Chasing Ghosts Read Free

first to dive under his
desk.
    The monitor showed the cab pulling away.
Demko walked over to the gate and studied the intercom system,
checked the height of the fence. Instead of pressing the keypad to
announce his arrival, Demko walked back to the street, appeared to
check to see if any cars were approaching, then turned, took a
running start and leaped over the ten-foot-high fence.
    “ That can’t be possible,” Sara said.
“He looked as though he used a springboard.”
    Dagger replayed the recording. He didn’t like
the looks of this one bit. Suddenly his muscles no longer ached.
Instead an anger and adrenaline coursed through his body. They
watched a third time. Demko hadn’t brought any type of portable
trampoline with him, hadn’t used a pole vault of any type, yet he
had been able to leap over the fence with little effort.
    “ As soon as Skizzy gets here, we’re
going to get over to that hotel room and find out a little more
about Paul Demko.”

    CHAPTER 2

    Cedar Point, Indiana boasted 100,000
residents and hugged the shores of Lake Michigan in Northwest
Indiana. It had its country club and yacht club for the elites as
well as the seedy back alleys for the down-and-outs. Sandwiched
between the high and low incomes were the struggling middleclass
just trying to keep their lawns green, their kids in iPods and
their charge card payments down to a manageable level.
    The key card envelope found on Demko’s body
directed Dagger and Sara to the third floor of the Embassy Suites
Hotel. Elaborate floral displays were arranged with precision
outside the bank of elevators. The carpeting was a thick forest
green with an ornate scroll design in cream and navy blue. Two
cleaning carts were parked at the far end of the hall.
    Dagger and Sara pulled on latex gloves as
they approached the door to Room 324. A privacy card was hanging
from the doorknob. Dagger pressed his ear to the door.
    “ Let me,” Sara said.
    He didn’t object. His partner was a
shapeshifter. And not only did Sara have the ability to shift into
a hawk or a wolf, but she also had the eyesight of the hawk and the
hearing and sense of smell of the wolf when in her human form.
    “ The room is empty.”
    Dagger slipped the key card in the slot and
they cautiously entered. He engaged the safety lock to prevent the
cleaning people from inadvertently walking in. They stood at the
entrance and made a silent assessment of the room. There was a
small bar area and a spacious living room with a desk. A wide
doorway led to a sizeable bedroom with a walk-in closet. Sara
started with the dresser, checking each of the drawers. She moved
to the closet, then stood back, puzzled.
    “ Dagger.” Sara turned from the closet.
“He didn’t bring anything. There aren’t any shirts, suits, not even
a suitcase. Who doesn’t bring clean underwear?”
    “ Someone who plans to be in and out
quickly.”
    “ So why rent a room?”
    Dagger didn’t find a toiletry bag nor a
toothbrush or toothpaste in the bathroom. The towels were crisply
folded on a rack above the toilet as were the washcloths. Since the
privacy sign was on the doorknob he knew housekeeping hadn’t
cleaned. The bathtub didn’t show signs of recent use so Demko
probably hadn’t spent the night.
    He walked back to the living area and picked
up the remote. “Let’s see what kind of charges he’s made.” He
clicked on MENU and then SERVICES. “The bill claims he checked in
three days ago. Meals, dry cleaning, room service, all charged.
This doesn’t make any sense.”
    “ Is it his bill?”
    Dagger glared at her, a look that told her he
had been a P.I. for five years and didn’t need an uppity
nineteen-year-old telling him his job. He scrolled back to the
first page. The room had been reserved in the name of Lee Connors.
That perfect eyebrow shot up again. One day he was going to peel it
right off of her face.
    “ What about an airline ticket?” Sara
rummaged through the garbage can by the bar, then