by Amy Hopkins
“Thanks, Amelia. I feel a thousand times better now.” Penny’s stomach protested that by growling loudly. “Or I will with some food in me.”
Boots dropped off the bed and came to sit at Penny’s feet.
“If I don’t see you before you go tonight, be careful, okay?” Amelia asked. A slight frown creased her brow. “I don’t feel great about someone trying to get into our room while Boots was alone.”
“I don’t either,” Penny said. “I’ll speak to the dean about it. This place is like Fort Knox. I’m sure there will be hallway cameras. Maybe we can find out who it was?”
When the two girls parted ways at the dining hall, most of Amelia’s concerns seemed to be relieved. Still, she gave Penny’s hand one last squeeze before she left. “Remember, be careful.”
“You too!” Penny shot back. “You never know what kind of weird Irish creeps might be hanging around after dark.”
“Hey!” Red popped around a corner. “I resemble that remark.” He pulled Amelia away. “Hurry up, love. The library closes at eight. That only gives you an hour to do your research.”
“It’s only ten past six,” Amelia said, double-checking her watch.
“Aye. We’ll need the rest of the time for canoodling.” He winked, dodging the hand that tried to swat his head.
“You only need two and a half minutes for that,” Amelia remarked pointedly.
Red clutched his chest and staggered back. “You wound me with your overly truthful accusations.”
Penny shook her head at their antics as she waved goodbye and headed for the dining room. Even before she arrived, the aroma of rich pasta sauce hit her like a tsunami. Penny wasn’t the only one with a growling stomach, it seemed. Even Boots got excited, scooting under several tables and almost tripping a student in her quest to secure herself a slice of lasagna.
Penny made for her usual table but veered left when she spotted a familiar face. She pulled out a chair beside Dean March.
"I'm so sorry to interrupt your meal," Penny began.
"Don't worry." The dean gestured to her own empty plate. "I've finished eating. I'm back on the clock, so to speak."
"Dean, are there security cameras in the second-floor hallways?" Penny scooped lasagna onto her fork and shoved it in her mouth, chewing quickly.
Dean March nodded. "Is this to do with Trevor's disappearance? Because you’ll have to explain how the girl’s dorms are linked to that."
Penny shook her head, then stopped. Could it be? "I'm not sure," she admitted. "When I got back this afternoon, Boots had barricaded the door with a chair. She said someone tried to break in."
"Boots said?" The dean's laser focus turned to Boots.
"I asked a bunch of questions," Penny quickly explained. "And she nodded or shook her head. It’s not perfect. I still don’t know who it was or what they wanted."
"Boots, do you know the person who tried to enter the room?" Dean March asked the serpent directly.
Boots nodded.
"Was it a student?" When Boots indicated 'no", Dean March asked if it was a professor. She pursed her lips when Boots nodded. "Did they attempt to force their way in?"
Boots hesitated.
Dryly, Penny took point on the next question. "Boots, did someone knock at the door and scare you?" A nod. "But they didn’t try to kick down the door. You just got spooked because someone came looking for Amelia or me?"
Boots shook her head, then nodded, then shook again.
"What does that mean?" Dean March whispered.
"I think she's confused." Penny eyed the snake, who bared her fangs at the accusation. "Or embarrassed."
Boots threw her head onto the table dramatically.
"Sorry, Dean." Penny blew on another forkful of food. "She's been a bit skittish lately."
"It's perfectly all right, dear." Dean March held a hand up to forestall any reply Penny might try to make while her mouth was full. "I'll have a look at that footage, just in case."
Boots lifted her head up and nodded eagerly.
"Take care, my dears." Dean March collected her plate and cutlery to return it to the kitchen.
Penny finally gulped down her food. "Dammit, Boots," she muttered. "You had me thinking someone was out to get you."
“Out to get who?” Cisco grinned at Penny as he flipped a chair around to sit on. “How was your trip to the abandoned lot, did you find anything?”
Penny groaned. “It was a bust. Well, I think it was. No sign of technologically advanced spy organizations, just an evil witch and a sight that almost blinded me, it was so horrific.” Penny told him the story of Anna Marple, Perkins, and Red’s torn pants. “I owe him a new pair of strides,” she finished. “His were completely destroyed.”
“I’m sure he doesn’t mind,” Cisco pointed out. “I mean, it was for Trevor, right?”
“Yeah. I know.” Penny let out a slow breath. She was tired, aching, and stressed to the max over Trevor’s disappearance. “Sorry, I’m such a buzz kill when I’m worried.”
“Not at all!” Cisco grinned. “But as your boyfriend, it’s my job to help you chill.”
“You’re my boyfriend now?” Penny teased. “After one date?” She had to admit, it was the best date she’d ever been on.
“Is that not how it works?” Cisco’s eyes twinkled. “Then quick, let’s have another one.”
“What, now?” Penny chuckled as he nodded seriously.
“I even came prepared.” Cisco fished in his pocket and pulled out a tiny battery operated tea light candle. “And you say I’m disorganized!”
Choking on a mouthful of food, Penny tried not to laugh. “Cisco, you’re adorable.”
“I know.” He slid his plate a little closer to hers and set his phone on the table. He pressed the screen a few times and tweaked the volume.
“What song is that?” Penny tilted her head to she could hear it better over the buzz of noise in the dining hall. “Is that… Is that the love song from Lady and the Tramp?”
“When the moon hits your eye,” Cisco’s deep baritone rang out through the room, loud and off-key. “Like a big pizza pie…”
Boots rolled herself off the table and hid behind Penny’s feet.
I’m glad someone has that option, Penny thought.
With all eyes in the room now on him, Cisco grinned, stood, and bowed to the dining hall. He waved away his spectators. “The show’s over, go back to your dinner.”
Penny eyed him warily. "Do you have anything else planned?"
Cisco patted his pockets down and tipped his head to one side. "I'm sure I had a mariachi band in here somewhere." He shrugged. "I must have left it at home. That one will have to wait till next time."
Penny giggled, which made her blush, which made her laugh even harder. "Never a dull moment with you, is there?"
"I do my best." Sobering, Cisco changed topics. "But on a more serious note, what are we gonna do about Trevor?"
Penny wished the moment of peace had lasted just a little bit longer. "I’ve set up a seance at the Bagdad tonight, so I can question Tilly." When he squinted in confusion, she explained who Tilly was. “It was Paddy’s idea, and DeLouise set it up for me.”
“Anything I can do?” he asked.
Penny shrugged. “Is there anything you can think of? I have Paddy keeping an ear out. Esmerelda is going to ask around, too. Crenel is trying to organize a chat with those guys who were kidnapped. The only other thing I can think of is trying to find out who Trevor was working with, but I don’t even know where to start!”
“Mom might know who Trevor has been hanging around with,” Cisco suggested. “I’ll ask her, and I’ll talk to Professor Anand, too.”
“Good idea.” Penny sighed. “When this all done, though, I might need some counseling. Every time I close my eyes, I see the horrifying image of Red in his torn-up yoga pants."
Shuddering, Cisco pushed his now-empty plate away. "I'm glad I’m finished eating because you just killed what was left of my appetite."
"We'll get them," Cisco told her confidently. "And we'll get Trevor home safely."
Chapter Seventeen
Penny met Agent DeLouise outside the Bagdad Pub just after one AM the next morning. The restaurant had closed an hour ago, the tables long since cleaned down and the kitchen stripped and sterilized.
DeLouise led her inside, past a sleepy-looking waitress clutching a cluster of keys. "Thanks for staying." The agent spoke as if the young woman had a choice, rather than being ordered by her manager, who in turn was under instructions from the FBI.
"No problem." The sleepy waitress mustered a grin. "It's time-and-a-half for doing nothing."
DeLouise accompanied Penny to the atrium, then nodded toward the kitchen doors. "All yours, Penny. You want me to come with, or wait outside?"
"Outside is fine." Penny knew DeLouise would follow orders to do pretty much anything, but that didn't mean she was happy about attending the seance. Not only that, but Penny hadn’t mentioned she was bringing a friend. She knew Boots wouldn't cause a health hazard in the kitchen, but having her there still might cause problems if anyone found out. "I'll try not to take too long."
Inside, Penny picked a spot on the floor to work. The stainless steel countertop would give her more space, but damned if she wasn't aching to sit down.
When she opened the bag, Boots slowly unfurled and stretched out, uncomfortable after being jammed up against Penny's other supplies.
"Remember, love, you're not supposed to be here," Penny reminded her in a whisper.
Boots gave a gentle hiss of assent and curled up quietly to watch. Penny unpacked her kit—a small folding table, a silk cloth, some candles, salt, a pen, and a notebook.
The few classes they'd had on summoning ghosts had been vague. Penny was instead relying on information gathered from her ghostly friends at Paddy's. One young specter had suggested that since the Veil tearing, pretty much any ceremony had a decent chance of working. All the more so if the entity in question wanted to make contact.
Penny spread the cloth over the table and arranged the candles in a star shape. She lit the candles before turning off the cold white lights overhead, then returned to the makeshift altar and sat before it with her legs crossed and palms up. She took five slow, deep breaths before beginning.
Something butted her leg, and she opened one eye. "Yes, Boots?"
Boots pointed her nose at one of the candles and tapped it with her snout. Penny eyed the table. Sure enough, the candle Boots had identified was just slightly out of alignment with the others.
“Thanks, lovely.” Penny adjusted the five-pointed star and tugged a wrinkle out of the altar cloth. Satisfied, she closed her eyes again “I call on the ghosts of the Bagdad theatre. I call on the protectors and the helpers. I call on the ghosts of the Bagdad Theatre.”
Penny repeated the chant until her posture relaxed and her ears buzzed. A warmth draped her shoulders, and the soft glow behind her eyelids flickered “Tilly, are you there? Please, I need your help.”
Penny felt the presence before she heard the scritch of pen on paper. Her eyes snapped open, and she watched the floating pen painstakingly etch out an answer.
You came back?
Penny gave a self-conscious laugh. “Yes, I did.”
The ghoul was banished from here. He is gone. Thanks to you. The pen dropped back to the table.
“That’s not why I’m here.” Penny took a deep breath. “I’m here for information, this time.” She gave the listening ghost—ghosts?—a brief explanation of the arcade game, the mysterious entity behind it, and her missing friend. “I’ve asked around the Myther community,” she finished. “They all said I’d need to talk to a local. So here I am.”
The pen sat on the altar, unmoving. It twitched, then rose again.
You are working with the godmothers.
It wasn’t a question but Penny nodded. “I asked one for help, yes. It’s good to see she followed through with her promise.”
We know of this entity you speak of. It is not spoken of, but we owe you a debt.
“Well, that goes both ways.” Penny knew she might be giving away her only advantage, but she wasn’t one to play an unfair hand. “When old cutthroat bailed us up in the kitchen, you guys saved our asses. I owe you for that.”
The very edges of Penny’s senses tingled and Boots gave a dry cough, a sound that usually signaled a chuckle. Penny narrowed her eyes at the serpent, but bit her tongue. She didn’t want to interrupt her otherworldly conversation in case the ghosts disappeared completely.
The ones you seek exist in the shadows. That is their purpose, their identity. Only the brightest of lights will vanquish them. Do not leave them even a sliver of darkness to withdraw to.
“How do I find them?” Penny asked urgently.
You do not. The pen jostled, fell, and moved again as though two invisible hands fought over it. After a tense pause, it began to write again. They know you seek them. They will find you. Be careful, Penny Hingston.
The pen fell with a clatter, landing on the tiled floor as the candles snuffed out. Turning on a flashlight, she reread the final message the ghosts had left her. They will find you.
Penny shivered, goosebumps pricking at her arms. “Well. I guess that conversation is over.”
Boots hissed and slithered over to her. She picked up the pen between delicate fangs and dropped it into the open knapsack.
Penny dismantled the tiny altar, wrapped the still-warm candles in the cloth, and packed everything away. She kept the notebook out, not wanting to risk any damage from warm candle wax.
“Come on, in you go.” Penny held the bag open for Boots, who wriggled in and ducked her head so Penny could zip it up.
DeLouise jumped when Penny emerged.
“Sorry.” Penny gave an embarrassed grin. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
"Who said that I was scared?" DeLouise gave Penny a defiant glare, though there was a tell-tale twinkle in her eye. "Right?"
"Right." Penny gestured toward the front doors of the theatre. The waitress had leaned her back on one of the glass panels and was puffing away at a cigarette. "Shall we go?"
DeLouise nodded and started toward the exit. "Did you get what you needed?"
"Close enough," Penny answered. To be honest, she wasn't sure exactly how to interpret the information she had been given. She knew that the clandestine organization was very good at hiding. Shine the light? She didn't think the ghosts were being literal, though the image of their hidden compound being lit up by searchlights and broadcast all over the local news gave her a grim satisfaction.
They left the Baghdad side-by-side after DeLouise stopped for a quick word with the waitress. "You hungry?" The FBI agent asked as she unlocked the car. "I'd kill for a burger."
Penny shook her head. Staying up this late wreaked havoc with her metabolism. She was, in fact, starving, and her earlier use of the healing staff hadn't helped. Boots had twitched at the mention of food, though. Penny didn't want to risk the serpent revealing herself to the agent.
DeLouise chuckled. "It's okay, Boots. I know you're in there."
Boots shoved her nose out of the top of her bag, raising her head and hissing happily. Wincing, Penny asked the agent how she figured it out.
"You know those pregnant women that always have a hand on the stomach?" DeLouise pointed to Boots’ hiding spot. "That's you and that bag. You haven't noticed how you wrap your arms around it and constantly pat it when Boots is inside?"
"I do not!" After a moment's consideration, Penny had to backtrack that statement. "Okay, but it's not that noticeable."
"It's my job to notice things." DeLouise rounded a corner, then pointed toward the glowing lights of a nearby diner.
"Last chance."
Boots twisted and wiggled, freeing her tail so she could point in the direction of the offered food.
"We'd love to stop," Penny admitted dryly.
Chapter Eighteen
Days passed. Penny was finally allowed access to the arcade machine, only to find the high scores had been wiped. The forensics team denied it was them, and Penny was inclined to believe them. Deleting a few pixels on a screen was surely easier than making that machine appear in the blink of an eye.
In fact, a new machine had appeared at Tony’s the day after this one had been taken. The cafe owner had been dubious about keeping it, but Penny pointed out it was probably better to cordon it off, rather than risk yet another one popping up for some poor sap to use.
Crenel’s contacts at the local police precincts finally came through, but Penny’s interview with the two kidnapped men was a bust. Though both had been as helpful as they could, whatever their captors had done to them had wiped every memory of their time away, as well as the game itself.
Even Esmerelda had come up bust. A bluebird had swooped into the dining hall one morning, narrowly avoiding a curious nip from Boots. It dropped a tiny scroll in Penny’s eggs and darted out the window.
I apologize for the delay, and for my lack of assistance. The information you seek is not known to those I associate with. I do hope you find the boy. —E.
And, the final blow to Penny’s plans, she had made no progress in tracking down Trevor’s mysterious partner. He hadn’t kept a single written note in his room and his laptop and phone were locked down tight, with security that even the FBI task force hadn’t been able to crack.
Unable to come up with any more leads, Penny had no choice but to wait for the day the organization was due to collect Tony’s machines for servicing.
At each class, a professor would call Penny aside to ask if there was any news yet. Each time, it drove home the fact that there was nothing to do but wait. Lectures passed by in a blur, Penny's mind was too preoccupied to pay attention. Thankfully, her instructors were sympathetic to this fact. She ended the week with a fat stack of class notes to go over when she was in a better frame of mind.
