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Ignoring the ghost, I opened the door.
“Good morning,” the woman said, with the faintest hint of a smile. “Are you Lorelei Clay?”
“Yes, and I feel obliged to mention the ‘No Trespassing’ sign you passed on your way through the gate.” She moved so quickly, she might’ve missed it.
“I’m here to see you, Miss Clay. I don’t consider that trespassing. And before you ask, I’m not from the IRS, nor am I trying to convert you to a religion or sell you anything.”
I folded my arms and leaned against the doorjamb. “You’ve told me all the reasons you aren’t here. How about the reason you are?”
“I’ll get to that. May I come in?”
“Not today. I painted earlier, and the fumes are unpleasant.”
“You haven’t painted for weeks,” Nana Pratt objected.
I kept my focus on the visitor. “We can talk right here.”
“Fine with me. My name is Naomi Smith.”
“How can I help you, Ms. Smith?”
“I’m conducting an investigation for my employer.” She handed me a business card and my stomach lurched at the sight of the familiar symbol. “Two of our employees recently died, and I’ve been tasked with submitting the final report in order to close the file as per our protocol.” She shrugged. “I’m sure you know how tedious bureaucracy can be.”
I plastered on a mask of ignorance. “I’m not sure how I fit in.”
She shuffled papers in her briefcase and produced a file. “You were identified as an officer in training in the last communication we received from Solomon Shah. There’s a copy in here if you’d like to read it.”
I waved it away. “I don’t know why anyone would say that. I have no connection to the police department.”
“That’s one of the reasons I’m here. I fact-checked the report and made that discovery for myself.”
“I wish I could help, but I don’t know what to tell you.” I took a step backward and started to close the door.
Naomi placed her foot on the threshold in an effort to stop me. “I can tell you aren’t human.” The words tumbled out in a rush.
I paused, debating how to proceed. “And?”
“Neither am I,” she said. “I guess we have that in common.”
She was trying to ingratiate herself.Good luck, lady. I’m in a fortress for a reason. “Lots of residents in Fairhaven have supernatural blood. It’s nothing special. I’m sorry I couldn’t help.”
She offered a pleasant smile. “You have my card if you change your mind.”
“Have a nice day.” I closed the door and backed away from it. “Is she leaving?” I whispered.
“Yes,” Nana Pratt said. “Not even a backward glance.”
My heart was hammering so hard, my chest felt like a construction site. “I don’t think she bought it.”
Nana Pratt floated closer to the window. “What makes you say that? She’s already passed through the gate and gotten into her car.”
I opened the door and stepped onto the front porch, where Ray was hovering. “Who was that?”
“Trouble,” I replied.
Ray whistled. “Well, trouble drives a nice car. That’s a quality Mercedes.”
I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans. “Mark my words. This isn’t over.”
