Ghost Detectives Bk. 01: Discovery

"Her eyes brightened in feigned excitement. "I think we are going to get along fine Simon. On another matter, I was reading a few weeks ago in the paper about a case, something to do with drugs and I remember the judge being Miss or Mrs Westley, and a thought just struck me that perhaps she is related in some way to you."

"She's my sister, she used to be one of the lawyers who worked at my firm."

"I wouldn't mind meeting her, I bet she has a lot of experience."

"I could set up a lunch, how does that sound to you," and smiled. "I would expect you to have an evening meal with me as part of the favour. Does that sound like a plan?"

"Perfect, even without the favour, I'm on for dinner. You are a very charming man, Simon."

"And you Carolyn are a very interesting woman and I value the thought that over the next few months we can become closer friends."

She turned her head to the side, flashed her eyes and twiddled a lock of her hair. "Are you flirting with me Mr Westley?" she grinned.

"If the coat fits, I'll leave the answer to that up to you."

"She looked at her watch. My, how time has flown. I must go, my husband is expecting me. She stood, pecked him on his cheek and left.

He sat there and ordered another drink with a constant smirk on his face thinking she was his. He phoned his sister and asked what day she was available for lunch next week or sometime the week after, explaining there was someone he wanted her to meet and sat back to enjoy his drink, believing her husband would not pose a problem.

Chapter Eight

She arrived home later that afternoon. James and her brother were in the library waiting for her. She had a grin from one ear to the other and sat down opposite them.

"Well?"

"A slime ball, a polite, attractive slime ball, I'll go that far. He's arranging a lunch with his sister Courtney in a week or two."

James looked at her concerned. "You are getting in deep, I don't like it."

"Sis, if he suspects what you are up to... I think this has been taken far enough."

"He thinks I'm into research, even proffered me work from his practice and to introduce me to his sister, and when the meeting is set up, I think you John should be there having lunch feigning coincidence and I'll ask you to join us."

"I could be having lunch with James."

"No John, that would be far too obvious. If you could be there with a colleague that would be even better, especially if he or she is called away urgently and you are left to dine alone, I'd feel obliged to ask you to join us."

His face cracked into a large grin. "I'm sure that can be arranged and I'll wear a recorder so we'll be able to analyse what is said later at our leisure."

James looked a little happier but still had a few misgivings. "You know he'll make a pass at you so how are you going to handle that situation?"

She looked lovingly at him. "I'll make sure I am not alone with him."

"If these people are capable of what we suspect, they are also capable of rape, even of feeding you something so your wits will be impaired. The only way I'll allow this to go forward is if, when you met, you wear a tracking device in your clothes and a recorder."

"Done!"

She informed them that he'd invited her out to dinner one evening and she'd be obliged to go as part of the deal in meeting with his sister, assuring them she would met him at the restaurant. Giggling she said she felt like they were the three musketeers. John pointed out the musketeers were all men, and when she said she'd have to wear trousers from here on in and a sword they had a hard job to stay in their seats through laughing.

Who was to blame for the environmental disaster was onward going, recrimination following recrimination. The warnings James gave were analysed, pulled apart and revaluated in detail, their accuracy proving uncannily precise. A reward was offered and increased every week for anyone who could identify the person or persons who had anonymously given such an accurate account of the disaster, placing greater pressure on them to make sure nothing came to light.

They spent time learning about the different surveillance equipment on the market. How to scan for bugs and tracking devices, and importantly, how to use the equipment to best effect and spent a considerable amount of money in purchasing what they needed.

Carolyn met with Simon and his sister, and true to form, John turned up and joined them to the chagrin of Simon; still, despite the fact of the situation, the lunch proved enjoyable. The Westley's were good company and proved easy to talk to, but they learned little from the meeting, Simon acting the perfect gentleman. When an opportunity arose, John did mention the murder in passing, but the bait wasn't taken so he quickly moved to change the subject in case they grew suspicious.

Meeting that evening, they were at a crossroads and unsure where to go next with John suggesting James return to the other dimension to see if the press had anything significant to report. Carolyn vehemently disagreed, fearing for his safety. James reassured her that the other dimension was the same as this and nothing untoward would occur.

"What if the other you or other me meet up with you? When you go through, you'll become a trespasser in their garden and could be arrested. You have been lucky so far but I'm not convinced that will carry on holding."

"She has a valid argument, James."

"Are you saying we just let everything go and do nothing with our gift?"

"Gift, more like a curse. I'm not that sure anymore where the balance lies," crossing her arms over her body emphasising her stance.

"I'll disguise myself and only go through late at night or even in the middle of the night when no one is around."

"How will you know? she retorted.

"I'll go through the window, if it's not night time or someone is there, I'll simply return. You know you can't see that window from any other part of the house and it's a short few steps to the gate."

The following evening James walked into the other dimension. He entered early morning wearing a flat cap and glasses with an inbuilt computer embedded into the frame able to record both sound and movement. He tried to communicate with the other dimension, but that proved impossible; when there, he was completely out on his own with no direct link back, but at least John had supplied him with a false driving licence and other papers, filling the credibility gap in case he was challenged.

He had a few hours to kill before the library opened and he called into a cafe for an early breakfast and felt odd recognising a few people, their looks and mannerisms similar, answering each other with names that were almost the same as in his dimension. The rest of the time he spent walking around town and noticed small imperceptible changes in the environment.

He stood outside waiting for the library to open and was soon seated reading the daily papers. The reporting of the murder was now old news and it took him a while to even find it mentioned. The article stated Morris had changed his plea to guilty but was under the influence of temporary insanity. James hired a car and spent the rest of the day driving around the neighbourhood, eventually, parking near Courtney's flat. Half an hour later a car drove near and parked. Two women stepped out, and he recognised them as the doctor, Debra Roach, and the police inspector, Jennie Thomson who went into the building. He waited. Three hours later both exited and drove out of the car park with James following.

They parked outside the Jug and Whistle and went into the restaurant joining up with Simon and Courtney Westley. He took a seat near to them, ordered a drink and lunch, activated his voice recorder to drown out any extraneous sound, and pointed it towards them and pretended to read a novel he'd brought with him.

"You two look fresh," Courtney opened the conversation, directing her words toward the two women.

Both gave her a cheesy grin. "Fresh is as fresh seems," ragged Debra making the others laugh as the waiter walked toward them.

"Let's order, said Simon.

"I think we are safe as far as Sandra is concerned." James ears pricked up when he heard these remarks.

"He is pleading guilty. I've had my concerns, I can't deny and will make sure I'm not the presiding judge in this case."

"A wise decision, I think my dear, that's safely put to bed," grinned her brother.

"How did you get him to change his mind? He was out of his mind drunk and high on drugs. I am going to miss Sandra, she was fun."

"I continually kept on to him wearing him down. His choices boiled down to two options: mitigation will get him ten years, guilty of murder, life, there was no way he'd be acquitted and he knew it. I told him he had no leeway, the prosecution holds four aces."

"At least that's our little problem safely out of the way." said Debra. "We still have the other to sort out."

"Other, what are you talking about?" enquired Simon.

The women glanced at each, Courtney the first to speak. "Nothing, we need to make sure our party games are kept between us."

"It gave me a few sleepless nights in the early days, and I had one hell of a guilt complex for a while."

"Don't go there, Debra. We did what we had to do or we would all have come under the spotlight. Our marriages would all be toast to say nothing of the scandal that would ensure and I would lose my job," stated Jennie.

"It's over so let's drop it, move on and agree never to mention it again. No more loose talk, let's enjoy our lunch."

"On another matter, how are you getting along with Caroline?"

"I'm getting there slowly, we've had lunch and a few dinners."

"She seemed pretty wired towards her husband."

"A blind, sis, to show me she is respectable and no slut but before the month is out we'll be sharing a bed."

Courtney's eyes burned with desire. "Has she agreed?" The other two women sat up taking notice.

"Not exactly, but I have hinted, and she hasn't bucked against the suggestion."

"Do you think she'll be a replacement for Sandra?"

"We agreed to close anything associated with her down," giving the three a wicked lascivious grin. "Could be, but I need to secure her first, she is one attractive woman."

"She's a clever one, so don't get too complacent."

"Clever or not, they've all got the same equipment when it comes to what we want and when you strip away the social norms of society we all want the same thing. Once broken she'll be like humpty dumpty and will never be put back together again," a triumphant look showing in his eyes. "I've already started putting the wedge in between her and her husband and it's starting to pay dividends." His confidence secure, thinking the accomplishment achieved but for the action, waiting for him to complete his act of seduction and then to edge her in with the three women.

Courtney gave a happy snort. "The gang of four could be back together shortly, but no matter who replaces her, I'll still miss Sandra."

"Five, dear sister, I'm part of the team remember."

"A guest, dear brother," she giggled, "a welcome guest, but still a guest."

James had recorded and videoed it all and, hearing enough, paid his bill and left. Something else shot into his mind as he drove back to the library wishing to recheck something he had read earlier. He wouldn't risk returning to the house until well after dark when the occupants were asleep. Every paper he read was filled with the picture of a ten-year-old girl who had had been missing for four days and hope was quickly fading for her safe return. He copied what he read and left. The article stated she was last seen playing by herself in the garden at the front of the house and when her mother called her in for tea she had disappeared. A blue car was seen parked in the street but no one thought to take the number.

The location of the abduction was just over forty miles away and James, without further thought, was soon on his way to look the area over. He found the house and videos the area; coincidently, the car he was driving happened to be blue. He had seen enough, it was early evening and he made his way to his car and headed back intending to stop on the way to have a meal. It was after midnight before he arrived back after returning the car. The house was in darkness as he walked over to the window and was gone.

Chapter Nine

He arrived back in the room, the others patiently waiting for his return. Carolyn bounded over and couldn't stop hugging him. John stood and welcomed him back by a hand gesture.

"Why so long?"

"I needed to wait until it was dark and everyone had settled before entering the garden."

John, I need you to check on..."

"Hold on buster, no checking anything tonight. Have you eaten?"

"Yes."

"Good, you can take stock tomorrow, Carolyn insisted. "Now my man, it's bed for you. Come!"

John sat back down and grinned. "You have been told. Now you are back, I think I'll turn in."

Over breakfast listening and watching what James had captured the day before, had Carolyn in an apoplectic rage, John a little more circumspect, ate his toast but was far from calm.

"I had him only partly right when I called him a slime ball," she spat out. "I'll ram a pipe up his arse and wipe his head with a hammer."

"Calm it sis... on a plus side he's a good looking guy."

"Don't go there, John, his game play is to bed me and then throw me to the three witches."

"Could be fun but remember what I heard was in the other dimension and may not be the same here."

She smirked ignoring his glibness, "Ellis has been framed, they killed Sandra and threw the blame onto her husband."

"I said the evidence is far too perfect and this recording proves it," James said.

"I disagree, it is far too ambiguous. We still have nothing to take to the authorities," John said.

"I intend to get the evidence, he's taking me to dinner next Thursday."

James glared. "Hold on a moment, this changes the game plan. We know these people are capable of murder and I don't know what else, you're not going."

"He's right sis, exposure to him and the others is too dangerous."

"Without evidence Ellis is going down, agreed?"

"Perhaps we should leave things lie."

"I know you John, you say that now but you'll never stay there, and you know it, so stop bluffing."

His sister knew him well, he would have to see it through, but his sense of morality or lack of it needed to be balanced against her safety. Both were headstrong and held a strong moral code of right and wrong so come what may, it needed to be satisfied.

"Love, we both are concerned for your safety."

"I'll be wearing a recorder and a tracker so you'll both know exactly where I am. If I can get him to admit to anything incriminating we'll have him and we'll close the net."

"Come on love, no way will he say anything controversial, and you know it. I am thinking of your safety."

"I still think it's worth a shot."

"He's right sis, but if you do go, we'll drop you off and wait outside to pick you up and listen to every word spoken. He may even try and drug you, so no drinking anything left unattended and I'll invite Courtney out to dinner.

"Her husband is an art critic and well connected from a wealthy family but she plays him for a fool. I'll make a few less than salubrious suggestions about my lifestyle and see how she responds, and you being my sister, her mind will start to connect the dots and think you follow a similar path. James, it's your call on this, what's it to be?"

"With safeguards in place, I'm prepared to give it a shot, but I'm still not happy about it. There is another issue I'd like to bring to the table. About forty miles from here a ten year old girl is to be abducted, may be even killed. I'd like to try and prevent it from happening."

"You have the information?"

"Yes, I have a video of the house and area."

"We can certainly help. We need to be a lot more cautious from here on in or we'll be exposed and end up being interrogated; sis, bring him up to date on your telephone conversation with Don and your meeting a few days ago about going back to work."

"I told you Don is sitting on my resignation and I agreed yesterday to work three days a week."

"Why is that relevant here?"

"Let her finish, James."

"They have assembled a team which is studying the warnings, and linking up the Waterloo, Victoria, rape and tanker incidents and are correlating the information. They have asked me to head the team as a profiler to help identify the person or persons involved. Their prognosis so far is that the warnings are coming from the people who are carrying out the atrocities and are throwing their all into cracking it open. What is also alarming, Don advised they think these people are local to our area."

"How have they concluded that?"

"Remember the warnings we wrote using cut out words, most came from local magazines and regional papers and they have identified the ones used."

"This brings a whole new perspective into the arena and from now on we need to analyse in detail each action as a group before we do anything. Questions were asked when dad had his heart attack. The response team were most concerned as to how they were called so soon, arriving at the house minutes before he had his attack and were on the verge of leaving, logging the call as a time wasting hoax and with a dedicated team now looking for links, everything out of the ordinary will be looked upon as relevant."

"We have a positive here not a negative." James smiled at Carolyn. "With you on the team, love, we'll know what they know, allowing us to adjust our actions accordingly."

"Something I meant to ask you last night. You called in an eating place and hired a car, you must also have called in a garage for fuel, how did you pay for those things?"

James failed to see the value at first of why John asked such an obvious question. "Cash, you know I always carry a few hundred pounds in my wallet." Then he realised the relevance. "I see, the currency must be the same."

"What if they were duplicate notes, in other words, forgeries - eventually they'll come to light and traced back and you'll be arrested while in the other dimension."

"Never dawned on me."

"Exactly what I'm saying, even the simplest of actions must be thoroughly thought through before we do anything from here on in; the innocuous actions are the ones that could undo us. What do you two have on today?"

"Nothing pressing, I'm not starting work until next Monday."

"James?"

"I need a few hours alone to think where to go from here."

"Can I have a copy of the video from yesterday. I need to check something out."

James made a copy and handed it to John who left telling them he'd be away for most of the day. His first action was to return to his house, where he watched and listened carefully to what James had captured with the camera making copious notes as he went along, rewinding and going back over it a second time checking just to be sure he hadn't overlooked anything. He intended to walk the exact same locations in this dimension that James had followed when in the other. When through studying the video, he punched a number into his phone and after a few rings Courtney answered and he invited her out to lunch the following day.

He returned to James' house, video in hand and followed the path shown in the video comparing the two locations as he travelled the route. James had said they were virtually the same, but upon closer inspection that was not the case. Granted, they looked very much the same, but the trees along the road and in the nearby park, even though situated in similar locations had grown differently and displayed a completely different aspect when under direct comparison, the houses occupying the same locations but separated by subtle differences. In quite a few instances even the house sizes differed. It was like looking at two pictures that seem identical, the type shown in puzzle books, but upon greater inspection the differences proved quite profound.