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"But this one started acting up before the buyout and the construction"

"Maybe I’ then I don’t know"

He pointed down one of the wide corridors and jutted his chin towards a door "That’s it Roo I need to do? Should I come with you? Stay out here?"

"Stay out here I probably won’t be long If there’s soreat If not, you’re out of luck"

"Try to getI can check out on the Internet, or through genealogy records Maybe we’ll turn up a grisly reat?" I said, but he didn’t see

"Hell yes it would If she bleeds, she leads Even if she bled out a hundred years ago People eat this stuff up"

"Your selfless pursuit of justice does you credit"

"They’re going to give me a Nobel any day now, I can feel it But I’d settle for a Pulitzer"

"I bet you would" I checked that the digital recorder was on, and then I took the card key

"Feel free to chat into the s you see The stuff you hear By allpanic"

I slipped the card key into the slot lock and a green light appeared, letting me know that it was open "Sure And while I’ate a strange sound in the basement Would that work for you?"

"Like a charm"

"Stay put," I told him "I’ll be back out in a few "

"What if you need help?"

"I don’t see that happening Shut up and wait"

I slipped inside and let the door slide close behind me with a hydraulic click Within the rooes of the thick tapestry curtains I went to theand found the long white rod and pulled it to the right, drawing the curtains and their thick shade liner aside

Thick puffs of dust accoht poured in I saw that yes, it had been a while since the place was cleaned With two fingers I swiped a shiny trail in the finish of the nightstand

The bed was covered with a floral print spread, laid out in shades of green, maroon, and cream A sturdy, cherry-stained headboard was fastened to the wall, and a large armoire held a television I didn’t see a reh, and an empty ice bucket beside the vanity sink

"Hello?" I asked the rooo in for too much formality, because in my experience it doesn’t helpsi obscure and important that you’d never think about in ait

I tried a ht disturb

I pictured a big cart, laden with towels and shas When would it begin? What would rouse the Lady in White?

"Anybody?" The red light on the recorder shined an electric thumbs-up that said all ell and ready "Can anyone hear me? Would anyone like to come out and talk? Or is the staff here completely bananas?"

I muttered that last part

A tiny electric shock zapped my hand, and I dropped the recorder I shooksensation away, and bent over to retrieve Nick’s little toy

Then the television sparked too, over ona bright line across the center of the screen Then the screen went dark again, except for the square reflection of the big open

I saw a pattern there, on the screen It was illu sun

I left the recorder where I’d dropped it and approached the TV I knelt before it and angled my head to best see the dusty residue in full relief

"Noe’re talking," I breathed "You are here, aren’t you? You can come out if you want I’ you’d like to say I’es around"

Pressed into the dust on the screen was a flattened i the gray glass "Is this your face? Did you put this here?"

Very clearly I saw it, and the closer I looked the more details became apparent A cheek was pushed into the set, with an open es of the eye I spied faint feathering, where lashes had brushed theainst the dirty monitor