Nightmares Vs Magic

All of the evidence was taken up to the fifth floor. Laurence was quick to request that Adan work on the burner phone to both get it working and how to get all the information on it, from text messages to anything deleted on it. Adan was quick to begin working on it but made no promises to give Laurence the results he wanted. 

"These devices as you know are very flawed. Even with my perfect skills, we likely won't get much." Adan said to him as he sat at his desk, the phone laid on the table with neat and organized tools around it. Prepped and ready like an autopsy. 

As curious as Joon was, he wasn't interested in watching Adan dissect a phone. As much as he enjoyed watching and learning how things worked and functioned, that interest didn't involve subjects such as electricity or wiring. No, he was more into the gears-and-cogs type of engineering, or so he told me. He looks like he might enjoy electrical wiring.

Dove nodded her head at this new information as she watched Joon walk away from the closed-door-room that Adan was working in and go back to his own desk where he had been scribbling out his own blueprints for designs that came purely from his imagination. None of them even had any names yet, just large and bold numbers at the top right corners of each one, just to keep track of them all. He still hadn't gotten to making any 3-D models or designs just yet. 

Still, the girl admired his passion, almost envied his energy for it as she quickly went to follow Laurence out of the labs, walking out the door and down the stairs with him. She was still holding the radio device in her hands, thinking she was supposed to return it to Adan or at least hand it to Enzo, but no one told her anything about what to do with it after she finished listening to the interrogation. 

"Are you feeling alright after listening to the whole thing? This one seemed pretty tame but there have been many disturbing interrogations before." Laurence asked as they walked down the stairs.

"I've heard worse. I'll be fine." She blurted out thoughtlessly, only catching herself when it was too late to take back. 

Laurence only chuckled, looking at her from the side like he wanted to give her a sympathetic pat on the head or back, but chose not to. 

"Well, that's unfortunate. I would hope you at least won't have to hear anymore from now on then, but, being a detective takes away that luxury." 

Dove suddenly freezes in place on the steps, as Laurence's words suddenly triggered a thought in her head. The same detective also pauses on the steps and turns back to look at her, confused and wondering what was wrong. 

"Are you okay?"

"Have I really been doing detective training this whole time- no- wait- I knew I have but-......."

Laurence tilted his head at her, noticing her clutch the radio device more tightly in her palms, and then looked back up at her when realizing. 

"Ah, yeah, I guess I have been nudging you into some easy cases as a way of training. Sorry, I know you initially never said anything about wanting to be a detective, it's just, you had a glow in your eyes when you were talking to me during the dollhouse case, so I thought you sort of enjoyed it." His voice began to waver more hesitantly when he noticed her face gently, and it was almost invisible, but he could see it, her face nearly contorting into an apprehensive reaction. 

"I-if you didn't actually like doing them, I'll stop asking for you to go shadow on cases. I promise, I was never trying to force you, maybe I read you wrong, I won't try to push anything from now on."

Dove frowned at his words again, but it wasn't a negative type of frown. Just an inquisitive one. She looked him in the eye, like searching his face which was filled with uncertainty, and what she was sincerely hoping she wasn't mistaken by, sincerity and empathy for her hesitance. 

"I..." She thought for a moment, her shoulders beginning to relax a bit. 

"It's alright, I guess. I guess, you just suddenly talked about, or at least implied the future in some way, and then I realized, I never had any plans for the future,,, or tomorrow really. You just kinda caught me off-guard and reminded me of my lack of planning is all." She tried to shrug it off. 

Laurence frowned at her words this time. 

"Are you sure? Because if going on these cases to shadow is actually bothering you in some way, you won't have to do them anymore, or, I can even find a different position for you to work on cases but still stay in the office."

She shook her head, grinning unconsciously a very minimal grin. 

"No, no, I like going on these cases. But, I guess I should start thinking and planning on how I'll continue them. I mean, if you think I can be a good detective, then I guess I should keep doing this." 

He shook his head. 

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

It felt comfortingly foreign, hearing him say that. I know it's probably a common saying for comfort, but,..... the genuine meaning is foreign.

"I'm being serious, if anything starts to bother you, just say something to me or Bence, we'll find something you're comfortable with. However, if you really are fine with all that you've had to do so far, I mean, you were just left alone with two strangers today, it must've been uncomfortable." 

"It's okay. Nathaniel's not exactly a stranger, and, could I lie? I mean, isn't that what this building prevents?" Dove said, her voice sounding unsure, like she was questioning herself, but she was telling the truth the entire time. 

Laurence eventually stopped questioning, and they continued their descent down the stairs until they got to the detectives' floor. 

"Alright, but next time I'm gonna find some better security guards who won't be compelled to leave again." He told her as they went in. 

Bence had entered the office center after exiting the hall, where he was down in one of the rooms with no windows, previously doing some research on Nancy's makeup box. 

He was holding it with gentle care as he walked towards Claire, who was this time sitting patiently at the chair in front of his desk. Nathaniel sat beside her, and he was pushing back his shyness and managing a good conversation with her before Claire excitedly shifted her attention to Bence after hearing his footsteps. She eagerly stood up as he handed back her vintage makeup box, immediately opening it to be greeted with Nancy's ghost. 

Nathaniel, still not used to the supernatural and much less meeting a real ghost, jumps in his seat as the two ladies, dead and alive, excitedly greet each other like classmates who were separated until they got released from their classes. 

"Now, since you insisted and signed on the document that you wanted to continue being able to communicate with Miss Williams, I placed some charms on the box that will allow her to continue visibly appearing before you and be able to speak to you whenever she wants. Just remember that when or if her spirit ever passes on, you are morally obligated to let her go, I will not be doing anything to prevent a spirit from passing on." Bence said, going through the usual protocols or rules that he had in place as Claire both listened and also silently nudged for Nathaniel, who was still shocked, to say something to her new friend. 

"Yeah, yeah, I got it! If you love someone, you'll let them go!" 

"One more thing, and it's very important for both your safety, Miss Williams' safety, and possibly the safety of anyone else around you. Should you ever try communicating with her and something seems off, follow your instincts and come here immediately. Being able to converse with a ghost doesn't automatically mean you can communicate with other spirits, but it can leave you vulnerable should any dangerous ones learn of your ties to each other."

While Claire was attempting to take a selfie with Nancy, clearly not listening, Nathaniel sat up straight and asked questions in her steed. 

"Like, what do you mean? Evil spirits will be attracted to her if they find out about Nancy?" He said, gesturing towards the two ladies.

Bence nodded, stepping closer. He wore a serious expression. 

"I don't mean to scare, but essentially, Nancy being able to communicate with a living person means others will try to use her as a portal to get to the living person too. This can either end up being a fun experience or it could lead to something bad, possibly demonic. It's difficult to explain but imagine it's like communicating with someone online in a supposedly private chat, only to later learn that anyone can access the chat as soon as they learn of it."

In his other hand was a folder. He flipped it open to grab a sheet of paper, freshly printed with a list of items on them. He called for Claire and Nancy's attention more assertively this time as he handed Claire the list. 

"Go down to the first floor where the magic store is, and you'll be able to find every item on this list. They're all different types of protective charms to ward away demons and evil spirits. You don't have to get all of them, but I highly recommend for safety precautions, that you at least get one of them. I put a barcode at the bottom so that when one of the ladies scan it, you'll get a discount." 

After explaining everything, he then goes to sit at his desk, now sitting across from them. While Nancy is looking at the list over Claire's shoulder, who is also taking a picture of all the items, Nathaniel fidgets with his fingers. 

"So uh, thank you for all this but also, um, if it's alright, one of your interns - Dove? - Mind if I ask if she's, okay?"

Seeming pleased at Nathaniel's words, his eyes searched the room before landing on Dove who was observing the whole situation while standing next to Laurence. Laurence was on his computer, typing in the info of the Strawford man into some sort of system as they were not done with him just yet. 

The girl shifts awkwardly and apologetic when the necromancer catches her staring. He gives her a reassuring wave before respectfully beckoning her over and then gesturing to Nathaniel. 

"Best to ask her yourself." He says as he gets up from the chair of his desk, welcoming Dove to sit there as he murmurs about going to a private breakroom. 

I could tell he was getting pretty tired. That was either because it was seriously getting late, or because he was losing social energy. Also, am I the only who gets this weird feeling, like it's usually positive but an also kind of nervous, prideful? Feeling - when someone you look up to, or like a superior figure, offers you sit in their seat? Like, I know the chair's not a throne - it's an office chair - but most people here will recognize the seat as Bence's.

Dove hesitantly sat down at the necromancer's desk, and yet it was Nathaniel and Claire who seemed to feel more awkward. Even Claire had gotten quiet, pocketing her phone, waiting for Nathaniel to start first. 

The marketing guy briskly cleared his throat. 

"So, that guy earlier, he was the real perp, huh?"

Dove nodded reassuringly. 

"Yes, we have evidence and a confession. He will be dealt with, and you'll never see him again, no need to fret-"'

"No - I mean - that's great to hear and thanks, but, what about you?"

she looked at him with a visible pause, caught off guard.

"I'm not sure what you mean?"

"Oh my god- Are you ok!?" Claire grew impatient and blurted out, taking the reins of the conversation. 

"Did that guy hurt you? Nathaniel told me you ended up alone with him, why would you do that? And I know - looking back on my shit, I'm gonna sound like a hypocrite - but seriously, what were you thinking? You didn't have to do any of that!" 

Nancy's spirit then reappeared again, floating over Claire's shoulder, her hand resting on her shoulder.

"Claire, don't be aggressive." 

The said woman sighed and relaxed her shoulders, sitting back and trying to reiterate but more calmly. She looked back up at Dove sincerely.

"... Thanks for doing what you did, even though it was pretty reckless. I mean, I know I can be pretty wild, but... Nancy and Nathaniel helped me to realize exactly what could've happened if you didn't step in... Why would you do all that?"

Dove sat confused, not at her words, but more on how to respond. Why? Well, she had a reason, multiple in fact, but they were hard to explain without a long story to add context. And one of those reasons, she'd really rather not let anyone know until she was dead. 

"You may be a little obnoxious at times, and sometimes aggravating, and ignorantly rude, but that doesn't mean you deserve to be stalked, to be spied on. You certainly don't deserve to have an encounter with a criminal, just because you make ignorant videos about murder for your channel."

Claire was making a face that was a mix between a growing sour mood and trying to hold her tongue still as she listened, her face growing a little red at the cheeks. 

"I know that being an influencer, while it can be fun, it may certainly drive you to do things that would be bad. Trust me, I know why you do it, it's a trend, but just because it's a trend, doesn't mean it's a good thing. And just because an influencer is annoying and practically lives for the screen, doesn't mean you aren't a human being. Maybe a little insane and irritating but that's still pretty human." 

Nathaniel looked like he wanted to snicker, Nancy as well but she held in her laughter as she kept her hand resting on the woman's shoulder. Whether Claire could feel Nancy's hand was a mystery, but the woman seemed to understand that the spirit wanted her to keep her cool. Claire breathed in and sighed, begrudgingly still talking with Dove positively. 

"Yeah, I get it. Okay.... Nancy told me what happened to her, so I can understand how some things I do can be pretty insensitive,,, and how I could've ended up like her. I'll try not to do that from now on. Anyway, thank you. Hopefully I can finally sleep peacefully again too?"

"You'll have to have that talk with Nancy, not me." The girl waved to the ghost lady. 

She waved them both goodbye and bid them goodnight as they both headed to the elevator, needing to go down to the first floor for the items on the list. 

When Laurence noticed she was done, he waved her over as he stood up from his desk, and they walked down the hall, past the other mystery rooms still unexplored. They were to have one more interrogation with the man before he was taken away, for not all questions were answered as soon as Laurence learned about the burner phone being locked up tight. He still had questions, and begrudgingly, knew that the last few questions would be a good light practice for Dove, and so he wanted her to ask the last questions.

As they stood in front of the door to the mirror room, Laurence became cautious and worried for Dove again. 

"I know you had an easy time with him before, but that was a physical fight. This is a conversation. Who knows what weird things he'll end up saying."

"I'm not exaggerating when I say, I've heard worse. Besides, he didn't even know how to kill me when he got me alone, I can get through this."

Before Laurence could question that last sentence, Dove quickly shifted his attention to their perp as she opened the door and went inside, holding the door open for him. They went inside, he locked the door, and she sat in front of the man next. 

Strawford was still handcuffed, but he would be moved soon. 

The last few questions that Dove would ask were written down in her phone, and she had her voice recording app already on. She leaned forward, arms resting on the table as she held the phone up to clearly record their conversation. That was how Laurence recommended she hold her phone. There were other methods, but she chose this one, even though it was obvious she was recording. But she purposefully wanted Strawford to know. 

"When you said you were going to lie and say your name was Ashton Williams, why, how, and who did you get the idea from to tell that lie?"

Defeated and already knowing he had no choice in whether he wanted to answer or not, the man shrugged, leaning back in his seat, not even bothering to look her in the eye. 

"That guy behind you should already know. It's the same answer to all his other questions, the guy on the phone told me what to do, what to say."

"Yes, but,,, " Dove eyed him carefully as she thought of her next words. "When did you receive the plan to say that in case you were ever caught?"

This caught his attention, and he himself became curious as he paused to think, not out of reluctance but genuine curiosity. He must've never put much thought into it before, humming to himself.

"I think it was during the first time I broke into her house. The only time I was ever able to fully explore her house, and it was during the times when she was out partying, left her door unlocked. The guy on the phone told me she did that often to let her friends in whenever they wanted. I thought it was stupid, but I didn't have to learn how to pick locks." He shrugged, smirking to himself about that one. 

Dove stayed still, staring blankly at him while Laurence made a visibly uncomfortable expression.

"The first thing I looked for when I broke in was her bedroom, and the first thing I searched was her dresser, but then something stopped me. I don't know, I felt like I was being watched. I looked up and saw this really, fancy looking box on the top of the dresser. The room suddenly got cold, and I remembered the phone guy telling me to five him photos and reports about anything weird, so I took a few pictures of that fancy box. Couple hours later, he tells me to give him more, so I sneak in again to take more pictures of the box, or at least I tried before I eventually felt like I'd fall sick on my knees if I entered her room again."

The girl frowned, holding her phone with both hands as she began to type something underneath her first question, followed by searching through her phone for the photo she took of all the evidence gathered before they returned. 

She turned her phone screen to him and zoomed in on Claire's vintage makeup box. 

"Is this the fancy box you're talking about?"

He looked with surprise in his eyes, nodding slowly. 

"Yeah actually, didn't realize how popular it was, but I guess it must be really well known. After giving him the photos, the guy on the phone told me he did some research on it, but he didn't really tell me anything else before giving me this plan to lie about my name in case I was ever caught. He just suddenly told me to say my last name was Williams specifically, and then to lie and tell people something about how I was just trying to retrieve the fancy box that the lady took from me. I don't own anything like that box, but he said making a scene like that would give me time to think of an escape."

Dove typed a long note underneath the answer she wrote to her first question, all in the notes app. The note was underlined, and something in her eyes, for the first time in a long time, began to tremble, just her pupils, just a little. One could easily mistake it for a flicker of the light. 

"So then, now that we know about how you obtained all the information, money, and directions for all your actions, what's your background info? For all the times you spent stalking her at night, surely you had a day job."

"I work in HR. My job ends at five, lasts way too long and pays too little. Nothing much going on for me to focus more on work then the strange offer on the phone. Not unless you want me to talk about all the girls at work who bitch to me about their issues in the office."

Dove blinked, then sat up straight, leaning away from him. 

Why am I not surprised?"

"Well at least now we also know why you took interest in that offer to stalk Claire." She said, mostly to herself as she checked the next question on the list.

"Hey! When a man gets the opportunity to meet a pretty woman, he'd be stupid to reject it." Strawford pulled on his cuffs as he tried to defend his case to her. 

Dove didn't give him much reaction or response. 

"Sure, sure, of course."

The final few questions that Laurence typed out for her were now about his home and his family, to which the man answered how he lived with a supposed girlfriend. He lived with her in an apartment and occasionally called his family sometimes. Other than that, he didn't have much presence in anyone else's life aside from his girlfriend, coworkers, and maybe family but it was debatable. 

A knock came to the door that blended in with the wall. Laurence looked to Dove as he walked to where he knew the door was. 

"Asked everything you wanted to ask? You don't have to just stick with the ones I wrote down for you."

She shook her head. 

"Nothing else comes to mind at the moment." 

"Right, nothing at the moment." He repeated as he opened the door. 

Dove sat there, staring pensively into space before soon standing up from her seat. In walked the two sirens, Calder who was well passed out earlier was now up, although holding his head, still recovering from the prior headache-worthy trap he was in. He walked into the mirror room with Callius, their eyes immediately falling on Strawford, and suddenly the temperature in the room seemed to drop to a bone chilling atmosphere even though there was no wind or real chill. It was just a goosebump feeling really, like everyone in the room knew something dangerous was afoot. 

The man who was still in his seat, hands still cuffed behind him, seemed to begin struggling against his restraints more. When he saw the two sirens at the door, his smirk that was forcing from before had now fallen. When Dove looked behind him to the mirror of his true self, that reflection was struggling against his seat, an unnerved expression on the reflection's face, teeth gritting and eyes wide. 

He deserves this, I thought to myself. Whatever fear he is feeling, and whatever punishment they are about to give him is none of my business, but I know he deserves it. This is what I told myself, and the thought of mine alone suddenly reminded me of a repressed memory.

The two Sirens flocked to either side of him, standing tall and towering over him as they each took a hold of an arm to hoist him onto his feet. Before they began to take him out of the mirror room, Dove suddenly thought of one more question. 

"Wait." Dove said out of the blue, suddenly having a thought as she called for Strawford's attention. 

"When the phone guy sent you a picture of Claire, and asked if you wanted to stalk her, did he tell anything about why he chose her out of all people? You said earlier that he even sent you a picture of her along with the phone, and asked if you liked her, but did he himself say anything about why he chose her as a target for you?"

The guy, also wanting to delay whatever punishment was making him nervous now that he was getting forcefully moved by the two Sirens, answered slowly and in slow thought. 

"I think he said something about her needing a lesson." He answered quickly, it wasn't him that wanted to, the room made him answer without beating around the bush or delaying the answer like he wanted. 

"He told me something about having chosen her from a list of options of his, said that she seemed like the type who needed her eyes to be opened. How she was an entitled brat that needed to be humbled, and he thought I could help him with it. He was right, I'm all for making a lady learn her lesson." He spilled more than he wanted, making this disturbing grin on the last comment. 

He began eyeing Dove differently too, eyeing her up and down before Laurence quickly stepped in front of her to obstruct his view. Laurence looked to the two Sirens. 

"So, basement?"

Callius shrugged his shoulders. 

"It's only fair, Dove was the one to beat him down, but seeing as she has no use for him, he's our catch. Don't worry, we'll take care of discussing his identity with Ursa before we consider just labeling him as missing, but for now, this guy needs something to help him recover faster." He nodded his head towards Calder. 

Calder nodded, tilting his head to look over Laurence's shoulder to Dove. 

"I hope this conversation isn't too disturbing for you. That is, if you know what we're implying?" 

For non-haunted folk, what was shown next could be mistaken as a trick of the light, but in a flash, Calder gave the girl a quick glimpse if his teeth as he tried to give her a gentle grin. 

Sharp teeth, not jagged like a shark, but clearly designed for flesh. 

I knew what he was talking about, and I didn't mind, honest. If they need to eat, I'm not gonna question their diet until it concerns me. I watched them leave with the perp in their clutches, I could see the growing curiosity in the guy's eyes as they went down the elevator. He probably assumed they're just gonna lock him up, ruin his public image and he'll get fired or something, but he doesn't know that he'll never see the light of day again.

As for me, this case ended up disturbing me more out of all the previous ones I shadowed on, because of the burner phones. From the gathered clues, it's clear that somewhere out there, someone is playing a long game and is smart enough to pick up random pawns so as to make them do their work without getting their hands dirty. That someone has to be very smart. I once knew someone that was really smart, and he, did not think like a person.