Faye wasn’t sure that Kiki deserved Cid’s vitriol, but she agreed with him. The ghosts needed to be controlled. She feared that most of them had gone past the point of no return. When a ghost is trapped inside a structure for too long, they go crazy. This she learned from Stephen Murphy. His friend Mia had seen it happen and promised she’d never let it happen to Stephen. That meant ending his existence. Faye wasn’t sure how this could happen, with the exception of the burning of one’s bones. Her bones were safe under several feet of water in the bottom of a well. When she told Stephen that, he looked at her slyly and said, “There is more than one way of ending a ghost’s existence. Those ways don’t bring on the light. Make sure you abide by the rules if you’re going to continue to exist on the plane of human existence.”
An anxious Sally stared at the table of men from the doorway of the kitchen. No one was eating. Did she in her haste to put a hearty meal on the table create something uneatable?
Kiki got up and tapped her spoon against the whiteboard. She waited until she had everyone’s eyes on her, and she said, “I’m sorry. You can’t work under these conditions. I thought that the rumors of this house were hyperbolic. Now I find they were underexaggerated. I can’t legally bring in a team like PEEPs to help, but I believe we can sort this out for ourselves. We can hypothetically gather information from reputable sources and put together a plan to contain the ghosts.”
“I think we’re dealing with a heritage demon,” Cid said. “However, I don’t think the demon is on the premises.”
“What’s a heritage demon?” Wayne asked. “Is it like a house demon?”
“A house demon attaches itself to a house. As long as the house is cared for the way the demon likes it, it won’t interact with the humans who live within its protective walls,” Cid said. “According to PEEPs’ research, there aren’t many heritage demons. There are just about a hundred of them on this planet. Most are tied into Hell, and the souls they collect are sent there. They are higher demons and very powerful. I’m not exactly sure how the contract is made between the human and the demon, but a deal with a heritage demon is for long life and power. They get the demon to do their bidding in exchange for the souls of everyone in the dealmaker’s family, no matter how many generations. Souls are a big commodity in Hell.”
“But what would the original Atwater get from the demon?”
“Heritage demons can eliminate competition, twist the minds of voters, and much more in order to secure the success of an endeavor for the person they have bonded with. In this case, Congressman Atwater, who I’m starting to suspect isn’t Arnold at all, but August, and he will soon be Bridgeton if he hasn’t already been consumed.”
“You mean sacrificed,” Jessie said. “Isn’t that what these demon worshipers do?”
“Every instance is different,” Cid said. “I think even demonologists don’t have a complete picture of demons.”
“They must evolve like people do,” Sally said.
Cid looked over at her and nodded. “That’s as good an explanation if any.”
“If what you say is true, it would explain Bridgeton’s attitude towards me,” Kiki said. “He treated me like a suffragette. He seemed quite put out that I was in charge of a company of men. It only makes sense if Bridgeton is actually August.”
“But I just saw Congressman Arnold Atwater on the news, and that dude was old,” Pete said.
“Glamour,” Cid said.
“I don’t understand what you mean by glamour,” Carl admitted.
“In this case, it’s an illusion, an enchantment,” Cid explained. “When people cease to remember what Bridgeton looked like, the glamour will lift, and you’ll see August at the age of his binding with the demon.”
“Do these heritage demons feed off ghosts?” Wayne asked.
“I don’t think so. I think the demons have independent power. Why?”
“Why trap the ghosts?” Wayne asked. “I assume they are trapped because none of them have come after us outside the house.”
“Good question,” Cid said scratching his head.
“May I offer a suggestion?” Jesse asked.
“Please.”
“What if these men witnessed the deal? If they are released to move on to their reward, Heaven, Purgatory, or perhaps Hell may get an idea of what’s up with the Atwaters.”
“Then you’re thinking that we may be the first to find this out?” Kiki asked. She rubbed her arms to stave off the chill. “Guys, we have to bury this deep. I don’t want the demon to come after us.”
“Doesn’t this make us complicit?” Sally asked. “Are we no better than Atwater, now that we know?”
“She’s just like you,” Faye whispered to Cid, keeping her invisibility.
“Yes,” Kiki answered. “Tell you what. Let’s store this information for if we have to use it in order to keep our client under control. In the meanwhile, we gather information we can use to keep us safe on the job. Cid has a lot of experience dealing with the paranormal. You are the best contractors around. Let’s pool our experience, strength and abilities to get this job done in the shortest time possible.”
“What happens once we’re done?” Cid asked.
“We collect our paycheck and leave. Wait a few days and bring in the big guns to release the ghosts who aren’t crazy and extinguish the ones who are harmful. This way, we aren’t breaking our contract with Atwater and our contract with humanity,” Kiki promised.
Chapter Seven
Cid scooted over and patted the communal couch cushion beside him.
