Page 21 of Death and Do-Overs

Whatever the reason, a faint chill carried down my spine.

“Can you back the footage up to when Nie first appeared?” I asked.

“Do it,” Rose said.

I watched again, and this time watching not for Nie specifically, but for Cloak Guy.

He followed her into the station, at a distance. He hung back while she purchased her ticket, and never went to the ticket booth himself after. He disappeared from view.

Then, as soon as Nie stood from the bench and embarked onto the train, Cloak Guy walked across the frame and entered the train, too.

It certainly seemed like he was intentionally following her. Who was Cloak Guy? And why was he following Nie? Had he already purchased his ticket some time before she arrived?

“At least we know now that Nie got on the train,” Rose said.

I hadn’t considered that she may not have. Nie could have bought the ticket and then been killed before even getting on the train. Without Rose’s help, I wouldn’t have known.

I also wouldn’t have known that Nie was likely being stalked.

I tried to think back to any conversations I’d had with Nie leading up to her arrival at the station, any clue that she knew someone was following her. I came up blank.

“I want a list of everyone on that train,” I said. “Contact information. Names and addresses.”

Rose held out her hand, gesturing for Ticket Guy to deliver.

Ticket Guy typed, clicked, and navigated menus until the printer on the counter beside him spit out pages of text. He handed them to Rose, who handed them to me.

There were three pages of names, addresses, and phone numbers typed in a small font, each a lead. Knowing the chance of recognizing any of the names was minimal, I still sifted through the document with a hopeful spark in my chest.

And, what do you know, I found a name I recognized. A soft murmur of disbelief escaped my lips.

Bernadette Graves.

I pointed and showed Rose to make sure I wasn’t mistaken.

The chances of an entirely different Bernadette Graves being on that exact train at that exact time, was too low to be a real possibility.

Rose gasped. “That’s the reaper’s name.And her home address is in Nevermore.Do you think that’s why Nie took this train?”

To visit the reaper? “I don’t know why she would want to.”

Rose nodded. “Me either. I’d rather not ever see Bernadette again. Anything else you want me to make this guy do?”

“See how well he remembers the steps to the macarena? We could always make him pick his nose just because we can. That would be amusing.”

Rose cracked a grin. “Tempting. But I try to use my powers for good.”

A pity, truly.

“Anything you want him to do to help you find Nie?” Rose asked.

We now knew that Nie had gotten onto the train. But had she safely arrived in Nevermore? I wouldn’t take any piece of this mystery for granted again. That meant following where she had gone, step-by-step.

“Two tickets to Nevermore,” I told Rose, “if you’re up for a trip.”

Rose nodded and opened her mouth like she was going to respond, but then before uttering a word, she frowned and pulled out her phone. It vibrated in her hand.

“It’s Andrew,” she told me before answering the call. “Hey.”

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