Page 51 of A Ghost’s Guide to Haunting a Witch

As if on cue, Bird took the opportunity to jump into her lap, and Augustine burrowed her nose into his black fur.

“Hates cats?” Roy smirked. “She sounds like my kind of person.”

“You don’t hate cats.” Augustine scratched behind Bird’s ears.

“I really do,” Roy said, watching her stroke Bird with disdain. “And they hate me. Bird and I just tolerate each other for your sake.” He studied her with new interest. “So, a murdered hot guy ghost has asked you to help him find his girlfriend whose name you don’t know and whose face you didn’t see.”

“Pretty much. Add this — I googled him. Theo. And he appears to have left absolutely no trace on the internet.”

“You mean he’s a ghost?” Roy asked.

“I already told you that he was.”

“No. I mean, he’s a ghost. Someone without a digital footprint.”

“Oh. Is that what you call them?”

“Yes. A ghost. Ironic, right?”

Augustine nodded miserably. “Yep.”

“Well,” Roy said. “There’s one word to sum up your current predicament. Fucked.”

“Indeed.”

“What are you going to do now?”

Augustine looked down at her hands. Her fingers twisted together again, the movement sharp and almost painful. “I don’t know. After it happened, I ran,” she admitted quietly.

Roy’s expression softened a fraction. “You ran?”

“Panicked might be the better word,” she corrected herself quickly. “I mean, wouldn’t you? One minute I was sitting there turning over tarot cards and the next I was inside someone else’s body at a Halloween party with cat ears sliding down my head. When I came back I just . . .” She made a vague fleeing motion with her hand. “I left.”

Roy nodded slowly. “Okay. I guess that’s understandable. That would be a lot for anyone.”

She cleared her throat. “I also, umm, kind of locked him in.”

“So?”

“So, what if he can’t get out? What if he needs fresh air or, I don’t know, a walk or something?”

“He’s a ghost, not a designer puppy.” Roy replied easily. “I’ve seen The Sixth Sense. He can probably walk through walls. But you’re right. You can’t just leave him in limbo. The universe is doing a fine enough job of that already. You’re going to have to go back,” Roy continued. “Speak to him.”

“I don’t want to.”

Roy tilted his head. “Why not?”

Augustine opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Roy watched her, his expression softening slightly.

“Are you scared?” he asked, and after a pause, she nodded.

Roy sighed. “Augustine, this man isn’t out to hurt you.”

She looked up at him. “He’s not a man.”

“Fine, ghost. The fact still stands though. He hasn’t threatened you. He hasn’t tried to harm you.”

Augustine’s fingers knotted together once more. “He’s actually quite polite.”