Read Online Inevitable by Michelle Rowen - Free Book Online Page A

Thanks.”
    Leo threw some money on the table and with a last glare sent in Ryan’s direction, he walked out of the restaurant.
    The ghost had watched this exchange with growing interest. “You seem to be very popular.”
    Emma looked at her. “I peaked late.”
    The ghost pursed her lips. “The man who just left seems to be the better choice for you. This one,” she eyed Ryan, “looks like trouble.”
    â€œTell me about it.”
    â€œAnd yet you desire him more.”
    Emma cringed. “Is it that obvious?”
    â€œTo me it is.”
    Ghosts were typically extremely intuitive. Something about being dead gave them special insight into the hearts of humans.
    Leaving the dining room and the curious onlookers hanging on every word they spoke—apart from the ghost that none of them could see or hear except for Emma—they walked out toward the front doors. Emma tried desperately to focus on business rather than the close proximity of Ryan’s warm body to hers.
    â€œCan you leave this building?” Emma asked.
    â€œI can go outside, but I can only stray ten feet from the property. That’s it.”
    The home the restaurant was housed in had been around for more than a hundred years. The dress the ghost was wearing, though, placed her in the forties. That would have been when she’d died.
    Ryan opened the front door for Emma to exit through. During their few months as partners, he knew what to do when they were on a case involving ghosts. He’d stand back, keep watch, make sure nothing went wrong as Emma communicated with the spirit. A lot of ghosts weren’t all that open to conversations, but if they were, a lot of information could be gathered. Usually the point was to convince the spirit that they were dead, that it was time for them to move on. And that bright light they sometimes saw out of their peripheral vision was something they wanted to head toward in order to move on to the next plane of existence.
    It wasn’t a difficult process, but sometimes it got a bit tricky.
    Like when the ghost refused to leave. Sometimes the ghost decided to be a nuisance at best and a danger at worst to the living people inhabiting the haunted location. That was usually when an exorcism needed to be done.
    â€œYou said it’s your anniversary,” Emma said.
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWhat’s your name?”
    The ghost hesitated. “Lorraine.”
    â€œLorraine…last name?”
    â€œDuchamp.”
    The name seemed familiar to Emma. “Do you know what year this is?”
    â€œYes, of course. I know I’ve been dead a very long time and I know that I’m a ghost.”
    â€œGood to hear. So what’s the problem?”
    â€œThe problem?” She sighed and it sounded weary. “The problem is that my husband is a fool.”
    â€œHow so?”
    â€œDo you see that building over there…” She gazed off into the darkness and Emma followed her line of sight toward a five-storey hotel which was dark excerpt for a noticeable light flickering through the windows on the fourth floor.
    â€œMaison Duchamp,” Emma said and her eyes widened. She braced her hand against one of the posts flanking the stairs leading off the porch. “That’s you, Duchamp . Did you used to own that?”
    â€œWith my husband, yes.”
    It was the cold case Emma had glanced at only that morning. The hotel with the ghost who couldn’t be exorcised, couldn’t be found at all. So many agents had investigated the location, but found no evidence of a haunting. However, anyone who’d bought the property insisted that it was haunted. Supposedly, the ghost was very unfriendly, driving away business so they couldn’t make enough money to stay open.
    â€œIs your husband the ghost that haunts Maison Duchamp?” Emma asked.
    â€œHe is.” Lorraine nodded.
    â€œNo one’s ever established that he’s