Raissa stopped at the corner of the block, angry at herself. You should have left it alone, but noooooo, you had to go taunting him with what you knew. She punched the button for the crossing light and jammed her hands in her pockets, trying to control the urge to slug someone. But it’s a child, just like the others, and maybe this is the time he’ll be caught. She watched the screen on the other side of the street and tapped her foot. It’s not your problem anymore. You risked everything before and got less than nothing. Why risk it again?
She heard running steps behind her, but before she could turn around, someone hit her from behind, launching her into the street—and directly into the path of an oncoming bus. Before she’d even tensed the muscles in her legs to move, an older woman yanked her by the arm, darn near pulling it from her shoulder, and she leaped up from the street just as the bus came to a screeching halt a good five feet beyond the spot where she’d been lying. Raissa clutched her shoulder with one hand and spun around.
But the street was empty.
She figured whoever had pushed her had kept running and was long gone by now, but where was the woman who had pulled her out of the street? The bus driver rushed off the bus, his face white as a sheet.
“Are you all right? I saw that guy push you, but I couldn’t stop. I don’t know how you managed to move that fast, but I’m glad of it.”
“Did you see the guy who pushed me?”
“Yeah, but he was wearing one of those hooded shirts and sunglasses. Coulda been anyone.”
“And the woman?”
The bus driver shook his head. “Didn’t see no one but you.”
Raissa motioned to the street. “You had to have seen her. The woman who pulled me out of the street.”
The bus driver studied her for a moment. “Ma’am, I don’t know how to tell you this, but there weren’t no other woman anywhere on this street. I gotta have perfect vision to drive this bus, and that’s what I got.” He looked around the street, then back at Raissa. “Maybe you should pay a visit to the Lord’s house sometime soon. That’s the only explanation I got.”
Raissa nodded. “Thank you, Mr…”
“Cormier. Been driving for going on thirty years and ain’t killed no one yet. I’m glad that didn’t change today. You going to be all right? I can call nine-one-one or something.”
“No, thank you, Mr. Cormier. I’ll be fine.”
The bus driver nodded. “Well, if you need anything, you can find me through the bus company. Like I say, I didn’t get a good look at that man or nothing, but I’d be happy to talk to the police, if they was asking.”
“I appreciate it, Mr. Cormier, but at this point, I think there’s little the police could do.”
“You’re probably right. You be careful, miss.” He climbed back onto the bus and gave her a wave as he pulled away from the corner.
Raissa lifted a hand in response, then hurried across the street to her car. She slid into the driver’s seat and looked over at her uninvited passenger. “I’m going to die, right?”
The ghost in her passenger seat frowned at Raissa. “Crap.”
Raissa stared at Helena Henry, feeling her pulse race. Of course, she’d known the ghost was around. Maryse and Sabine could both see her and had told Raissa about her. But knowing her friends were telling the truth and seeing the truth in her car were two totally different things. Then there was that small matter of Maryse’s theory on Helena’s appearances.
“This isn’t good, is it?” Raissa finally asked. “Maryse says every time you’re visible to someone, their life is in danger.”
Helena sighed. “I wish I could argue, but I’m afraid my track record speaks for itself.”
“It was you who pulled me out of the street, wasn’t it?”
Helena nodded.
“But why are you here? At the street corner? In my car?”
“Well, I was…I thought…you see…Oh, hell, I just had this feeling that you were in trouble, so I’ve been following you around.”
“A feeling?”
Helena waved one hand in dismissal. “I know. Now I sound like all the rest of you nutbags with your spirits and tarot cards and psychic visions, but damn it, I don’t know how else to explain it. You were on my mind for days and no matter what I did, I couldn’t shake it, so finally I got Maryse to drop me off at your shop.”
“Maryse knew about this and didn’t tell me?”
“She didn’t want to worry you. She said if you saw me, then we’d rally the troops. Otherwise, she was putting it down to my overactive imagination. Well, that and the fact that I started a diet last week.”
Raissa’s head began to spin. “This is too much to process right now. I’d love nothing better than to drive home and pour myself a glass of the strongest thing I have in my apartment and mull this over, but I’ve got something urgent to do.”
Helena shrugged. “Unless you plan on drinking the Drano under your sink, I don’t think you’re going to figure it out today anyway. But I wouldn’t mind a glass of wine, and maybe a slice of that cheesecake you bought today at lunch. Just don’t tell Maryse. She’s picking me up in an hour.”
Raissa started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. “I thought you were on a diet.”
“Hey, I just saved your life. Are you going to deny me a little piece of pie?”
“Helena, I’ll buy you pies for the rest of your life if I manage to stay alive like the others.”
“Cool!” Helena smiled. “That will show that skinny bitch Maryse. She keeps harping on me about my diet, but I think she’s just jealous that I don’t gain weight.”
“Then why are you on a diet?”
“Maryse and Sabine refuse to keep feeding someone they can’t take as a tax deduction, especially as I don’t need to eat in the first place. And it’s not like I can walk into a grocery store or diner and load up. It was getting a bit exhausting trying to steal when it has to be in my pockets or it’s visible to everyone, and I feel guilty about the stealing part, unless it’s someone I really don’t like.” Helena looked down the street at the police station, then back at Raissa. “Hey, you went to the police about that little girl that’s missing, didn’t you? Did you get a vision or something?”
“I got something.”
Helena stared at her for a couple of seconds. “You’re not really psychic, are you?”