As he walked continued to search through the evidence of his own murder he thought about what Officer Torres had told him about dirty cops. The business of dirty cops, she’d said. He wondered what she meant and thought back to every cop show he’d ever watched, realizing that she, and now he, were both working for Internal Affairs. She was a cop who went after other cops! It was finally starting to make sense why this little woman who had no link to him whatsoever, and didn’t even know who he was before he died could see him clear (or unclear) as day.

Footsteps through the building drew Nick’s attention away from the box and he listened carefully, trying to figure out if they were coming towards them or going away.

“Officer Torres…”

“Valerie,” she corrected.

“Sorry, Valerie, could I ask you a personal question?”

The woman once again raised her eyebrow and shrugged, “I guess it depends how personal it is but you can go ahead and try me.”

Nick licked his lips, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth quickly, “Do you believe in ghosts?”

“Ghosts?” she chuckled, “I definitely do believe in ghosts, but sometimes I think people are led astray by their imaginations. I think what I believe in is hallucinations and our minds playing tricks on us, but I don’t dismiss the idea that there could be a few select people out there who are able to connect with spirits, and people who have moved on but I don’t think that just anyone could do it.”

“Does your mind play a lot of tricks on you?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I’m just saying you might be forced to start, unless you’re one of those select people,” Nick shrugged, and then turned as another man entered the room. He was dressed similarly to Valerie, dark suit, badge hanging from his pocket, and probably a gun somewhere under his jacket. 

“Val? Val Torres? What are you doing here?” the man asked, sounding legitimately surprised to see her, looking at the open evidence box on the table.

“I’m just waiting for Officer…um, I didn’t catch your last name,” she said, looking at Nick. 

“You know my last name!” the other officer replied.

“Not yours, Nick’s,” Valerie rolled her eyes.

“Who is Nick?”

“Nick is the guy right there!” Valerie pointed in front of her and Nick just shrugged his shoulders.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Nick told her, knowing the other man couldn’t see him or hear him.

“Who?” the male officer asked, getting obviously frustrated, he walked over and looked at the open box on the table before sending a curious glance to the woman, “What are you doing with this?” 

Valerie let out a frustrated sigh, “Come on...  the guy standing right next to you is looking through it. It’s for the case he’s working on.”

“Are you losing your mind?” Josh asked in all seriousness, “Now you’re talking to the evidence?”

“I never said I was talking to the evidence I said I was talking to Nick.”

Josh chuckled and picked up the folder full of pictures out of the box, obviously familiar with the case, “You mean this guy?” he asked, holding up Nick’s picture.

Valerie’s eyes widened and she looked from the publicity photo (obviously taken before death) to Nick then back, still not quite knowing how Josh could completely avoid the guy, “Yeah,” she said breathily.

“Nick Carter. You know, the dead guy,” Josh tapped the picture a few times then put it back in the box, “Maybe you need a vacation.”

“Maybe I do,” Valerie nodded.

Nick wanted this Josh guy to leave so he could continue looking through the box but instead the other man started packing everything back in, even securing the lid back to the top. 

“You shouldn’t have this, you could get in trouble for looking through someone else’s evidence,” Josh said, picking up the heavy box. 

“I need that box. You have to help me,” Nick stressed, looking at Valerie but she was still wide eyed in shock over the fact that Nick was looking through his own case file. He was positive the next thing out of her mouth would be screams and she would run from the room but instead she looked from the box to Nick and back again.

“Josh wait!” she said, rushing over to him, “I uh, was asked to look for something in there.”

“What?” Josh asked sceptically.

“A matchbook that isn’t part of the investigation,” Nick said to her and she relayed the message.

“A personal item that accidentally ended up in with the evidence but it’s been cleared and is no longer needed for the investigation,” she explained, inching towards the box. 

“Why would they send you when regular PD could have done that?”

Josh was asking too many questions and Nick was getting nervous.

“I’m personally involved in this case,” Valerie lied, “I know…knew…the victim.”

Josh looked surprised, “Oh! Sorry,” he said, bringing the box back, “I didn’t realize.”

The other man brought the box back then went off in search of what he’d come from, both Valerie and Nick letting out sighs of relief. 

“What the hell is going on?” Valerie demanded, speaking to Nick in a hushed voice, “Are you really dead?”

“It’s complicated,” Nick explained, “Why are you so casual about this?”

“Let’s just say you’re not the first visitor from the other side I’ve encountered in my life,” Valerie brushed off, pulling the lid back off the box, “I’m looking for a matchbook?” she asked and Nick nodded. The woman pulled everything out of the box, laying it all out on the table carefully before reading through a manifest of everything that was contained in the box, “It’s not here.”

“How can it not be there?” Nick asked with a heavy sigh.

As Valerie started putting everything back into the box she glanced up to her new companion, “What are you trying to find?”

“A murderer,” Nick deadpanned.

“What do you think this has to do with me?” she wondered.

“I think you’re supposed to help me,” Nick decided, knowing that he and Brian would have had a hard time getting everything done on their own, “If you’re willing.”

Valerie took a long time to think, bringing the box back to its rightful shelf then returning to where Nick was standing waiting for her, “I’ll help you.”

They were now a team of three.