Page 23 of Major

“And what does your heart say?” asked Matthew with an angelic smile. She smiled back at him, shaking her head.

“Forgive me, but you are an extraordinarily beautiful man for being a great-great-grandfather.”

“No forgiveness needed for a compliment.”

“I believe he was real. I think there’s too much that is unexplained to not believe he’s real. Even Dr. Goldmeir, who was Jewish, believed he was a real man with the ability to perform miracles.”

“That’s all I wanted to hear,” smiled Matthew. “We can all believe in different things. That’s okay. But at some point, we have to admit that there is a possibility.”

They heard commotion at the door of the cafeteria, and Chris, Travis, and Carter walked in, rolling two huge carts with the boxes stacked high.

“You found them!” she exclaimed.

“Yes, ma’am, we did. Your apartment didn’t offer us much to bring back,” said Carter. “We’re sorry, Elena.”

“No, it’s alright. There wasn’t anything there.” Carter and Travis stared at Luke and Major, then back at the woman. “What? What is that look for?”

“The two men who ransacked your apartment were inside when we got there. Before we could question them, someone shot an arrow through their necks. Now, bows and arrows aren’t my expertise, but that was one helluva shot. Two shots, to be exact,” said Travis.

“They’re my expertise,” said Eagle Feather, coming toward them. Elena stared at the man, then back at the others. He was different. Cloudy.

“Uh, Elena, this is Eagle Feather. One of our ghosts on the property,” said Major.

“A ghost? Like, really? I mean, a real ghost?”

“Yes,” nodded Eagle Feather with a smile. “I was murdered on this property many centuries ago.”

“Remarkable,” she whispered, reaching out to touch his sleeve. It was cold, but she could feel the fabric of his buckskin.

“You’re not shocked,” smiled Eric.

“No. I mean, not really. Listen, I’ve spent my entire life looking for remnants of the dead, hoping that a pharaoh would wake and speak to me, tell me all his secrets, where the treasure was hidden,” she laughed. “The fact that you have ghosts here to talk about history is remarkable.”

“Modern bows are, of course, different than what I used, but the premise is the same,” said Eagle Feather. “The men or women would have had to have great strength, keen eyes, and steady hands. How far was the shot?”

“If we assume they made it from across the street, about fifty feet, give or take. We figured they were on the same floor in the building across the street, since the arrow went straight through, no angle.”

“Then the shot would have been easy for a skilled bowman,” said Eagle Feather. “But I might suggest you find out what the other building is used for. Perhaps there were cameras, or it has something to do with the owners of the building.”

“Good point,” smirked Eric. “Thank you, Eagle Feather.” He nodded and walked toward Genevieve, hugging her.

“Your ghosts can have relationships?” frowned Elena.

“Yes,” laughed Luke. “It’s a strange place we live in, but many of our ghosts have relationships. Only recently have they been able to touch us, and we touch them. They can also eat and drink our food.”

“Remarkable.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

With their wedding done, there was no time for a honeymoon. Boxes were waiting to be dug into, and Elena wanted to be sure she had a preview of everything. Walking with Major toward the offices, she spotted Walker and Mags. He tried to hold her hand, but she pulled back, and Elena felt the stab of pain in her heart.

“Will they be okay?” she asked Major.

“I don’t know, baby. Mags was raped multiple times by her captors. I think Ellie told you the whole story. She’s been seeing our counseling team, but I know that she’s struggling. I don’t think she believes that Walker could still love her.”

“It appears that he could love her no matter what,” said Elena quietly. Walker turned and left Mags standing at the edge of the gardens, walking in the opposite direction. “I’ll be with you shortly. I’d like to say hello to her.”

“Okay, babe.”

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