Killing your darlings

I've come undone.

Real life has intruded so far into my writing that I've lost focus on editing Blackbird. This may not be a bad thing, however, as it gives me some time to mull over which character is going to get the ax. As a novella, Blackbird has such a short time to make a big impact that gratuitous (though fun) zombies aren't an option yet during my re-writes, I feel the need to do something...more.

My MC doesn't have the pull I want her to, I feel more attached to her sidekick and her hero. Should Esme make the final cut or should she be tortured just a tiny bit more by the ghost?