The Cases of George Alpha #3 - Stolen Spirits

Travis Barker

'Good morning, Travis,' I said, as the light above the speaker turned green.

'Is it morning, detective?' the spirit voice of Travis Barker replied. 'I can't really tell in here.'

Travis Barker was dead, he had been killed resisting arrest two weeks before. I was talking to his spirit in room one at Spirit Central.

'Actually, it's almost lunchtime.'

'Oh, planning to have anything special for lunch, detective?'

I sighed, by the sound of it, two weeks of spirit cell had still not softened him up. I wanted Travis to give me information about the Ability smuggling ring he was involved with, but he stubbornly held his silence on the subject.

Two weeks ago we had transferred him to a spirit cell, where he was kept awake but separate from others the entire time. It was to spirits what solitary confinement was to living humans, he had no contact with anybody and could do nothing but wait. We hoped the boredom would break him and he'd start talking in return for being sent back to the waiting room, where he could go dormant again, unaware of time passing.

But Travis Barker appeared to be a much stronger spirit than initially expected. This was my fourth time coming by for an interrogation, but it started off exactly the same way as the others, except this time I had a new trick up my sleeve.

'We arrested Leroy three days ago,' I said, ignoring his chit-chat.

It remained silent for a couple of seconds.

'Leroy?' came out of the speaker.

'Yes, Leroy Barker. We've got him for bank robbery, triple homicide and sexual assault.'

'I don't know any Leroy.'

'That's strange, he definitely knows you. He's been telling us all about your little operation.'

More silence.

'I don't know what you're talking about,' he hesitated.

'Oh but I think you do,' I continued my little bluff, 'you were in this together.'

Silence once again.

'I haven't asked him yet, but what is he to you anyway? Father? Brother? Uncle? You might as well tell me now, he will sooner or later.'

I could almost sense the spirit on the other side grinding its teeth.

'I told you I don't know any Leroy, so whatever he's telling you is a lie!'

'Look, Travis,' I offered, 'just tell me how you two are related. You give me this one thing and I'll send you back to the waiting room for a bit, how's that?'

It took several seconds before another reply came back.

'Goodbye, detective.'

I leaned back and smiled, I had gotten under Travis's skin. Even though he tried denying everything, the hesitant replies showed he was being extra careful, thereby indirectly confirming there was a connection between him and Leroy Barker. Now I just had to figure out what it was.

'I guess it's back to your cell then,' I said. 'Are you really sure you don't want to give me something? Anything?'

Nothing came back from the other end.

'That's too bad,' I shrugged. 'I'll be back in a day or two to see if you've changed your mind. Hear you then, Travis.'

I pushed the spirit release button and sent Travis Barker back to his cell, feeling elated at the tiny bit of progress I had made. After all, Leroy had been much more adamant in denying knowledge of a man named Travis. Perhaps playing them against each other would cause one of them to slip up.