Are you alone? No. We're together. (Book 3) ✔️

Chapter 10

Olivia Denver's POV:

My eyes stay glued to the computer screen looking for dead people from 3 months ago. I put the date of mass murder at Brownie's restaurant and filter it for 3 days before. I still find 115 people.

Filtering by their profession related to the ocean I cut it to 15.

That's still a lot. I need some more filters but what? I run my hand on my forehead thinking for more ideas but nothing comes up.

"Need any help?" asks Laura in my earpiece.

"Certainly. There are 15 dead so 15 ghosts," I reply.

"Nope. All the dead don't turn out to be ghosts. Only the ones having unfulfilled desires are."

"But won't all have the desire to live more?"

"Not in that way, listen. When I was in school I met an extremely rich boy, Caleb. I liked him so much that I even failed classes to be with him. On his 21st birthday, I confessed my love to him.

I thought it was gonna be his best gift. But he ditched me saying I was just one of his toys. The rejection hit me hard. I glanced at my life's 3 wasted years because of him.

I wanted all of that time back. With anger and frustration, I was rushing towards my home and just then a car hit me," says Laura in a saddening voice.

I let it all sink in my brain. She must have been very desperate and heartbroken after such betrayal. But what does it mean for me? Does everyone have to be in pain of betrayal?

No. That can't be. I close my eyes and lean on the chair thinking. It clicks in a moment. She saw her wasted life. She had a strong desire to turn her life around. That too in the moment of death.

Got it. It's a strong unfulfilled desire in the moment of death. I cut out all left to reach only 1. "This is our man." I tap on the PC screen.

"How did you do that?" she asks. I bet she is having her jaws dropped now.

It's time for a ride. 3..2..1

DEMON!!!

"Look. It can't be a natural death. So it lowers to 5 only. It can't be death by the prolonged disease too since the patient will be knowing it beforehand. So that leaves us with only 3.

In 1 accident case, the person didn't die on the spot. So only 2 left. One was riding a motorcycle so his mind must have been focused on the road instead of thinking of desires. So not him.

The last is Captain of a Private Ship whose ship sank in the ocean suddenly. It was his last trip and his wife had her birthday the next day. So plenty of things to think about," I explain in one breath.

"Your skills are mind-blowing, Olivia." I hear the sound of her claps. I smile. "What next?"

"We're gonna meet his wife."

I step out and step in a cab. In a few minutes, we reach Captain Jaffer's house. I instruct the cabbie to wait for us. I ring the bell and Jaffer's wife in her 40s opens the door. "Who are you?"

"I'm a detective. I'm investigating your husband's death."

She slams the door right into my face. "Lying is necessary in some cases, Olivia," lectures Laura.

"Not exactly." I ring the bell again. She opens the door again with red cheeks.

"Your husband's ghost has killed more than fifty people by now. Next time he goes on his murder fest it all will be on you." I lay out the facts plainly.

She looks at me for a moment. She turns back and falls to the ground fainted. "Lying is-" Laura starts again but I cut her off. "I know what you wanna say."

I run inside the room and come back with a glass of water. I sprinkle some drops on her and she opens her eyes. "What do you want from me?"

"I need to know why he is doing it?"

"I don't have a clue if he is even doing it," she says saddened as tears trickle down her cheeks.

I get her up from the floor and make her sit on a sofa. "You know how his ship sank?"

"Overload. It was a party on the ship. Drunken idiots didn't take his warning seriously. When a strong wave in the middle of the ocean hit the ship it went down. I was talking to him at that time." She wipes the tears with her white gown's sleeve.

So he's taking his revenge on all party people who drink too much or cross a limit. That's too judgemental of you Captain Jaffer.

"Congratulations, Olivia you found the cause," says Laura.

Smiling, I walk towards the exit door. Stupid conversation of Brownie & Creep enrages me. "Seriously, Brownie, you went there to check what his statue is made of?"

He pleads sorry instantly. But Creep doesn't say anything.

"Hey, in your case Laura. The car that hit you. The creep was driving it right?" I ask her.

"Yes."

"So he killed you but you still love him? How can you?"

"That's the past, Olivia. He loves me now." She takes a sigh and continues, "People should cherish the present instead of delving into the past."

It hits me hard. I've been longing for the amount of care and love Brownie had for me in the past when thinking of me as Sarah. Shouldn't I just cherish how much he cares for me in the present?

The shattering of the door's glasses jolts me out of my thoughts. "Why do I smell the same ocean scent here?"

"Cause he's here, Olivia. RUN!!!" Comes Laura's muffled voice in my earpiece.