Demonically Tempted (Frostbite 2)

He snorted. “Sit down.”

I did, but smiled with attitude. Just because I worked for the man didn’t mean I’d take his crap. He knew it. And that’s all that mattered.

Max’s deep brown eyes studied me as he pushed his dark hair silvered at the temple away from his forehead. “Zach said you didn’t find Lizbeth at the house.”

My gaze flicked to Kipp. He nodded encouragingly. “He’s right. As weird as that is, she wasn’t there.”

“But you expected her to be?”

A big ole’ weight lifted off my shoulders. Max appeared uninterested that I found nothing and more interested in why. “I would have thought so. Even if she had killed herself, suicide is a traumatic death. Her soul would linger until she was settled.”

Max sighed. “Do you have any theories of why her ghost would be gone?”

“I guess she could have found her peace and crossed over.” I shrugged. “Or maybe her suicide was really what she wanted.”

“What do you mean by that?” Kipp asked, just as Zach said, “Explain that further.”

I wanted to roll my eyes at them since they continued to ask the same questions all the time. Considering the subject matter, I ignored my amusement. “Sometimes people do things before they think. I’ve seen that in suicide victims before.”

At the blank stares around me, I added, “As in, they thought it was a good idea, that they had no other alternative, but at the time they actually die they regret the decision. Those souls linger. If Lizbeth had been content in her suicide maybe she wouldn’t have had any remorse and her soul could move on.”

Max dropped his head, thoughtful.

Zach cleared his throat. “I hate to bring this up, but would a person who committed suicide be allowed to cross over?”

To Heaven was left off, but clearly implied. “If you’re asking me the rules about Heaven you’re going to be waiting a while since I have no idea. But I’ve helped a ghost who committed suicide before and she appeared to cross over. I didn’t see Satan and his pitchfork come and take her away.”

Zach chuckled. “I should hope not.”

“So, I’d imagine, like I’ve said before…” I stared pointedly at Kipp since I’d told him the same thing. “…that the rules aren’t what we all think they are.”

Max leaned back in his chair, lacing his hands behind his head, and his stare became focused. “So our theories are, she has either found her peace or is missing?”

I nodded. “And don’t even think about asking me which one because I know as much as you do.”

“Know what?” Eddie asked, stepping into the room, coffee cups in hand.

I reached out. “Gimme, gimme, gimme.”

His baby blues twinkled in amusement. He took one cup out of the box and handed it to me, as his brown hair fell over his eyebrows. “You are easily pleased, woman.”

“Yeah, right,” Kipp retorted.

I ignored him, too interested in the rich aroma filling the air calling to my drained energy. I took a couple sugar packages out of the box then dumped them into the coffee, and swirled the cup to mix it.

“There is the fact, too, that Anna is adamant that Lizbeth committed suicide,” Zach said, reaching for his own cup. He

didn’t bother with sugar and raised it to his mouth for a sip.

Max grunted. “I read that in the file, but I can’t see how it’s possible. How would a woman drown herself?”

“Anything is possible…” Kipp said, eyeing our coffees and licking his lips. Touch and smell weren’t the only things he missed as a ghost. The taste of coffee on his tongue made him long for a cup, or so he told me a hundred times. “If someone wants it bad enough.”

I sipped my coffee, a bit guilty for not being able to share with him. “I’m with Max. It’s one thing to hang yourself—and even that is…” I shuddered and gripped the cup tight. “But to hold yourself underwater and take a big deep breath to drown yourself does seems impossible.”

Max said, “Whether she was capable or not, or that her ghost is gone, we need to explore the possibility that Anna is right. There is a lot of doubt around this case.”

I hadn’t looked at the file yet because, well, I had no interest in this part of it. Maybe because I suspected I wouldn’t understand it anyway.