Page 41 of The Grave Robber

“And the cookout was actually on her birthday?”

“Absolutely. Anna always insisted her birthday party becelebrated on her actual birthday, no matter what day of the week it fell on.She always said it was stupid to celebrate a birthday the weekend before or theweekend after, just because it was inconvenient.”

“She sounds like a peach.”

Halle snorted then questioned me with an arch of her brows.

I scrolled to the second paragraph. “Halle, this hikerdidn’t go missing until a month after your cousin’s birthday.”

“What?” She sat up and took the phone. “That’s impossible.”She scanned the paragraph. “His family reported him missing when he didn’t showup for work on June 9th of that year.” She blinked up at me, then looked backat the article. “A month later. How did I miss that?”

I was saying far too much, considering our entireconversation—and other activities—was probably being monitored. If so, PaulMeacham was on to me. He’d know I suspected Halle wasn’t being haunted. Thatshe was being stalked. But he wouldn’t know I suspected him.

“Are you saying my attacker isn’t the one who’s been hauntingme?”

Now was the time to let her in on my suspicions and plan,but we needed a little more privacy. I reached over her, grabbed her phone, andwalked to the microwave.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

I slanted an indexfinger over my mouth and locked her phone inside. My worry was that there were otherbugs. Walking through the hotel room as naked as the day I was born, I grabbedher purse and gave it the same silent treatment, locking it inside themicrowave.

Then I picked up the whimpering furball.

“Don’t you dare!” she said, jumping up.

I chuckled and rejoined her in bed.

She took the pup from me, cuddled it to her neck, then gazedup at me with those cobalt eyes. “You saw my last moment in the bar the firsttime you looked, didn’t you?” she asked. Nothing about why I’d just put herbelongings in the microwave. Just absolute trust.

“I did see it. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. As far as you knew, I was just an unhinged ladywho attacked you over a gas pump. I can hardly blame you for holding back. Butwhat about you?”

“Me? I’ve attacked people over gas pumps, too. We have somuch in common.”

“No,” she said with a giggle. “Can you see your own lastmoment?”

“Sadly—or thankfully, depending on your point of view—no.”

“But mine is for sure two months from now?”

I pulled her closer. “We can change that, Halle. We did itfor Zachary.”

“I know. I have complete faith in you. But that’s not why Iseduced you.”

“Are you sure you seduced me? Or was this all part of myevil plan?”

“I don’t think you have an evil bone in your body. You gonnatell me why my belongings are in a microwave?”

It was time. Would she believe me? Would she believe thatshe’d never been haunted buthadbeen stalked? I drew in a deep breathand started to explain, when her last moment rushed into my head, the vision asclear and powerful as HDTV. Just like with Zachary, it appeared in my mindwithout even concentrating. It popped up because the time was so close.

I gaped at her as dread and disbelief slid over me like ablanket of dry ice. It caused a temporary state of paralysis. Of doubt and warinessand astounding denial. My throat constricted, and my eyes watered like I’dtaken a shot of battery acid.

“Eric?” Halle asked, growing concerned.

We had indeed changed her fate. Changed her last moment. Ilifted my wrist and checked my watch. Seven minutes. Halle had seven minutes tolive.

Chapter Nine

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