Read A Ghost to Die For for Free Online Page B

unison, but I could not clearly hear or discern what they were saying, except,” I took a deep breath and looked at Alex. Thankfully he took me seriously, “except, I’m pretty sure I heard a phrase that sounded like, send Claire .”
    “Send Claire,” Alex repeated. “Do you know anyone named Claire?”
    I shook my head. “No.”
    “Could you have recently met a female with that name, but she is not of consequence, so there is not a reason for you to even care you remembered her, or not?”
    I closed my eyes and concentrated on his question. I dearly wanted Alex’s common sense suggestion to be the answer. I counted through the few people I had recently come into contact with, in person, in e-mail and on the phone. I looked at Alex. “I’m sorry, your idea is a good one, but Alex, I have not met anyone by that name.”
    “Okay, let it go for now. Shannon, if your dream is as you remember it to be, I do not see how it could have frightened you. But you must believe me, when I found you, you were terrorized. And another thing, when I picked you up and we left your room, I left the door wide open, Atlas followed and he was growling as we walked down the stairs. Once we were in here, in the parlor, he settled in and stopped growling. You’ve been around Irish Wolfhounds before and you know quite well they live up to the old Irish adage about them; Gentle when stroked, fierce when provoked. Well, last night, in your bedroom, Atlas was provoked. And this morning, your bedroom door is closed and latched. There is no way it could shut on its own and then, the door handle turn so that it latched. A lever type of handle cannot latch just because the door swings shut.”
    “Could it be Eric?”
    “No. Absolutely not. A Blackthorne, man, woman or beast, would never harm you.”
    “Alex, if I were in danger, then would it not be the opposite? Eric would not let a power harm me, certainly not in his own home?”
    “Perhaps, Eric is not here.”
    “Because you are, is that what you are telling me, that the two of you cannot be in the same place?” Finally, I had the chance, the perfect opportunity to bring up this subject, and there was no way out for Alex, he had to answer me.
    He was taken off guard by my question. Alex stood and walked over to the window out of my view of his face. He paced back and forth until I was forced to interrupt. “Well?”
    He came back and sat down. “Shannon, I do not know how to answer you. Let me say this, if what you ask is true, then how could it be that Eric would appear to me when I was little. We most certainly were in the same place at the same time. You know this to be true; I’ve explained my experience with him. However, your question does bring into play an added element, that element being you . The three of us: you, Eric and myself have never been together in the same room, at the same time.”
    Wow. “I don’t believe he would harm me, or allow harm to me. There must be another reason I was scared, another force or power. A totally different explanation.”
    “Okay, I’ll go with that. And I hope you are correct. For know, humor me and allow Atlas to sleep in your room. In fact, whenever you are alone in this house, if Atlas is here, keep him by your side, please Shannon?”
    I smiled. Alex’s suggestion was one I could live with. I loved having Atlas around. “A dame and a dog, as my dear auntie used to say, is a pair to be reckoned with. It’s a deal. So, did you cook me breakfast, too?”
    “No, go get dressed and I’ll take you out for breakfast. I know a restaurant along the harbor that is dog-friendly.”
     
     
    Chapter 9
    After breakfast Alex drove us home. Atlas stayed with me because Alex had business to attend to at the university. I worked on the brochure all morning and into the early afternoon. Satisfied with the master copy I had created for the Museum of Mystery’s opening, I tucked the materials away in a portfolio, ready for delivery. I called