This is going to be the dullest article I've ever written, Gaston thought as he went through notes detailing the management of the Paris Opera House. The 30th anniversary of the Opera House was fastly approaching, and he editor wanted a piece on the history of the place. So far, he hadn't found anything remotely interesting. Notes were few and far between, and mostly detailing changes in staff.
He was just about to give up when he came across a note signed "O.G". It was in regards to the replacement of the current diva Carlotta with a chorus girl by the name of Christine Daee. A few papers later, he found an invoice for a replacement chandelier for the main auditorium. Daee, chandelier, O.G.? Gaston got up and wandered around the manager's office. Papers were strewn all over the place, bookcases were filled with sheet music, yellowed folders, and small musical instruments were shoved in as bookends.
Gaston stood there puzzling, wondering if this Christine Daee and the mysterious "O.G." were somehow connected. He sat back down and searched through the other files from that time period. More and more notes from the mysterious "O.G." were popping up. Notes demanding his monthly "allowance", changes in the line up for the chorus, and more notes about Miss Daee. Gaston scribbled on his writing tablet to remind him to look in the newspapers from that time to see if any of these strange incidents had been reported. He hadn't remembered ever seeing articles about a Christine Daee, but he would check again to be sure. At the very least, his story was getting more interesting.
Just then Monsieur Georges walked into the office, "Monsieur Leourx, I trust you are finding the information you require?"
Gaston folded up the invoice, stuffed it into his pocket and turned around, "Yes, I think I am finding enough information to truly do justice to this place."
"Oh, very good," Georges replied smiling. "Do you have any questions I may be able to answer?"
"Just one," Gaston said. "Who is…or was, O.G.?"
Georges paled dramatically, looking as if he were going to faint, but quickly recovered. He laughed shortly and shrilly, "Oh, that is what the chorus girls called the 'Opera Ghost'. It was just a big hoax uncovered by our own Madame Giry, the ballet mistress of the time. Her daughter Meg has taken over that position and if you would like, I could arrange a meeting," he offered.
"I think that would be perfect, Madame Giry…." Gaston began.
"It's Mademoiselle Giry, Madame Giry has since retired many years ago," Georges corrected him.
"Ah yes, still I think it would be fortuitous for me to speak with her before the anniversary, do you not agree?"
Georges sat down at the messy desk, pulling out an address book, "If it will help with your paper's article, I will make sure she is available to speak with you."
"Thank you Monsieur," he replied bowing.
Georges nodded curtly and motioned for him to leave. Gaston smiled to himself as he made his way out of the Opera House, and thought that perhaps this anniversary article would not be too boring, ghost stories were all the rage now. Why, just the other day, he had been with some of his associates at the paper, and they had been discussing the latest piece by the American, Henry James. Yes, indeed, a ghost story complete with an eyewitness testimony would be just what the paper needed.