Page 37 of Cadaver Lab: Mind Over Murder

“No. I will not let this happen.” Natalie glanced around the room. “We’re going to get Margaret to talk. Doug’s ghost too. We will badger, coerce, threaten, bribe, and sweet talk them into talking. Whatever it takes. If it’s the last thing I do. Who’s with me?”

Everyone in the room raised their hands, except for Liam.

She frowned at him. “You’re not with me?”

He forced a fake looking smile. “I’m always with you, darling. But I have one suggestion. More of a concern really.”

“Which is?” Natalie asked.

“Shouldn’t we try to find Margaret’s scary something? Especially if it’s the same thing that terrified Doug.”

Natalie grasped what he was saying and more, what he wasn’t saying…

”Before it strikes again?” she finished for him.

“Before it kills again,” Liam corrected.

The word hit Natalie like a gut punch. She swallowed hard. “How do we do that?”

Liam leveled a gaze on her. “You’re the ghost whisperer. You tell me.”

Natalie glanced around the room and realized every eye was on her. Every hope rested on her. And any failure… that would be all hers too.

After a promise that Operation Get the Victims to Talk would be a go, starting tonight for the ghost patrol after Harper passed the word on to Gabe and Millie, and tomorrow for the livings, the group dispersed.

That left Natalie and Liam alone in the shop as she switched off lights and locked the front door.

Done closing up, she turned to Liam, thinking it was time for some mindless television and snuggling and then bed.

When it became obvious to her from his expression, his posture, his whole damn demeanor, that Liam had something to say, she asked pointedly, “Yes?”

He raised his gaze to hers, but it looked less like confusion over her question and more like he was contrite. “I know it’s late, but I was hoping to get some time in at the lab tonight.”

Pressing her lips together, Natalie mumbled a closed mouthed, “Mmm, hmm.”

“You’re mad,” he said.

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“No, I’m not.”

“You’re really not mad?”

“Of course not. I love you, even in research mode. Now go on. See you…whenever.”

He rolled his eyes. “I won’t be long. I promise. There’s just a couple of things I want to finish.”

“Mmm-hmm,” she mumbled.

Grabbing both her arms, he hauled her close until her body was pressed up tightly against his big hard one. After a kiss that had her rethinking letting him leave for the lab right now, he said, “I reserve the right to wake you up if you’re asleep on the sofa when I get home.”

Home.

She loved when he referred to her little two room apartment carved out of the back of the shop building home. With the way that single word from his lips made her feel, all warm and liquid inside, he could do pretty much anything he wanted, including leaving her to go work more tonight.

Keeping that to herself, no need to grow his ego any larger, she smiled again. “See you later.”