“Yes.”
“Good, I’m going to send John down for you to suit him up while I have a confab with Burt.”
“Be nice, Olive.”
“I’ll do my best, Popeye.”
Burt frowned. He had a feeling he had been put in the role of Brutus, but he smiled once again and patted the chair beside him.
Mike left to escort John to the command center. It was just Mia and Burt sitting face to face. She wasn’t worried until Burt took off his com and asked for hers.
“First of all, sorry about your hair,” Burt said.
“It was too shiny,” Mia said. “Sorry about the punch.”
“It was just a tap. What are you doing with John?”
“Trying to help him and clear out a few ghosts at the same time. As a bonus, you get it on film,” she said.
“You’re telling me there is a ghost attached to John?”
“Two. I didn’t want to scare the shit out of him. There is the suited guy and his thug, who is riding John’s soul like they’re on their fifth date.”
This surprised him. “You gave no indication that the ghosts were in the room.”
“They weren’t at first, and they aren’t now. They’ve headed to the bar, I hope.”
“Do you think you could give me a better heads-up next time?”
“You seemed to pick up pretty quick without the heads-up,” Mia said, winding her hand as if she were filming with an antique camera.
“Thanks.”
“Do you think we could go back on com now?”
“Yes,” Burt said, not sure how his chastisement had changed so radically.
“Mia on com. How’s my John?” Mia asked.
“What to rephrase that?” Ted asked.
“How is our John?” Mia tried.
“John is suited up and waiting for you and Burt, just outside the bar with Mike. We already have two stationary cameras set up. Good luck.”
“Thanks,” Mia said and waited for Burt at the door.
They walked past the next two interviewees. Burt stopped to tell them that they would be back in a half hour, so they should make themselves comfortable.
“Come on, Burt,” Mia said impatiently.
“Those are the bigwigs, the ones who are paying us,” he said quietly through his teeth.
“Oh, do you think they want to come?” Mia asked.
Burt put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a light shove. “No.”
“K.”
Mia had vested-John behind the bar taking inventory. She sat on a barstool, doing a remarkable job of looking like a floozy. She had pulled her hair into a ponytail, taken off the cardigan, and tucked her tank into her pants until she could see the top of her bra.
Burt stood in the opposite corner, filming John.
John got up and turned around.
Mia followed his eyes to the corner. This time, Mia had rehearsed John to say, “What can I get you, sir?”
“He looks like a gin martini man to me, Johnny,” Mia said in a Betty Boop voice.
The pinstripe-suited man moved over and sat down next to Mia. “Make it two,” he said, leering at her.
“What about your friend? He looks thirsty,” Mia said.
The thug who was attached to John moved out of him and sat on the other side of Mia.
“Mia, nice to meetcha,” she said, offering her gloved hand.
The goon mumbled something.
Mia looked over at the suited guy and darted her eyes to the goon.
“His name is Billy. I’m Richard.”
“Oh, Richard as in Dick or Richarrrrd as the French would say?” Mia flirted.
“Dick, I mean Richard.”
“Nice to meet you Richard, and Billy. What brings you to this dump?”
“Died here. I died of thirst, and Billy here had a heart attack.”
“Hell of a way to go.”
John finished mixing the martinis. He poured three glasses. Mia picked up hers and toasted. “To two of the nicest guys, my mother never wanted me to bring home.” She giggled.
Richard raised the glass and clinked it with Mia’s. Billy mumbled something and pointed to something in the middle of the room.
Mia turned around but didn’t see anything. Richard did.
“I’m afraid, doll, I hear the missus, and she’s calling me home. Come on, Billy. It’s last call.”
The two ghosts moved quickly into the light.
“And cut,” Mia said.
John enthusiastically pumped Mia’s hand again, thanking her. “How did you know?”
“I wasn’t positive, but I think that the guy just wanted a drink. When you thought he was another worker and slammed the door shut, he took offense. Billy helped him out. So I thought, if we take the same situation but change the results, it might be enough to pull the light to the two goons.”
“Your Betty Boop was inspired,” he said.
“Thank you. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a few interviews to do before I can take a nap. Tonight, I fear, is going to be a busy one,” Mia told the bartender.
“Did you taste it?”
“The martini, no.” Mia walked over and took a sip. She gave John a thumbs up. “The best I’ve had,” Mia said.
“You don’t drink martinis,” Ted said in her ear.
“Then I wasn’t lying,” Mia hissed.
“Good call,” Ted said.
“Thank you, Partner Number Three.”
“How are you holding up?”
“I’m not going to lie to you and tell you my legs aren’t screaming. That wuss is walking solo back down the mountain. No more mommy holding his hand,” Mia said, adjusting the strap of her shoe.
“He’s been in a spectacular mood,” Ted said. “Cid said Murphy was quiet on the way here but has been pretty chatty since he got to the hotel.”
“Maybe it was something I said,” Mia mused. “I’ve got to cut this short. Time to interview the bigwigs, and I’ve got to soften my look a bit.”
“Will Betty reappear at nap time?” Ted asked hopefully.
“As long as you’re on top, Betty will be there,” Mia said and rushed to the interview room.
Chapter Seven
Mia and Mike were tossing a Nerf football back and forth in front of the hotel. Mia was trying to wake up from her nap, and Mike was bored. Cid and Audrey were taking the first investigative shift with Burt filming.
