“No, I’m not,” she replied evenly. “I’m
working on a case.”
“I paid you to be here today,” he countered. “So we could
discuss my case.”
“I didn’t agree to anything like that, Mr. Atkinson,” she
answered calmly. “And, your check has remained uncashed and on my desk where
you placed it.”
“You’re playing games with me,” he said. “And if you don’t
change your tune soon, I’ll report you.”
“To whom?” she asked, now amused with his blustering.
“To the Better Business Bureau,” he offered.
She chuckled. “I don’t think my business fits under any of their
categories,” she replied.
“Well then, if you’re really a private investigator you have
to work under the auspices of the local law enforcement agency,” he said. “How
would you like me to report you to the chief of police for fraud?”
As much as she would have loved to tell him that she was
married to the chief of police, she knew the only way she would be able to
solve Marty’s murder was to play along with the obnoxious bully. “I don’t think
we need to get the police involved,” she said. “And I’ve actually been thinking
about your case. However, if I take your case there would have to be some
stipulations.”
“Like what?” he growled suspiciously.
“I have a colleague,” she began, “who is quite famous in the
field of paranormal investigation. If
you know anything about the field, you’ve probably heard his name, Professor Ian MacDougal the founder
and head of the MacDougal Foundation for Paranormal Research.”
“Um, yeah, of course I’ve heard of the guy,” he replied
slowly. “Friend of yours?”
“Ian and I have worked on some cases together,” she
answered. “He’s actually here in the States doing some research on haunted
houses and I thought he might be interested in having a look at yours. Of course, you’d have to sign some papers
allowing him to publish the name and location of your house in his academic
journals with the understanding that the information could be picked up by
mainstream media.”
“Mainstream media, eh?” he repeated.
“Oh, yes, Ian has quite a following,” she said. “ Which is why we have to make sure people understand they could be
inundated with people who are interested in the paranormal. ”
“Inundated, huh?” he said slowly.
Mary could almost hear the drooling in his voice. She had
laid out the perfect bait. Now all she had to do was wait for him to bite.
“Well, I ain’t paying you any
extra,” he argued weakly.
“Oh, well, that’s the other thing,” she said. “If Ian’s
going to study your house, we can’t accept any payment. That would make his
findings look suspicious and we need to maintain an objective and unprejudiced
approach.”
“I don’t have to pay you?” he asked incredulously.
“No, not a single penny,” she replied.
“Okay, well then, yeah, I guess your friend can come take a
look, too,” he said. “You know, ‘ cause he’s sure to
find some good stuff, some real good stuff when he’s here at my house. Did I tell you that it’s one of the top ten
haunted houses in the country?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, you did mention that,” she
replied, biting back a chuckle. “And I’m sure that information is what piqued Ian’s
interest.”
“Well, actually, it’s probably more like the top five or
even the top three,” he said, his voice rising with excitement.
“Well, I’ll be sure to let him know,” Mary said. “He’ll be
arriving in town this evening and will probably want to set up his equipment
tomorrow morning, if that works for you.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be there,” he said. “Tomorrow morning is
fine.”
“I’ll send you a text tonight when I know what time we’ll
arrive,” Mary added. “So, if you could send me the address of your house, I’d
appreciate it.”
“Okay, I’ll send it and then wait to hear from you,” he
replied and then he
working on a case.”
“I paid you to be here today,” he countered. “So we could
discuss my case.”
“I didn’t agree to anything like that, Mr. Atkinson,” she
answered calmly. “And, your check has remained uncashed and on my desk where
you placed it.”
“You’re playing games with me,” he said. “And if you don’t
change your tune soon, I’ll report you.”
“To whom?” she asked, now amused with his blustering.
“To the Better Business Bureau,” he offered.
She chuckled. “I don’t think my business fits under any of their
categories,” she replied.
“Well then, if you’re really a private investigator you have
to work under the auspices of the local law enforcement agency,” he said. “How
would you like me to report you to the chief of police for fraud?”
As much as she would have loved to tell him that she was
married to the chief of police, she knew the only way she would be able to
solve Marty’s murder was to play along with the obnoxious bully. “I don’t think
we need to get the police involved,” she said. “And I’ve actually been thinking
about your case. However, if I take your case there would have to be some
stipulations.”
“Like what?” he growled suspiciously.
“I have a colleague,” she began, “who is quite famous in the
field of paranormal investigation. If
you know anything about the field, you’ve probably heard his name, Professor Ian MacDougal the founder
and head of the MacDougal Foundation for Paranormal Research.”
“Um, yeah, of course I’ve heard of the guy,” he replied
slowly. “Friend of yours?”
“Ian and I have worked on some cases together,” she
answered. “He’s actually here in the States doing some research on haunted
houses and I thought he might be interested in having a look at yours. Of course, you’d have to sign some papers
allowing him to publish the name and location of your house in his academic
journals with the understanding that the information could be picked up by
mainstream media.”
“Mainstream media, eh?” he repeated.
“Oh, yes, Ian has quite a following,” she said. “ Which is why we have to make sure people understand they could be
inundated with people who are interested in the paranormal. ”
“Inundated, huh?” he said slowly.
Mary could almost hear the drooling in his voice. She had
laid out the perfect bait. Now all she had to do was wait for him to bite.
“Well, I ain’t paying you any
extra,” he argued weakly.
“Oh, well, that’s the other thing,” she said. “If Ian’s
going to study your house, we can’t accept any payment. That would make his
findings look suspicious and we need to maintain an objective and unprejudiced
approach.”
“I don’t have to pay you?” he asked incredulously.
“No, not a single penny,” she replied.
“Okay, well then, yeah, I guess your friend can come take a
look, too,” he said. “You know, ‘ cause he’s sure to
find some good stuff, some real good stuff when he’s here at my house. Did I tell you that it’s one of the top ten
haunted houses in the country?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, you did mention that,” she
replied, biting back a chuckle. “And I’m sure that information is what piqued Ian’s
interest.”
“Well, actually, it’s probably more like the top five or
even the top three,” he said, his voice rising with excitement.
“Well, I’ll be sure to let him know,” Mary said. “He’ll be
arriving in town this evening and will probably want to set up his equipment
tomorrow morning, if that works for you.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be there,” he said. “Tomorrow morning is
fine.”
“I’ll send you a text tonight when I know what time we’ll
arrive,” Mary added. “So, if you could send me the address of your house, I’d
appreciate it.”
“Okay, I’ll send it and then wait to hear from you,” he
replied and then he
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