Page 36 of Beyond the Grave
"Of course. There's no reason to delay."
"Let me go in first," Lincoln said.
If the nurse thought his offer odd, she didn't say so. She seemed quite happy to have him open the door. What was she expecting? Her willingness to have Seth and me along, her strange behavior now that she was outside Dr. Merton's office…something was wrong.
Lincoln opened the door and blocked the entrance with his body. None of us could see past him, not even Seth.
"Is he there?" the nurse asked.
Lincoln backed out and shut the door. "No."
She blew out a long breath. "So the search continues. Where could he have gone?"
Lincoln's gaze met mine. I didn't need to be told that all was not right in Dr. Merton's office. The simple fact that he had an interest in Dr. Merton too was enough to make me think I'd been right to be suspicious about the doctor being in the basement with Estelle Pearson when she died.
The nurse headed off again but paused a few steps away. "Are you coming, sir, madam?"
"If it's all right with you, my wife and I will wait for Dr. Merton in his office," Seth said. "Please tell him we're here when you find him."
"Of course." She cast another glance at Lincoln, smiled prettily, then bustled away.
"What's going on?" I asked when she was out of earshot.
"We've found Estelle Pearson," he said.
"Thank goodness. Is she in there?" I felt a weight lift off my chest. I could breathe again.
He nodded. "She is. Crouched beside the dead body of Dr. Merton."
Chapter 7
The office smelledlike a ten-day old ham had been left in it. Estelle Pearson must have been inside for some time. She squatted on the floor beside the body of the man I assumed was Dr. Merton. Her flaky, bloodless lips moved as if she spoke, yet no sound came out. Perhaps she was praying for his soul. Or hers.
I took a step toward her, but Lincoln's hand flashed out and caught my arm. He had closed the door, leaving Seth outside to keep watch.
"Miss Pearson?" I said. "Are you all right?" Perhaps it was an odd thing to say to a corpse, but she didn't seem at all like the woman I'd met during the night. She looked dazed and the hand that clutched her throat shook.
"Will I pay for this, do you think?" she asked, her voice sounding far away.
I followed her gaze from the feet of Dr. Merton, over his deep barrel chest to his neck. A large purplish bruise formed above his collar, shaped like fingers. I felt the blood drain from my head as if a plug had been pulled. I swayed and Lincoln slipped his arm around my waist.
"Wait outside," he said.
I shook my head and rallied. I drew in a deep breath and felt the blood returning, my nerves settling, and my head clear. "I did this. I must stay and do what I can to fix it."
"You didnotdo that."
Estelle Pearson's head jerked as if I'd slapped her. "He's right, Miss Holloway. This is not your fault. It's mine and mine alone. I killed him. I will face the consequences."
"Consequences?"
She lifted her gaze ceiling-ward. And that's when I saw it.
Dr. Merton's spirit.
The white mist clung to the corner as if he were trying to get as far away from Estelle as possible. His huge eyes flicked between his body and hers, trying to fathom what had happened. He didn't see me staring at him.
"We should go," I said. There wasn't a thing the spirit could do to us now but I would feel better if I couldn't see his shock and the slowly dawning horror at his demise.
