The air in the kitchen grew heavy as everyone waited, and my anticipation built, an electric charge shooting through me. I had spent so much time hoping and praying for Jason to find out about Catherine stealing my body. Now the day had arrived, and the notion terrified me. What if it was too much for him to take, and he left? He might decide continuing a relationship with a ghost was out of his comfort zone, or worse, he might prefer the new me.
I watched him closely, searching for any sign he connected the dots. Finally, he spoke, “Tell me what?”
“Nothing. Abby and her friend are leaving,” Catherine said through clenched teeth.
“The hell we are!” Abby objected. “Something happened that night in the cemetery.”
“We got rid of Catherine,” Jason replied. His eyes flicked between Abby’s look of anger and Boone shaking his head. “Didn’t we?” I was the only one who noticed Catherine flinch. “Everything’s been fine since then.”
“Are you saying you haven’t noticed anything different about her?” Boone all but pointed at Catherine, and his voice indicated Jason was dumb if he didn’t.
He hesitated for a minute then said, “Not really. I mean, she’s starting fresh, finding herself after a traumatic couple of years. She’s growing into herself.” He scowled. “And what business is this of yours?”
“Quinn asked me to be here.”
Jason turned to Catherine. “What is he talking about?”
“I’ve never met this person until today.” I almost believed the trace of fear in her voice.
“Doesn’t mean Quinn didn’t ask him for help, though,” Abby teased.
“Stop talking riddles!” Jason burst out. “Look, Abby, say what you want to say and be done with it. You’re upsetting Quinn. She’s not feeling well.”
“Fine. Catherine is standing beside you.”
Surprisingly, he didn’t automatically look to his right. Instead, he directed his eyes in my direction. And I thought, for a second, maybe he too might notice the ghostly presence. His baffled expression told me I was wrong. He turned on Catherine, who stood on the other side of him, nibbling her lower lip. The longer this played out, the more I realized it wasn’t going to turn out the way I desperately wanted. Right now, I would very much like to throttle Jason.
“She didn’t go away that night?”
Abby gaped, obviously at a loss for words. Boone took over for her. “What Quinn’s best friend, the person who knows her better than any other, is trying to tell you is that Catherine pushed Quinn out of her body. She’s parading around as someone else, while Quinn has been left as a ghost.”
Jason’s brows furrowed together as he stared intently at the floor. Not once did he shift away from Catherine or spare her a doubtful look. When he lifted his head, his expression was resolute.
“It’s not possible. I would have noticed if Quinn wasn’t Quinn.”
“You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” Boone said ironically.
“What are you saying?”
Boone sipped his water. “I’m saying if you cared for Quinn like you say you do, you’d have noticed something was off.”
“Excuse me?” Jason untangled himself from Catherine and took a menacing step toward Boone, who didn’t so much as flinch or step away.
No. He laughed. And said, “Did something I say strike a chord?”
Abby hopped between them. “Boys. We’re getting off track.” She stared hard at Jason. “It’s the truth, Jason. That’s not Quinn.”
Jason opened his mouth, I assumed to argue, but then, he took a good hard look at Catherine. The moment spread out, and I shivered, trembling with exertion from not shouting at him to snap out of it.
I watched Catherine’s eyes well with unshed tears as she returned Jason’s stare. “Why are you looking at me like that? I’m the same me I’ve always been.” She flashed a wounded glance at Abby, and a tear snaked its way down her cheek. “Why are you doing this to me? I thought we were friends?”
“Well, apparently there are two actors among us,” Abby muttered.
“No, you two are out of line. Quinn’s been through enough. She doesn’t deserve to have you questioning her because she is spreading her wings. It’s time to grow up.” He directed the last sentence at Abby. “You should leave...now.”
Behind him, Catherine smirked, wiggling her fingers in farewell. Not to be outdone or doubted, she walked forward and linked her arm with Jason’s. “I’m the only one in here. It’s me, Abby. I don’t know why you can’t be happy for me.” Her tone wavered, as if it truly was hard for her to say.
“Play the EVP, Abby,” I said under my breath.
“Good idea, Quinn. Play the recording,” Boone suggested.
Abby smirked as she unplugged her ears and switched to playback mode. I knew there was a reason I loved that girl. She paused it from recording the present conversation and pulled up the file from the night in her room.
My words drifted out, for the second time in half an hour, and my watery voice begged for help. The plea took on physical form, rising up in the middle of the kitchen.
“Sounds like her,” Jason said. “But it doesn’t prove anything. The recording could be old. From one of the nights you were fooling around.”
“What about this?” Boone set his water on the counter and reached into his messenger bag for the video recorder, the one he had the night we met, the one he claimed I broke.
“This is ridiculous.”
“Quiet, Catherine,” Abby said.
Jason’s brow furrowed as he watched, and it didn’t take long for him to grasp reality. He rewound the footage over and over, his face becoming paler and paler with each viewing. He shook his head, as if trying to unsee what he’d seen.
“It can’t be,” he whispered.
“Because it’s impossible. It’s probably Photoshop or something.” Catherine reached up and put her fingers under his chin, forcing him to look at her. She placed his hand on her chest, right above her heart. “This really is me.”
Jason continued to hold Catherine’s gaze, but directed his question to Abby. “Abby, why are you lying about this? What are you trying to prove?”
He didn’t believe the physical proof!
“She’s jealous!” Catherine blurted.
“Very rich, coming from a body snatcher,” Abby tossed out.
Jason returned his attention to Boone. “How are you involved in this?”
“She was at Moon River, trying to contact Abby. Quinn and I are alike, meaning I can sense ghosts.” He flicked his gaze to me. “She’s pretty hard to miss.” When he looked back at Jason, he continued. “And I guess you could say I’m a professional.”
“Professional what?”
“Circus performer. What do you think? I’m a paranormal investigator. And trust me, there is a whole lot more going on than you obviously grasp.”
Jason considered the information a few more minutes, processing what he’d been told. I prayed he came to the logical conclusion, the one staring him in the face. A blind man could see he was having a hard time believing, despite the evidence and my best friend telling him the truth. His hesitation hurt. He swore under his breath and directed his question to Abby.
“If this is true, why am I finding it out now?”
“I only found out myself four days ago.”
“Four days have passed when you had every opportunity to tell me. None of this is making sense.” He paused, his jaw clenched. “No. Impossible. In fact, Quinn and I don’t have to stand here any longer and listen to this crap.” Jason grabbed Catherine’s hand and drew her toward the front door. He stopped long enough to say, “When we come back, I hope you are both gone or at least done with this stupid prank and ready to apologize.”
For a split second, we were all frozen in shock. Until Abby shook it off and chased after him. “Wait, listen to these headphones. I can prove it!”
Her reply came in the form of a slamming door.