by Alexie Aaron
“If they ask you something you really don’t have a clue about, just say, ‘couldn’t say without looking into it further.’ We contractors do this all the time, Father,” Wayne confessed.
“We who deal with the paranormal do the same,” Santos said. “Please call me Paolo or Santos while we are here.”
“Yes, Paolo.”
Wayne turned to Father Simon.
“Call me Simon. It works both ways.”
“What is your first name?” Wayne asked.
“In Ethiopia we go by our given names and use our father’s first name as our surnames. My given name was Berhanu. My father’s given name is Thato. I was Berhanu Thato before I took my priest name of Simon.”
“Simon it is then,” Wayne said.
Faye appeared. “The coast is clear. The crazy ghosts are recharging, and Jon and Blue Daniel are available to take you Fathers to the attic to see the boxes after you take a look at the floor and basement.”
“Do we have the keys?”
“We’ll retrieve them from the safe. I’ll bring my replica set just in case,” Cid said. “I don’t think they’ll work as well. I worry that the wood will snap off in the locks.”
Cid donned his tool belt and left with the priests. Jesse caught up to them before they entered the house. He was carrying the large satchel, Father Simon had pointed out that they needed, from the back of Cid’s truck.
“Kiki and Alan are meeting with Arnold in town. She suspects that he will insist on seeing the problem with the foundation himself. Either the lawyer, Bridgeton or Miss Gee will be there.”
“Miss Gee?” Santos asked.
“We suspect she’s Gadus,” Cid answered. “I was under the assumption that Kiki shouldn’t come back here because of the possibility of repossession.”
“I warned her that it could happen,” Santos said. “She told me that Arnold would only speak with her and not any of her contractors.”
“With the elemental in the safe, she should be alright,” Jesse maintained. “I mean, not even Stephen Murphy can break through a salt, iron and lead barrier.”
Father Santos put his hand on his chin before he spoke. “I believe that Stephen Murphy could do anything he set his mind to. It’s just his preconceived notions of what a ghost is that stops him.”
“Do I hear respect in your voice?” Cid asked.
“I don’t agree with Stephen not passing on, but I am a big enough person to admit that he is amazing.”
“Mr. Wonderful,” Faye drawled.
“Ah, you are not a fan of Stephen?” Santos asked.
“She’s just jealous,” Jesse spoke for her, which earned him a slap on the arm from Faye.
“Young woman, why haven’t you sought out the light?” Santos asked.
“It won’t come for me. I suspect I have to solve who killed me and, better yet, who I am, first.”
He nodded thoughtfully. “I guess it’s best to know where you have been before you set out for your next adventure.”
“Exactly,” Faye said, warming to the priest.
“I didn’t always think this was important. Mia changed my mind on this.”
“She’s as annoying as Mr. Wonderful is,” Faye grumbled.
“She has earned the right to be the first source asked,” Santos said. “She is the only one to defeat a negative elemental, that I know of.”
“I knocked it silly with an iron skillet,” Faye bragged.
“But did you extinguish it?” Santos asked.
“No. How did she do it?”
“She had a special sword that she had Ethan prepare for me,” Santos said. “I’m no swordsman. I may give it to one of you younger men if we get into trouble.” Santos stopped and opened his long bulky jacket and pulled a long ornate dagger out. “She calls it a sword because she is so small.”
“Mia loaned you Sariel’s dagger?” Cid said flabbergasted. “I thought it was lost.”
“Everything that is lost will eventually be found,” Santos said, tucking it back again.
“Who’s Sariel?” Jesse asked.
“Evidently a swordsman,” Faye said quickly, sensing that the priest had said way too much. Jesse was a human with a fixed set of beliefs. Finding out that angels were real and interacted in times of crisis would blow his mind, in her opinion.
The house was still when they entered.
“Show me the summoning circle first,” Santos said.
Jesse, Cid and Simon removed the furniture and rolled the rug away exposing the entire circle.
Father Santos crossed himself. “It reeks with evil.”
Simon took the satchel from Jesse and opened it, pulling out pieces of cherry and oak.
“Cid, I’d like you to alter the floor in two places. This will hopefully change it from a summoning circle to a sending or a return circle.”
Simon handed Cid a picture of the floor that had an overlay indicating what pieces should be removed and what should be inserted. There were also suggestions on how this should be done.
“Where did you get this?”
“Maria Basso-Minnelli worked all weekend on this.”
“I haven’t seen her since Father Alessandro crossed the Bassos into the light. How did you get her to do this? She’s very expensive.”
“She owed me a favor,” Santos said.
“Favors are coming back into style,” Cid commented.
“It’s not a bad thing, just like forgiveness,” Santos said.
“Or forgiving the one who trades in favors,” Cid said cryptically. He studied the plan and handed it to Jesse. Cid knelt, pried out the cherry symbols, and then tried to cut into the old oak. He took out all his chisels and frowned. “I don’t have…”
A chisel was placed into his hand. It seemed to appear out of thin air. Cid turned it and saw the initials D R F. “Grazie, Domenico.” Cid chiseled out the wood and used it to fill in where the symbols needed the oak. He only had to put two new oak pieces into this symbol and three in the next. He put his hand out flat with the chisel in it and felt a cold hand close his hand over the chisel. “Are you sure you want me to have this?” he asked in Italian.
“You will carry on my trade, yes?”
“Yes.”
“Cid, who are you talking to?” Santos questioned.
“Domenico Raffaele Fiorentino. He’s an artisan who died in the basement. He gave me his chisel and knowledge.”
Santos spoke rapidly in fluent Italian. The ghost materialized and held a conversation with the priest.
Jesse tugged at Cid’s sleeve. “What are they talking about?”
“The Kingdom of Heaven,” Cid said. “Father Santos would like to give all the ghosts last rites. Domenico warns the priests that many of the dead blame God for their deaths. Father Santos is listening and responding. Basically, they are arguing religion. Domenico is suspicious of Santos because he is Spanish. He says the black magic acolytes were Spanish, as is the floor.”
“Is this really a good time for this?” Jesse asked, looking at his watch.
“Let’s put the rug back, and maybe by then, they’ll get the hint.”
Kiki and Alan walked into the Lakeside Arms. This was a four-story hotel on Main Street across from the Lakeside Marina. Alan fixated on the comfortable décor. Kiki tried to pin down when the last renovation was completed. The floors had a squeak to them. Alan thought it was charming. Kiki was worried about wood rot.
“Can I help you?” asked a smartly dressed middle-aged woman.
“Yes, Dorothy,” Alan said. “I’m Alan Jefferies, and this is Kiki Pickles. We’re here to meet Arnold Atwater…”
“Congressman Atwater,” Dorothy was quick to correct, “is waiting for you in the Harbor Suite. It’s up two floors on the right.”
“Thank you.”
Alan and Kiki took the large carpeted stairs since an elevator wasn’t offered nor in the immediate vicinity.
“How do you know Doro
thy?” Kiki asked.
“I read her name tag.”
“Oh.”
“It’s a nice little hotel. I wonder who owns it?” Alan asked making conversation.
“They have some structural problems, unless the squeaky floor is put in for ambiance.”
“I like the squeaky floor,” Alan protested.
“No floor will squeak in any house I own,” Kiki vowed.
“How are you going to tell if our children are sneaking a midnight snack?”
“I would hope that they would have been fed well enough that they would not be raiding the refrigerator.”
“How would you know? Will our children have gauges on them like cars do?”
Kiki giggled at the ridiculousness of this question. “I suppose you want the doors to squeal when opened?”
“Yes. It will save on security systems,” Alan said. “And the teens’ shower should only have five minutes of hot water.”
“You’re a cruel man. I take it you spent a lot of time in the shower.”
“Before I met you, certainly.”
“Too much information,” Kiki said.
They had reached the Harbor Suite. Alan reached out to knock. The door was opened by a woman wearing black lace.
“Miss Gee, I presume,” Alan said.
Kiki notice that the woman was momentarily startled.
“Yes, Mr. Jefferies.”
“Alan, please. This is…”
“Kiki Pickles,” Miss Gee finished.
“In the flesh.”
“The congressman has just stepped out to finish a phone call. Come on in. Would you like a beverage?”
“Point me in the direction of the coffee,” Alan said.
“The sideboard. Please help yourself.”
Alan headed for the sideboard.
“Are you a mind reader?” Kiki asked Miss Gee.
Alan stumbled, surprised by Kiki’s directness.
“No. Are you?” Miss Gee asked.
“No. I’m just a human worried that you’re going to push your agenda into my mind.”
“How refreshing,” Miss Gee said, “and rude.”
“Sorry, but I’ve just been through an exorcism of sorts to get rid of the Atwater you left inside that house. I want to make sure I’m speaking with my mind and not something else’s.”
“I believe you were warned that the house was haunted,” Miss Gee said, walking to the window.
Alan looked out the window. Framed in it was the lake, and directly across the lake was Walnut Grove House.
“Yes. I just wasn’t prepared for possession, which, I understand, is very rare,” Kiki said.
“It happens.”
Congressman Atwater walked into the room aided by a cane. He sat down. “I’m sorry. I had some Washington business to deal with.”
“No problem,” Kiki said. “Thank you for agreeing to see me. I would like to inform you that the house renovation is finished, with the exception of some ceiling work that needs to be completed in the basement. We stopped because of the leak we found in the foundation. I wanted to bring this to your attention.”
“Bridgeton is supposed to be the person overseeing this type of thing,” Congressman Atwater said.
“When I was hired, I dealt with your law firm. The contract wasn’t specific to whom I was to contact if I ran into work that wasn’t on the list that I was given to complete. The only stipulation was that I, or my contractors, was not to disturb the ghosts in residence. This made it a very challenging project, especially when said ghosts started attacking my contractors. And possessing me.”
To give the man credit, Congressman Atwater frowned. He looked over at Miss Gee before asking Kiki, “Are you still possessed?”
“No.”
“That has never happened before,” Miss Gee acknowledged.
“I think your negative elemental has become stronger and more dangerous,” Alan said, just managing to keep the edge out of his voice.
“Negative elemental?” Atwater asked.
“I don’t think we need to play this game anymore,” Kiki said. “You have over a dozen men buried in the house. Men whose souls are feasted on by a negative elemental with the last name of Atwater.”
“You were not to investigate the building. That was in the contract,” Miss Gee said.
“We didn’t. Fortunately for us, one of your ghosts wrote a memoir. Unfortunately, he didn’t know which one of you Atwaters was killed. Are you August or are you Arnold the grandson?” Kiki asked. “Before you bring out the heritage demon in you, Miss Gee, we are aware that the congressman is a good man and don’t wish any harm to him or his reputation. We aren’t seeking any funds that aren’t mentioned in the contract.”
“Then why are you here?” Miss Gee asked.
“To inform you that you have a broken foundation that needs to be repaired this spring. We can patch it. I have contractors on site looking at it so we can give you an estimate.”
“All that could have been communicated on the phone,” Atwater said.
“Yes. But we ran into a few questions that we would like answered. They are just for our personal knowledge,” Alan said. “We will keep the information between the four of us.”
“I can make them take a walk across the lake…” Miss Gee said evenly. “No one will find their bodies until spring.”
“No! This is not who we are now,” Atwater stressed. “Ask your questions."
“Are you August or are you Arnold?” Alan asked.
“Who do you think I am?” Atwater challenged.
“Arnold,” Kiki said.
“Why do you think that is?” Atwater asked.
“Because we could find no evidence that the elder Atwater was a good person before you took over, Arnold.”
“You weren’t supposed to investigate!”
“We weren’t supposed to investigate the ghosts. No one said anything about you,” Alan said.
“I’m Arnold Atwater. I was the designated heir and sacrifice so August could continue. I have lived a full and satisfying life. I will not seek another lifetime.”
Miss Gee sniffled.
“Gee, I can’t live forever.”
“You can if you take over Bridgeton’s body as we discussed,” Miss Gee argued.
“No!” Arnold exclaimed. “I have so enjoyed these years with you, Gee, but I’m tired. Let me go.”
“I thought it was you who held Miss Gee captive,” Kiki said, tiptoeing around the heritage demon’s real name. Cid had stressed not to use the name Gadus. To do so would be reckless.
“No one owns me. I’m not bound to anyone. Not to August, not to Arnold.”
“I disagree,” Alan said in a soft voice. “I think you’re bound to Arnold because you love him. I think you fell in love with him all those years ago. You saved him from August, and in doing so…”
“Damned both of us,” Miss Gee finished.
“And the workers whose souls are imprisoned in Walnut Grove House,” Kiki said.
“It was necessary. Arnold didn’t want his grandfather to starve. Essential sacrifices,” Miss Gee said.
“We compensated their families, and I’ve worked hard to do good works to make up for it,” Arnold professed.
“I’m not going to judge you,” Alan said. “That’s not what we’re here for.”
Kiki thought a moment before apologizing, “Forgive me.”
Miss Gee looked at the pair. They shared attributes that Arnold had when she had protected him. To condemn them would make her personal sacrifice to save Arnold questionable.
“When was the last time you were at the house?” Alan asked.
“Years ago,” Arnold said. “I didn’t go in. I’ve never liked the house. I was only there long enough to receive the report from the custodian while Miss Gee made sure August was still contained.”
“He can exist beyond the house for hundreds of miles,” Kiki s
aid. “If Alan didn’t drive over three rivers with iron bridges, I fear August would be with me still. And he left memories which took two priests to remove.”
“Why did you seek out the priests?” Miss Gee asked.
“So I could have my own mind back. Good old August took over my body in order to maintain control of the contractors and to kill one in particular. I had the wire in my hands. I fear I would have garroted the employee had I not been interrupted by another.”
“If you’re looking for a breach of contract,” Alan said, “I could find no clause in it that deals with self-preservation.”
“Thank you for this information,” Arnold said. “I will confer with Miss Gee about this new development. I’ll have Bridgeton look over the projects, and if he is satisfied with the work, then I’ll consider the job finished and you will be paid your bonus. I expect you to not speak of your experience to anyone not bound by this contract, your priests excluded.”
Kiki and Alan left the room.
Miss Gee went to the window.
“Did you know this was happening?” Arnold questioned her.
“No. I knew there was a possibility.”
“Are you in love with Bridgeton?” Arnold asked.
“How could you say that?” Miss Gee asked appalled.
“I was once young and handsome and favored by your love,” Arnold remembered.
“You are still loved. Please let me continue your life through Bridgeton.”
“No.”
“I can make you.”
“But you won’t because you love me, Miss Gee,” Arnold said softly, dropping his aging persona. The young man who so enjoyed her bed stood there. “I wish we could have had our own children. I would be more confident of my legacy if I knew Bridgeton shared our genes.”
“When Bridgeton takes over, you’ll have to disappear. Your body will start to naturally age again. I’ll have to restart the clock.”
“Then we should have fifty/sixty years ahead of us.”
“That’s not enough time,” Miss Gee protested.
“It will have to be. Maybe by the end, you’ll have found someone else to love.”
“Arnold, you know nothing of the demon heart. It’s every bit as fragile as a human heart, just thicker skinned.”