NOLA

by Alexie Aaron

  Burt sighed. “Kinda reminds me of summer.”

  “You and Murphy. Me, I feel calm when I look at it. Although, after my last week, I find myself examining the branches very carefully.”

  “Why?”

  Mia told him about the demon and how he dragged her through the treetops. She didn’t, however, tell him why. “I nearly thought I’d killed myself when my arm became tangled in that kite’s tail.”

  Burt listened, amazed by her story. He thought she was kidding until she lifted the leg of her pants to show him the burn and bruises.

  “Gee, Mia, you ought to stick around here and…” Burt stopped, realizing she’d been through worse here.

  “And…” Mia encouraged.

  “Nevermind. Now where do you want to hang this?”

  “Over the mantel would be nice,” she said.

  “You’re not taking down Boba Fett?”

  “No, you’re taking him down,” Mia said slyly.

  “Oh no.” Burt raised his hands. “Ted will kill me. How about we hang it on the dining room wall?”

  “Then we would have to oust Smaug,” Mia pointed out.

  “Difficult choice. Alright, Boba Fett goes. You do realize that Ted only has paintings of villains.”

  “I never noticed that before. Do you think he needs therapy?” Mia asked.

  “No, you do for marrying him,” Burt teased. He gently removed Boba Fett and replaced him with the willow. He stood back and studied it and nodded. “Good choice.”

  “I think so. Makes us look all grow’d up.”

  “Looks can be deceiving,” Burt commented. “Oh, before I forget, I wanted to ask if you would be interested in joining our library investigation?”

  “I don’t want to get in the way. It looks like you six have it all under control.”

  “Again, I echo, looks can be deceiving. We’ve got a bully ghost and two teens that can be quite disruptive. I’d like your recommendation on the situation. Mia, you’ve got the talents to look beyond the obvious.”

  “Gee, if I didn’t know better, Burt, I’d say you just gave me a compliment,” Mia said, impressed.

  “Don’t get used to it,” he said. “So…”

  “I’ll come in with Ted. I think though, it would be better, morale-wise, if I just observed. If there’s trouble, Murphy and I’ll step in,” she promised.

  “That’s all I can ask. Thank you. For the record, I missed you.”

  “Imagine that, I was missed by Burt Hicks. Who would of thunk it?” Mia said, standing back and looking at the painting.

  “What the hell happened to Boba Fett?” Ted demanded.

  Burt and Mia turned, pointed to the other and said, “He/She did it.”

  ~

  Audrey was finishing her assessment of the Lincoln Park apartment building that was being donated to the Disabled Veterans. “The counters will have to be lowered, and I’ve got a guy that can do that for you cheap. Fortunately, the doors are wide for easy wheelchair access. But the bathrooms will have to be gutted, and that’s going to cost you. I’m not too sure if it will be worth it. You probably could sell the building and raise enough money to build a few units from scratch, especially designed for the veterans’ needs.”

  “Thank you. I’ll bring it up at the next board meeting,” Mary, the acquisitions representative, assured her. The sturdy woman reached into her briefcase and handed Audrey a check. “I think this is the amount we agreed upon.”

  Audrey took the check, amazed. “I didn’t expect it so soon.” Truth was, Audrey’s invoices usually went overlooked and unpaid for months.

  “I know it’s hard being an independent contractor, especially a woman, these days. The big companies have other assets to fall back on.”

  “Mary, you sound like you speak from experience.”

  “Prior to my partner winning the Lotto, we were just scraping by. Now, we’ve got a house and a nest egg. All that’s left is a family.”

  “I’m hearing the clock ticking myself,” Audrey confessed.

  “Anyone suitable on the horizon?”

  “Oh, yes, but we’re taking our time.”

  “Do that. You can always adopt. There are so many kids out there needing homes. That’s what Elaine and I are doing. We are going to foster first, and then once family services sees us as a good candidates, we’ll start adopting.”

  Audrey hoped that she didn’t show her surprise at the revelation that Mary was half of a lesbian couple. It wasn’t that Audrey wasn’t open-minded, but she had so many years of Catholic school ingrained in her. She scolded herself. Even the Pope was changing his views, maybe she should too. “Do you think they would let an independent contractor, part-time ghost hunter be in charge of a small child?” she asked.

  Mary laughed. “You surprise me. I thought you were a prim, little, stuffy business woman, and here you are a ghost hunter. Appearances can be so deceiving. We’re going to be looking at several other areas in the near future. I’m going to put your name at the top of our call list.”

  “Most people think I’m a loon when I tell them. They look at me, and I can see in their eyes that they hope it’s a hobby. But when I tell them I get paid for it, well, they turn a little green.”

  “I grew up in a century-old farmhouse. We had our share of bumps in the night.” Mary thought a moment and tapped a finger on her lip before speaking. “There’s an old factory off of Manheim we looked at that, perhaps if your guys could clean it out, we could put to good use. I’ll have Sergeant Ed Sparrow call you and see if we can schedule something.”

  Audrey dug in her purse and pulled out a PEEPs card. “Burt Hicks is the person to talk to.”

  Mary nodded and patted Audrey on the back. “You’re alright for a Catholic school girl.”

  It was Audrey’s turn to be surprised. “How?”

  “It’s your posture, patience, and your fear of rulers coming out of nowhere. You see, I went to St. Mary’s, so I can suss out a fellow inmate yards away.”

  “I liked it,” admitted Audrey.

  “You’re one of the few, but I won’t hold it against you. Come on, I’m buying lunch. How do you feel about Thai?”

  “The hotter the better,” Audrey replied. She received another hearty pat on the back for that.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Mia, with Brian attached, knocked on the Bravermans’ front door. It was opened by Susan, who could not resist a cry of joy when she saw the Martins.

  “Come in, come in. You should have called, Mia. I would have baked something…”

  “That’s why I didn’t. I have to fit into my cargos. After all that N’awlins food, it seems like I may have to go up a size.”

  “Serves you right. But I’m glad. You’re far too skinny to be healthy,” Susan said, leading them into the kitchen. “You will drink a cup of coffee, won’t you? Fresh brewed,” she tempted.

  “Yes, of course. I hope I’m not interrupting,” Mia said as she placed Brian’s baby seat on the table and proceeded to take off his jacket.

  “He’s such a good baby, talks a lot, but well, you’d expect that wouldn’t you,” Susan observed.

  Mia laughed. “I’m surprised he didn’t arrive ready to tell me all about the birth, and how I could have done things better. The kid’s cussing at me, Susan.”

  “Pblssp,” Brian said on cue.

  Susan frowned a moment and scratched her head. “I think you may be right. I hope it wasn’t me?”

  “No, I’m sure it’s Ted, or Mike maybe.”

  “Oh, that Mr. Dupree does love this little rascal. He never leaves the office without visiting Brian,” Susan reported. “I so love watching him.”

  “That’s what I’ve come about.”

  “Uh oh, you’re not firing me are you?” Susan asked, worried.

  “No! Just the opposite. I’d like to offer to put you on retainer. Now, before you say anything, I recently received a large reward for finding a priceless museum piece. I’d like to offer you th
is amount for the next few months. Notice, this stops when Bears preseason begins.” Mia pushed the piece of paper towards Susan. “It’s for the ease of calling you at all hours. You can watch Brian here or at the farm, wherever is more convenient. If you want to go on a hunt with us, we will make arrangements too.”

  “Oh, Mia, you don’t have to pay me. You’re family,” Susan said, her eyes popping at the amount of money offered.

  “It will help get you to the out of town games,” Mia suggested. “Ted and I discussed it, and there is no one we trust more with Brian. It’s unrealistic for us to take him on investigations at his age. We need you, Susan.”

  “Let me talk it over with my husband and Tom, but as far as I’m concerned, I’d love to take you up on this offer.”

  Mia smiled. She sat down and sipped the cup of coffee offered. Brian babbled on about something neither of them understood, but it didn’t stop them from giving him their attention.

  “I will have to insist on him leaving that Chiefs hat at home though,” Susan said. “We wouldn’t want to have an incident at the grocery store.”

  Mia nodded. “I told Ted he was playing with fire. At least it isn’t a cheese hat.”

  “Heaven forbid!” Susan said, crossing herself.

  ~

  Mia arrived home to find Cid busy in the kitchen. He had taken Mia’s suggestion of gumbo to heart and was playing around with the recipe. Maggie sat at attention, waiting for anything that might make its way out of the overfilled pan to the floor. She decided, next to bacon, andouille sausage was her favorite thing. She didn’t fancy the shrimp. She looked at the pink and white crescents with suspicion.

  “Whoa, I think we need to get you a bigger pan,” Mia said.

  Cid nodded as he struggled to keep everything in the pan. “Ted’s already ordering one,” he said.

  Brian yawned, and Mia headed upstairs with him. She barely got his diaper changed before the little tyke was in dreamland. She covered him up and walked out of the room. She didn’t need to tiptoe; that kid was O U T out. Her phone rang as she descended the stairs. She smiled when she saw the NOLA exchange.

  “Hello?”

  “Mia, this is Honor. I hope I’m not bothering you?”

  “Not at all. I just put Brian down for a nap, and Cid has supper well in hand.”

  “Cid? I thought you said your husband’s name was Ted.”

  “It is. Cid’s our wife.”

  “You’ve got me intrigued, but we’ll have to discuss that another time. What I’m calling about is, I’ve located the information you asked me for.”

  Mia struggled to remember what she asked.

  “I have the addresses of my northern cousins. I’m sure they know where my ancestress Marie Sarah Lemont is buried. I thought I’d email them to you, but I realized I didn’t have your address.”

  Mia gave her the address and then asked, “How’s Father Peter?”

  “He’s back at work. He’s not one to lay about, broken ribs or not.”

  “He is quite the warrior,” Mia agreed. “Any backlash from the Cully Museum?”

  “Not a peep. Champagne did a little recon for me, and it seems they are blaming the collapsed ceiling on some dry rot. No one has mentioned the body. I bet they’ve done a hush-hush burial. Sean’s probably in the family oven.”

  “You’re going to have to explain that one.”

  “Oh dear, it’s what we call our graves here. They are above ground. The Louisiana sun and heat slowly roasts the corpses until there is nothing left but bone, and then they are dropped into the pit below. That’s why we call them ovens.”

  “Won’t Sean’s parents be looking for him?”

  “I think that will all work out one way or the other. Sean’s been seen at Lucky Pierre’s. I think he’s living the high life, high death, whatever, until our next walk. Are you coming back?”

  “I don’t think so. It’s too far, and I’ve got a family,” Mia confessed. “Besides, you have more than enough experts down there.”

  “No one like you, Mia, no one like you,” Honor said. “Well, if you change your mind, my home is always open to you, dear.”

  Mia thanked her, sent her good wishes to the others, and then ended the call. She realized that she was still on the stairs. She sat down and rubbed her leg. It still hurt. Under the burn, the muscles were bruised. She would consult with Judy if it didn’t start healing soon. Mia thought about the winged creature that she saw flying away. It was immense. Normally birdmen morphed into their smaller cousins before taking long flights. She would have to call Father Santos and ask him if Angelo had any ideas who had helped them.

  “Watcha doing on the stairs, Minnie Mouse?” Ted asked as he closed the front door.

  “Thinking.”

  “It’s a good place for it. Mind if I join you?”

  Mia patted the stair beside her. Long, lanky Ted took the steps two at a time and rested his behind beside hers.

  “I’ve been working on the mini tree situation,” Ted said. “I think Sabine has the right solution.”

  “And that is?”

  “Coyote urine. Or at least stuff that smells like it.”

  “It’s going to stink up there,” Mia said, wrinkling her nose.

  “But Murphy can’t smell it, can he?”

  “Don’t think so. You know, I don’t really know,” she confessed. “It’s not like that question ever came up.”

  “For the record, I can smell,” Ted said. “And the aroma coming from the kitchen is mouthwatering.”

  “Cid’s gumbo,” Mia identified. “I think he’s got cornbread in the oven and rice too.”

  “Pretty hardy fare,” Ted commented. “I’m going to have to put on my stretchy pants before I eat.”

  Mia looked at Ted and started laughing. “You?”

  “Mia, as a man gets older, his waist gets larger,” he informed her.

  “You’re still wearing the same underpants you did in junior high school.”

  “Shush! Don’t let that get around,” he said, looking around him.

  “You know we have enough money to buy you new Underoos,” Mia informed him. “And socks too.”

  “That’s wasteful. These still have a few years left in them,” Ted said, lifting his pant legs.

  “They don’t match, and they have holes in them.”

  “They have character.”

  “I have two closets full of clothes, and my husband has holey socks. How do you think it makes me look?”

  “Like a Kardashian,” Ted said.

  “You didn’t,” Mia said, outraged.

  “I did. Don’t hurt me!” Ted feigned fear.

  “Children! Get your butts off the stairs, and go wash up. Gumbo’s ready,” Cid said and snapped a towel.

  “Yes, Mom,” Mia said, running down the stairs and narrowly escaping the snapping towel.

  “Playing on the stairs at your age,” Cid scolded. “Ted, you need to be a better example for Brian.”

  “Pblssp,” Ted said and took his time coming down the steps.

  “Honestly,” Cid said, shaking his head.

  ~

  Murphy took his time climbing the hill. He took in all that was beautiful about his farm. He bent down and studied the new shoots that were breaking through the soil. He noticed that the vines had worked their way upward using the old wood to brace their new growth. Death was fueling life in his forest.

  New Orleans, although stimulating energy-wise, was no match for the majesty of the seasonal changes of the farm and surrounding property. He imagined that someone raised down south may appreciate some qualities of northern life but would still yearn for what was familiar. In his opinion, the dead were given more respect down there. Here, once planted, the dead were pretty much left to themselves. In New Orleans, the dead were called upon and respected. But some did want to leave. The promise of heaven and to be reunited with their loved ones was too much to pass up. But sometimes they needed help ascending. That was why Mia and t
he Guiding Lighters had been so busy the last few days.

  Mia alluded that she had trouble the first day with all the crossings. That was until Father Peter told her his trick for not being tempted by the light. She said she thought of Cherry Pop-Tarts, her family and him. This touched him. He wondered why Cherry Pop-Tarts got first billing though. He couldn’t taste them, so he would have to take her word for it. But then again, Mia could be quite a teaser at times.

  Murphy never regretted not crossing over. His time here had been full of adventure and happiness. He didn’t win the girl, but he did gain her respect, and the respect of her friends. Her people were now his people. That was as good as it got if you were dead, he supposed.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Mia and Mike moved quickly through the library setting up cameras in the previous hot spots. The two of them insisted that Cid and Audrey concentrate on their previous communications. Ted had his hands full because the M duo weren’t as experienced and liked to horse around. Mia loved pushing Mike to the point of roughhousing, and Mike enjoyed the sisterly affection of the sensitive. He didn’t mind playing second banana to Cid on this investigation. He was learning more about the production aspects of the ghost hunts. It had changed leaps and bounds since he and Burt and one camera ventured into graveyards.

  Mia stopped and rubbed her leg.

  Concerned, Mike suggested, “You really ought to get that seen to by Doctor Walters.”

  “And what do I tell him? I got the injury being carried upside down as an amorous teenage demon climbed through the great oaks of N’awlins?”

  “I heard that story from Ted. I thought he was making it up.”

  “Nah, it’s true. The burn I gave myself has started to heal, but the muscles are screaming right now. I think I’ll see if a visit to my favorite bird lady is possible.”

  “Mia, Mike, heads up. Burt wants to start off with a visit with Miss Hodges in a half hour.”

  “Shit… I mean roger… over… ah hell,” Mia said and picked up the stack of tripods and headed to the basement.