Axel lifted his hands with a shrug. He was Dan’s own height, a solid six three, and the kind of man who was hard to miss in a crowd. His hair was almost jet back, and his eyes were a curious gold-green color. He had mixed Native American and European background, which seemed to add to his commanding presence.

“So, I headed to the police station,” Axel continued. “You had just left. I figured this was going to be your next stop—I know you like to research—though it did take a while for you to get here. Did that have something to do with your friend?”

“My friend?” Dan said, and turning in the direction Axel had indicated, he saw she was still with him.

He swung back to Axel. “You see her?” he demanded.

“I do.”

“Then, she’s real?”

“Define real.”

Axel was his friend, but at that moment, Dan wanted to haul off and slug him. That was not the answer he was looking for.

Axel wasn’t afraid of Dan, but he might have recognized his confusion. And disbelief.

“She’s real, just dead. Maybe you could introduce us,” Axel said.

Dan blinked. “You see dead people?”

Axel nodded. “And I’m guessing you do, too?”

“Never.” Dan shook his head. How was he having this conversation? Discussing ghosts as though it was neither impossible nor surprising.

“But she’s standing right there.”

“Please, tell me this is a prank. That there’s a ridiculous new reality show where they take bets on how long it takes a person to figure out the trick.”

A woman—very solid and real—was coming around the corner of the aisle. Axel quickly stepped back—she was a large woman. She stared at the two of them and then walked on past, sniffing. “You’d think the cops would be finding out what the hell went on instead of chewing the fat in a store!” she muttered.

Dan looked after her, annoyed. “I’m so sorry, ma’am, but I’m not a cop.”

She turned, looked at him, sniffed, and kept right on going—and shivering as she passed by the woman Dan was coming to think of as his flapper.

“Maybe we should buy these books and talk somewhere else,” Axel said. He picked up a stack of books and headed to the cashier. The flapper followed him. Dan stared after the two of them for a minute. He couldn’t hear what was being said, but he saw the flapper was talking to Axel, and while Axel did nothing obvious in response, it was evident—to Dan, at least—that he was listening.

She was probably complaining about him.

He stood still for a moment, barely breathing. He could hear the thump, thump, thump of his heart as his mind raced.