It was a warm Halloween evening as trick-or-treaters rushed through the city and across city blocks as quickly as possible to collect every ounce of candy being passed out that night. While laughter and excitement of children filled the autumn air that smelled richly of fallen leaves, pumpkin spice, warm cider and salted caramel, the first responders went about their usual routines in an attempt to keep everyone safe while allowing the Halloween festivities to continue without interruption. Unfortunately, that meant anyone on patrol hoping to celebrate Halloween with friends and family had been stuck working while everyone around them were having fun, and that put quite a few people in a foul mood.
The Central Precinct was no exception to losing out on some Halloween fun. While Hank had managed to get out of patrol duty by pulling rank and reminding everyone that he had gone on patrol on Halloween night for the past three years in a row, Connor wasn't so lucky. His enhanced senses, reflexes and scanner all gave him a massive advantage in tracking down vandals and thieves who'd try to pull an illegal stunt during the energetic and confusing night, and as such he was assigned a patrol without any hesitation.
Partnered with Gavin for the night, Connor sat as the passenger of the squad car during the patrol and eyed the hundreds of trick-or-treaters rushing about in search of the next house offering up candy to celebrate the holiday. Seeing people dressed as monsters, heroes, people of myth and fantasy, various creatures and even characters from TV shows and movies, was incredibly odd for the deviant detective to observe.
"Figures that Tina gets Halloween off this year, and I get stuck working." Gavin mumbled as he wondered how much he was missing out on that night considering Tina always threw legendary Halloween parties at her apartment. "I hate night patrol."
Dispatch made frequent updates over the radio and Gavin responded properly to each update with an update of his own. The only real complaints came from cranky people getting annoyed with kids and teenagers having fun in a public setting.
"Guess it's better than being stuck in the bullpen and weeding through the bullshit prank calls."
Turning toward Gavin with an arched brow Connor gave the man a puzzled look. "...Prank calls?"
"Stupid jokes that little kids, idiotic teens and drunk assholes like to pull this time of year."
"I presume such calls are a frequent nuisance."
"You got that right, 'Tinman'. One Halloween we had a call that someone had gotten locked in the trunk of their own car, and it turned out to be dummy. The teens didn't understand why no one else was laughing until after they were threatened with being charged for misuse of 911 for wasting police time and resources. Another year there was a report of a little girl being left all alone in her house and calling for help, but the house was totally abandoned. No one had been in that house since the 80's and that place should be torn down. But the last call that I handled really pissed me off..."
"What happened on that particular call?"
"Some asshole decided to pretend to hang himself from the tree in his ex-girlfriend's front yard because she refused to answer his calls or texts." Gavin scoffed as he told Connor the upsetting story. "She panicked when she saw his body, called 911, and when we arrived to cut his body down, the asshole pulled an engagement ring out of his back pocket to propose to his hysteric ex, and in the process of moving around his little safety rope snapped! The fucker slipped off the safety rope and ended up really hanging himself, and the sudden snapping of the two ropes around his neck also snapped his neck and left him a quadriplegic."
"That is a needlessly tragic outcome."
"Tell me about it! If the man hadn't look so damn pathetic crying on the grass about how he couldn't feel anything, I would've let his ex kick the shit out of him for being such an emotionally abusive and manipulative bastard."
"I doubt that would've done anyone any good."
"Maybe not, but it would've been satisfying to watch."
An uneventful hour had passed, and Connor was keeping his quiet as he watched the streets carefully. He hadn't seen anything amiss and had only witnessed numerous people walking around with what should be considered a criminal amount of sugar. No one was doing anything destructive or malicious beyond a few rolls of toilet paper being thrown over a few houses, and no one was shouting for help or showing any sign of distress.
"Maybe you should dress up before it's too late." The still somewhat bitter detective noted as he looked at Connor sitting beside him. "You like to pretend to be alive all the time, so maybe you should dress as a zombie and really sell it!"
Ignoring the quip about his supposed charade Connor remained focused on the streets outside the patrolling car. As the evening gave way to night the soft glow from the burning Jack-o-Lanterns suddenly became brighter by contrast and slowly the porch lights of houses passing out candy began to darken. Soon the only lights left on were glowing through the windows of houses throwing more adult Halloween parties or from teenagers having horror movie night together.
Without anything of immediate interest to handle it seemed the patrolling detectives were in the clear to return to the precinct.
"I don't wanna' jinx it, but things might just be nice and quiet tonight."
Looking over at Gavin again Connor gave the grouchy detective an odd glance as he just couldn't understand the appeal of Halloween or celebrating anything to do with paranormal or supernatural events. It was one of the many human behaviors and traditions that Connor couldn't seem to comprehend.
Just as the car was about to turn the corner and head back to the precinct dispatch reported an emergency call regarding a child in distress. Unable to ignore such a potentially serious situation Gavin confirmed to dispatch that he and Connor would check it out and requested the address.
"Huh... The Livingstone Home of Eliot Street." Gavin repeated the address and shook his head a little. "Sounds somehow familiar."
Connor closed his eyes and caused his L.E.D. to flicker between blue and yellow as he cybernetically dug up some history on the address. "There was an old house that had been torn down on 268 Eliot Street. A historical recreation of the mansion was built on the vacated lot, then left abandoned for several years. The house was sold after a fire killed the only daughter of the family that had resided there in the 2017, and the family that moved in afterward left the house after only four years had passed."
"Who's living there now?"
"No one. The house has been on the real estate market and has been for quite some time."
"If the house is on the market, then it's a damn prank call!" Reaching for the radio Gavin wanted to inform dispatch of his hunch but Connor stopped him from doing so by gentle grabbing his wrist. "What the fuck are you doing?"
"An abandoned or unowned property can be an ideal location for an abductor to hold someone captive. A neighbor reported seeing someone inside the house and contacted the police for a reason."
"Ah, fuckin'- FINE. We'll check it out, but if it turns out to be a prank then I am going to make you walk back to the precinct!"
"That seems like an extreme reaction."
"Shut it! I already told you about prank calls being a waste of time."
"We cannot possibly know for certain if the call is a prank or not until after we check it out."
"Yeah, yeah..." Holding up his middle finger right in Connor's face Gavin smirked at himself as he had just cracked the best joke in the world. "Check this!"
Unphased by the gesture Connor observed Gavin's extended finger and noted a few details. "Your cuticle is showing signs of infection. You should also remove the dirt from beneath your nail to prevent further infection and to appear more presentable to the public."
Lowering his hand with a disappointed grimace Gavin sighed as he looked at his hand on the steering wheel, extended his middle finger again to check his nail, then curled the finger around the wheel properly. "...Nothing wrong with my nails, jackass."
Nearing the correct address Connor and Gavin eyed the dark house, a mansion really, through the windshield and confirmed with dispatch that they had arrived at the scene. While Gavin spoke with dispatch Connor exited the squad car and approached the quiet structure. There were a few other houses in the area, including a college fraternity house down the block, but by all account the frat house was wisely keeping their distance from the police due to the nearly guaranteed underaged drinking taking place during the night's festivities.
Scanning over the property Connor eyed the impressive three story mansion and noted that the house was a modern restoration of the old mansion that had seen tragedy all those years ago. The brick and mortar mansion of a French Renaissance design was accurate to the very original mansion constructed in the 1890's, as were the windows and the circular spiral tower at the top of the third floor of the mansion's West wing. There was no sign of age on the mansion and by all account was ready for anyone to move in, but the sordid history of the mansion seemed to keep every potential buyer at bay.
"Whoa... I know this place." Gavin noted as he joined Connor on the front property in near the entrance of the mansion. "This place got the nickname 'Slumpy' and collapsed years ago!"
"Correct. A prosperous family, the patriarch being William Livingstone, wanted to build a home in the 1893 in one of the city's most elegant neighborhoods. The original mansion was relocated to this spot until it was condemned, and this is where its recreation currently resides to honor the historic mansion. The original mansion was demolished in September 2007 after collapsing too much and being deemed a public hazard."
"What else is interesting about this place?" Gavin asked as he pulled a flashlight from his utility belt and shone the light around the front of the house to check the door and the windows for any sign of a break-in or damage. "Got anything about the very original owners and why a whole fuckin' mansion got moved around?"
"This residence was originally built one block to the West of its present location. The Red Cross had intended to demolish the original home for their new building, however, preservationists succeeded in successfully moving the Livingstone Home elsewhere. Unfortunately, the original house's move was done so poorly that the building sagged in the middle causing its inevitable collapse. Because of its sag the unique mansion had been dubbed 'Slumpy' as you had already confirmed."
"Uh-huh, and what of the *fire?" Checking over the side of the property Gavin made his way toward the backyard with Connor right behind him. The bright white beam of his flashlight was the only guide Gavin had as he was unfamiliar with the layout of the property. "Got a cause or anything behind it?"
"The fire occurred in 2017. It started on the ground floor when a burning log had shifted in the fireplace and rolled out of the hearth onto the livingroom floor." As he spoke Connor felt eyes watching him and his scanner was picking up on a faint biometric signature. Glancing upward Connor visually swept over the second and third story windows as if expecting to see someone looking down at him. "...The fire spread quickly over the carpeting and the inhabitants of the mansion at that time, the Aiden family were caught in the blaze."
"Uh-huh..." Checking the backdoor next Gavin noted that the door hadn't been tampered with by any tools or hands, but it had been left unlocked. Pulling the door open Gavin shined his light into the dark mansion and let out an aggravated sigh. "Lazy realtors. How hard is it to lock a fuckin' door?"
Continuing on Connor relayed the information he had gathered on the fire to the impatient detective as Gavin entered the mansion. "The Aiden family patriarch and matriarch, Scott and Rosamund, were able to escape the fire, but their ten-year-old daughter, Seraphina, did not survive. She was found in her bedroom on the third floor having succumbed to smoke inhalation."
"That sucks." Using his flashlight Gavin checked each room of the three story mansion and made sure he knew where the exits to the mansion were located at all times. He didn't want to get ambushed if it turned out someone was hiding inside the mansion. "What happened after that?"
"The surviving Aiden family moved away after the fire. They couldn't go back to the mansion and refused to remain in Detroit after laying their only daughter to rest." Watching Gavin check the livingroom with the flashlight Connor felt the same leering presence as before and glanced up at the nearby staircase where he swore that he could feel someone watching him. "...The mansion was cleaned and restored after the blaze, and was eventually purchased by new owners in 2011."
"And that's it? It was bought new people and then just got bored with the place and sold it again?"
"No." Running his scanner Connor tried to find any other human biometric signature on the property that did not belong to Gavin. "The new owners had reported numerous issues with the property and put it on the market in 2014 after being unable to succeed with the necessary repairs."
Shining his light along the walls and the windows Gavin double-checked the locks to ensure no one could sneak in or out. "What kind of issues?"
"Drafts that couldn't be contained, loud creaks in the floors that couldn't be silenced, strange odors of hot plastic and burning carpet in the vents, and what the owners referred to as a massive rat infestation within the walls."
Stopping quickly Gavin froze in place in the livingroom and swept the flashlight around his feet warily. "...Rats?"
"Numerous exterminators explored the property but found no trace of the supposed infestation." Pressing his exposed palm to the wall Connor performed another scan and didn't detect any sign of rodent behavior within the historic mansion's walls or floors. "The previous owners could hear scratching sounds within the walls and had found scratch marks on the third floor bedroom door, but no rats were ever discovered."
"Fuckin' gross and weird."
"Due to the unsatisfactory living conditions and wasted money that wasn't improving any of the problems, the previous owners cut their losses, put the mansion on the housing market and left for a new home. The mansion's been for sale ever since."
"Can't say that I blame 'em." Satisfied that the ground floor was clear Gavin shined his light at the staircase leading to the second floor and motioned for Connor to go upstairs. Taking a few steps forward Gavin stopped as he realized that he had crossed in front of the offensive fireplace and trailed his light up to the mantle where he saw a portrait painted in honor of the little girl who died over twenty years prior. "Saraphina Aiden, born 2007 and died 2017. Tragically young."
The portrait showed a little girl with long brunette hair, deep brown eyes, a bright smile and purple ribbon clipped in her hair. She had a stuffed bunny in her arms and had a heart shaped silver pendant on a chain around her neck. The painting was created with utmost care and love by the original artist and had been left as a reminder of the tragic and senseless loss that stemmed from a single freak accident in the middle of the night.
Heading up the staircase Connor heard and felt the wooden staircase 'creak' and 'groan' under his applied weight. Glancing down curiously Connor eyed the step and heard sudden and rapid footsteps on the second floor landing just above his head. As he quickly looked up Connor's scanner picked up on the very faint biometric signature again and he tried to hone in on the signal.
"Hey?" Giving Connor's shoulder a shove from behind Gavin stood just behind the deviant on the staircase. "What's the hold up, 'Tinman'?"
"Someone is here."
"You're shitting me?" Hovering his hand over the holstered gun on his hip Gavin suddenly took the situation far more seriously. "Where?"
"I'm having difficulty in tracking their exact location."
"And why's that? Your battery going dead?"
"No. The age and authenticity of the materials used in the recreation of this mansion has included elements that are marred with traces of lead. Lead is disrupting my scanner and making it difficult to keep a lock on a moving target."
"Fuckin' great. But you can confirm it's just one person, right?"
"Correct." Making his way to the second floor with the abrasive detective right behind him Connor confirmed that aside from Gavin, he could only detect one other human biometric signature. "Your signature is coming in entirely clear and open, whereas the second signature is faint and fleeting. I am only picking up on two signatures in total."
"Good. I'm not in the mood to play hide and seek with a bunch of squatters."
Exploring the second floor together Connor used his downloaded knowledge of the mansion's layout to his advantage and knew exactly where to turn in order to find each room without any difficulty. "The master bedroom is at the end of the hallway. A study is to your right just down the corridor, and the bathroom is to your left."
Lifting his flashlight Gavin took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "All right, cool..."
"The entrance to the third floor is behind us."
"Anything else down that way?"
"There is a sewing room that is across from the entryway to the third floor staircase."
"Okay, you check down there and I check over here. With any luck we'll flush out the intruder without needing to call in back-up."
"Agreed."
Using his scanner as his guide Connor continued to sweep over the second floor while Gavin checked the rooms behind him. All of the doors were unlocked, and the two detectives were able to check every room without needing to force the doors open or breaking the door frames.
"Anyone in here?" Gavin called out as he opened the master bedroom door and swept the room and the closet with his flashlight. "You're only going to be in trouble if you don't get outta' here right now!"
Using a different and silent approach Connor entered the sewing room and scanned the room as he checked to make sure the window was secured. As he approached the second floor window on the far side of the room the sharp eyed deviant noticed the reflection of a small person watching him from the doorway and he turned around quickly to face them.
"Hello?"
The opened and empty doorway was confusing and caused the deviant's L.E.D. to flicker in red for a moment before returning to a cautious yellow. Passing through the doorway Connor heard the second door leading to the third floor staircase 'creak' shut and tiny fast footsteps rushing up the stairs on the other side of the door.
From the opposite end of the floor Gavin's flashlight shone over Connor's body creating a black shadow behind the deviant as Gavin called out to him. "See something, 'Tinman'?"
"Yes." The deviant's scanner was picking up on the faint biometric signature yet again and confirmed that someone was on the highest floor of the mansion. "I'm going to check out the third floor."
"Is there any other way out of the third floor we need to worry about?"
"Negative."
"Right." Joining Connor at the partially closed door Gavin kept his hand over his holstered weapon and pointed the flashlight beam at the door itself. "You try to find them, and I'll stay here to head them off in case they try to run."
"Very well. I'll be thorough with my search."
Pulling the door open with a soft 'creak' Connor stared at the dark staircase and used his enhanced android vision to navigate the area without any issues. Hearing each step that he took 'groaning' under his weight confirmed that he had in fact heard someone rushing up that very staircase only moments before. The third floor was just as dark as the rest of the mansion and only two rooms to explore. One room was a massive attic, and the second room across from it was a large bedroom.
Checking the attic first Connor found the opened space to be entirely void of anything beyond a single support pillar in the center of the space. As he visually swept over the area his scanner picked up on the faint biometric signature again and his vision momentarily filled with static. Focusing his vision and giving a boost of power to his scanner Connor was finally able to locate the elusive person that he and Gavin had been searching for as that person stood behind the pillar.
"Hello? I'm not going to hurt you." Approaching the pillar slowly Connor saw a tiny face peek out from around the pillar and stare at him with uncertainty. The sight of a frightened child made Connor's yellow L.E.D. flicker back to blue as he realized that the reason that he couldn't track her movements because she was so small and roaming a massive building with lead in the walls. "I work with the police. I'm here because someone called us because they saw you walking around this place all alone."
The little girl didn't budge from behind the pillar and just continued to watch Connor as he crouched down on the other side of the pillar to be eye level with her.
"My name is Connor." Showing the girl his badge from his back pocket Connor let her know that he was in fact a cop and not trying to trick her or do anything mean. "Can you please tell me your name?"
Silent for a moment the little girl stared back at Connor and spoke up in a shy whisper. "...Sarah."
"Sarah. Why are you here?" Looking past the girl and toward the window overlooking the streets Connor had a hunch as to where she came from. "Did you get separated from your family while trick-or-treating?"
Shaking her head 'no' Sarah denied such a thing. "...Looking for something."
"And what's that?"
"It's special."
"Can you tell me what it is? I'll help you find it."
Sarah peeked out a little more from behind the pillar and locked eyes with Connor for a moment. "...Necklace."
"You lost your necklace?" Glancing about the attic again Connor's keen eyes swept over the area but didn't see anything that looked like a lost piece of jewelry, but then again, he didn't even know what the necklace looked like. "What color is your necklace?"
"Gray. And it has pictures inside of it."
"I'll help you find it and then we'll leave the mansion together, okay?"
Sarah remained behind the pillar and refused to budge from where she was hiding.
"Please remain here. I'll be back soon."
Exiting the attic Connor glanced about the hallway and down at the floor at his feet. There were wide enough cracks that could potentially hide a necklace if it dropped off of someone's neck, but his scanner didn't detect anything unusual in the aged and warped floorboards.
"Hey, 'Tinman'!" Gavin shouted up the staircase as his impatience continued to mount. "What's the hold up?"
"I'll explain things in a moment. I won't be too much longer."
Glancing up at the bedroom door across from the attic door Connor turned the knob to enter the room. The acrid smell of old smoke and stagnant air hit Connor in a single gust of air that was strong enough to make locks of his hair dance about gently. The closed off space was dark and oddly cold compared to the rest of the surrounding mansion. It felt like no one had set foot inside the bedroom for years and gave the deviant a momentary sense of pause.
Entering the bedroom slowly Connor realized that he had found the very room where the little girl had died in a fire over twenty years prior.
It made sense that the room would essentially be forgotten about after the tragedy. No one wanted to spend the night in a room where an innocent life was lost all due to a freak accident beyond anyone's control.
Unwilling to leave the third floor and Sarah behind for any reason, Connor continued his visual sweep of the room and carefully examined every nook and cranny of the aged, dirty and isolated room. Nearing the drafty window opposite the door Connor eyed the wooden frame and saw that there were old gouge marks in the wood all around the frame and beneath the pane of glass, indicative of someone trying to open the window from the inside.
"The old wooden frame is extremely heavy. It'd be difficult to open unless the person was fairly strong."
The deviant noted the details as he instinctively examined the old bedroom as if it were still an active crime scene. Kneeling down on the floor Connor noted that the section of floor directly beneath the window held a vent that undoubtedly connected to the fireplace's heating elements on the first floor.
"And the smoke from the fire would've come directly into the bedroom and overwhelmed anyone who may have attempted to open the window to escape the flames."
Upon furth investigation of the vent Connor noted something small and metallic wedged in the vent just barely visible from where he was kneeling. With a careful strength the deviant detective removed the vent cover from the floor and reached his hand down inside the now opened vent to pick up the curious item. As his fingertips took a firm grip on something smooth and gray that had fallen into the vent, Gavin appeared in the doorway and shone the flashlight right in Connor's face.
"What the fuck is going on?"
"You'll see in a moment."
Looking down at the retrieved item Connor discovered that he had indeed found a dropped necklace. It was a simple silver locket on a matching chain shaped like a classic heart. A small button on the side of the locket allowed it to open and revealed two old photographs tucked inside. The images were too old and damaged to be recognizable, but it didn't matter. The locket had been found.
Straightening up Connor walked past Gavin and motioned to the attic door. "Stay out here for a minute."
Extending his arms theatrically at his sides Gavin just shot Connor a dirty look as the deviant passed him by. "What for?"
Motioning silently for Gavin to wait outside the attic doorway Connor returned to the space and looked at the pillar where the little girl had been hiding from anyone's immediate sight. "Sarah? I have something for you."
Peering around the pillar Sarah looked at Connor and saw him holding a silver chain in his hand with a gray locket hanging off of it. "...My necklace."
"Now that I've found it, will you please let me help you?"
Nodding where she stood Sarah extended her hand to take the necklace back at last.
"Here," crouching down Connor reached out to return the jewelry to its rightful owner. "this is yours."
As Connor reached out to lower the necklace into Sarah's hand Gavin's voice called out to him from behind and near the doorway distracting him.
"What the hell are you doing?"
Looking back at Gavin for a moment Connor felt the weight of the locket reach Sarah's hand and the chain slip away from his fingertips just as he just as quickly turned his attention back to Sarah. "I was merely returning-"
Gavin heard Connor's voice suddenly silence as his blue L.E.D. suddenly turned red and cast a crimson glow throughout the attic. "You were doing what?"
"I... I was..." The deviant detective's mind was reeling as he suddenly found himself entirely alone in the attic and the necklace was nowhere to be seen. "...Sarah?"
"Who the Hell is Sarah?"
"She... was just here." Standing up again Connor scanned the attic and walked around the other side of the pillar to examine the area. "The... little girl."
"Bullshit." Sweeping over the attic with his flashlight Gavin confirmed that the attic was completely empty and angrily slapped his hand against the pillar. "I told you that this was a prank call! And your damn scanner thingy led us on a wild goose-chase."
"No, that's not-" Defending his behavior Connor gave the doubtful detective a stern glare. "Gavin, I saw her and I spoke with her."
"Uh-huh, sure." Deciding that the mansion was clear Gavin headed toward the attic door to leave and update dispatch on the situation while leaving Connor behind to try to understand what he had just experienced. "Fuckin' plastic soldier."
Completely baffled Connor just gave the attic one last sweep but didn't detect any biometric signature whatsoever. Even Gavin's signature was undetectable as he readily made his way toward the exit of the mansion on the first floor.
"...I know what I saw. I wish you wouldn't hide from us, Sarah. We just want to help."
Unwilling to just accept that he hadn't seen or spoken to anyone, Connor checked the attic, the bedroom across the way, the entirety of the second floor's sewing room, study, bedroom and bathroom, but saw no sign of the little girl. As he returned to the first floor Connor checked through the livingroom and the kitchen for any sign of Sarah, but he still saw no one and nothing.
"Hey, 'Tinman'!" Shouting at Connor once more Gavin ran into the deviant in the kitchen and grabbed his shoulder in frustration. "Let's GO."
"Not until-"
"There was no kid up there! Give it up!"
"I know what happened!" Stubborn to the last Connor held up his palm and showed Gavin a holographic display from his own memory of his interactions and discussion he held with Sarah. As the memory played out Connor pointed at his hand and watched Gavin's brow knit with confusion. "How can this be possible if there is no child hiding somewhere here in the mansion?"
"Connor," lowering his voice Gavin turned Connor's palm so the deviant could see the projected memory himself. "no one is there."
Thoroughly perplexed Connor looked at the displayed memory and was met with even more confusion. "But... that's not..."
The image showed Connor speaking to open air with no one around. It was as if he was talking to himself the entire time.
"...No. Sarah was in the attic with me."
"Sarah?" Putting his hands in the air as if to stop time around himself Gavin gave Connor a studious look as the color drained from his face. "This Sarah girl, did she have brown hair and brown eyes?"
"Y-Yes." Lowering his own hand Connor sounded almost relieved to hear Gavin describe the little girl. "You did see her."
"Not like you think I did."
Before Connor could ask any additional questions Gavin left the kitchen and led the way back to the livingroom. Using his flashlight beam Gavin directed Connor's attention to the old oil portrait mounted above the fireplace. "Look."
Following the trail of light Connor saw the image and felt his Thirium pump skip a beat in his chest. "...Sarah."
"Must be short for 'Saraphina'." Gavin pointed to the name at the bottom of the painting's frame for Connor to see next. "The lead in the walls must be really fuckin' with your head right now. You didn't see anyone."
"But I found her necklace."
"A heart shaped locket." Again motioning to the painting, Gavin brought the detail to Connor's attention. "You thought you saw the girl and you thought you found her necklace. People hallucinate when exposed to certain chemicals and materials, so it's gotta' be possible for deviants to do the same."
"I... held it." Looking down at his hand Connor rolled his thumb over his palm and remembered the coolness of the locket as he plucked it from the vent. "Didn't I?"
"Let's get the fuck outta' here. No one's here, we fell from another prank call, and you are seeing shit because of the lead in the walls. It's time to go."
Unable to argue in the contrary Connor just fell silent and bowed his head as he followed Gavin out of the house through the backdoor. Walking through the backyard and along the side yard, Connor looked up at the windows from the mansion and listened to Gavin radioing dispatch about their investigation of the empty mansion.
Despite the evidence telling him that everything he had experienced was an illusion - a hallucination brought on by his scanner and visual processors being affected by the lead particles in the walls of the mansion - Connor just couldn't accept that he had tricked by such a vivid illusion. It was just too real.
"Our patrol's over." Gavin confirmed the time of night as Connor slowly returned to the patrol car and sat down beside him. "Time to go back to the precinct, clock-out and go on our own ways. If I drive fast enough, I'll be able to join Tina's party before all the good food is gone."
With nothing to say all Connor could do was give the mansion one last thoughtful look and suddenly froze where he sat when he saw what looked like someone standing in the window of the third floor bedroom waving happily at him. As he focused on the person Connor saw someone who bore a striking resemblance to Sarah and could see a shining silver object hanging around her neck.
"Halloween fucks with everyone at least once during late patrol." Despite his dislike toward Connor the abrasive detective was willing to admit that he believed that Connor believed that he saw something, even if it wasn't real. "Don't worry about it. I won't tell anyone."
Discreetly Connor raised his hand and subtly waved to the person in the window as Gavin pulled the patrol car away from the mansion to finally return to the precinct before the night was over. "...Yeah, I'll try not to worry."
-End of Story-
Author's Note: *The details about "Slumpy" are all accurate save for everything after 2007, including the fire and a child perishing in the blaze. That's the only fictional part regarding this particular story that I had written strictly for a Halloween tale.
