Orpheus - Haunting the Dead.pdf - Dice

HAUNTING THE DEAD
ALLEN RAUSCH
profits, if we can’t get back on schedule our company is
finished.”
“And you said your husband appeared to you a few
days ago….”
Laura nodded. “It was just a few minutes after
midnight. I had just gotten into bed when I smelled my
husband’s cologne. I haven’t smelled that odor in over
a year, but believe me, I could never forget it. Then I
felt a strong touch on my arm. I turned over and…
and…” Fat, glistening tears appeared at the corners of
her eyes.
“You saw your husband?” Teo prompted.
Laura nodded. “I… I… didn’t know it at first
because when I looked at him…” She began to cry—
wet, snotty sniffles coming from her nose. “His face…
for a moment he didn’t have a face. Then it was like his
flesh rolled down over his rotted skull because he was
staring down at me, more beautiful than I remember.”
She buried her face in her hands.
Eileen looked at Zoia. “Did your mother tell you if
your father said anything?”
Zoia nodded. “All he said was ‘Soon, my love.
Soon.’”
***
With the interview concluded, the three Orpheus
employees sat alone in Cardinale’s office.
“So?” the thin Mexican asked.
“It sounds legitimate,” Eileen said. “We’ll need to
do some investigating, of course. I wouldn’t expect
Señora Arguelles to be able to give us much more in the
way of specifics, but it sounds like a fairly standard
haunting.” She paused. “None of which explains why
you needed to pull us down here right away.”
Cardinale gave a nervous laugh. “Isn’t it obvious?
The woman who’s in charge of completing our building
is being haunted. We need to do everything in our
power to help her.”
( 156 )
6