Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four

Letisha, white faced and disheveled, stood on the threshold.

"Watch out for the salt on the floor!" Natalie shouted as Liam held the door open.

Letisha stumbled over the line of salt, narrowly missing breaking it. Paulina gripped Letisha's arms and guided her down a few stairs, where she collapsed onto a step.

The two PNC crew members directly behind Letisha leaped over the salt line and trotted half-way down the stairs. They stopped where Letisha sat blocking their way and turned. Both looked back at the doorway, as if they expected to be followed.

What they didn't know was that they had been. Gabe emerged right behind.

Millie rushed up the stairs to meet him. When they met, Gabe reached for Millie's hand, saying, "Hi."

Fingers entwined, Millie breathed out a relieved sounding, "Hi."

"Where's Harriet?" Natalie asked, concerned when Vinny and Ricky came through but Harriet did not.

Ricky hooked a thumb toward the door. "She's in there talking to that thing."

"She thinks with some counseling it might be able to move on," Gabe explained.

"Is she going to be okay in there with it?" Natalie asked.

Gabe nodded. "The priest stayed with her. He was actually able to subdue it with his holy water and Bible and all those prayers he was shouting."

"I was never much for religion but I might be now after witnessing that," Vinny commented.

Evie took a step forward toward the star. "I'm glad you're all right, you cad."

"Aw, Evie. Would you have missed me if I were gone?" Vinny asked with a perfect leading man smile.

"No. Not at all. I'd be perfectly happy to never see the likes of you again…but I'm still glad."

He smiled broader, but Natalie's attention was drawn away from the bickering movie stars. Letisha, looking pale as she braced one hand on the wall and the other on the railing, stood. She stared in the direction of Gabe and Millie.

"Letisha. You all right?" Natalie asked.

"Maybe you should go to the hospital," Paulina suggested.

"Give her a bourbon," Alice suggested. "She'll be fine."

Liam came down the stairs. "Letisha. Can you tell me how you're feeling? I'm a doctor."

"Oh, right!" Natalie spun to Paulina. "It's okay. Liam's a doctor."

Liam frowned back at Natalie. "What, did you forget?"

"No. Well, yes. Maybe." She cringed.

His dark brows formed into a line above his eyes. "Natalie."

"I'm sorry. But you only work with dead people. It's easy to forget you're a real doctor too. Okay?"

With a huff, he shook his head and turned back to Letisha. "First of all, let's get out of this stairway."

Everyone, living and dead, piled out into the ninth-floor hallway, where Liam stood Letisha beneath one of the unbroken light fixtures and looked into her eyes.

"Are you feeling light-headed?" he asked.

Letisha shook her head. "I—I heard…talking."

"Ah." Liam nodded and glanced over his shoulder. "I think this might be Gabe-induced."

Of course. Letisha wasn't there for the interview with Sam when Gabe and Millie made their public debut. This was her first time experiencing the disembodied voices of the ghosts she couldn't see.

"Gabe." Natalie looked toward her friend and tipped her head toward the medium.

Gabe nodded. Still holding Millie's hand, he said, "Hello, Letisha. My name's Gabe Miller. I was murd?—"

Natalie shook her head violently, stopping Gabe mid-sentence. Letisha looked ready to pass out already, without knowing Gabe had been murdered.

"Um, I died last year," he said. "Shortly before Natalie gained the ability to see and hear me. See all of us, actually."

Hand still braced on the wall, Letisha raised her gaze to meet Natalie's. "You weren't lying."

"No, I wasn't." Natalie shook her head. "Gabe is my best friend… Uh, no offense," she added, glancing quickly at Liam and then Harper.

Liam let out a short laugh. "Believe me, I know where I stand with you two."

Harper's face crumpled as she said, "Aw. I love that you and Gabe are best friends."

Oh, boy.

Natalie had a strong feeling all of this was going to end up in Harper's next book. And she'd be lucky if Harper didn't turn it into some weird paranormal love story involving a living and a ghost. Maybe a love triangle. But honestly, she was so grateful her friends were all right, she was okay with that.

Harper writing her story seemed trivial now. How could it be anything but after they'd faced the threat of that malevolent entity? The entity her ghost friends had battled and conquered. All to save her and the rest of the livings involved.

In a state of mental and physical exhaustion from all that had happened, Natalie was extra emotional. The love she had for these ghosts—the ones who were new in her life and the ones she called friends—overwhelmed her.

"I'm glad Gabe and I are best friends too," she said, agreeing with Harper.

She reached out one hand toward Gabe. He extended his own hand toward hers. Their fingertips met—and Gabe's passed right through hers.

"But sometimes I forget we can't actually touch." Natalie let out a short, teary laugh as she pulled her hand back.

"Wait. May I try something?" Letisha asked holding her hand out, palm up.

"Uh, sure. What?" Natalie asked.

"Each of you—Gabe and Natalie—place one of your hands on top of mine."

Natalie's gaze met Gabe's. He shrugged.

"Okay," Natalie said and did as Letisha asked.

So did Gabe. And for the first time, they didn't pass right through each other.

It wasn't cold air she felt. This time, she could swear she felt the warmth of Gabe's flesh. The rough callouses on the palm of his hand as it faced hers.

"Oh my God," she gasped. She raised her gaze to his. "I can feel your hand."

"I can feel yours too," he said, holding on to Millie so they all heard.

"How does this work?" Natalie asked Letisha.

"I didn't know if it would. Sometimes I can feel them, they touch me, but I wasn't sure it would transfer to you."

"This is amazing. Can I hug him too? If I keep hold of your hand?" Natalie asked.

"I don't know." Letisha shrugged. "Give it a try."

Natalie took a step closer and reached out her other arm, wrapping it around Gabe. She felt his arm wrap around her.

"Oh my God. We're hugging. Millie, Liam, get in here too," Natalie said.

Millie joined the hug fest while Liam shook his head. "Yeah. I'm good over here. Thanks." But he was smiling while he said it.

Finally, after she didn't know how long, it seemed ridiculous to be standing there hugging. Silent. Connected through Letisha's power as everyone watched.

Natalie pulled back and turned to the woman who'd been her mortal enemy a day ago. "Letisha. I don't know how to thank you. This… It was such a gift."

Letisha let out a huff. "No. Your ability—being able to see and hear them—that's a true gift."

Natalie considered that. "I love the spirits I've gotten to know. Truly I do. You guys know that, right?"

Gabe and Millie nodded.

"But this ability?" Natalie continued. "Most of the time it doesn't feel like a gift."

Letisha raised her gaze to the ceiling and shook her head. "Why is the power always given to those who don't appreciate it?"

Natalie cringed. "I am sorry."

"It's all right. I make do with what I have. But if you're ever looking to expand into the psychic medium space, let me know. I'd be happy to take on an apprentice."

A laugh burst out of Natalie. "I'm not planning on it, but thanks."

"Why are you not filming?" Sam demanded from down the hall.

In the midst of the emotions, Natalie hadn't heard the elevator doors open. But Sam had indeed arrived and was looking angrily at her crew. Jake the cameraman in particular.

Alice glanced around at the group of livings. "All those in favor of sending Sam upstairs to see the tenth floor, say aye."