Ghost Behind You

1.24. The Note

Just as Rose hung up the phone, there was a knock at the door. Zach walked in, looking slightly worn from travel. She couldn't help but wonder where he'd been, but resisted the urge to ask.

Zach noticed her hesitation and chuckled. "Curious about where I went, huh?"

"I doubt you'd tell me even if I asked," Rose replied with a shrug.

"Well, you know me," Zach said, a trace of bitterness in his voice. "No formal job, so I have to make a living somehow. I was just doing a little side job for someone."

"What kind of job? Ghost-hunting?" Rose was surprised he offered any explanation at all.

"Something like that. There's a row of villas by the seaside. They've had some... disturbances, and an old client referred me to check it out."

"And?" Rose's curiosity grew.

"There were some restless spirits," Zach said as he cooled off by the air conditioner. "But they weren't too troublesome. Old ghosts, mostly. Not worth much."

"So, what did you do about it?"

"I used three talismans. They should calm things down in a few days. The villas were built over an old graveyard, which stirred up some residual energy."

"How much did they pay you?" Rose asked, feeling a bit intrusive but too curious to stop herself.

"Enough to cover about a month's expenses," Zach laughed. "I can't compare to you—you've got the steady paycheck."

"Why drag me into this?" Rose said, cutting off the conversation. She reached for her logbook, notes, the sketch, and the note she'd found, laying them out on the table in front of him. "We've got a lot of clues now," she said proudly.

Zach immediately shifted into serious mode, listening closely as Rose filled him in on her progress.

"So, you think the corpse from your dream is the witch?" Zach asked, examining the sketch she had drawn. He was impressed by her unexpected skill—it could prove useful.

Rose reiterated her theory, trusting her instincts. She hoped Zach could investigate further using both the sketch and the mysterious note.

Zach picked up the note and stared at it for a moment. Then, to Rose's surprise, he pressed it against his forehead. She watched his odd behavior, unsure of what he was doing.

After a long pause, Zach opened his eyes. "The person who wrote this is a woman in her fifties," he said calmly. "She used her grandson's notebook and pencil to write it. She's still nearby."

Rose stared at him in shock. "How do you know that?"

"The note told me," Zach said with a grin, holding it up. "It hasn't been written for long, so it's still carrying a lot of information. Want to give it a try?"

"You mean I could do that? How?" Rose asked incredulously as she took the note, mimicking his earlier action by pressing it to her forehead. "Now what?"

"Close your eyes, focus on the note, and imagine yourself becoming the note," Zach instructed softly.

Rose followed his instructions. For a while, she felt nothing but growing impatience. How could a simple piece of paper reveal so much? If it were that easy, police work would be a breeze. But how had Zach managed it?

"Don't rush. Just let it come," Zach whispered gently, his voice helping to soothe her frustration. Slowly, Rose's impatience gave way to a strange sense of calm.

A faint light appeared in her mind. Within the glow, she could see blurry, shadowy figures, like a fuzzy, out-of-focus film. Though it was hazy, she could just make out the face of an elderly woman. She tried to concentrate, to see her more clearly, but the image dissolved before she could.

Frustrated, Rose lowered the note and opened her eyes, only to find Zach watching her with an excited grin. "Well? You saw something, didn't you?"

"It was too blurry to see anything clearly," Rose muttered, feeling a bit let down. "It felt like a waste of time."

"The note's residual information isn't that strong," Zach said, still clearly pleased. "But you did great—way better than I was at first."

"Really?" Rose asked, turning to look at him. His praise stirred something inside her, a mix of pride and uncertainty. "Why are you grinning like that?" she teased.

"I'm just happy for you," Zach said, still smiling. "You've got a natural talent for this."

"Okay, okay," Rose said, embarrassed. She handed the note back to him. "I'll leave the rest to you. Take the sketch, too. I'm waiting on some information from Beijing."

"Sounds like a plan!" Zach took the note and carefully tucked away the sketch. "Let's meet again tonight. If the hotel owner's back by then, we can talk to him together."