by Alexie Aaron
“The maid’s quarters are better than this,” Audrey said in disgust. “I wonder who was given this room and why.”
Mia walked over to the bed and pulled the blankets away from the headboard. As she suspected, there were scratches in the metal. “This may have been a punishment room. See these marks? They’re from handcuffs or some kind of restraint. Take a moment and close your eyes. Let your other senses take over.”
Audrey did as she was told.
“What do you smell?”
“Urine. It’s faint but it’s there.”
“What do you feel?”
“Frustration, anger, melancholy. It’s as if there are several people in this room. Are there? What do you see?”
“Nothing. This room is empty of spirit but full of memories, bad ones,” Mia said softly. “You can open your eyes now.”
Audrey did so. Mia’s face was calm yet pinched at the edges. She opened the door and motioned for Audrey to follow.
She followed Mia into the room across the hall. They opened their eyes wide at the elaborate furnishings.
“Quite a contrast,” observed Audrey.
“You see, on some investigations you may not have the luxury of being able to see or communicate with the ghosts, but an important thing to note is that the house sometimes talks to you. I’ve read that social workers have to depend on the conversation they have with the home itself to evaluate what happened there. People lie, but if you look close enough, use all your senses, you can get to the truth.”
“My business is to evaluate old houses. This technique will come in handy.”
Mia smiled at her. “This is a happy room on the surface. I don’t see anything that would indicate sorrow, but it is still here. I wonder…” Mia’s voice trailed off as she ran her hands over the wallpaper. “Yes, I knew it.”
Audrey came closer and saw what she had found. “A hidden cupboard?”
Mia reached around the side of her cargos and liberated the small pry bar she had hung from the hammer loop. She put the thin edge into the space in the rose and vine paper and with care popped open the door. Inside was filled with journals. “I bet you these belong to Eleanor and perhaps one of her ancestors.”
Audrey picked up one and opened it. She read, “Care of Heirloom Roses by Eleanor Bonner Gruber.”
~
Hagan twisted in pain. His restrained arms made pressing the call button impossible. Another searing pain in his side caused him to scream in agony. This alerted the guard who burst into the room. One look at the convict convinced him to call for the nurse. She rushed in and asked a barrage of questions while his vitals were taken. Dr. Walters strode in and probed Hagan’s right side.
“I think his appendix has burst or is ready to. Let’s get him to OR.”
Hagan pleaded, “Don’t let me die.”
“I’m going to do my best. Anything else?”
“I want to see Father Santos, his number…”
“I’m familiar with the priest. I will call him personally,” Walters assured him.
“Don’t let me die,” he said again before fainting from the pain.
Walters left the nursing staff to prepare Hagan. He notified the surgeon on call and headed to his office call Father Santos. He thought a moment and decided he would also call Mia Cooper.
~
Mia looked at her phone before answering it. “What the… Hello Doctor.”
“Mia, Hagan Fowler’s appendix burst. He’s headed for surgery. I called Father Santos. I just thought since you were visiting him, you should know.”
“Oh my God, the poor man. Thank you. Don’t let him die,” Mia implored.
“That’s not up to me. I’ve got the best surgeon on call in there with him now,” he explained.
“Doctor, please do one other thing for me. It’s going to sound crazy, but go into the room I was in, the same one as Burt Hicks, and tell Sister Agnes to pray for Hagan Fowler.”
“Whoa, we don’t have a Sister Agnes on staff,” he said confused.
“She’s there in the corner. She was on staff about fifty years ago. Just do this for me, and I’ll owe you a big favor.”
“I’m not exactly comfortable with…”
“Please,” she pleaded.
“Okay, but I’m going to feel like a dope.”
“Then you’ll know what it’s like to be me,” Mia said, her tone friendly.
“Are you coming to see him?”
“I’m on my way. I’m about an hour away.”
“Fine, stop in when you get here, I’ll get you past security.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
He hung up, and Mia related the gist of the call to Audrey. Her eyes moved from the cupboard to Mia. She was torn.
“Mia, this is Ted. Mike, Burt and Cid just pulled up.”
“Problem solved,” Mia said, looking up and saying, “Thank you!”
“I’ve got to run. Don’t go into the library alone,” were her last words to Audrey as she ran down the hall. “Ted, I’ve got to get to the hospital. Hagan Fowler may die. Father Santos is en route there.”
“I’ll take you. Cid can manage here.”
“I love you!” she shouted as she moved quickly down the stairs. She pulled out her ear com, grabbed her backpack and hunted for her wallet.
Burt walked in, and Ted brought him up to speed and asked permission for them to leave. Burt looked over at Mia and said, “Go.”
“Audrey is upstairs. We found the journals. There’s food in the kitchen.”
“I said go,” Burt ordered. He took the headset from Ted and asked him to call him to update them on their morning.
Ted and Mia breezed by Cid and Mike as they opened the door.
Ted called over his shoulder, “Burt will explain.”
Mia tossed the keys to Ted, and he got in the driver’s side of the truck.
Murphy watched as the truck sped down the drive. He pushed his hat back on his head in puzzlement. Mia didn’t even say goodbye. Looking back at the house he smiled. He would wander in and see if he could overhear anything.
Chapter Twenty-six
Mike walked up the stairs and over to the room where Audrey was ensconced thumbing through Eleanor’s many journals.
“You could take them into the library. You may be more comfortable there,” Mike suggested.
Audrey jumped up. “Yikes, I didn’t hear you coming. What did you say?”
“That maybe you would rather sit in the library and read there,” he repeated.
“Mia doesn’t want me in the library alone,” Audrey informed him.
“She must have a good reason. Hey, how about I get Cid up here, and we carry the bulk of them down to the living area. We can light a fire. You could spread out, I mean the books of course, on the dining room table,” Mike pointed out. “We have a camera on you there. This room is off the grid,” he added.
Audrey nodded. “That would be a wonderful idea. Don’t bother Cid. I found a basket with handles on it in the wardrobe. I’ll just pile them in there, and between us, we can muscle them down the stairs.”
They emptied the cupboard and Audrey shut it. Mike remarked that it was nearly invisible. You would have to know it was there to see it.
“Or be Mia Cooper,” Audrey said.
“She is a marvel,” Mike said appreciatively. “Did you get along alright just the two of you?”
“She is very giving and patient. I learned a few things in just the small amount of time we were investigating.”
“She has her own style. Ted’s not driving you crazy is he?”
“I already have a nickname.”
“He must like you. Well, out with it, tell me.”
“Red Riding Hood,” Audrey said proudly.
Mike laughed. “You got off easy, you should hear what he calls Mia sometimes. If I said it, she’d pop me one, but Ted gets a free pass.”
“That’s because she loves him. Their chemistry is amazing.”
“Ama
zing to some, nauseating to others,” Mike commented. He hefted the filled basket up in his arms. “Shall we?”
“Yes.” Audrey walked out of the door, waited for Mike and closed it behind her. She nodded to the door across the hall. “You been in there yet?”
“Yep, it smells like piss and despair,” he said as they passed it.
“You guys are the real deal,” Audrey observed. “I am so glad I volunteered for this assignment.”
“We are too,” Mike told her. “You should consider spending more time with us. I promise you, as a researcher you will never want for work.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. For right now, I’ll just concentrate on this job. There is a big mystery here, and I’m determined to get to the bottom of it.”
“Atta girl.”
They reached the bottom of the stairs. Audrey tried not to gasp as Cid looked over at her. His jaw was bruised. One of his eyes had a patch over it. He still wore his coke bottle glasses. He looked like an intellectual pirate. Burt was resting his left leg on a footstool they had liberated from the living area.
“Welcome to the convalescent area of the building,” Mike joked. “Burt’s concussed, which means he won’t be playing in the playoffs as expected. His ankle is wonky, so they wrapped it up. Now Cid has two bruised ribs, also wrapped. And all that beautiful purpling indicates he fell on his face. I must teach him how to roll when the ghosts are playing catch with him.”
“Very funny for a man hiding out in the bathroom,” Cid spat back.
“Boys, keep it professional,” Burt warned. “We have a lady present.”
“I have brothers. Please, don’t put on a show for me,” Audrey said. “I’m sorry you’re hurt. Let me know if you need ice for that ankle.”
“What do you have in that basket?” Cid asked.
“The journals,” Mike answered.
“You’re shitting me. Cool, mind if I take a look?”
“The more the merrier,” Audrey said. “I’m going to go into the dining room and set up.”
Cid looked at Burt and he nodded. “Go ahead. I’m just going to listen to some digital tapes while monitoring the house.”
Mike returned to the console after delivering the basket of journals. “Audrey has quite a love of research.”
Burt nodded. He took off his headset and handed it to Mike. “Listen to this. It was made when you and Mia were initially attacked in the kitchen.”
“My name is Mike, and this is Mia. We’ve come to help you. Can you speak to us?”
“Get out. You’re not wanted here. Stealers of my property, defilers of the sacred sanctum.”
“Hmmm, didn’t hear that last part before,” Mike commented.
“Now listen to this. This is when the mass attacked Cid and Ted.”
Ted’s voice was heard, “Be advised there is a mass forming in front of us. It could be the plate thrower.”
“Taker of my things, diggers of pits, defilers of the scared sanctum, I shall crush you!”
Burt waited until Mike took off the headset and pointed out, “Same voice.”
“To my knowledge, none of us had lifted a shovel until we found one outside with blood on it,” Mike said.
“The only sanctum of sorts was the porn pit Mia found. She was sure it hadn’t been disturbed in decades.” Burt tapped the table a moment and said, “I think David Bonner has been digging somewhere. The entity assumes it’s us as we may all look alike to it. Tall males. Bonner is over six feet tall,” Burt said.
“So where has he been digging and for what?”
“I’m hoping Alan will have some sway with the Sherriff’s Department and get us some answers. Oh, and before I forget, Ted left a video note for us.” Burt keyed in the note and pressed play.
“Hello, Commanders in Chief. Mia and I had a visit today from this gentleman, Sam Centers.”
A picture of a forest department employee, taken as he looked through the window of the basement, was shown.
“Says he’s the man hired to monitor the heating system. Says he has a set of keys. Alan assures us this guy doesn’t have the new ones. And if he had the news ones, why would he be snooping around looking in the windows? Alan is having Ms. Wells run a background check on Centers.”
Burt looked up at Mike. “Seems to me, if I was a betting man, Sam Centers and David Bonner are in – as your mother delightfully says – cahoots with each other.”
“What are they looking for? Treasure?”
“Maybe proof Eleanor was mad when she made her will,” Burt suggested.
“Nah, it’s in the ground, soft ground so that leaves the garden out. The only area that may have ground soft enough to shift with the shovel that coldcocked Bonner may be in the subbasement.”
Burt rubbed his arms, trying to stave off the chill that had invaded his body.
Mike shook his head and said, “First the ghosts and then the treasure.”
“They may be connected. Something is holding them here. Mia located another entity this morning, a twelve-year-old girl in the room with morning glory wallpaper. Audrey left a digital recorder in there running. The activity seems to have stopped. You mind running up and retrieving it so we can have a listen?”
Mike glanced at Burt’s ankle and nodded. “No problem, back in a jiffy.”
~
Mia walked into the waiting area with Ted. She walked over to the volunteer on duty and gave her name and the information that Dr. Walter’s wanted to know when she arrived. The woman nodded and asked them to have a seat.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in here,” Ted commented. “The coffee is horrible. The cafeteria’s is better. Want me to go down and get you a cup?”
Mia smiled up at her knight. “Yes, that would be wonderful. If I’m not here, ask the receptionist where I went and follow,” she instructed.
Ted nodded and left her.
Mia looked around and was pleased to only see corporal beings there. She eased back in her chair and fell asleep. She felt a nudge and looked up to see Dr. Walters looking down at her. “What’s up, Doc?” she asked sleepily.
“Up all night, Cooper?”
“Part of the job, Doctor.”
Ted arrived with the coffee. He handed a cup to Mia and offered his to Walters.
“No thank you, I’ve had my limit. Come on, our patient made it through surgery. He has tubes all over. We are trying to extract the poison that has already set up three areas of infection. Frankly, it doesn’t look good.”
“Has the father arrived yet?”
“Yes, he’s in with him now. We put him in your old room for obvious reasons.”
“I wonder what the sister thinks of the de… er… situation,” Mia edited herself.
“I couldn’t tell you. I did what you asked though. And now you owe me.”
Ted turned to Mia and asked in mock seriousness, “You didn’t offer him our first born did you?”
Walters laughed. “No, but that’s not a bad idea considering the gene pool.”
“Our pool is deep and dangerous, Doctor,” Mia warned.
They stopped in front of the room. “I want to talk to you before you go. You’ll find me in my office,” he said before turning heel and walking away.
“Crap, why do I feel that I’m in trouble again?”
“Guilty conscious,” Ted said, quoting the doctor.
“Honestly. Well, deep breaths, my love, here we go.”
Father Santos looked up from his book when he heard them walk in. He nodded to her and to Ted. Mia look a moment to acknowledge Sister Agnes before she approached the bed where Hagan was fighting for his life.
“He’s in a lot of pain. He’s growing weak.”
“Is it still there?”
“Oh yes, I imagine it had something to do with his crushed appendix. It wants its freedom.”
“What do we do?” Ted asked.
Santos looked at the tall man and seemed to see him in a new light. The question, “what do we do?” and not “
what are you going to do?” told Santos more about the character of the man than hours of therapy could.
“I’ve sent for Angelo. I can’t do anything here. Hagan is resistant to letting the thing go. We are going to take it by force. Imprison it if we can. If not, at least tag it so it can be watched. Hagan has to be alive for us to do this. He has to hang on.”
“Ahem,” a familiar voice sounded from the doorway. “I don’t mean to intrude,” Alan said as he walked in. “I didn’t expect you to be here,” he said, directing his comment to Mia and Ted.
“Dr. Walters called us. He’s my doctor, seen me through some problems in the past. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No. Please. And this is?” Alan walked over and extended his hand to the priest.
“Father Santos.”
“Father, how is Hagan?” Alan asked.
“Not good. Is there any way we can get him removed from here temporarily?” the priest asked. “Perhaps hospice?”
“He’s a criminal.”
“You’re his lawyer, you’ll find a way,” Father Santos said confidently.
“I’m an estate lawyer,” he reminded them. “Why do you need to move him?”
Ted walked over and closed the door. Father Santos took Alan’s hand and said, “If Hagan stands a chance of recovering, we need to extract a demon from him. We can’t do it here. It will just inhabit some innocent, and the cycle will start again.”
Alan took a moment to take in what the priest told him. He had, until now, thought Hagan’s claims of being possessed were just that, claims. Now his gut told him the truth. He looked at Father Santos and asked, “How long do you need?”
“Hours. Maybe four at the most. He won’t last longer than that,” Santos said without emotion.
“You don’t have to move the young man,” a rich Italian-accented voice announced from the doorway. “Excuse me, Theodore, I need to bring in something heavy, could you be of assistance?”
