The Siege

by Alexie Aaron

  “I hope you’re not upset with me,” Ted said softly. “I agree with you on the room. Maybe the nursery since it has its own bathroom, and Cid put in a few extras on Murphy’s insistence.”

  Mia stopped and asked, “What did they do?”

  “According to Cid, they ghost-proofed the room. He says as long as the windows and doors are closed then no ghosts can get in. Murphy tested it from all angles, and the room, including the plumbing, is secure.”

  “There goes my babysitter,” Mia said. “Why would Murphy do that?”

  “If the door is open, he can come and go that way, or the window for that matter. He told Cid that he wanted our baby to be safe from his kind.”

  “So he sacrificed his access to our little one for the baby’s safety?” Mia asked.

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t know whether to hug the old goat or smack him for not telling me.”

  “You two have an interesting relationship,” Ted said.

  Mia turned their attention back to the task at hand. “I had a look at those interviews while you were at the gas station. I sensed a trend in the attacks on the household members.”

  “Really? Tell me.”

  Mia pulled out a memo pad and looked at her notes before speaking. “The twins, Tracy and Tricia, mentioned they were having a tug of war with the unknown involving clothes they hadn’t worn in a while. Tracy said she didn’t appreciate them until something was trying to take them away. The older boy, Nathan, received a smack in the face when he was watching television while his younger brother Joel heard a snapping of fingers whenever he was playing his Gameboy. You do that to people who aren’t paying attention. And Mr. Dawson was trapped in the garage by the doors shutting and locking themselves over and over. Mrs. Dawson was trapped in her bathroom by all her beauty products being stacked on top of each other, filling the doorway. They each had lost their freedom. There were other poltergeist attacks with each falling under the themes of attention, appreciation and freedom.”

  “Whoa, that’s interesting. You may want to run that by Cid.”

  “Didn’t he quit?”

  “He’d still be interested. He’s into all that mind babble.”

  “Mind babble?” Mia asked amused.

  “Yes, psychology. I think the Dawsons are conjuring the poltergeists themselves. Paying attention, being appreciative, and lack of freedom are common arguments between parents and adolescents,” he pointed out. “Such as…” Ted stamped his foot and whined, “You don’t pay attention to me!” Ted took on a parental tone and said, “You don’t appreciate what we’ve given you.” He changed again, his voice high, and said longingly, “I can’t wait to grow up. I want my freedom.”

  “We don’t need Cid; I think you’ve got a good grasp on the angst,” Mia approved.

  “I grew up with three sisters,” he reminded her. “I heard it all the time.”

  “Did you have poltergeists?”

  “No, but my mother had an ulcer.”

  “I wonder who gave her that,” Mia accused.

  They started walking again. When they reached the front porch, Ted insisted that Mia take his arm as she walked up the three steps. It was difficult for Mia to accept this kind of help even when she knew he did it because he loved her. She tried not to let her irritation show.

  Ted unlocked the door and pushed it inwards. He used the remote to move Curly out of the building. Mia reached in to pull the door shut, but something caught her eye. “Hello, I’m Mia,” she said to the trio of Barbie dolls riding in a red, vintage Mustang convertible that was rolling out the door, tailgating Curly.

  Mia eased herself down and sat on the edge of the formal receiving porch and waited. The car moved around mimicking Thelma and Louise’s last moments. The red convertible launched itself off the porch. Ted caught it midair and returned it to the porch and set it next to Mia.

  The three well-styled heads turned Mia’s way.

  “You guys have been having quite a party, haven’t you?”

  The dolls nodded. Two gave each other high fives.

  “I suppose you know you’re scaring the hell out of the people that live here.”

  The doll heads nodded again.

  “Can you tell me why?”

  Two of the dolls shook their heads, but one nodded.

  “Can you possibly tell me what’s up?”

  The passenger Barbie stood up and floated out of the car and into the house. Mia was tempted to go inside, but before she could raise her body, a large piece of sidewalk chalk sailed down the steps. It began drawing on the immaculate cement surface beside Mia.

  Ted and she watched as letters were scratched out. The sound of the chalk on the treated cement was teeth-clenching, but Mia sat still and waited.

  Appreciation Attention Freedom

  “I’d say that was pretty clear. What do you think, Ted?”

  “I agree with you.”

  “If you get these demands, will you leave the people of this home alone?” Mia asked.

  The piece of chalk sketched out a unicorn with a smile on its face.

  “Are these demands yours or those of someone in the house?” Mia asked.

  The two Barbies in the car turned their heads towards the house and extended one of their slim plastic arms.

  “Someone in the house,” Mia acknowledged. “One of the children?”

  The dolls shook their heads.

  “The parents?”

  The dolls continued to shake their heads.

  “Someone who works here?”

  The dolls jumped up and down.

  Mia turned to Ted. “Did PEEPs examine all of this house?”

  “Mike and Burt went on a tour with the owners while Cid filmed Audrey interviewing each of the four children.”

  “I have a feeling that you haven’t seen all of this house. Do you have a blueprint?”

  “No.”

  “Help me up, please,” Mia said, holding out her hands.

  Ted lifted her up asking, “You’re not going in there, are you?”

  “Yes I am. Now before you start, I don’t think anything in there wants to harm me. Am I right?” Mia addressed her words to the dolls.

  The nod of their heads was enough for Mia.

  “Well come on, girls, show me the way. Drive slowly, please, I’m carrying a large load,” she explained, patting her stomach.

  The dolls plopped down in the seats of the convertible with the piece of chalk riding shotgun. The car started towards the interior of the house.

  Ted took Mia’s hand to slow her down a moment. He placed a large rock from the front landscaping in the threshold of the house, so the door wouldn’t be able to shut completely, possibly locking them inside. They caught up to the Barbies in the kitchen. Their car waited until the basement door opened before it bounced down the steps.

  “Those dolls are wild drivers,” Ted said, putting himself in front of Mia as they descended the steps. The basement wasn’t used for much but storage. There was a small alcove where wine racks had been installed. The car drove past these and bumped into the wall. It reversed and drove into the wall again.

  “Dead end,” Mia said disappointed.

  Ted walked over to the wall and ran his hand along it. He looked at the ceiling and at the floor. He examined where the car had bumped into the wall and put his ear to the paneled wall. “There’s someone behind the panel. I can’t find any way of opening it from this side. Whoever is there isn’t locked in.”

  Mia moved to the wall and called softly, “Hello, is there anyone there?”

  No answer.

  “I won’t tell anyone you talked to me. I’d like to talk to you. You won’t get into trouble. Please come out.”

  “I can’t… big trouble… can’t.” The voice was accented, but Mia couldn’t tell the country of origin of the woman who was speaking.

  Mia and Ted looked at each other.

  “We’re not the police or INS. I’m Mia, and this is my husband T
ed. We are alone, and we’d like to talk to you.”

  “Why?”

  “Oh, there’s a lot of strange things happening out here. Crazy stuff. Toys driving by themselves. Furniture flying.”

  “The Dawsons told me to stay down here until you left. But you don’t leave!”

  Intrigued Mia asked, “Are you by any chance making the toys move?”

  “No! Not me.”

  Mia’s eyes lit up. She looked at Ted, and he nodded his head. She cleared her voice and asked, “Are you appreciated? Do they give you their undivided attention? Do you want your freedom?”

  “Why are you asking me this?”

  The panels on the wall shook and shifted, and a small thin slit appeared. Mia backed away so she would not frighten the woman behind the door or put herself in danger. Ted put a protective arm around her shoulders.

  The woman who appeared out of the wall was young and thin. Her hair was dark as were her eyes, and she had a pinched look to her. She wore a gray maid’s uniform, white shoes and socks.

  “Hello, I’m Mia, this is Ted,” Mia introduced them again.

  “They call me CC, but my name is Carlotta Charlemagne. My family is well thought of in my country. Not so much here.”

  “Are you treated poorly by the Dawsons?”

  “Come and see,” she said, opening the door wider and stepping aside.

  Mia and Ted walked into a neat, three room apartment. There wasn’t a window to be seen, but the space was well lit and cheerfully furnished. The living room furniture was high end, including a television. A small kitchenette was tucked into the corner with small but expensive appliances. CC had a nice bedroom, and her bathroom had both a tub and a shower to bathe in. Mia thought it should have been a cold room but there seemed to be heat radiating up from the floor.

  “Is this floor heated?” she asked, putting her hand on the expensive tile.

  “Yes.”

  “Are you being held here against your will?”

  “No.”

  “Why are you living in the basement?”

  “I sometimes get migraines. Here I can block out all of the light. Rosemary, Mrs. Dawson, had this apartment made just for me so I could feel safe.”

  “Are you here in this country illegally?” Ted asked.

  “I was born in Roma, but my parents emigrated to Chicago when I was fifteen. I passed the citizen test when I was eighteen.”

  “Are you being paid a fair wage?” he asked.

  “They give me room, board, and four thousand American dollars a month. Douglas, Mr. Dawson, contributes to a 401K for me,” she said proudly.

  “We didn’t know you were here. Why is that?” Ted asked.

  “Rosemary asked me if I wanted to be included in this ghost hunt, and I say no. They ask me if I want to stay at the hotel with them, I say no. They asked me to stay out of your way while you are working. You are working all the time.”

  “We do our investigations twenty-four hours for the first few days.”

  “I did not know that. I was very upset when you didn’t leave,” CC confessed.

  Mia walked over and held out her gloved hand to the maid. “Come, sit down and talk to us.” She waited until CC sat down beside her before she continued, “I sense that something is making you very upset. You can trust me. I won’t tell anyone.”

  “What about him? The others call him blabbermouth.”

  Ted winced. He put his hand on his heart. “I promise not to repeat anything you do not want me to say.”

  “So help you God,” CC insisted.

  “So help me God,” Ted repeated.

  “Okay, then I tell you. I am so upset, I could turn myself inside out.”

  “Why?”

  “I can’t talk. They make me sign paper, and I can’t talk. I have no freedom to speak. They don’t appreciate each other, and I can’t tell them how lucky they are. The mother, she works so hard, and the kids ignore her. She needs attention, but I can’t tell the kids because I sign the piece of paper! I could help them, but I have no freedom because I sign the piece of paper! I am so upset!” CC put her head in her hands. “It is so frustrating to see them fall into misunderstandings that I could clear up if I didn’t sign that cursed paper!”

  Mia looked up at Ted and said, “I don’t know about you, dear, but I want to read this piece of paper.”

  “I have to admit, I’m all agog to see how a piece of paper could do so much harm and cause this nice lady to have such heartache.”

  “I can show it to you. Mr. Dawson, he keeps it in his file drawer. Come!” CC jumped to her feet and walked swiftly to the open panel.

  Ted rushed over to help Mia off the soft sofa in which she had sunk.

  Once she was standing, she said, “You go with her. I’ll catch up. CC is such a bright woman. I can’t imagine speaking, let alone reading, in two languages. There must be some kind of misunderstanding.”

  Ted turned and trotted after the maid. Mia took her time, putting a hand on her belly to calm the rider inside. By the time she reached the den, CC had the file drawer open and was searching inside.

  “It is here under C for Charlemagne.” She pulled out the file, extracted the paper and handed it to Ted. He looked at it and smiled.

  “What, what is it?” Mia asked.

  “It’s a non-disclosure agreement,” he said, handing it to Mia.

  She scanned it and looked over at CC. “Is this the paper you signed?”

  CC walked over and pointed to her signature on the second page. “I sign before I have the job.”

  “What do you think it says?” Mia asked her.

  “It says that I no talk about family to no one.”

  “Yes, you shouldn’t talk about the family to outsiders. You can, however, talk to the family.”

  CC grabbed the paper and jabbed her finger at the area in question. “It says I no talk. So I no talk. I no talk to Tracy about what Tricia says about her. No tell Mr. Dawson that Mrs. Dawson is taking cooking lessons while he is away on business. I no tell the boys to be nice to their momma because she tells me she misses them. It drives me crazy. I stand there in the corner of the dining room watching them, knowing they are falling apart because I no talk about them.”

  “CC, you can talk to them about each other,” Mia assured her.

  “I no get fired?” she asked Mia and then looked at Ted and repeated her question.

  “I have an idea. In two hours, it will be a respectable time to call the Dawsons. I’ll have them come over, and all of us will sit down together and discuss this. I bet you a hundred American dollars that you will not get fired because you talk to the family about the family,” Ted said with confidence.

  CC walked over and jabbed her finger in his chest. “You better be right, Mister. And you shouldn’t be betting your hard-earned money when you have baby coming,” she insisted. “I no take your bet.”

  A wave of relief rushed over Mia. She felt it as if CC’s problems were her own. Mia saw something from the corner of her eye. The red convertible was cruising up and down the hall. Mia walked out and saw that the chalk was replaced with the third Barbie doll. She eased herself down and sat with her back to the wall. She extended her legs to meet the other side of the wall and waited for the car to return.

  The trio of happy dolls stopped an inch from her leg.

  “So you heard. It was a simple misunderstanding. CC should have the answers she needs in a few hours. Are you going to stick around?” she asked.

  The dolls moved their heads as if they were consulting the other, and after a few moments, they all shook their head in unison.

  “Ted, help me up, time to say goodbye to the girls.”

  Ted walked out, followed by CC. Her eyes grew large when she saw the dolls moving their heads and arms.

  “Why they do that?”

  “They picked up on your emotional state.”

  “I do this?”

  Mia nodded. She put up her hands, and Ted pulled her upwards to
a standing position. The car moved past her and headed in the direction of the foyer. They followed and found the Barbies waiting patiently by the front door.

  “I’m sure the Dawsons wouldn’t mind if you took the car. The twins are too old for dolls,” CC said. “I tell them, I say it’s okay.”

  The dolls floated back over to the car and slid inside. The car backed up as Ted opened the door. He put on the outside light. The last they saw was the red convertible driving off.

  “They’re going south,” Ted said.

  “Wouldn’t you? A convertible is a crap ride in the winter,” CC told him.

  Chapter Five

  Burt arrived at the Dawsons to find not only Mia there, but the PEEPs lawyer, Alan Jefferies, decked out in a flashy suit of clothes, drinking a Starbucks brew. Mike was dressed casually, sporting one of the new PEEPs shirts. His hair was tousled, giving him a more youthful look. Burt walked, passing Mia without saying anything, straight to Mike, pulling him aside from the conversation he was having with Alan.

  “Sorry,” Mike said to Alan who didn’t seemed surprised at all by Burt’s rudeness. Mike turned to Burt and commented, “You’re not being very polite here.”

  “What’s going on? Mia is not supposed to be here, and why is Jefferies here?”

  “First of all, you left Ted alone with an active investigation involving dangerous poltergeists. He asked Mia to back him up. She came.”

  “Where were Cid, Dave or Audrey?”

  Mike looked at him strangely. “Are you alright? Did you have a fall? Audrey’s in the hospital, and Cid and Dave quit.”

  Realization washed over Burt that he didn’t remember any of this. “My God, when did this happen?”

  Mike put a hand on Burt’s sleeve and looked at his friend. “Yesterday, you don’t remember any of this, do you?”

  “Is Audrey alright?”

  “No. Dislocated arm and a broken clavicle.” Mike stopped a moment. He got Mia’s attention. He waited until she joined them before speaking. “Mia, Burt’s not himself. He doesn’t remember all of yesterday.”