Page 105 of A Step You Shouldn't Take

“And all ghosts are murder victims?”

This time, it was Rania who answered. “Not all of them, but they’ve died at the hands of another. Some were killed by accident. I think that’s why we exist; to differentiate. If black souls were automatically banished, some good people would slip through.”

“But if you don’t kill the killers, the ghosts are trapped permanently?”

“Yes.”

“So say a mom accidentally ran over her kid, you’d have to kill the parent?” Wyatt asked. “Or the kid’s stuck here forever?”

“Nobody said it was fair. It wasn’t me who came up with the system.”

“How do you know it even works? I guess I can believe in ghosts because I’ve seen some evidence now, but this legend? Honestly? It sounds like bullshit to me.”

“It’s true.”

“You’ve tested it?”

“Yes.”

That shut Wyatt up. But Will looked pissed, and I couldn’t blame him. He didn’t fly four thousand miles for his girlfriend to get interrogated by an out-of-jurisdiction cop. I opened my mouth to tell Wyatt not to ask any more questions, but Will got there first.

“Don’t worry. She got cleared in the police investigation, and we’re here to look at your case, not one we’ve already closed. Do you have a plan?”

“Not much of one,” I admitted. “Go to Kim’s house and see what this ghost’s got to say. We need something that’ll put pressure on the British embassy, enough that they’ll start cooperating. They won’t even give us a list of employees right now, and having to piece one together person by person has taken weeks.”

“A list of employees? Let me see if I can find someone to help.”

“You have a government connection?”

“I have a computer-hacking connection.”

Back in the old days, Wyatt would have made a comment about ethics and legality, but today he just gripped the wheel and kept driving. Perhaps there was hope for him yet.

“Has the crime scene been released?” Rania asked.

“Not exactly, but I’ve got a key.”

And a penknife I used to slice through the tape sealing the door. Hopefully by the time anyone noticed, we’d have enough evidence to justify a few minor procedural violations.

In the living room, I pulled the drapes closed, then turned on the lights. Rania headed straight for the corner beside the window, near where I’d found the necklace.

“Hi,” she said. “Yes, that’s right. I’m Rania. No, I don’t know Kim, but I’m here to help find her.”

Watching Rania talk to thin air was a strange experience. Yes, I’d seen Kim speak to ghosts, but she barely moved her lips and always tried to pretend she was doing something else. In a room full of people who knew her secret, Rania didn’t have to hide her abilities.

“Margaret saw what happened,” she told us, and I sagged in relief along with Wyatt. Now all we needed was a clue. “If it’s any consolation, Kimberly slept through the whole thing. Margaret thinks she may have drunk a bit too much.”

We already knew that. When I’d spoken to Maria the day after the girls vanished, she said the three of them shared a cab to Kim’s place after the wine tasting. Apparently, the sommelier had encouraged Kim to spit out the champagne, but she’d refused. Annie and Maria helped her inside when they got back because she wasn’t too steady on her feet.

When I’d first talked to Maria, I hadn’t liked the woman, but I had to say she’d come through. Kayla had gone into a full-on meltdown when she heard the news of Kim and Annie’s disappearance, and Maria had stepped in to help run whatever wedding was on this weekend. She said that after two of her own, she’d had some practice.

“Kimberly and Annie were watching a movie, then Annie left the room… Margaret’s not sure why… Maybe a bathroom visit. Then she heard a commotion in the hallway, and a man chased Annie past the door, there was a crash, and everything went quiet.” Rania listened again. “She thinks the man drugged Annie. He had a syringe in his hand.” Another pause. “After that, he came for Kimberly.”

My blood froze. I’d gotten an idea of what happened from the trace evidence, but to hear it narrated so matter-of-factly left me cold.

“He drugged her too, but when he lifted her up, the necklace snagged on the corner of the side table and he didn’t notice.”

“What about the man? What did he look like?”

---