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She hadn’t had a heart attack She hadn’t even screamed She had talked to Andy, and convinced her to wait for Brent to return

She had learned sohosts, as well Sometimes Andy could concentrate and be where she wanted to be

It was easiest to be in the cemetery, and it was fairly easy to be in Nikki’s apartment, except that unexpected noises made her evaporate She was still afraid, very afraid, and not at all sure how she could be a ghost and still be afraid

After all, she was already dead

"Andy, you don’t have to convince me," Brent told her seriously "Nikki has told me about you I believe that you were murdered"

"Oh, God," Andy said with a little sob "Murdered"

"But you’ve known that," Brent re it It makes it so… real"

"Nikki tells me that you’re here because of the man, the bum And he’s dead, too," Andy said

Brent nodded, never taking his eyes off Andy

"I saw hiet here, you see I knew Nikki believed in me I knew she would help me"

Pain seared into Nikki’s heart

She hadn’t been able to help her friend at all

"Andy," Brent said, "we both want to help you now And we need your help Desperately"

Andy’s beautiful eyes widened, appearing deeply troubled "I don’t kno I can help you I don’t knohat happened And there are tiain Sometimes Nikki’s able to see me, hear me… and now you can see me, too Sometimes I want to be with her, but I can’t Sos… but I’m not real, am I? Sometimes," she said wistfully, "I wonder just where I’m supposed to be I need to leave, but I don’t knohere I’, and I need to be here because… what happened to "

"We need your help, Andy," Brent repeated "You’re here now, so tellyour friends, that night?" Brent asked her

"Yes"

"What else do you remember?"

She shook her head "I made it home"

"Okay So you made it home Did anyone follow you?" Brent asked

Andy rolled her eyes "A herd of rhinos could have followed h

"Okay, but you didn’t notice anyone"

"Like I said… "

"Okay, how about at the bar Did you see anyone watching you there?"

Andy shook her head

Nikki sighed "Everyone atching her She’s very attractive"

"I was kind of cute, huh?" Andy asked Nikki wistfully

"Gorgeous, actually," Nikki assured her

"Stunning," Brent agreed "Did you notice anyone weird at all that day?" he asked "Do anything weird?"

She laughed "Well, ent to a voodoo shop But this is New Orleans I guess that makes Contessa normal"

"I know the shop," Brent uilt She still hadn’t e visit to the shop or what Contessa had said And she wasn’t going to say anything Not right now

"The bum," Andy said "The way he ran into the two of us at Madame’s… that eird And that was it"

"Do you remember if you locked your apartment door?" Brent asked

She lifted her shoulders "I’m not sure"

"Andy," Brent said tensely, "this could be important Really important Think back for me Did you lock your apartment door?"

"I don’t know… I… yes Yes, I think I did"

Brent sat back thoughtfully

"What are you looking for?" Nikki deet ht Andy locked her door There was no sign of breaking and entering when she was found That means soave hiive it to anyone," Nikki told him firreed

"Then… ?" Nikki asked

"It’s obvious So it"

"Don’t start on that again," Nikki snapped She instantly regretted her words

Andy began to fade

"Wait, Andy, please," she said softly

"Oh, Nikki, I’host Yet… "