Old Bones (Haunted Series)

by Alexie Aaron

  Mia gazed at Ted who had his hair combed backwards with the curls feathering at the sides.

  “It’s expensive,” warned Ralph.

  “Ted buys expensive shampoo. Cheap toothpaste but expensive shampoo,” Mia commented.

  “I know. I didn’t think they made that brand anymore,” Cid frowned. “It foams so much. The first time I used it, I thought I had contracted rabies.”

  “You will if you keep using my toothpaste,” Ted warned.

  Mia got up and gave Ted her place at the table. “I’ll get cleaned up. Thank you, Ralph and Bernard, for letting us stay here last night.” She walked over and hugged each man before heading into the guestroom to get a change of clothes.

  Bernard patted Ted on the back. “You certainly have made our Mia happy.”

  “I assure you it was accidental,” Ted said. “I just keep beating her and…”

  Bernard bellowed, he laughed so hard. Ralph shook a finger at Ted and piled his plate with bacon.

  Cid looked over at Ted’s bounty and snagged a piece of bacon. “They call that negative reinforcement,” he pointed out.

  “Ah, do we have a shrink amongst us?” Bernard asked, refilling his cup.

  “No, a carpenter with lots of time on his hands,” Ted said. “All the guy does is read psychology books.”

  “Maybe you should consider furthering your education,” Bernard advised. “In my day…”

  “In your day the movies cost a nickel,” Ralph teased.

  “Do we want to tell the boys your age?”

  “Let’s change the subject,” Ralph said quickly. “So when should I start planning the wedding?”

  Ted groaned. “We haven’t had time to talk about it yet.”

  Ralph put his hands on his hips, “You’re together all the time, what do you…” he stopped himself and uttered, “nevermind.”

  ~

  Audrey gently shook her father’s shoulder. “Dad, time to get up.”

  Luke had fallen asleep in the command truck a few hours into their watch. Audrey and Burt took turns at the console while the other listened to the tapes they had made. They had quite a few clear EVPs of Esta singing and a video of the little girl facing off with Audrey. The entity identified just as Basso didn’t reappear after Murphy subdued him. Burt’s and the fixed camera’s footage of the Basso entity was impressive. If they ever got the Catholic Charities’ okay to show the footage, it would make for excellent television viewing.

  Ted, Mia and Cid arrived bearing gifts of sandwiches and caffeinated soft drinks. They sat together, went over the footage and tried to come to an agreement on what needed to be done next.

  “I can’t with good heart turn this place over to the charity with the Basso entity at large,” Audrey said. “I think they could put up with Esta’s singing, but the violent behavior of the other…” her voice trailed off.

  “We could spend another night here, but I think your clues are leading us to Cold Creek Hollow,” Mia said.

  “Why don’t we wait until Mike catches up with us? I think this place should continue to be monitored, but a team will have to visit the hollow to check out that newel post. Murphy should go along, although he sure did come in handy here. I wish we had two Murphys,” Burt said.

  “Don’t let him hear you say that. The guy’s ego… Oh hello, Murph. You heard. Well aren’t you all puffed up and proud.”

  Murphy stood tall with his axe resting on his shoulder. Mia suspected the ghost even had his stomach pulled in. All she could do was shake her head. “Murph, I have no words.”

  “To get back to the subject. When Mike gets back and we’re rested, why don’t you, Ted, Audrey and Murphy head over to Cold Creek Hollow? Bring the big camera. I guess infrared wouldn’t hurt,” Burt said and listed more and more equipment.

  “Dude, I’ll need this truck just to haul the crap,” Ted told him.

  Audrey cleared her voice. “I wonder if just a video camera would be sufficient. After all, we’re not going to rest the ghosts but take a quick trip in, rip open the post, look inside and get the hell out of there.”

  “I agree with Audrey,” Mia quickly chimed in. “After all, she’s our client.”

  Burt looked sharply at Mia. “Who asked you?”

  “Dude, you’re letting your sleep-deprived brain run your mouth,” Ted cautioned.

  Burt grumbled something unintelligible under his breath but nodded. “We’ll do it Audrey’s way. Be prepared to leave when we get back this afternoon. I don’t want you arriving at Cold Creek after dark.”

  “I’m not going in the dark, I assure you,” Mia said seriously. “Murphy won’t even go there in the dark.”

  A sliding of metal on the side of the truck confirmed Mia’s words.

  “That’s settled then. Sun sets at 8:45 tonight. Be ready to leave here at three. That should get you there in plenty of time.”

  Audrey nodded and left the table. Mia got up to go, but Burt grabbed her hand. She prepared to be yelled at, but instead Burt apologized.

  She accepted it but added that she may have been out of line. He smiled kindly and let go of her hand.

  Ted watched both of them. He wondered how long it was going to take for either of them to stop hurting and accept that sometimes people disagreed. Maybe it was their prior relationship getting in the way. He would discuss it with the resident shrink after Burt had left and Mia was otherwise occupied. First things first, the batteries in the cameras all needed to be changed.

  “Mia, my love, my dear one, my life,” he started.

  “Yes, poopsie,” she said knowing what was coming. “I’ll watch the console while you and Cid change the batteries. I’d be happy to do it but…”

  “You’re lousy at it,” he finished.

  “We all have our strengths, dear,” Mia said sitting down. She grabbed one of Ted’s old hats and put it on her head backwards, inserted a Red Vine into her mouth and proceeded to check the individual feeds.

  Ted whistled for Cid as he hopped out of the truck.

  Mia watched the two via the cameras. They were an efficient team moving from camera to camera, not dropping anything or bringing hell’s fury down as she would have with her cussing. She watched as Murphy shadowed the pair, giving them their privacy but watching their backs all the same.

  She thought about the planned visit to the hollow that afternoon. “Nothing good ever came out of the hollow. “Giuseppe, how did you get involved with that place?” she asked out loud. Did she have it wrong, and Giuseppe was a bad guy? “Nah,” her gut told her that couldn’t be true. Who was this Nico? How did he fit in?

  Mia’s eyes were drawn to the feed of the room where the entity seemed to emanate from. She studied it a moment. It was an end room with a blocked up stone fireplace on the north wall. It too had one of those crazy closets that housed the entrance to the inside of the walls. Could there be something there? She knew better than to investigate with a skeleton crew. It would have to wait until tomorrow when the whole team would be available.

  ~

  Burt let himself into Mike’s bachelor pad. The condo was immaculate and smelled of cleaning solutions. He figured that Mike’s maid service had just finished their bi-weekly clean. He knew that Mike’s mother’s money had supplied most of the luxury items and financed the cleaners, but still Burt envied the guy. He headed to the living room and found the fold out couch had been set up for him. Mike must have called ahead. The bed was more comfortable than most fold outs. Evidently Mike had spent a few nights on the couch while his mother visited and sprang for a better mattress. Burt kicked off his shoes, took off his clothes, set his alarm and fell immediately asleep.

  Audrey crawled into her childhood bed instead of driving across town to her apartment. Her mother fussed over her and her father for a bit but left them to get their sleep. Audrey felt safe after pulling up the covers. She rolled to her back and opened her eyes. What had she gotten herself and the PEEPs into? What possessed her to insist her father com
e along? What if something happened to him? Her mother would never forgive her. Luke McCarthy had worked hard to provide for his family. He should be dialing it back and enjoying his retirement; instead she had him up all night at a ghost hunt.

  She worried she overstepped herself and had angered Burt. Mia was quick to support her, but she wasn’t sure if this helped the situation. Mia and Burt had history. Although both were honest with her about their feelings for the other, still there was tension. It wasn’t sexual but perhaps a power control problem. Burt needed to be in control. Mia’s instincts and abilities sometimes contradicted his ideas on how parts of the investigation should go. Maybe they would always be a bit adversarial with each other. She would have to learn to give them wide a berth when they conflicted.

  She was mad at herself for freezing when she encountered Esta. Now she could think of a hundred ways to do things better in that situation than standing there like a mute zombie. Mia had waited a beat before taking control of the situation. What did Mia think of her?

  She rolled over, and grabbed the phone and called Mia.

  “Mia Cooper here, presently the best damned console operator in the truck.”

  “Are you the only console operator in the truck?” Audrey asked.

  “Well that’s implied. What can I do for you?”

  “I couldn’t sleep.”

  “Do you want me to sing to you? Ted doesn’t recommend it. Says the only key I sing in is off.”

  “No, and I’m sure you have a beautiful voice.”

  Mia laughed.

  “What I called about was… well… Esta…”

  “Let me make it easy for you. You were a bit shocked. How many little girl ghosts have confronted you before?”

  “By myself, none.”

  “I’m sure quite a few scenarios filled your mind and you blanked.”

  “Yes,” Audrey admitted.

  “The first time I saw a little girl ghost was in the Big Bear cemetery, I screamed and wet myself.”

  “How old were you?”

  “Twenty-five. No, that’s a lie. I was a child myself. What I am trying to say is that no matter how much you think about it, you won’t know how you’ll react when it happens. The worst thing you could have done was scream and run away. You didn’t do that. Esta wasn’t put out at all. She’s a child. She expects grownups to fuck up.”

  “I was concerned that I let you and the team down.”

  “Wipe that off your slate, missy. I’ve always been frank with you, haven’t I?”

  “Yes you have. One of the things I like about you is that you’re honest.”

  Mia continued, “You called me and asked what I thought about you, instead of making something up in your mind. You’re a great researcher, and as you gain experience, you’ll be a great investigator. Remember, Audrey, I have an advantage over you.”

  “Because you can see ghosts.”

  “No, I’m drop dead gorgeous,” Mia said and laughed at her own joke. “Of course it’s because I can see the critters and hear them for that matter. Stick with me and PEEPs, and soon you’ll be an old pro at this.”

  “Thanks, Mia, I feel so much better.”

  “Now get some sleep. You’re going to need your wits when we go to the hollow.”

  “About that, I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I’ll deal with it. Sweet dreams,” Mia said before hanging up.

  Audrey put down her phone and sighed. She was glad she called. Audrey rolled over and punched her pillow a few times before putting her head down and falling asleep.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Mike arrived at his condo and found Burt in the process of straightening up. Burt was always the best houseguest; he left the place cleaner than when he arrived. In Mike’s case, Burt had emptied the refrigerator of his host’s collection of takeout cartons.

  “How do you stay so fit eating all that swill?” Burt asked as he pulled the ties of the garbage bag.

  “It’s not takeout per say, but what you order and where you order it. If you’re going to survive a bachelor’s existence, you have to use your noggin, my friend.”

  Burt smiled. “How was your time with your mom?”

  Mike grabbed the bag from Burt and walked it out to the refuse chute in the hall. Burt followed, watching the ease with which Mike handled the heavy bag. He turned and spoke, “My mother has man trouble.”

  “Care to elaborate?”

  “Too many boyfriends sniffing around her money,” he answered. Closing the door of the condo, he walked into the kitchen and washed his hands. “All she wants is someone to take her to dinner, a movie, a senior dance, but these losers don’t drive in the dark and pinch their pennies so hard they bend what little copper is left in them.”

  “Sounds frustrating,” Burt observed, handing Mike a freshly brewed cup of coffee.

  “She’ll find her way. I think she’s going on a river cruise in Europe with a cousin of hers. May Beth, or May Bell, there’s a May in it for sure. They are going to leave those American geezers to their booths in Denny’s for a while.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with Denny’s,” Burt argued. “Who else is open when we finish an investigation for the night?”

  Mike shook his head at his friend. “Speaking of investigation, how’s it going? Anything happen yet?”

  Burt refrained from smiling. Taking on a business stance, he answered, “A few things. We have a monster entity that Mia couldn’t shoot into submission. Murphy…”

  “Murphy’s in Chicago?”

  “Oh yes, and without him we’d be looking for a new researcher. The Basso entity is hell-bent on taking Audrey in hand and tossing her over the balustrade.”

  “That’s not too sporting. I hope Murphy taught him a lesson.”

  “If the guy was flesh and blood, the halls of the parish house would be plastered with him,” Burt exaggerated and proceeded to catch Mike up on Esta as well as Mia’s wall walking.

  “So you’re saying we are going to be Murphyless while the gang heads out to the hollow?”

  “It was a tough call, but I sense that Audrey is the catalyst that brings out the Basso beast. We both know what awaits them out in the hollow, and Murphy is all that stands between them and whatever has hung on there after the hag went down.”

  “When do we have to go on shift?”

  “You have an hour before we should leave.”

  “Good. I’m anxious to get some of this road dirt off and get into my ghost hunting gear.”

  “I put out some fresh towels…”

  “Burt, you’re going to make some career-driven woman a great wife,” Mike teased as he waltzed his way into his bedroom.

  Burt just smiled. He was used to the teasing. He picked up his phone and called Ted to check on the team.

  “Ted Martin can’t come to the phone right now,” Ted said as he answered. “If you leave a message, it will be ignored. If this is about the five I owe you, press five. If this is about the ten you owe me press…”

  “Cute,” Burt said, cutting off Ted’s comedy act. “How are things?”

  “Things are quiet. Just dust bunnies in the upper halls. Mia and Murphy did a patrol of the building and think we should spend some time in the room where Cid was tossed around like the first kernel popped.”

  “That’ll have to wait until you guys return from the hollow.”

  “About that. Mia’s not too pleased with us going out there. She’ll go, but she is adamant that we’re going to stir up some major trouble if we stay too long.”

  “I agree with her, but what other choice do we have?”

  “I can see a bunch of other choices, but they wouldn’t get the results poking a bear would have,” Ted said dryly.

  “I sense you’re dancing around a request. What do you want?”

  “Give Father Santos a call, just to give him a heads up. You’re the leader of this investigation; it’s got to come from you,” Ted advised.

  “I don’t see what h
arm calling the good Father would do. I’ll give him a heads up on the parish house, the Bassos and the hollow. Maybe he’s got some information to share regarding one or all of these subjects. And before you ask, I’ll keep Angelo out of the loop if I can. Has Mia been having any other strange symptoms?”

  “She still heals at an incredible rate. I can’t see the wings and neither can she, but she’s talking in her sleep. The voice isn’t hers, and the language I don’t understand. I’ve taped it and handed a copy to Bernard. I’ve asked him to see if any of his linguist buddies can tell me what language it is and perhaps what she’s saying.”

  “When did this start?”

  “While we were in Kansas. Mia doesn’t know. I didn’t have the heart to tell her. You saw what she was like after the black wing incident. Bernard thinks the recording is something we picked up at an investigation.”

  Burt sighed. “Ted, I’m not in your shoes, but I’ve learned not to ever lie to Mia…”

  “I’m not lying. I’m just not volunteering information.”

  “Thin ice, Ted.”

  “Yeah, I know. We’ll talk more when you get here,” Ted said, his voice becoming more businesslike.

  “She’s there.”

  “On her way. What worries me is Murphy.”

  “At least you can see him coming,” Burt said. “And speaking of arrivals, Mike’s here, and we’ll be there on time. Any word from Audrey?”

  “Mia talked to her last night. Calmed her down. She was concerned over freezing when Esta made her appearance… Burt. No I’m not sharing tales out of school… Burt, I’ve got to go; Mia would like a word with me.” Ted hung up.

  Burt smiled. Mia would learn that when you told Ted anything, you had to be prepared to share it with the world. He was astounded that Ted could keep quiet about the sleep talking.

  ~

  “Mom, I told you that I’m going out to the hollow with Ted and Mia. You don’t have to make me a lunch,” Audrey said as she watched her mother start to fix a counter full of sandwiches.

  “What about the boys left guarding your house?”