Thick, gray fog hung over the city like a blanket when Izzy awoke that morning. She hadn't thought about it then, but looking back she supposed she should have taken it as a sign of things to come. But she had been too busy trying to get out of the house to give the fog much thought, for even if it hadn't been foggy Izzy's day had gotten off to a bad start.
She had woken late, as her alarm had failed to go off. Then, in her haste, she had spilled her coffee, which had burnt her hand. That was followed by a cold shower, due to the water heater being broken (which Gwen had conveniently forgotten to mention). And finally her car hadn't started, forcing her to borrow Gwen's car, which made her even later than she already was. It had been such a bad start to the day that Izzy had been relieved to arrive at the precinct. But even that hadn't helped, as there were no new cases for her to assist with. It was almost as if some force was making her have a bad day. If only she had realized just how true that assumption was.
Izzy sat at the counter of the Pit fiddling absently with some stale peanuts. Her burned hand throbbed, making her feel sick and the lack of a case only increased her level of irritation. She was vaguely aware of Duncan watching her, though she didn't care to engage him in conversation.
"Why the long face Red?" Duncan asked then, bringing Izzy out of her thoughts.
"My day has just gotten off to a shitty start, is all." she replied, not meeting his gaze.
"Yeah, I kind of figured that." Duncan said. "What happened to your hand?"
"Spilled coffee on it." Izzy muttered, glancing at her phone.
"Waiting to hear from the detectives?" Duncan asked, with a grin, as though he found something amusing about Izzy's job.
Izzy didn't answer him and went back to playing with her peanuts. Duncan continued to watch her, but he asked no more questions and she did her best to ignore him as she decided what to do next. Finally, just as she was about to give up and go home her phone rang.
"About time." she snapped as she answered the call.
"We've got a case." Detective Martin's voice said from the other end of the line.
"Finally." Izzy muttered, doing her best to suppress her annoyance. "Where at?"
"The Cotter House." Martin answered, his tone grim.
Izzy felt her insides go cold, but she quickly swallowed her fear and spoke. "Okay, I'll meet you there." she said, before hanging up. She thought she heard Martin stifle a gasp of fear just before she hung up, but decided it was nothing and left before she had a chance to second guess herself.
A short time later Izzy met up with Detectives Martin and Harris, as well as Officer Wells, just outside the grounds of the Cotter House. They had good reason to be worried about setting foot on those grounds, as the Cotter House was one of the oldest buildings in the city, but it was the other bit of knowledge about the house that was making Izzy nervous. According to legend the Cotter House was haunted and all who set foot on the grounds were doomed to die. Izzy had always claimed not believe the legend, but some part of her did, and now that she was faced with the prospect of entering it she felt her courage begin to fail. Still, she and the detectives had a job to do and Izzy wasn't about to let superstitious legends keep them from doing it.
"So is our case to stand here and stare at the house?" she asked, her voice breaking the tension in the air.
"No, there was a body found in the house a few hours ago." Harris answered, his tone nervous. Clearly he was scared, but Izzy didn't have time for his fear.
"So why are we standing out here?" she asked, glancing at Martin and Wells. "Shouldn't we be investigating?"
"We are." Martin answered. "We sent Officer Anderson in a few minutes ago. He'll let us know when it's safe."
"You sent a rookie in without backup?" Izzy asked, her tone shocked. Officer Cody Anderson was the newest member of the New Delphi police force and Izzy found it to be a little messed up that seasoned vets like Martin and Harris would send a rookie in without backup.
"We had to know if it was safe." Harris said, shrugging.
"Oh for fuck's sake, it's just a legend." Izzy snapped. "There is no proof the Cotter House is haunted." She stared at them like they were idiots, though she was aware that she still looked like she was afraid as well.
"She's got a point, you know." Officer Wells said, grinning.
"Okay, okay, we shouldn't have sent him in alone." Martin said. "Let's go back him up."
"Yes, let's." Izzy snapped. "And don't ever let me catch you treating a rookie like that again, got it?"
Martin and Harris nodded and together they made their way into the Cotter House to investigate what seemed to be a murder. At least that's what Izzy hoped it was.
Once they were inside the house Izzy began searching for clues as to what had happened, while Martin and Harris searched for Officer Anderson. Officer Wells chose to assist Izzy, though there didn't appear to be any sign of a murder, or any other crime.
"There's nothing here." Izzy said, glancing at the detectives. "Are you guys sure someone reported finding a body in here?"
"Of course we are." Martin said, his tone suggesting that he was honestly offended.
"Well I had to ask." Izzy muttered. "Cuz it's certainly looking like there's nothing here."
"There is one way to know for sure." Officer Wells said. "We could ask Anderson if he found anything."
"Yeah, if we could find him." Martin muttered before shouting, "ANDERSON! HEY, ANDERSON, WHERE ARE YOU DUDE?"
"Behind you." a small, timid voice said, making them all jump.
The group turned to find Anderson staring at them with a curious look. His uniform was covered with dirt and grime, as though he had crawled through the entire house looking for clues. He didn't seem to be hurt, however, much to Izzy's relief.
"Don't sneak up on people dude." Harris snapped, glaring at Anderson.
"You're the ones who sent me in here alone." Anderson said, suddenly shedding his meek exterior. "Which I should report to the Chief, by the way."
"Never mind that now." Martin said. "We're sorry, okay. Did you find anything?"
"I did, actually." Anderson answered. "It turns out the report of a body being found here was accurate."
"So where is the body?" Martin asked, doing his best to hide the fact that he was impressed.
"This way." Anderson said, gesturing for them to follow.
Martin nodded and followed, Izzy, Harris, and Wells bringing up the rear. Anderson lead them to a room at the back of the house. Along the way Izzy took mental notes of the layout of the house, in case she ever had to come back here. She liked to be prepared and had a sinking feeling that this wasn't the last time she'd see the inside of the Cotter House.
Izzy wasn't prepared for the scene that greeted her in the room Anderson had led them to however, and judging from the looks on their faces, neither were her companions. The room was dimly lit, but it was plain to see that a murder had occurred here. Blood was splattered across the walls and in the middle of the room lay the mangled body of a young woman. Her throat had been slashed and her abdomen had been torn open, as though she had been gutted from the inside out. The woman's eyes were still open, blank and staring, frozen in a look of mingled terror and pain.
"Oh God." Officer Wells breathed. "Who would do something like this?"
"Someone with a very sick imagination." Martin answered, turning away from the corpse as he spoke.
"Her name is Amy Bedford." Anderson said, breaking some of the tension in the room. "I found her I.D in her pocket."
He handed the I.D to Martin who cringed when he took it. "She was only twenty one." he said, his tone thick with emotion.
"What the hell was she doing in a place like this?" Harris asked.
"Maybe she was lured here?" Wells suggested. "The Cotter House is used as a location for hazing rituals. Maybe she was here for something like that."
"Possible, but unlikely." Izzy said. "She appears to have been something other than a student. Though what path she was walking I cannot say for sure."
"There is something else you guys should know." Anderson said. "I couldn't find any kind of weapon anywhere in the house."
"Well, it's pretty obvious she was killed here, so the weapon is likely here somewhere." Martin said. "Either that or the killer took with him."
"There is another possibility." Izzy said, her tone grim.
"There is?" Martin asked, genuinely curious.
"Yes." Izzy replied. "It is possible she was killed by the spirits that haunt this house."
"But you said-" Harris began, before Izzy cut him off.
"I know what I said, but that was just to get you to enter the damn house." she snapped. "I do actually think this place is haunted and we cannot discount the possibility, however remote, that our victim was killed by vengeful ghosts."
"Okay, but there's no way to know that for sure, is there?" Martin asked.
"There may be a way." Izzy said. "Look, you guys get Noah over here and process the scene. I'll go consult the experts on the paranormal. Trust me, I know a guy."
"Okay." Martin said. "Let us know if you find anything useful." There was a hint of disbelief to his tone, but Izzy chose to ignore it. Instead she smiled and nodded, before departing to consult her so called expert.
While the detectives finished processing the scene at the Cotter House, Izzy made her way downtown. She was certain the detectives didn't buy her theory about the ghosts, but she was determined to pursue every possible lead. It was true that this possibility was a remote one, but Izzy had never been one to ignore possibilities and there was just too much history behind the mysteries of the Cotter House for her to discount such a theory. All she needed was a way to prove her theory had even a shred of validity. That was, of course, why she needed experts on the subject and one man in particular, whom she knew she could trust.
The man's name was Owen Gregorski and he had been Izzy's friend for many years, almost as long as Gwen. Owen owned a bakery called the Treat Factory and had been Izzy's on again/off again lover for several years. Like Gwen and Duncan he had helped Izzy with previous cases and Izzy owed him, but she was always welcome to come to him for help. And in this particular case he would be most helpful, as Owen was a fountain of knowledge on the unusual history of New Delphi.
Izzy arrived at the Treat Factory fifteen minutes after leaving the Cotter House. Much to her relief Owen was there, selling the last of that days supply of sticky buns to an eager customer. Izzy wasn't surprised the sticky buns had sold out, as they were one of Owen's more popular items, and she smiled to herself, impressed by Owen's success. She waited until Owen was done making the sale before approaching the counter, not wanting to ruin the customer's day.
"Hey Big O." she said, once the customer was gone. "How are sales today?"
"Izzy?" Owen asked, seemingly taken by surprise by her sudden appearance.
"Yeah, it's me." she said, smiling. "Sorry to drop in on you like this but I need to-" Her sentence was cut short by Owen's massive arms as they wrapped around her in a powerful hug.
"It's no problem." he said, releasing her before she suffocated. "After last time I thought it would be a lot longer before I saw you again."
Izzy felt the hot rush of guilt as it washed over her. She had forgotten how her last meeting with Owen had ended. They had been in the midst of one of their multi-day sexual escapades when Owen had questioned why she worked as an investigative consultant. After deflecting the question more than once, Izzy had finally become frustrated and ended things with the promise that they were done for good.
"Yeah, about that, I'm sorry okay." she said, not meeting Owen's gaze.
"It's fine." he said. "I'm the one who was in the wrong. Anyway, it's in the past now and there's no use in dwelling on it. So what can I do for you today?"
Izzy took a moment to process Owen's words before deciding he was right. "I'm working a new case." she said. "And I could use your help."
"Alright." Owen said. "What kind of case, exactly?"
"The kind that involves murder in an abandoned building." Izzy answered.
"Which building?" Owen asked. "Cuz there's a lot of those in New Delphi."
"The Cotter House." Izzy replied. "I was hoping you would have some information about the rumors that it's haunted."
"I might." Owen said. "Why? Do you think your victim was killed by ghosts?"
"It's a possibility." Izzy said. "One that I am keen to investigate."
"Okay." Owen said. "Well, as far as determining whether or not the house is haunted, I can't help you with that. But I can help you discover the history behind the rumors, which may be helpful in the end."
"Yes, it may." Izzy agreed. "And right now I'll take whatever you can give me."
"Well then come on upstairs and enter my library of the weird history of New Delphi." Owen said, with a twisted grin.
Izzy was slightly unnerved by Owen's seeming joy at possessing a library of weird history, but she followed him anyway. She had never been up to Owen's living quarters, as their sexual encounters had always happened at her place, but he wasn't lying when he said he had a library. Books were stacked everywhere, many of them older than Owen. The topics covered in Owen's library were nearly endless, but it was a specific stack that he moved to, gesturing for Izzy to follow.
"What's all this?" Izzy asked, gesturing at the stack of books.
"This is all the recorded history of the Cotter House." Owen answered.
"There's at least a dozen books here." Izzy said, her tone betraying her awe.
"The Cotter House is one of the oldest buildings in New Delphi." Owen said. "And given the legends that surround it, it makes sense that so many books have been written about it."
"I guess." Izzy said, though she didn't see how the history of one house could spawn so many books. "What do the books talk about?"
"Everything." Owen said, grinning. "Specifically they discuss the history of the strange things that have happened at the house." He paused and picked up a book before continuing. "But this book, A Legacy of Darkness: The History of the Cotter House, is the single best source of information on that house."
"That's certainly an interesting title." Izzy said, still unable to fully hide her awe.
"Yeah, I thought so too, the first time I read it." Owen said. "This book tells the full, unedited history of the Cotter House and it's a really fucked up story."
"Well, let's here it then." Izzy said, doing her best not to sound impatient.
"Okay, but I'll give you the shorter version." Owen said. "To save time, you know?"
Izzy nodded and Owen began the story, which immediately drew Izzy in.
"So, the story of the Cotter House begins with the Cotter family." Owen said. "Doctor William Cotter and his wife Margarette were amongst the first people to settle in New Delphi. They had four children and they also owned slaves, but we'll get to that later. Elizabeth Cotter, their eldest daughter, was a straight laced, law abiding individual, as was their only son Thomas. But the Cotter's two younger daughters Vivian and Charlotte were a bit more, shall we say, eccentric."
"Sorry, but what does all this have to do with the rumors about the house?" Izzy asked. "Also, what do you mean eccentric?"
"I'll tell you, if you promise not to interrupt again." Owen said, his tone serious.
"Okay, sorry." Izzy muttered, not meeting Owen's gaze.
"As I was saying, Vivian and Charlotte Cotter were a little different." Owen said. "They were into witchcraft and other mysterious powers and they spent a lot of time with one of the Cotter's slaves, a woman by the name of Bella Hedling. According to numerous reports Bella was a witch and she used her powers to seduce the two younger Cotter daughters. This hasn't been proven, but legend says that Bella was teaching Vivian and Charlotte how to wield mystic powers."
Owen paused for a moment to allow Izzy a chance to let this all sink in before continuing. "Anyway, a few years after the Cotters settled in New Delphi, Elizabeth Cotter died. At first no one could figure out how, but ultimately it was determined that she had been poisoned by her sisters. When they were confronted about this, Vivian and Charlotte denied it. Charlotte eventually confessed, but stated that it was Bella who had made them do it. Enraged by this, William Cotter had Bella executed, but just before she died, Bella placed a curse on the Cotter family and all they owned. The validity of this curse is debatable, but what is clear is less than a year later everything starting going to shit for the Cotter family."
"So Bella's curse was real?" Izzy asked, her tone skeptical.
"No one knows for sure." Owen said. "What we do know is a month after Bella's execution, Vivian Cotter killed herself. Then, a few months later, it was revealed that William was having an affair with a woman named Ella Chapling. William was a member of the New Delphi city council at the time and the news of his affair didn't sit well with his fellow council members, who called for his ouster. The news of the affair was too much for Margarette Cotter, who threw herself to her death from the third story balcony. Distraught by his wife's death William also took his life, leaving only Thomas and Charlotte. Thomas bore the brunt of the ridicule that came down on the family and became a drunken recluse. Charlotte eventually suffered a mental breakdown and was committed to an asylum, where she later killed herself at the age of sixteen."
"Oh my God." Izzy said, horrified by the story Owen was telling her.
"Yeah, and it gets worse." Owen said. "A year after Bella placed her curse the remains of six young girls were found in a secret room beneath the house. It seems Bella and her two young followers had been practicing ritual sacrifices in there for over a year. Anyway, Thomas was finally forced to sell the house, which was bought by the Philomon family, but they only lived in the house for six months."
"What happened to them?" Izzy asked, curious despite herself.
"Their daughter and only child was raped and murdered in the house." Owen said. "A similar fate befell the next two families to own the house, until finally people stopped trying to buy it. It's been nearly a hundred years since anyone has lived in that house, and yet people still die there. It is said that the spirits of the entire Cotter family, Bella Hedling, and three others haunt that house, each of them seeking revenge for the wrongs brought against them. No one has confirmed this, of course, but many people believe it's true and that it's all somehow tied to Bella's curse."
"What do you believe?" Izzy asked, not sure she wanted to know his answer.
"I believe there's something haunting that house." Owen said. "Whether it's all the ghosts the legends claim or not, I cannot say, but there is definitely something there. I don't know if that helps you at all, but there you go."
"No, it helps." Izzy said. "At least I know I'm not the only one who thinks the Cotter House is haunted. And now I know there is actually somewhat of a historical basis for the legend. But that's not going to be enough for Martin and Harris."
"Well, I can help with that as well." Owen said, before scribbling down some information on a scrap of paper. "These are the names and number of a pair of ghost hunters I know. Give them a call if you can't find any other leads. Maybe they can help. By the way, what happened to your hand?"
Izzy glanced at her bandaged hand, which suddenly throbbed with pain. "I spilled coffee on it this morning." she said. "Anyway, I gotta go, so thanks for your help."
"Anytime." Owen said, with a warm smile. "Don't be a stranger, okay."
"Okay." Izzy said. "I'll try to stop by more often." With that she left, her mind buzzing with possibilities, though her analytical side just wanted to know what the detectives had learned in their part of the investigation.
Izzy returned to the precinct to find the detectives waiting for her. It didn't appear that they'd made much progress, but she had to ask. "So, how are things going here?" she asked, glancing sidelong at the detectives.
"Not great." Martin answered. "We've combed through everything we could find on Amy Bedford, but there's nothing to suggest why someone would kill her."
"Does that mean you'll be more receptive to my theories now?" Izzy asked.
"That depends." Harris answered, with a quick glance at Izzy.
"On what?" Izzy asked, both curious and annoyed.
"Do your theories still revolve around the possibility that ghosts killed Amy Bedford?" Harris asked, his tone serious.
"Yes." Izzy answered. "Why does that matter though? I thought you believed in ghosts?"
"What I do or do not believe in is irrelevant." Harris said. "Ghosts didn't kill Amy."
"You know that for sure, do you?" Izzy asked. "Or are you just trying to avoid facing your fears. Cuz I think we should consider all possibilities before we jump to conclusions."
"I agree." said Martin. "So, what did you find out from your expert?"
"Not much on ghosts." Izzy admitted. "But I did learn more than I cared to about the dark history of the Cotter House."
"How does that help us solve this case though?" Harris asked.
"Well, assuming my theory about ghosts is correct, then the history of the house will help explain why the ghosts are so violent." Izzy answered.
"So what happened at the house that's so bad?" Officer Wells asked, her voice making Izzy jump. Izzy hadn't noticed her earlier, but wasn't surprised to find her there.
"The Cotter family went through a series of unfortunate circumstances that left them in ruin and I think those circumstances left their spirits restless and angry." Izzy said. "I think that's why bad things are still happening at that house."
"That sounds plausible in theory, but how do we prove it?" Harris asked.
"We find someone who can help us." Izzy said, trying to keep the uncertainty out of her voice. She wasn't sure if she should tell them about the contact Owen had given her, as she was still uncertain about that lead herself.
"Someone who can help, huh?" Wells asked. "Like what, a ghost hunter or something?"
"Yeah, something like that." Izzy said, trying not to be offended by Wells' condescending tone. "I'm sure we can find someone."
"Yeah, right." Wells muttered. "Cuz that's exactly what we need, more people who have no training contaminating an active crime scene. As if you're not enough."
"Oh fuck you." Izzy snapped, her temper getting the better of her.
"Whoa, everyone just calm down." Martin said, stepping between them before a fight could break out. "Look, I know you don't like this Izzy, but we have to follow a more realistic path right now. Let me and Harris do some more digging and if we haven't found anything by tomorrow night we'll consider following your hunch, okay."
Izzy glared at him, rage and humiliation pounding in her ears. "Fine." she said. "We'll do things your way. But don't expect an apology from me when you turn out to be wrong." With that she turned and stormed out of the precinct, leaving the others to follow their own path.
"And then Geoff just agreed with her, like my thoughts meant nothing." Izzy said, her tone angry and frustrated. It was early evening and she had returned home more than an hour earlier. She had spent most of that time complaining about the lack of support for her theory about the death of Amy Bedford.
"I'm sure he was just doing his job." Izzy's roommate, Gwen Carver said, with a sympathetic glance at Izzy. Like any good friend she had listened to Izzy's rant without complaint, but she was starting to get a little annoyed.
"No, you're not understanding what I'm telling you." Izzy said. "He's only doing this because of his relationship with Officer Wells."
"Okay." Gwen said. "I'll admit that's a plausible explanation for Geoff's actions and it does seem a little strange that he's not more receptive to your theory, but I don't think he's intentionally trying to push you aside."
"Yeah, you're probably right." Izzy said, all the fight suddenly going out of her.
Gwen looked at her in surprise, but decided not to question the sudden change in Izzy's attitude. Instead she turned the conversation in a different direction, hoping to get Izzy thinking about something else. "So, do you have a way of proving your theory?" she asked, her dark eyes meeting Izzy's brilliant green ones.
"I don't know, maybe." Izzy said, her tone noncommittal.
"What does that mean, exactly?" Gwen asked, her tone curious.
"It means that I might have a way to prove it." Izzy replied. "I talked to Owen today and he gave me the contact information for a friend of his whom he claims can help, but I'm not sure if I can rely on that."
"I thought you trusted Owen's judgment." Gwen said.
"I do, but I'm not sure if I want to know what really happened in this case." Izzy said. "I mean, I want to find the killer, but what if it is a ghost? What if the Cotter House is haunted? How will that affect my relationship with the detectives, if I turn out to be right?"
"I don't think it will matter." Gwen said. "As long as your input helps solve the case I think Geoff and the others will still respect you. And if they don't, it's their loss. You have to trust your instinct and go with it. One way or another everything will work out in the end."
Izzy nodded, seeming to accept Gwen's advice. "Thanks Gwen." she said. "I appreciate you listening to my shit."
"That's what friends are for." Gwen said. "It's your investigation too, so pursue whatever leads you think are worth pursuing."
Izzy nodded and Gwen took her leave, leaving Izzy to contemplate what they had discussed. It hadn't been exactly the help Izzy had been looking for, but it had been helpful. Gwen was right, she did have a right to explore her own leads. But she was still worried about jeopardizing her relationship with the detectives. However, she couldn't let that stop her from investigating the possibility that ghosts had killed Amy Bedford. And with that in mind she pulled out the scrap of paper Owen had given her earlier and dialed the number, hoping this plan would work.
The next morning Izzy arrived at the precinct with a new outlook on life. Her conversation with Gwen had convinced her that she had to follow her heart, regardless of what anyone else thought. Harris was the first to notice this, though he didn't seem to have anything to say. Martin, on the other hand, was extremely curious to learn what was making Izzy so happy.
"Okay, what's up with you today?" he asked, after several moments of strained silence. "You're acting like you just hit the jackpot or something."
"I'm just enjoying the knowledge that I'm about to find who killed Amy Bedford." Izzy said, with a grin.
"What are you talking about?" Harris asked, his curiosity now piqued as well.
"I'm going back to the Cotter House to look into my theory." Izzy said simply.
"What?" Martin asked. "I thought we agreed to use conventional methods to solve this murder? I thought we were going to pursue more realistic leads first?"
"And you're more than welcome to continue to do so, but I'm going to investigate the possibility that Amy was killed by vengeful spirits." Izzy replied.
"Okay, but you're not an officer of the law, so how are you going to get into our crime scene without our help?" Harris asked.
"More importantly, how are you going to prove the ghosts exist?" Officer Wells asked, as she approached them.
"I have some people who can help me." Izzy said. "I've already talked to them and they're willing to meet me at the house today."
"Yeah, but you still can't get in to the scene without a cop." Martin said.
"I'm sure I can figure out a way in." Izzy said, her tone full of confidence.
"That's illegal, you know." Harris said. "And we will arrest you, our friendship not withstanding."
"I don't care." Izzy said. "I'm going and you can't stop me. Besides, it's not like you guys have made any progress here."
"Actually, I may have found a possible suspect." Officer Anderson said from across the room. "I haven't confirmed it yet, but it seems promising."
"Well there you go." Harris said. "Looks like you've got no reason to go now." He glanced at Izzy, who seemed not to have heard him.
"I'm still going." she said. "I have a right to see this through."
"Alright look, how about we do this." Martin said. "Officer Wells and I will go with Izzy to see if her theory is even remotely possible. Meanwhile, Harris will stay here and help Anderson explore that lead. That work for everyone?" It was obvious he was just trying to mediate, but if it got things moving Izzy didn't really care.
"Works for me." she said, grinning as though she had just won a debate.
Harris and Wells looked less than thrilled with this plan, but neither of them voiced their discomfort. Martin nodded, and he, Izzy, and Officer Wells headed out, all of them wondering if Izzy's supposed help was really going to show up.
A short time later Izzy, Martin, and Wells arrived at the Cotter House, each of them anticipating something different. They found Owen waiting for them just outside the grounds of the house, his expression grim. Beside him stood a short, fragile looking woman with long blond hair and pale blue eyes, and a large, heavyset man of African decent. Neither of the strangers made any attempt to extend a greeting, but Owen stepped forward and extended his hand towards Martin.
"My name is Owen Gregorski." he said. "It's nice to finally meet you. Izzy's told me all about the detectives she works with."
"I'm sure she has." Martin said. "I'm Detective Geoff Martin and this is Officer Bridgette Wells. Who are your friends?" His tone was stiff and formal, but Izzy could tell it was all just a means to mask his fear.
"Well, these two are, uh, ghost hunters I guess-" Owen began, before the blond woman cut him off with a wave of her hand.
"Owen please, we can introduce ourselves." she said. "My name is Dawn Strazinski and I am a paranormal investigator, medium, and spiritual guide." She paused for a moment, her eyes focusing on Izzy, as though she was trying to see into Izzy's soul.
Izzy felt her skin crawl as Dawn's gaze passed over her, but the moment passed before she could comment.
"And this is my associate, B." Dawn continued, as though nothing strange had happened. "He doesn't speak much, but I assure you he is more than capable of providing assistance in your investigation."
"Okay." Martin said, his tone shaky. It was obvious that he was more than a little weirded out by Dawn's introductions and was trying not to show it. "Well, we appreciate you coming to assist us, though I'm not certain what you expect to find."
"It is my pleasure to assist you." Dawn said. "And I wouldn't expect you to understand what I do. You and Officer Wells lack the spiritual insight that I posses. Do not take that as a critique of your investigative method however. I know how good both of you are at your jobs."
Neither Martin, nor Wells had anything to say to that, so Izzy moved to fill the void. "Well, I just wanted to thank you for answering my call." she said.
Dawn turned her gaze in Izzy's direction and gave her a sad smile. "Your aura is dark and full of pain." she said, her tone somber. "You have experienced many hardships in your life and are now trying to make the world a better place, but you neglect to deal with your own pain. Until you do, I am afraid you will never know true peace."
Izzy blinked, taken aback by Dawn's powers of observation. It was true that she had issues to deal with, but now was not the time to confront them. "Yeah, I know." she said, her tone only partially hiding her discomfort. "Anyway, we're here to investigate the possibility of ghosts, so let's get back to that, shall we?"
Dawn nodded, though she showed no sign that the fact that she'd made Izzy uncomfortable was in any way a bad thing. Izzy wasn't sure how she felt about that, but she made no comment and together they entered the Cotter House, Martin, Wells, Owen, and B following in silence.
Once they were inside B set down the large canvas bag he was carrying and pulled out several strange looking instruments, which he began distributing to the others, except for Dawn, who refused to take the instruments.
"What are these things?" Wells asked, her tone confused.
"EMF meters." Owen answered. "They're used to detect electromagnetic fields. And the device Detective Martin is holding is a thermometer, which is used to measure temperature. They're ghost hunting tools, essentially."
"I see." Wells said, obviously a little freaked out by how seriously they were taking this.
"But isn't Dawn a medium or whatever?" Martin asked, his tone genuinely curious.
"I am." Dawn answered. "But it is helpful to have these devices present. I occasionally fail to pick up spiritual traces myself and the devices can help rectify that."
"Okay, so how do they work?" Martin asked, still curious.
"Just turn it on and pay attention." Izzy muttered, with an annoyed glance at the detective.
"How do you know about this stuff?" Wells asked, perplexed.
"I just do." Izzy answered. "Now let's get going. We have a job to do."
The others nodded and they set off, moving ever deeper into the bowels of the Cotter House. Even during the day it was an eerie place. The shadows seemed to contract and expand at will, swallowing and expelling furniture and rooms like an ebbing tide. And yet, for all the creepiness there seemed to be no sign of any ghosts or spirits. Izzy was beginning to wonder if her theory had been a foolish pursuit and was about to suggest that they give up when Dawn suddenly froze.
"What is it?" Izzy asked. "Is there something here?"
"I sense a presence." Dawn answered. "More than one, in fact. Do you have anything on the EMF meters?" She glanced at B, who nodded and gestured at his meter.
"Can you determine who it is?" Izzy asked, a shiver traveling down her spine.
Dawn glanced at her and closed her eyes. For a moment she was silent and then she spoke. "Yes, the presence is that of a Charlotte Cotter." she said. "She says we are not supposed to be here, that the others will kill us if we don't leave."
"Oh, come on." Wells said, rolling her eyes. "She's making that up. There's no ghost here."
No sooner had she spoken when the table in front of them lifted off the floor of it's own volition. Wells screamed and jumped back, while Martin and Owen simply stared in dumbfounded wonder. Izzy felt her chest constrict with fear and saw a disturbed look pass across Dawn's face and then the room exploded in chaos. Furniture began spinning around them in a blur, while silverware and other debris began pelting them from every angle. Dawn had begun convulsing, her eyes rolling in their sockets as though she was having a seizure. B quickly grabbed her and ran for the exit, Izzy following suit, not bothering to check if the others had joined them.
They ran until they could run no more, each of them finally collapsing on the lawn of the Cotter House. The spirits had pursued them the entire way, but none of them appeared to have been harmed. Even Dawn seemed to have recovered, though she was still pale and trembling. It was clear to all of them that something was in the house, though they had failed to prove Izzy's theory correct.
"What the hell was that?" Martin asked, glancing around the group with a look of utter terror on his face.
"That was a very vengeful spirit." Dawn answered, her voice shaking.
"So the stories are true?" Owen asked. "The Cotter House is actually haunted?"
"It appears so." Dawn answered. "Though by how many spirits I cannot say."
"So what now?" Wells asked, her tone fearful as well.
"Now we-" Martin began, before a rustling sound cut him short. He spun, drawing his gun in the process. "Who's there?" he called. "Show yourself."
"I don't see anything dude." Owen said, with a glance at Martin.
"There's someone there." Martin said. "That sound wasn't made by any ghost."
"I'm sorry Geoff, but Owen's right, there's nothing there." Wells said, her tone concerned.
Martin ignored her and began walking towards the bushes. "I am Detective Geoff Martin of the NDPD and I order you to show yourself." he said, aiming his gun at the bushes.
There was a moment of silence and then something came flying out of the bushes. Martin fired twice, the second shot drawing a yelp of pain from his attacker, who hit the ground with a thud. Martin spun to find a young man laying on the ground, blood seeping from a wound in his shoulder, a sheepish grin on his face.
"Well, there's our ghost, I guess." Izzy said, with a speculative glance at the man as Martin hauled him to his feet and drug him towards the car.
An hour or so later Izzy found herself sitting in the office Captain Charles "Chef" Hatchet, the commander of the 66th precinct. Captain Hatchet was one of Izzy's least favorite people and the feeling was mutual. He had gained the nickname Chef during his days in the military, where he had been a chef. Izzy had yet to learn why he had left the military or how he had become captain of this precinct, though she couldn't honestly say she cared. All she cared about was getting out of his office as soon as possible so she could question the man the detectives had brought back from the Cotter House. But getting out of Captain Hatchet's office was easier said than done, especially when he was in the kind of mood he was in now.
"What the hell were you thinking?" he asked, his furious gaze burning into Izzy. "Do you realize how many regulations you broke by taking my people into that house to chase a myth? Not to mention endangering three civilians in the process."
Izzy bit back the anger rising within her, not wanting to anger the captain further. "I do." she said. "But look at things from another perspective. We did bring in a possible suspect."
Chef glared at her, but before he could reply, Harris interjected. "She does have a point sir." he said. "They did catch a potential suspect."
Chef glanced at Harris and sighed. "I suppose you're right." he muttered. "Still, that doesn't change the fact that regulations were ignored and someone must be punished for that."
"And they can, just let us finish this investigation first." Harris said.
"Fine." Chef said. "But I warn you now, if this kind of thing ever happens again I will have both your and Martin's badges. And I will see to it that Miss Sharpe is banned from this precinct. But for now, you may continue to work your investigation. You are both dismissed."
Harris nodded and led Izzy from the room, neither of them daring to question Chef's ultimatum for fear that he would change his mind.
With Chef's lecture over, Izzy and Harris made their way to the interrogation rooms, where Martin and Wells were waiting with their suspect. Owen, Dawn, and B would not be joining them for the interrogation, as they were civilians and B had elected to take Dawn to the hospital to make sure nothing bad had happened to her at the Cotter House.
"So did the captain tear you a new one?" Martin asked, glancing at Izzy as she and Harris entered the interrogation room.
"Shut up." Izzy snapped, her glare withering.
"It was about what you'd expect." Harris said, answering Martin's question. "Thanks for making me be the one who had to listen to that, by the way."
"You're welcome buddy." Martin said, his tone sarcastic.
"Enough bullshit." Izzy snapped. "Who's our suspect?"
"His name is Lyle McCone." Wells answered. "Turns out he's the same guy Anderson was telling us about before our little adventure." Her tone was overly cold, as though she was going out of her way to agree with Captain Hatchet.
Izzy chose to ignore that, instead focusing on Lyle McCone. "That can't be a coincidence." she said, her gaze never leaving McCone's face. He was a scrawny thing, with shaggy blond hair, dirty clothes, and penetrating blue eyes that gave the impression they were hiding something.
"I'm sorry, I don't follow you." Martin said. "What can't be a coincidence?"
"The fact that Anderson had information on a possible suspect this morning and then, later that same day we find that exact suspect at our crime scene." Izzy said. "There's no way that's a coincidence. Something else is going on here and somehow it's all connected to that house."
"Don't tell me you still think is somehow related to ghosts." Wells said, her tone irritated. "This man is obviously not a ghost."
"No, he isn't." Izzy agreed. "But he may have wanted us to think he was."
"What?" Harris asked. "What the hell does that even mean?"
"It means that what Martin, Wells, and I experienced today at the Cotter House may not have been supernatural at all." Izzy answered. "It may simply have been our friend McCone here playing tricks on us, much like a poltergeist would."
"Okay, I guess that makes sense." Martin said. "My question is why?"
"My guess would be that he was using the legends of that house to his advantage." Izzy said. "The real question is, does he have any connection to Amy Bedford?" She glanced at McCone as she finished speaking, noticing the way he flinched at the mention of Amy's name.
"So you do recognize that name." she continued, now turning her full attention to McCone. "Tell me Lyle, how do you know Amy Bedford?"
McCone didn't answer, but Izzy could tell that he knew Amy. She could see the truth in his gaze, which was fixed on the wall behind her. "Come on Lyle." she said. "Why don't you stop being so stoic and help us. How do you know Amy Bedford?"
"She was my friend." McCone muttered, after another moment of silence.
"She was your friend huh?" Martin asked. "Then why did you kill her?"
"I didn't do that." McCone said, not meeting Martin's gaze.
"Is that why we found you at the scene of her murder?" Martin asked. "Cuz if you ask me that makes you seem pretty guilty, you know what I'm saying?"
McCone didn't answer, but Izzy could tell that they were getting to him. "If you didn't kill her, then who did?" she asked. "And why were you at the Cotter House?"
"I was trying to catch the guy who killed her." McCone answered.
"I highly doubt that." Wells said. "There was no one else at the house, unless you think she was killed by the ghosts?"
"No, she was killed by a person." McCone said, still not looking at any of them.
"Yeah, and that person was you." Wells said. "We know your history McCone. You've had quite a nice little string of run-ins with the law. Robbery, assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, and a whole list of other crimes. So you know what I think? I think you decided to add murder to that list."
"No." McCone said. "No, I would never hurt Amy. I loved her."
"Uh huh, sure you did." Martin said. "I'm inclined to agree with Officer Wells' theory."
"No, you've got it all wrong." McCone said. "Amy was helping me. I did do those other crimes, it's true, but that's not who I am any more. Amy was helping me to become a better person. She was working for a rehab facility and I was meeting with her weekly in an effort to get clean."
"If that's true, then where were you two days ago when she was killed?" Harris asked. "And how did you know she'd been killed at the Cotter House?"
"I was at home, my landlord can confirm that." McCone answered. "And I knew where she was killed because it's been all over the news."
Izzy, the detectives, and Wells stood for a moment, studying their suspect before Martin spoke. "Wells, go check on his alibi." he said. "We'll keep talking to him."
Wells nodded and took her leave. Martin glanced at Izzy, as if asking if she wanted to leave, before turning his attention back to McCone, who was watching them with a curious expression on his face.
A short time later Wells returned, a sheet of paper clutched in her hand. "His alibi checks out." she said. "He was at home when Amy was killed. And Amy was indeed helping him get clean. It's all here." She placed the paper on the table, revealing the signed statement of McCone's landlord and the proof that Amy Bedford had been helping him.
"Well, it seems we misjudged you McCone." Martin said. "Sorry for that and for the gunshot wound from earlier."
"I've had worse." McCone replied, flexing his wounded shoulder as he spoke.
"I bet." Martin said. "There is, however, one more question we have for you. If you didn't kill Miss Bedford, who did?"
"A man named Derrick Carmin." McCone answered. "He was another of Amy's patients, but a few weeks ago he stopped coming to our group sessions. I assumed he had started using again, but Amy was convinced we could get him back. I guess that determination got her killed."
"Why did Derrick leave?" Izzy asked, her tone curious.
"Like I said, I assumed he had started using again, but there might have been another reason." McCone answered. "A couple days before he stopped coming to group he got into a shouting match with Amy. I don't know what it was about, but I assume it was pretty bad."
"Do you think it was enough to push him to kill her?" Martin asked.
"I would say so, yes." McCone said. "Derrick is a volatile guy. I would definitely say there's a possibility Amy said something to set him off."
"Okay, well, thanks for the information." Martin said. "We'll look into Derrick Carmin and hopefully catch a killer. You're free to go."
McCone nodded and rose to his feet. "Thank you." he said, before heading for the exit.
"One more thing before you go." Izzy said, her curiosity piqued. "How did you make the ghosts seem so real?"
"That wasn't me." McCone answered, before making his exit, leaving them all to wonder what had really happened to them at the Cotter House.
Over the next few hours Izzy and the detectives dug into the history of Derrick Carmin. It turned out that McCone had been right about him, not that Izzy was surprised. Carmin had a long rap sheet that included drug charges, assault, rape, kidnap, and extortion, among other crimes. It was shocking that he was still free, but it seemed McCone's assessment was correct. Carmin had been trying to reform himself, but appeared to have been having much greater difficulty with the transition.
"Man, I can't believe this guy." Martin said. "I've never seen a longer rap sheet."
"I know." Harris said. "It's enough to make one wonder how he was still free."
"I think his efforts to reform are to blame for that." Izzy said. "It seems he genuinely wanted to change, despite all evidence to the contrary. Which begs the question, what happened to make him go back to that life?"
"I think I might have an answer to that." Anderson said. "Take a look at these." He gestured at his computer, which showed a series of emails between Carmin and Amy Bedford.
"He was in a relationship with her." Martin said, after a quick glance at the emails.
"Or so it would seem." Izzy said. "Look closer. It appears the relationship was one sided. I'm guessing Carmin was trying to get Amy into a relationship with him and she refused, which would serve as a logical motive for him to kill her. Spurned love often leads to violence."
"That is often the case." Harris agreed. "But why would he kill her in Cotter House?"
"I don't think he meant to, actually." Anderson said, glancing back over his shoulder as he spoke. "This last email asks her to meet him there, but from the sound of it I think he was just trying to get an explanation from her."
"You saw her body Anderson." Martin said. "I don't think that kind of mutilation was carried out by a guy who just wanted to talk."
"Okay, you may have point there." Anderson conceded. "Maybe he was hoping we'd think it was the ghosts."
"Perhaps." Izzy said. "That would be a logical conclusion on his part. As we all know, most of this city believes the Cotter House is haunted, so it would make sense for a man like Carmin to think that we would just assume it was ghosts who killed her."
"But we know it's not." Wells said. "The ghosts don't exist."
"You seem to be forgetting what we experienced earlier." Izzy said. "I'm not saying the ghosts killed Amy, but to continue to discount their existence all together is rather short sighted. Still, that fact cannot stop us from pursuing this lead."
"What lead?" Harris asked, his tone genuinely confused.
"We know where Carmin is." Izzy answered. "He's still at the Cotter House. I believe it was him who scared us earlier, at least in part."
The detectives appeared not to believe this theory, but before anyone could argue against it Martin spoke up. "Okay, I guess that makes sense." he said. "So let's head back to the Cotter House, after we let Captain Hatchet know what's going on."
Izzy nodded and they headed out, all of them hoping Izzy's theory was correct so they could finally bring this case to an end.
A short time later they arrived at the Cotter House once again. Harris and Anderson had joined them this time, just to be safe, though Izzy doubted they were in any real danger. Still, it was nice to know that she had more than two armed officers with her in case something did go wrong.
The house was just as creepy as it had always been, but Izzy was determined to end this case and she wasn't about to let her fear stop her. Silently she led the others to the room where they had been attacked by ghosts before, hoping to find some sort of evidence that would lead them to Derrick Carmin. To her relief she found just what she was looking for. The table that had levitated before was rigged to a series of cables and pulleys, as was the other furniture.
"As I suspected." Izzy whispered, slight disappointment coloring her tone.
"Did you find something?" Anderson asked, moving to examine the table with her.
"Yes." Izzy answered. "It turns out our little supernatural encounter was a bit more man made than it first seemed." She gestured at the cables and pulleys as she spoke. "It seems someone wanted us to leave here in a hurry and I know who."
"Derrick Carmin." Martin breathed, his tone somewhere between relief and irritation.
Izzy nodded before speaking again. "Come on out Carmin." she called. "The jig is up man. We know it was you who killed Amy Bedford."
"You have no proof." a gruff voice called from the shadows. "It was the ghosts and soon they'll take you as well."
"No, it was you." Izzy replied. "And I do have the proof. I found your knife hidden in your little contraption here, so why don't you come on out and let us take you in."
There was a moment of silence in which Izzy was certain they were going to be attacked and then Carmin staggered out of the shadows. He was covered in blood and was clutching a pendent that had once belonged to Amy.
"I...I didn't mean to." he muttered. "All I wanted was for her to love me. I never meant to kill her...I never meant to kill her..." His voice trailed off as he slumped to the floor in exhaustion, his tired gaze passing over Izzy one last time.
Martin and Harris moved forward and hauled him to his feet, before dragging him to the car. Wells and Anderson followed them out, but Izzy lingered a moment before she too walked out of the Cotter House for the last time.
Sometime later Izzy met with the detectives at the Treat Factory to celebrate the successful conclusion of yet another case. She had not been present for the interrogation of Derrick Carmin, but Martin had informed her that he had confessed to everything. It was a relief to have the case behind her, as this one had tested her like nothing she'd faced before. Still, it was good to know that another killer had been taken off the streets, presumably for good.
"Well, that was fun." Martin said, his tone sarcastic.
"Yeah, right." Izzy muttered. "If your idea of fun is chasing a killer through a haunted house, then yeah, it was fun." She flexed her burnt hand, testing to see if it still hurt, before grinning to show that she was just joking around.
"Ha ha." Martin muttered. "Way to throw the sarcasm back in my face."
"She has a way of doing that, you know." Gwen said, grinning, her statement drawing laughter from the others, including Dawn and B who had joined them for the celebration.
"Yeah, I know." Martin muttered. "What I'd like to know was, how did you know the knife was in that table?" He glanced at Izzy, his expression questioning.
"I just had a feeling." she answered. "Just like I did about the table being rigged."
"Yeah, here's what I want to know." said Owen. "If the table was rigged and that whole thing was a set up, how do you explain what happened to Dawn? Cuz her reaction was pretty real."
Izzy could think of nothing to say and glanced at Dawn, hoping she had some insight to shed on this matter.
"Some things are simply not meant to be known." Dawn said, after a moment of silence. "That is all I have to say on the matter."
Owen looked disappointed, but Izzy nodded, content with Dawn's answer. After all, she was right, some things weren't meant to be known and at that moment the things that were known were enough to keep Izzy satisfied.
End.
A/N: And that's episode 2. As you can see, I named both the city and the precinct, so that's taken care of. Also, what did you think of the way I introduced Owen, Dawn, B, Cody, and Chef? I know it's a little strange to see Cody as a cop, but as with D.J., I thought it would work. I meant to have this up by Halloween, by the way, but I got a bit distracted. Sorry about that. Also, the mentions of witchcraft are not meant to imply that witches are all bad, it's just historical based on the time in which the Cotter House would have been built. Finally, I do not own Total Drama. It is the property of Teletoon Inc. and its creators. Cheers!