by Alexie Aaron
“He was supposed to take care of me. He’s always been my friend. My buddy. You and Mike. Me and Ted. Along comes Mia and…”
“Are you freaking kidding me? Listen to yourself. Ted went with Mia because he was in the truck when they were attacked. Murphy was in jeopardy, and they needed to rush back to get him back to his bones. Ted’s done nothing but step up.” Burt took a deep breath and continued, “Guys take their friends for granted. Get used to it. If you’re going to want to be treated like one of the guys, then you have to take all that comes with that.”
“How come Mia gets special treatment?”
“Her gifts make her valuable to us, as your gifts do too. She’s vulnerable and honest enough to say that she’s messed up. Guys like me gravitate towards her because we want to help her. She’s not playing any games with you. Honestly, Beth, I think you’re feeling the effects from your ordeal in the bar. This isn’t the investigator I’m used to working with. Take some time off. Come back to us when you’ve thought everything through.”
She didn’t say anything.
Burt disconnected the call.
~
Whitney placed the axe head on the seat beside him. “Murph, I don’t know if you’re about, but in my car you don’t play with the radio, whistle at girls out the window, or distract the driver.” He smiled, wondering if the farmer was around listening. Mia said that when they transported him to the Hoffman house the first time, she didn’t see hide nor hair of him until hours after she arrived. Last night, aside from his siren going off in the squad car a few times, there was no sign of the ghost he was transporting.
He pulled out into traffic and began the long drive into Chicago. He was being given another chance, and he wasn’t going to blow this one. Tom gave him a list of dos and don’ts in regard to Mia. Tom, who had never had a girlfriend longer than a couple of months, wasn’t exactly a good role model. But any advice was welcomed as he really wanted to be with her. He had competition. There was Ted who seemed all too comfortable playing ghosties with Mia. Burt would be there too. He had been her lover. Whit knew she still cared about the ghost hunter. They had broken up, but Mia still had a soft spot for the man.
And there was Murphy. Whit knew that Mia and Murphy were closer than was kosher. He didn’t know exactly how to deal with this, but instinct told him Mia and Murph were a set. If he wanted her, he had to deal with him. A threesome more suited to lurid paranormal romances than everyday life.
“So, Murph. I’m just letting you know that I’m not offended you tried to take my head off with your axe. I’m also letting you know that you’re not going to be able to stop me from trying to win the fair maiden’s hand. What I’m asking of you, is not to run interference. I’m not getting in the way of your relationship, how’s about giving me a chance with mine?”
Whit continued driving, unaware that Murphy sat next to him wondering how Mia could stand being around someone who talked so much.
~
Beth put on a pot of coffee. She had been put in time out by Burt. Not that she blamed him. She was out of control with her emotions. Part of her wanted Mia to call her, so that she could scream at her. Maybe Mia sensed this. Or Mia was just too busy.
She picked up her phone and texted Ted. “Burt has put me in the corner.”
Ted texted back. “Take some crayons with you and color on the wall.”
She laughed. She bit her lip and wrote back, “How’s Mia?”
“Confused.”
Beth started to get the idea she may have read the situation incorrectly. “She hasn’t called,” she typed and sent.
“Mia deals with things like this in person. Just saying.”
Shit, Beth thought.
Ted sent another text. “Busy here. Later.”
Well that was that. Ted was pissed too. Or he really was busy. Fuck, what did she know? Was it too early to drink? Beth poured herself a cup of coffee and decided to concentrate on the problem on Route 66.
~
Mia closed her eyes and drifted out of her body. She moved through the offices and out into the museum. It was early hours, and the staff was just now arriving. She wanted to get a better idea of where everything was before they used her to bait the lady in the glass. She kept away from the areas where she had encountered spirits. She hoped that she would not have to deal with ancient Egyptians or Mayans. They were unreasonable and chauvinists. She wandered over to Bill who was leaning on the wall at the entrance to the Hall of Gems.
He was surprised to see the girl dressed like a boy, in a hoodie and pants with all those pockets.
This was Mia’s persona she maintained when she OOBed. She had learned to take on other forms, but this was easier, more her. “I’m surprised to see you here,” she said to the gangster.
“Taking a breather, doll, what’s it to you?”
“Just being nosy.”
“Why are you dressed like a gutter rat?”
“Long story. Why aren’t you guarding your diamond?”
“It’s not going anywhere.”
“You still want it?”
“Ah, my dame Shelley’s got her heart set on having a ring set with the thing. She’s got one already but wants one for each hand.”
“To each their own. Me, I think it looks like piss.”
Bill smiled but drew it back in. “You telling me my girl has bad taste?”
“Where is your girl, Bill?”
“That’s none of your business.” Bill pointed his finger at her before making a fist.
Mia backed away. “Calm down, sorry.”
Bill relaxed. “For a dame, you dress like shit, and ask too many questions.”
Mia laughed and morphed into Bev’s favorite form. “Is this better, big boy?”
Bill’s eyes bugged out as Mae West stood before him.
Mia would have done Marilyn, but Bill was long dead before Miss Monroe made her splash. “Those who are easily shocked should be shocked more often,” she quoted Mae. She turned and walked off. She felt his eyes on her until she turned the corner. She morphed back into herself before continuing down the hall.
Bernard looked down at Mia and gently nudged her. He’d seen this before. She wasn’t sleeping, she was OOBing. He shook his head and went over to his desk and sat down. He wouldn’t worry about being quiet. She wouldn’t be hearing him wherever she was roaming.
Chapter Twenty-five
Mia stood a moment at the door and looked at the three men waiting impatiently for her to let them in. They must be feeling a bit awkward, she thought. Murphy even seemed to be giving the other two furtive glances. Whit’s tall, muscular, blonde blue-eyed dreaminess standing next to Burt’s brown-haired, brown-eyed, three too many beers, wrinkled techiness made quite a contrast, but Mia was attracted to both. In the middle Murphy stood in his overalls, dusty hat and flannel shirt. His boots were worn, and his axe was sharp. He too gave Mia a thrill. She opened the door and invited them in.
“Gentlemen, it’s good to see you. Great timing arriving together. Saves me running up and down the stairs all day.”
Whit handed her the heavy bundle, she smiled and thanked him saying, “Most men would bring me roses.”
Burt laughed and handed her a small sack of yellow dolomite.
“Clearly I must be doing something wrong.” Mia winked at him.
She handed Whit and Burt security tags that Bernard had made. “You’ll need to wear these. There are some doors that won’t open unless you use them like a keycard.” Mia demonstrated at the door to the stairwell.
“Ted and Mike will be here in an hour. Ted wants me to wait until he gets here to go over the investigation. I’m authorized to feed you, give you a tour and settle you into Bernard’s office.” Mia stopped at the landing and looked around. “Murphy?”
He appeared half in and half out of the wall, making her jump.
“Very funny,” she growled. “You do what you want, but be careful.” She turned around and blushed. “Sorry about t
hat, where was I?”
“Playing tour guide,” Whit said.
“Yes…”
“What do you mean by authorized?” Burt interrupted.
Mia started climbing the last flight of stairs. “Ted’s in charge, Burt. I’m just being a team member here.”
“So it’s true, you can play well with others,” Burt said with a little sarcasm. “How’s he to work for?”
“Logical,” Mia added, twisting the knife just a little.
Whit took in the tension between the two and felt relieved. Burt wasn’t in the running, not anymore.
They followed her to the office of the Cultural Manager. Mary was introduced to both men. Mia smirked at how the lecherous woman looked at Whit and Burt.
“Is he in?” Mia asked before barging into Bernard’s office.
Mary nodded.
Mia opened the door and invited Burt and Whit to follow her.
Bernard remembered Burt from the symphony. He fell asleep during Brahms’s Lullaby. He grasped his hand when it was offered. The last time he saw Whit, he was wearing a tux. Bernard admired his looks and noted that there was strength in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. Wisdom? Maybe. Sorrow? Definitely.
Mia put the sand and the axe down on the table. She opened the sack and stuck her hand in. It felt like sand but more rocky than you would find on the beach. She dumped the fruit out of Bernard’s crystal bowl and poured some sand into it before poking her finger in. She looked around and waved Murphy over.
Bernard was amazed at how she was handling the situation. He sat back and stared as she dealt with someone he didn’t know was there. So this was Murphy. Mia’s eyes were soft when she looked at him, almost loving. This made Bernard very uncomfortable.
“I’m going to pour this slowly into this bowl. You try to put your hand through the fall of sand,” she instructed.
Murphy nodded in understanding. Mia poured a steady stream of sand, and Murphy slowly moved his hand towards it. He couldn’t penetrate it. He tried with his axe, and it stopped within a quarter inch of the pouring sand. He looked at Mia, and she stopped.
“Burt, you did it. It’s blessed sand!” Mia carefully poured the sand in the bowl back into the sack.
“Well, I have to admit to being gob smacked. Would someone explain this blessed sand to me?” Whit asked, clearly puzzled.
Burt looked at Mia, “I’ve got this one.” He drew Whit over to the other side of the room and started to tell him about the composition of the mortar.
Bernard grabbed Mia’s hand and turned her towards him. “I believe you have a gentleman here I haven’t been introduced to.”
Mia shook herself. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said looking around. “Murph, come over here please.”
Bernard watched her eyes, as whomever she was watching moved towards them. He pushed down his fear but had difficulty not showing it as goose bumps rose on his arms.
“Right in front of you, Bernard, is Stephen Murphy. Murphy, this is my godfather Dr. Bernard Wesley. He can’t see you, but put out your hand.”
Bernard reached forward, and Mia took his hand and moved it over. He felt a tingle run along his hand.
Mia leaned in and said quietly, “That’s Murphy.”
“It is an honor to meet the man who has saved Mia so many times.”
Murphy straightened up and put his axe down and nodded at Bernard.
“He’s happy to meet you,” Mia interpreted Murphy’s movements.
“Can you talk to him?”
“We can talk all we want. We just can’t hear him. Murph’s a man of few words anyway. You’ve seen his picture at my house on the mantel. Ted took the picture.”
Bernard closed his eyes a moment and brought up the memory of the picture of a farmer with an axe standing near Mia. “Oh I remember now. I thought he was real… I mean corporal.”
“I know. Sometimes I forget too,” Mia said wistfully.
Mia’s phone beeped, indicating a text message. She looked at it. “Burt, Ted and Mike are downstairs and want to unload the equipment from the command vehicle.”
“I can direct you to the loading dock,” Bernard offered.
“That would be great. Do you have any trolleys?” Burt asked.
“In this museum we’re used to moving things in and out. You name it, we have it.”
“Great.”
“Do you need my help?” Whit asked.
“We can always use another set of arms,” Burt accepted graciously.
“Cool beans, let’s go,” Mia said and headed for the door. She turned around and smiled. “Come on, let’s trap us a ghost. No offence, Murph.”
The men followed her out. Murphy thought he’d stick around and poke at the sand some more.
~
“Why do I smell hamburgers and French fries?” Burt asked Mia as they were wheeling the last cart to the elevator.
“They have a McDonalds down here. They may be closing soon, do you want me to get you something?” Mia offered.
“No. I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t a phantom smell.”
Mia admitted. “I’ve never had a phantom smell.”
“I have. Mostly cigar or cigarette smoke. Although, at my grannies I always smelled cucumbers.”
“Really? I love the smell of cucumbers, so fresh and summery,” she mused.
“Mia, I know this isn’t a good time, but I fear we may not be alone for long,” Burt started. “What’s going on between you and Beth?”
“You know, I was going to ask you about that. She sent me a strange and rude voicemail. Called me a gypsy.” Mia minimized the insult, “I don’t think I have gypsy blood but…”
“Ted told me all of it.”
Mia wrinkled her face. “I’m not exactly pleased that he did that. I don’t want this misunderstanding getting around.”
“He did, and I called her and…”
“Oh boy, now it’s a problem.”
The elevator opened. Mia and Burt pushed the trolley in and got in themselves.
“She says you didn’t call her back.”
“I don’t believe she said to. Here, listen.” Mia pulled her phone out and played the message. “Now where did it say, please call me back?”
Burt was flushed with anger at his researcher. “I’m surprised you didn’t tell me about this.”
“Why? I figured when we got together next, I would ask her about it. Maybe I wanted it to blow over. Ted’s got a big mouth.”
The door opened, and they worked in silence as they moved the trolley the rest of the way to the lab Bernard had commandeered.
Burt decided to let the incident drop and turned to say he was sorry, but Mia had already left.
~
Whit had seen her leave the lab and went to follow her. He was here for her, and he wanted her to know that. She walked fast, and he had to run to catch up to her.
“Whatcha doing?”
Mia didn’t slow down but said, “Walking off a hissy fit, you?”
“Following you around like a love-starved puppy.”
She laughed. Her bad mood evaporated.
“Burt make you mad?”
“Oh no, something else, but I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s go and get some grub before the café closes.”
“Shouldn’t we help set up?”
“You and I aren’t peons. You are a law enforcement professional, and I’m a consultant. I think we can let the boys string wire and mount glass.”
Whit followed her. They exited the private area and into the museum. Whit stopped awestruck. “Whoa!” He took in all the light and space of the Stanley Field Hall below them. He stopped and gazed down at a tyrannosaurus. “Cool.”
Mia walked back to him. She watched his face as he took everything in. “Haven’t you’ve been here before?”
“No.”
“Not even on a school field trip?”
“No, look at that!”
“Her name is Sue, and there’s a lot of info ab
out her. You can see her as we go down to the café.”
“You’re a lucky girl, having a godfather that just about runs the place.”
“I guess so. I never thought of it that way.”
“I mean my relatives make cars. Sell stocks. Retire in Boca Raton. Yours do amazing things every day.”
“Making cars is cool,” Mia said truthfully. “There are a lot of dead things here, Whit. It’s not exactly my favorite place to be.”
“Ah, I see your point.” He reached over and put a protective arm around her which made walking a bit of a challenge, but Mia didn’t complain as the sentiment was a good one.
They descended the stairs, and Mia led him over to a table looking out into the gallery. “I’ll bring us back some sandwiches,” she said to a captivated Whit. “This is the first time I lost a man to a dinosaur named Sue,” she said under her breath. After she traversed the lines and paid for their food, she walked back and found Whit still staring at Sue.
She put down the food and drinks and gently turned his head. “Whit, you have to eat now. Sue will be there when you’re finished.”
Whit came out of his daze and smiled at her. She gave up competing with the T. Rex and sat next to Whit so he could chew and stare.
Mia’s phone vibrated, and she took it out of her pocket. There was a text message from Ted. “Where are you?”
She typed back, “Eating sandwiches.”
“Next time, let me know.”
“Why, so you can tell Burt?”
“Fuck.”
Mia closed the screen on her phone and shoved it in her pocket.
“Anything important?” Whit asked, still distracted by Sue.
“Nothing that can’t wait.” Mia took a bite of her sandwich and gazed at the dinosaur.
~
Ted put his phone down. Burt looked over at him and asked, “You find her?”
“She’s eating.”