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Phantom Kiss Chloe Neill 17950K 2023-08-31

"I don’t get it," Mallory said "Why is Riley’s nuett died first and would have been in the ground longer"

It only took a call to Mallory’s and Catcher’s new forensics friends to explain that They hadn’t recognized the remains, and hadn’t found the alternate entry But once Catcher pointed it out, they’d understood the reason for the discrepancy

"Albert Padgett was buried in Almshouse Cemetery in 1883," Catcher said when he’d finished his call "He was buried in the plot in which we found him, under his own name When Riley was killed in ’29, they put Riley’s nauesses why?"

"None," Ethan said, obviously baffled

"I’ll give you a hint: the Hudson Institute for Spiritualisnize the na widened Ethan’s eyes "Oh"

Mallory pursed her lips "That sounds familiar Why does that sound familiar?"

"Spiritualists believe they can corave," Ethan said "Even though they don’t actually have ic The movement was popular in the US in the nineteenth century And there was a resurrection--excuse the pun--after World War I"

"People wanted to talk to their loved ones," I quietly said

Catcher nodded "That’s when the Hudson Institute was founded You ever visit?" Catcher asked Ethan, who shook his head

"They had no ic," Ethan said simply "They wanted to believe, certainly, but that orthless without ic"

"Or a darknet," I threw in, and Catcher nodded

"You think the spiritualists wanted to raise Padgett," Mallory said "And that’s why Cook County hid the location of his grave after he’d already been dead"

"The spiritualists wanted to learn about heaven and hell," Ethan said "They believed suhosts was the way to do it It ett"

"So Cook County took steps," I said "Riley was a low-level thug, so they figured it was fine to put his na for him"

"Oh, the irony," Mallory said "The county put Riley’s na Padgett’s reic to disturb Riley’s reett Where’s Riley now?" she asked

"The forensics folks don’t know," Catcher said "They’ll have to do a full audit of the ce very soon Burial records aren’t treated nearly so casually now as they were then, and this won’t sit ith the press"

There was a knock at the threshold Kelley stood in the doorway, her straight dark hair a waterfall across her shoulders and a striking contrast to her pale skin

"They’re back," she said, a glimmer in her wide dark eyes

"They?" Ethan asked

"The ghosthunters There are two of theht still be in Tunnel Three"