Chapter 2: Investigation

Ed took the bus downtown, to the SPD impound lot. After completing paperwork, he got access to his car. His keys were in the car! Ed examined the car for damage, and it didn’t seem too bad for the experience.

He got in and tried the ignition. It started, and he drove gently out of the lot. The ghost of Ian Ross materialized in the front passenger seat.

“Well, I’ve got my car back,” said Ed.

“Good. So now we can go visit Mary?”

“Yes.”

The ghost provided Ed with directions, which took them to a town home complex. They parked in a guest parking spot and got out.

“Is Mary likely to be home?”

“I don’t know since I died, but she used to work from home.”

“Well, let’s find out.”

Ed was glad to get started on paying back Ian for his help. He didn’t enjoy owing people, or ghosts, for things. It made him feel out of balance.

Ed walked up to the front door and pressed the buzzer. The ghost of Ian stood beside him.

The door opened to reveal an attractive woman in her mid-thirties. Women made Ed feel nervous, and he suppressed the urge to throw up.

“Hello, my name’s Ed. I’m a friend of your husband, Ian, and I’m trying to find him.”

She looked at him, surprise on her face.

“You know Ian??”

“Yes. I was hoping I could talk to you. Maybe it will help me find him, or find out what happened to him.”

She stared at him for a minute, trying to figure something out.

“Well, you best come inside.”

She led him into a dining room and offered him a seat. They both sat down. Ian stood by the wall.

“My husband has been gone for about a year now. You said that you knew him?”

A year? Ed looked at the ghost, who shrugged.

“I didn’t know it was a year since I died. Time is different once you die,” said Ian. Of course Mary didn’t hear that.

“I haven’t seen him in the last year either. I suspect something bad happened to him.”

“You knew him, but you didn’t keep in touch for a year?” asked Mary.

“I was busy with things of my own, and didn’t realize he’d dropped out of contact. Recently, I returned, and tried to reach him. I’m sorry, I’m not good at keeping in touch.”

She gave him an evaluating look.

“Ask her about the business,” said Ian.

“What about his business? Or his partner, Sam?”

“Well, Sam runs the business in his absence. I didn’t get involved in their business.”

“How well do you know his partner, Sam?” asked Ed.

“Not very well. After Ian left, he’d come round to check on me. He’s been absent for some time.”

Ed pondered for a moment.

“Has the police been any help?”

“No. They think he just ran away with someone. They found no trace of him.”

“Do you mind if I search for him?” asked Ed.

“Go ahead. I’ve done all I can. The police gave up. If you can find anything, so much the better,” she said.

“If I discover anything, I’ll keep you informed.”

She smiled a half-smile, suggesting she didn’t think he’d find anything.

Ed stood up and Mary escorted him to the front door.

“Good bye. Hopefully, I’ll be in touch soon,” he said.

Ed walked back to his car.

Ed drove home, with Ian sitting beside him in the car.

“We have to decide our next move. I’ve got nothing to take to the police yet,” he said.

“Agreed. The last thing I recall before I died, I was at work.”

“So we should examine your workplace, preferably when Sam is out.”

“How about tonight?”

“Agreed. We’ve a few hours to kill, and I’m tired. Guess I’m not fully recovered yet.”

Ed parked in the underground parking of his apartment building. They took the elevator up and entered his apartment.

“Hey, I was going to send in an anonymous tip on where we found my wallet!” said Ed.

The ghost nodded. Ed pulled open his laptop.

“It says I can call the Crime Stoppers hotline on their website to report anonymously.”

Ed launched a VPN and opened the site.

“This should hide my IP address.”

The ghost watched as he entered the address and details where they found his wallet.

“Done!”

“So the cops will discover the wallets and stuff. They’ll close lots of cases,” said Ian.

“I hope so. That’s as close as I’ll come to revenge. I’m not really into confrontation.”

“You best bookmark that website. You’re going to need it again.”

Ed bookmarked the site.

That evening, Ed got into his car. Ian materialized in the front passenger seat.

“Hello, Ed.”

“Woah! I expected you to arrive, but you startled me.”

“Sorry, Ed. I can’t open the car door.”

“I’ll have to get comfortable with it. So, directions to your work?”

The ghost provided directions. Ed drove within the speed limit, not wanting to get stopped on his way to breaking into a business.

Soon, Ed pulled over across from the building.

“It looks quiet from here. Do you want to go check first?” asked Ed.

“Be right back.”

Ian blinked out while Ed sat and waited. A few minutes passed. A car drove by, and Ed watched it go off into the distance.

Suddenly, Ian returned.

“All clear, Ed.”

“Good. Now, how do we get in?”

“Follow me.”

Ed followed the ghost across the street and to a side entrance. Ian pointed behind a post.

“See that lockbox? The code is 1911,” said Ian.

Ed punched in the code and a door opened, revealing a set of keys.

“Use the big one on this door.”

Ed unlocked the door and entered. Ian pointed to a small panel.

“The code for the security alarm is 3776.”

Ed turned off the alarm. So far, so good.

“Take me to the location where you died,” said Ed.

Ian floated along, with Ed walking behind.

Soon, they arrived in an office area.

“This is where I remember I was when I got stabbed.”

“Well, this is your workplace. Tell me if anything is different. I’m uncertain what to look for.”

Ian looked around, gliding about the room.

“I don’t know. Obviously, my body isn’t here. A rug was on the floor, and the desk contents are different.”

“We need to find evidence, proof a murder happened,” said Ed.

Ian looked around some more, then shrugged his shoulders.

“Ok, if he killed you here, he had a year to dispose of the body. Float around this entire premises. Go through walls and check out closets. Find your body.”

Ian floated off through a wall while Ed stayed, checking items on the desks. Dust on certain desks suggested they hadn’t been used recently.

Ed looked for bloodstains, but found none. It happened a year ago.

Soon, Ian floated back through a wall and stopped in front of Ed.

“Well, what did you find?” asked Ed.

“I haven’t found my body, although I think I can feel it’s somewhere nearby.”

“That’s good. Can you sense the direction it’s in?”

“I don’t know. It’s like a slight tingle feeling.”

“Try moving about ten feet that way. Tell me if the tingle gets stronger or not.”

Ian floated forwards for a bit.

“Definitely stronger.”

“Good. Use that tingle as a guide. Keep moving until it stops getting stronger, then change direction.”

Ian smiled. He floated off again, through a wall.

A few minutes later, Ian returned.

“Well, I think it’s in the yard,” said Ian.

“How do I get there?” asked Ed.

“Follow me. You’ll need one of those keys.”

Ian led the way, with Ed following. He unlocked a door and stepped out into an enclosed yard.

“So where now?” asked Ed.

Ian floated around and stopped in a corner of the yard. Ian looked around. The ground was hard packed earth and gravel.

“Do you think he buried your body here? Check under the ground.”

Ian slowly sank through the ground as though it were quicksand. Ed wondered what kept ghosts from sinking or falling out of cars on the move. He’d have to ask Ian later.

Ian floated back out of the ground. “I’ve found it!”

“We have our first piece of evidence! He must have hidden your body there after he killed you.”

“Yes. It may have some of his DNA evidence to prove he murdered me.”

“This proves he hid your body here. It may not be enough to prove he did it. We need more evidence, like a dagger with your blood and his fingerprints.”

Ian shrugged.

“We should leave and lock up as we leave. I’m not ready to reveal we were here.”

They left the yard and Ed locked the door. Ed returned to the side entrance, re-set the alarm, and exited. He locked the door and returned the keys back to the lock box.

Ed looked around and returned to his car with Ian in tow.

“Ian, I’m going home to get some sleep. Meet me at my place in the morning.”

Ian vanished.

The next morning, Ed awoke in his apartment. He expected Ian to be waiting for him, but he was alone.