Ghost Planet Read Online Free PDF Page A

waited for him to answer. But he exited the stairway instead.
    I was regrouping for a second attempt when something occurred to me: I didn’t need to convince Murphy. It would all be cleared up the second I walked out of the building. I wasn’t sure I’d want to work for him after this, but under the circumstances I doubted the academy would deny me a transfer.
    A door hissed open to our right. A woman with a long, chestnut ponytail and even longer legs stepped into the hallway. She was nearly as tall as Murphy.
    “Irish, there you are!”
    He gave a short nod. “Lex.”
    “I must have sent you a dozen messages. Is something wrong with your portable?”
    “I shut it off.”
    “You what ?” She studied his face. “I was trying to save you a trip to the terminal. I’m sure you’ve heard the news by now. God, how awful.”
    A chill danced down between my shoulder blades. I took an unsteady step toward Murphy and his colleague.
    “What are you talking about?” he asked her.
    Lex’s almond eyes flickered in my direction, then fixed on my face, registering my presence for the first time. “Murphy, that woman behind you—”
    “Alexis, what’s happened? Does this have something to do with our new employee?”
    Her gaze pulled back to Murphy. “She’s dead , Irish. There was some kind of freak electrical storm. The engines on her transport failed. The thing sank to the bottom of the goddamn ocean.”
    I stood dumbstruck, staring at her. This was a joke—a colossally unfunny one. Or possibly some final, elaborate test cooked up by the academy. But why now?
    “ Who’s dead?” I demanded.
    Lex’s eyes remained trained on Murphy, seeking cues.
    “You’re talking about Elizabeth, is that right?” He spoke the words in a slow, deliberate way. “Elizabeth Cole is—dead.”
    Lex raised an eyebrow, nodding.
    “You’re absolutely sure.”
    “Braden’s already working on a statement for her family.”
    “No!” I shouted, panicking. I grabbed Murphy’s arm to pull him around, but he stiffened and stood fast. “Don’t you do that. This is a mistake! My mother—my mother is clinically depressed—a suicide risk. Don’t you dare tell her I’m dead!”
    Murphy and Lex stood inches apart, their bodies straight as fence posts. I couldn’t see his face, but from the intensity of her expression you’d think they were having a lovers’ quarrel.
    “Do you want to tell me who the hell this is, Irish?”
    I waited for Murphy’s answer, hand trembling from the strain of my grip on his arm.
    “Elizabeth Cole,” he replied.
    Lex’s head shook slowly as she tried to understand.
    “She’s a ghost, Lex. My ghost. It wasn’t making a lot of sense until now.”
    Frantic, I let go of Murphy and wedged myself between them. For a moment I stood jammed against him, looking up at her. Then he stepped back.
    “You have to listen to me,” I pleaded with Lex. “He’s wrong . Don’t let them tell my mother I’m dead!”
    She cast him a doubting look over the top of my head. “It still doesn’t make sense, does it? You already have a ghost. And you didn’t know Elizabeth on Earth.”
    “I did, actually.” His voice was low now. Softer. “Just barely. And the other one’s vanished.”
    Lex stepped around me. “Jesus, Murphy, I’m sorry. Just when we thought we were getting a handle on this.”
    “What is wrong with you people?” I shouted. “Don’t you think I would fucking know if I were a ghost?”
    My words evaporated in the stunned silence that followed.
    “I think you’re going to need help with her.”
    Murphy breathed deeply, running a hand through his dark hair. “I’ll be fine. But I’m going home for a few days, until things … settle. I’ll cancel the staff meeting. Could you and Braden divide up my sessions?”
    I shook my head in disbelief. I’d been seconds from walking away from both of them when they’d dragged my mother into it. Now I had to figure out some way to make Murphy