“Tacitus, good choice, Cooper,” Mike said.
“What does an old Roman have to do with ghost hunting?” Mark asked.
“Whoa, that’s above my head. Mike?”
Mike took his time with his answer. “Mark, we can learn so much from the past. When you go into a place that echoes with trauma, you try to prepare for it by investigating the past and taking good advice from those who came before you. Tacitus lived a long time ago, but still his words ring with truth.”
“‘Truth is confirmed by inspection and delay; falsehood by haste and uncertainty,’” Mia quoted the senator and historian again.
“My, my, a classical education. I’m impressed,” Mike said.
“Don’t be. That’s all the reading material my parents had that wasn’t about old bones,” Mia said. Once she felt the sandy bottom with her feet, she stopped swimming. “It’s time to give my husband hell for not defending my honor,” Mia said, winking at Mark.
Mike and Mark watched as Mia strode out of the water and picked up a towel as she scanned the beach for a weapon. She picked up the remaining icy pitcher of drinks and tossed it across Ted’s sun-warmed back.
Mia ended up in the water again, this time upside down after being dangled at the end of the dock for a few torturous minutes.
“Wow, that guy is strong for a string bean.”
“You have to be a very strong guy to be married to Mia, Mark.”
“She is awesome though.”
“Wait, kid, until you ghost hunt with her. She is beyond awesome,” Mike said.
Ted jumped in after Mia. Soon everyone else was in the water. Glenda, mourning the waste of good gin, was pleased when Audrey handed her Brian. Edie sat down next to her and smiled as Sam planted a beach umbrella over them. Cid took off his shirt and strode towards the water.
“I hate to say it, but that one has me thinking inappropriate thoughts,” Edie said.
“He sure is a looker. Now, honestly, look around at the men. Looking at them all, would you have thought that the squirt, Mia, would have chosen that one?”
Mia rose out of the water on Ted’s shoulders, challenging Cid and Mark to a chicken fight.
“No, but love is a strange thing. It doesn’t ask for permission, it hardly makes sense, and it is wonderful and horrible at the same time. Sam wasn’t my parents’ choice, but I love him.”
“Same with Mike’s father. I miss him.”
“How long has he been gone?”
“Long enough that I have to look at photos to remember his face,” she said sadly.
Edie patted her new friend’s arm. “At least you have that handsome son.”
“Yes I do.”
“Looks like your grandson has bested, Mia,” Glenda said, laughing as Mia was pulled off of Ted’s shoulders.
Cid turned to Burt and Audrey, “You’re next.”
Burt looked over at his researcher. “We’ve got my weight and your nails…”
She nodded and got on his shoulders. Burt charged Cid. Mark overreached, and the two toppled.
Mia, who was floating nearby, exhausted, laughed. Ted swam around her. “Are you having a good time?”
“Yes, the best.”
“They may be a trial at times, but they’re our extended family,” Ted said. “I don’t know what I’d do without all of you,” he said seriously.
“Come on, let’s get that barbecue going. I’m hungry.” Mia raced to shore so she didn’t have to hear Ted say, “You’re always hungry, Mia.”
~
Murphy neared the old house. He knew that Burt wanted Mia and the PEEPs to experience the place for the first time tomorrow on film, but since he wasn’t being photographed, he decided it was in all their best interest to check the place out for himself. True to Mark’s words, the place had good bones. The roofline was straight, and although the exterior foundation had a few cracks in it, the place was solid.
He was glad that his farmhouse hadn’t fallen this far into disrepair before Restoration Realty bought it and renovated it and the barn. But this pleasant four-porch abode had faced more than its share of storms. Wind and snow had collapsed two of the porches. The tin roof was peeling upwards on the north and west side. He heard the family stirring inside. They were weak at this time of day. He didn’t want to disturb or frighten them. Even with good intentions, a man arriving, toting an axe, has to be frightening.
He moved towards the ley line. He pondered who was Burt’s good authority on the line? Did he talk to Sabine or was Beverly communicating with the investigator? Either way, he moved clear of the distortion, afraid of where it would take him. He worked his way back to the cottage to find sunburned but happy PEEPs eating hotdogs and hamburgers. Mia was spooning out another helping of baked beans. She turned and looked at him.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“Fine for now,” he said. “Brian?”
“Sleeping. Ted has me wired so I can hear him. Although, I’m sure Cid can hear him without one of these,” she said, lifting her hair and showing him the baby com. The baby com was a bright blue disc that fit around Mia’s ear like an ear jacket. “Thank you for coming.”
“I missed you.”
“Me too.”
Murphy smiled and moved on to torment Mike.
Chapter Twenty-one
Mia, Mike, Mark and Burt went through a sound check before heading towards the house. Sam decided to hang back and watch from the command center. Ted pulled a chair over and told him what to look for. Cid was busy bringing Jake online. Jake would move Curly and the Oculars around to film as much as they could. Burt wanted the place totally covered with cameras but not until after the first walkthrough. Ted, however, wanted his wife protected, so he and Cid had worked out a plan to do so without compromising Burt’s wishes.
Sam watched as the little critters crawled out of the file boxes. “You guys are amazing.”
Ted
