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Nikki realized that she was still covered in goose bumps

And she was afraid Afraid as she had never been before

She didn’t knohat she was up to herself when she then said, "Andy shows up in the ht sometimes"

"Yeah?"

"I fall asleep with the TV on She always liked television"

"She’s watching over you"

The words tuuest room If you really want a chance to meet Andy, you can stay in it, and if she appears… I can call you I can tell her about you, and you can ht there and then" Oh, God! Her words sounded really and truly insane

"I told you, I don’t want to push things with you," he said very gently "I want you to know"You want ed to scare raved invitation? There’s a guest room upstairs Since I’m now afraid of my own shadoould deeply appreciate it if you would sleep there"

She watched his slow sed his face fro

"Well, all right If you put it that way"

She turned away, shaking, afraid of saying evenhim to stay in her roohosts mischievous?" she asked his?"

He shrugged, hesitating Then he asked, "You uess"

"Why?"

"I’ain he hesitated, then said, "I don’t have all the answers Have I seen ghosts uy in St Louis Nus at vandals who sneak over the walls He’s very protective But… okay, there are young ghosts and old ghosts And s takes trial and error and experience Evenwhen they want to can be difficult, especially at first When they’re frightened, it’s alhtened?" she deet that hosts Now think of what a ghost would be Made up of heart and soul and personality If the person that they were could be frightened, so can their ghost Especially a young ghost Anything the person could feel, their ghost can feel"

She knew she was looking at him as if he were completely insane

She lowered her head "Could Andy have moved my coffeepot?" she asked hi with his teacup, a slight s at his lips "Your coffeepot moved? You’re certain?"

"Well, no Not certain"

He looked straight at her then "Perhaps you want to look around your house Find out if anything isas it should be… here?"

She looked around the living room "Seems to be"

"Want to check out the upstairs?"

She nodded

He followed her

He hovered in her bedroom doorway as she looked into her jewelry cases, drawers and closet

"Anything?"

She shook her head "I really a ently

"The guest roo out of the ordinary there, either She let out a soft sigh "I guess I just left the pot out farther than usual," she told his out," he told her simply

"Well, then, I’ll secure the balcony doors inout the rest of the place… ?"

"Not at all"

Back in her room, she made sure that the balcony doors were locked and secure They hadn’t been left open, she noted

"All locked up," Brent called to her froht?"

"Absolutely Uht And don’t worry I’htens you in any way Any way at all"

"Right Thanks again Good night"

She closed her own door but didn’t lock it Then she went through her bedti clothes--by rote

In the bathrooain In the cabinet above the sink, it seee bottles of her favorite perfuhtly, too It was a wee bit too close to the edge of the shelf

It was ridiculous, she told herself She could be too organized--she knew that But, especially now, there was no reason to believe she was putting things back exactly as they had been She had used the perfu Just as she had used the coffeepot thatShe just hadn’t been as precise as usual when she put the was disturbing her, she thought; she was undoubtedlyevil in every face on the street soon if she didn’t get a handle on her e to bed

She lay down, certain she would never get to sleep

Her things had been moved

That was ridiculous No one broke into an apartment to shift around a coffeepot and a perfuhost or not

And ht now

Sleep She needed sleep