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"There’s a Civil War soldier in the entry, too," Nikki said

"You’ve seen hientleman," Nikki informed her

"Really? I would love to meet him," Leslie said

Nikki ser than you The first tiht I’d die of shock"

"I pretty ht I should be locked up," Leslie murmured "Except that…well, I think I ith Matt That I almost stayed with him"

"That hen you really had to adently "What even I can’t," he added wistfully

Nikki set a hand on Leslie’s ar at that house alone?" she asked

"Wild horses wouldn’t drag ht Joe stayed in the extra rooht, but I can ask hiht Please? You uess you checked into a hotel, but…"

Adam waved a dis I’d love your help with tohts," she said She went on to describe the little girl at the dig "Her name is Mary, but I don’t know her last naister I haven’t seen her again, but I feel that it’s urgent to reunite her with her mother"

"I’ll do my best," Nikki told her "I wish Brent was here"

"You and Leslie can fix things," Adaly

Leslie started to speak, but then she realized that she’d been staring at a wo alone in a booth across the room from them Apparently the waitresses all knew her Whenever they stopped by to refill her coffee cup, they all had so to say

"Do you see someone you know? Have you been here before?" Nikki asked her

"No And, yes I came here once with Matt"

Nikki and Ada "That’s Eileen Brideswell," he said

"Of course," Leslie nized the woman Not only had she seen her before, she’d even ala the night of the explosion

She looked exceedingly sad, though she tried to smile aitresses talked to her As soon as they left, though, the smile faded

"You know her?" Leslie asked Adam

"I’ve met her over the years In fact, excuse htened at his appearance He sat down opposite her, and they began to talk

Leslie looked at Nikki "I think I really a crazy"

"We’ve all felt that way," Nikki assured her

"It’s not that I’hosts It’s…" She hesitated "I’m sorry, I love Adam like a father, but I couldn’t talk about this in front of him Nikki, Matt doesn’t just talk to ain Nikki, I’host"

Nikki twirled her swizzle stick in her Irish coffee Then she looked at Leslie "We see ghosts," she said softly "Do we really know anything about thehteen He immediately appeared to his best friend, who told Adah Adam can’t see him, Josh often travels with hihost is…well, not that different frohost, that energy remains and is like a brand-new life Perhaps o on to whatever the afterlife is But some stay for months or years, even centuries, because they feel they have to remain on earth for some reason, that they have a function here So take a man like Matt From what you’ve told me, he was someone who believed in what he could see and touch So I bet it’s difficult for him to learn the ropes, so to speak Even ured out how to enter your dreams, while it’s still difficult for him to…well, materialize, for want of a better word"

"So…when I see him inin the world?" Leslie asked

"I wish I had all the answers, but I don’t" She smiled "I could be way off Like I said, none of us has all the answers, and we’re all surprised on a daily basis But think about all the exa when her child is in danger A wife knowing suddenly that her husband has been killed Maybe, living or dead, we all have the power to connect with that energy somehow We just have to learn to use it Maybe, sometimes, people live when they should have died, and maybe, sometimes, people have died when they should have lived, but there’s still a trail of cohosts, but think about it--this is New York, home to hosts? Then again, ghosts can come in different ways I had a friend who lost her dad when she was really young, and it nearly destroyed her Then she had a drea, and how she needed to be happy, move on And after that, she felt the pain, but she…adjusted, I guess Who’s to say she didn’t see a ghost, that her dad didn’t find a way to ain for her?"

"Actually, that’s a nice thought," Leslie murmured "I just wish I knehat to do from here"

"I’m not sure exactly how you , not e on is solved I think Adam is about to cancel his trip to stay with you He’s worried"

"I’ht"

"That incident in the crypt? That fall in the subway? Do you really think those were accidents?"

"But I’ll be careful now," Leslie vowed "And I’ll have Joe stay at Hastings House" She hesitated "Nikki, I’ about tunnels"

"And have you found a tunnel--or a solution?"