“Murdered?” I exhaled. That was not what I’d been expecting. “That’s awful.” I immediately cut the guy some slack. No wonder he was upset. “I’m so sorry that happened to you. How did it happen?”

Sin shook his head, but I had a feeling that was Chad’s movement. Then Chad spoke, confirming my feeling. “My last memory is of walking down a small alley to get to my car. I always parked in the same spot when I worked at the North Forty. It’s a great spot for dancing. It’s one block off Broadway. Tourists go there, but so do some locals. I’m there every Thursday night. Or I was.”

I nodded. “You were leaving work and going home. Then what happened?”

“Then intense pain. Then nothing.”

“So you were hit or shot?” I asked.

Chad shrugged. “I guess so. I don’t know the details.”

What a weird place this guy was in. Not knowing what really happened to himself, stuck in a sort of limbo. Hoping we could help him.

Sin took over after Chad. “Then how do you know your murderer hasn’t already been arrested?”

“Because,” Chad answered, “I was friends with some of the janitorial crew at the Hall of Fame. I heard those guys talking about what had happened to me. They were standing by the Cadillac, looking sad and talking about what a shame it was and how the police had hit dead end after dead end and it looked like my killer was never going to be caught. That’s when I really understood what had happened to me.”

Sin took over again. “How did you end up in the Hall of Fame? And in Elvis’s Cadillac?”

Chad shrugged. “I don’t know that either. I sort of came back to consciousness there. Or whatever this existence is. It was always one of my favorite things to visit. I guess you could say I felt a real kinship with Elvis in that spot. Like I could spend time with him just by being around that car. I know that must sound plumb stupid, but—”

“No,” I said. “My husband was thrilled to see that car. If it meant something to him, it could definitely mean even more to you. Elvis gave you your livelihood. You’re probably one of his biggest fans.”

Chad nodded. “I am. I really am.” He sighed. “I always thought when I died, I’d finally get to meet Elvis. But I haven’t met anybody. Not until you all. No one could hear me or see me. I woulda thought being a ghost was different than that. At least it sure seemed like it was on TV. Guess that’s my own fault for believing everything I saw, huh?”

“TV gets a lot of stuff wrong.” An idea popped into my head. “Chad? Are you able to come out of my husband’s body on your own? Could you? If you wanted to? I’m not trying to trick you or anything like that. We’ll do whatever we can to help you, I promise. I’m just wondering if you’d be a visible ghost to us, since we’re already able to communicate with you. Know what I mean?”

“I see what you’re saying. But I don’t think I can. Or I woulda already. I was a little surprised when I figured out where I was this morning. In bed with you and all. Then I kinda thought the whole being dead thing was just a bad dream and I’d just had a wild night and hooked up with you.”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“I didn’t know you were pregnant! Not that I have anything against kids. But heck, I didn’t know I wasn’t in my own body.” He exhaled. “All I knew was Bethann was gonna be mad if she ever found out.”

“Bethann?”

“Bethann Grimes. My girlfriend.” His head dropped, gaze on the floor. Remembering his lost love?

His head came back up. A familiar light appeared in his eyes. Sin, back in control. “It’s me, Jayne. Chad didn’t mean to jump into me, so I don’t think it’s something he can control. At this point, because of my abilities to communicate with the dead, I’m an easy conduit for a spirit like him. And he’s stuck with me. Until we can do whatever’s necessary to get him out.”

“Like finding his murderer,” I said.

Sin nodded.

I sighed. “Okay, but what about the store visit? We can’t cancel. It’s the whole reason we’re here. And the employees have been getting ready. Asking them to postpone it, especially when we don’t know how long we’d need to put it off for, doesn’t feel fair.”

“No,” Sin said. “I’m sure Chad will understand that we have work we have to take care of. Right, Chad?”

Sin nodded, answering his own question, but I got that it was Chad’s response. “Then we should get ready to go, and once that’s behind us, we’ll focus on finding out who killed Chad.”

“Big Elvis,” Chad said. “That was what everyone called me. How I was known.”

“Big Elvis, then,” I said. If he was going to cooperate with us, I’d call him Little Shirley Sunshine if that was what he wanted. “But how are we going to do any better than the police? If they couldn’t solve his murder, what makes us think we will?”

Sin took a deep breath. “Valid question. And not one I have an answer for. But we can try, right?”

I nodded and put my hand on my belly. “We can try. But I might commit a murder on my own if I don’t get something to eat soon.”

Sin laughed. “Café?”

“Yes, please.”

“You want to get ready for the store visit first or—never mind, I can see by the look on your face that was a silly question.”

I chuckled and did my best not to be hangry. We threw on some clothes and headed for the café.

Shelby, the young woman who’d waited on us before, came over to greet us as we slid into a booth. She gave us each a menu and a small glass of ice water. “Morning, folks. Coffee?”

I shook my head and patted my stomach. “I can’t have caffeine.”

She smiled. “You want milk?”

I made a face.

She laughed. “What about chocolate milk?”

My brows went up. “That actually sounds pretty good.”

“I’ll fix one right up for you.” She looked at Sin. “You want coffee?”

“I’d love some,” he answered.

As she left, I leaned in toward Sin and lowered my voice. “Big Elvis, you stay quiet now.”

“He will,” Sin answered. “He said he’s grateful we’re willing to help, and he’ll behave.”

I looked over my menu. It was different than the lunch menu, which made sense. The café did a lot of pancakes, and I could not have been happier. “Sin, look at all the pancakes they offer.”

“I see that,” he said. “Is that what you’re going to get?”

“For sure. I just don’t know which ones. Carrot cake? Chocolate with chocolate chips? Mixed berry?”

“Banana bread, cookies and cream—”

He stopped reading so suddenly I looked up. “What?”

“You see what’s listed after cookies and cream?”

I glanced back at my menu. “The Elvis.” I shook my head. “I had my fill of bananas and peanut butter last night.”

“But I didn’t.”

I frowned. That was Chad’s voice. “You’re supposed to be quiet.”

Shelby came back with my chocolate milk and Sin’s coffee. “Here you go. Ready to order?”

I kept my eyes on Sin, hoping Chad understood I wasn’t happy with him. “Cinnamon roll pancakes for me with a side of sausage links, please.” Cinnamon pancakes drizzled with frosting, caramel, sprinkled with candied pecans, and topped with whipped cream didn’t seem like something I could pass up. Probably wouldn’t compare to Mummy’s cinnamon rolls but still sounded amazing.

“You got it,” Shelby said. “And for you, sir?”

“The Elvis,” Sin said. In his own voice.

“Coming right up.” Shelby took the menus and went back to the kitchen.

I shook my head. “That doesn’t seem like a very ‘you’ order, Sin.” I sipped my chocolate milk. Shelby had done a good job with the chocolate syrup. I could barely taste the milk.

He sighed. “It’s not. But I have a craving for peanut butter, bananas, and bacon that I’ve never had before.”

“It really is like you’re pregnant.”

He didn’t seem happy about that. “Yes, it is. But it better not take nine months to have this baby.”

“You can say that again.”

We sat in silence for a few minutes, drinking our beverages, and watching sleepy campers wander past the café. Some came in and got coffee and food to go. Some headed to the general store, which had a small grocery section, and came out again with supplies to make their own breakfasts.

I didn’t think we had much chance of solving Chad’s murder. It was such a long shot. And then what? Was Sin stuck with Chad for the rest of his life? The weight of that felt like more than I could take. I wanted my husband back. I needed him back. I didn’t want to raise this baby with Elvis!

“Jayne? Are you crying?”

“No.” I sniffed. “Maybe a little.”

“What’s wrong, honey?”

I wiped at the tears and kept my voice to a whisper because the café was filling up. “What if we can’t solve his murder? Then what? Are you stuck with him? Am I ever going to have you to myself again?”

He quickly took my hand. “It’s all going to be okay, I promise.”

I sighed and sniffed one more time. Stupid pregnancy hormones. “I hope so.” A little anger wound through me. “I know this is weird for you, but it’s weird for me too. It’s hard enough being pregnant. I don’t like having to share my personal space with a stranger.”

A man sitting at the counter turned around to look at me. I gave him an icy glare right back. He turned around.

“And you won’t have to. Not for long. As for everything else, maybe I should get a hotel room until this is worked out.”

“What?” The word came out more like a shriek than I’d intended. I tried to be calm. “No, Sin. I don’t want that at all.”

He nodded quickly. “Okay, okay, it was just a suggestion.” He sighed. Then he spoke quietly. “Chad says he won’t be a problem.”

He already was. But I just sighed. “Thanks.”

Shelby arrived with our food, and my mood lifted a little. The cinnamon roll pancakes looked great.

I took my first bite and smiled. They tasted enough like Mummy’s cinnamon rolls to be comforting. And I needed that right now.

“Good?” Sin asked.

I nodded. “Very. How are yours?”

“Not something I ever would have ordered and yet, I can’t stop eating them.” He forked up another mouthful. “This is a very weird experience.”

“And considering all we’ve been through, that’s saying something.”

He let out a small laugh, more a bark of sound than anything else. “We have been through some interesting situations. I guess this is just one more for the books.”

I drank some of my chocolate milk and tried to put a little mental distance between myself and our current circumstances. Not that easy to do, but I needed to get into a different head space. One where I could be happy and fun and appropriately princessy. I needed to fully embody my royal role.

That was who the employees were expecting, after all. The winter princess and her royal consort.

Good thing they had no idea Big Elvis was going to be tagging along.

I just hoped we could keep it that way.