Chapter 56 [Talon—An Hour Later]

Dubois sat in the corner booth. His fingers typed away on the computer keyboard. Mocha soothed his jangled nerves. He'd had a couple of guest appearances for the US History Advanced Placement and English Literature Advanced Placement classes. He also offered a couple of research methods workshops at the Smallville City Library and the Granville Library. He and Nyoki agreed to collaborate on a Humanities specialized research class in Smallville in late May. Perhaps at some point, he'd even volunteer for some reference desk duty.

Still, for now, that would be enough….

Maybe Byron and Nyoki might want to do a poetry reading series? Maybe Miss Cooper would be able to give a concert? Crap, Dave, while you're dreaming, why don't you pull the entire Wichita Symphony out here? He shook his head. If the Boston Pops can do it at Tanglewood, why not here? He rubbed his chin.

"How's your drink, Mr. Dubois?" Lana studied his facial expression. She could see Tension in his face. "Something wrong?"

"Hmm? Drink's great. Could I get a refill please?" He leaned back against the seat cushions. "There's something else off today." He frowned.

"Everything's been okay here. Miri's really excited to see her aunt and you again. The meetings go all right?" She leaned against the booth.

"Relatively speaking. Peter and I are booked up. I just hope he's going to be all right." He shook his head. "No…there's something else. I just got a bad vibe. It's not Nightmare Annie either."

"Maybe it could be that Ramen-guy or that Rider creep?" She grimaced at another encounter with the spiritual sachem.

"I know those two." He sucked in a deep breath. "No. This is something I haven't felt since the old house. I dimly remember another ghost besides the two we've already seen." He rubbed his forehead. "That refill would take the edge off, Lana. Thanks."

"Sure. Coming right up." She hustled up toward the front counter.

"So did he tell you why he's so stressed?" Miranda peered over her shoulder toward her uncle. She already frothed the mocha drink and shot it with cherry.

"He said something about a different weird vibe." Lana shrugged. Confusion numbed her head. "And not what we've encountered already."

"Well that's a handful knowing him. We'd better hope it's not the Rider's brother either. That creep can stay away." Miranda shot whipped cream into the drink and covered it with M & M's. "Never say I don't know what the Uncle likes."

"I might never have guessed, Miri. Sure about that?" Lana smirked.

"Be that way, Boss." Miranda rolled her eyes. She filled a coffee mug and fixed her own drink. "I'm taking a break too." She brought them out to him. "You've got that look, Uncle Dave."

"It's been a while, Miri." He motioned to the empty seat across from himself. "I don't want to take you from your customers."

She scoffed. "I get a break. Besides we're empty right now." She set the new drink down in front of him. Then she slid into the booth. "I'm never too busy for Auntie or you. Lana told me about what you said." She leaned close. "Not that wizard creep from the other place."

"Lousain's dead." Surprise widened his eyes. "You remember that?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I still have nightmares about it." She pointed at the scar on her chin. "There's that." She motioned toward his left shoulder. "You have that."

He bit his lip. "I'm sorry about that."

"What do you have to be sorry about? You rescued the Aunties and me from that place. The Child nearly died down there." She gulped from her coffee.

"Nope. Thankfully that creep isn't around. Your scar and my shoulder would be burning. My hand's been burning though. So have Lana's and Lex's. I know Nightmare Annie's skulking in the shadows. You be careful. I just wish Lex had another room for you," he informed her.

"I'm okay."

"You're a target, Miri. I don't want you by yourself." Purpose shot through his eyes. He tapped his fingers on the table. "I wasn't going to play this card but…" He coughed. "You want me to talk to the Princess about it?"

She narrowed her eyes. "That's dirty pool!"

"All's fair in war. I know you two are close friends. I could get Lana and her to gang up on you." Triumph broadened the smirk on his face.

She stewed. "I don't want to worry them! Lana will tell Clark. He'll tell his parents."

"Yeah I imagine he will." He shrugged. "Of course I could sit back and let the Creep Squad take out the garbage too. I just don't like using you as bait."

"I'm a tough girl, Uncle Dave. I can handle myself." She drank from her coffee. "Look who just came in."

He saw Lex, Connors, Peter and Gwen enter the café. They headed toward the counter. "Maybe we should table the rest of this discussion? We're not done though, Miri. Just remember what I said."

"And you remember what I said." She stood. "Thanks for caring." She grinned at him.

"Anytime, Short Stuff." He bit his lip. "Ask Lex to come over here." He shook his head. She's just as stubborn as I was at her age. Tremendous! He went back to typing again.

"Yeah she's right. You've got that look on your face." Lex sipped on his coffee. "What's on your mind, Dave? You were having a great day earlier."

"I'm doing all right. I just felt something else." Dubois motioned toward Connors. "Is he all right?"

"They wanted to be picked up early. Apparently Connors and Gwen felt faint all of a sudden. I'm going to have that lab checked over." Lex took another gulp. "Why? You get another hit on your radar?"

"For the past hour or so. It's weird. I haven't felt this in a while. It's like when I was really young. There was someone else before Lichtenfeld. Wish I could remember." Dubois tapped his fingers on the table.

"Maybe it's best you don't. You have enough to deal with." Lex motioned for the trio to join them. "Maybe some hot caffeine will help."

"Yes. The fresh air is making a difference," Connors declared. "Thank you."

"We weren't doing anything." Gwen shook her head. "We took samples from the reptiles. Dr. Connors was looking at a test slide. The meteors were still in their lead case. It started just before Peter joined us."

"And I brought that lady zookeeper in," Peter recalled.

"Lady zookeeper? The zoo is sending Martin over." Lex frowned. "I didn't get a call or anything."

"He's sick or something." Gwen shrugged. "Anyway the zoo sent someone over. She had an intense look but seemed all right."

"Really? What was her name?" Lex decided to call and check on this for himself.

"Saskel…Grace Saskel," Connors indicated.

Dubois' eyes went wide. He gulped down his coffee hard. "Did you just say Grace Saskel?"

"He did. Dave, what?" Lex put his hand on his friend's arm. "She was a person not a ghost."

"Mr. Dubois, she was as real as you or me," Connors disagreed.

"Was she a slender woman, hair like Angie's and green eyes?" Impatience numbed his mind. He spasmed.

"That's right! How…?" Gwen stared at him. "Wait. But she can't be one of them!"

"And yet she just takes the other guy's place? You all suddenly feel sick? She's gets all interested in the rocks and lizards? Let me guess. She just stepped around a corner and vanished into thin air. Right?" Dubois shook his head. "The ghost you saw on Saturday has pulled that too. They can make themselves seem like live people through magic." He raised his hand.

The scar was glowing.

Lex kept his right hand shoved in his pocket. "Another one?"

"Aunt Grace." Dubois frowned. "Now that's a blast from the past I didn't want to hear from again." He shook his head. He gulped down more of his mocha. "I'm going for a refill. Lex, I don't want Miranda staying by herself. We're going to have to figure it out." He headed toward the front counter.

"Aunt Grace? What?" Connors raised an eyebrow.

"I haven't heard about her before. I'll have to ask Drs. La Fontaine and Dubois about her." Lex looked to Peter. "And what do you think?"

"I had a bad feeling about her," Peter admitted. "Maybe one of us should stay back here."

"No. We'll take care of it. You all take care of your business back there." Lex sucked in a deep breath. "Drink up. Then I'll see you back to the mansion."

Even those that seemed trustworthy really weren't….