“Drive him crazy, you mean. No, I think you’d better stay out of it, Dottie dearest,” Chad said.
How weird is it to watch Shandra’s lips move and hear a male voice?
“So, you’ll let us help you?” Jason asked.
“I kept his name anonymous the whole time I was alive. I don’t suppose I have any obligation to continue if you’re willingto locate him and find out who put a bullet in my head.”
“I’m willing,” Jason said. “But will you move on to the light or whatever it is you need to do once this is over?”
“I don’t know,” he said, sounding honest. “I don’t really know how this whole afterlife thing works.”
“Maybe I can help you, when you’re ready,” Morgaine offered.
“Thanks, friend. I’ll take you up on that. I’m tired of this scene, anyway. Rattling around in an empty apartment is a real drag.”
Dottie cocked her head. “Then why won’t you allow…”
“A roommate? Forget it. I need my own space. So, here’s the 411 on my source…”
Merry’s phone rang long before she would have staggered out of bed. Must be someone who didn’t know her habits or they’d let her sleep until ten a.m.
“Hello?”
“Merry? Are you all right?”
Why did her father sound so concerned? “Of course I am, Dad. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I received phone calls from several people who spotted your picture in the Boston newspaper. I drove to the supermarket and picked up a copy to see for myself.”
“See what?” she asked, puzzled.
“Your picture with Jason Falco. Only it gives you a different name in the article.”
“Really? That’s weird. Are you sure it’s me?”
“Positive.”
“I wonder when that was taken and why?”
“Well, you might want to sit down for this.”
“For what? What’s going on, Dad?”
“Okay, the picture shows you all dressed up and kissing Jason. It’s a little dark, but you’re under a streetlight in front of a sports car.”
“Yes, that was Friday night. What of it? I told you we were dating.”
“I know, but I just don’t want you to get hurt. There’s another picture here. Did you know he’s dating other people?”
“Oh, Daddy, that was a one-time thing. He had signed up for a bachelor auction for charity sometime last summer, before he even knew me. He had to take the woman out, but he promised me there wouldn’t be a second date.”
“Uh-oh. So, it sounds like you think he’s dating you exclusively? You’re not aware of the other one?”
“I just told you I was. She’s a thin redhead, right?”
“Uh, yeah. The second one is, but there’s a third picture here. A young woman with long brown hair. He’s hugging her.”
“Oh. Well, you never know when those pictures were taken, and it might just be a fan or something. Everyone seems to think they know him, and they feel like they can walk right up to him and hug him, even though he’s never seen them before in his life. That’s why he doesn’t like to go out in public.”
