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could buy.
    I couldn’t remember the last time I had to do such a mundane, everyday task as pick out my own clothes. I would imagine that my own thoughts proved how entitled I’d become.
    Out of nowhere, an idea seized me that might solve the problem of not being able to help Kristina find her sister. The idea was simple and would only require a few modifications on my part. I looked once more at my reflection, this time with a smile.
    I will be seeing you very soon, Kristina .

Chapter Four
     
    I stared at the phone on the wall, willing it to ring. My butt and legs were numb. I’d been sitting there for several hours, keeping strict vigil. My cell was next to me. Either way, I wasn’t missing a call. I’d stationed Jude at the front window to keep an eye on the mailbox and front porch, just in case someone delivered another ransom note, if that’s what you’d call it. The first note hadn’t asked for a thing. That was the problem. I didn’t know what those people wanted.
    Jude popped out of nowhere. “You really should get some sleep.”
    His body appeared to be chopped in half. The top part of him seemed to sit on the kitchen island, while his bottom half disappeared through the cabinet.
    “Why are you here? You’re supposed to be keeping an eye on the front of the house!” I didn’t mean to be so bitchy, but I was freaked out about my sister.
    “It’s been hours, Kris. Look, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll keep an eye on everything. The phone, house…you name it. Torra needs you sharp and rested. You’re no good to anyone, dragging ass like this.”
    I looked at the clock on the microwave. The brightly lit numbers told me it was three o’clock in the morning. I gave the phone another frustrated look. If my sister’s kidnappers hadn’t contacted me by then, chances were, they wouldn’t until later in the day, so I decided to take Jude’s advice. He’d always been more sensible than me, anyway.
    “All right, you win. I’m going to bed. But just for a few hours.”
    Jude smiled, letting out a sigh that was the equivalent of a human breath. Ghosts couldn’t actually breathe, but I guess old habits die hard.
    “That’s good enough for me.” He was relieved.
    It amazed me, how much Jude had become a part of my family over the last few years. He really did care about me, and I could tell that under the surface, while he was scrambling to make sure I was okay, he was close to freaking out.
    I thought back to the first time Jude appeared to me. It happened three years ago. I remembered the date, because he was the first ghost to appear to me without a dire need for vengeance. He looked confused and scared, like the newly deceased usually did; however, he also looked lonely and vulnerable. I asked him about his death, but he refused to tell me anything about it.
    That wasn’t the case with any of the other apparitions that sought me out. Their deaths had always been the first thing they wanted to discuss with me. Not so with Jude. His only request was companionship. He’d become my dearest friend and a pivotal part of my family unit—a unit that consisted of Torrance, Jude, and me. And he still refused to tell me how he died.
    My weary bones spilled from the barstool. Both of my legs and my butt tingled as my bare feet hit the floor. I hadn’t left my post since I sat down. Not to get a drink of water or to use the bathroom…nothing. Better believe, I was paying in spades for the neglect I had put my body through in those unproductive hours.
    For a moment, Jude and I stared at one another, both our faces baring the pain we were feeling. It sucked big, fuzzy tennis balls, not being able to help Torra, and after witnessing the mirrored anguish riddled across Jude’s face, I decided then and there that if we didn’t hear anything from the kidnapper by the afternoon, I was going to hit the pavement for some answers of my own.
    I walked across the kitchen half-dazed. When I stopped in front of the