"Very funny." Bella grumbled as she accidentally walked into a woman dressed like a hippy. Bella was happy to finally get off the plane and on her way to her new life living with her father Charlie. Her mother Rene had found herself a husband in the form of a guy much younger than her who was chasing his dreams to become a professional baseball player. That meant Rene wanted to travel around the country with her boy toy and Bella was sent to live with her father. She wasn't really happy to have to live with her father full time but it was only fair that her mother get a break from raising a child. Bella did love her father but he was a cop and she didn't think it was a good idea for her to be that close to law enforcement. "How was I supposed to know she was real. She looked like she was from the 60's."

"How could you mistake her for one of us?She was holding a cell phone in her hand." Ralph said while still laughing.

Bella pretended he wasn't there and made her way to baggage claim. Ralph was one of the reasons that it wasn't a good idea for Bella to live with a cop. Ralph was a ghost. Although she had never told anyone Bella had been able to see and talk to ghosts since she was a child. She actually couldn't remember a time she wasn't able to. When she was six years old she had tried to talk to her mother about it but Rene thought she was just making up stories. After that Bella never brought it up again.

At first the specters just visited and talked to her. It was about two years ago they started asking for her help. Apparently there were some spirits that were stuck in limbo not being able to pass on without getting closure. That sometimes meant just having their bodies discovered so they can be brought back to their families. Other times they had unfinished Ralph did. Ralph had been murdered and had come to her to help him catch the killer so that he could finally cross over. Ralph and others like him were the reason it wasn't good for Bella to have the eyes of a police officer on her. She had to be careful when helping to solve the crimes because if someone found out she talked to the dead Bella was sure they would lock her up in a mental institution and throw away the key.

"When we get to your dad's we should see if he can help us solve my case." Ralph said.

Bella rolled her eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you that I can not tell my father that I see and talk to ghosts. There is no way he wouldn't think I was crazy and lock me up."

"He wouldn't do that, he's your dad. He loves you unconditionally." Ralph told her.

"So you're saying that if you told your dad that loves you unconditionally that you saw and spoke to ghosts he would believe you?" When Ralph looked away Bella got her answer. "That's what I thought."

"I just really want to put the guy who did this behind bars and give not only myself but my family some peace." Ralph said.

Bella sighed." I know and I want that to but it's a little hard when you're a seventeen year old teenager who doesn't even have a car to help all of you who come to me."

"I told you there is a big reward for whoever gives the cops information." Ralph's big incentive to her was the money.

"And I told you that I would have to be questioned by the cops and have to have some kind of proof that I wasn't the one who actually killed you." Bella honestly didn't care about the money. What she cared about was staying under the radar.

"If you would just call my wife she would believe you."

Bella cut Ralph off before he could finish that line of thought. "You yourself told me you were pretty sure she was involved in the plot for you to be killed."

"But not 100% sure." Ralph corrected. "She may be completely innocent."

"I'm not taking any chances." Bella jumped when she heard her father's voice coming from behind her.

"You aren't talking any chances on what Bells?" Charlie asked.

"Oh uh… I'm not taking any chances not being close to the baggage claim area. You never know if you miss your bag." Bella's excuse was lame but she had been caught off guard this time. Usually her lies were a lot better.

"Yeah I can't believe that the airlines just trust people to actually be honest enough to not steal someone else's bags. It's always a good idea to keep a close eye out." Charlie agreed.

"Exactly." Bella reached forward and grabbed her bag.

Charlie moved forward and took it from her. "Here let me get that."

"Thanks dad." Bella walked alongside Charlie to the parking lot holding back a flinch when she realized they would be riding in his police cruiser. She hoped this wasn't a prediction of things to come.

"Are you sure you want to start school tomorrow. No one would blame you if you wanted to take at least a few days to get settled in." Charlie asked as they began their drive home to Forks.

"I'm positive. It's better to just jump right into things and not put them off." Bella didn't say it out loud but she also needed to have some kind of excuse to spend time away from home. It wouldn't be a good idea staying in the house alone with her father while she was being pestered by spirits. Her constant talking to them and no-one hearing them had caused a few problems with her mother already she didn't want her father to get it in his head that Bella was showing signs of a mental disorder.

"That's a good attitude to have."Charlie was pleased his daughter was already making decisions that would make her stay there become more permeant. He had worried that she would be less than happy about having to live with him but so far she had been nothing but positive about the change.

"I wish you would jump into my case with as much enthusiasm as you have for going to school. Shouldn't teenagers hate high school?" Ralph huffed from the backseat.

Bella ignored him and left him to sulk. She did sneak glances of him in the rear view mirror smiling at the sight of him behind the plastic partition. Maybe she would have her dad drive her places from now on. Not only did she not have a car but it would be nice to see some of the ghosts put in their places. Not all of them were bad but some were more annoying then the others when they refused to understand Bella's limitations. Leaning her head back against the head rest Bella closed her eyes. Her father never felt the need to fill the silence so she wanted to take the chance to rest for a bit without Ralph bugging her. The times when she wasn't dealing with someone were rare so she was going to make the most of this opportunity.