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She hadn t been looking for love.
A no-strings-attached good time was all she d wanted to start her new beginning.
Instead she d found an amazing lover who was everything she d ever dreamed of in a
man both in and outside of the bedroom.
He d only been gone an hour and she already missed his touch. Paul s parents left
their house keys in Pennsylvania so David had to meet them near the airport with the
extra set. When Paul called he said they d just landed.
David had managed to erase any unease she d felt about Christmas Eve and the day
had been as beautiful as the moonbeams glittering over the ocean.
A flash of white in Tara s peripheral vision caught her attention. It came from her
balcony. She peered through the window and saw it again.
This time it wasn t a ghost. Her balcony window was open and the breeze from the
Atlantic had the sheer curtains fluttering in the wind.
Did I leave the sliding glass door open all this time? The last thing she needed was salt
spray on her new plasma television. I ll just run over and shut it.
David expected her to stay put. She remembered the fear she d felt in the police
station when she realized that Lisa s killer could be after her. If the television was
ruined, so be it. That s why she purchased an extended warranty.
A strong urge to go home fell over her.
It would only take a minute. No, she should stay. What if Lisa s killer was the one
who d written on her mirror?
Why am I so indecisive? I need to sit my butt down, watch the tube until David gets here
and forget about anything happening next door.
Tara& Tara& A soft voice called to her.
A sudden chill crept up her spine. Lisa?
If spirits could manifest, could they open a sliding glass door too? There was so
much she didn t know.
The urge to go over to her condo grew stronger. Tara called David s cell but it went
straight into his voice mail. She left a message telling him that she d be at her condo for
a few minutes.
The decision made, she stuck the phone in her pocket. Digging through her purse
she found the key to the new door David ordered. Then, making sure his door wouldn t
lock behind her, she peeked into the hallway.
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Empty.
She hurried to her home. Inside the glow from the full moon illuminated the living
room. A prickling of uneasiness on the back of her neck caused her heart to beat faster
and made her want to rush. She hadn t been truly afraid since talking to Mom and
Grammie, since she d claimed her gifts. Mom said the fear would disappear but Tara
hadn t thought it would. Fear had been her best friend since childhood. Then again,
she d been with David since the telephone conversation too. He d kept her occupied,
grounding her.
The condo was cold. It was probably from the wind blowing inside but Tara
decided to check the thermostat on the way to the door just to be sure she hadn t left it
too low. It was on 75. Must be the wind off the ocean.
She shut the balcony door. When she turned around Lisa was sitting on the couch.
Startled, Tara froze, her heart pounded in her chest. She d always heard spirits made
rooms cold but she hadn t notice that happening when Lisa appeared in David s home.
I will not be afraid.
Easier said than done.
She tamped down the anxious feeling that rose from the pit of her stomach. The
moonlight gave Lisa an ethereal glow. That was it. Maybe if Lisa was sitting in the
moonlight she could help her move into the light.
Ah hell, I don t have a clue what I m doing.
 How can I help you, Lisa? Maybe asking the same thing she d done earlier would
work again.
You already have. This time, I m here to protect you.
 What do you mean? That made absolutely no sense. How could a ghost protect
her? And from what?
The fear that had deserted her returned with a vengeance. Why did she need
protection from the spirit realm? Panic clawed at her. Adrenaline rushed through her
and she was ready to take flight. Something was very wrong and it wasn t that she was
talking to a ghost.
Run, Tara! Get out of here!
One minute Lisa was sitting on the couch and the next she was on the other side of
the room standing before the darkened hallway.
Tara ran towards the door as the man in rags she d seen at the elevator stepped out
of the hallway entrance. He jumped in front of her. Tara screamed and tried to push
around him.
 Get back, Lisa! He shoved her into the living room, holding a gun at her head.
She hit the arm of the couch, lost her balance and fell to the floor. He stepped closer,
looking as if he enjoyed seeing her panic. She scrambled backwards toward the balcony.
Not that she d jump. The fall would kill her. Right now the objective was to live.
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 I m not Lisa! Tara screamed at him.
This time, he looked different. His hair looked tilted on his head. She d seen him
before, but where?
The microfiche, Lisa said.
That s right! He was one of the raised men in the photos. The one in the business
suit. Tara realized he was wearing a disguise.
Oh my God, Lisa. Your ex-husband killed you?
Yes. He s mentally unstable and has control issues. Be very careful.
Lisa moved in front of Tim, who was oblivious to her presence. Tara saw the front
door slowly opening.
 Don t raise your voice to me. Tim Cunningham spat the words, his voice low and
gravelly.  I thought I took care of you already. The dead can t come back to life.
Tara tried to tap into her clairvoyance to see who was at the door. She heard the
word police. Maybe if she could get a confession out of Tim, that would help Lisa go into
the light.
 Who said I was dead?
Tim chuckled. The sound was evil and dark.  You always were a smartass, Lisa.
After you divorced me for cheating on you, I had my own revenge. I made you pay. But
somehow you won again.
 How did you make me pay, Tim? That part of my memory is a blur.
 I watched you bleed, Lisa. I made damn sure that your heart stopped beating
before I left the house. I watched them bury you. What I don t understand is how you
came back from the dead. I tried to scare you with blood on your mirror but you never
did scare easily. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]