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Adaone to bed The house was quiet Christina stood at her bedroo out at the lawn

She felt nuood friend, and in Thor She had even cohost of Beau Kidd And now…

And now she was exhausted, but she waited, thinking--hoping--that Beau would certainly make an appearance

But he didn’t

As she stood there, she saw Jed drive up and park He didn’t get out of the car, though, just sat in it and stared up at the house

Had she been waiting for Beau? Or Jed?

She left the alked downstairs, opened the front door and waved hiot to the door

A logical assu?

"I’ in?"

He hesitated "Yes I wanted to…"

"To what?" There was a hard tone in her voice

"I wanted to ht," he said

She nodded "I ith bothwith Thor, I should have been okay"

"Yeah," he acknowledged with a s moment, then started up the stairs She heard him lock the door, then heard his footsteps on the stairs behind her

In her bedroo Beau wouldn’t suddenly decide to make an appearance Then she turned and stared at Jed "Are you working for the cops now?" she asked hiht? The one who interrogated Mike?"

"Mike wasn’t actually interrogated" He told hiated--yet And he certainly couldn’t break what he kneas a confidence and tell her that Mike was considered the chief suspect right now

"But that cop went to his house--"

"Jerry--that cop--went to his house and asked him a few questions That’s all"

He spoke quietly, but the whole conversation still scared her "Just because he was uilty," she said

"You’re right And they don’t have anything on Mike Anything at all"

"Because there’s nothing to have on him"

"Christina, I don’t knohat to say to you I don’t believe in ghosts, including Beau Kidd’s, but I also can’t help but believe that I--likehe was guilty But if I’host of Beau Kidd keeps visiting you, why the hell can’t he help in his own defense?"

She stared at hiht still be alive He went to her, and she was dead but still warured the killer had to be close He drew his weapon because he heard noise froht it was the killer He never ainst Beau was just as ridiculous as anything the cops could tru at straws It’s circumstantial No court in America would convict a man because he was once married to one of the victiet so?"

"Unless you’re asking ain

Christina stood very still, staring back at hiuess you don’t know, but ere kids, I had such a thing for you You were a hunk on the football field, and then you were a hunk in uniforot aritte got sick, when she died I guess we both knehat it’s like to lose the people closest to us, to feel as if we’re facing the world alone Even to feel guilty, like why are we still here when they’re not?"

"Christina…" heto say is that I’ve always been crazy about you and I still a is…I don’t want you if you think I’m really crazy I just wonder if maybe you don’t want to believe in hosts for the sahosts were real, why didn’t my mom come see me? Why can’t I tell my father one last time that I adored him, and I’m sorry about all those times I was a wise-ass and tried to sneak around! Why can’t I say thanks to Gran for believing in randfather, who I swear visited me when I was a kid, but I’ll be damned if I’ve seen hihosts if you could see Margaritte one more tiood and loving, and she doesn’t have anything to prove, to solve, by couilty then, and he isn’t guilty now And he needs people to know that"

He was staring at her, and she realized she’d said a hell of a lot more than she had intended to

"Well," he e, tried not to let her voice falter, tried not to show that she was terrified she had scared hi herself desperate and far crazier than even he had ever believed

"That’s a lot to think about," he said huskily

"Yes, I know"

"Do I have to…respond to all of it tonight?"

She shook her head

He walked on over to her and pulled her into his arms "I…"

"Yes?"