Masters of Lavender Hill Mansion Ch. 13

Not long after Joe poured his second cup, his phone rang and he went to answer it, prepared for what was coming. He answered calmly like he always did and Vic's voice was on the other end speaking fast and clear.

"We're busted, Marge knows. Can't talk now, we're at Bert's. Call you soon."

The phone went dead and Joe just looked at the phone in disbelief at what he heard and put it down. He tried to fathom how Marge would know anything and chalked it up to her knowing how to pry anything out of him if she felt he wasn't being truthful. Vic sucked at lying and he knew it. It's why they made him head of the council. He was a straight up guy and spoke the truth and lying was far beneath him to do. Knowing they were at Bert's right then, it wouldn't be long before Marge was looking at three women who had no real reason to be in Bert's house and far too many more questions would need to be answered before she was done asking them.

Joe tossed his coffee in the sink and got in his truck. If his cohorts were facing the music, he better be there to support them and make sure he wasn't left holding the bag for anything. He drove as fast as he could, the dust rising behind him in a long trailing cloud.

Vic tried one last time not to bother Bert, but she wanted his side of things to co-relate with what she was told. Marge used her key and entered in and found it quiet and no sign of any one. She went down the hall and opened his bedroom door and saw him with Olivia cuddled up to him still. At some point, Olivia had moved and her hand was resting between Bert's legs, making it look very much like sex was involved.

Marge closed the door and went to the spare room and opened the door to see Lisa and Chelsea cuddled in spooning, Lisa's hand over Chelsea's breast, sleeping deeply still. Marge closed the door and stormed past Vic, glaring at him as she went outside. Vic went after her trying to get her to listen, finally grabbing her arm and spinning her around, grabbing both arms forcefully and giving her a look to shut up and listen.

"You're wrong. Nothing like that happened here and I wasn't doing anything to any of those women. Now listen to what I have to tell you, because it's not going to sound any better than what you're thinking, but it's the truth."

Marge knew he was going to speak the truth, as he always did and listened to what he was going to say. Vic let her go and chewed his thumb as he tried to figure where to begin with it all, when Joe was racing up to the driveway and stopping by them. He got out and went to them and his look was enough for Marge to know something had happened and both of them were a part of it somehow. "Okay, tell me and don't either of you lie about a single thing. What are those women doing in there? It's obvious what Bert was doing with the one he's with."

Joe had no idea what they saw and waited for Vic to explain.

"Look, Marge, I don't think anything happened between them and it's not really how it looks. I bet Bert doesn't even know her hand is there, they're sleeping."

"Okay, so say they didn't do anything, why is she sleeping with Bert and why are the other two looking rather cozy together?"

"We better sit down and explain it all to her Joe. I don't know if I can do it on my own without fucking it all up some where."

"Yeah, we better Marge. Let's try to let those folks have their rest though, once you hear why, you'll let them."

"Okay, this is sounding weird and it doesn't sound good. Say we're not going to have the police busting down the door to drag the three of you away?"

They could see the worry on Marge's face that a dire change in her life could be happening.

"No Sweetheart, no cops are dragging our asses anywhere, but weird ain't the half of it, trust me on this."

"I always have, Vic, so don't tell me anything too far fetched for me to believe you now."

"Marge, I love you and I would never do or say anything wrong against you, you know that, but right now, I need you to trust me and Joe like never before. Bert's in on it too. He was there, he wakes up, he'll tell you same as us what happened last night."

Marge went in and fixed a pot of coffee, knowing they'd need something to drink while she dealt with the news to come. Vic and Joe sat in the living room whispering how much they should tell and decided to keep it just as a haunting experience at the mansion and no more.

"I can hear you in there whispering. You better not be trying to figure out how to lie to me."

"No Marge, we were trying to keep our voices down so we didn't wake anybody up."

The sounds of movement could be heard, signalling the awakening of someone. Moments later, Bert came out rubbing his eyes and squinting in the daylight. He saw Vic and Joe and was about to say something, when Marge came out of the kitchen.

"Oh Marge, uh, hi."

"Hi yourself. Have a nice sleep with your girlfriend in there?"

"What? No, she's not my girlfriend, wait, what are you all doing here so early for anyway?"

"Bro, take a seat and wait for coffee. We need to tell Marge about what happened to the girls last night and why they're here. I told Marge something really fucked up happened and she's waiting to hear what it is. We were trying to be quiet and let you all sleep, but somehow that didn't matter to Marge."

Marge glared at Vic for the remark and he glared right back.

"Okay, stop it you two. I'm up and that's the end of it. Let's just keep our voices low so the girls can sleep, they really need it after what they went through."

"Okay, you keep saying they went through something crazy last night, so what is it?"

"Marge, you know all those stories about ghosts out at the Masters place?"

"I've heard them and had my own experiences being there, so?"

"They're all true, the place does have ghosts and one of them wasn't very friendly."

The coffeemaker beeped it was ready and Marge paused before going in, looking at them to see them start laughing, but they didn't.

"Okay, I'll pour the coffee, come and make your own up. This I gotta hear. Ghosts? Real ones that haunt and do spooky stuff?"

"Yes, and did far more than spooky stuff. Scared the shit out of all of us. Go pour, babe, I told you it was some fucked up shit we went through last night."

Marge shook her head in disbelief already and went in to pour the cups of coffee. The three guys came in and poured cream and sugar and went back where Marge was already sitting with a look of disbelief she wanted removed.

They sat and sipped coffee and Marge gave them a moment, then wanted answers coming. Vic knew it was up to him to convince her and looked at the other two for support. He swallowed hard and took Marge back to the night before and the hunches Joe was having about things at the mansion. Marge's face took more of a look of disbelief as he went on, now describing ghosts and what they were doing. Marge looked at Bert and Joe and the seriousness was written on their faces, making her wonder how real all of it could be.

Vic was hard pressed to describe what was happening sexually to her and danced around it terribly, stepping on it and making a mess of the explanation. Joe interrupted him and stepped in to tell her. Joe didn't beat around the bush and told her straight up what happened. Her disbelief turned to shock immediately and made her glance several times towards the bedrooms.

Joe finished up with their escape and coming back here to protect them. Marge was feeling stunned to no end by it all, the rumours of ghosts becoming a reality and one that was far worse than anything the movies could have portrayed.

"Those poor girls. The ghosts actually did all that to them? To Olivia?"

"Yes, so that's why we brought them here and I was so late coming home."

Oh Vic, I'm so sorry, baby. That was horrible. Are they okay?"

"We don't know. They were out of it when we got here and just put them all in bed after we washed and dressed them."

"You should have called me. I would have come and helped you."

"Really? I'd call you after midnight to ask you to come help us with some girls getting attacked by ghosts and you'd come?"

Marge thought and realized she would have accused him of being drunk.

"Okay, maybe I wouldn't have believed you, but now...if this is real, I want to help them."

"Good Sweetheart, they need all the help they can get. We did what we could."

"So, tell me, who are these ghosts?"

Joe took the lead and gave her the history of what they knew happened and who was involved, leaving out details that would bring more questions they wanted to leave unanswered. Marge was dumbfounded to ask anything else, what she'd heard still hard to digest as real. She looked at the three faces telling her it was true and she shook her head in disbelief. Sounds could be heard from down the hall and they knew one of them was waking up.

Bert got up and looked at Marge with a worried expression.

"I'll go see who it is and hope they don't freak out when they find they're in a strange place. They don't know where they are right now, so it could be a little scary for them, so I'll go and make sure they're okay."

"Maybe I should go, being another woman they might feel easier about it."

"I doubt it. After dealing with strange women last night, a strange woman is the last thing they'd want to see waking up again. No, I better go and hope they recognize me."

"In that case Bert, I better go. They all know me and know they're alright with me, so let me go see."

As they discussed who should go, Olivia weakly padded out of the bedroom, still dazed and groggy, not able to get her bearings on things yet. She came out to the living room and saw everyone sitting there looking at her and froze in her step. Marge broke the stalemate stare they were all in.

"Hi Olivia, how are you feeling?"

Olivia was still too stunned to answer and began taking stock of what was going on. She had no idea where she was, or who the woman was looking at her. She looked at what she was wearing and her confusion was evident, what happened and why and was this real?