Frank McKissick was a rather round fellow with a permanent smirk that always irked Ava. He had worked as her cameraman for three years, but that all ended once he learned her secret.

"You're mental," he had said to Ava the day he caught her talking to thin air. Frank hid around the corner and listened for nearly ten minutes. What he heard made him sure he had been working for a lunatic.

Now, Frank has found a new home. He entered Damien's office and spotted the old man studying notes at his desk. When Frank arrived, Damien gave him as close to a smile as possible. He shook Frank's hand and offered him a seat.

"Frank, I wondered how long it would be before I saw you," Damien said. His lack of surprise didn't faze Frank. He knew Damien would value his knowledge about Ava's team. "We would be glad to have you on the team. Your work on Whispers in the Dark impressed me. What can you tell me about Ava?"

"Oh, boy. I can tell you plenty, but I have a few questions first."

"Shoot," Damien replied, holding his hands out.

"What's your problem with Ava?"

"Are you defending her? Did she send you here to be her mole?" Damien asked, smirking.

"No, I have no love lost for that crazy—woman. I was simply curious," Frank explained. Damien thought he was censoring himself.

"She's dangerous."

This answer confused Frank. He wasn't expecting Damien to say that. Frank figured he simply thought her annoying, not dangerous. "How so?" he asked.

"She's good. I'll give her that, but that's the problem. She's too good. Her show encourages people to follow in her footsteps. Every Tom, Dick, and Larry thinks they are a ghost hunter now. They are overrunning these locations. Someone needs to bring them back to Earth."

"But you seem to only focus on her. Why not that douchebag, Derek Higgins?"

"He satirizes himself every week. That's low-hanging fruit."

"Good point," Frank laughed. "Did you know Ava thinks she can see and speak with ghosts?" he added, but Damien's lack of reaction disappointed him. Frank expected shock, amusement, or both. Instead, Damien stared at him stone-faced.

"Is that so? That explains a few things. It also proves my point. She's dangerous," Damien replied. His expression still didn't change.

"Yeah, they need to commit her to an asylum, not give her a TV show," Frank said. Damien's expression briefly turned sour, confusing Frank. He changed the subject to break the awkwardness. "When can I start?"

"We have an investigation next Thursday. My secretary will give you your travel itinerary. Make sure you're on time," Damien said, returning to his notes.

"Yes, sir."

***

After Ben recovered from his concussion, Ava took him out for a beer as promised. The team went to Quigley's Pub. It was one of those places where the jukebox was too loud and the cigarette smoke was too thick, but they had pool tables and cheap drinks. Soon, Ben and Malcolm played pool while Ava, Ami, and Felix chatted at a nearby table.

"Tell me more about yourself, Ben. What makes you tick?" Malcolm asked as he lined up a shot.

"Energy drinks and money," Ben joked.

"I'm serious."

"So am I," Ben laughed. "Fine, what do you want to know?"

"Tell me about your family."

"My dad is an accountant, and my mom is a housewife. Kinda boring. I know," Ben shrugged. He took his turn, but he scratched and cursed under his breath.

"Any siblings?"

"Just a younger sister," Ben replied. He tried to hide his discomfort, but Malcolm was too good at sensing those kinds of things.

"Is everything okay?"

"No. Let's just say she had problems and leave it at that," Ben replied. He worried Malcolm would pry further. Ben saw the look in his eyes, but Malcolm remained silent. Somehow, Malcolm's gaze drew more from him without an effort. "She had a breakdown years ago and hasn't been the same since. Molly hasn't said more than a few words in a long time. She simply stares out the window whenever I visit her."

"Do the doctors know what's wrong?"

"No, they say it isn't like anything they've ever seen. They don't think it's a mental illness," Ben said. He distracted himself with another shot before continuing. "She's the main reason I chose the paranormal investigation field. Molly used to claim she could..." he started but trailed off.

"Could what?"

"She thought she could see and talk to ghosts. I have to understand what happened to her. That's why I'm here."

"I hope you find your answers, Ben," Malcolm said, patting Ben on the back.

"Me too," Ben replied, but his expression changed to surprise. "I don't usually open up like that."

"It's a gift I have. Ami likes to say I suck the emotions out of people," Malcolm said.

"She certainly has a way with words."

"That she does."

"Please don't tell the others any of this," Ben said, looking at Ava. "I didn't even mean to tell you. Dammit! Stop sucking my emotions," Ben said, breaking into laughter moments later.

"Sorry about that. Don't worry. It will stay between us," Malcolm replied, trying to stifle his reaction. He failed, and they laughed hard enough to start wheezing.

***

Meanwhile, at Ava's table, Ami was trying to use her way with words to get Ava to spill the tea about Ben.

"I still can't believe nothing happened at his apartment," Ami said, glancing at Ben.

"Why not? Ben is just a friend," Ava replied. "Besides, I wouldn't take advantage of him like that."

"He was concussed, not drunk."

Ava shook her head at Ami's absurdity, but she let it go. Thankfully, a distraction arrived. Tessa and Leo entered the bar and spotted them. Ava waved, making Felix groan and take a long swig of his beer. Tessa and Leo sat with them, much to Felix's chagrin.

"How are you guys?" Leo asked.

"Not bad. You?" Ava asked.

"Another step closer to losing my mind."

"You're welcome to jump ship."

"Ava, I've seen your pay scale. As much as Damien annoys me, he pays better. No offense."

"None taken."

"Hi, Felix," Tessa said while they talked.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

"Tessa," Felix replied as he idly picked at the label on his beer.

"I bought the Tyson 650 as you suggested. It works great."

"I don't remember telling you to buy anything," Felix replied, staring into space, trying to recall their conversation.

"Oh, well, you said you liked yours."

"What did Damien think of it?"

"He didn't seem as impressed," Tessa replied, looking disappointed.

"He's an idiot," Felix said, making Tessa smile. The sight broke Felix's resolve, and he returned the expression.

While this happened, Ben and Malcolm returned to the table. Ben seemed surprised to see their guests.

"Ben, this is Tessa Biggs and Leo Nance. They work for Damien," Ava said, earning a wary look from Ben. "Don't worry. They're cool."

"Did you hear that, Leo? We're cool!" Tessa replied, doing a little happy dance.

"It's good to meet you both," Ben laughed.

"You must be Frank's replacement. Oh, Ava, you should know Damien hired Frank," Leo said, making Ava choke on her margarita.

"He did what?" Ava asked.

"Yeah, he starts on our next investigation."

"This is unbelievable. Damien's obsession with us is unhealthy."

"I agree," Tessa said. "So, where is your next investigation?"

"Um, should we tell them that?" Ben asked.

"They won't snitch. Leo and Tessa don't like Damien anymore than we do," Ava replied. "We're going to the McLemore Paranormal Museum."

"Smart move. You're choosing places Damien already did," Tessa said.

"Yeah, we can play his game, too," Ava replied.

***

The drive to the McLemore Paranormal Museum took six hours in a packed cargo van. They had little room between the five of them and their equipment. Ben felt like the middle sardine in a can. At one point, Felix fell asleep on Ben's shoulder and drooled on his sweatshirt. Ben nudged Felix, making him fall onto Malcolm, but Malcolm eased him back. To make matters worse, Ami took pictures on her phone. Ben knew they would end up on the team's social media profiles.

When they arrived, the museum's curator greeted them. He was an odd-looking man named Ned. His wild, wide eyes looked at them from behind thick glasses. They amplified an already alarming stare. Soon, Ben discovered Ned stood far too close to you while talking. He was sure he could tell what Ned had for lunch by his breath.

"Welcome! Come in," Ned said, leading them inside.

They followed and discovered a display room filled with glass cases holding an assortment of dolls, toys, knickknacks, and random devices. Ned claimed they were all haunted in some form or another. Ben didn't believe that, but admitted that they were creepy, especially the large clown doll.

"Ah, yes. We nicknamed this doll Boffo. He was present for two deaths and one house fire. The doll remarkably survived the flames without a mark," Ned explained. "Sometimes, we arrive in the morning and find him in a different position than the previous night."

"Someone might have bumped into the case," Ben replied.

"You sound like that grumpy old fart who filmed here a while back," Ned said, looking annoyed. He adjusted his glasses and glared at Ben. "He didn't believe me either."

"Are you talking about Damien Blackwood?" Ava asked.

"Yes, that's the man. I didn't like him."

"Join the club," Ami muttered while walking around the display room.

"And don't mind Ben. He's our grumpy fart," Ava added, earning a hurt look from Ben. She tried to heal his wounded pride with a warm smile, but it didn't work.

"I'm not grumpy," Ben grumbled. He continued muttering as he moved around the room. Ben found a case with an old nutcracker soldier inside. The mouth was open, making it even creepier looking. The sight engrossed Ben so much that he jumped when Ned bent down to peer at him through the back of the case.

"Oh, my! Jumpy and grumpy, huh?" Ned asked before walking away, chuckling as he walked.

"I'm not jumpy either!" Ben said, turning to see Ava looking at him. She bit her lip to keep from reacting, but it proved difficult. Then, something behind Ben caught her attention, and she lost the fight against her giggles.

"What?" Ben asked. He turned to look and didn't see anything at first, but he did a double-take. A doll in the display was doing something surprising. "Is that doll flipping me off?" Ben asked. "Who did that?"

Ava walked away because she couldn't tell him a ghost had moved the doll's hand. She knew it was going to be an interesting night.

***

While Ben, Felix, and Ami set up the cameras and equipment, Ava ventured into the museum to find the ghost who flipped off Ben. She discovered him in the back, trying to rearrange letters on a sign. He only succeeded in knocking a few down.

"Hey there," Ava said, making the ghost spin around, looking surprised. "Hey, look at that. I scared a ghost. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?" Ava asked.

"You can see me?" the ghost asked. He was a young man with messy brown hair. Ava recognized the mischievous glint in his eyes despite his misty appearance. She knew this one would be fun.

"Yes, I can. What's your name?"

"Brian."

"Brian, you can move objects pretty well, right?"

"Somewhat. I can only do so much," Brian replied, gesturing at the mess he made of the sign.

"How would you like to screw with my friend Ben some more? I'm filming a paranormal investigation show here tonight, and it would make for great TV. Plus, I want to make a believer out of him."

"That sounds like fun. Sure, I'll help."

"Okay, but please don't throw anything at his head," Ava replied as she walked away.

"So, you're saying I can throw things at the rest of him?" Brian asked, but Ava was already gone.

***

The crew set up two cameras on tripods while Ben manned the handheld camera. One focused on the nutcracker while the other pointed toward Boffo. Both devices had infrared and night vision capabilities. Once they had situated the equipment, they turned out the lights and began the investigation.

"Would anybody here like to play with the toys?" Ami asked. "Are there any children present?"

Ava looked at Brian as Ami said this. He wasn't a child, but she thought he was in his early twenties. However, he had the mischievous air of a kid. Brian waited for his cue, looking simultaneously gleeful and anxious. His eyes darted back and forth between Ava and Ben, but Ava shook her head.

"We know you have moved things in the past. Would you like to do that for us now?" Malcolm asked. "You could be on TV. We are filming a show. Doesn't that sound fun?"

"Yeah, it does," Brian said, but none of the devices heard it. Ava was the only one who acknowledged his statement. "Now?" he added, glancing at Ava. Brian smiled when he saw her nodding. He reached through the glass case and concentrated as he grabbed the clown doll.

"Whoa! Look!" Ami said, pointing at the case. Boffo's arm slowly moved upward as if waving at them.

Ben zoomed in on the toy, but a look on his face caught Ava's attention. He didn't seem convinced, and she sensed he had something to say.

"You can talk, Ben," Ava said.

"But I'm the cameraman," Ben whispered.

"There's no rule that says the cameraman can't talk. We play by our own rules."

"You mean Jim's rules?" Felix asked.

"Jim won't mind. If he does, I'll tell him to shove it," Ava replied, but everybody gave her the same skeptical expression. "Okay, I'll tell him to gently push it up his bum," she corrected in a fake English accent. "What's on your mind, Ben?" she then asked.

"The building could be settling, which would shake the case," Ben said.

"Oh, come on! What will it take to convince you?" Ava asked. She almost said more, but Ami yelped and pointed at the case.

"Its head just moved!" Ami said. "Did you get it on camera, Ben?"

"If not, we have the IR camera," Ben replied.

"Felix, check the replay," Ava said, looking across the room at Felix's tech station.

"Yeah, the head definitely turned," Felix said.

"Do you still think the building is settling?" Ava asked Ben.

"It's possible."

"You're unbelievable, Ben."

"Thanks!" he replied, grinning widely.

Ava sighed and subtly motioned for Brian to switch to the nutcracker. "Hey, let's check on the nutcracker and see if it can move," Ava said.

The group moved across the room, and Brian reached for the toy. He tried his best to move the mouth but was having difficulty. "Come on," Brian muttered.

"Hmm, I thought I heard mumbling," Felix said.

"Turn up the volume and see if you hear anything," Ava replied.

"It might be an EVP. Sounds like somebody said, 'Common.'"

"Maybe it's 'Come on,'" Ava suggested.

"Nah, I think it's 'Common,'" Felix replied.

Ava wanted to tell him he was wrong, but she bit her lip and looked back at Brian. His concentration face amused Ava. Brian was squinting and sticking his tongue out between his teeth. "Almost got it. There!" he said, and the mouth opened an inch.

"The mouth is moving," Ami said.

Ava looked toward Ben, but he still didn't appear convinced. She groaned and walked away from the group to collect her thoughts. However, she stopped as she approached a janitor's closet near the back. She couldn't explain why, but the room drew her toward it. Once she reached the door, a sharp, icy chill ran down her spine, making her shudder.

"Oh, Miss! You don't want to go in there!" Brian yelled. He stood up and ran over to Ava, startling Ami.

"I saw a shadow move across the room!" Ami said. "Did we capture it?"

"No, I'm not seeing anything in the footage," Felix replied as he watched a replay.

"Damn," Ami replied, but Ava heard none of their conversation. She was still too focused on the closet.

"Guys, bring an IR camera over here," Ava said.

"Leave it alone," Brian warned, but Ava ignored him.

Ami fetched the IR camera and brought it to Ava, passing through Brian as she moved. She stopped and looked puzzled at the sensation. Ami shook it off before handing the camera to Ava. Ava gasped when she switched to infrared mode and pointed it at the door. She saw the distinct shape of a human crouched on the floor.

"Holy crap," Ami said.

Even Ben stood speechless at the sight. He pointed his camera at Ava's screen, but his mouth hung open.

"Who is that?" Ava asked. Her team thought she was asking them, but she directed the question at Brian.

"She's another ghost. I don't know her name and am too afraid to find out. Something is off about her. I never go near her," Brian answered.

"Off?" Ava asked.

"Huh?" Ami said, looking confused.

"I can't explain it. She never acknowledges me, and being near her makes me feel like I'm slipping away," Brian replied. He continued when Ava looked at him questioningly. "It's like she sucks the energy out of me. She just stares at nothing and occasionally mutters."

"What are you staring at, Ava?" Ben asked, but she ignored him.

As Ava approached the door, Brian and Malcolm reached out to stop her. The sensations of their combined touch made Ava jump and scream.

"Don't go in there. Something feels bad about this," Malcolm said.

"I don't understand what is happening, but I agree with Malcolm," Ben added.

"Listen to them," Brian said.

"I'm sorry. You're right. Let's go back to the displays," Ava replied, trying to hide her shaking hands.

They returned to the investigation. Sadly, nothing else occurred that night because Brian was too unnerved to keep moving objects. While they kept filming, Ava couldn't stop staring at the closet.