A Strange There After by Missy Fleming Read Free Book Online

to accept?
Paranormal investigating requires an open mind. It’s an exploration
of the unexplained.”
    “You watch my shows?”
    Crap, I nearly slapped my forehead. I forgot
it was one of his quotes. “A moment of weakness,” I ground out.
“Focus on me, please? Are you ready to believe me yet?”
    “You’ve had a little more time to get used to
it than I have.”
    “Will you tell me what the heck is going on?
Who are you talking to?”
    Boone and I both startled at Abby’s outburst.
He answered as he pulled out his camera and queued up the footage
of what I assumed was me. Apparently, the device worked just
fine.
    “I’m talking to Quinn. She was upstairs for
some reason, told me to come and talk to you.” He fixed her with a
hard gaze. “Don’t freak out. I’m guessing this might be a bit of a
shock. Look.”
    He showed her the display screen, and as it
played, her expression changed from doubtful to shocked and
finally, awe.
    “I knew it! I mean, I suspected, but this
explanation seemed too crazy, even for Quinn.”
    I chuckled as Boone looked at her as if she’d
lost her mind. “Not the reaction I expected.”
    “Wait, if she’s here, who is in her
body?”
    “Catherine,” I answered.
    “She says it’s Catherine,” Boone repeated.
“Who’s Catherine?”
    “Long story.” Abby sighed, but her eyes
glittered with excitement. “I probably should go inside and tell
them I’m leaving early. Blame it on the broken arm. This is going
to take a few hours.” She made to go, then turned back. “How come
you can see her, and I can’t?”
    “Maybe I’m that good at what I do.” He
flashed a grin.
    “Oh, please,” Abby and I said at the exact
same time. I shot a grin at my BFF, not caring she didn’t see
it.
    “Quinn isn’t too impressed,” he joked.
    “No, she ain’t exactly your biggest fan.”
Abby departed, leaving us alone in the alley.
    “Ouch.”
    “Oh, I’m sure you’re really hurt.”
    Listless, I wandered to the right, close to
the empty corner lot next to Moon River. I’d heard rumors they were
going to make it a huge outdoor patio pretty soon. Now, it was
overrun with weeds and marks from cans of spray paint, showing the
patio might actually not be too far off.
    “How long has it been?”
    Exhaustion weighed me down. Using so much
energy talking had really taken its toll. I opened my mouth to
speak. Then, I realized I wasn’t exactly sure.
    “What day is it?”
    “Late Saturday night.” His brows knitted
together in confusion. “You don’t know how long it’s been?”
    Crap, it was Saturday, wasn’t it?
    “I do now,” I snapped. “Seventeen days or so.
Time passes differently. Emotions take over, or I get distracted.
Like tonight, all I wanted was to make it to Abby, but something
lured me upstairs. A ghost I’d seen before.”
    “You’re a sensitive, too?” Finally, I heard a
trace of respect in his voice.
    “For as long as I can remember. Experiencing
it from the other side has given me a whole new perspective. Now I
understand why they try so hard to be heard.”
    He nodded, shadows crawling across his face.
Unbidden, empathy crept in. I didn’t want to feel any kind of
kinship to him. Staring back at me, I felt him assessing and
fidgeted.
    Abby bounced out of the restaurant, slinging
her purse over her shoulder. I loved her so much for her
positivity. “Let’s get this show on the road. Boone, you are in for
a heck of a tale, completely off the record, and hopefully, you can
help me find out from Quinn what is happening in that house of
hers.”
     

 
    Chapter
Six
     
    While Abby got some provisions from the
corner store, Boone and I waited in awkward silence on the
sidewalk. We were on East Bryan Street, across from Johnson Square.
Abby’s idea was to use one of the town greens, saying it would draw
less stares than a restaurant when Boone talked to someone who
wasn’t there. Then she disappeared inside the store for junk food,
her late night