Olympus Drive Book 3: According to Plan

Chapter 39

Delia

I'm rather wary about leaving my house now. I was to begin with. But now I'm worse. I haven't left the house all day. And I also haven't seen Hugh all day. That's a first since he died.

But now there's a person at my door, with a little girl. That does not make him less threatening.

"Police, open up," the man says, briskly. He's wearing a trench coat and is dressed a three-piece grey suit, he's holding a police badge in his hand. He's probably not past fifty, with greying hair, lines around his eyes, and some stubble like he didn't bother to shave this morning. Next to him stands a little girl, dressed in purple sparkly jeans, a bright pink sweatshirt, wearing a headset and armed with a variety of radios as well as a tablet. She's not older than ten, and is rather striking, with grey-blue eyes and very dark hair. She looks nothing like the man, though.

"Who are you?" I ask, answering the door with a gun. I have never seen two people less impressed with a firearm. I think the man almost laughs like he'd appreciate being shot.

"Detective Stamos, Winfell PD," the man says.

"I need to see some ID," I say, as he pulls out his badge and little license thing.

"We're here to follow up on a missing person's case---you reported your husband missing a few months ago?"

"But you think he's dead those are anti-summoning symbols on the windows---in my grandpa's handwriting," the little girl says, tugging on the man's sleeve.

"I um---" how to say this without sounding crazy? "Hired an exorcist" not that way "I felt like I keep seeing him. I think he's dead, my husband."

"Oh really?" the Detective does not look happy, "When did you hire this exorcist?"

"This morning----they had the same last name, as you—are you married by any chance?" he's not wearing a ring, but that doesn't mean anything.

"Not at all," he says, pulling out his phone and dialing, "Hey fuckwad—care to tell me what you did this morning???" which does convince me that these two people, equally unrealistic in basically any context, are married and this is their little fairy child the twin to the death child that was here earlier. If I had known that committing a murder would open up another realm of earthly beings I still would have done it, but I might have moved afterwards. But I like this house. No I might not have moved scratch that. It just would have been nice to know.

"Be nice to grandpa; you've accidentally raised a family together," the little girl says, as the man puts his phone on speaker.

"To be clear YOU are the one who said I should get a 'real job' that 'isn't forgery'---"

"Pretending to be an exorcist and painting your weird ass shit on people's houses is not a real job. You moron," the detective growls into the phone.

"I'm not pretending. I have actually been to hell---"

"So have I; you're not special," icily, still I truly believe they are married.

"If you're just gonna argue with your wife—" I wonder if I could close this door.

"Nope—I'll deal with you later. If I find out you're answering weird want ads to eat people—"

"What part of over population is confusing to you, Detective????"

"Shut up," hangs up on his wife.

"Hi, so who died and who do you think is haunting you?" the Detective asks.

"My husband," I say, "He's a missing person."

"Right--- except he's not missing if he's haunting you that means he's dead."