Luke
If I tell you, I’ll have to kill you.
Duchess
If I go missing and the police pull my cell phone records, they’re going to see this text, so this is my fail-safe.
I laughed so hard my head fell back.
Duchess
Crime documentaries are my vibe.
Luke
Why doesn’t that surprise me?
Duchess
Are you alone?
I called her, and she answered.
“Are you alone?” I questioned before she spoke.
“Mm-hmm…”
“I wanted to hear your voice. It’s a nice voice.”
“Is this your way of avoiding my question?”
“Says the woman who won’t answer any of mine.”
“Fine. Ask me anything.”
I thought about it for a second. “Tell me something you’ve never told anyone.”
She admitted in the same neutral tone, “I see dead people.”
“Cute.”
She giggled. “I thought so.”
“Try again.”
She was silent for a couple of seconds, and I knew she was contemplating what she was going to reply. It felt like an eternity passed before she finally confessed with…
“I have nightmares most nights.”
CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN
LUKE
Listening intently, I asked, “What’s haunting you?”
“Too many things to count.”