Page 16 of Transatlantic Terror Cruise

“An affair?” She leans back and manages to look genuinely affronted. “Heck no.” She shakes her head, looking completely baffled by the question. “In fact, I didn’t think he cared for me at all. Every time I was near him, he seemed to leave the room. Eventually, I started to take it personally.”

“That’s odd. Well, clearly he venerated you on some level or you wouldn’t be here. Like you said, the dead that are called back to solve the case are always someone who the deceased loved the most. Rules are rules.”

She shrugs. “I guess that’s just another mystery for us to solve.”

“I guess it is.” I tip my head at her with suspicion. None of this is making sense so far. It seems I’ll not only need to do some digging when it comes to the deceased, but with the deceased before me as well. “So what’s your name?”

I’ll start there.

“Titsiana Genevieve Forenza,” she announces with all of the drama necessary to accept an Oscar. “But you can call meTits.”

A choking sound emits from my throat. “I’m not calling you anything near that. Try again.”

“Okay, fine. All my friends call me Sassy.” Her shoulders bounce and she giggles with glee. “It’s a nickname I lived up to in both my old life and in the afterlife.”

“I have no doubt. Especially seeing that for the five minutes we’ve been together, you’ve lived up to your name. You are definitely a sassy girl.”

“You know what they say—it takes one to know one, sugar. I think we’re already fast friends.”

The door handle jiggles and my heart leaps into my throat as Ransom steps into the room.

“You’re back,” I practically sing as I run into his arms.

“A herd of wild homicides couldn’t keep me away.” His brows waggle and I thoroughly approve of the naughty implications. “And before you ask, I’m not letting Wes get anywhere near my investigation,” he sighs as he says it. “But I promise I will make time for us. This is still our honeymoon.”

He runs kisses up and down my neck as if to prove his point and I can’t help but giggle—only my giggles seem to be echoing to my right and I glance that way to find that ghost with the victory rolls clapping and pumping her fist as if cheering me on.

“You go, girl! You get some of that red-hot sugar!” She laughs as if she were about to get something out of the equation, too—like entertainment. “I can’t wait to see the show!”

My mouth falls open and I pull Ransom closer before making crazy eyes at our spectral voyeur from over his shoulder. I’m hoping she’ll take the hint, but she only seems to settle deeper into the plush velvet seat she’s parked herself on.

“Oh no, you don’t,” I growl under my breath.

“What’s that?” Ransom asks, hardly coming up for air as he nibbles on my ear. “Sorry, did I bite too hard?”

“Oh no.” I perk up unexpectedly. “You keep doing what you’re doing. I’m here for you to snack on anytime you want.”

Sassy gives an ear-to-ear grin when I say it and I can’t help but glare at her because of it.

Horror upon horror, it’s becoming clear she’s not moving a ghostly muscle.

I clear my throat as I pull back to get a better look at my handsome plus-one.

“Maybe we should turn out the lights?” I suggest, walking us backward until I locate the switch and do just that. But Sassy only glows brighter, like a supernatural spotlight sitting in the corner—a spotlight onlyIcan see.

Ransom carries me to the bed, and between his kisses I try to wave off our uninvited guest, but the stubborn spirit refuses to budge.

“Oh, good grief,” I mutter.

Ransom pulls back. “Trixie, is something wrong?”

“No, no! Nothing is wrong, I promise.” Oh my goodness. I cannot let this peeping phantom ruin my honeymoon. It’s bad enough a killer has already left an indelible deadly mark on it. “I was just, um, cold. How about we dive under the covers for this round?”

“Anything and everything for you,” he murmurs as his lips get back to washing me with kisses.

But apparently, blankets are no deterrent to the supernatural surveillance at hand. Sassy stays all night long, and even though the lights are out, her running commentary suggests her spectral night vision works just fine.

I guess solving a homicide isn’t the only thing I’ll have to deal with on this honeymoon. Now I’ve got a voyeuristic ghost who refuses to vacate the premises.

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