by Alexie Aaron
The room broke out into applause, and hoots and hollers were added by Kiki and Mia.
Jesse noticed that Faye and Luminosa were carefully edited out. He wondered if that was Amy’s idea or Macy’s. Either way, he was fine with that being printed.
“Anything to add?” Macy asked.
“That sounds pretty good to me,” Wayne said.
Jesse gave her a lame thumbs up.
“Wow. I had no idea,” Cid said. “Here I was eating a meal, enjoying the conversation, and I get this text. Bad stuff at HC – if returning be careful. Now, it was pretty vague, but we were worried because neither gentleman normally texts. So, we broke a few land speed records getting there just before the fire engines.”
Macy wondered who was we? She didn’t have an exclusive with Cid, but she had thought there were sparks. She knew that their Friday night date was off when she was invited to be part of the unveiling of new evidence, but she thought perhaps Saturday?
“How did you end up here with several broken pieces?” Macy asked him.
“I was running to Cabin 4 to help Jesse and the deputy on duty when I saw that the front door was open. I called out to Jesse that I was going in. I don’t think I ever got past the top step when the concussive wave of the explosion blew me backwards.”
Jesse continued the story, “Deputy Leidecker and I were knocked down, but the back walls held. I hate to think what would have happened if they hadn’t. I went to check on Cid. The deputy stayed on duty. I have to say I have never met a more dedicated individual. He’s the hero of this story. He thwarted them on their first attempt and isn’t responsible for their second. The evidence is still safe in that cellar…”
“But we don’t want them to know that,” Cid said quickly.
“Why?” Macy asked, still in reporter mode.
“Because they will keep trying, hurting more people in the process,” Kiki said.
“I understand. I’ll withhold that information,” Macy said. “After we catch them?”
“Feel free to print everything, except that Jesse is presently toasted,” Kiki said.
“Toast…” Mia said. “I could eat some toast.”
“I’ll buy you a loaf’s worth to go. Folks, we’re going to head back. Dieter has a game tomorrow, and Mia needs to rest up before I’ll let her climb those stands,” Ted informed them. “Cid, do you want me to send Father Santos?”
“Yes, if he’s available.”
“Would you like me to stop by the motel and see what I can suss out?” Mia asked, smoothing her gloves.
“No, we’ve got this. You rest. Thank you for coming,” Cid said kindly. “Thank you for everything.”
“No problem, it’s what we do,” Mia said. “Thank you for calling, Kiki.”
“It’s what I do. Have a safe, uneventful trip back home.”
Macy sensed that between the lines there wasn’t just concern, there was a story. A story she wanted to get. She would be patient and play along.
“Okay, folks,” Cid’s daytime nurse said, walking in the door. “It’s time to leave and give Cid time to recover. Although, he looks a hell of a lot better than he did when you arrived.”
“It just shows you what the company of good friends can do,” Cid said quickly.
Walrus got up and secured a steadying hand at Jesse’s back. “Don’t worry, I’ve got his keys,” he said. “Kiki, are you coming or is Mimi picking you up?”
“Shit, I forgot about Mimi. I better call her, but yes, I’d like a ride back to the construction office.”
Macy watched them all leave. She wasn’t ready to leave yet. She just stood patiently in the corner until Cid’s vitals were taken and the nurse left.
“She sure knows how to clear a room,” Macy said, approaching Cid’s bed.
“I thought you left with the rest. I’m surprised the nurse didn’t toss you out.”
“It’s an old reporter’s trick. Act like you belong, and no one will question your being here.”
“I’m glad you stayed.”
“You have very caring friends. I’m surprised you turned down Mia’s help.”
“Look at her condition. I’m not taking any chance of her being hurt. We have great resources amongst us. Local law enforcement is working with us. You’ve got the history here, so we aren’t working blind. I’m confident that Calvin will have his ghost rested because we are so close to getting her the justice she and her family deserve.”
“Speaking of Calvin, he’s coming over this evening, hoping to speak to Miguel Bautista.”
“That’s interesting. I hope it goes well. You’re not going to be there alone are you? I can ask Wayne…”
“I’ve already asked Sam, my maintenance chief to hang around,” Macy said quickly. “He’s comfortable with the ghosts of the Gazette.”
“Sounds like a guy to meet,” Cid said.
“Mind if I ask you something? Something personal,” Macy clarified.
“Sure, go ahead.”
“Do we have an attraction or was I imagining the whole thing?”
Cid smiled softly. “I’m very attracted to you, but I also know that you’ll never leave Stepner, nor would I ask you to. I’ve decided where I want to put down roots, and it isn’t here. You’re not the type of woman a guy has a casual affair with, Macy.”
“Well… maybe not. I won’t lie and say I’m not disappointed.”
“Thank you for that.”
“Are you and Kiki?”
“No,” Cid said too quickly. “She’s my boss, and we’re friends away from work. But Kiki is married to her job. I’m too insecure to share her with the next great building she’s offered to refurbish.”
“Huh, you’re a complex guy. I didn’t pick up any insecurity when I read you.”
“Are you a sensitive?” Cid teased.
“No, some people would say I’m insensitive.”
“I doubt that.”
“You haven’t been around that long. Do you know, I’m so into what I do, that I really don’t see the people around me? Dad, sure, but that’s a given. How can I manage a paper if I don’t know anything about the employees?”
“I expect it takes time. I understand your father is still around. He’ll help you.”
“He’d rather be fishing or drinking coffee at the diner than be at the paper. But I’m not ready to do a solo flight yet,” Macy just realized.
“Tell him that.”
“You know, I think I will. Gee, Cid, you ought to hang out a shingle: Doctor Cid Garrett P.I.”
“I’m not a private investigator.”
“Oh no, the P stands for Psyche.”
“All this time, I assumed it stood for Paranormal,” Cid joked. “No matter my motivation on taking a contracting job, I always seem to fall in, and fall out, with the paranormal.”
“Not a bad career if you can survive it,” Macy said. She leaned over and kissed Cid lightly on the lips.
“What’s that for?” Cid asked.
“Just to let you know what you missed out on.”
“Oh, Macy, I’m well aware,” Cid said.
“I’ll give you a call after Calvin leaves,” Macy said and left the room.
Cid sat there a moment before he lowered the bed and closed his eyes.
Faye waited until he was asleep before she sighed. There was a lot more to Cid Garrett than she thought. Like Macy, she wasn’t seeing the people around her. She took Cid for an unemotional worker bee, not the romantic man who would not compromise on his dreams.
She had heard a lot of things by hitching a ride when the others came to visit Cid. The piece of information that was nagging at her now, was that Calvin wanted to speak to Miguel. She would head over to the paper and make sure Miguel would be there when Calvin arrived. Macy may have been here longer, but Faye was the better reporter. She would still get the story before the tall brunette. Why? Because Faye didn’t play fair.
Chapter Twenty-five
Calvin admired the brickwor
k as he walked up the steps of the grand old Gazette building. He could see the bricklayers’ pride by the smoothed mortar between the deep-red bricks. The glass on the doors were etched, but Calvin could see a blemish-free sheen on them. This building was taken good care of, as was the content of the news that was printed in its basement.
Macy stood nervously in the foyer. She tapped a pen against her folio to keep her company. Sam was in the basement overseeing a last-minute upgrade to the tricolor press, but he said he could be at her side in minutes, all she had to do was call.
“It’s not that I don’t trust Calvin Franks, nor do I think he would try anything untoward, but he is coming to communicate with a ghost. He may be mental.”
“Or accepting,” Sam suggested. “Do you think I’m mental for working alongside Mr. Baylor?”
“No, I think you’re brave.”
Sam laughed. “I grew up in that big old house on Clare Street - you know, the yellow one with the white gingerbread trim?”
“The Hollyhock house?”
“Yes. Well, while we lived there, we were entertained occasionally by Mr. and Mrs. Hollyhock sliding down the banister. We never saw them, but we heard the pounding of their running footsteps to the top of the staircase and whoops and giggles as they slid down again. During one of their escapades, my grandmother was visiting. She looked at the staircase, then at us children, and shook her head before saying, ‘Adults should be better examples,’ and calmly went into the kitchen.”
Macy laughed.
“I guess when you grow up amongst ghosts, you get used to them. It doesn’t make us brave; it makes us privileged to have seen something so rare.”
The doors opened, and Calvin walked in and over to Macy, holding out his hand. “Thank you so much for having me here. I know I’m an inconvenience, but I assure you, what I have to do is most important.”
“Shall we start looking on the fourth floor?”
“Why there?”
“There have been quite a few reports of a paperboy looking out the windows there.”
“Any windows in particular?”
“The west ones.”
“He’s staring at High Court then,” Calvin surmised.
“Yes, I think so. That’s how I knew it must be Miguel Bautista. I first encountered him when I was a child. He peeked under the stall door in the first-floor bathroom when I was a young girl. He scared the pee out of me. Recently, he lured me away from the archives and locked me out on the loading dock.”
“So he’s mischievous.”
“Actually, I think he was protecting another ghost who was investigating the Bautista murders.”
“Ah, that would be Cid’s Faye, I believe.”
“Cid’s?” Macy questioned.
“Not his in particular, but I learned about her from him. I believe she haunts the contractors that work for Kiki Pickles.”
“Hauntings not Unusual,” Macy commented. “Miguel is an unusual ghost. When I communicated with him, I expected to be talking to a child, but instead, he’s a well-informed spirit in the body of a dead boy.”
“Makes you wonder how many spirits are with us day to day that we aren’t fortunate to see.”
“I hope you don’t mind the stairs,” Macy said. “Miguel isn’t the only ghost that haunts the paper. The elevator stops between the second and third floors. That’s where Mr. Baylor, a beloved janitor, lost his life. It can be restarted, but I felt you would rather deal with one ghost at a time.”
“Yes, you’re right there. This is a fascinating building. So well maintained.”
“I can’t take credit for that. My father, along with Sam, make sure that the budget is large enough for the daily repairs. Once rot takes hold, there’s no stopping it.”
“You sound like Kiki.”
“I met her today. She’s a bright woman with a loyal team of contractors. I tried to get to the bottom of the High Court story and was expertly diverted.”
“Sorry, don’t take it personally. I have them all tied up in a killer contract.”
“Why?”
“You’ll soon see.”
They had reached the fourth floor. Macy led Calvin to the ad area. She slid onto a drafting table chair and watched Calvin walk to the line of windows.
“Hello, I’m looking for Miguel Bautista. I’m Calvin Franks, friend of Pedro Bautista Senior. Pedro saved my life in Vietnam. We became good friends. It’s because of this friendship that I seek you out.”
Macy felt a chill on her legs. She looked for the source of the draft and saw the doors of the ad room push inward. The lights faded as energy was being drawn from them.
Calvin’s eyes took in the changes. He steeled himself for whatever was to come.
The silhouette of a young boy stood with his back to them. He appeared to be staring out of the windows. His clothes were bloody and his feet bare. He turned his head and looked up at Calvin.
Calvin gazed down upon the dead child. He looked past the milky dead eyes to see a brown-eyed boy so interested in becoming a reporter. He saw not the bloody hand, but the ink-stained fingers of a man the child could have grown up to be.
“I’m sorry, Miguel,” Calvin said. “No one should die so young.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“Maybe it is. I came back too late. I should have deserted the army and come immediately to protect you Bautistas after Pedro died.”
“How were you to know we were in danger? It was I that put my family in danger. I killed them.”
“Nonsense! You saved Silvia and Raúl. They live in New York City now. I found them and adopted them.”
“Does Silvia still color outside the lines?”
“Yes, but we call that art. Raúl has a wife and family. He is well.”
“I’m glad. I had but a few seconds to warn everyone. I knew that when Silvia and Raúl played hide-and-seek no one could find them. So I shouted, ‘HIDE-AND-SEEK!’ And they hid.”
“You saved their lives. You were a brave boy.”
“A stupid child. How could I have thought that I could do what I did without consequences?”
“Tell me what you did. Tell us. Macy is here too.”
“I know. Macy is always here.” Miguel tapped his chest.
Macy put her hand on her own chest and felt her heart beating too fast for her resting position. What brought on this fear? Was it the dead boy before her, or that the dead boy loved her and had since she was a child?
“What did you do that you feel caused the tragedy at High Court?”
“I was following a lead on a story. I thought it was just about a drug ring operating out of High Court by five teenagers from the rich side of the lake. I had heard the adults down in distribution talking about how the police couldn’t seem to get a handle on the problem. If it was the teens, I decided I was going to sneak up, take some pictures of them with the hoard of drugs, and take the pictures to the cops. This may be just the evidence the cops needed, and I’d have a hell of a story for the paper. I borrowed my brother’s instamatic camera and waited behind the old tree until they opened the cellar. I could hear the teens. They were busy in the old storage room of the place. I used this opportunity to sneak down the stairs and hide behind them. On one of the long tables there were packages of powder, bags of green stuff, and a few handguns. I had the camera ready to take a picture of the teens with the drugs and guns. There was one flaw in my plan; Carlos didn’t have a flash cube for the camera. I hoped the overhead lights would be enough. Although, if I had used the flash, the teens would have seen me instead of being puzzled about the clicks the camera would make.
“I couldn’t see what was going on in the room. I heard a machine running. It sounded like the small press at the paper. Macy, like the one the paper uses for the Saturday coupons. The machine stopped, and I got ready to take the picture. But they didn’t come out of the room. I was curious as to what they were doing, so I snuck out of my hiding space and looked in the door. The teens were st
anding around looking at something a man, I couldn’t quite see, was holding up. From my vantage point, it was a long piece of paper. It wasn’t newsprint, something thicker. He kept saying ‘it’s identical’ over and over again.
“I was disappointed there was nothing going on in there, so I backed out. That’s when I tripped over my own feet and fell on my behind. I must have made a noise because everyone turned around and looked in my direction. I got up and ran up the stairs. I ran across the lawn, and I hid behind the big tree. No one came out. But there was a lot of shouting inside. Someone yelled, ‘He’s just a kid, leave him alone.’ Another one said, ‘He’s one of the Bautista brats. We’ll just threaten his mother.’ My hands became fists. I was not going to let any of those guys near my mama. I ran over and started to toss rocks down into the cellar, yelling, ‘Leave my family alone or I’ll call the cops on you, pendejos!’
“There was a lot of cursing, and someone started up the stairs. I yelled. ‘I have evidence, and I’ll use it! Get out of town while you can,’ I threatened. That’s when I saw the gun. All I saw was the gun. I ran away, yelling as I did to Silvia and Raúl who were playing on the swing set that we were playing hide-a-seek. Then I ran and told my mama to hide before I found my spot behind the picky bushes. She didn’t get a chance to. I heard the shots. I killed my family as if I had pulled the trigger myself.”