Free A Ghoul's Guide to Love and Murder by Victoria Laurie Page B

if we offered you the name of someone who could vouch for us and the veracity of the story behind the dagger?” Heath said.
    I stiffened and put a hand on his arm. The person I was protecting was an inspector on the San Francisco police force. He’d risked his job—hell, he’d risked getting charged with obstruction—to get us the dagger, because he knew that we were the
only
people it’d be safe with. “Honey,” I whispered. “Don’t.”
    Heath looked meaningfully at me. “I talked to
our friend
a couple of months ago, Em. He saw our show and called. He left his job last December—took early retirement. He told me that ever since the thing in San Francisco—ever since Oruç got inside his head—he’s been suffering from panic attacks. He says he has nightmares all the time and he can’t shake ’em. He swears that there’s still a little bit of Oruç left in his mind, toying with him. I told him that was unlikely, but now I’m not so sure. Maybe there’s something to it.”
    I put a hand to my mouth. “I had no idea.”
    â€œI know,” Heath said. “I didn’t want to tell you because I knew you’d feel bad, but I think it’s important to loop him in on this. For a number of reasons.”
    I bit my lip. Could it be true? Could the last person Oruç had tried to possess really have a bit of that vile spook still roaming around inside his mind? Turning to Olivera, I said, “What I’m about to tell you is off the record.”
    Olivera frowned and tapped her finger on the table like I had to be kidding.
    â€œI’m serious,” I said.
    â€œI’m not a reporter,” she said flatly.
    â€œNo, but the information I’d be giving to you could be used to prosecute.”
    â€œProsecute?” she said. “For what?”
    â€œTampering with evidence,” I said. “And probably obstruction.”
    Olivera’s left eyebrow arched. “If you two tampered with any evidence at my crime scene, I’ll have the DA prosecute the hell out of you,” she warned.
    â€œIt wasn’t your crime scene, and we weren’t the ones who tampered with the evidence. Well, at least not directly. And the crime scene was from several years ago and well outside your jurisdiction.”
    â€œThen why would you be worried I’d have the DA prosecute you for obstruction?”
    â€œI’m not,” I told her. “I’m worried that you’ll make a few calls and have someone important to us prosecuted when all he was trying to do was protect the public.”
    â€œExplain,” she said.
    â€œFirst, your word, Detective. And you too, Lieutenant.”
    Olivera and Wilgus exchanged a look. They seemed to consider my offer a trap, but Wilgus finally shrugged and Olivera said, “Okay, Mrs. Whitefeather. We won’t pursue an obstruction or evidence-tampering charge with you, your husband, Mr. Gillespie, or whomever else you’re protecting, as long as what you’re tellingme about this crime scene being outside of our jurisdiction is true.”
    I let out a breath of relief and said, “The footage we showed you on Gilley’s iPad was taken at a historic hotel in California. While we were there filming for a show called
Haunted Possessions
, there were a series of murders and this dagger was at the center of them. In the end, Heath, Gilley, and I helped solve the case and we were entrusted with the dagger for safekeeping.
    â€œAnyway, the evil spook housed inside that dagger likes to take over the minds of anyone within range of the weapon. You don’t necessarily even need to be holding it to be taken over.”
    â€œHow exactly is this ghost ‘housed’ inside the dagger?” Olivera asked, using air quotes.
    â€œWell . . . ,” I said, pausing for a moment to think about it. “The dagger is basically a hole in