Buried Within (Lockwood & Co Fanfic)

The Odd Client

"That's not actually true."

"Excuse me?"

Lucy nearly choked on her tea, watching Lockwood to her left say precisely what a potential client wouldn't want to hear—that they were wrong. On her far left, George raised an eyebrow while keeping his mouth shut, constantly on orders from Lockwood of all people not to say anything that might jeopardize landing a client.

"I know the law, young man," the woman said, her fingers tightening around her pants leg while her mouth pushed together.

The woman in question had arrived moments earlier with her daughter, who now stood by the window looking out. Yet, when they first arrived, the woman seemed completely calm regarding the situation, while the daughter seemed nervous. Lockwood beckoned them in, bidding them to sit in the front parlor while George made the tea.

The conversation started with the woman saying, "The other day, I purchased a house for my daughter to renovate and live in, and I told my daughter that there wasn't a ghost in this house. I should know."

"You do?" Lockwood said, a twinkle appearing in his eye, which meant the case amused him. "How do you know?"

"Because the law requires the seller to tell every and any potential buyers of any hauntings on a given property. As such, there can't be any truth to there being a ghost there."

"That's not actually true," Lockwood said in response.

"Excuse me?" The woman sat there, her fingers tightening around her pants leg while her mouth pushed together. "I am quite sure I know the law, young man. And I'm quite sure the law requires sellers to tell every and any potential buyers of any hauntings on a given property, as I've said."

"Oh, that's true."

The daughter turned her head from where she looked out the window, her attention suddenly perked at where she looked out the window, her attention suddenly perked at what seemed like a contrary statement from Lockwood as her mother continued to fume, glaring right after the head of Lockwood & Co.

"What isn't true is that guarantees there to be no actual ghosts, although that is the law's intent," Lockwood said.

The woman's eyes blinked, taken aback by the direction he took their conversation. "Pardon. I don't follow."

"People lie, Mrs. Pascal."

"Ms. Pascal," the woman said. "I no longer use his name. And what is this with lying? What does that have to do with their being a potential ghost on the property I'm trying to renovate? Why can't my daughter and I just move in."

"Potential ghost?" Lucy said as George offered more tea.

"Potential ghost?" George parroted back, his head lifting to look at the woman. "What do you mean a potential ghost? Why are we being contacted again?"

"Shush, George," Lockwood said as if he hadn't moments before almost bungled, gaining them a new client with the way he'd started the conversation with Ms. Pascal.

"I say potential because my daughter says there is one," Ms. Pascal said.

"So," Lucy said, frowning, her dislike for Sensitive, who did nothing with their Talent becoming apparent. "Your daughter is a Sensitive. But not an Agent?"

"As if I'd let her be one if she was one," Ms. Pascal said.

"Says the woman who is completely fine with living in a house where you just exposed a body in the wall," the daughter said. "And yes, despite her not believing it true, I am a Sensitive."