Chapter <b>138 </b>


    “What’s the tenant’s name?” Rose asked.


    “Celeste ir.”


    I didn’t know why, but her name made a shiver go up my spine.


    Then, the superintendent muttered something about a bracelet.


    “Sorry, I didn’t catch that,” I said, my heart mming against my chest.


    The man’s eyes nced down at my bracelet, and my stomach dropped.


    A couple of months ago, Ava and I had brought two gold bracelets with a tiny heart as the charm. They were identical..


    Had this man seen my friend?


    After Alexander gave the superintendent a wad of cash, the man gave us directions on how to get to Celeste’s room, which was on the eighteenth floor.


    There was no time to waste, and we immediately took the stairs up the high floor. Even though the stairs took longer, it was worth it because I didn’t trust any elevator in a building that was as old as this one.


    As we neared closer to Celeste’s room, the lighting seemed to dim, and the hair on the back of my neck stood. It felt like someone was watching me. The four of us neared arge wooden door with a bronze door knocker that was shaped like an open eye. There were twinkling lights above the door, which was the only source of lighting in the dark hallway. What was this ce?


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    I had my answer when a young woman in a maroon–colored shawl and a bright yellow head scarf swept out of the room. She hadrge oval sses and ck pointy shoes. Just from the way she was dressed, I could tell that she was a fortune teller.


    She eyed us one by one. “Do you have an appointment?” she asked in a low, mysterious voice.


    My mind shed back to the superintendent looking down at the bracelet on my wrist. Now, things were starting to make sense.


    I stepped forward and looked directly into the fortune teller’s eyes. “I was referred by a friend,” I said and shed my bracelet that was identical to Ava’s. “I had heard that you were very spiritual.”


    *Olivia*


    The fortune tellers‘ eyes shot down to my bracelet, and I noticed that her eyes widened with recognition.


    My pulse quickened as I waited for her response. Had Ava been here, too?


    Then, Celeste nodded. “I know of the friend you speak of,” she said in that mystical tone of hers.


    My shoulders rxed slightly with relief. “I’m a friend of Ava’s,” I exined. “I’vee in person to ask about the bracelet because I couldn’t reach her directly.”


    That seemed to spook her because she took a step back and shook her head. “No, Ava isn’t here. And I’m fully booked with appointments for the day. You must go.” Her head whipped around, and she looked around the hallway with panic in her eyes.


    That only increased my determination. Because of her reaction, I was


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    certain that my friend was inside. Was she in trouble because of what she had discovered?


    I looked back at Rose, Alexander, and Richard, who were looking between Celeste and I with interest. Thinking that the girl would be morefortable if we spoke alone, I gestured to her to follow me a little bit away, and I lowered my voice.


    “Listen, if you let us in, we can pay you. We can pay a lot,” I muttered.


    Celeste bit her lip and seemed to be thinking my deal over. Then, she sighed.


    “Alright, you cane in,” she finally said.


    My heart lifted with hope. I was one step closer to finding Ava. I discreetly handed her a stack of cash from my purse, which she pocketed quickly. I didn’t even think that my friends had noticed that I had paid her.


    Before the young woman opened the door, she turned to us and


    narrowed her eyes. “Everyone must shut off any technological devices before they enter, or they can’te in. That’s the rule. The technology messes with my psychic abilities.”


    I wanted to roll my eyes. Yeah, right. She just didn’t want us to record any evidence of their illegal behavior.


    Celeste watched us warily as all four of us powered down our cell phones.


    Once we were done, she nodded with satisfaction.


    “Good, now follow me,” she said and opened the big wooden door.


    She led us down a long, dark corridor that was lit by long white candles that had been fixed on the wall. I almost tripped twice from the


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    dim lighting.


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