wreckage of her sonâs bookshelf. Zack still owned some of his childhood favoritesâÂthe complete Harry Potter collection, and Good Dog Carl . I probably looked ridiculous, sitting there among them.
But I probably hadnât looked so ridiculous when theyâd opened the door and seen him crouched over me with his fist raised.
âWe came up to see what in heavenâs name is going on here. But Iâm not so sure I want to know.â Mrs. Farhat looked as horrified as her husband. âWhat were you doing to her, Zakaria?â
â Me? â Zack bleated. âMom, youâve got to be kidding me. Sheâs the one who started it. She was trying to say that I killed Jasmin! Like I would ever do something like that. You know how much I loved Jasmin. We had something special. You and Dad said so yourselves. You used to say you thought weâd be married some dayâÂâ
âOh, Zakaria.â Mrs. Farhatâs dark eyes were filled with compassion for her sonâÂbut also something else. Something I recognized.
Dread. She knew. She knew what was coming.
âDaddy and I were only ever joking about that, Zakaria,â she went on. âIt was only a little joke between us because when you were little, the two of you got along so well. But it was simply the kind of thing Âpeople say. We didnât mean anything by itâÂâ
âDidnât mean anything by it?â Zack looked incensed. âBut Jasmin and I did have something special. And then she had to go and spoil it byâÂâ
âZakaria!â Mrs. Farhatâs eyes widened. The dread was turning to fear.
My heart swelled with pity for the poor woman. What must it be like, giving birth to a monster?
âI donât understand whatâs going on here,â Dr. Farhat said. It was clear that he hadnât yet realized what his wife hadâÂwhat his son truly was. He saw only the devastation in the room, the leaves and debris that been swept in from the storm, the blown-Âout plasma screen, the decimated bookshelf and me on the floor . . .
. . . and the photos of Jasmin Ahmadi that littered almost every flat surface, even the carpet at the chief of policeâs feet, where a few had fluttered out into the hallway when Jesse had opened the door.
He didnât yet understand what the photos meant, nor could he seeâÂbecause no one could see it, no one but me and JesseâÂthe ghost of Mark Rodgers, still standing by the French doors, watching, waiting to see if justice really would be served, like Iâd promised.
âWhatâs happened?â Dr. Farhat asked, throwing a nervous glance at the table where the votive candles still stood. The only photo that still remained on the wall above them was the one of Zack and Jasmin in their Halloween costumes. The doctor seemed to be starting to put the clues together. âWhy would this woman say that Zakaria killed Jasmin?â
âBecause sheâs a lying bitch!â Zack screamed, trying to lunge at me. But Jesseâs grip was too strong for him, and all he ended up doing was hurting himself. He did fling a few other choice swearwords at me, however, that caused his father to thunder at him, âStop it! I will not have that kind of language in my house!â
Then Dr. Farhat turned to the mayor and chief of police and said, politely, âI apologize. I donât know whatâs come over my son. Maybe itâs the storm. Or maybe . . . well, heâs had a great shock. Truthfully, heâs been acting this way ever since the death of his cousinâÂJasmin Ahmadi. Heâs taken itâÂweâve all taken itâÂvery hard.â
Mrs. Farhat was looking down at me, compassionâÂand resignationâÂin her beautiful dark eyes. âAre you all right, my dear?â
âNot really,â I said. I didnât want to do