Free The Ghosts Of New Orleans (A PARANORMAL RESEARCH AND CONTAINMENT DIVISION (PRCD) CASE FILE) by Terri Reid Page A

common area.  She pulled
three large mugs out of the cabinet and placed them on the counter near the
stove.
    Paul tilted his head and narrowed
his eyes. “I beg your pardon?”
    Sally chortled. “Oh, you do that REALLY
well.  You just about intimidated me.”
    She pulled herself up onto the
counter and smiled.
    Paul had to stifle a chuckle
himself. “Do you often poke your nose into the business of others?”
    Nodding her head enthusiastically,
she nodded. “Sure, I do – it’s how you learn and I love to learn. But,
actually, and more to the point, as a paranormal researcher there are often
links to relationships and power.”
    Paul shook his head. “I’m sorry, I
don’t follow you.”
    She grabbed a carrot out of a bowl
on the counter, took a tiny bite and then responded, “Researchers often look
back at folk stories or wives tales to discover if the story has any basis of
truth. Recently, a study was done based on a series of fairy tales.”
    Grabbing a carrot for himself, Paul
perched on the edge of a stool.
    “Are you telling me that
researchers have found that Cinderella really existed?”
    Sally rolled her eyes. “No, what I
am telling you is that love conquers all.”
    Paul choked on the carrot for a
minute, cleared his throat and asked, “What did you just say?”
    She grinned. “Well, most
researchers would call your reaction quite interesting.”
    Paul narrowed his eyes and
frowned.  “Most researchers would be worried that they would be transferred to Alaska.”
    Sally laughed.  “Wow! Threats too.
You are good.”
    Then her tone changed and she
folded her arms across her chest and looked pointedly at Paul.
    “Look, I don’t care what went on
between you two in the past.  But you have to know you saved her life today.”
    Paul nodded. “Yeah, she mentioned
that to me.”
    “Okay, good. But I don’t think she
realizes it wasn’t just because you happened to lift her up at the right time
or you somehow interrupted the cosmic forces against her.  The only reason you were
able to save her is because she loves you.”
    Paul shook his head, stood up and
walked across the room, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, “No, you’re
wrong, researchers are wrong, the whole damn world is wrong. I walked away from
whatever love Eloise could have had for me a long time ago.”
    She shrugged. “I didn’t say she
knew she loved you.  I didn’t say she will ever acknowledge that she loves you.
But you have to know it and believe it, in order to protect her.”
    Paul stopped and ran his hand across
his forehead. “So, this isn’t a happily ever after kind of thing?”
    She shook her head. “No, it’s not. 
And, quite frankly, if you went up to her and told her what I just told you –
she’d probably run away from you.”
    “And I wouldn’t be able to protect
her.”
    Sally nodded and smiled sadly. “You
got it!”
    They both heard the bedroom door
open.  Sally looked at Paul.
    “Now wipe that sad puppy-dog look
off your face and be the big mean bad-ass military man we both know you love to
be.”
    He smiled. “You really are
brilliant.”
     “Yeah, it’s tough,” Sally admitted
with a grin, “but somebody’s got to do it.”

Chapter Seven
    “I think you are both nuts,” Paul
said, folding his arms across his chest. “And I’m not going to be a part of
this scheme.”
    He stood in the center of the
common room, Sally was perched on the computer desk and Eloise was seated
cross-legged in the office chair.         
    “Paul, I think Sally’s right.  This
is the best way to catch her.”
    He turned to Eloise in amazement. “Excuse
me; didn’t you just nearly get pulled in again?  Didn’t you just nearly die? 
Why would you want to place yourself in jeopardy?”
    “Paul,” Sally began, “What is a
better choice, to send Eloise back in a controlled situation where we can
monitor her and help her if needed, or slowly pursue the investigation and
leave Eloise