restaurant.”
“Wouldn’t he want to see his new boyfriend more often?”
“He’ll only date him a few times before he finds something tragically wrong with him and has to dump him,” Harper replied.
Annie smiled, the expression lighting up her pallid features. “He sounds wonderful.”
“He is,” Harper said, sympathy tugging at her heart.
“He obviously knows you can … do this,” Annie said, gesturing widely.
“Talk to ghosts? Yes.”
“Ghosts,” Annie said, rolling the word around as she tried to digest it. “I know that’s what I am, but I’m having a hard time … understanding … how it happened.”
“What do you remember?” Harper asked.
“I … it’s a blur,” Annie said. “I remember being on campus. I met a few people for coffee at the university center. Everyone has been really stressed out because of finals.”
“I remember that time of year,” Harper said. “What happened next?”
“They were all going to the bar and they wanted me to come, but I decided to be responsible,” Annie said, snorting as she realized what she was saying. “Being responsible led to my death. That is just so … .”
“Disappointing?” Harper supplied.
“Bleeding tragic,” Annie said. “My mother always told me I was too serious. It’s hard to believe, but if I had been less responsible and blown off a night of studying at the library I probably would still be alive.”
“You can’t go back and change it,” Harper said. “We can only move forward.”
“What’s forward?” Annie asked. “My life is over. I have nothing left to move forward to.”
“That is not true,” Harper said. “There’s another place out there. I’ve seen it. Granted, I’ve only gotten glimpses in flashes when I send spirits through to the other side, but every time I go there I feel the warmth and happiness associated with it.”
“I don’t understand,” Annie said, although her interest was piqued. “Are you talking about Heaven?”
Harper balked at the distinction. She’d never given a word to the “other place” because she was afraid if she did she would have to acknowledge the probability that a third place existed for … darker spirits. Only once did she think she caught sight of it – craggy, cold rocks and ominous shadows filling her heart with dread – and she’d quickly opted to push it out of her mind. She only wanted to believe in the good place.
“If that’s what you believe,” Harper said. “This isn’t the end for you. This is simply a … layover.”
“A layover for what?”
“I think you’re still here because you want someone to pay for killing you,” Harper explained.
“Do you know how I died?” Annie asked. “I keep trying to remember, but it’s … it’s like trying to remember things you did when you were really drunk. The memories feel like they should be there, but they aren’t.”
“Don’t push yourself,” Harper said. “If you’re having trouble remembering it’s because it was traumatic for you. When you’re ready to remember, you will.”
“What should I do until then?” Annie asked. “Are you going to help me cross over now?”
Harper bit her lip, unsure how to proceed. She wanted to put Annie to rest, but she still needed her help to solve a murder. She was hoping Annie would understand that. “If you want to cross over now I can help you,” she hedged. “It’s just … I was hoping you would be willing to hang around until we know who killed you.”
“Of course,” Annie said. “That’s the way it should be. I didn’t think of that. I’ve been so … lost. My mother was here earlier today. She looks like she’s aged ten years. I’m scared that my death is going to kill her, too.”
“You can’t worry about that,” Harper said. “We can only do what we can do. I’ve learned that the hard way on more than one occasion. You can’t help everyone, but you can help those who want to be helped. I’m guessing you
“Wouldn’t he want to see his new boyfriend more often?”
“He’ll only date him a few times before he finds something tragically wrong with him and has to dump him,” Harper replied.
Annie smiled, the expression lighting up her pallid features. “He sounds wonderful.”
“He is,” Harper said, sympathy tugging at her heart.
“He obviously knows you can … do this,” Annie said, gesturing widely.
“Talk to ghosts? Yes.”
“Ghosts,” Annie said, rolling the word around as she tried to digest it. “I know that’s what I am, but I’m having a hard time … understanding … how it happened.”
“What do you remember?” Harper asked.
“I … it’s a blur,” Annie said. “I remember being on campus. I met a few people for coffee at the university center. Everyone has been really stressed out because of finals.”
“I remember that time of year,” Harper said. “What happened next?”
“They were all going to the bar and they wanted me to come, but I decided to be responsible,” Annie said, snorting as she realized what she was saying. “Being responsible led to my death. That is just so … .”
“Disappointing?” Harper supplied.
“Bleeding tragic,” Annie said. “My mother always told me I was too serious. It’s hard to believe, but if I had been less responsible and blown off a night of studying at the library I probably would still be alive.”
“You can’t go back and change it,” Harper said. “We can only move forward.”
“What’s forward?” Annie asked. “My life is over. I have nothing left to move forward to.”
“That is not true,” Harper said. “There’s another place out there. I’ve seen it. Granted, I’ve only gotten glimpses in flashes when I send spirits through to the other side, but every time I go there I feel the warmth and happiness associated with it.”
“I don’t understand,” Annie said, although her interest was piqued. “Are you talking about Heaven?”
Harper balked at the distinction. She’d never given a word to the “other place” because she was afraid if she did she would have to acknowledge the probability that a third place existed for … darker spirits. Only once did she think she caught sight of it – craggy, cold rocks and ominous shadows filling her heart with dread – and she’d quickly opted to push it out of her mind. She only wanted to believe in the good place.
“If that’s what you believe,” Harper said. “This isn’t the end for you. This is simply a … layover.”
“A layover for what?”
“I think you’re still here because you want someone to pay for killing you,” Harper explained.
“Do you know how I died?” Annie asked. “I keep trying to remember, but it’s … it’s like trying to remember things you did when you were really drunk. The memories feel like they should be there, but they aren’t.”
“Don’t push yourself,” Harper said. “If you’re having trouble remembering it’s because it was traumatic for you. When you’re ready to remember, you will.”
“What should I do until then?” Annie asked. “Are you going to help me cross over now?”
Harper bit her lip, unsure how to proceed. She wanted to put Annie to rest, but she still needed her help to solve a murder. She was hoping Annie would understand that. “If you want to cross over now I can help you,” she hedged. “It’s just … I was hoping you would be willing to hang around until we know who killed you.”
“Of course,” Annie said. “That’s the way it should be. I didn’t think of that. I’ve been so … lost. My mother was here earlier today. She looks like she’s aged ten years. I’m scared that my death is going to kill her, too.”
“You can’t worry about that,” Harper said. “We can only do what we can do. I’ve learned that the hard way on more than one occasion. You can’t help everyone, but you can help those who want to be helped. I’m guessing you
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