Spirited Encounters

ONE

“It’s just for one night.”

“It’s Utica.”

A stack of new releases in her hand, Natalie paused on her way to the front of the book shop and glanced back. “And? So? Liam, I’ve been there before.”

Her tall dark and handsome boyfriend nodded. “Exactly. That’s the problem. Remember last time?”

“I don’t know what you’re worried about.” She avoided direct eye contact with his piercing green-eyed gaze as she stopped at the front table just inside the entrance.

He followed her. Moving so he was in her line of sight, he scoffed. “What am I worried about? You almost died in Utica.”

“What? No, I didn’t,” she denied and continued to place the books in what she hoped would be a compelling—and lucrative—display to lure shoppers into the book and wine shop where they’d part with their money and increase her business’s bottom line.

His eyes narrowed as he took a step closer. “Are you pretending you don’t remember what happened there or are you experiencing short-term memory loss from when you got electrocuted?”

Reaching out, he cupped her face in one big, warm palm, angled her chin up and peered deeply into her eyes.

It would all have been very romantic… if he weren’t a doctor who’d recently been awarded a grant to research brain damage.

At this point, Natalie was convinced Liam viewed everyone as a case study. Walking, talking, brains on legs. Including her. Maybe she shouldn’t judge him too harshly. He worked with cadavers in his lab, which had to make the concept of a live case study extra intriguing.

In any case, there was no doubt that in the middle of their conversation about her going to Utica, Liam had switched from overprotective boyfriend to research doctor mode.

He was still sexy as hell but she wasn’t in the mood to be analyzed for his research. Nor was she going to be told where she could or could not go.

She was an adult. She loved Liam but he was not the boss of her—and he was being overly concerned over nothing. Or at least almost nothing.

Whatever. She was going.

She scoffed at his questioning her memory function. “I remember perfectly well that I did not almost die in Utica. Not even close. I did, however, actually die right here in Mudville. At least, I was technically dead when my heart stopped for three and a half minutes. You might remember that, since you’re the hero who brought me back to life with your doctorly CPR skills. But looking at the facts, I’d dare say Mudville with its deadly downed power lines is far more dangerous than Utica.”

He returned her scoff. “I beg to differ.”

“Agree to disagree,” she quipped off handedly, but Liam wasn’t having it.

He pinned her with a stormy gaze. “Natalie, you were chased by a demon through the halls of the hotel in Utica.”

She held up one finger to interrupt and correct him. “No. We only guessed it was a demonic presence, but as it turns out, it wasn’t.”

“Natalie,” he huffed, his growing frustration clear. “Just being near that thing brought you to your knees. You couldn’t breathe. Don’t deny it. Harper and Alice were both there to witness it.”

She dismissed his concern with the flick of a wrist. “Yes, but after that I was fine. It was all a misunderstanding. He was just a disgruntled spirit who has since resolved his feelings and moved on to… to wherever it is spirits move on to. He’s not even there at the Hotel Utica anymore.”

“The hotel that operated as a hospital for years before being shut down for gross mistreatment of patients and then reopened as a hotel again. You can’t tell me there’s only one disgruntled spirit hanging around there.” Shaking his head, he folded his arms over his chest.

She was momentarily distracted by her boyfriend’s bulging arm muscles before focusing back on her rebuttal to his latest point.

“I’m not even going to be at that hotel. I’ll be nowhere near it. I booked a room at the other hotel in town. And the fundraiser is being held in the train station. Besides, I have to go. I already told the historical society I’d come.”

“Call them back and tell them you can’t.”

“You know I hate talking on the phone.”

“Then email,” he returned.

“Liam, I can’t do that. I’m a guest speaker.”

“They’ll live.”

“They already promoted that I’d be there. The least I can do is go and help them raise some money.”

He scowled. “Fine. They want money? I’ll write them a check.”

“That’s very generous of you, and yes, you should. But it’s not the same thing. They think my being there will help sell event tickets. Raise awareness. You know, get people in the door.”

“Because you’re a celebrity now?” He cocked his dark brows high.

“I didn’t say that, but… yes.” She felt her cheeks warm. This new-found—and unwanted— fame was in direct conflict with her introvert nature.

Being on that ghost hunter show filmed at the Stanley Theater in Utica had destroyed any anonymity she’d had before. Completely tossed out the window all she’d done to hide her new ability as a ghost whisperer from everyone in her life except Liam.

But when considering all the attention she’d received since then—both good and bad but all of it unwelcome—this invitation wasn’t horrible. Seriously, she was going to be a featured guest at a fancy black tie fundraising event in the gorgeous historic train station just an hour and a half away in Utica.

Heck, it might even be fun.

She’d lead a ghost tour of the train station, give the guests a good show, enjoy a cocktail or two and, hopefully, some tasty hors d’oeuvres, then be home the next morning.

Simple.

Apparently, Liam didn’t agree. He still scowled as he said, “Send Alice. The old bird is as big a ‘celebrity’ as you are. Or get Harper to go. She was a best-selling author even before that ghost show you were all on together.”

She had to admit, his use of air quotes around the word celebrity hurt a bit, but she moved past it. “It’s not the same and you know it.”

“Because you can talk to ghosts and they can’t?”

“Yes. The organizers want me to lead a ghost tour. But besides that, Harper is traveling for some book thing. And Alice is… well, Alice.”

The quirky octogenarian with no verbal filter or social compunctions had spawned more than one viral meme since her memorable appearance on the show.

After proclaiming on video her love of Gas-X, and demonstrating nightly why she needed it, Alice had become internet famous—or was the word infamous more accurate? The manufacturer of the product had even sent her a case of the stuff after the clip went viral. But Natalie didn’t think Alice was the right one to woo wealthy donors into parting with their money at a fancy party.

Before Liam could lob at her any more reasons she shouldn’t go, Natalie added, “And the nice ghosts from the Stanley Theater will all be there with me.”

“Oh, great. I’m sure they’ll be very helpful. And maybe the ghosts from the old New York State Lunatic Asylum, also conveniently located in Utica, will hear about it and join you too. That should be fun. You can have a big old ghost gathering.”

Liam scowled while Natalie tried not to be impressed at the level of digging Liam had done just to boss her around. She’d done a little research herself. That asylum he’d mentioned had opened in the eighteen hundreds and closed in the nineteen seventies.

“What’s the big guy bitching about now?”

Natalie startled at the male voice behind her. She spun to see Gabe standing just inside the window he’d silently slipped through.

“He doesn’t want me to go to Utica,” she explained to the ghost, then heard the huff from Liam.

“I take it somebody is in here with us,” Liam grumbled.

“Yes. It’s Gabe,” she answered.

“Good. Maybe you’ll listen to Gabe when he tells you not to go since you won’t listen to me. He was there for the supposedly not demonic presence.” Liam pursed his lips in what would definitely be considered a pout on a less manly man.

“He’s so funny when he’s jealous.” Gabe chuckled, enjoying Liam’s displeasure too much, as usual.

“Stop,” she warned her ghost best friend low.

Gabe rolled his eyes. “Fine. No more teasing the big guy. But that’s what he’s worried about? Harriet got rid of that spirit. He’s gone”

Natalie nodded to Gabe. “Exactly.”

“Of course, that doesn’t mean there aren’t others,” Gabe said. “In fact, there probably are more dark entities given the history of some of those buildings. Harriet told us all about it. Liam’s right. It doesn’t hurt to be careful.”

Natalie scowled. She hated when the two men in her life—or rather one man and one ghost—ganged up against her.

“But if Liam’s so worried, why doesn’t he just go with you?” Gabe asked.

She shook her head. “Can’t.”

“Why not? He doesn’t punch a time clock. He runs a cadaver lab, for God’s sake. His test subjects have nowhere else to be since they’re—you know—dead. He can’t leave to go with you for one day?”

“Nope.”

“Why not? Has he got an appointment? A scheduling conflict?” Gabe let out a snort.

Natalie lifted one shoulder. “Actually, yes.”

“What, is he having a ‘meeting of the minds’ with the refrigerator full of brains he’s carving up over there?” Gabe chuckled at his own joke.

She laughed along with him. “Maybe.”

“As riveting as your half of this one-sided, one-word conversation is, I can’t hear your bestie. Would you like to fill me in on the discussion since I have no doubt it’s about me?” Liam asked.

Balancing her ghost best friend and her real live boyfriend had proven challenging since she started to see the dead well over a year ago. She would have thought it would have gotten easier by now. It hadn’t.

Natalie spun back to Liam. “Gabe says he agrees with me that the problematic spirit moved on after Harriet spoke with it and you have absolutely nothing whatsoever to worry about.”

“Gotta love how you relay just the parts you want him to hear and not the rest.” Gabe cocked up a brow beneath his ever-present hat.

She ignored Gabe and focused on Liam. “So, see? It’s perfectly safe for me to go.”

“You know, Nat, if you’re lying Gabe does have the means to relay the truth to me.” Though he couldn’t see him, Liam glanced over her head in the direction of where Gabe stood. “I can trust you to do that. Right, Gabe?”

Gabe smiled and said, in spite of the fact Liam could not hear him, “Yes you can, big guy.”

She narrowed her eyes at the ghost. “Traitor.”

Gabe lifted a shoulder. “Come on, Nat. You know what they say. Bros before—”

She raised one finger in warning. “Don’t you finish that sentence.”

Gabe smiled wider but kept his mouth shut.

It didn’t matter. Gabe and Liam could bond all they wanted, but she was going to Utica. Alone. And everything was going to be fine… she hoped.

TWO

“I can’t believe they didn’t invite me to come,” Alice Mudd huffed out, arms crossed as she glared at Natalie from the sidewalk outside the shop.

Today the eighty-something-year-old—or possibly ninety-year-old since no one was really sure and everyone was afraid to ask—was dressed in her usual day-to-day outfit. The blindingly white sneakers set off an orange sweatsuit sporting a tropical pattern featuring big pink flowers and bright green leaves.

Florida rest home casual was Alice’s signature look even though they lived in upstate New York. Only the colors and patterns of the pants, shirt and zip-up changed. But even today’s explosion of color couldn’t brighten the dark expression on Alice’s face at being snubbed by the event organizers.

“I’m sure it’s nothing personal, Alice. It’s only because of my—” Natalie stopped mid-sentence.

Because of her what? Whatever this new ability to speak to the dead was, she wasn’t sure she could put a name to it. Talent? Skill? Curse? All applied.

Natalie cleared her throat and began again. “It’s just because they want me to make a big show for the donors by talking with the ghosts.”

“Humph. I remember Harper and I practically had to drag you to Utica to be on the ghost show. Seems like now you don’t need me or Harper anymore.” Alice’s pout had Natalie glancing down guiltily at the car keys in her hand.

“You could come with me as my plus one, if you wanted…” The moment the words were out of her mouth, Natalie regretted them.

“Whoop! I thought you’d never ask.” Her steps short but quick, Alice hustled to the corner of the old train depot that Natalie had converted into the book and wine shop. She emerged from the side of the building with a suitcase in her hand. “I’m ready to go.”

“You’re already packed.” It wasn’t a question. More a statement of resignation on Natalie’s part as Alice dragged her ancient looking suitcase toward the car.

“Yes, I am. So unless you’re waiting around to say goodbye to Doctor McHottie, it’s time to hit the road.”

“I already said goodbye to Liam.”

“I bet you did. Wink.” As she said the word, Alice did indeed deliver an exaggerated, open-mouthed wink.

It was the same trademark Alice wink that had also gone viral on social media in various memes made from clips of the show they’d been on. Liam was right. Alice was a bigger star than Natalie. And for better or worse, Alice was going to be at tonight’s fundraiser.

It was going to be interesting.

Speaking of the fundraiser… “Alice, tonight’s event is fancy. Did you pack something dressy to wear?”

The suitcase Alice had brought for their one-night visit was big enough to hold half of Alice’s wardrobe, but Natalie had a suspicion it could very well be filled with nothing more than a rainbow of sweatsuits and a month’s supply of Gas-X.

“Oh, sure.” Alice nodded. “I always carry something dressy with me. You never know when you’ll get invited someplace classy and need it.”

Natalie cringed as she considered what Alice considered dressy and classy. “Um, it’s not a bedazzled sweat suit, is it?”

“No, but I do have one of those for tomorrow.”

When Alice didn’t elaborate on what tonight’s outfit actually was, Natalie drew in a breath and let it out on a sigh. “Okay.”

With that, she let the subject drop and started the car’s engine. She wasn’t the fashion police. It wasn’t her responsibility to dress Alice for the fundraiser.

“Too bad Harp couldn’t come,” Alice said as she buckled the seat belt.

“Yes, it is,” Natalie agreed with a twitch of her lips as she remembered how annoyed Harper would get on set when Alice insisted on calling her ‘Harp’ for short.

After that short conversational interlude, Alice occupied herself with—surreally—playing silently on her smart phone.

Natalie should have been grateful. An hour and a half of silence had to be better than ninety minutes of making small talk with Alice.

Apparently Natalie wasn’t the kind of person to be comfortable with silence in the presence of another person. They made it to the entrance to the highway at the end of town but hadn’t even gotten to the sign for the next exit yet when Natalie couldn’t take the quiet any longer. “Alice, you can turn on the radio if you want.”

“No, thanks,” she answered, then set her cell down in her lap and stared out the side window, looking perfectly content to watch miles of nothingness speed by at sixty-five miles per hour.

It was going to be a long, awkward drive.

That thought alone had Natalie trying again to make conversation. “I’m excited to be going back to Utica again. I’ve only been there twice. Once for the show, then again when Liam and I went back for a visit. But I bet you’ve been there a lot.”

“Not since the DMV took my license away for no good reason, I haven’t,” Alice answered with a scowl.

Crud. Natalie had broached a touchy subject.

She scrambled to bring the conversation back to safer territory. “But when you were younger, you must have gone there, right?”

“Oh, sure. My older sister Agatha and I used to take the train to Utica.”

“The train from Mudville? From, like, the train station that I now own?” Natalie asked, intrigued.

Nowadays only the occasional freight train rumbled by, which was for the best actually. Every train shook the building. It was like living through a mini earthquake every time, multiple times a day until she feared the wine bottles would vibrate off the shelves. The books would survive a fall but the wine wouldn’t. For that very reason she made sure no merchandise at Once Upon a Vine Books & Wine sat anywhere near the front edge of the display shelves.

“The very same. Back before they shut down the line in 1960, your place was a passenger depot. We’d get on in Mudville, switch trains in New Berlin, then get off in Utica. Agatha and I would have a meal, visit the shops, see a show, then come home.”

Surprised, Natalie glanced at Alice. “At the Stanley Theater?” Where they’d spent a week together filming the ghost show, yet Alice had never mentioned even once she’d been there before? Likely many times.

“Sure. Sometimes. And the other theaters too. There was a whole theater district in Utica until they knocked them down in the sixties. Or was it the seventies? Only the Stanley was saved.”

Natalie tried to imagine a young Alice and her sister, dressed up to the nines. Out on the town for dinner and a show in a theater district that no longer existed. “Wow. That must have been amazing back then.”

“It was.” Alice nodded, her voice sounding dreamy, as if she were lost in the past, until she said, “Oops. Sorry. Better crack a window. But don’t worry, I packed the Gas-X for later.”

THREE

“Hey, Alice!”

“Alice! Over here.”

“Alice, who are you wearing?”

Paparazzi. In Utica. And they were swarming Alice. But she was handling it like a pro, smiling and twirling for them to display a dress that was so old it was back in fashion again.

Tonight was surreal and they’d only just arrived at the train station for the event.

If Natalie were a better person, she’d text Liam and tell him he’d been absolutely correct about Alice’s celebrity. That after her memorable participation in the reality show, Alice was no doubt a bigger star than Natalie was.

There were two reasons—at least in her own mind—Natalie wasn’t going to do that. One, Liam didn’t need any more fuel for his ego. The I told you so gene was strong in that man. And two, Natalie had never disagreed with Liam. She would freely admit Alice had stolen the show quite a few times during that week they’d spent locked in the Stanley Theater with the cast and crew, not to mention the resident ghosts.

Yes, Natalie had the ability to see and hear the dead, but Alice had an innate knack for stealing the scene. But when choosing who would be better at sweet talking potential donors at a fundraising event, Alice was not even in the top ten choices from the show’s cast—and there were only eight members in the cast.

“Alice is a star. How are you feeling about that, Nat?”

Natalie spun at the question and smiled when she saw the familiar face.

The costume designer had died in his prime but at least had the good fortune of living out his afterlife in the theater. “Bobby LaRue. I’m so glad you’re here. How are you?”

“Well, I’m still dead but otherwise I’m fine. We all are. Of course Evie and Vinny have been driving us all crazy since they got married. Fighting at the top of their lungs one moment, then sneaking off to ‘make up’ the next, if you catch my meaning.”

Natalie laughed. “That sounds about right.”

The two dead movie stars from the dawn of the golden age of cinema had had a volatile, sexually charged relationship before they decided they were in love, as well as in lust, with one another. Why would their posthumous marriage change anything?

“The others should be along soon,” Bobby said as his gaze dropped down to take in Natalie’s outfit. The unspoken critique was clear in his expression.

Natalie sighed. “Go ahead. Say what you have to say about what I’m wearing.”

He tipped his head to the side. “Eh. It could be worse. It could also be better.”

For a man who was destined to eternally be wearing the same purple leisure suit he died wearing in 1981, he’d always had a lot to say about Natalie’s clothes—usually none of it good.

Natalie pulled her mouth to the side. “Thanks.”

“Alice, on the other hand, looks fabulous. I’m going to need you to ask her for the story behind how she got an authentic Halston original.”

“Is that what it is?” Natalie’s gaze shot to Alice, who she had to admit really had come prepared with an appropriate outfit.

“Yes, my little fashion-challenged lumberjack. It is.”

She frowned at the insult. “Hey. You don’t get to call me that. I’m not wearing my Ugg boots today.”

“No, you’re not. And thank God for small favors,” Bobby said as he glanced down at her black knee-high leather boots. “It’s obvious you have a boot fetish but do you own any actual shoes?”

“Yes.” She pouted.

“Not clogs. Not sneakers. Not those God-awful croc things.” Bobby gave a little shudder. “I mean real shoes. I’d settle for just a plain neutral-colored pump with a stiletto heel. Or maybe a peep toe or a sling back.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint but to be fair, I’m known for my ability to communicate with you lovely spirits, not for my fashion sense.”

“Obviously.”

Natalie sighed. Good thing she’d grown a thick skin when it came to ghostly insults. She’d give Bobby a pass. Being dead had to be frustrating. Even so, she glanced down at herself one more time. Her boots were perfectly appropriate. As was her A-line, tea-length, black satin cocktail dress with three-quarter sleeves.

“Looks like Alice has an admirer.” Bobby’s comment brought Natalie’s head up.

She expected to see one of the older male guests. What she saw was a young man, barely twenty years old if she had to guess, dressed in a dirt and blood-stained military uniform. He hung along the edge of the train station’s main lobby, his gaze focused solely on Alice. No one else seemed to be looking at him except for Natalie and Bobby. Not even Alice had noticed his intense stare.

“He must be—”

“A ghost? Yes,” Bobby supplied.

“What uniform is that?”

“Army. World War II, I’d guess. And might I say that I find it kind of comforting that you’re as ignorant about historical fashion as you are contemporary.” Bobby’s thinly plucked dark brows rose in judgment.

Natalie didn’t have time to spar with the designer. She was too intrigued with Alice’s admirer.

“I’m going to talk to him,” Natalie declared.

Bobby let out a sniff. “And say what?”

“I’ll ask him what his interest is in Alice. I mean, he might have technically been in existence for a hundred years, but he’s got a body that looks like he’s too young to legally order a drink at the bar and he’s ogling a woman old enough to be his great grandmother. There’s got to be a story there.”

“And you’re just going to march over and demand to know what it is?” Bobby asked, eyes wide.

“Not demand. Just ask nicely.”

“Ask nicely, she says.” Bobby snorted. “Not all spirits are as nice as moi. Do you not remember what happened at the Hotel Utica? Because I seem to recall Vinny and I having to find you a priest to banish that demon before he did permanent damage to you livings.”

Et tu, Bobby? Were all the males in the universe psychically connected when it came to harping on her safety?

“You sound like Liam now. It wasn’t like your ghost priest performed an exorcism or anything. He and Harriet just spoke with the—”

“Demon entity,” Bobby said.

“Disgruntled spirit,” Natalie corrected a bit more loudly. “And he left on his own accord.”

“If you say so. And speaking of that hunka, hunka burning love of yours, is Liam coming tonight?” Bobby asked, glancing around hopefully.

“No. Alice is my date tonight.” And Natalie intended to discover what was up with her date’s admirer.

The young soldier had moved closer to Alice now. Within touching distance as Alice juggled a drink, her purse, a napkin and a loaded plate of appetizers. He only had eyes for her and Natalie needed to know why.

There was definitely a story there and she was going to find out what it was before this night was over.

With the curiosity killing her, Natalie took a step in Alice’s direction.

“You’re going to talk to that soldier, aren’t you?” Bobby’s question came out sounding like more of a statement.

“Yup.” Ignoring the less than subtle judgement in his tone, she said, “You coming?”

“Of course, I am. Don’t be silly.”

She smiled. Chalk one up for Bobby’s love of gossip and a good story. With any luck, Alice’s mysterious soldier was going to provide both.

FOUR

“Um, hi. Can I ask you—”

“Holy mother of God.” The young soldier pressed a hand to his chest on a gasp. “You can see me?”

“Yes.”

“But you’re a living,” he said still looking baffled.

“Yes, she is,” Bobby agreed. “Long story short, she died very briefly and when she woke up she could see and hear us spirits.”

“That’s… quite a story,” the young man said, eyeing Natalie.

“It is. I’m thinking you have quite a story to tell as well. Would you mind if I asked you a few questions?” she began.

“I guess that would be all right. What d’you wanna know?”

“I’m sorry. I should introduce myself first. My name’s Natalie. This is Bobby. And you are?”

“Frankie Donovan. Private. Tenth Army infantry division.”

“Frankie. You seem to have an interest in my friend Alice.”

“Alice. So it is her. I thought so. It had to be.” He shook his head in amazement. “Alice. Here. After all these years…”

“Um, how do you know Alice?” Natalie asked.

His gaze dropped shyly. “I… we…” Frankie opened and closed his mouth again, apparently at a loss for words.

“Ooo. This is going to be good.” Bobby rubbed his hands together. “Come on, kid. Stories are meant to be shared.”

Frankie raised his eyes to Bobby, then shifted his gaze to Natalie. “I guess it’s okay. It’s been so long. It’s just, a man doesn’t kiss and tell.”

“Told you it was going to be good.” Bobby elbowed Natalie in the side, but his elbow did nothing but pass through her.

She shivered from the sensation but kept her focus on Frankie. “What happened so long ago, Frankie?”

“It was 1945. Spring and the weather was perfect. I was home here in Utica on leave for a week visiting my family. I was killing time, having an egg cream at the soda counter inside the drugstore when I spotted her. Alice. Though I didn’t know her name at first. She was in town with her sister to see a show and she was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen.”

Natalie pressed her hand to her chest at the romance of it all. “So you talked to her.”

Frankie laughed. “Yeah, we talked. For hours. Her sister was so mad. They had plans to do things and I guess I got in the way, but I didn’t care. I was shipping out with my unit in just a couple of days. We were headed to Japan. I was young but I knew enough to live every second like it was my last. Turns out, it was a good thing I did.”

“You were killed,” Natalie guessed in barely a whisper.

Expression somber, he nodded. “Battle of Okinawa. We—the dead—were eventually shipped home. My parents buried me here.”

“And your spirit stayed tethered to your body.” Natalie sighed. “I am sorry.”

He lifted one shoulder. “It’s not so bad. I got to see my family and friends again—even if they couldn’t see me. And now Alice again. After all this time.”

He glanced in Alice’s direction, then looked back at Natalie.

“I kept her with me though. Then and now.” He tipped the combat helmet he’d held clutched by his side so Natalie could see. There, tucked safely inside was a picture of Frankie smiling in a fresh, clean Army uniform, his arm looped through that of a girl who could only be a young Alice.

Fighting tears, Natalie swallowed, then said, “Wow. But I don’t understand how you recognized her. 1945 is a long time ago.”

He smiled sadly. “Yes, it is. But I’ve seen her a few times since that first time. After I…passed. She and her sister continued to come to Utica once in a while. It’s one reason I started hanging around the train station. Then she stopped coming.”

He visibly shook the memories away then focused on Natalie again.

“She’s older now, of course. But she’s wearing the same ring. The same necklace. And believe it or not, one time she came to the theater, decades ago, she was wearing that very dress.”

Natalie shook her head. “That’s incredible.”

“See. Take note. That’s the power of fashion,” Bobby whispered.

“Shush,” Natalie reprimanded him, then turned to Frankie. “Do you want to talk to her? I could relay to her whatever you wanted to say.”

His eyes widened. They were pale blue beneath the shock of curly blond hair that rested on his forehead. He shook his head. “No. I don’t think so. But thank you for offering.”

“Of course.” Natalie nodded, her heart breaking for the young soldier. And for the young Alice in the picture.

He moved as though to leave, then he pivoted back. “Has she had a happy life?”

Natalie delivered a teary smile. “I can honestly say Alice Mudd is the happiest person I know. She lives life to the fullest. I can only hope to do as well myself.”

“Good. Good.” He tipped his head to Natalie, then he moved away through the crowd. Although Natalie had a feeling he’d be somewhere nearby watching for the rest of the night, lost in his memories.

“Oh my God, Bobby,” Natalie squeaked past the lump in her throat.

“I know. Rip my heart out, why don’t you,” he agreed.

“I have to say something to Alice.”

“Do you though?” Bobby asked. “Soldier boy didn’t want to.”

“No, but—”

“You’re going to anyway,” Bobby completed Natalie’s thought.

“Hush. I’ve been given this… ability for some reason. Maybe this is it. Maybe he can move on if I talk to Alice. Perhaps this is his unfinished business.”

“His what?” Bobby choked. “You don’t still buy into that theory, do you? That we only hang around if we have unfinished business? If that were true, Evie and Vinny would have moved on when you solved their murder.”

“But they were in love and didn’t want to move on.” Done debating ghost theories with Bobby, Natalie said, “I’m talking to her. You don’t have to come if you don’t approve.”

“Hell if I’m not coming. Approve or not, this is the most exciting thing to happen around here since the first time you stepped foot in Utica. I’m not missing it.”

With Bobby in tow, Natalie moved across the room to where Alice had moved on to perusing the table of bite-sized sweets laid out for the guests.

“Alice.”

“Nat. You missed it. They had tiny cannoli.” She leaned in conspiratorially. “But don’t worry. I put a bunch in my purse for later.”

“Oh. Okay. Thanks.” Pushing away the slightly disturbing concept of eating one of Alice’s purse cannoli, Natalie said, “Alice. Do you remember coming here with your sister to see a show in the Spring of 1945.”

“Of course, I do. I told you about that in the car.” Alice frowned. “Are you having memory loss? You should talk to Doc Hottie about that.”

“No. I’m fine. Do you remember meeting a handsome young soldier on that trip?”

The question had Alice pausing just a beat and looking at Natalie a bit strangely. “Yes.”

“Frankie Donovan?” Natalie prompted.

Alice nodded. “I was fifteen. He was going to turn eighteen that summer. He was shipping out in a couple of days with his unit. We spent most of the day together. He walked us to the train that night and before we boarded, he kissed me goodbye. It was my first real kiss. I gave him my address so we could write but he never did.”

Throat tight, Natalie said, “He never wrote because he couldn’t. He was…killed in battle.”

“He—his ghost—was here? You talked to him?”

“I did. Then he left.”

Alice nodded again, slowly. “I think I need to visit the ladies room.”

As Alice moved away, Natalie lost her battle to control her tears. She spun to face Bobby.

“Oh my God. This is the saddest story I’ve ever heard,” she whispered.

“I know. Right?” Bobby agreed with a sniff.

“Natalie!”

She turned at the sound of her name. The sight of Liam standing there and looking amazing in a tuxedo made her weak in the knees.

Swiping the tears away, she asked, “Liam, what are you doing here?”

He gripped both her shoulders and pinned her with his gaze. “I finished my meeting early so I came to be with you. But what’s wrong? What happened? Why are you crying?”

“I’m crying too. You can comfort me,” Bobby said with a lascivious look in his tear-filled eyes while standing too closely to Liam for Natalie’s liking.

“I’m fine. It’s just Alice…” Natalie began as Liam wrapped his arms more tightly around her.

It felt so good to have him there with her. Have him holding her like he was never letting go. After hearing Alice and Frankie’s story, she’d never take for granted ever again the fact she was blessed enough to have Liam in her life, every day, safe.

He pulled back again, eyes wide. “Oh, no. Natalie, what happened to Alice?” Liam’s tone dipped low as he said, “Is she… she’s not…”

Realization hit. “Oh, God. No, Liam. She’s not dead,” Natalie whispered the last word.

“Then what’s wrong?” he asked, rubbing those big warm hands up and down her arms.

Natalie was having trouble concentrating. Liam looked damn good in a tux. “Do you own that?” she asked, fingering his lapel.

He frowned then realized she was asking about the tuxedo. “Yeah. I was in a buddy’s wedding a few years back. It was easier to just buy one rather than rent-- Why are we talking about my clothes? What happened to Alice?”

“I will admit, he cleans up nice. Not that I wouldn’t like him dirty too…” Bobby licked his lips.

Forcing her mind off the ghost ogling her boyfriend and back to Liam’s question, Natalie said, “I just found out something really sad about her past and I had to tell her but I’m not sure how she’s dealing with it. She excused herself to the ladies room but I think she might be upset.”

“What did you find out?” he asked.

Natalie repeated the heart-wrenching story to Liam, tearing up again during the telling.

She let out her breath in a huff when she’d finished relaying the tale. “I don’t know. Was I wrong? Maybe I shouldn’t have told her. Dammit. I hate this. I wish I never got this stupid power to be able to talk to ghosts.”

“Hey, Nat—”

Natalie spun to face the woman. “Alice, you’re back.”

“Of course, I’m back. Where would I go? You drove me here.” After a cock of her brow that clearly said, duh, Alice turned to Liam. “Hello, Liam. Hubba-hubba. You’re looking good.”

Liam smiled. “Thanks, Alice. So are you.”

Meanwhile, Natalie was trying to decide if Alice was really good at hiding her emotions or if she just had no heart because Natalie and Bobby seemed much more affected by Frankie’s story than Alice did.

“Thanks, doc. Nat, the head guy of this shindig asked if you’d be starting your ghost tour soon.” Alice hooked a thumb in the direction from which she’d come.

The tour completely forgotten until now, Natalie wasn’t going anywhere until she knew Alice was okay. “Alice, are you all right?”

“Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I just… I mean Frankie… He was…”

“Her long lost love? The one who got away? A love that traverses time and the veil between the living and the dead?” Bobby supplied not so helpfully.

Natalie did her best to ignore the ghost chatter only she could hear. “I just thought you might be sad. That he died.”

“Natalie, everybody dies eventually,” Alice said matter-of-factly.

“You’re right. Of course. I just thought you might be sad for... what could have been.”

“Natalie, if I’d dated Frankie back then, if he’d made it home and we got married, my life would have turned out completely different. I doubt I would have gone to college. I wouldn’t have had a career teaching. Instead of Mudville, we would have lived here in Utica where he had a job waiting in the family business.” Alice shook her head. “No. I like my life the way it was. The way it is now. I’m happy and a person can’t be happy if they have regrets.”

“Wise words, Alice,” Liam said as he squeezed Natalie’s waist with one big warm hand. “You should listen to her, babe.”

Subtlety wasn’t Liam’s forte. That comment was no doubt in response to her saying she wished she never got the ability to talk to the dead and that she regretted telling Alice about Frankie.

“I do have one question though,” Alice began. “Wait. Two actually.”

“Of course. Anything.” Natalie nodded as she tried to remember every word Frankie had said so she could relay them to Alice.

“One, is Doc Hottie sharing our hotel room tonight and two, does he sleep in the nude?” Alice asked.

“Both excellent inquiries,” Bobby said. “I’d like to know the answers as well.”

Surprised once again by Alice Mudd, Natalie couldn’t help but smile.

This was her life now, strange though it was, and just like Alice, Natalie knew deep down that she wouldn’t want it any other way.

What is this mysterious event that happened with Natalie, Liam, Ghost Gabe, Alice and the others during the filming of that ghost show in Utica? Find out in Cadaver Lab: Spirited Shenanigans.