Almost Isolated

Chapter 24 - Stubborn Margot

Dianna had meant to punish them. She and her sister were grounded for a month (as if they were really allowed outside). Margot said nothing but went out anyway after two weeks.

She saw a news post on Facebook and wanted to continue her investigation. It was about the murder of Helen Empoy. Interestingly, the case had been opened again. Elaine, the younger sister was reported missing by her manager at her workplace at Crown Hotel  in Lucena City.

She was certain, Julian may know something. And now that the ghost seemed okay with Neri and Robbie, Julian may be willing to help her.

Margot didn't really care about Helen. The whole thing isn't about bringing justice to her murder. She was just curious, putting pieces together. It's a satisfaction for her to know the truth.

Even knowing the truth could hurt...

Her mother's hushed tone while talking to her dad interested Margot a few months ago. One fact had led her to the fact that almost shattered her. Good thing, she was still surviving. One day, her dad, Erwin Sy will show up to their home and will reveal his second family. For the meantime, keeping herself busy will save her from thinking and hoping that her family can still be fixed.

"Julian?" It was around three in the afternoon. Margot got the key from the pots and entered the side door.

Everything was still a mess. Furniture were turned, objects were scattered on the floor. The table and chairs, chipped and broken were still on the hallway. The ghost had indeed made a lot of damage.

Margot remembered Maddie's word for it: 'tantrum'.

But if Julian could move things, she thought. Why the f*uck he hadn't cleaned up -?

"Yes?" The resident ghost in his almost living form emerged from the last room down the hallway on the second floor.

Julian wasn't as friendly as the last time when she and Maddie saw him smiling at them from the second floor window. He didn't even nod his head in recognition of her.

Margot suddenly felt like she should leave. Julian's issue with Neri and Robbie may had appeared resolved, yesterday. But what if she was wrong?   What if he was still angry and would relapse into having a fit again?

"You want to know what happened to Helen. Don't you?"

"F*uck... yes!' Margot had nodded her head, eagerly and moved past the door with the yellow barricade tape for Julian.

"I would be willing to help you." The ghost mouth twitched into a small grin. "But first you must clean my house."

Margot's initial reaction was to laugh but when Julian's smile faded; she understood, he wasn't kidding. "But you have ghost powers. You can simply move things."

"I'm afraid, I don't want to waste my energy. If you can do it for me, why would I?"

Julian started to vanish. "You'll see me again as soon as you are done with the task."

"The f*uck!"

"And no swearing here." With that, the ghost in his greenish brown soldier uniform was out of sight.

"No way am I going to clean your house!" Margot was infuriated. The f*uck with her investigation! She didn't really care about Helen.

She retreated for the side door and yelled at the top of her lungs to the invisible being. "Diana doesn't let me clean our house. Why would I clean yours?"

Margot was still fuming but as soon as she was out in the street, she felt cold as a familiar face with three older people - two men and a woman in police uniform saw her.

"What is this?" One of the policeman had been quick to grab her before she could run. "Another pigheaded kid outside residence?"

~oOo~

"What could had happened? Why is your Aunt Diana and Margot outside the Jones house?"

Neri and Robbie was watching from the balcony. Two policemen were in serious discussion with Dianna who was still in her office uniform of yellow blouse and green pencil cut skirt. Behind Dianna was Margot, looking like a lamppost in her oversized jeans and T-shirt.

Neri sighed and fished her cellphone from her apron. She was experimenting on a cooking a pancake when her ghost boyfriend called her.

Ghost boyfriend...

Neri smiled at the thought and tapped at her aunt's number over her phone when she saw Dianna and Margot walked away from the officers. She guessed the meeting was over.

"It's probably that horrid cousin of mine doing trouble again. It seems that it's over now. I'll try to call Aunt Neri."

"Could you put her on the speaker phone?"

"Bossy, eh?" Neri frowned at Robbie's idea. "And you are really familiar with cellphones, aren't you?"

Dianna had answered her call before Robbie can utter something.

Her aunt's voice was breaking. "This is Margot's second offense," she told them over phone. "They wanted me to stay in jail for one day, for being a lousy parent. I pleaded no. Then the fine 2k. I told them I haven't got any extra money. We resolved in putting Margot in a community service for two days. She'll have to clean the Jones' house as punishment."

"I'm so sorry about that." Neri can sympathize with her aunt with the head aches brought by her cousin; but she wasn't sure if she was really sorry about Margot getting herself in a mess. For all she knew, her cousin might have planned it herself.

"She still wants to find out about Helen's murder." She told Robbie after saying goodbye to her aunt. "That girl. She's so hardheaded, she can kill herself... And Aunt Dianna. I should or... Margot's more attached to you. Can you tell her to back off, before it's too late?"

Robbie said nothing.

Lying in bed later, after Robbie had gone, Neri realized the house still fascinated him. The issue with Alejandra might had been finished, solved for Julian Jones' sake. But with Robbie? Neri remembered his words the second time, he met him: 'I need you to help me with... with something in the other house.'

What's in the Jones' house for Robbie?