by Alexie Aaron
“I had no idea of what I was seeing,” Mia admitted. “Burt had to explain it to me.”
“The Riddler,” Mike said. “Joygasm.”
“Joygasm is from the movie, but I’ll give you a pass since comics aren’t your thing,” Cid sniffed.
Audrey and Mia looked sympathetically at Mike. “Don’t worry, you can play with the girls for a while,” Mia said.
Mike’s face brightened, and he bit back the salacious comments that filled his brain. Instead he just said, “Thank you.”
“We think the children are coming from the school. Problem is, aside from a fire in the thirties, no fatalities ever happened at Himmel,” Audrey informed Mike.
Mike saw a shadow pass across Mia’s features. She seemed to be withholding something. Mike’s experience with the ghost seer told him she would enlighten the group when she was sure of her hypothesis. He and Mia didn’t start off well in the beginning of her involvement with the group. Time and mutual respect had brought the two of them into a closer friendship than he or she could have predicted. He watched her when she wasn’t aware. She called him on his bullshit and kept him at arm’s length. Still, there was an understanding building, and there were times when words didn’t have to be vocalized for each of them to know the other’s thoughts.
Ted put the shots of the tributes side by side on the large monitor. “You can see when they are beside each other that there are many hands at work here.”
Mike nodded. “Is it worth spending time here or do you think this is a one off?”
“Too early to tell,” Burt admitted. “I’d like to camp out here. Mia, do you think Murphy would oblige us with an appearance?”
She hunched her shoulders. “Ask him.”
Mia was the only person that could hear the 150-year-old ghost, but he was able to been seen by Ted. Cid had developed a way of talking with Murphy, but Burt had yet to develop a way to communicate with the spirit. Early jealousies had pitted the two against each other, but that was no longer the case since Mia had chosen Ted as her mate.
“I’ll do that. Could you act as an interpreter?”
“Sure,” Mia let him off the hook again. She felt if Murphy was going to be regarded as part of the team and not just her pet ghost, Burt and Mike would have to develop a better relationship with him. Murphy had more than earned his stripes as a member of PEEPs. Burt had even compensated the spirit for his troubles, but he hadn’t been comfortable with offering the sometimes wayward ghost a position on the team.
“How about us renting a land yacht for a few evenings, so we don’t have to inconvenience the Seavers with our presence all the time?” Ted asked.
“I think the budget can handle it,” Burt said, looking over at Mike.
“Sounds good to me. Do we have permission to film?”
“I thought it was early days for a contract,” Burt said.
“It’s never too early to protect PEEPs,” Mike insisted. “I’ll draw something up. What about the other two houses in the court?”
“We haven’t reached out to the homeowners yet,” Burt admitted. “We didn’t want to intrude on them.”
“I’ve seen 1312’s curtain twitching a few times,” Cid said. “I think we’ve been noticed. 1308 is away on vacation.”
“Mike, take Audrey over to 1312 and introduce yourselves. If any of the residents have seen PEEPs on cable, they will be more comfortable talking with our celebrities than our techs. Mia and I will head back to the farm and consult with Murphy.” He turned to Ted and requested, “Make a list of anything you may need for tonight from the office. I’ll have Mia bring the stuff back with her after she drops me off at the RV rental. Cid, find out who’s been watching 1308 while the residents are away. See if we can get permission to go in there. We don’t want them coming home after we’re gone and having to deal with any surprises that the children may have left for them.”
The team looked at each other and acknowledged that Burt had decided to take the lead on this investigation. They all set about their tasks knowing there wouldn’t be a vote taken between the group and that the verdict to take on this investigation had already been decided.
~
Murphy laughed at the antics of Maggie as she hopped over the tall grass trying to keep up with him. Cid had left him in charge of the young dog while he went to meet up with Burt and Audrey. Cid told him he didn’t know how long he would be gone and reminded the ghost where Maggie’s food was kept.
Murphy had taken one look at the dry feed, opened up the refrigerator and added the leftover stew to the bowl before setting it down for the dog. The young mixed-breed female looked at him in surprise. It took her seconds to inhale the treat, and a few more to get a stomachache from the unfamiliar food. Murphy barely got her out of the house before she pooped. He waited until the dog finished before clearing away the evidence of her emergency bathroom visit to Mia’s flower bed.
He decided to take her on a long walk, just in case she needed to relieve herself further. They would be far enough away from the farmhouse, and no one would be the wiser.
They sat together and watched One Feather ride over the hill before starting back to the homestead. Stephen Murphy had built the original farmhouse when he brought his new bride home. She hadn’t appreciated the care he put into the building. Facts were, that she didn’t care for him either. Arranged marriages rarely worked in his opinion, but in those days that was the way things were done. His mother spearheaded his courtship of the beautiful woman without regard to the needs of the young farmer. Things ended badly with her lover killing Stephen by dropping an oak on him while he was working in the forest. She died later by the hand of the same monster.
He had drifted through the next century watching his farm from the ether, stepping in from time to time to scare away anyone who didn’t love the place as he had. Things started to change in the hollow. An old evil rose and empowered festering spirits. His wife rose from her resting place to cause problems soon after the farmhouse had been renovated. The Paranormal Entity Exposure Partners were called in by the homeowner, and with the help of Father Santos’s group they rested the angry spirit of his wife and destroyed the entity of the monster that caused the Murphy couple’s demise.
This had brought Mia into his existence full force. Prior to then they had developed a friendship that was born that fateful evening when a group of teenagers decided to spend the night at the reputedly haunted farm.
He remembered Mia as the skinny kid who followed after the popular kids when they decided to party on Murphy’s property. The group arrived in two cars. They started off by tossing rocks, breaking the windows of the abandoned farmhouse. Mia hung back, not enjoying the destruction of what she saw as a beautiful building. The young vandals moved on to explore the grounds with open beer bottles in hand. After some more minor destruction, they sat down near the old woodpile and turned on the portable radio one of them brought along. Mia sat on the fringes of the group. He could tell she wanted to be a part of things. He had witnessed her disappointment when Whit headed off to the barn with the busty brunette to have some privacy. The expression on her face told him volumes about why Mia had come along with the teens in the first place. The remaining four made it clear with their indifference that she didn’t belong.
He ventured closer, fascinated by the young woman. There was something about her that attracted him. Puzzled, he reached out to touch her face. That’s when Mia had looked up and made eye contact with Stephen. He raised his axe in surprise. She could see him! He dropped his axe to the ground, regretting the fear he had put into those soft, moss green eyes. She got up and started to back away.
“What’s the matter with the crypt crier?” One of the boys had asked, watching her as she fell over her feet trying to get away from the axe-wielding spirit.
“Don’t let Whit hear you call her that,” warned another.
“I don’t know why he lets her hang around with us,” a whiny-voiced girl said, not caring that
Mia heard what she was saying. “She’s a freak.”
“The whole class called her Carrie after we read King’s book in Mrs. Livingston’s class,” a busty blonde said proudly. “She’s been weird all her life.”
“I’m not deaf,” Mia said, speaking up for herself. “Nor am I invisible. You can see me, can’t you?”
“Of course, moron,” the blonde spat back. “Why don’t you run home to mommy… Oh wait, you’ve got no mommy or daddy. Where are your parents now? Seems to me, if I had you for a kid, I’d travel too.”
Murphy watched a range of emotions crossing her face. She still feared his visage, but she was more bothered by the snipes of her peers to run away. He looked at the pimple-faced quartet that united against the beautiful white-haired girl in disgust. He pulled energy from the radio to manifest, jumped in the middle of the beer-dazed teens and started waving his axe around.
Murphy chuckled to himself, remembering how the teens crawled over each other trying to get away from him. The girls’ shrieks matched the pitch of the terrified boys’ terror-filled screams as they ran for their vehicles.
He wasn’t finished yet. He moved quickly to the barn where the object of Mia’s desire lay on the old straw feeling up the brown-haired girl. He burst through the door and, with the last of his energy, manifested himself over the couple. The pair started screaming. The girl pushed Whit off her before she got up and ran out of the barn. Cornered, the young man peed his pants in fright. Murphy smiled as he faded, having spent all his energy. He watched as Mia approached the tall, handsome football player who was too ashamed to venture out of the barn. She took off her oversized flannel shirt and wrapped it around Whit so the soaked jeans would be less obvious. He didn’t thank her in his embarrassment. She just said, “Consider us even,” and left.
The tall boy ran out of there when he heard the frantic honking of his car horn. Whit arrived just as the first car left. He got into the vehicle, pushing the wild-eyed girl out of the driver’s seat. He drove off at a break neck speed, leaving Mia stranded.
“Well, there goes my ride. I suppose they’re going to blame all this on me,” she said, looking over at Murphy who had followed her out of the barn.
Murphy raised his hands.
“You too are at fault. But thank you just the same. It will be worth the five mile hike back into town to remember their faces. I’m sure you noticed that Whitney peed himself.”
Murphy touched the sleeve of his shirt.
“Yeah, I gave him my shirt. I doubt I’ll ever see it again. I felt bad for him. Lord knows he’s not used to being teased.” She rubbed her arms to keep them warm. “Well, it’s a long walk. I better get started.”
She walked out of the barn and started down the rutted drive. She stopped, turned around and waved at the ghost. “I’ll be seeing you…”
Murphy felt his emotions stir for the first time since he died. He wasn’t sure if it was just a fondness for the girl or something more. She had acknowledged him, given his existence purpose, and he had prayed that they would meet again.
Maggie’s bark brought him out of his thoughts. He moved quickly to the dog’s side who had heard the approach of Mia’s truck. He was surprised to see Burt, not Ted, get out of the vehicle with Mia. He watched as Mia squatted down and accepted the happy licks of the dog. Burt looked at her and said, “You’re going to get germs.”
“Puppies don’t have germs,” Mia protested.
“They do when they lick their ass,” Burt said wryly.
Mia didn’t let the comment sink in. She picked up Maggie and nuzzled her. She looked over and saw Murphy standing there. She winked at him. “Hello, Murph, what have the two of you been up to?”
He pushed the stew incident out of his mind, afraid she would see it on his face. He pointed to the path.
“Maggie and Murphy went for walkies…” she said in a baby voice to the dog.
Burt turned around and spoke in Murphy’s direction. “Murphy, I was wondering if you would like to help us out in a possible investigation?” he asked and proceeded to fill the ghost in on what they had discovered so far.
“Dog,” Murphy said.
“She can come along,” Mia suggested. “Children love dogs, and who wouldn’t love Maggie?”
Burt scratched his five o’clock shadow for a moment, thinking. “I don’t see why it would be a problem. There’s a woods where she can stretch her legs and relieve herself. We’ll have to keep an eye on her.”
Mia looked over at Murphy and asked, “Well?”
He nodded.
“Good. I’ll gather her stuff and meet you back at the truck in five minutes. We’re going to drop Burt off at the RV rental over on 59 first,” she explained, putting Maggie down. “Watch her until I get back,” she instructed.
Burt waited until Mia had left before saying, “Thank you, Murphy. I hope you know how important you are to PEEPs.”
Murphy dragged his axe on the ground to answer the ghost hunter.
Burt smiled and excused himself. He had a list of Ted’s needs to see to before he would be able to leave.
Murphy knelt down and picked up Maggie and cradled her in his strong arms. The dog, tired from her walk, fell asleep against the spirit’s chest. He held her until Mia arrived with the travel cage, and he set the puppy in the cage, careful to not wake her.
Mia looked at him and said, “I hope raising kids is this easy.”
He tried not to look surprised at her statement. She didn’t have to run around with a dog with a stomachache earlier. As far as she knew, Maggie was a well-behaved dog with an even better behaved ghost as a sitter.
Chapter Five
“Be careful of the woods,” Mia warned Murphy. “I saw a group of children standing at the edge. They were soot-covered and sad, unlike those who I think are visiting the houses. These children are from an earlier time. Mary Alison, she’s the lady with the flower garden, mentioned that the school burned along with the woods before she was born. Perhaps these children perished in the fire.”
“Sad,” Murphy said.
“I know. It breaks my heart when a child dies. Perhaps Audrey can find something to shed a better light on what happened to those poor souls.”
“Trees,” Murphy said as they pulled into the neighborhood, turning onto the Seaver’s street.
“I thought you’d appreciate this place. The houses are modest, but the trees are grand,” Mia said. “Go out and explore. I’m going to take Maggie out for a walk after checking in with Ted.” Mia parked the truck. She looked over and Murphy was already gone.
“He does love his trees,” Mia told the dog as she extracted the cage from the space behind the truck’s seat. “Oof, you’re getting heavy. I expect you’re going to be a big dog with the size of those paws of yours,” Mia commented.
Maggie bounced back and forth, making the carrying of the travel cage difficult to manage. Mia didn’t want to scold the puppy. Maggie was so happy and a good traveler. She didn’t whine when she woke up in the confined space. She just yawned and went back to sleep until the trip was over.
“Watcha got there, Dorothy?” Ted cackled as he walked over. He gallantly took the unwieldy cage from Mia.
“Toto is anxious for a walk, but I wanted to see you first.”
Ted stopped, put the cage down, drew Mia into his arms and kissed her. “Tech’s before dogs, good move.”
“Not just any tech, my tech,” Mia said, looking up at the man of her dreams.
His deep brown eyes studied her. He looked around and kissed her again, taking his time.
Mia felt a rush of emotion so strong that she felt a bit faint. When he released her, she stood there spellbound but managed to say, “Whoa, I think I need a cold shower.”
Ted took off his ball cap and waved it, creating a breeze between them. His dark auburn hair, released from the confines of the hat, sprung out, curling at the ends. He pulled the cap back on, picked up Maggie’s cage and headed back to the truck. “Come on, t
he sooner we get this sorted, the sooner we can continue with that kiss,” he urged.
“Ted, there’s something I need to tell you that I haven’t told the others,” Mia said softly.
“Is it about the dark shadows at the edge of the woods?”
“How…” Mia started. “How did you know about them?”
“They showed up in a few of the shots I took at Mary’s garden. Are they the hooligans that have been playing in the houses?”
“No, I don’t think so. They’re sad and seem tethered to the woods. I think they have been there a while. The mischief makers are from another time all together. School children. Speaking of which, have we gotten permission to go over there?”
“Not yet. Barb is helping Mike track down the right official in charge of the proposed senior center. The school board sold it to the township, so we have to go through them to get access,” Ted explained.
“I bet it’ll be an interesting conversation.”
“Excuse me, sir, but we’d like to investigate your building for ghosts,” Ted said mimicking Mike’s voice.
Mia dropped hers and said, “Ghosts? Are you daft?”
“Yes, they’ve been playing around the neighborhood next door…”
“Then it’s their problem. Go away, you make me nervous,” Mia dismissed.
“Do you know who I am?” Ted asked outraged.
“An escapee from the loony bin?”
Ted laughed. They had reached the command vehicle, and the very person he was imitating stood looking down at them.
“Who escaped from the loony bin?” Mike asked.
“No one you should worry about,” Ted said, setting the cage on the floor of the truck. He opened the door and caught the puppy before she launched herself into the air. “Careful, Maggie, you aren’t a bird.”
Mia attached the lead. “Mags and I are headed for the woods. Burt should be along soon,” she enlightened them before she headed off, encouraging the dog to run until she had cleared the Seaver’s manicured lawn. She stopped just inside the tree line. Maggie squatted and relieved her full bladder. “Good girl!” Mia praised her. “I do believe you are the smartest dog I’ve ever had.” Mia never had a dog before, but Maggie didn’t know that.