Free Dead Sure?: A Paranormal Mystery by Eric Webster

right…I don’t like it, but I will do it.”
    “I had a feeling you would. Now go take care of it before that crazy ghost story spins out of control and further damage is done. Also, I don’t want you to speak about this anymore, and of course you know--this conversation never took place.”  Steve turned towards the windows.  He had nothing left to say.
    Jack got up and left the office. He felt dejected. It wasn’t his style to cave in to pressure from authority. Yet, here he was doing it even when it went against every grain of his fiber.
    “Nothing’s gonna screw up my new building. I am number one and don’t you forget it. We’ll just see who comes out on top again,” Steve uttered out loud to himself. If there was someone there, only he could see them.
     
    *    *    *                        
     
    Sam had met Rene for the first time yesterday afternoon after leaving the police station. Being such a warm hearted person, Sam had to make sure the woman that had been injured was all right. Upon meeting her, he immediately felt some connection to her. So much so that he had offered her a ride home perhaps with a stop off for some coffee and dinner. She too had felt a connection and took him up on his offer. And here they were the next day having lunch together.
    She was so attractive; Sam just couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her strawberry blonde hair blew lightly in the breeze as they ate at an outdoor café. It was a beautiful sunny day, not too hot and not too cool. Normally, Sam would have been at work with maybe a short lunch break. However, after the events yesterday, the worksite had been closed off by the police pending further investigation. Sam was just glad Rene hadn’t been seriously injured. She had suffered a small cut and a slight bruise to her arm and a bump on her head from her unexpected “meeting” with the sidewalk.
    Rene too would have normally been hard at work, but after yesterday her bosses at the medical building felt she should take the day off. And who was she to argue with sound judgment like that? Now, she was enjoying a great summer day with an interesting new guy. Sam seemed so easy-going and straightforward. Not at all like Jack, the guy she crashed into the other day. Yet, she couldn’t stop the occasional stray thought of that man from passing through her mind.
    “So, Sam, when you’re not rescuing damsels in distress, what exactly is your job?” she said with a giggle.
    “Well, I really enjoy blowing stuff up, a lot!” he said enthusiastically. “Actually though, my job is more about building things than destroying them. For instance, the old Horner Bank Building is going to become the newest, tallest skyscraper in the Twin Cities area. It’s really a great project to be part of.”
    Before Rene could respond, her cell phone rang. It was a quirky ring tone, some odd sounding song that Sam couldn’t quite place. “Hello,” she answered in a chipper voice.
    “Hello, Rene, it’s Jack. I was wondering if we could get together tonight for dinner. I wanted to talk to you about the accident and explain something before you hear it from someone else.” He was trying hard to sound upbeat, even though he didn’t feel that way at all.
    “Sure, I guess so. I am busy right now; I’ll call you back later,” Rene smiled clicking her phone shut. “Sorry about that, Sam. So what was it you where saying about the project?” Just then a shooting pain came up her neck into her forehead and behind her eyes. Her head was hurting so bad, so very bad. She closed her eyes and tried to massage her temples.
    “Rene, are you all right? Can I get you something?” Sam was worried.
    The pain was so intense she didn’t even hear Sam talking to her. The world around became like some far off blur. Then as fast as it had come, the pain subsided. Rene just sat there staring at Sam. “So, what were you saying about the project?” She asked