Page 34 of Ghostlighted
“Hey.” Not for the first time, I regretted that I couldn’t actuallytouchAvi enough to pat his shoulder. “Ricky told me Lorenzo was definitely Type A, which brings a certain set ofstressors. Sofia’s condition is different. It’s more electrical than anything else. Come on.” I beckoned to him. “Let’s go lock up.”
I strode toward Sofia’s front porch, but when I got to the door, I realized Avi wasn’t with me. When I turned around, he hadn’t moved. He was staring at the ground in front of his feet. I hurried back to him.
“Can’t you cross the boundary? Do you need to be invited? I’m not sure if I can?—”
He glanced up at me irritably. “I’m a ghost, not a vampire, Maz. It’s just… It’s a big step, okay? And for an instant, there, something… wobbled.”
“Is it still, er, wobbling?”
“No.” He ran both hands through his hair. I noted that they were trembling. “No. It’s fine now.”
“If it will make it any easier, I’ll stay right by your side.”
Something I couldn’t identify flickered across his face. “I’d appreciate that. Thanks.” His chest expanded with a huge breath. “I wonder if this is what prisoners feel when they’re finally released and walk through the gates.” He lifted his chin and took a step forward. “Huh.”
I tucked my thumbs into my front pockets. “A little anticlimactic?”
“Yes and no.” He angled his head toward Sofia’s house. “Shall we?”
“Let’s.”
We walked up the porch steps together. I pulled Ricky’s keys out of my hoodie pocket and sorted through them. “IthinkI remember which one is Sofia’s house key, but?—”
“Just try the knob, Maz. Sofia never locked her doors before. I can’t imagine things have changed so much in as little as ten years.”
“You don’t know Ricky,” I muttered. “He’d probably come over and lock them himself if she didn’t follow proper securityprotocol.” However, when I tried the door, it opened. I glanced over at Avi. “Let’s not tell him about this. I don’t want to get Sofia in trouble.”
Avi canted an eyebrow. “Even if I were inclined to tattle, how exactly do you imagine I could? He can’t hear me.”
“Ah. Right. Good point.”
I thought about the EVP equipment I’d ordered earlier. Sheesh, was it only this afternoon? It felt like it had been days since Ricky and I had gotten home to Avi’s panicked appearance. If everything worked out, pretty soon Avi would have a way to tattle on anybody he wanted.
I could only hope.
Chapter Twelve
While I waited on the scarlet rug bordered with a spiky geometric pattern in deep blue and green in the entry, Avi stood frozen in the doorway, eyes wide and lips slightly parted.
I cleared my throat. “Want to step inside?”
He startled. “Oh. Sorry. It’s just… Iremembernow.” He glanced at my hand holding the edge of the door. “You could probably just close that through me, you know.”
“Maybe. But that seems rude.”
He stepped out of the way and drifted toward the living room. Once he’d cleared the door, I shut it and made sure it was fully latched and that the deadbolt was thrown. Ricky had told me about the timer, and I didn’t want to screw up the schedule, so I didn’t switch off the porch light.
When I joined Avi, he was standing in the middle of the living room, his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling in a slow, deliberate rhythm. “Her house always smelled so good,” he murmured. “She loved to cook for family and friends.”
“Loves,” I said.
He opened his eyes, brow furrowed. “What?”
“Shelovesto cook for family and friends,” I said through gritted teeth.
Avi grimaced. “Yes. Sorry.”
“And the house still smells amazing.”
