The Grey Ghost

by Nicholas Cara

“Well I guess we should’ve been happy that you didn’t grow an extra appendage when you held it. Though I guess you with another one of those pretty gams wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world,” Joe teased.

  “Mr. Bevine you just keep those kinds of lines to yourself or I’ll tell your mother on you,” Kate scoffed back.

  “I’m sorry Warden. I’ll be good,” Joe mocked back holding his hands high in the air.

  Reaching the bus stop Kate stood behind Joe touching up her makeup with her small compact as they waited alone in silence for the morning bus into Capstone City. This trip had become routine for the couple over the last few weeks after Kate had moved into the spare bedroom at Joe’s parents’ house. Sneaking away every morning, the two had found a private refuge at the Market Street Elementary ball field to practice Joe’s abilities before either was supposed to be at work.

  Early on, the practice was just aggravating for Joe as he would helplessly watch the baseball fall straight through his outstretched arms. Thankfully, because of the early hour and the school being on break, the field was theirs without the added embarrassment of any spectators around to see Joe’s amazing new abilities or lack thereof. To an outsider it could’ve been comparable to watching a child grab a spoon or learning to walk for the first time. It wasn’t something Joe wanted an audience for, even as he progressed into being able to catch the ball. Having Kate around to see this embarrassment was hard enough.

  After her makeup was deemed acceptable from the morning’s exertion, Kate looked down at Joe and saw him rubbing the right side of his coat lapel right above where the cigarette case would be.

  “You know hon, you’re a going to have to find a new place to hide that little thing soon,” Kate said looking down him.

  “Why?”

  “Because Joe you can’t stop touching it! Somebody is eventually going to see it and ask why you have a cigarette case when you never touched a smoke in your life,” Kate said raising an eyebrow at him.

  Looking at her, Joe understood what she was getting at; he couldn’t remember how many times he had gotten after Patsy for the terrible smell he left in their car with his cheap cigars. Pulling out the tin box, Joe rubbed it with his thumb feeling the dents and scratched-in initials in the rough metal casing.

  “I guess you’re right, this really isn’t me, is it?” Joe said.

  “Last I checked your initials are not D.M. either. When I found that thing by my curb I didn’t think you’d keep it this long?” Kate replied looking down the street at the approaching bus.

  “Well I really haven’t thought of a great place to keep this little magic handkerchief yet, so I figured this will work for now,” Joe replied wheeling closer to the curb. “I hope old man Greg doesn’t take the scenic route today; I’ve got to meet Patsy at the courthouse in 20 minutes. We get to play security for the Mayor’s big shindig.”

  “What’s the Honorable Daniel P. Editar going on about again now?” Kate asked.

  “Some sort of press conference about the bridges or streets or something. I don’t know, these things just bore me to tears,” Joe replied.

  “Well try not to get too bored,” Kate said giving him a wink.

  “I hope you have a very pleasant rest of your day Vera,” Father Noga smiled as he shook the hand of his only parishioner attending that morning’s early mass.

  “Thank you Father. I just hope this beautiful weather we’ve been having holds a little bit longer,” Mrs. Bevine replied with a smile. “I still have a little gardening to finish before it rains again.”

  Looking up at the clear blue sky above them, which was as welcome as it was abnormal for that mill-surrounded area, the priest replied, “I doubt you’ll have to worry about that today, if you can take this heat.”

  Feeling the morning Sun bearing down on him, Father Noga retreated inside the shade of the doorway trying to slow the sweating he already felt begin under his thick vestments. With a small wave the tall priest started to walk back into the darkened vestibule. Saying out loud to Vera as he did, “Tell young Joseph that there is always a seat open for him to join you in the morning.”

  Stopping her descent of the church’s front steps, Vera turned around and replied “Joseph? Oh, Joe should be at work by now Father, didn’t I tell you…”

  Seeing her step back up the stairs Father Noga resigned himself to the fact that his quick get away from a long conversation with Mrs. Bevine had just been foiled by his own mouth. Re-emerging into the summer heat the priest politely listened as Mrs. Bevine went on about Joe’s new job.

  “…and I will tell you it has done the boy so much good. You wouldn’t even recognize Joe from what he was starting to look like when he first got back. He just has a spring in his step, figuratively of course I mean. I mean Father, the smile he’s had on his face over the last few weeks is brighter than that badge of his. It’s really like I got my little boy back before…well before things…” Vera hesitated trying to find the proper word.

  “He’s on the force again, in his condition? They actually would send him out on those streets? And understand my dear lady, I’m happy for the boy but isn’t it too dangerous out there for a …” Father Noga quickly stopped and wiped the sweat from his balding forehead with the back of his hand as he noticed the look being returned in his direction.

  Straitening up a little with a slight indignation, Vera started, “It’s no more dangerous Father than it ever was here in Capstone City. No more dangerous than heading all over Europe to shoot at Germans day and night and no one had a problem sending Joe off to that! I can tell you my Joe even with one leg can still...”

  “BOOM!”

  Vera was suddenly cut off of her preverbal perch by the sound of a loud explosion echoing from the direction of Capstone City. As both Father Noga and Vera swung around in its direction, they were met with another.

  “BOOM!”

  Followed by again another.

  “BOOM!”

  After the echo of the final explosion receded, Vera squinted barely able now to make out the skyline of the city down Main Street. The view of the towering metropolis was quickly starting to be covered by a large plume of black smoke rising from the center of the city.

  “That’s coming from near the old courthouse… and…the Police Plaza!” Vera said noting the origin of the smoke, fear coating her voice.

  Seconds went by in silence as the two stood there in shock, starring at the scene as the hot Sun intently bore down on them. Finally breaking away from the scene, Father Noga looked down at Vera and saw the immense worry etched on her face. Slowly placing his hand on Vera’s right shoulder, he felt her quickly stiffen, jolting back from the horror playing out in front of them across the Scar.

  “Don’t worry my dear Vera; I doubt he was anywhere near there,” Father Noga tried to comfort her understanding where her first worry would be.

  Looking up at her spiritual adviser then back at the rising smoke, which had started to engulf the neighboring buildings of Capstone City, Vera slowly shook her head and whispered.

  “Father, you just don’t know my Joe very well…”

  “GREY GHOST” SAVES MAYOR

  Mysterious Saviour Vanishes after saving Mayor and Crowd

  By: Erin Daycie

  An early press conference by Mayor Editar this past Tuesday nearly turned tragic as the presentation was brought under siege by two unknown assailants. As the Mayor marched through his plan for the refortification of the Mahoning Bridge and the East expansion of the Trumbull Memorial Bridge, two masked men emerged from an unmarked black sedan and peppered the air with gunfire. As the crowd ran for cover, multiple explosive devices were seen thrown at the main podium as police returned fire.

  As debris and smoke filled the of air of the pavilion, a lone, unidentified figure was seen through the haze knocking the Mayor to safety and somehow vanishing through a solid brick wall of the neighbouring building with the remaining explosives. Though immense structural damage to that war
ehouse has been reported, the quick thinking of the vanishing man left both the crowd and Mayor unharmed.

  The identification of this mysterious “Ghost” man who according to eye witnesses is able to move through a solid wall, is at this time still unknown as is the identification of the twin assailants who sped …*Continued on A3

  Mayor Editar Unharmed and Undeterred

  By: Michael Hay

  It will take more than the actions of two hoodlums to derail the expansion of the Mahoning Bridge according to sources close to the Mayor Editar.

  The Mayor, not available for comment after the attack, has released a statement commenting on the bravery of the Capstone City Police and the city’s citizens in pressing on through times of strife.

  No mention is made of the mysterious man who… Continued on A5

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  “Woo, watch out boys thee ghosty is going to get ya!” Patsy warned hopping around the waiting room of Capstone City General Hospital with his hands outstretched in the air like a cartoon specter. “Will you get a load of this trite? Walks through walls does he? My boot! Joseph, you and I trade metal with these mooks and this ghost gets the front page of this rag! I get wounded in the heat of battle and…”

  “You scratched up your side diving out of the way big guy. The doctor said you’ll be fine,” Joe interrupted rolling his eyes.

  “Well it ruined one of my favorite jackets,” Patsy replied with a huff. “Now look at this . . . they are color coding our ghosties! It was so smoky on that stage after that first bang the back of my hand looked gray. And boy oh boy look at this, this Daycie dame doesn’t even know how to spell the color GRAY!”

  “I think that’s how they spell it overseas…its creepier” Joe responded over his shoulder.

  “What? We can’t have a good old-fashioned American ghosty now?” Patsy replied with mock adulation.

  “Are you two finished?” asked Captain Robinson, glaring at the partners as he exited from the emergency room office.

  “Captain!” both quickly replied surprised at their superior’s sudden appearance.

  “Alright, leaving out this ghost hogwash that the newsies are yelling about right now, I need the quick and dirty explanation of what happened out there,” Robinson ordered. “I have a meeting with the commissioner and the Mayor in an hour and I don’t like knowing the specifics of an attack on the Mayor based on the afternoon post, which sounds more like the funnies than a record of note today.”

  “Sorry Cap. We would’ve reported in but honestly, we didn’t know how bad Patsy’s side was until he got cleaned up over here,” Joe replied. “It was pretty bloody and with all those pills flying in the air, I wasn’t sure if our Patsy here had gained a few more pounds of lead so I got him in the car, and had one of the meat wagons’ drivers get him over here once the Mayor was safely tucked away.”

  “Captain, I’m fine now. I’ll just be sore for a few days that’s all,” Patsy interrupted while walking around Joe’s chair, lightly slapping his left ribs. “Nothing compared to downtown. I’m not sure if you’ve gotten a chance to see what they did to that warehouse yet.”

  “Oh I’ve been down there; the side of that warehouse isn’t there anymore,” Captain Robinson replied looking away from the duo and glancing through the open door of the emergency room. The Captain had just come from talking to the head of the ER on the extent of the injuries. Most of the injuries reported so far seemed to be from the hysterical crowd running over themselves once the first shots rang out. All around him cuts and broken bones were being attended to, which actually left him relieved.

  “If not for this ghost fella there would be body bags lining the halls of this place, two probably containing each of these two,” Captain Robinson thought looking back at his officers.

  “Both perps exited a brown sedan across the street from the pavilion. Each was wearing a black hood over their face. It seemed like they were wearing…what did you think Patsy…robes?” Joe started explaining, looking to Patsy for help.

  “Yeah like two dark colored monks, but one of them was huge, big and wide from the look of him,” Patsy continued.

  “And the other was tall but a real bean pole. Maybe that was in comparison to the big guy next to him but I really couldn’t get a clear look at them after the first explosion,” Joe finished.

  “Boys, City Hall is breaking the bell on my phone on this one. So if you’re up to it I need all hands on deck until this one’s put to bed,” Robinson said looking at Patsy who nodded back. “Putting this situation under thumb quickly is now the entire department’s top priority. We are not going to let an attack on the Mayor or the good citizens of this city stand. You should see it out there now; half of the city is empty. People are afraid to go outside and at the moment I can’t blame them until we know more.”

  “Well Captain, I think I may have a lead on one of the gunmen,” Patsy said putting his ruined jacket back on.

  “What? Ever planning to clue me in on this?” Joe asked quickly confused at Patsy’s revelation.

  “Well, maybe…” Pasty slowly started explaining “I’ve been going over it in my head and honestly it’s a hunch at best, but…”

  “Well, spit it out man!” Captain Robinson impatiently burst.

  “When I first saw those mooks on the other side of the street, one of them, you know that bean-pole creep, he sort of reminded me of a collar I made last year,” Patsy clumsily explained trying to set the scene. “See boys, I catch this idiot right in the act of sticking up a couple. In broad daylight the lanky rat pulled out a knife and starts demanding their dough right smack dab in front of a packed diner. This guy was green I tell you, as green as a valley. The loser was so satisfied with himself waving his little blade that he never even heard me coming until I had him. Put up a good fight too but I had the drop on him,” Patsy said thinking back to the scuffle.

  “But Patsy that’s not really giving us a lot to go on,” Joe interjected counting off on his fingers. “Tall-lanky guy, check… stupid criminal, check”

  “Will you let me finish already? There was something else about the creep that stuck in my head. His voice, it was one of those really squeaky high pitch numbers. I remember when I brought him in for booking he was balling and wailing like a little baby. And then today when we were exchanging phone numbers with those hoods I got a decent shot in right around the tall one. It missed by just a little and shattered the window right behind him and that’s when I heard it. I heard that same high-pitched wail as the goon cried out when some of the glass bit into him. I know tall and high pitched voice isn’t a lot to go on but I guess it’s something,” Patsy said shrugging his shoulders at the two.

  “What was the guy’s name?” Captain Robinson asked intently musing over on the development.

  “His name was Wiggy… Wiggy Gregs. Yeah, I know somebody’s mother didn’t like him. Who in their right mind names their son Wiggy, really?”

  “Wiggy…Wiggy Gregs…” Joe repeated to himself softly. Something started to gnaw at the back of his mind when Patsy had said that name.

  “The bum had a small dump near the downtown picture shows. That’s where we found all this loot he had been pinching. I remember his neighbors telling me he used to hang out at the neighborhood theater a lot,” Patsy said trying intently to remember the case from over a year ago.

  “It’s still not a lot to go on… “Captain Robinson started.

  “It’s more than what we had a minute ago…” Joe replied quickly.

  “Yeah…” The Captain grimaced turning away from the partners. He stood there for a few seconds scratching his beard thinking over Patsy’s suspicions until finally he straightened his hat and started walking toward the exit door. Looking over his shoulder at his officers, he quickly added, “I guess I can’t see a problem if you two swung by and made a quick house call on this Wiggy. You know just check in to see if he’s OK after all of the trouble this morning. Poor guy might be a little rattled.”
<
br />   “Right captain, just a little social visit on the poor fellow,” Joe smirked over at Patsy starting to wheel toward the door.

  As Captain Robinson exited, Kate suddenly burst through the hospital entranceway. She stopped abruptly nearly falling when she saw both Patsy and Joe in the lobby and grabbed the corner of nearest couch barely holding herself up. Joe and Patsy quickly went over to her side. The usually unadulterated Kate looked disheveled, with her hair falling out of its usual kept curl, suggesting she had been in a hurry. Looking down, her shoe’s broken heel pretty much confirmed this.

  “Kate what’s wrong?” Joe started to ask only to see Kate quickly hug Patsy who had been closest to her. Burying her face in his jacket, she unsuccessfully tried to hide the worry on her face.

  Looking up at his partner, he saw that Patsy was as surprised as he was at her embrace. Before either of them could think of what to say, Kate released Patsy and grabbed Joe in an equally strong squeeze. However, before releasing him, she whispered to him, “I could just smack you, you idiot…”

  Ignoring her comment, Joe held her arms while looking at her makeup-streaked face, red from exertion.

  “Honey, what’s wrong?” Joe repeated.

  “I…I ran all the way from the university. They closed the city busses from this area because it’s so jammed out there so I just decided to run here…” she answered still slightly out of breath. “The attack is all over town. I mean how couldn’t it be with that fire billowing smoke everywhere. I called the station and the only thing some old bitty named Judy would tell me was that Patsy had been taken to the hospital. And I just started running I guess. Oh my, I didn’t even know where I was until I was halfway here.”

  “Well lookie here buddy it seems to me that your girl was worried about me. Could she be a little sweet on me, what do you think?” Patsy teased grabbing his coat lapels and making a funny pompous face at Joe.