[Geek]

Edward had been expecting Sasha’s pretty face, the sound of her voice, having seen her in Carlisle’s memory. He had not expected the tingle of recognition when he looked in her eyes. He had butterflies in his stomach and electric running on the surface of his skin.

Edward had his phone to his ear again. “Hey, I may need to monitor this one a bit. could you please see if there are any available apartments in the address you gave me earlier?” Jasper did not even respond before he disconnected the line. Edward knew his friend and brother was already running through all the possibilities to answer Edward’s question. Jasper’s military background made him perfect for plans of attack, even if they were just seeking information, not plundering a city.

Edward found a nearby ally to wait. He pretended to play a game on his cell phone, looking at his watch every once in a while like he was waiting. Jasper’s call interrupted is game.

Without a preamble Jasper launched into the details, “The couple that lives above Sasha and her roommate, happen to be on a cruise. You have 10 days until they return. They have no pets, and a cleaning woman arrives on Thursdays. Will that do? “

“Perfect Jasper, please tell Carlisle I am still looking into the matter we discussed,” Edward was already headed around the building. The lobby to the apartments came equipped with a doorman that greeted everyone by name, and a security guard that manned an expensive looking desk.

Not that any of these things were an obstacle for Edward, but it is always good to have the layout in mind.

Around the building and in an alley to the left, Edward spotted a pool light spilling from an Emergency Exit door that was propped open with a well used brick. From the litter of cigarette butts, Edward thought this might be a professed quitters illegal hideout.

He picked the brick up and brought it inside, setting it on a nearby metal heater, where it obviously waited for the next Smoke break.

Edward was in the building using no vampire tricks whatsoever. If someone with bad intentions avoided the front door, getting into this building was no problem at all. He thought of Sasha and her dog here in Manhattan. If he were lucky enough to be able to leave her in peace, he would send an anonymous complaint about this practice.

Edward tried not to think about the alternative, if, perchance, he would not be able to leave her in peace. Keeping the smoker door shut would be the least of concerns if she were a danger to his vampire family.

Edward found the apartment that was vacated by the happy couple on the cruise; he picked the lock easily enough. Being able to read minds gave Edward every advantage when breaking and entering, any suspicions being broadcast loud and clear.

He looked around a bit. The couple was tidy, and had many pictures of two apple cheeked grandchildren. The woman had exactly fourteen sweatshirts with the word “Grandma” written in glitter or sequins hanging in her closet. The man was an avid car fan. Various makes and models were displayed on shelves. Edward had to admit, the gentleman had good taste. Edward had actually owned almost every single car represented.

He stood in the center of the apartment to intrude on the thoughts in the apartment below him.

Sasha verbal communication to her roommate, “No, I am fine, I totally understand.” Her words belayed her thoughts, Oh God I hate being alone, please don’t leave.

“Great Sasha, Frank and I want to hit the gym early tomorrow.” Jean was thinking of her boyfriend, a professional firefighter for the city. The door shutting ended their farewells. Sasha believed she was alone with her thoughts.

She immediately turned on the TV, the radio and all the lights. Edward saw in the fear in her mind, but she refused to let the fear form a coherent thought for him to read.

Edward wondered if she had, by some miracle, figured out what Carlisle and Edward were, and was knew that she was being watched.

Sasha went into what was obviously, a bedtime routine, with the serial killer eyed Pudge following her around fatefully. The dog seemed to sense his master’s unease.

Edward left her thoughts alone to give her privacy during her more human moments.

He waited a bit, standing still in the center of the apartment he was in. With no eyes to see him, Edward reverted to motionlessness.

Audible words from below caused him to dive back into her brain.

“Come on, Pudge, jump!.”

She curled into bed and Pudge, the dog, was able to join her after three running starts. Sasha laughed at the dog and pulled Pudge up on the last jump. The dog settled at her covered feet and was snoring in an embarrassingly short time.

Sasha waited for sleep. She was doing a remarkably effective job at cleansing her brain. Edward could feel the numbness starting to spread, Sasha getting the sleep no vampire ever had the pleasure of enjoying.

In her last heavy lidded blink, her room went from empty to occupied.

The shock was so sudden and complete, Edward dropped into a defensive pose and bared his teeth. It must be a vampire, the thing had moved so quick.

In the time it took for Sasha to suck in a surprised gasp, Edward realized her ghost had ambushed her.

He looked at the room through her eyes.

Standing near the end of Sasha’s bed was an older woman.

The ghost looked so confused. Her spirit appeared to Sasha in the clothes she favored when she was alive. A beaded colorful sweater was draped over her shoulders.

Edward realized his fingernails were digging into his palms. He was at war with himself. Part of him wanted to punch a hole in the floor he was standing on, and tell the girl below she was not alone in the room with a ghost. The other part of him demanded Edward listen and gather information.

Was this her mania? Is this what drives her to therapy? He also could not be totally sure her ghost was not just a manifestation of her own brain.

Sasha spoke out loud, “Please, look at me.” She urged the ghost.

I just need to get her calm and focused. Sasha’s reasonable thoughts helped Edward stay in the apartment above the bedroom.

“What is your name?” Sasha’s demeanor reminded Edward of the trauma nurses that Carlisle worked with in the ER, friendly but determined.

The ghost straitened up her posture. Seemingly remembering her manners, the ghost held out her hand for Sasha to shake. This part is tricky. I can’t shake her hand. It would be too much of a shock for her to find that she had lost density.

The ghost looked at Sasha curiously when she declined the simple gesture with the shake of her head.

“My name is Betty. I was on my way to my poker game.” The ghost’s voice was charming, with a hint of a southern accent.

“What do you play?” Sasha smiled genuinely at Betty.

“Hold’em. What else is there?” Betty was adorable.

She is feisty, I like her. Sasha’s thoughts were so decisive, then remorseful.

And now I will break her heart.

“Betty, sweetheart, you didn’t make it to your game. I am so sorry. Do you remember anything?”

Betty looked down, became flustered and focused back on Sasha’s calm face.

“My cell phone rang. I hate that blasted thing. I never answer it when I am driving. But I started to look for it. I took my eyes from the road for a moment, and then..”

Betty took a gasping breath, “I crashed. I crashed the car. Everything hurt at once.”

Betty’s ghost started to stumble.

Sasha flipped her covers off and stepped closer to the Betty. “Sweetheart, you died in that car crash. You need to move on. Pass to the other side.”

Betty’s eyes filled with tears.

“No. No. no. My Bill, I can’t leave him here. We have been married for over 50 years. He doesn’t know how to be without me. I cook, and he sets the table. We clear the table together. Every time. Every time.”

Sasha yearned to put her arms around the ghost.

“Betty, when you get where you are going you will still feel his heart and his love, and you can send him your love. The sooner we can get you there, the sooner he can feel you again.”

Betty steeled herself, “You tell me what I need to do for Bill, and I will do it.”

She is so brave, I bet she was a real spitfire in life.

Sasha proceeded to coach Betty, “Go. Go to where the positive energy is strongest. Let it carry you Betty, you have lived a beautiful life.”

Sasha could smell a hint of vanilla and a gentle plume of light and Betty was gone. “Goodbye, Betty” Sasha whispered the last part.

Sasha climbed back into bed, dragged Pudge’s snoring form to her like a teddy bear. Edward watched as it took hours for Sasha to settle her thoughts. She was ping ponging between wanting to go find Betty’s Bill and getting on with her normal life.

The guilt Sasha felt puzzled Edward, what he had witnessed was quite beautiful. While hearing her thoughts, he was surprised at how much responsibility Sasha thought belonged to her. Surely, she knew that sending a ghost into the next life had to be enough.

Edward ran his hand through his hair. Here he was, believing in this girl's delusions. He knew better then anyone that someone’s mind could be far from reality.

He was still listening to her mind, juding from syrupy quality of her thoughts, she was almost completely free of her demons. Just as Sasha was letting her eyelashes close like a curtain over her and Edward’s view of her room, Edward saw a flash of movement. Another ghost.

Sasha’s human brain didn’t register the murmur in her ear, for it was but a split second.

Edward felt Sasha fall right into the bliss of sleep. She began to dream of gold colored eyes.

There was no way that Sasha had heard the warning. But a vampire could hear it loud and clear.

The hissing whisper had said “There is a killer close, and he is watching you.”