The Siege (33 page)

“Your sister’s name is Polly,” Audrey continued.  “You father is Frederic Marsten the Second.  You’re actually the third.  You mother’s name is Edwina…”

Breeze recalled a memory of a young girl calling
Freddy
.

“He’s nodding,” Dave reported.

Audrey pushed two packets of papers away and shuffled through the ones in the folder labeled MIA and read, “Corporal
Fredric Marsten never returned from a supply run for his unit.  He was listed as missing in action.  His body was never recovered.  None of the escort returned from their mission.”

“I don’t remember anything beyond leaving home the last time,” he admitted.

“He remembers that he is indeed Frederic Marsten and his family, but his memory stops after he left home the last time,” Dave told the group.

“I have a list of the four other men that went with you.  Perhaps knowing their names will help,” Audrey offered.  She read off their names and rank.

Dave shook his head.  “He doesn’t remember.  Does he have to?” Dave asked.  “Isn’t knowing his name enough?”

“That’s up to Breeze, er, Freddy,” Mia said.  “We have the names of four other individuals.  Once the bones are recovered, we can look for relatives and hopefully return them to wherever they’re from.”

“Kentucky,” Freddy said.

“He’s telling me they’re from Kentucky, but I though Kentucky was Union,” Dave said.

“That’s a common misconception,” Cid said.  “There were almost as many Confederate units as Union in Kentucky.”

“So what were these Kentucky boys doing up here in northern Illinois?” Mike asked.

“Brown’s shoe factory used to make muskets,” Audrey reminded them.  “I have a picture of the family outside the factory.  She tapped on the picture and stared at it and then at Dave again.

“Dave, did your people come from here?”

“Not to my knowledge. Why?”

“Look at this photo. Your doppelganger is standing front and center.” Audrey handed him the picture.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” he said, looking at the picture.

“What was your mother’s maiden name?”

“Quincy.”

“Do you know your mother’s mother’s name?”

Dave shook his head and handed back the photo.

“Getting back to the factory…” Burt urged.

Ted spoke up, “Putting two and two together, I think that Freddy was either raiding Brown’s or was doing business with Brown’s.  I think that, considering the Brown heirs demanded us to stop investigating, some shady dealing was going on.”

Breeze turned to Murphy, and the two of them stepped back through the wall for a few minutes.  When they returned, Murphy spoke to the room.  There was no need for an interpreter as his voice cut through the veil clearly.  “Freddy wishes me to tell you that he feels in his heart that his actions weren’t deceitful, but if it was a military action, then he probably could see himself in the role of a robber.  He hopes you all understand this.”

“Oh, Freddy,” Mia said getting up.  “You have this all wrong.  We think that the Brown family knowingly traded with the Confederates.  If there is any deceit, it’s on their end not yours.”

The ghost looked relieved.

“I have more,” Audrey said.

Mia sat down and gave Audrey her full attention.

“The United Daughters of the Confederacy have you on their missing in action list.  Your sister’s grandchildren are interested in bringing you home if we can recover your bones.  I’m sure the coroner, or Mia’s father, will help in identifying them.  They also have a lawyer that will work with us to have the burial site opened if we can prove that you rest there.”

“Sounds like we have to sneak in,” Mia said.

“PEEPs can’t legally,” Mike reminded her.

“Who said it would be PEEPs,” Tonia’s voice said from the doorway.

“This was a private meeting,” Burt started.

“Then you should have kept the door closed,” Tonia sniffed.  “From what little I heard, you need someone to go in and recover some bones without the Brown family knowing about it.”

“There is a police presence there,” Mia cautioned.

“It’s wintertime.  All that’s probably there is police tape.  I think Lorna and I can deal with a little yellow tape,” she said smugly.

Lorna appeared behind her partner and stared into the room.  “What’s up?”

“I offered our services to go in and retrieve Corporal Frederic Marsten’s remains.”

“I assumed you were up to something.  Consider it our Christmas present to PEEPs,” Lorna said.  “Loan us Murphy, that big guy Ed, some equipment, and we’re on our way.”

“There is a certain illegal aspect to this retrieval,” Mike cautioned the duo.

Lorna and Tonia looked at each other and looked back at the group.

“No problem,” Tonia answered for them.

Chapter Twenty-seven

Mia, Audrey and Mike tiptoed into the nursery.  Judy was there alone, watching over the tiny baby.

“Look, he looks just like Ted,” Audrey cooed, looking down into the bassinet.

“Poor kid, he’ll grow out of it,” Mike confided.

“He’s beautiful,” Mia said, picking up her son.  “He still has some hurdles from being born too soon, but he’s doing fine.  He is a quiet boy.”

“Doesn’t take after his dad then,” Mike joked.  “Ted can talk paint off a barn.”

Mia smiled.  “I don’t know if I was a quiet baby or not.  Ralph says I was a hellion as soon as I started walking.”

“You still are a hellion,” Mike commented.  “Any sign of… you know?”

“Gifts?” Mia asked.

Mike nodded.

“No, too soon to know.  If the ladies have spotted anything, they are mum about it.”

Judy cleared her voice.  “Brian is a normal, happy, premature boy.  Give him time.  He has two very talented parents.  I’m sure he will develop into an interesting little boy.”

Audrey walked over to Judy and asked, “Did you ever want to have any children?”

“Prior to taking over this body, no.  However, since I’m just leasing this frame until I can heal the woman’s mind, I think things like having babies will have to be put on the back burner.”

“I think that’s wise.”

“How are you feeling?” Judy asked, waiting for permission to touch Audrey.

“Not good.  I could use a second opinion.”

“Sit here, and I’ll have a look.”

Mike looked over at the two women briefly and then back at Mia.  He spoke to her softly, “I think I may have found Ms. Right.”

A look of pure joy filled Mia’s face.  “Really?  I’m so happy for you.  Who is she?”

“I met her at the condo.  We’ve decorated cookies together, and she let me take her out to dinner a few times.”

“Does she have a name or are you keeping her to yourself for a while?”

“Meg, her name is Meg Armstrong.  She’s an auditor for a Chicago CPA firm.”

“A very studious job.  Tell me more about her.”

“She’s funny and bright.”

“Is she pretty?”

“Not in a classical sense, but I think she’s beautiful.  She has glasses that fog when she’s upset with me.”

“A good tell.  It will either give you time to apologize or run for the hills,” Mia teased.  “I’m really happy for you.  If you don’t mind me asking, what does she think about your occupation?”

“Don’t know.”

“That’s odd. You did tell her…” Mia could see from his face that he hadn’t.  “You have to tell her.  You’re famous with the cable crowd.”

Mike smiled.  “I am, aren’t I?”

Mia gently laid her sleeping son down and covered him.  She put her fingers to her lips and guided Mike out of the nursery.

“Are you embarrassed about being a paranormal investigator?” she asked.

“Hell no.  It just never came up.”

“So you’re more interested in her than she is in you.  Sounds like a challenge ahead, Dupree.”

“I like challenges.”

“Good,” Mia said.

“Speaking of challenges, what are you going to do with the kid when you come back to work?”

“We’re trying to convince Tauni Cerise that she’d really love living in the country.  She’s not buying it so far.  Tom Braverman’s mother knows of a few local women that would be good candidates.  But…”

“What?”

“I don’t want my child cared for by anyone that thinks I’m nuts or doesn’t understand my job.”

“I see your point.”

“It’s early days yet.  I’m not coming back fulltime until March.”

“That’s a long time, Mia.  I hope you won’t go nuts in the meantime,” Mike observed.

“I used to have a life before PEEPs, Dupree.”

“Yes, but it wasn’t much of one,” Mike teased.

“True,” Mia admitted.  “But I do have skills beyond the paranormal.  Cid’s dad is bringing over his woodworking machinery this winter.  He used to make cabinets and furniture.  He’s promised to teach me.”

“You’re going to make furniture?”

“In my spare time.  Lord knows we could use some.  I don’t like what’s attached to the used furniture we’ve looked at.”

“Hello, what’s this? A tête-a-tête in the upstairs hallway?” Ted asked.

“I was just telling Mia how much the kid looks like me,” Mike teased.

Ted colored for a moment then settled himself.  “The kid is stuck with my nose, Hollywood.”

“That he is.  He’ll grow into it. You did,” Mike commented.

“I hope so or it’s a trip to the plastic surgeon…”

“Hey!  That’s my beautiful son you two are talking about.  There’ll be no talk of changing anything but his diaper, am I understood?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Ted and Mike chorused.

“Good, now if you will excuse me, I’ve got to get something to eat. I’m hungry.”

“You’re always hungry,” they said in unison.

Mia flipped them off before heading for the stairs.

“Hey, that’s not very motherly,” Ted said.

Chapter Twenty-eight

Mia found out from Tom that the Brown family had hired a security firm to guard the entrance to the tunnels.  There was no way in daylight that they were going to be able to access them.

“What about the nightshift?” Tonia asked.

“Maybe those guards could use a little scare…” she suggested, looking at Murphy and Freddy “the Breeze” Marsten.  “A little bump in the night couldn’t hurt.”

The two ghosts looked at each other, and Murphy nodded.

“I’d really like to go with you,” Mia said.  “Technically, I’m on hiatus with PEEPs…”

“NO!” Murphy answered.  “Too soon.”

Mia had to agree.  Even though physically she had survived the attack of the Other, she was still weakened by the premature birth of her son.  Doctor Walters did a complete work up on Mia and was perplexed by the total rejuvenation of her body.  Things that were scarred before were no longer damaged.  “There are so many unexplained things here, but they are good things,” he assured her.  “However, I’m concerned about your low energy.  So unlike you.”

“No caffeine, no sugar, what do you expect?  Judy says that everything I eat or drink comes out in my breast milk.”

“Mia, you can have a little of these.  You’ll know if Brian ends up with colic that you have to suspend the java for a while longer.  You’re doing the best thing for your child by breastfeeding,” he assured her.

Mia pushed her thoughts away as the conversation between the two ghosts got louder and funnier.

“Don’t forget the disembodied floating head. That’s always a favorite,” Mia suggested.

Ed stood mutely with his arms crossed.  Angelo had his driver select and purchase appropriate clothing for the huge man.  Angelo’s driver’s tastes were more formal than the superhuman was used to.  Judy liked the new look and told him to be quiet and to stop complaining.  He stood there in what could only be described as a men’s tweed, hunting outfit.  The deep brown turtleneck stretched over the taut shoulder and chest muscles under the Herringbone sports jacket.  Mia and Ted, upon first seeing the outfit, chorused, “Tally-ho!”

“I think it’s best to subdue the guards and not fool around with these kinds of hijinks,” Ed said.

“And your idea of subduing them is?” Mia asked.

“Bashing their heads together,” he explained and mimed a bone-crunching of invisible men’s heads in each hand and snapping them together.

Mia waited for the echo of his hands to fade before speaking, “No, that’s not what we want.  You see, Ed, they aren’t evil.  They are just hired men asked to guard a site.  Hurting them isn’t an option,” Mia insisted.

“Then why ask me along?”

Mia looked over at Tonia and Lorna.  “You want to take this?”

Mia got up and left the two to explain the plan they had in mind and Ed’s role in it.  When she was certain the five of the participants were on the same page, she slipped away and walked over to the house where her son was no doubt waiting for his next meal.

~

The two security guards moved back and forth from the two open exits of the tunnel.  They followed the previous team’s well-trod trail up and around the hilly scrubland.  They were told to keep out of the tunnels themselves.  If they suspected that the tunnels had been entered, they were to call the local sheriff’s department immediately.  Their job was to dissuade the locals from acting upon the interest that had been drummed up by the rumors that bones were found in the tunnels.  The law firm that hired them assured the guards that it was animal bones that were found, nothing more.

Daylight was quick to leave the hilly area.  The cloudy skies did nothing to help in this, aside from a spectacular sunset that momentary blinded the men.

“I guess that’s that.  Time for flashlights,” Stan, the elder of the two, recommended.

Lights on, the two continued their trek until they settled in at the entrance the original trespassers had used.  The police tape was intact, and the ground around the shuttered opening was undisturbed.

The younger man, Dale, lifted the tape and dropped it, commenting, “All this trouble over a few animal bones.”

“I think they’re concerned the tunnels may collapse on any trespassers,” Stan told Dale.

“Bullshit, these tunnels have been open, and the owners were unconcerned, since I was a baby.  My father took me through them once or twice.  Just to show me that there wasn’t anything in them that I’d be interested in.”