Eduardo, Kylie, Garrett, Roland, Egon, Janine and Slimer were mooching around the reception area at the firehouse, all looking expectant.

'Weren't they supposed to be here by now?' asked Garrett.

'Yes, they were,' said Egon. 'Obviously they've been delayed for some reason. Go home if you want to – you'll see them tomorrow.'

'What d'you reckon, Rolster?' Garrett asked Roland.

'Let's give them five more minutes,' said Roland. 'I need to get back by eight 'cause my mom's going out to her origami class, but I'd like to stick around and say hi if it's possible.'

'There haven't been any train crashes this afternoon,' Janine reported, looking up from her computer screen, 'so they really should be almost here.'

'That's a car,' Eduardo remarked, as the unmistakable sound of a vehicle drawing to a halt just outside the firehouse became audible. 'It's probably them.'

Egon went to open the small access door in the firehouse's main entrance. Sure enough, Peter Venkman and his family immediately tumbled through the opening, laden with luggage.

'Hello, Peter,' said Egon, allowing himself a small smile. 'Hello Dana, Oscar, Jessica. It sure is good to –'

'Hey, Egon, could you go outside and pay the cab driver for us?' Peter interrupted. 'He's getting a bit antsy.'

'Um... yes, certainly,' said Egon, fumbling in his pocket for his wallet. 'Let's see what we've got here...'

'Hi, Dana,' Janine smiled warmly. 'Hi, Peter. Hi, kids. We're so glad you could come.'

'We wouldn't have missed this for the world, Janine,' Peter smiled, but his expression quickly changed as Slimer attached himself to his face.

'Slimer's so glad too,' Janine remarked.

'Obviously,' said Peter, pushing the overenthusiastic ghost away from him as best he could. 'Always the warm welcome, huh Spud?'

'This is quite a welcoming committee,' Dana remarked, nodding towards the four young Ghostbusters.

'Oh, yeah, here's everybody!' Peter noticed. 'Eduardo, Kylie, Garrett and Roland, this is my family – my wife Dana, our son Oscar and our daughter Jessica.'

'It certainly is good to meet you all at last,' Dana said warmly, moving down the line to shake hands.

'The feeling's mutual,' Roland said tactfully.

'Oscar, Jess – aren't you gonna say hi to everyone?' said Peter. 'They've all stayed late just so they can meet you.'

Jessica immediately tottered over to join her mother, but Oscar stayed where he was and adopted an indifferent expression.

'Forty-seven dollars, Peter!'

Everyone swung around as Egon re-entered the firehouse and slammed the door behind him with some force.

'Oh, yeah, sorry about that,' Peter said, sounding anything but. 'He had to take the scenic route 'cause someone was digging a big hole in the middle of the street right in front of Grand Central. And you know what Friday night traffic can be like. But we're here now, and that's the important thing! We heard someone was getting married. Who is it, Egon, huh? Is it you?'

Egon flinched as Peter started punching him playfully and ruffling his hair.

'Stop it, Peter,' said Egon. 'You know very well it is me.'

'We're so happy for you both,' said Dana, giving Janine a hug.

'Thanks,' said Janine. 'I just hope we're not rushing into it.'

Everyone except Egon laughed.

'How was the train journey?' asked Kylie. 'Any delays?'

'No more than you'd expect,' said Dana. 'It was pretty bumpy, though – give me an airplane any day.'

'I don't like airplanes,' said Oscar. 'The train's much better 'cause you get loads of interesting views through the windows – it's not just ocean, ocean, ocean.'

'That depends where you fly to,' Jessica pointed out. 'And from.'

'Perceptive kid,' Garrett remarked.

'Why are you in a wheelchair?' Jessica suddenly piped up, giving Garrett a searching look. 'Did you have an accident or are you just lazy?'

'Jessica!' Dana exclaimed in horror.

'Just lazy, I guess,' Garrett beamed at her. 'I was born that way, y'see.'

'Does anyone mind if we talk itinerary for a minute?' said Janine. 'I've made up all four beds in the sleeping quarters for you and your family, Peter, and I've had an e-mail from Ray to say he'll be landing at eleven thirty tomorrow morning.'

'Excellent,' said Egon. 'You and I can pick him up, Peter, then we're meeting Betamax Bill for lunch at one o'clock.'

'Oh yeah, that should be fun,' Peter laughed. 'I haven't seen old Bill for ages. Has he seen much of Bigfoot lately?'

'Actually, yes,' said Egon. 'I'll tell you about it later.'

'While the boys are catching up over lunch, I'm going to take Dana and Jessica shopping at Bloomingdale's,' Janine continued. 'Then Winston and my sister Doris will arrive later tomorrow afternoon, time to be confirmed.'

'They're not arriving together, are they?' said Peter.

'Not that I know of,' said Janine. 'Dana, are you sure Oscar doesn't want to come to Bloomingdale's with us?'

'I'm sure,' said Oscar. 'Shopping is boring.'

'So just what do you plan on doing while we're all out?' Dana asked, somewhat sharply.

'He could hang around here with us,' Roland suggested.

'What if we get a call?' said Kylie. 'We can't leave him here on his own.'

'I could come with you,' Oscar said brightly.

'That could be even more dangerous,' Roland pointed out.

'He can come and play with my nephew if he likes,' Eduardo announced. 'I happen to know he's at a loose end tomorrow.'

Everyone looked at Eduardo with expressions that seemed to indicate that this was the last thing anyone had expected him to say.

'I mean, they're about the same age and Kevin has some cool toys,' Eduardo felt the need to elaborate. 'I'm sure I can clear it with Carl and Beth... if you'd like.'

'Would you like that, Oscar?' asked Dana.

'I don't know; I guess,' Oscar shrugged. 'What did you say I'm s'posed to do with him?'

'Um... play with him,' said Eduardo.

'Play with him?' Oscar repeated, raising an eyebrow.

'Okay then – hang with him, chill with him, whatever,' said Eduardo. 'You want to do it or not, man?'

'Yeah, fine,' Oscar said disinterestedly, crossing his arms.

'Thanks, Eduardo,' said Peter. 'Okay, let's get these bags upstairs. Egon, can you give us a hand?'

'Certainly,' said Egon, 'but I'm afraid I can't stretch to forty-seven this time.'

Peter laughed and smacked Egon on the arm.

'Would you look at that?' he grinned. 'The guy's getting married and he finally cracks a joke!'

The next morning, Eduardo opened the front door of his apartment whilst struggling into his clothes. Peter and Oscar were on the other side. Oscar was carrying a guitar case.

'Not too early, are we?' Peter asked, a knowing smile on his face.

'No, you're right on time,' said Eduardo, smoothing down the creases in the front of his shirt. 'I'm the one who's running late.'

'A clear sign of an active and busy mind,' said Peter. 'Do you mind if I come in and take a look round your place?'

'Er... sure, if you want to,' said Eduardo, stepping aside to let his visitors enter, 'but I've arranged for Kevin and Oscar to meet downstairs, in the real house.'

'That's okay; I just like looking round other people's homes,' said Peter. 'And this is a real house – don't ever let anyone tell you it's not.'

'It's very small,' Oscar remarked.

'It's compact,' Peter said sternly. 'Everything within easy reach – very practical.'

'Yeah, it suits my needs pretty well,' Eduardo shrugged. 'Can I offer you a soda or something?'

'No thanks, kid,' said Peter, 'I've got to pick up Ray in twenty minutes. Egon's waiting in the Ecto.'

'You couldn't have more than one person living here,' Oscar persisted.

'Well, that's the idea,' said Eduardo.

'Plenty of room to bring a guest back, though, if you want to,' Peter grinned. 'I bet you've had some guests to stay the night, right?'

'Yeah, one or two,' said Eduardo, concealing a small smile. 'My nephew, for example.'

'What about Kylie?' Peter asked with false innocence.

'The need for that arrangement has never yet presented itself,' Eduardo said, somewhat primly.

'What a crime,' Peter muttered, turning away slightly and smiling to himself.

'So do I get to meet this Kevin kid or not?' Oscar broke in.

'Of course,' said Eduardo. 'I'll just –'

He was interrupted by another knock on the front door, which had been left slightly ajar. He ran to pull it open. Beth was standing on the other side; she saw Eduardo framed in the doorway with Peter mooching around behind him.

'Oh, Eduardo,' Beth said awkwardly. 'I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were... busy.'

'That's okay, I'm not,' Eduardo assured her.

'But you have a... guest.'

'Yeah, of course I do. This is Dr Peter Venkman. Peter, this is my sister-in-law Beth.'

'Oh, I see,' Beth smiled, shaking Peter's hand. 'Yes, that makes sense. Kevin's all set up in his room if his little playmate is ready.'

Oscar shuffled to the fore with his guitar case in one hand and an unimpressed look on his face.

'Oh, how nice, you brought a... musical instrument to show him,' Beth remarked. 'Just don't play it too loud, will you? My husband's got one of his headaches.'

'Eduardo, we'll drop you off at the firehouse on our way to the airport,' said Peter, 'as you're running slightly late.'

'What about Ray?' asked Eduardo.

'He won't explode if we're a few minutes late,' said Peter. 'Come on, don't leave me hanging.'

'Okay, sure,' said Eduardo. 'Thanks.'

Beth led the way down the staircase with Oscar mooching behind her. Peter came next and Eduardo brought up the rear, locking the front door on the way.

'Have fun, champ,' Peter said playfully, ruffling Oscar's hair.

'Dad, don't!' Oscar said peevishly. 'I hate that.'

Beth pushed open the door of Kevin's room and stepped inside. Oscar slid in behind her and dumped his guitar case on the floor.

'Kevin,' said Beth, 'Oscar's here.'

Kevin was sitting at his computer. He clicked the mouse a few times and then turned off the monitor before turning around to face his mother and Oscar.

'Hey,' he said, smiling slightly.

'Hey,' said Oscar, not sounding very enthusiastic.

'Well, I'll leave you boys to get acquainted,' said Beth. 'There's sodas in the fridge if you want them.'

She tactfully retreated, pulling the door not quite shut on her way out. Kevin and Oscar looked at each other for several seconds.

'You can sit on my bed if you want,' Kevin ventured.

'Thanks,' said Oscar, and did so.

'Sorry your family all decided to ditch you today,' said Kevin.

'It's fine,' said Oscar, 'don't worry about it.'

A few more seconds of silence followed.

'I haven't had a play date since I was like three,' said Oscar.

'Me neither,' said Kevin. 'I guess it was easier when we were happy to just sit around and play with Playmobil for two hours.'

Oscar's left eyebrow rose in interest.

'Do you like Playmobil?' he asked.

'Sure, I like it okay,' said Kevin. 'I have a pretty decent collection of cowboys and Indians.'

'Are we allowed to call them that nowadays?' said Oscar.

'I don't know,' said Kevin, 'but that's what I've always called them. Do you want to take a look at them?'

'Do you have the Indian camp with the wigwam?' asked Oscar. 'I mean, the tepee?'

'Yes,' said Kevin, 'and a fenced area for the cowboys with two cows, a bull and a calf.'

'Can we set it all up on the floor?' asked Oscar.

'Sure, if you want,' said Kevin.

'Yeah,' said Oscar, 'let's do that.'

Roland's Mustang drew to a halt outside the New York City Morgue and the four Extreme Ghostbusters decamped from the vehicle.

'I hope you're gonna claim back the gas for this trip,' Garrett said to Roland. 'Why should you have to pay for our professional transport while Egon and his old buddies are out joyriding in the Ecto-1?'

'Yeah, I will,' said Roland. 'I don't usually bother, but as they've actually gone off with our designated vehicle...'

They found a reception desk inside the mortuary but there was nobody manning it.

'This place is creepy, man,' Eduardo remarked. 'Where is everybody, huh?'

'Lying in big drawers with tags on their toes,' Garrett grinned. 'Sure makes you think about your own mortality, huh Eddie?'

Eduardo frowned but did not reply. Roland went up and banged on the desk.

'Hello, anyone here?' he called out. 'Ghostbusters!'

An office door immediately swung open and a bearded man in a white coat came out to stand behind the reception desk.

'Oh, thank goodness you're here,' he said. 'I'm Dr Jack Davis, the chief mortician. Thank you for coming so quickly.'

'So what's the deal, Doc?' asked Garrett. 'We're used to dealing with dead guys, but not like the ones you've got here.'

'What he means is, we usually work with spirits rather than bodies,' Kylie interjected. 'Unless it's zombies...'

'It's not zombies, is it?' Roland sighed. 'I'm getting pretty tired of zombies.'

'No, it's not zombies,' said Dr Davis. 'It's not exactly ghosts either. It's... well, I'd better show you. Please, come with me.'

The mortician came out from behind the desk and led the way down a long, white corridor.

Kevin and Oscar had made an impressive display of Playmobil cowboys and Indians on the floor of Kevin's bedroom.

'You have to give some of the cowboys these grey knives in their holsters,' Kevin said apologetically. 'I've lost most of the little guns over the years.'

'That's fine,' said Oscar. 'It's funny how all these Indian figures have pink skin, isn't it?'

'Oh, I think they started to realise that after a while,' said Kevin. 'I've got a later model Indian chief somewhere with darker skin... hang on, I think I'm sitting on him.'

Kevin produced the figure from underneath himself and passed it to Oscar, who proceeded to inspect it closely.

'He has war paint too,' Oscar remarked.

'Yeah,' said Kevin, 'he's much more accurate.'

'He's cool,' said Oscar.

'I've always thought so,' Kevin grinned. 'So, what's in the guitar case?'

'My guitar,' said Oscar.

'Wow, cool,' said Kevin. 'Did you bring it so you could play me something?'

'I don't know,' Oscar shrugged. 'I guess I could, if you want.'

'Yes, I want,' Kevin grinned at him.

'I don't know, maybe I shouldn't,' Oscar demurred. 'Your mom said we might disturb your dad.'

'Oh, he won't care,' said Kevin. 'He's downstairs watching a movie. Go on, play me something.'

'I don't know what to play.'

'Let's think of something we both like. You play and I'll sing.'

'What do you want to sing?' said Oscar, laughing a little.

'Do you know "Scarborough Fair"?' asked Kevin.

'Yeah,' said Oscar.

'Let's do that one,' said Kevin.

'Missing body parts?' said Eduardo, looking slightly sick. 'You called us about missing body parts?'

'Yes,' said Dr Davis. 'I think they're being taken from the delivery transport while our pick-up guy opens the security doors at the back of the morgue.'

'Takes him a long time, does it?' asked Garrett.

'Yes,' said Dr Davis. 'He keeps forgetting the entry code for the keypad.'

'Did you try writing it down for him?' asked Kylie.

'That's more than my job's worth,' said Dr Davis. 'If it comes out that I've written the code down then they'll install a whole new security system and take it out of my wages!'

'Sounds like your security system is pretty useless anyway, if someone can steal bits of the bodies before they even make it into the morgue,' Garrett remarked. 'Doesn't your delivery guy keep his van locked?'

'Well, he's supposed to,' said Dr Davis, 'but I don't think he always remembers.'

'It sounds like your real problem is your delivery guy,' said Roland. 'I'd give him an appraisal if I were you.'

'Yes, I will,' said Dr Davis, 'but what about the body parts that have already gone missing?'

'You don't think the delivery guy could be taking them himself, do you?' asked Eduardo.

'No, I'm sure he wouldn't do that,' said Dr Davis. 'He's worked here for more than thirty years... why would he suddenly start doing it now?'

'I'm sorry, Dr Davis, but I don't really understand why you've come to us with this problem,' said Kylie. 'Why didn't you call the police?'

'I did, but they didn't seem very interested,' said the mortician. 'They sent an officer over and I showed him the delivery area and the incomplete bodies, but he made it very clear that he thought I was wasting his time. Besides, I thought maybe the body parts were being taken for some kind of weird Voodoo ceremonies or something. Don't you people deal with stuff like that?'

'Um... not really, so far,' said Roland, 'but I guess we can take a look at this problem for you. You'd better show us everything you showed the cop.'

The final chord of 'Scarborough Fair' finished reverberating from Oscar's guitar.

'You have a good singing voice,' Oscar said to Kevin.

'Really?' said Kevin.

'Yeah,' said Oscar. 'We should record some stuff together before your voice breaks. I have a quality microphone with a pop shield and a decent computer recording programme back home in Connecticut.'

'Is that an invitation?' asked Kevin.

'Um, well... yeah, I guess it is,' said Oscar. 'What other songs do you like?'

'Do you know "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls?'

'Er... I could probably work out the chords, yeah.'

Oscar began to make some ear-piercing sounds on his guitar. Kevin winced slightly.

'Oh, I think those last two were right,' he interjected at length. 'If you wannabe my lover...'

Suddenly the bedroom door burst open and Carl entered the room with a black look on his face.

'What on earth is that horrible noise?' he demanded.

'It's Oscar's guitar, Dad,' said Kevin.

'It's making my headache fifty times worse!' Carl complained. 'And what's all that Playmobil doing on the floor? I thought we gave it to the church relief fund ages ago.'

'No, Dad, I decided to keep it,' Kevin said awkwardly.

'I can't cope with you two hanging around the house on my day off,' said Carl, reaching into his pocket and bringing out his wallet. 'Here's some money – why don't you go out and buy yourselves some lunch? Your mom's gone to the store to do her big shop so you won't find anything to eat around here for a few hours.'

'Okay, sure,' said Kevin. 'Thanks, Dad.'

Kevin took the money and led the way out of the house, with Oscar trailing behind him. Kevin set off in a direction he was obviously familiar with, so Oscar fell into step beside him.

'Where are we going?' he asked.

'A sandwich bar I like,' said Kevin. 'It's not too far.'

'Does your dad always treat you like that?' Oscar ventured.

'He doesn't make the best first impression, I guess,' Kevin smiled ruefully, 'but he's okay really. He has a stressful job and it gets to him sometimes.'

'He's a cop, right?'

'Yeah. He works in traffic right now.'

'If my dad spoke to me like yours spoke to you, I'd probably yell at him,' Oscar admitted.

'He doesn't mean it – he's just tired,' Kevin said confidently. 'And at least he gave us money, right? Look, there's sixty-five dollars here.'

'Oh, cool,' said Oscar. 'My dad would never give me sixty-five dollars just to buy a sandwich. Your dad, er... well, he doesn't seem too worried about sending you off into the city alone, does he?'

'I'm not alone – I have you,' Kevin pointed out.

'You think I can protect you from muggers and stuff?' Oscar laughed.

'Maybe we can protect each other,' said Kevin.

'I'm sorry, dude, but I think your dad has rage issues,' Oscar announced.

'You're right, he does, but it's not because of me,' said Kevin. 'He's ashamed of being Mexican.'

'Was he born in Mexico?'

'No, he was born in the USA.'

'He's a US citizen, then.'

'I know. His parents were Mexican. He thinks people hate him for being Mexican no matter where he was born. Can you tell by looking at me that I have Mexican grandparents?'

'It might not occur to me straightaway if I didn't already know,' Oscar considered. 'But I was expecting you to be... well, you know, darker than I am... because I'd already met your uncle, remember.'

'Oh yeah, of course,' said Kevin.

'Are you ashamed too?'

'Of my Mexican descent?'

'Yeah.'

'No, I think it's really interesting. I never mention it in front of my dad, though.'

'I have two brothers and a sister who're half English.'

'Yes, I thought you probably did.'

'They're half-brothers and a half-sister really... but then I guess Jess is my half-sister too, technically, even though I always just think of her as my sister.'

'That's because you've grown up together,' said Kevin.

'Yeah,' said Oscar. 'I don't like to talk about this stuff in front of my dad. That's why I started thinking about it, when you mentioned your dad and the Mexican thing.'

'Is your other family a touchy subject for him?' asked Kevin.

'I'm not really sure,' said Oscar. 'He's never acted weird about it or anything but I don't want to be insensitive. Hey, hang on a second – why did you think I probably had a half-English sister and brothers before I told you I did?'

'I've seen the movies,' said Kevin. 'That guy with the nasal spray in the first movie is your biological father, right?'

'Yeah, that's meant to be him. But how did you know he had English children?'

'Well, he'd gone off to London in the second movie, so it seemed to make sense.'

'Yeah, I guess so. Y'know, come to think of it, I've never seen him with a nasal spray myself.'

'Do you see him often?'

'No, not often.'

'He's got plenty of time to use a nasal spray without you knowing anything about it then, hasn't he?'

Oscar laughed and punched Kevin on the arm in a jovial way. Kevin grinned and punched him back.

'How much further to this sandwich bar?' asked Oscar.

'It's just on the next block,' said Kevin. 'Look, you can see the sign from here.'

'Halesworth Street Art Café,' Oscar read. 'What the heck is an art café?'

'Don't worry about that, man,' said Kevin. 'They have, like, displays of pictures from local artists and you can buy them for huge sums of money, but you don't need to take any notice of them. It's the sandwiches that make the place worth visiting.'

'That's why you called it a sandwich bar instead of an art café,' Oscar grinned.

'Exactly,' said Kevin.

Eduardo and Garrett were being treated to a parade of incomplete dead bodies; they were both looking rather queasy.

'I think that's all of them,' Dr Davis announced at length. 'We had one with a missing thumb last night, but it turned out he was a butcher and he'd cut it off himself twenty years ago.'

'Did he sell it in his store?' asked Garrett.

'I don't know,' Dr Davis laughed, 'but the hospital records said it was an accident.'

'Well, thanks for the cadaver fashion parade, man,' said Eduardo. 'Do you mind if we go outside and join our colleagues now?'

'Oh, but I haven't shown you the most interesting thing yet,' said Dr Davis. 'You'll want to hear this. Look at this one – the hands have been taken.'

'Yes, we can see that,' said Garrett.

'But what you can't see is that he was a martial arts expert,' said Dr Davis. 'And this one with no legs won the New York Marathon in nineteen forty-eight.'

'Well, I guess he wasn't going to achieve that feat again, even when he still had feet,' Garrett remarked.

'Yes, but don't you see what I'm saying?' Dr Davis said excitedly. 'This one here was a gourmet chef, and he's had his entire digestive system cut out!'

Eduardo clapped a hand to his mouth and retched slightly.

'So are you saying that whoever's taking these body parts is picking and choosing the most useful bits from the specific people they belonged to?' Garrett inferred.

'That's exactly what I'm saying!' said Dr Davis. 'And if you add up everything that's been taken, it equates to pretty much one whole male body, except for a head and brain.'

'Okay, that is pretty interesting,' Garrett was forced to admit. 'Well, we've got the paperwork so we can start investigating whether there's any connection between these people.'

'I bet there won't be,' said Dr Davis, 'other than the fact that they all had a particularly useful or specialist body part that's now been stolen.'

'So do you think someone's planning to sew all the different parts together and make some kind of grotesque mannequin?' asked Eduardo. 'Why the heck would anyone want to do that?'

'Well,' Dr Davis said darkly, 'a couple of possibilities do spring to mind. There are some really sick people in the world today, you know.'

At that moment, Kylie and Roland entered the room. Everyone turned to look at them.

'The cop who examined that delivery area,' said Kylie. 'Was he blind?'

'Um... I don't think so,' said Dr Davis.

'He must have been incompetent, then,' said Roland, 'or else he just couldn't be bothered to look properly. We found this on the ground beside the security doors.'

Everyone crowded around to look at the small rectangular object in Roland's hand. It was a name badge with the logo of the Halesworth Street Art Café printed across the top.

'Hello, my name is Victor,' Garrett read off the badge. 'Well, looks like we've found our guy. That was easy.'

'Do we have to go to this art café and interview Victor?' Eduardo asked, sounding very unenthusiastic.

'Well, I think we should, now that we've started investigating the case,' said Roland. 'Dr Davis, you should update the police about this. We'll leave the name badge here so you can give it to them.'

'Okay,' said Dr Davis, 'thanks.'

'We'll stay in touch,' said Roland. 'Now, does anyone know where this art café actually is?'

'Yeah, I do,' Eduardo admitted reluctantly. 'It's not too far from my apartment. Kevin took me there and made me buy us sandwiches and chocolate milk one time.'

'Great,' said Roland, 'you can navigate.'