Ryder had left her sleeping. They’d had a long night. He hadn’t gotten much sleep himself, but he felt better this morning than he had in...a long time. Everything about this situation screamed that life—and love, human kindness, caring—were not to be taken for granted.
“Thank goodness,” Lena said. “I never meant to make her life a nightmare. First, I popped in on her. And then, I popped out. Oh, Ryder. I am so sorry. It’s just the strangest thing. I mean, I can feel it when I’m appearing and when I’m not, and it’s almost like being alive. You have to rest sometimes to get your mojo going so the living can see you and...anyway.”
“What’s she saying?” Stephanie asked Ryder anxiously.
“She disappeared on us the other day, and she’s explaining that it’s difficult to appear when you’re a new ghost,” Ryder said. “I’m going to fill her in on what we’re planning for the day.” He turned back to where Lena stood. “I’m going with Stephanie to the board meeting today. She’s going to insist they find another way to improve profits. There will be no charges above cost for necessary drugs. I’m going to watch for reactions from the foursome around her.”
“But the baby—?” Lena said worriedly.
“That will be me,” Jackson Crow said, entering the kitchen. “Lena, I’m Jackson Crow, field director for—”
“Oh, I know who you are,” Lena said and smiled. “And you see me so clearly and hear me, and...well, of course, you do. Ryder told me all about you when he started with the Krewe. He was so excited. I didn’t understand. In life, I had what Steph has, a sense, but nothing more. But I believed Ryder and I was so happy when he found work with people like him. But—wait! You’re going to watch the baby?”
“I have two children of my own, thank you very much. I can play an excellent game of This Little Piggy Went to Market with a variety of ages. Annette and I will be fine,” Jackson assured her.
“Plus, he has a Glock and is an excellent marksman. Not to mention, we’ll still have one of the friends I hired to watch the cameras, and our suspects will be in the CBD,” Ryder reminded Stephanie. “I’ll be with you—every second,” he told her.
Lena shook her head.
“What about Casey? I never meant to—I was just getting so desperate. But she’s in danger now, too.”
“We’re going to see her to the shop. She’ll be there with her friends and co-workers and Detective Braxton Wild.”
“The detective believes in all this now?” Stephanie asked.
“He’s known about ghosts for a while now. Comes with the territory of knowing about the Krewe. And he always did believe that what went on with Anthony and Lena was suspicious. He just didn’t have anywhere else to go,” Ryder said. “And the case is now in the hands of the FBI. So, you’ll have us, and Braxton and the NOPD on this until it’s solved.”
Stephanie sank into a chair and looked around the table. “Thank you,” she said. Then tears formed in her eyes, and she said softly, “Hug me again, Lena. Hug me, please. I miss you so much. So very, very much.”
“Oh, Steph. I miss you too,” Lena said and hugged her sister.
Jackson cleared his throat. “I’m here with Annette. The rest of you need to get going. Casey should be delivered safely to the French Quarter, and then Ryder and Stephanie need to get to the Marceau offices.”
“I’ll go up and make sure that Casey is ready,” Lena said.
He hadn’t wanted to move.
“I’m taking the baby to the safe room. If anything should happen, she’ll be protected,” Jackson murmured. He looked at Ryder, shaking his head. “This operation never took brawn. They play on people. Anthony was either pushed off the building after being lured to the roof or was told it was his life or Lena’s or the baby’s. I don’t believe anyone will be getting through me.”
“I don’t believe so either,” Ryder assured.
“But my baby is the key,” Lena whispered. “She was always going to grow up privileged. Anthony and I wanted so badly to continue with Elijah’s legacy, using all he had for good. I knew I could trust Stephanie to raise her. Anthony and I chose Stephanie and asked her the day the baby was born... We never thought we were putting her in the path of homicidal maniacs.”
The killer—or killers—aren’t maniacs, Ryder thought. They had a clear agenda. A takeover of Marceau Industries. They were organized, devious, and cunning.
“Lena, stay with us and have faith in us,” Ryder said.
She smiled. “I do have faith in you,” she said. “So...”
“We begin the day,” Ryder said.
* * * *
Lena was back.
Casey saw the woman’s ghost floating up the stairs just as she came down the hallway.
“Casey!” Lena said.
“Hey. You’re good, huh?”
“Well, I’m dead, but I’m a stronger ghost now.”
“I’m so sorry—”
“I’m joking. I mean, it’s not a joke, just...well, a sense of humor helps us get through almost anything, huh?”
“True,” Casey said softly. A sense of humor was...human.
Love, enjoyment, friends—all of those were human gifts. Longing to be held...
And to take it other places. That was human, too. And okay, she told herself.
The situation remained tense and dire. But it was okay to have had a beautiful night. She’d awoken feeling as if the sun were radiating through her and from her.
Lena’s ghost hugged her, and she felt the strange yet comforting almost-there sensation. “I can’t apologize to you enough—”
“Lena, it’s all right. I’ve met wonderful, interesting people. And Detective Wild will be looking after me all day. Everything is good.”
“‘Sundrops, lollipops, and rainbows,’” Lena said dryly. Then she grinned. “Lemon drops! I always loved them. I still feel like I smell them now and then. Anyway, I’m holding us up. Time to go.”
The baby was safely with Jackson.
Stephanie and Casey got into the car with Ryder, and Casey offered Stephanie the front passenger’s seat.
“Lena is still here, isn’t she?” Stephanie asked. When Ryder nodded, she added, “I’ll sit with my sister.” She crawled into the back and asked, “Lena can hear me, right?”
“She can,” Ryder assured her.
“Lena, give me another hug. I love hugs,” she said. Then, as Ryder pulled the car out into traffic, she said, “I can feel hugs. I can’t do what you two can, but I can feel hugs.”
Casey was happy as they drove to the French Quarter, where, while it was almost ten, there was still parking available.
Ryder wanted to make sure that Detective Wild was at the store.
He was. The detective greeted Ryder and Stephanie and had a special smile for Casey, telling her it was going to be a great day. He planned to sit in one of the chairs and look at the art and smile at all the people who came in. “I’ve been by here before. We’ll get your friend to play and enjoy some good music,” he said. But then he looked at Stephanie, his expression full of remorse. “I swear, we tried everything in our power.”