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“I don’t like the idea of him ogling you.”
Cassie placed a gentle hand on Jason’s shoulder. “I hate to break it to you, but your presence will not stop men from ogling.”
Jason didn’t laugh. “Call me if you need backup.”
“I will.” Cassie had the urge to lean in and kiss his cheek. She resisted. “Be back in a few.”
Cassie stepped into the breeze and let it refresh her senses. It was late afternoon now, and the sun had done its job of warming the city to a moderate temperature. She still needed her jacket, but she let it hang open as she walked up to the Tulane Medical Center’s entrance. The hospital buzzed with activity, which suited her needs perfectly. If she could get in, talk to this nurse, and get out without anyone asking questions, she’d call it a win.
It took Cassie a few seconds to realize her apprehension over going inside a hospital had faded. It may have only been by a few percentage points, but it was a noticeable enough difference to make her smile. The icy fingers of the building’s ghostly inhabitants still reached for her, but she acknowledged them all and kept moving forward. It was the best she could do, and only a few lingered longer than they were welcome.
Cassie walked up to the main desk in the waiting room. This was the only part of the plan she wasn’t sure about. If her lie didn’t work, she’d have to get Vanessa involved, and Jason and Cassie had both agreed to limit their contact with her as much as possible until this was over. As much as they wanted answers, they weren’t willing to risk her job more than they already had.
Cassie put on her best customer service voice. “Hello, my name is Vanessa. I’m a nurse over at UMC. I’m looking for Alan Wolcott?”
The woman behind the desk looked exhausted, bored, and at the end of her rope. “I can tell him you’re here, but I can’t guarantee he’ll have time to see you.”
“That’s fine.” Cassie reined in her excitement. Step one complete. “I’ll sit over there until he comes down. No rush.”
The woman didn’t respond. She picked up the phone, dialed a number, and relayed the message. When she hung up again, she turned in her chair, got up, and walked away. But Cassie didn’t care. The hardest part was over.
She hoped, anyway.
Cassie found a chair in the corner of the waiting room where she could see both doors that led through to the hospital. She didn’t know what Alan looked like, but she hoped it would be obvious he was looking for Vanessa. After that, she’d have to rely on her charm to get him to stay. Something told her it wouldn’t be too hard.
The waiting room was busy. People walked in and out every few minutes. Some went through the doors into the back of the hospital, while others waited until a nurse called them. A man came in with his finger in a lunch pail full of ice, and they immediately escorted him away.
But Cassie was more interested in what everyone else couldn’t see. Spirits paced the length of the waiting room, as though they’d been cursed to do so for all eternity. And maybe they had. As much as she saw and knew about the world beyond this one, there were still so many unanswered questions.
Some of the ghosts looked whole, a sign that an invisible disease or an internal wound had killed them. Those were the easiest to watch. The ones with missing limbs or gory holes in their heads were much more difficult to stomach. Those were the living nightmares that made her job difficult.
But Cassie made herself look at them each in turn. If she couldn’t help them, the least she could do was recognize their existence. They were already invisible and forgotten. Maybe her acknowledgement could offer some small comfort.
She had another purpose in studying them: Discovering if any were as strong or as present as the Ghost Doctor. Cassie looked for the older spirits, the ones who had walked the earth for decades. She spotted a man dressed as though he’d lived long enough to see the turn of the century. What he was doing here, she didn’t know, but he looked even more faded and feeble than the others.
That confirmed the Ghost Doctor was different. Special. But it didn’t tell Cassie anything she hadn’t already guessed. What she really needed to know was whether the Ghost Doctor could kill a person. And if she c
ould, then Cassie needed to learn how to stop her.
Before her thoughts could run further down that path, the doors to her left opened, and a man walked through. He wasn’t like the other nurses, standing in the doorway with a chart in their hands, calling names, and waiting for someone to hobble forward.
No, this man walked into the middle of the room with a grin on his face, turning in circles as though looking for someone. Cassie waited just long enough to make him wonder if someone had played a prank on him before approaching.
If she was being honest with herself, he was a handsome man. His scrubs were tight in all the right places, and his biceps bulged under the material. He looked Italian, with dark features and a natural bronze tone to his skin. At the very least, he looked like he’d be fun at a party, though that wouldn’t grant him any favors with her.
“Alan Wolcott?” Cassie walked up to him when his back was turned. She waited until he faced her. “Alan?”
“You’re not Vanessa.” The disappointment only lasted a second. “But I’d still like to know your name.”
“Cassie.” She held out a hand. Alan shook it gently, hanging on for two seconds too long. “I’m a friend of Vanessa’s.”
“Any friend of Vanessa’s is a friend of mine.” His voice deepened. “What can I do for you?”
This was why Cassie had wanted to come in alone. She’d be able to get a lot more out of Alan if he thought she was here alone and interested in him. Jason’s presence would’ve thrown the whole thing off. They couldn’t afford to miss out on this opportunity.
“Do you have a minute?” She gestured to her vacant seat. “I know you’re probably busy.”
“I can make time.”
