by Alexie Aaron
“Here’s the door.”
Audrey turned around and saw that indeed there was a door. She walked over and opened it to find one of the closets. “But why hide it?” she asked.
“Maybe it was just a matter of space,” Cid guessed.
Alan looked around and sighed. “It’s going to take years to go through all this stuff.”
“Might provide occupation for the residents,” Audrey suggested.
“In my mother’s family home we found a set of very valuable books. We had them auctioned off, and now my mother doesn’t have to worry about money,” Mike told them. “She gave us PEEPs a finder’s fee.”
“I think it would be tricky determining who actually owns this stuff as it wasn’t in the inventory,” Alan cautioned. “Legally, I will have to have it put on the inventory along with the books downstairs.”
“Funny world we live in,” Audrey commented. “All this was junk in the past, and now it could be treasure.”
“And then,” Cid said as he picked up a cracked chamber pot, “it could still be junk.”
Alan’s watch pinged. He looked down and noticed the time. “I’ve got to head out of here for a meeting soon. Audrey, you’re welcome to stay. Burt’s got a set of keys and the alarm codes,” he informed the group.
“I’ll follow you down. I’ve had a lot to take in. It will take me a while to record all of this,” Audrey said.
“How do you feel now you’ve seen the place?” Alan asked.
“All but the subbasement,” she corrected.
“Yes, besides that.”
“I think that if we can get a handle on the more vicious denizens of the mansion, I may be able to recommend it to be used as an abuse shelter. I am also willing to put in some time and help your group, Mike, with some research. This stuff fascinates me. Let me know, and I’ll clear my schedule.”
Mike was visibly pleased by her offer. “I have to say I’m amazed. After the bars almost killed Alan, I thought you’d be finished with us.”
“Frankly, I was more put off by the exploding canning jars. I’m not fond of bad smells. But I like you people. I can deal with a fright or two.”
“Shall I give her a redshirt, Cap’n?” Cid asked.
Audrey gasped, “Oh, no, give that to Alan.”
“Everyone’s always trying to kill the lawyers,” Alan whined as he descended the stairs. “You know, when you’re in trouble, you’re going to regret taking my ilk for granted.”
Audrey patted him on the back. “You know we’re just teasing.”
“I know,” Alan admitted. “I would like to return to the days when the law was considered an honorable profession.”
Mike looked at Cid. He looked at Audrey who asked, “When was that exactly, Alan?”
Alan started laughing and shrugged his shoulders. “I was hoping you guys would know.”
Burt looked up from the console as the group descended. He was please to find them all in good moods. After Alan left, he and Mike sat down with Audrey and explained PEEPs philosophy and stressed that they were determined to communicate with the entities. Having had information in the past helped this to happen. Audrey asked about Mia’s role in the group.
“Mia was born with certain talents, gifts if you will,” Mike said. “She has been our eyes and ears when it comes to dealing with most paranormal entities. What she doesn’t know, she learns. She has connections with the most successful and highly regarded paranormal investigators in the world. It wouldn’t surprise me to find out that she has already contacted someone to solve the problem she ran into today.”
“Mike tells me you want to do a little research for our group,” Burt asked, hoping to draw the subject off of Mia.
“Yes, I wouldn’t expect to be paid. I want to learn the ropes of what you’re doing. Consider me an unpaid intern,” Audrey said.
“Ahem,” Cid said from the console. “I would rethink the unpaid part, as we are getting paid.”
“Cid has union roots, ignore him,” Mike said.
“I couldn’t accept pay anyway, as I am writing off this consultant time on my taxes. So it’s a win-win for me.”
Burt smiled. He liked this uncomplicated woman. She liked Mia, which most women did not. She was indifferent to Mike hitting on her. And she didn’t really want to socialize with them. She wanted to hunt ghosts. “I think your joining us in this would be a wonderful idea. Late nights…”
“All night,” Cid corrected.
“Meals are on us,” Burt continued.
“Bring your own if you want to have a clean heart valve,” Cid suggested.
“All the coffee you can ingest,” Mike tempted.
“Amen!” Cid said. “Ted makes a lethal brew, but it will keep you going when the sandman tempts you.”
Audrey shook hands with Mike and Burt. She saluted Cid as she got up. She pulled out a card. “Here’s all my contact numbers. Let’s talk soon, so I can set up my calendar.”
She donned her coat and picked up her briefcase. Mike walked her out to her car. Burt stretched and got up, testing his legs. He had done a lot of stairs today. “Come on, Cid, we have a mess to work on in the basement. I’m thinking of just using snow shovels to begin with.”
“It’s that bad?”
“It’s worse.”
~
Ted watched Mia as she slept. He was too jazzed on java juice to follow her in slumber. He slipped away and dragged the comforter off the bed and covered her up with it as she lay on the couch. Sitting at the desk, he quietly worked on her computer. He downloaded the photos of her and sent them to his PEEPs account. Cid sent him a couple of pictures of him and Burt slaving away in the basement cleaning up the floor. He also mentioned that Mike was spending an incredible amount of time in the bathroom. He suspected he was shirking his duties.
“Teddy Bear, watcha doing?” Mia’s sleepy voice asked him.
“Nerd stuff. Did you have a nice nap?”
“Uh huh.” Mia yawned. “I was thinking of asking Father Santos’s group for some help.”
“Go on.”
“You know that Angelo taught me to block mind readers.”
“Yes.”
“Well, I think that I can learn to block these overwhelming emotional entities too. It wasn’t a possession but a flood of emotions. While this was happening, something wicked crawled over my body, trying to communicate.”
“Looks to me that it tried to hog tie you, Pumpkin.”
“Yes, it certainly felt that way.” She paused. “I came into my gifts on my own. I had to learn how to deal with them. I think I picked up some bad habits along the way. Sabine was mentored by my aunt Bev, and she can do amazing things.”
“So call Sabine,” he suggested.
“I would, but her boyfriend is dying, and she is living at his bedside.”
“Then call your aunt Bev.”
“What if she says no?”
“She’s your aunt,” he pointed out.
“She’s a Cooper, they have no familial feelings.”
“I’ve got it.” Ted looked up a number and dialed the phone. He handed it to Mia as it was ringing.
Mia waited, puzzled but challenged all the same.
“Mia, I’m so glad you called,” Ralph greeted her.
“Ralph, I’ve had a bad day,” Mia began and poured out her problem to her godfather. She smiled as she listened to him. “You’ll call her for me?” Mia gave Ted a thumbs up. “Thank you, I will. Bye.”
“Ralph says hello. My god, Ted, you are a genius. No one can say no to Ralph. He won’t quit until she is in a car and headed over here.”
“Problem solved. It’s what I do. While the others are slaving away, cleaning up that mess in the mansion, I’m saving the world. It’s good to be a techie.”
“You are so much more than a techie.”
“I know,” he agreed and flashed her a smile. “Sex god, barista, sex god, computer genius, did I mention sex god?”
“No I don’t
believe you have, although I am in agreement.”
“Speaking of which, how about I make you an espresso?”
“I’d love it. You can serve it to me in the bath. This girl needs a good soaking.”
“Coming right up. Hey, can we have bubbles this time?”
Mia blushed at the word we. “Sure, I’ll leave room.” She gathered the blanket around her and walked with royal dignity into the master suite.
Chapter Twelve
Cid found a hose with a decent spray nozzle. He pointed to the drains in the floor and proceeded to power spray the remaining syrups and pickling solution away. Mike wasn’t loafing; he was working upstairs where it didn’t smell so bad, Burt reported.
Burt and Cid took a break and decided to go through the materials at the west end of the building. They squeezed between rototillers and snow throwers. There were wheelbarrows of ten different vintages. An old wood chipper was stored against one wall. Cid noticed that something had jammed the blades. He carefully moved the blades backward, and it released some interesting material. He reached into his pocket and drew out an evidence bag. He placed his bounty in it and returned it to his pocket. He noticed that alongside the chipper was a still. At least it looked like a still. It was small enough to be used on the large gas range. So there was more than dandelion wine being produced at Gruber mansion.
Mike finished vacuuming the carpet as the maids appeared carrying chamber pots. He didn’t think they would take them down the main stair. There had to be another staircase. He followed them until they opened up a panel and dissipated. He pulled out his flashlight, shone it inside the opening, and saw that there was a stairway. He followed it down.
Burt shifted more equipment and found an old steamer trunk with an ominous old lock on the hasp. He was fiddling with the lock when a grinding noise filled the basement. He frantically looked around, fearing another booby-trap set of bars was descending to impale him. He backed away from the center of the room, keeping his back to the wall. Arms reached out and pulled him off his feet. He screamed.
Cid heard Burt scream, and he dropped the steel milking bucket he had found to pick up the remaining glass with and ran to find him. He had left Burt earlier amongst the detritus of the storeroom. Cid searched frantically for him. “Burt, can you hear me?”
“Here, I’m in here.”
Cid followed his voice and found Burt Hicks and Mike Dupree laughing their asses off inside an alcove of some kind.
“What the hell, dude? I thought you’d hurt yourself.”
“Don’t get mad at me, this loser scared the shit out of me.”
“Well, explain.” Cid glared at Mike.
“Okay, okay. I found the servants’ staircase. And it didn’t open on the main floor, but it did here. Burt was backing towards me so I grabbed him. He screamed like a little girl.”
Cid shook his head. “Like a teenage girl. Grow some balls, man.”
This caused the two to break out in giggles.
Cid reached in and gave Burt a hand up. Mike he left on the floor. “I swear the two of you are less mature than Ted.”
“Don’t tell him. It will ruin our rep with the guy,” Burt pleaded.
“So did you patch things up with him?” Cid asked.
“Not sure, but I think we have a truce. Did he say anything to you?”
“Nope, but from my perspective, Burt, you touched a nerve.”
“Nah, I jammed my fist in the nerve. Now I have to find a way to make it up to him.”
“Time, give him time. He’s a pretty forgiving kind of guy. Considering the hell he went through as a teen, he’s quite a mild-mannered guy. He knew something hurt Mia but couldn’t fight it. I think when you ran off at the mouth, his anger was directed at you, much like yours to Mia when she suggests something.”
“Ah, Mia, now that’s a complicated person,” Burt sighed as he followed Cid back into the canning area.
“From what I’ve witnessed, she’s worth all the complication. At least Ted thinks so,” he qualified. “Nah, I think so too. So, if you’re looking for a shoulder to cry on when Mia pisses you off, you’ll have to look elsewhere,” he warned.
“I appreciate your honesty. Cid, I used to be Mr. Mia Cooper at one time. It’s been a big adjustment for me seeing her so happy with my technician.”
“You still have feelings for her? I thought you pulled up stakes without a backward glance.”
“Shit, is that what they’re saying?”
“Not Mia, I heard that from Beth the destroyer of worlds.”
“Okay then. Cards on the table. Mia and I had some good times together. Our ideologies regarding the spirit world got in the way at times. She got in my way many times. The Cliffs Notes version is we just didn’t jive as a couple. She drowned her sorrows in a tall handsome cop, and I went to therapy. When Ted professed his love to her, the last thing I thought would happen was that she would admit to loving him too. This still freaks me out.”
“Didn’t you see the chemistry?” Cid said as he picked up the large shards of glass around the drain screens and deposited them in the bucket.
“Not at first, but there was a time on our way to a shareholder meeting that the two of them… I couldn’t exactly tell you, but they were of one mind. But the cop was in the picture then, maybe, I don’t really know. I know Ted made a big play for her in Chicago. He crashed and burned.”
“Ah, now that was a bit of a blow to our caped crusader, but he hung in there and reminded her at every turn of the road that he was there.”
“So, who are you really, Cid Garrett? Seems to me you’re more of a relationship counselor than a union carpenter,” Burt accused.
“I took a lot of psych classes in college,” he explained. “But I find Ted and Mia fascinating. I think this is the real deal.”
“Could be? Let’s see if they last the investigation,” Burt said sagely.
“I bet you five-hundred and seventy-six dollars they do.”
“That’s a precise amount.”
“It’s all I have left to raise to get my eyes fixed,” he admitted.
“I’ll take that bet,” Burt said and shook his hand. “Looking at Mia’s track record, I see it as a sure thing.”
“I’ve looked into her eyes when she looks at Ted, I’ve got the advantage.”
“Excuse me, I hear betting going on,” Mike said joining the two.
Burt explained the bet.
“Really, you two are betting on our Ted’s and Mia’s happiness? For shame. What’s the odds?”
“Buy in is five-hundred-seventy-six dollars,” Cid stated.
“Burt, I’m going to have to go with the happily ever after. I plied that woman with expensive booze, she could hardly walk to the car, and she still was singing the praises of Ted. She was not even the slightest bit interested in tapping Mike Dupree.”
Burt started laughing and got to a full belly laugh before he could stop. “I feel confident in my bet,” he said and headed upstairs.
Mike looked at Cid and asked, “Was I just insulted?”
“No, boss, Burt’s just got a strange sense of humor.”
~
The phone rang while they were canoodling in the bathtub. They let the answering machine pick up. “Mia, this is Bev. Ralph wants me to stop by and give you some advice. The man had the audacity to threaten to tell my hairdresser I was seeing another colorist. So I will be in your neck of the woods tomorrow. Oh, let’s meet at your new boyfriend’s house. For what you’re going to learn, we need a compliant ghost. I seem to remember you have one on a leash. Ta ta.”
“Was she saying that you had a ghost on a leash or a boyfriend?” Ted asked as he soaped her back.
“I don’t know. I expect she means Murph, but I don’t have him on a leash. I hope he’ll be around.”
“Tomorrow’s Saturday, he’ll be there. He watches This Old House with Cid.”
“Why does this not surprise me?”
“Burt will be there, want
me to run interference?”
“Nope, Burt’s scared of Bev. Besides if we explain why she’s here, he’ll make himself scarce.”
“Good thinking. The almighty reputation of PEEPs is at stake,” Ted said in a nasal voice. “Mia, I have a sensitive question for you.”
Mia’s mind screamed - not about her and Burt, not about her and Murphy.
“It’s about birth control. We haven’t been using any.”
“I have. I remembered our little talk at the barbeque during the Lucky’s investigation and decided on the pill.”
“When did you do that?”
“I went to the clinic the day after you first kissed me. We were taking our time, and I knew that once we started we may not stop for protection.”
“Whoa. Smart woman.”
“Actually, Angelo claims to have my menstrual cycle fixed and told me when I would get pregnant but…”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t trust him. I don’t really like the man, smells of crows.”
Mia burst out laughing. “Considering his persona, I’d say you have a very intelligent nose. Ted, I’d like to have children when we’re ready,” Mia said, twisting around to see his face.
He looked at her with such tenderness. “When we’re ready, I’d love to have them too. Until then, let’s practice.”
“Lots and lots of practice,” Mia agreed.
~
Mike took a cab home. Burt and Cid watched as the taxi moved down the drive.
“He’s wasting his money,” Cid said.
“No, he’s wasting his mother’s money,” Burt corrected. He turned and locked the door, and the two headed to the PEEPs truck. A sharp breeze moved between them and the vehicle. It began to spin. A small whirlwind developed. “I wonder,” Burt said to Cid, “if we can communicate with this. Grab a camera out of the truck.”