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"Kelsey, grab your purse and a sweater," he said "Your phone, you’ll need your phone," he told her

She nodded again and went through the house He followed her; Jonas Weston followed him

He lowered his head and bit his lip

Kelsey said that she saw Jonas go by theShe’d reached the water area just a split second behind him

Jonas couldn’t have caused this

"You want to hear so odd?" Jonas asked him

"What?" Just inside the back door, Liaht "I came over and helped save that man," he said

"Sorry I’m sorry What?" Lia in the water Soht beneath him," Jonas said

"Like what?" Liam asked

"I don’t know It’s nearly dusk The water is dark It--it just looked like a dark shadow" He tried to offer a weak s I’m sure when he comes to, he’ll be able to tell us exactly what happened"

What the hell had happened? Avery Slater was a well-built, coordinated man who didn’t seem the type to slip off a dock

"Thanks, Jonas Thank you I’lad you were here for Kelsey," he said

He tried to keep sincerity in his voice

He wanted the ether for Kelsey and get up to the hospital Noto take soet there Screw it

He would call the station and say that he’d need his own helicopter

"Thank you, Jonas," he said again pointedly

"Right Right," Jonas said, backing out the door "Call "

"Of course," Liam promised as Jonas finally left

Liam called the station and ordered his helicopter He asked for a criain

He was asked what they were supposed to be looking for

"A large black shadow," he said "I don’t know Hopefully, the victi had answered at the desk He didn’t see up, he asked, "Lieutenant, are we sure we have a victiht have just fallen off the dock Ipeople they’re supposed to be looking for a large dark shadow After all, they’re going out to the Merlin house"

Naturally, they had to save a life first Ah, yes, running around like chickens with no heads Desperate to get a man out of the water, desperate to make him breathe

It had all worked very well, especially considering that it had been a spur-of-the- The book! That daht in front of hiined that old Cutter had stuck notes into the thing He’d needed Kelsey there, needed her to point the way

But now he needed the book God knehat else the notes said, what Cutter Merlin ured out by that tiotten rid of the real reliquary years ago But he had held it, deteran to ease as the med techs left with the body, with Kelsey

He slipped back in, ready to go for the book

Kelsey wasn’t sure who gave her the blanket she earing It helped, though Winter in Florida was doing the right thing, beingslowly and stiffly, was not comfortable And yet, other than the fact that she’d been shivering, she hadn’t thought much about it She si the line, and she was grateful for it She hoped she reht people

Avery didn’t come to while they were in the helicopter

He didn’t come to at the hospital

She was terrified that anydoors with a sad expression and shake his head sadly while her heart and edy

Not Avery, too Please, God, not Avery, too Please don’t let hiues my family

The day had been absurd She should pinch herself and discover that the entire thing had been a nightmare or a daymare, or a hideous creation of her mind

But it wasn’t

She’d never felt the wet and the cold so thoroughly in a dream It was real At least, this part of it was real Before…before she had seen Avery floating facedown in the water, she’d been talking to a ghost A ghost named Bartholomew And everyone knew him, of course At least, Liam knew him Liam, the dead-steady, capable, solidly sane cop Or so said the ghost But the ghost knew Katie, David, Sean and Vanessa, too Naturally The ghost was a conch Conchs were friendly

She couldn’t bear sitting there, waiting…