energetic vibrancy he hadn't felt in a long time. He wrote an address down on a sheet of paper. In a short while, he'd be ready to leave and break open this case.

_Finally!_ he said to himself.

As he mentally reminded himself not to forget to put his gun back in its holster and his cell phone in his pocket instead of leaving them on his desk, he smiled. Cracking a case open gave him such a high.

"Elva was right, Annie. His parents do own a home in Greenwich. I bet that's where he has his victims. I'm going to crack this case without you, Ms. Annie," he said as he looked around him. He swung his arms up. "You're not here, are you? I've just spent the last fifteen minutes talking to myself."

He should've felt silly, but today he was in too good of a mood. Great things were happening. He had talked to his son earlier who had told him that school was going great. Now he had the Connecticut address he needed. It was a red letter day!

Antonio turned off the computer, went to his mini refrigerator, and pulled out his milk. As he was drinking it out of the carton, he started feeling woozy. . He tried to grab a chair, but no matter how much he fought against the thickness of the fog encapsulating his senses, he still blacked out. Falling to the ground, he made a loud thumping sound. Milk spilled all over the floor.

Ted strutted into the office. Having been very carefully spying on Antonio from the glass door, he stepped in when Antonio was completely unconscious.

Standing over Antonio, he guffawed loudly. "You sure took your sweet time drinking that stuff."

### Chapter 47

There was only one spot Shelby wanted to visit at Central Park. When she and her mother arrived, they waved to Cindy and Lucas from a distance and started towards them.

"We'll only be here for a little while," Shanna told Shelby. "I just don't want to get your father upset with us by staying too long."

Shelby nodded. "Okay, Mommy."

Lucas smiled as he and Cindy met them half way. "I thought I'd never see you two again."

"I'm so happy you're here," Cindy said as she hugged Shelby.

"My husband had an accident, and I had to tend to him," said Shanna.

Shelby's face shifted to Shanna with a pleading look. "Mommy, I'd really like a hot chocolate."

"I can get it," Lucas said.

Shanna shook her head. "Thank you, but I'm the only one who knows how she likes hers with extra marshmallows. I'll get Cindy a cup too. Would you like one, Lucas?"

"No, thank you," he said.

"I'll be right back," Shanna asserted as she walked towards a vendor at a distance.

"Cindy, I've got to tell you something important," said Shelby.

"Would you like to talk to Cindy in private, Shelby?" asked Lucas.

"No, you can listen, Lucas."

"What do you want to tell me, Shelby?" Cindy asked.

"I've really liked playing with you."

"I like playing with you too," said Cindy.

Shelby touched Cindy's arm. "You're very special, Cindy."

"I am?"

Shelby eyed Shanna who was still with the vendor and paying for the cups. "I'm going away, and I wanted you to know how much I'll miss you."

"You're going?" Cindy barely got the words out. Shanna was now heading their way.

"Yes," said Shelby, a knot stuck in her throat.

"How long?"

"Forever."

A flood of tears rolled down Cindy's face. "Don't go, Shelby. Don't go," she cried desperately.

Lucas quickly moved towards Cindy. Comforting his daughter, he squeezed her in his arms. "Where are you going, Shelby?" he asked gently and suspiciously.

Thick tears escaped Shelby's eyes. "I can't tell you."

"You know you will always be in our hearts," said a tearful Lucas as he took Shelby into a group hug.

"What's all of this?" asked Shanna arriving at their spot. "I leave to get hot chocolate, and I come back to find everyone crying."

"I was telling them that I probably won't come back to the park for a while," said Shelby.

Shanna looked apologetic. "My husband is so protective of us that he doesn't want us to come here without him. He's always busy, but don't be so sad, Cindy. I'm sure we'll see you again."

Lucas solemnly eyed her with compassion. Shanna was not aware that her daughter intuitively knew about what was sure to come. He knew about losing a loved one first hand.

"Mommy, we should go," said Shelby. "I'm a little tired."

Shanna nodded. "Let's go."

Shelby gave a quick but strong hug to Cindy and then to Lucas. She started walking briskly away without looking back.

Shanna handed a cup to Cindy. "Don't worry. We'll see you again—hopefully soon," she said as she rushed to catch up to Shelby.

Chapter 48

Antonio lay completely blacked out in the back seat of Ted's BMW with a dark blanket covering him. As Ted headed towards Connecticut, he strummed his fingers on the dashboard.

"Worthless, jerk, not fitting in my trunk," he said over his shoulder to Antonio. "I don't think my wife will appreciate you taking her pills. You should be dying soon with as many of those things that I slipped in your milk."

He clicked on the radio with trepidation. When he didn't hear white noise, he was visibly relieved. He kept switching channels but didn't find one he liked and turned it off again.

"So you're messing with my secretary. Did you think that by bedding her you would get closer to me? When I'm done with you, she'll get what's coming to her. She should've warned me about you! Instead, it was that worthless Carl Lohman that warned me that you've been asking around about me."

Ted's cell phone blared loudly. "Hello," he chirped into the phone. "Maxwell, the case is going great. Our boy Carl really came through for us."

A touch on the shoulder.

WHAT?!!!!!!!

Something just grabbed his shoulder!

_The skeleton claw!!!_ resounded in his head.

Losing control of the car, he swerved on a lonely road. Is it the claw?! But when he forced himself to look, he saw that it was flesh.

"I'll call you back!" Ted snapped into the cell phone.

A groggy Antonio struggled to fully awake. His hands were in handcuffs, but he had managed to grab Ted's shoulder. Squeezing harder and harder, Antonio tried to immobilize his captor. Ted started throwing out punches with one hand while trying to drive with the other.

"Stop!" Ted snarled.

Trying fiercely to open the door, Antonio found it was locked. Ted finally managed to pull the car over to the shoulder. Taking out his billy club, he started to open the back door. Antonio kicked the door with all the force he could, hitting Ted who dropped the Billy club.

Antonio charged him. His handcuffed hands went over Ted's head. Chocking sounds erupted from Ted's mouth. Pulling out his own holstered gun, Ted fired.

BANG!

The sound exploded through the air.

It was the end of the day for Elva's first day of work at her new job at Escobedo and Lawrence Law Office. She knew she'd enjoy doing mostly paralegal work and hardly any secretarial work. Elva checked her watch as she stood by the glass doors. Antonio should've already been there for her. Brenda, a colleague, smiled at her.

"What's wrong, Elva? Has your first day been difficult?"

"No, it's not that, Brenda. My friend was supposed to be here. We were going to dinner."

"Why don't you call him?"

"I think I will."

She pulled out her cell phone and punched the buttons. When she got his voice mail, she dialed two other numbers, one his home and the other his office, but no one answered.

"Not there?" asked Brenda.

Elva rushed for the doors. "I'll see you tomorrow, Brenda."

She kept telling herself that nothing was wrong as she arrived at Antonio's detective agency. She turned the knob half expecting it to be locked but the door flung open. Spilt milk stained the floor, and Elva's stomach became a hard knot. She fearfully looked around to notice Antonio's gun and cell phone were on his desk. He would never go anywhere without those two items. Elva felt a breeze gently fly by her and push a sheet of paper off Antonio's desk. She was too worried for Antonio to be spooked, and she picked up the paper to find a Connecticut address. Elva rushed out the door.

A few moments later she was at Benson's Vehicle Rental. She turned the key in the ignition of the compact car, and she was off with a sheet of paper as her passenger.

### Chapter 49

Ted took a swig of his gin and tonic. He normally liked scotch but didn't have any in the house. Next time he came, he'd have to restock his liquor cabinet.

Antonio lay on the floor still unconscious. Ted had left him by the scarlet door on top of blankets, so he wouldn't bleed on his carpet. Ted muttered under his breath as he glared at him. Pulling out his cell phone, he started punching buttons.

"Hi, Hon," he said into the phone. "I'm going to have to go out of town tonight. It's a last minute thing. I'll be home tomorrow."

"Sweetheart . . . ," Shanna cried.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Shelby."

"What's wrong with Shelby?"

"She's been acting strange all day," Shanna said. "Couldn't you just come home before she wakes up from her nap?"

Ted let out an exasperated sound. "We've talked about this kind of thing before. Why do you overreact?"

"Please come home, Ted. I'm telling you, she's acting strange. You have to believe me."

"Stop crying," Ted snapped. "I'll come home, and this better not be a false alarm. I've got a lot to do, so it'll be a few hours."

"As long as you're here tonight."

Sighing, Ted hung up. His wife drove him crazy sometimes. Better finish this, he told himself with regret. He had wanted to torture Antonio before killing him, but his wife had curtailed his plans. Yanking out his gun, he aimed it at Antonio's head.

"Good-bye, friend." With a self-satisfied smile, he pulled the trigger.

Click.

Click, click, click.

_What the heck?! Why is this thing not working?_ Checking for the bullets, he found everything was where it should be. As he pulled the trigger again, it clicked once again. _What the heck,_ he repeated to himself.

The lights started flickering frenetically, the television turned on and off, and a dog ferociously barked outside.

"What the—" Ted blurted as his eyes darted around the study.

The picture frame of himself flew off his desk. Shattering, the sharp shards landed at his feet.

"You're back?" Ted asked with a sly smile. "If you've come for me, I'm waiting. If you've come for him, you're too late."

Ted grabbed a coat from his coat closet in the study. "You can stop hanging around me now that you'll have your boyfriend pretty soon. I'll be back tomorrow to bury him after he's bled to death," he said sarcastically.

Guffawing loudly, he stepped out. As Ted pulled out of his garage, he couldn't help but feel smug that he had outsmarted the ghost.

Elva checked her directions and felt certain that she was in the right place. The house was very dark, and it didn't look as if anyone was in it. She parked a certain distance away where she couldn't be seen. While she could see the house clearly, she was not where Ted would get suspicious of a vehicle in his vicinity.

Elva jumped out of the car and started going toward the house as stealthily as she could. Suddenly, she remembered having promised Antonio to be careful. Was it wise to go into Ted's home by herself? She returned to the car.

_What do I do?_ she wondered with thick frenzy.

The lights in the house started flickering abruptly, brightness and opaqueness taking eerie turns. Then heavy metal music blared, cutting the quiet of the night into shreds. Elva was so startled that she almost hit the roof of the car. _What's happening in there?_ she questioned. _What do I do?_ The answer popped in her head, and she quickly pulled out her cell phone.

Punching 911, she took a deep breath. "I would like to report loud music at 241 Oak Drive. Something is going on there with the lights and music acting crazy. I've got to go."

She hung up before they could ask her any more questions. Staring at her watch, she tightened her fist in a nervous gesture. "C'mon! C'mon!"

A few moments later, the harsh blare of sirens resonated. "Thank goodness."

Two police cruisers pulled into the driveway. Watching with shallow breath, Elva had to remind herself to breathe. The lights were thankfully still putting on a show along with the loud music. The police knocked on the door, but no one answered. When a deafening clash was heard inside, they broke down the door and carefully entered. The lights and the music stopped their dance and a few moments later, Elva heard an ambulance. The paramedics rushed inside the house and came out with someone on a gurney. Rushing to it, Elva didn't hesitate for a single second in going to the injured person.

"Hey! Hey!" yelled a police officer.

Elva's eyes shifted to her injured lover. "Antonio!" she exclaimed with alarm in her voice. "Is he dead?" she stammered.

"He's still alive but barely," said the paramedic. "We've got to get him to the hospital.

The paramedics slid the gurney with Antonio inside the ambulance. A shaking Elva tried climbing in when a hand grabbed her.

"Were you the lady who called tonight?" the police officer asked with a tight grip on her shoulder.

"Yes, but I've got to go to the hospital with Antonio."

"You're coming to the station with me, lady."

### Chapter 50

Ted sat at Shelby's bedside. His daughter seemed profoundly asleep. Standing next to them in a panic, Shanna's face was blotchy and red.

"Shelby! Shelby!" Ted exclaimed.

"Yes?" Shelby asked as she fluttered her eyes open and yawned.

"Thank goodness," Shanna blurted.

Ted breathed out. "For a while there, I couldn't feel a pulse."

"I've been waiting for you. Open the drawer. I've got a present for you," stated Shelby.

"What?"

"What are you saying, baby?' asked Shanna.

Climbing out of her bed, Shelby went to the dresser next to the door. "Just look."

"I think she's delirious, Ted. Maybe I should call an ambulance."

"What are these doing here!" he exclaimed as he looked in the drawer. The missing rings of his victims sat innocently in it.

"What's in the drawer?" asked Shanna.

"She's a thief," he blurted.

"What?"

"I need a minute with her."

"But, sweetheart—"

"Shanna! Do what I tell you."

Shanna glumly nodded. Stepping out the door, she closed it behind her.

"You're not my daughter, are you?" he asked.

"No."

"What did you do to my daughter?" he asked furiously.

"She's dead."

Panic rose to his throat. "You killed her?"

"No, you're the murderer around here, not me."

"Then how—"

"Your daughter died the night the white dove came for her. It was easy going in and out of her body when you thought she was napping."

"Quit lying to me! Give me back my daughter!" he yelled as he frantically shook her.

Shelby's body went completely limp as the lights started flickering radically.

Seeing the lighting display under the door, Shanna rushed inside. Ted kept shaking the lifeless body of his daughter.

"What are you doing, Ted?!" She hurled herself at him. "Get your hands off Shelby! Have you gone crazy?!"

As her hands pummeled him, he ferociously pushed her away. His unhinged and aggressive force violently flung her backwards. She flew past the door she had left open. Before she could halt the rabid motion that carried her, she stumbled over the railing of stairs.

Hearing a blood-curling scream and an echoing thud, Ted let Shelby's limp body go. He rushed to the stairs. Sprawled on the floor, Shanna lay eerily motionless with eyes wide open and vacant. When he reached her in frenzied desperation, his face twisted in pure anguish.

"Shanna!" he yelled an agonizing scream as he held her to his heart. His loud sobs kept coming one after another. After a few moments, he reluctantly let her go. He slowly made his way back upstairs. Checking on Shelby, he started to whimper. He had half expected and hoped for his daughter to come back to life.

The television clicked on. Static filled the screen. "How does it feel to lose everything, _Friend_?" Annie's gravely voice asked.

As he flung a Teddy Bear at the television, the set exploded like a firecracker.

POP! WHAM! BOOM!

Sparks of light sprang out with violence and danced around the room. A smoke fog grew into the air. Opaque. Dense. Mysterious. A dark silhouette started forming. Filmy and almost translucent, Annie's likeness was soon apparent.

"It's time that you know what you've done," she said.

As Ted desperately tried a swift exit, the door slammed itself shut. He grabbed the doorknob. It wouldn't turn. He brutally kicked the door. Nothing. He slammed it with the full force of his shoulders.

The door wouldn't budge.

He was trapped inside.

Other silhouettes of the women Ted had murdered started appearing. Slamming his hands over his eyes, he refused to see them.

"You don't get off that easy," murmured Annie.

One at a time, the victims took turns entering his body.

Overwhelming fear.

Sharp desperation.

Screaming pain.

He became them and at the same time he, as _Friend_ , took them, raped them, and killed them. Then he was engulfed with what happened after.

Anguish.

Heartbreak.

Consuming sadness.

He became their loved ones, their husbands, children, and extended families grieving for them. Meanwhile, the bedroom's walls rained down teardrops with a background of weeping sounds.

"Stop this! Stop this!" he exclaimed despairing.

"Do you feel everything they felt, _Friend_?" asked Annie.

Rushing to the door in desperate hope of being able to exit, he found that it opened. He stumbled downstairs in such an agonized way that he slipped and rolled, turning the grief he was feeling into complete hatred for the woman who had caused him to lose his equilibrium.

Back in Shelby's bedroom, the silhouettes of the women disappeared. The fog dissipated, and the television stopped flinging out sparks. Then Annie came into perfect focus. She sat on Shelby's bed.

Ted strode in the door. "Why am I running away from you? You've killed my wife and daughter! You've ruined my life! Your reign of terror ends here!" he snapped as he moved closer and closer to her. Annie stayed firmly where she was at. She sighed and eyed him with sheer pity.

"I've got you now. You'll never play with someone's life again," he announced.

His hands closed around her neck, excited anticipation in his stomach. "I've got ya!!!"

His fingers went through her.

"What the heck?!!!" he blurted.

Ted tried to grab her arm, but it was like grabbing air. When he looked at his own hands, he found there was something different about them. They were partially translucent.

"Out here it's a different ball game," Annie said.

"Out here?" Ted asked, gulping.

"Go check the stairs. There's something you missed."

"Why should I--"

" **Check. The. Stairs** ," Annie insisted firmly.

The only reason he did what she told him to do was because something very peculiar was happening. Stepping out of the room, he found a body of a man at the bottom of the stairs.

_Who is that?_ Ted wondered, watching the form slumped over at the bottom, not too far from Shanna.

Completely disoriented as he re-entered the bedroom, he closed the door with a slam as if shutting off the reality of what was beyond it.

"Did you see?" Annie asked.

"No, I didn't see anything."

"You didn't see yourself at the bottom of the stairs?"

"What are you talking about?" he snapped. "I'm right here."

"But your flesh isn't here."

"That dead person _isn't_ me!" he insisted.

"Yes, it is."

"No—"

"Welcome to the other side, _Friend_ ," Annie said.

"If I'm dead then where is Shanna? Where is Shelby?"

"They're together and no where you'll ever be going."

"What do you mean?" Ted demanded to know.

"You'll see," Annie stated as she stood up from the bed.

"You'd better tell me!"

The door swung wide open, cracking the walls into ominous lines of breakage. A roaring, savage wind blew in.

H-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h

Violently flinging everything out of the room except for Ted and Annie, the shrieking wind didn't let up. After a few seconds, the room was eerily vacant.

THUD!

The door shut itself. It was now a steel crimson-scarlet door.

"What's that?" he asked, gulping harshly.

"I thought you liked red doors."

Ted's eyes shifted to the opening at the bottom between the door and the floor. Shards of flaming light peeked through and then turned dark.

He gave Annie a puzzled look. "I'll wake up from this nightmare soon," he mumbled nervously.

The door crawled open centimeter by centimeter. As Ted stared at it with horrified fascination, Annie glanced at it with weariness. Finally fully opened, a black abyss gazed at them from the other side. Then one long flicker of flame crept out of the bottom right side of the door frame. More individual shards of flames slithered in as if now having the opportunity to expand. Their brightness smoldered and blazed endlessly. It was as if this fire could never fizzle out.

"What is happening?" he asked Annie.

"Aren't you sorry for all the pain you've caused?"

"What are you talking about?" he snapped.

"Didn't you feel all the pain from those women and their families earlier?"

"What are you talking about?" he repeated.

Annie sighed and shook her head. "You've missed an opportunity."

The door frame consumed itself in a thick smoldering blaze. A vacuuming sound overwhelmed the room as Ted felt himself being sucked into the flames. Running desperately away from the door, he couldn't break free of the force pulling him into the fire.

"Help me! Help me!" he yelled at Annie.

"I can't help you."

"Please! Please!!!"

'This is out of my hands," explained Annie.

"Please!!!"

"You did it to yourself."

Ted desperately continued to scream and plead. As he reached the inside of the fire pit, his anguished keening reverberated from the cracked walls cracking them further. When the scarlet door shut itself, it promptly fell to the ground where it vanished as if it was never there.

Since his wife had died, Lucas hardly slept. Tonight, however, was an exception because as soon as he closed his eyes, he was in a deep sleep. He was no longer in his bedroom but in Central Park at the spot he had always taken Cindy. Annie appeared from behind a tree. She smiled as she went toward him and kissed him when she finally reached him.

"Where have you been?" asked Lucas, his eyes flooding with tears.

"You need to move on with your life without me."

"But how can I, Annie?"

"You have to."

"But—"

"I've been with you," insisted Annie. "You just didn't know it."

"You have?"

"I've got to go now," Annie stated.

"Please don't go!"

"I have to."

"Stay with Cindy and me," Lucas desperately blurted. "Please."

"I can't. Before I go I need to tell you how good of a husband you've been and how good of a father you are. I know you'll take good care of Cindy. Don't let her forget me."

"Don't go. I'm begging you."

"I have to. It's for the best."

"How can it be for the best?" Lucas asked angrily.

"You and Cindy have to rebuild your lives without my shadow. You've got to move on."

"I can't move on!"

"Would you do it for our daughter?" Annie asked gently.

Lucas stared miserably at her.

"Well, would you, Lucas?"

"That's an unfair question," he mumbled. "Very unfair."

"She needs you more than ever. She needs you whole and not a mess."

Hot tears rolled down his face. "I can't help being a mess ever since you died."

"You're all Cindy has left, Lucas," Annie explained quietly. "Let me go so that you can grab onto her and start to heal."

"But—"

"Lucas, come to your senses," she chided. "Do it for Cindy."

"Okay," he muttered, barely being able to form the word.

"One day we'll all be together again."

"Promise?"

"Yes, promise. Don't let our daughter forget me."

"I'll never let her forget you."

"I love you, Lucas."

Copious smoldering tears flooded down his face. "I'll always love you, Annie. Always."

### Chapter 51

Antonio stared at his hospital room's walls. He had tried getting a hold of Elva, but she wouldn't answer her cell phone. Where was she? He hadn't been conscious for that long but now that he was, it drove him crazy that he didn't know what was going on. When the door opened, he expected to find a nurse. Instead, Elva stepped in.

Rushing to his side, she almost slammed into his bed. "Are you okay? Are you—"

"I'm doing fine now that you're here."

Elva plopped her mouth on his and gave him a long, lingering kiss.

"That was some smooch," he said, grinning.

"I was really worried about you."

"I've been worried about _you_. I kept trying you on your cell."

"I've been at the police station. Can you believe they thought I had something to do with what happened to you?"

"Why would they think that?"

"Because when you didn't pick me up or answered your phone, I went to your office and found the note you left with the Connecticut address. I ran over there."

"Something could've happened to you," Antonio frowned.

"I didn't go in by myself. I called the police."

"Good."

"You would not believe all that I've got to tell you. After they found you, they went to Ted Barrett's home in the city and found him dead."

"What?"

"His wife and daughter are dead too. They found the gun he shot you with, and they've found some graves in the back yard of his Connecticut home."

Antonio shook his head. "It's amazing."

"What's even more amazing is that the lights were going crazy and music blaring when I got to the Connecticut house. That's what gave me the idea to call the police. Then a television in the living room fell to the floor by itself, making the police have to break inside to see what was going on. The lights and music stopped when the police found you. Isn't that strange?"

"Not as strange as you might think . . . Elva, can you give me a few moments to myself?"

"A few moments to yourself? But weren't you by yourself when I got here?"

"It's a long story, and I'll have to tell you about it at another time. I really need a few minutes to myself. Can you wait outside until I call you?"

"All right." She kissed him again before stepping outside.

"Annie, are you here?" Antonio asked.

The lights above him flickered softly.

"I imagine you're done here now that Barrett is gone."

The lights flickered.

"You'll be leaving?"

The lights flickered again.

"Who am I supposed to argue with now?" he asked.

As the lights flickered rapidly, he chuckled quietly.

"Thank you for saving my life, Annie. Thank you for Elva. Thank you for everything."

The lights flickered twice and then stopped.

"Good-bye, Annie," he said under his breath. "I'll miss you."

Staring out the window, he thought about everything that had happened. He had never had a case even remotely like the Annie Ryder one.

After a few seconds, his eyes went to the door. "Elva, you can come in now," he called to her.

Stepping back in, Elva smiled at him. "Are you done with your private moment?"

"I sure am. Now I'd like to be with you."

"I like being with you too," she said, sighing. "I'm just so glad you you're alive."

"It's the last time I drink 2% milk."

"What?" asked Elva, puzzled.

Antonio chuckled and shook his head. "Nothing. Come here, you."

"What for?"

"This," he said as he kissed her tenderly.

******************************************************

### Check out other novels by Mia Rodriguez

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MiaRodriguez

