Entry 8 (There He Is!!)
Well, I won't complete the challenge, but I especially wanted to get this one in, so yay! Happy Halloween!
Title: There He Is!!
Entry Number: 08
Author: insaneladybug/Lucky_Ladybug
Fandom: The Rockford Files (specifically, The Queen of Peru episode)
Rating: K/G (Silliness, ghost. Listening to the Korean song There She Is!! by the Witches makes this infinitely funnier during the chase scene.)
Genre: Supernatural, Humor
Spoiler Warnings: None.
Word Count: 2,505
By Lucky_Ladybug
The last thing Ginger and Lou were expecting as they pulled into the driveway after a long day of work was a little old lady nervously pacing up and down on their walkway. As soon as she saw the car, she perked up and rushed over. “Hello?!” she called, knocking on Lou’s window. “Mr. Trevino? Mr. Townsend?”
Lou opened the door. “Yeah,” he blinked. “What’s going on? Who’re you?”
“Violet Johnson,” the lady chirped, “and I need both of you fine young men to help me!”
Bewildered, but pleased to have not been called a boy, Ginger raised an eyebrow. “And how might we do that, Mrs. Johnson?”
“By helping me stop my poltergeist!” Violet declared.
Lou’s jaw dropped. “What makes you think we can do stuff like that?!”
“My daughter works for Fragmented Triangle,” Violet said. “She hears all kinds of wonderful stories about how you’ve stopped ghosts of all sorts!”
“I see,” Ginger said slowly, still wondering how such things were getting all around. “It’s true that we’ve taken care of some evil spirits, but we really can’t do much unless the ghost is malevolent.”
“Oh, my poltergeist doesn’t mean any harm,” Violet said. “But he does so many terrible things! I go shopping and he knocks down everything I’m looking at. He even spilled some of a bottle of perfume in two nice policemen’s car. I’m afraid the last straw was when he started playing with my dishes like Frisbees and began hiding my house keys. You know, I was locked out of my house for hours yesterday because that naughty poltergeist had stolen my keys right out of my purse?”
“Uh . . . that’s terrible,” Lou said. “But you know, poltergeists are really hard to get rid of. We’ve never succeeded before.”
“Well, now you can try again!” Violet nodded firmly. “Oh please. I don’t know how much more I can take!” She looked at them with desperate, begging eyes.
Ginger cleared his throat. “Yes, well . . . allow us a moment in conference, won’t you?”
Violet blinked. “Of course!” She stepped back from the car and Lou swung the door shut.
“What do you think?” he asked, keeping his voice low.
“I think she’s daft,” Ginger said matter-of-factly. “A clumsy woman who knocks things down and misplaces others. She can’t bring herself to acknowledge that she’s getting that on in years, so she invents a poltergeist to blame.”
Lou sighed. “That’s about what I think too. But she came all this way just to see us. I don’t even see a car. She must’ve walked or got a cab to bring her. Maybe we should humor her and go home with her and see what’s going on.”
“I suppose,” Ginger said in grudging displeasure. “Even if there is a poltergeist, however, I doubt we could do anything about it. They truly are difficult to get rid of. We couldn’t do anything with Cynthia’s.”
Lou shuddered. “I know.” He opened the door again. “Mrs. Johnson? We’ll take you home and check out this poltergeist. But you know, maybe it won’t let us see any evidence of it.”
“Oh, you may be right!” Violet exclaimed. She opened the back door and climbed in. “No one believes me when I tell them he’s there. They all think I’m the one doing all these terrible things. By accident, of course, you understand. But I’m not doing them any way at all!”
Lou nodded and pulled the door shut before backing out of the driveway. “How long have you been having this problem?”
“For years, simply years!” Violet sighed dramatically. “I really don’t know how I picked him up, but somehow he latched on to me and hasn’t let go since!”
“I see,” Ginger said. “Where do you live?”
“In the Valley,” Violet replied. “I’ll give you directions.”
“Thanks,” Lou said, wondering what sort of evening they were in for.
****
Violet’s house was large and old-certainly the type that could very easily house a ghost. But Ginger and Lou continued to hope that this time it would prove to be a little old lady’s fantasy. They followed her up the steps and into the entryway and watched as she stood and looked about the room and towards the stairs.
“These nice men have come to help me get rid of you!” she called. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t deal with any more of your antics. Why, you’ll break the dishes if you aren’t careful. And I can’t get locked out of my house again. My daughter will say I’m just a forgetful old woman. You don’t want that, do you?”
There was no response whatsoever, and Ginger and Lou looked at each other.
“It’s probably gonna stay hidden,” Lou said.
“Well, at least look around!” Violet implored. “Don’t you have some kind of machine that monitors ghost activity?”
“No,” Ginger said. “We’re not paranormal investigators. We simply have the misfortune of encountering ghosts in many of the places we’ve visited.”
“But we’ll look anyway,” Lou added, hoping to put Violet at ease.
She beamed, clasping her hands. “Oh, thank you!” she said. “You’re every bit as wonderful as my daughter says you are.”
That stopped them both in their tracks. “Who is your daughter, anyway?” Lou blinked.
“Stefanie, of course!” Violet said. “She uses her father’s last name, Lawrence. We divorced years ago. Stefanie tells me she sees you both almost every day.”
Ginger and Lou exchanged another look. “Why, yes, she does,” Ginger said. “On a professional basis.”
“Naturally. She adores you both so much!” Violet chattered.
Lou went a bit red. “Where would you like us to start looking?” he asked.
“Anywhere you like!” Violet said. “The whole house will need to be checked.”
“. . . I guess we’ll just start down here then,” Lou said.
“Go ahead!” Violet said. “Do you want to go alone or should I come along?”
“Why don’t you come?” Lou said, uncomfortable at the thought of wandering in someone’s home without the owner present.
“I’d love to!” Violet gushed. “I’ve always wanted to see how you people work.”
“There might be nothing to see,” Ginger pointed out.
“All the same, I’m honored to be along!” Violet declared. “What an adventure! Finally, we’re going to catch that old poltergeist!”
“Uh, yeah,” Lou said slowly. “Sure.”
****
Everything went much as Ginger and Lou had expected, at least at first. The ground floor was devoid of any strange and supernatural beings, albeit Violet insisted that she hadn’t left dishes on the counter when she left.
The upstairs seemed normal as well. Bathrooms, bedrooms, and a library were perfectly peaceful, undisturbed rooms. Ginger and Lou began to fully let down their guard and relax.
That was when a lamp fell over right next to Ginger. He jumped a mile, spinning around to look at it.
“There!” Violet squealed. “You see?!”
Ginger frowned. “My coat could have brushed against it and knocked it over if it wasn’t steady on the floor.”
“It was perfectly steady,” Violet said with a nod of finality. “It was my poltergeist!”
Ginger stared at the lamp and then looked up at the surrounding area. “Are you here?” he demanded. “Did you knock that lamp down?”
A breeze rushed past him, picking up the lamp and setting it upright before heading for one of the bedrooms.
“After it!” Lou yelled.
Thus began a mad chase throughout the house. Upstairs, downstairs, in the kitchen, under a bed, pulling down the oven door, hiding behind the couch. . . . Everywhere the unnatural breeze went, Ginger and Lou pursued. Violet trailed behind, shouting encouragement.
“You know,” Lou panted as they ran into the study, “this is the first time I’ve ever played hide-and-go-seek with a ghost!”
“And hopefully the last time!” Ginger retorted.
A book soared over his head and the breeze soon followed.
In the bathtub, in a closet, flying down the stairs on a skateboard from the attic. . . . Ginger, Lou, and Violet barely made it out of the way in time.
“See what I mean?!” Lou exclaimed to Mrs. Johnson as the three of them lay in a heap on the floor. “Poltergeists are just not something we mess with!”
Violet sighed. “I suppose I can see why. But this just can’t keep going on!” She leaped up, running after the breeze herself. “Come back here!”
Ginger and Lou looked at each other in tired exasperation. Then, exhausted, they pulled themselves up and chased after the determined old woman.
The kitchen table flew in the air and landed upsidedown. The chandelier swung wildly, nearly dislodging from the ceiling. A couch fell backward.
Suddenly Violet stomped her foot. “Now see here!” she roared. “If you’re going to insist on staying in this house, we’re going to set down some ground rules!”
Ginger and Lou ground to a universal halt, stunned by the abrupt forcefulness.
The poltergeist seemed stunned as well. Its presence was clearly felt, but it did not move.
“You’re going to pick up everything you’ve knocked over!” Violet ordered. “You’re not going to knock anything over again. You’re going to leave my keys and anything else I need exactly where I put them. And if you want to go skateboarding on the stairs, you’ll wait until no one is in the way!”
“Wouldn’t it be better to just say that’s off-limits too?” Lou blinked.
“Well, I suppose such an energetic poltergeist has to have some fun,” Violet shrugged.
Ginger folded his arms. “It might not obey you. It hasn’t in the past.”
“I haven’t actually laid down the law before,” Violet said. “It was watching you two chase it all over the house that made me realize I just had to put my foot down. I hadn’t tried that approach before.”
The couch tipped upright.
Lou jumped a mile at the loud thump. “Maybe it really will cooperate,” he said in amazement.
Violet beamed. “Maybe we can even learn to co-exist peacefully and enjoy each other’s company.”
“I would doubt that,” Ginger grunted. “You don’t want us to try to exorcise it now?”
“Let’s see if it really will behave,” Violet said. “I can always call on you again, can’t I?”
“. . . You can try,” Lou said, running a hand through his hair. “We’re kind of busy a lot.”
“Maybe if you’re coming back from taking Stefanie on a date,” Violet said innocently.
Ginger and Lou stared at her. “What,” Ginger said flatly.
“I know it would make her sail to Cloud 9,” Violet said.
“I don’t doubt that, but we’re not typically in the dating business,” Ginger said.
“Especially co-workers,” Lou said. “That can just get really awkward.”
“Come by for dinner some evening anyway,” Violet said. “It will just be a nice, friendly gathering. Maybe our poltergeist will even help set the table!”
The table flipped upright in the kitchen.
“That’d be the day,” Lou groaned. He glanced to Ginger for approval on his next words. “But sure, dinner sounds great.”
Ginger nodded. “Just as long as there really aren’t any more . . . antics.”
“We’ll see to that, won’t we?” Violet said, looking in the direction of the breeze.
The book hovered and then flew overhead, going back to the bookshelf.
Lou looked to Ginger. “This is really one for the books.”
“To say the least,” Ginger declared.
“Now all that’s missing is Stefanie walking through the door right now,” Lou sighed.
As if on cue, the door opened. “Mom, I’m . . .” Stefanie stopped and gasped. “What’s going on in here?!” She gawked at the floating book, transfixed.
“Oh, nothing, Dear,” Violet smiled. “Just our poltergeist cleaning up the mess he made.”
“But . . .” Stefanie turned to look at Ginger and Lou, her eyes widening and her face swiftly going red. “I’m so sorry!” she gasped. “I had no idea that she would actually call you.”
“That’s okay,” Lou sighed, waving a dismissive hand. “We deal with weird stuff all the time.”
“Yes, but that’s all the more reason for us not to burden you with more,” Stefanie insisted.
“Don’t worry about it,” Ginger said. “It was . . . interesting and enlightening to watch your mother finally take a stand and apparently get the poltergeist to behave. That said, this has better be the only time something like this happens.”
Stefanie shook her head. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Will you accept dinner as part of your payment? And we’ll pay in money too, naturally.”
“We don’t tend to get paid for these types of outings,” Ginger said.
“You know, I never really thought of it before, but I guess we could,” Lou said.
“And do it even more than we do now? No,” Ginger rumbled.
“Hey, I never said I’d be for it!” Lou exclaimed. “I’m sure not.”
Stefanie laughed. “Well, you’ll get paid this one time, at least. I insist.”
“Who are we to argue?” Lou said, looking to Ginger with a shrug. “It was pretty exhausting chasing that thing all over the house. And dinner sounds like a great payment to me.”
“Granted,” Ginger nodded.
“Great.” Stefanie beamed. “Come back in a couple of hours and I’ll have something ready.”
“Thank you,” Ginger said. He immediately headed for the door.
“You’re sure we can’t help with anything,” Lou said.
“You’ve helped wonderfully already!” Violet said. “Just sit back and relax now.”
“Well, we’ll sure do that,” Lou said in appreciation.
Soon he and Ginger were outside again and heading for the car. “Wow. So what do you think about that?” Lou asked.
“I’m still processing it,” Ginger said. “It’s certainly all very odd.”
“Maybe the poltergeist really will cooperate now,” Lou said. “It could’ve been carrying on because she wasn’t being firm about things.”
“True,” Ginger nodded. “But I bloody well hope we won’t encounter anything like that again.”
“You and me both,” Lou groaned. “I’ve never played such an exhausting game of hide-and-seek! And in a house!”
Ginger cracked a smirk. “Did you ever play it in your house as a child?” he wondered as they got into the car.
“Sure. But the parents laid down house rules of no running in there.” Lou shook his head. “They would’ve been horrified to see you and me today.”
Ginger looked entertained. “I can imagine.”
“What about you?” Lou wondered. “Did you ever play it?” Or even have anyone to play it with?
“Occasionally,” Ginger said. “Sometimes with Cynthia. Usually we played outside, however. There weren’t many places to hide in our tiny houses.”
“That’s true,” Lou realized.
They both looked up at the house with a collective start as what seemed to be a collectible doll was held by unseen hands in an upstairs window and waved at them.
“Uh . . . okay,” Lou said slowly. “At least it does seem friendlier?”
“In its own, mischievous way,” Ginger grunted.
“Better than nothing,” Lou said with a shrug.
Ginger supposed he had to agree.
Title: There He Is!!
Entry Number: 08
Author: insaneladybug/Lucky_Ladybug
Fandom: The Rockford Files (specifically, The Queen of Peru episode)
Rating: K/G (Silliness, ghost. Listening to the Korean song There She Is!! by the Witches makes this infinitely funnier during the chase scene.)
Genre: Supernatural, Humor
Spoiler Warnings: None.
Word Count: 2,505
By Lucky_Ladybug
The last thing Ginger and Lou were expecting as they pulled into the driveway after a long day of work was a little old lady nervously pacing up and down on their walkway. As soon as she saw the car, she perked up and rushed over. “Hello?!” she called, knocking on Lou’s window. “Mr. Trevino? Mr. Townsend?”
Lou opened the door. “Yeah,” he blinked. “What’s going on? Who’re you?”
“Violet Johnson,” the lady chirped, “and I need both of you fine young men to help me!”
Bewildered, but pleased to have not been called a boy, Ginger raised an eyebrow. “And how might we do that, Mrs. Johnson?”
“By helping me stop my poltergeist!” Violet declared.
Lou’s jaw dropped. “What makes you think we can do stuff like that?!”
“My daughter works for Fragmented Triangle,” Violet said. “She hears all kinds of wonderful stories about how you’ve stopped ghosts of all sorts!”
“I see,” Ginger said slowly, still wondering how such things were getting all around. “It’s true that we’ve taken care of some evil spirits, but we really can’t do much unless the ghost is malevolent.”
“Oh, my poltergeist doesn’t mean any harm,” Violet said. “But he does so many terrible things! I go shopping and he knocks down everything I’m looking at. He even spilled some of a bottle of perfume in two nice policemen’s car. I’m afraid the last straw was when he started playing with my dishes like Frisbees and began hiding my house keys. You know, I was locked out of my house for hours yesterday because that naughty poltergeist had stolen my keys right out of my purse?”
“Uh . . . that’s terrible,” Lou said. “But you know, poltergeists are really hard to get rid of. We’ve never succeeded before.”
“Well, now you can try again!” Violet nodded firmly. “Oh please. I don’t know how much more I can take!” She looked at them with desperate, begging eyes.
Ginger cleared his throat. “Yes, well . . . allow us a moment in conference, won’t you?”
Violet blinked. “Of course!” She stepped back from the car and Lou swung the door shut.
“What do you think?” he asked, keeping his voice low.
“I think she’s daft,” Ginger said matter-of-factly. “A clumsy woman who knocks things down and misplaces others. She can’t bring herself to acknowledge that she’s getting that on in years, so she invents a poltergeist to blame.”
Lou sighed. “That’s about what I think too. But she came all this way just to see us. I don’t even see a car. She must’ve walked or got a cab to bring her. Maybe we should humor her and go home with her and see what’s going on.”
“I suppose,” Ginger said in grudging displeasure. “Even if there is a poltergeist, however, I doubt we could do anything about it. They truly are difficult to get rid of. We couldn’t do anything with Cynthia’s.”
Lou shuddered. “I know.” He opened the door again. “Mrs. Johnson? We’ll take you home and check out this poltergeist. But you know, maybe it won’t let us see any evidence of it.”
“Oh, you may be right!” Violet exclaimed. She opened the back door and climbed in. “No one believes me when I tell them he’s there. They all think I’m the one doing all these terrible things. By accident, of course, you understand. But I’m not doing them any way at all!”
Lou nodded and pulled the door shut before backing out of the driveway. “How long have you been having this problem?”
“For years, simply years!” Violet sighed dramatically. “I really don’t know how I picked him up, but somehow he latched on to me and hasn’t let go since!”
“I see,” Ginger said. “Where do you live?”
“In the Valley,” Violet replied. “I’ll give you directions.”
“Thanks,” Lou said, wondering what sort of evening they were in for.
****
Violet’s house was large and old-certainly the type that could very easily house a ghost. But Ginger and Lou continued to hope that this time it would prove to be a little old lady’s fantasy. They followed her up the steps and into the entryway and watched as she stood and looked about the room and towards the stairs.
“These nice men have come to help me get rid of you!” she called. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t deal with any more of your antics. Why, you’ll break the dishes if you aren’t careful. And I can’t get locked out of my house again. My daughter will say I’m just a forgetful old woman. You don’t want that, do you?”
There was no response whatsoever, and Ginger and Lou looked at each other.
“It’s probably gonna stay hidden,” Lou said.
“Well, at least look around!” Violet implored. “Don’t you have some kind of machine that monitors ghost activity?”
“No,” Ginger said. “We’re not paranormal investigators. We simply have the misfortune of encountering ghosts in many of the places we’ve visited.”
“But we’ll look anyway,” Lou added, hoping to put Violet at ease.
She beamed, clasping her hands. “Oh, thank you!” she said. “You’re every bit as wonderful as my daughter says you are.”
That stopped them both in their tracks. “Who is your daughter, anyway?” Lou blinked.
“Stefanie, of course!” Violet said. “She uses her father’s last name, Lawrence. We divorced years ago. Stefanie tells me she sees you both almost every day.”
Ginger and Lou exchanged another look. “Why, yes, she does,” Ginger said. “On a professional basis.”
“Naturally. She adores you both so much!” Violet chattered.
Lou went a bit red. “Where would you like us to start looking?” he asked.
“Anywhere you like!” Violet said. “The whole house will need to be checked.”
“. . . I guess we’ll just start down here then,” Lou said.
“Go ahead!” Violet said. “Do you want to go alone or should I come along?”
“Why don’t you come?” Lou said, uncomfortable at the thought of wandering in someone’s home without the owner present.
“I’d love to!” Violet gushed. “I’ve always wanted to see how you people work.”
“There might be nothing to see,” Ginger pointed out.
“All the same, I’m honored to be along!” Violet declared. “What an adventure! Finally, we’re going to catch that old poltergeist!”
“Uh, yeah,” Lou said slowly. “Sure.”
****
Everything went much as Ginger and Lou had expected, at least at first. The ground floor was devoid of any strange and supernatural beings, albeit Violet insisted that she hadn’t left dishes on the counter when she left.
The upstairs seemed normal as well. Bathrooms, bedrooms, and a library were perfectly peaceful, undisturbed rooms. Ginger and Lou began to fully let down their guard and relax.
That was when a lamp fell over right next to Ginger. He jumped a mile, spinning around to look at it.
“There!” Violet squealed. “You see?!”
Ginger frowned. “My coat could have brushed against it and knocked it over if it wasn’t steady on the floor.”
“It was perfectly steady,” Violet said with a nod of finality. “It was my poltergeist!”
Ginger stared at the lamp and then looked up at the surrounding area. “Are you here?” he demanded. “Did you knock that lamp down?”
A breeze rushed past him, picking up the lamp and setting it upright before heading for one of the bedrooms.
“After it!” Lou yelled.
Thus began a mad chase throughout the house. Upstairs, downstairs, in the kitchen, under a bed, pulling down the oven door, hiding behind the couch. . . . Everywhere the unnatural breeze went, Ginger and Lou pursued. Violet trailed behind, shouting encouragement.
“You know,” Lou panted as they ran into the study, “this is the first time I’ve ever played hide-and-go-seek with a ghost!”
“And hopefully the last time!” Ginger retorted.
A book soared over his head and the breeze soon followed.
In the bathtub, in a closet, flying down the stairs on a skateboard from the attic. . . . Ginger, Lou, and Violet barely made it out of the way in time.
“See what I mean?!” Lou exclaimed to Mrs. Johnson as the three of them lay in a heap on the floor. “Poltergeists are just not something we mess with!”
Violet sighed. “I suppose I can see why. But this just can’t keep going on!” She leaped up, running after the breeze herself. “Come back here!”
Ginger and Lou looked at each other in tired exasperation. Then, exhausted, they pulled themselves up and chased after the determined old woman.
The kitchen table flew in the air and landed upsidedown. The chandelier swung wildly, nearly dislodging from the ceiling. A couch fell backward.
Suddenly Violet stomped her foot. “Now see here!” she roared. “If you’re going to insist on staying in this house, we’re going to set down some ground rules!”
Ginger and Lou ground to a universal halt, stunned by the abrupt forcefulness.
The poltergeist seemed stunned as well. Its presence was clearly felt, but it did not move.
“You’re going to pick up everything you’ve knocked over!” Violet ordered. “You’re not going to knock anything over again. You’re going to leave my keys and anything else I need exactly where I put them. And if you want to go skateboarding on the stairs, you’ll wait until no one is in the way!”
“Wouldn’t it be better to just say that’s off-limits too?” Lou blinked.
“Well, I suppose such an energetic poltergeist has to have some fun,” Violet shrugged.
Ginger folded his arms. “It might not obey you. It hasn’t in the past.”
“I haven’t actually laid down the law before,” Violet said. “It was watching you two chase it all over the house that made me realize I just had to put my foot down. I hadn’t tried that approach before.”
The couch tipped upright.
Lou jumped a mile at the loud thump. “Maybe it really will cooperate,” he said in amazement.
Violet beamed. “Maybe we can even learn to co-exist peacefully and enjoy each other’s company.”
“I would doubt that,” Ginger grunted. “You don’t want us to try to exorcise it now?”
“Let’s see if it really will behave,” Violet said. “I can always call on you again, can’t I?”
“. . . You can try,” Lou said, running a hand through his hair. “We’re kind of busy a lot.”
“Maybe if you’re coming back from taking Stefanie on a date,” Violet said innocently.
Ginger and Lou stared at her. “What,” Ginger said flatly.
“I know it would make her sail to Cloud 9,” Violet said.
“I don’t doubt that, but we’re not typically in the dating business,” Ginger said.
“Especially co-workers,” Lou said. “That can just get really awkward.”
“Come by for dinner some evening anyway,” Violet said. “It will just be a nice, friendly gathering. Maybe our poltergeist will even help set the table!”
The table flipped upright in the kitchen.
“That’d be the day,” Lou groaned. He glanced to Ginger for approval on his next words. “But sure, dinner sounds great.”
Ginger nodded. “Just as long as there really aren’t any more . . . antics.”
“We’ll see to that, won’t we?” Violet said, looking in the direction of the breeze.
The book hovered and then flew overhead, going back to the bookshelf.
Lou looked to Ginger. “This is really one for the books.”
“To say the least,” Ginger declared.
“Now all that’s missing is Stefanie walking through the door right now,” Lou sighed.
As if on cue, the door opened. “Mom, I’m . . .” Stefanie stopped and gasped. “What’s going on in here?!” She gawked at the floating book, transfixed.
“Oh, nothing, Dear,” Violet smiled. “Just our poltergeist cleaning up the mess he made.”
“But . . .” Stefanie turned to look at Ginger and Lou, her eyes widening and her face swiftly going red. “I’m so sorry!” she gasped. “I had no idea that she would actually call you.”
“That’s okay,” Lou sighed, waving a dismissive hand. “We deal with weird stuff all the time.”
“Yes, but that’s all the more reason for us not to burden you with more,” Stefanie insisted.
“Don’t worry about it,” Ginger said. “It was . . . interesting and enlightening to watch your mother finally take a stand and apparently get the poltergeist to behave. That said, this has better be the only time something like this happens.”
Stefanie shook her head. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Will you accept dinner as part of your payment? And we’ll pay in money too, naturally.”
“We don’t tend to get paid for these types of outings,” Ginger said.
“You know, I never really thought of it before, but I guess we could,” Lou said.
“And do it even more than we do now? No,” Ginger rumbled.
“Hey, I never said I’d be for it!” Lou exclaimed. “I’m sure not.”
Stefanie laughed. “Well, you’ll get paid this one time, at least. I insist.”
“Who are we to argue?” Lou said, looking to Ginger with a shrug. “It was pretty exhausting chasing that thing all over the house. And dinner sounds like a great payment to me.”
“Granted,” Ginger nodded.
“Great.” Stefanie beamed. “Come back in a couple of hours and I’ll have something ready.”
“Thank you,” Ginger said. He immediately headed for the door.
“You’re sure we can’t help with anything,” Lou said.
“You’ve helped wonderfully already!” Violet said. “Just sit back and relax now.”
“Well, we’ll sure do that,” Lou said in appreciation.
Soon he and Ginger were outside again and heading for the car. “Wow. So what do you think about that?” Lou asked.
“I’m still processing it,” Ginger said. “It’s certainly all very odd.”
“Maybe the poltergeist really will cooperate now,” Lou said. “It could’ve been carrying on because she wasn’t being firm about things.”
“True,” Ginger nodded. “But I bloody well hope we won’t encounter anything like that again.”
“You and me both,” Lou groaned. “I’ve never played such an exhausting game of hide-and-seek! And in a house!”
Ginger cracked a smirk. “Did you ever play it in your house as a child?” he wondered as they got into the car.
“Sure. But the parents laid down house rules of no running in there.” Lou shook his head. “They would’ve been horrified to see you and me today.”
Ginger looked entertained. “I can imagine.”
“What about you?” Lou wondered. “Did you ever play it?” Or even have anyone to play it with?
“Occasionally,” Ginger said. “Sometimes with Cynthia. Usually we played outside, however. There weren’t many places to hide in our tiny houses.”
“That’s true,” Lou realized.
They both looked up at the house with a collective start as what seemed to be a collectible doll was held by unseen hands in an upstairs window and waved at them.
“Uh . . . okay,” Lou said slowly. “At least it does seem friendlier?”
“In its own, mischievous way,” Ginger grunted.
“Better than nothing,” Lou said with a shrug.
Ginger supposed he had to agree.