Dweller on the Threshold Read Online Free Page A

again. “She didn’t say anything else?”
    “Not much. She was supposed to meet me with the details.” His voice caught and he cleared his throat. “A patrolman found her, recognized her and phoned me after he called it in. Her car was pulled over to the side of the road. She was just propped up in the driver’s seat.” He picked up one of Elsa’s hands. “It didn’t look like there was a struggle. Not like the others. No tears on the seats, no broken glass. No marks on her hands or fingernails. Elsa would have fought and fought hard. She could kick butt, ya know?”
    “She still can. She’s not dead.”
    “No,” he said, stroking Elsa’s fingers. “She’s not dead.”
      “So what are you going to do next?”  
    “Go over her car. Try and find the witch. Retrace Elsa’s steps since yesterday, if I can. I’m going by the station first. Want to come with me?”
    I didn’t. The best thing I could do would be to let him go about his search while I quietly went about mine. “I’m going to stay here with Elsa a little while longer.”
    “That’s good.” He stood. Clearing his throat again, he walked to the door then stopped, not turning to look at us. “No, it’s not. Nothing’s really good, is it?”
    After he left, I lifted Elsa’s hand, hating the feel of her ice cold fingers. I rubbed them with my own, circulating blood to the best of my abilities. Glancing over my shoulder, I met Fred’s eyes. “Can you find Bea?”
    He nodded and vanished into the spirit realm. Bea was Elsa’s spirit guide—a sturdy, no-nonsense protector who had never once been out of Elsa’s presence, as far as I knew. The only reason Fred ever left me was because of my spare—Phro. At least that’s what I assumed.
    “Bea would be here if she could.” Phro had come forward to touch Elsa’s shoulder. The spirit had a soft spot for the only kid who’d ever welcomed me into her home. “We have to find that witch.”
    “We’ll go to Elsa’s house first. She writes everything in her journal.” I stood and bent to kiss Elsa’s cheek. “I’ll get you back,” I whispered. “Promise.”
    Fred reappeared in the hall after I quietly shut the door behind us. “Bea is missing.”
    “That’s not possible.” I stopped, not caring that people around me had quit speaking to watch the dirty, crazy woman talk to air. “How is that possible?”
    “I don’t know.” Fred’s voice shook and there was a fine trembling in his hands. I didn’t blame him for being scared. “But—” He broke off.
    “What?”
    “Bea isn’t the only one. When I said whatever it is had fingers in our world, I was wrong. It’s more than fingers. Way more.”
    Time seemed to slow, a dull ring sounded in my ears as I struggled to come to terms with the ramifications of his statement. As far as they knew—as Fred and Phro had explained it to me—once a person died, harm could no longer come to them. They were free to move about in the spirit realm or to choose to come back to earth as guides. No one ever disappeared.
    Ice skittered over my skin. I pushed through the silent crowd and into another busy hallway.
    The pine scent was worse here, but I was thankful since it helped dispel the odor of old blood that tainted this part of the hospital. With the emergency areas so full, the hospital staff had wheeled in what looked like the victims of a multi-car accident. I saw blood-covered bandages, tear-slicked cheeks and damaged skin already turning mottled shades of yellow and blue.
    Harsh moans assaulted my ears and before I could figure out how to get through, the dead finally noticed my presence. Here, the strength of their anguish and confusion blurred the dimensional layers. Here, I couldn’t keep the walls strong—didn’t have to actually peel them away to see the spirits beyond.
    They came at me in one fell swoop of hammering, suffocating despair.
    “Please, I need you to—”
    “The car swerved—it wasn’t my