Page 42 of Cadaver Lab: Mind Over Murder

“It’s new.”

“What do you mean?” Harper asked.

Natalie whipped around to answer Harper. “It has to be a new spirit.”

“An evil one,” Gabe added.

“And a clever one,” Rick continued. “One that knew to attack both Doug and Margaret, twice, right after their arguments with Harper to frame her for it.”

“Two birds, one stone,” Millie agreed.

The truth was right there, laid out before them. Natalie turned to Harper, who hadn’t heard Rick. “This entity orchestrated three attacks--Doug at home, Margaret on the sidewalk and also in her car— all to specifically frame you.”

Gabe snorted. “Told you. Evil.”

“And smart,” Rick repeated.

“So what do we do?” Agnes asked. “Because I’ll be damned before I let this thing hurt anymore people I care about.”

“I’ll tell you what we do,” Gabe began, his hand gripping Millie’s so tightly his knuckles were turning white. “We find its damn body and get rid of it, before it kills again.”

Chapter Twenty

“Babe!”

“Hmm?” At the insistent sound of Liam’s voice, Natalie lifted her head from where she’d been staring at the swirl created by the spoon stirring the sugar and cream into her morning cup of coffee.

“I said your name like three times. What’s up?” Liam asked.

She lifted one shoulder and finally pulled the spoon out of the mug. “Just thinking.”

“You mean worrying?” he asked, his tone gentler.

“She’s really old. And now she’s in a coma.” It had been twenty-four hours since she’d heard about Alice’s accident. And there had been hardly a moment since then Natalie didn’t dwell on it.

“That’s why I was trying to get your attention. My contact at the hospital in Albany texted me back. Alice’s vitals are good. Strong. If they remain that way, they’re talking about bringing her out of the medically induced coma in a day or two.”

She let out a breath. “Thank God. I feel like this was my fault.”

“Your fault how? You didn’t buy her that e-scooter.”

“No, but I did assign her to patrol Main Street on it.”

He dipped his head. “Yes, but you know Alice. Chances are she’d have done it on her own without you asking. Besides, if she wasn’t on patrol she’d just be meeting her trike gang at the dispensary to buy cannabis gummies. Isn’t that what you told me?”

Natalie’s lips twitched into a sad smile full of memories and regret. “Yeah. There’s never gonna be another Alice.”

“Jeez, Nat. Stop. She’s not dead yet.” Gabe’s voice had Natalie pivoting in her chair to see him and Millie standing in the doorway.

“Morning, Gabe. Morning, Millie,” Liam said flatly before lifting his mug to drain the last of his coffee and standing to carry the mug to the sink.

Natalie recognized the signs. Liam was preparing his imminent escape to the lab.

“Good morning to you too. And sit back down. We have to talk,” Gabe said, apparently also knowing Liam was a flight risk.

“About?” Liam turned to face the ghosts he couldn’t see and leaned back against the sink, arms crossed.

“Millie. You want to explain?” Gabe asked.