appetite back.
“So, I was thinking that I could go back there on my own, right at closing time, and just have a look around. If Buster was kidnapped or killed in the evening as he was leaving work, then it might make sense to go back at the same time and see what I can find.”
“Shouldn’t I go with you?” Callie asked.
“Nah, it’ll be easier if I go alone. I’ll dress up like one of the homeless gals that spend a lot of time down there, so it won’t be obvious.” I watched Callie’s face fall and tried to think fast. “I think you should be nearby though. Maybe in a car parked a street over, just in case I need a quick get away or get into trouble. We could get a couple of walkie-talkies or something. That way, you’ll be just steps away.” Her eyes lit back up. I wanted her to be a part of this, but I also needed to be able to talk to Buster and any other ghosts that may be in the area.
“That sounds good. I think that I have a couple of walkie-talkies at home. My brother plays a lot of paintball, so they use them for communicating out in the woods.”
“Okay, let’s head over to my house so I can get dressed up. Then we can swing by your place to grab the radios.”
An hour later we were sitting a block over from Mr. Big’s.
“You’re sure you want to do this?”
“I’m sure. Will you help me pull my hair around in front so that it makes me less recognizable?” We tugged and ratted my hair so that I looked like I had been out on the street for awhile.
“There, you look like you belong, but I think that the smell is all wrong.” She sniffed at me and made a face.
“What?” I sniffed at my armpits and clothes. “I smell great!”
“That’s the point. If you were living out here you would definitely not smell great! Just make sure nobody gets too close to you or your lavender vanilla scent will totally blow your cover.”
“Gotcha. Let’s do a radio check.” I headed out of the car and down the street. My walkie-talkie crackled with static.
“Testing. You there?” Her voice sputtered to life through the static.
“I’m here, over.” I said. “I’m going to turn the volume down now, so that I don’t look obvious. Not only will I smell suspiciously good but I will be crackling with static. I’ll check in with you in ten.” I turned the knob down and the static sound disappeared. I checked one of the three watches I was wearing for the time.
I rounded the corner and headed up the backside of Mr. Big’s.
The place looked dark. I came up behind the wash bay and peeked around the wall. There were two cars in parked in the employee area, but still no signs of life.
“Hey there.” A voice whispered in my ear.
“Agh!” I screamed, just about coming out of my boots. I spun around and saw that it was Buster. I put my hand over my heart which was racing as fast as a runaway locomotive.
“Oh my goodness! You scared the life out of me!” He looked at the ground a bit sheepishly.
“Sorry. I didn’t realize it was you! You don’t look the same as you did the other day.” He frowned. “This is what I do all day, walk around people and see if they will react to me. It’s kinda interesting actually, some people completely cannot hear me, others seem to feel my breath in their ear. I see them trying to itch it, like when your hair tickles your ear. The only person that has been able to actually see me and hear me is you.” He glanced around at the buildings. “I think that Francis is around here somewhere too. He’s the other ghost I was telling you about.”
“Oh, good. I was hoping he would around. I want to see if I can see or hear him, or if you are special. I’ve never been able to talk to a ghost before.”
He looked at me quizzically. “Okay, but why are you dressed like a homeless person?”
“Well, I’m trying to investigate what happened to you and I didn’t want anyone to recognize me.” Duh, I thought, rolling my eyes his direction.
He
“So, I was thinking that I could go back there on my own, right at closing time, and just have a look around. If Buster was kidnapped or killed in the evening as he was leaving work, then it might make sense to go back at the same time and see what I can find.”
“Shouldn’t I go with you?” Callie asked.
“Nah, it’ll be easier if I go alone. I’ll dress up like one of the homeless gals that spend a lot of time down there, so it won’t be obvious.” I watched Callie’s face fall and tried to think fast. “I think you should be nearby though. Maybe in a car parked a street over, just in case I need a quick get away or get into trouble. We could get a couple of walkie-talkies or something. That way, you’ll be just steps away.” Her eyes lit back up. I wanted her to be a part of this, but I also needed to be able to talk to Buster and any other ghosts that may be in the area.
“That sounds good. I think that I have a couple of walkie-talkies at home. My brother plays a lot of paintball, so they use them for communicating out in the woods.”
“Okay, let’s head over to my house so I can get dressed up. Then we can swing by your place to grab the radios.”
An hour later we were sitting a block over from Mr. Big’s.
“You’re sure you want to do this?”
“I’m sure. Will you help me pull my hair around in front so that it makes me less recognizable?” We tugged and ratted my hair so that I looked like I had been out on the street for awhile.
“There, you look like you belong, but I think that the smell is all wrong.” She sniffed at me and made a face.
“What?” I sniffed at my armpits and clothes. “I smell great!”
“That’s the point. If you were living out here you would definitely not smell great! Just make sure nobody gets too close to you or your lavender vanilla scent will totally blow your cover.”
“Gotcha. Let’s do a radio check.” I headed out of the car and down the street. My walkie-talkie crackled with static.
“Testing. You there?” Her voice sputtered to life through the static.
“I’m here, over.” I said. “I’m going to turn the volume down now, so that I don’t look obvious. Not only will I smell suspiciously good but I will be crackling with static. I’ll check in with you in ten.” I turned the knob down and the static sound disappeared. I checked one of the three watches I was wearing for the time.
I rounded the corner and headed up the backside of Mr. Big’s.
The place looked dark. I came up behind the wash bay and peeked around the wall. There were two cars in parked in the employee area, but still no signs of life.
“Hey there.” A voice whispered in my ear.
“Agh!” I screamed, just about coming out of my boots. I spun around and saw that it was Buster. I put my hand over my heart which was racing as fast as a runaway locomotive.
“Oh my goodness! You scared the life out of me!” He looked at the ground a bit sheepishly.
“Sorry. I didn’t realize it was you! You don’t look the same as you did the other day.” He frowned. “This is what I do all day, walk around people and see if they will react to me. It’s kinda interesting actually, some people completely cannot hear me, others seem to feel my breath in their ear. I see them trying to itch it, like when your hair tickles your ear. The only person that has been able to actually see me and hear me is you.” He glanced around at the buildings. “I think that Francis is around here somewhere too. He’s the other ghost I was telling you about.”
“Oh, good. I was hoping he would around. I want to see if I can see or hear him, or if you are special. I’ve never been able to talk to a ghost before.”
He looked at me quizzically. “Okay, but why are you dressed like a homeless person?”
“Well, I’m trying to investigate what happened to you and I didn’t want anyone to recognize me.” Duh, I thought, rolling my eyes his direction.
He
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