Her brows furrow as she peruses article after article, seemingly searching for something.

"Why?" I ask.

"Spirits usually remain tied to the place where they died."

"You forget one thing, Thea," Cer interrupts. "Spirits can also cling to objects they prized during their life."

"What about people?" I suddenly ask.

Cer shrugs. "Could be. Spirits are fickle. When a soul exits the body, it's usually very confused and cannot remember too well what happened during its life. A messenger intervenes at that point and leads them quietly to P'asala. But there are times when the spirit becomes obsessed with something. It could be a place, an object, a person...a feeling. That obsession is what usually prompts a spirit to go rogue."

I nod slowly. His explanation makes more sense than Thea's. But it also opens the door for more questions. Is Nikki trapped in between realms because he can't let go of me? Is he still by my side because I'm the object of his obsession? And if so, what would I do? Would I try to help him cross over, or would I feign ignorance and keep him by my side? A cynical smile twists my lips. The former question is moot because no matter how much I'd like to think of myself as ethical and virtuous, my husband is where I draw the line.

"Maybe there's something at the theatre that keeps Olive there. She was part of the Ziegfeld Follies, and one of their shows, Midnight Frolic, was staged at the New Amsterdam Theatre. It says here she was also having an affair with Ziegfeld, the show's impresario."

Thea and Cer share a long look, and once more I get the feeling that they're communicating without words.

"I tried to find out more about Miss Thomas, but given that this happened more than a century ago, there aren't a lot of details," Cer adds. "That means we've got to do this the old-fashioned way."

"Old-fashioned way?" I frown, while Thea releases a loud squeak.

"That should be a lot of fun!" she exclaims excitedly—but at this point, what is she not excited about?

"Wait a moment. What are we talking about?"

"We need to catch Miss Thomas and interrogate her. With her age, she should have cognitive abilities. Once we know what's keeping her here, we can resolve the issue and help her move on," Cer explains matter-of-factly.

"And how does one go about catching a ghost?" I ask drily. "Do we need some crucifixes and holy water?"

"What? No!" Thea's eyes widen. "You humans and your silly tales." She waves her hand around, shaking her head.

My lips flatten in a thin line as I barely stop myself from commenting on her use of humans. I know she doesn't mean it, but it comes across as a little condescending.