Who Ya Gonna Call?

by paulmcuk

Strange things start to happen when the Sports Night crew move to a new floor. At least they start happening to Natalie. She thinks there's a ghost - the rest of the team thinks SHE needs a vacation. Then the ghost gets into the machine.

"I don't like it Dana."

"None of us like it Natalie."

"It's not a good idea."

"Well it wasn't mine."

"It's really not a good idea."

"You're preaching to the converted."

"Can't you stop it?"

"No."

"Can't Isaac stop it?"

"Natalie, if either Isaac or I could have stopped it we would have done so when it was announced two months ago. We couldn't then, and we can't now. Live with it."

"I don't see why we have to move floors. I like this floor."

"We have to move floors because the company executives want a gym."

"The building already has a gym."

"The executives want an executive gym. It doesn't do for le grand fromages to share facilities with the plebeians."

"Why couldn't they have their gym on the 14th floor?"

"I guess they want a view while they sweat."

"Executives don't sweat, they're cold-blooded."

"I really don't see why you have such a problem with this Natalie. I know it's inconvenient, but you've seen it down there since it was re-modelled. The facilities will be as good, if not better, than we have here."

"I just don't like the idea of working on the 13th floor."

"You won't be working on the 13th floor. You'll be working on the 14th floor."

"It's the 13th."

"It's not the 13th Natalie. This building has no 13th floor."

"Of course it does. Calling it the 14th floor doesn't change the fact that it is actually the 13th floor."

"Works for me."

"You can't fool fate Dana. You think that the bad vibes are gonna come along, take one look and say 'Curses, foiled again'. No way. They can count Dana."

Dana looked at her deputy. "Since when did you get so superstitious?"

"Since I started getting the screaming heebie-jeebies every time I set foot on the 14th."

"How are the heebie-jeebies?" asked Dana. It had been a week since the move and Natalie had been complaining.

"Better since I switched to de-caf."

"But not gone?"

Natalie shook her head.

"Maybe you should see a doctor" suggested Dana.

"What type, psychiatric?"

"Just a doctor. There might be a medical reason for how you feel."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, I'm not a doctor."

"Maybe I've caught the dreaded Asian Heebie-jeebie virus."

Dana smiled. "Or maybe you're allergic to something."

"This conversation perhaps?"

"I'm only trying to help."

"Ok, I'm sorry. But what could I be allergic to?"

Dana thought. "Caffeine. You said it got better since you cut it out."

"Dana, if I was allergic to caffeine I would have been allergic upstairs as well."

"True" said Dana, thinking some more. "Are you pregnant?"

"No. Are the heebie-jeebies a symptom of pregnancy?"

"They were for my Aunt Josie. She took to her bed with a shot-gun after eight weeks, convinced that they were after her."

"Who's 'they'?"

"She was never very clear on that point. But when she went into labour the paramedics came to take her to hospital and she nearly blew their heads off."

"What happened?"

"She missed. A contraction threw her aim off. But they threatened to sue anyway."

"Well I'm not pregnant" said Natalie. "And I don't own a gun so you're safe."

"That's good to know" said Dana. "But just to be on the safe side...." She reached over and took the paper knife from Natalie's desk. "I'll keep you away from sharp objects."

"Very funny" said Natalie.

"Just trying to help. Speaking of which, have you noticed any other symptoms since you got the heebie-jeebies?"

Natalie frowned. "I don't think so."

"No memory loss or anything?"

"Not that I recall" said Natalie with a grin. "Why?"

"Because we have a run-down meeting in thirty seconds and you don't look ready."

"What the hell is going on here?" demanded Dana. "Is this some kind of sick twisted joke that you're all playing on me?"

"What do you mean?" asked Casey frowning.

"I mean that it's twelve o'clock and I'm sat here with a complete run list. Every minute accounted for. No problems anticipated at all."

"So?"

"So it makes me nervous."

"What can we say Dana" said Dan. "Everything is going ok. It had to happen sometime."

"I suppose" said Dana. "But I'd be happier if we had a gap somewhere. Just a little one, a couple of minutes of blank air that would nag at me all day."

"I could lose my tape of the snowboarding championships" offered Jeremy. "If it will help."

"That's very sweet of you Jeremy" said Dana, "but this is my problem and I must learn to live with it."

Suddenly Natalie looked up and gasped.

"What's the matter?" asked Dana.

"Did you feel that?"

"Feel what?"

"The......thing."

"Could you elaborate?"

"Sort of an electric thing. Like before a thunderstorm?"

They all shook their head. "I didn't feel a thing" said Dan.

"The weather is fine" said Jeremy.

"You must have felt it. All the hairs on the back of my neck stood up."

"You have a hairy neck?" asked Casey.

"Did you guys really not feel it?"

"We really didn't feel it Natalie."

Natalie looked at them in disbelief. Then she shivered. "I hate this floor."

It was late, the show was over and Natalie and Dan were the only two people left working.

"Dan?" He looked up to find her stood in the doorway.

"Hey Nat, what's up?"

"Were you.......looking at me?"

"I can't take my eyes off you Natalie, you know that."

She smiled but it was a weak one. "No, really. Were you?"

Dan frowned, sensing she was agitated. "When?"

"Just now."

"As in, just now before you came in?"

"Yes."

"No. I was looking at my computer screen and wondering why it was suddenly just a blur. Why?"

She came into the room and sat down, hugging herself. "I just had this overwhelming feeling that somebody was watching me."

Dan shrugged. "I get that sometimes."

Natalie shook her head. "Not like this. I was convinced there was someone there. And close, like they were right behind me. I even thought I could hear breathing."

"You want me to go look around?" asked Dan.

"Would you?"

"Sure." He got up to go.

"Wait! said Natalie. "Don't leave me here alone."

"You want to come with me?"

"No."

"I can't do both Natalie" he said softly.

"Ok go. But don't be long."

Dan left, closing the door behind him and quickly scouted around the mostly gloomy studio. Finding nothing he returned to the office. Natalie almost jumped out of her skin when the door opened.

"Nothing" said Dan.

"Of course there isn't" said Natalie. "I guess I'm just being stupid."

"No you're not" said Dan. "You just got spooked. It happens to us all. I've lost count of the number of times I've lay awake in bed, totally convinced that there are at least a dozen burglars in my apartment. Then when I creep out of my bedroom armed with a baseball bat, I find it's just the refrigerator in one of it's noisy moods."

Natalie smiled, a little less weakly this time. "But it was such a strong feeling Dan. I was so sure someone was about to touch my shoulder." She shivered again at the memory and hugged herself tighter. Then Dan hugged her too, and she buried herself in his arms like a little girl who has run to her daddy after a nightmare.

"You want me to take you home?" asked Dan.

Natalie just nodded.

"This is more like it" said Dana. It was the noon run-down meeting the next day and things were not going well. Dana was happy. "I have barely half a show here. Lots of lovely blank spaces for me to worry over before triumphantly filling with top quality sports broadcasting at the last minute."

"We need more than a minute to write our scripts" said Dan.

"If need be, you could do it without" said Dana. "That's because we're a team, we're, professionals, and we're damn good. Whatever the problem, we can pull though. In fact, we need problems so that we can show just how good we are. Not like yesterday when everything went right."

"I liked yesterday" said Jeremy. "I like no problems. It means that when I go to bed I don't have to lie awake for two hours while my adrenalin levels return to normal."

"A team of half-trained chimpanzees could have put the show out yesterday Jeremy. It was all too easy."

"Chimps wouldn't have pulled in those crucial female viewers like Dan and I do" said Casey.

"But they'd get great endorsement deals" said Dan. "Razors, shampoo, they'd clean up."

"Ok guys, just because I'm happy doesn't mean we can get off the point. Maybe you don't realise it but we only have half a show here. I need ideas people, talk to me."

Several ideas were tossed in, then tossed out again when;

"Boxing!" exclaimed Natalie suddenly.

"Excuse me?" said Dana.

"I think we should do boxing."

"Why?"

"Boxing's good. It's popular."

"I agree, but it helps if there's a fight to cover."

"Isn't there?"

"No."

Natalie frowned. "I had a feeling there was. An important one."

"Which one?"

"I was hoping somebody else would remember the details."

"Jeremy?" asked Dana.

He consulted his notes. "There's a heavyweight bout in London between Julian Oliver and Herbie Hide."

"Is that important?"

"It's for the British title."

"So it's important if you're British."

"Probably not too much even then."

"Why do you even have that in your notes?" asked Casey.

"I like to be prepared. It's how I maintain my reputation as the man who knows everything."

"Was that the fight you were thinking of Natalie?" asked Dana.

She shook her head. "No."

"There's a world title fight next week" offered Dan. "Lightweight. Hamed versus Perez." He looked at Jeremy. "Bet you don't have that in your notes."

"Natalie?" asked Dana.

Natalie shook her head again. "No. Actually, I don't even know why I said it. I felt.....compelled somehow."

Glances were exchanged across the desk. "Are you ok?" asked Dan.

"I'm not sure. I feel a little woozy."

"Maybe you should take a break" said Dana.

Natalie nodded. "I'll take ten minutes and have a glass of water."

"Go home Natalie" said Dana. "And don't come in tomorrow either."

"But...."

"We'll manage. Go. I'll call you later."

Natalie went.

Two days later Natalie was back, and feeling refreshed. Maybe a break was all she needed, she thought to herself. Even the heebie-jeebies were gone. The day had gone well, no pre-thunderstorm feelings, and nobody had been watching her, apart from Dan and Dana which she hadn't minded at all. It was all going so well. Too well.

She was alone in the control room prepping for the show when the feeling watched washed over her again. She looked up and was startled to see a man standing in the doorway that led to the studio, a man she didn't recognise. The door had been closed, and it was still closed. Somehow he must have opened and closed it without her hearing.

"Can I help you?" she asked, almost relieved that there was someone there, rather than the oppressive, frightening nothingness of three nights earlier. "Can I help you?" she repeated, louder.

The man just stood there looking at her.

"Are you lost?"

The man continued to stare at her.

"Do you work here?"

Still there was no response. Already tense, Natalie began to feel frightened. She wanted to run from the room but fought to stay calm. "Are you supposed to be here? Can I see your security pass?"

Still the man made no move. Natalie reached for the phone. "Ok, look, I'm sorry but I'm going to call security because you're starting to freak me out and I'm not very comfortable with that."

She dialled the extension and the call was answered almost immediately. "Hello, yes, this is Natalie Hurley in the Sport's Night studio up on 49, I mean 14. There's a.........." She looked up. The man had vanished. Yet there was no way he could have opened the door and left. She glanced quickly around the room but it was clearly empty. "I'll get back to you" she told security.

She put the phone down and stared at the empty space where the man had stood. He had been there, she was sure of it. She walked over, opened the door, and looked into the studio. There were a couple of technicians at work. "Did anybody just come out of here?" she asked.

"Aside from you? No" replied one.

"You're sure?"

"Positive."

Frowning, Natalie walked backwards into the control room.

"Hey!" came a voice by her shoulder.

Natalie almost leapt out of her skin. She whirled round and saw a figure standing there. "Jesus Dan you frightened the life out of me!"

"I just want you to know that I wasn't watching you" said Dan.

"Someone was" said Natalie recovering some of her composure. She look up at Dan. "And this time I saw him."

"Saw who?"

"There was a man in here."

"What man?"

"I don't know. I looked up and there he was, just stood there."

"There's a lot of men working here Natalie. I'm just the best example."

"He didn't work here, I'm sure of it."

"Well, what did he look like?"

"He was tall, heavily built, and he looked like he had a broken nose. Oh yeah, and he was dressed funny."

"Like a clown?"

She gave him a hard stare. "I'm serious Dan."

"Ok, I'm sorry. In what way was he dressed funny."

"Well he had a hat for one thing."

"Hat's aren't funny. I wear a hat when the weather warrants it."

"Not a woolly hat. I mean a real hat. Like in the old days, a fedora. When did you last see a man wearing a fedora?"

"Tuesday."

Natalie was surprised. "Really? Who?"

"Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca. Hats everywhere."

"I'm not talking to you anymore."

Dan laughed. "Come on Natalie. So you saw a guy in a hat. What's the big deal? Some people still wear them. There's an old guy who lives a few doors down from me who refuses to go outside without a hat."

"The guy I saw wasn't old. He was young, in his early twenties. And it wasn't just the hat. His suit was.....not right."

"Last years fashion?"

"A little further back. His suit looked like it had walked out of a gangster movie. In fact, so did he."

"What are you saying Natalie? Are you saying you saw a ghost?"

"No.......I don't no."

"You're not serious."

"Well who was he Dan? Where did he go? He didn't go out through the studio."

Dan scratched his head. "I'm pretty sure he didn't go out through the news-room either. I've been out there talking to Jeremy for the past twenty minutes and I haven't seen any gangsters."

"So we have a man, well over six foot, wandering around in a fedora without anybody but me seeing him. How do you explain that?"

"Maybe you're just a little......."

"I'm not crazy Dan."

"I was going to say overworked."

"I just had a day and a half off."

Dan thought for a moment. "I don't suppose you've taken any drugs today?"

"Not since college Dan."

"Actually I meant medication but thanks for the background information."

"No drugs, medicinal or recreational. Which means that either the guy I saw was a member of the Magic Circle or.....he wasn't."

"I'm not saying it was a ghost" insisted Natalie.

"Well what are you saying?" asked Dana. They had assembled in Isaac's office to discuss Natalie's encounter with the man in the hat. 'They' being Isaac, Dana, Dan, Casey and, of course, Natalie. Jeremy was there too. He hadn't been invited but he seemed to feel that his status as ex-boyfriend entitled him to come along and voice his opinion.

"I've checked with security and nobody answering your description was seen entering or leaving the building today, or any day that anyone can remember. They even checked the security video."

"I know all that" said Natalie. "And I'm not saying anything. I'm just telling it like it was, putting it out there, and seeing whether any of you can come up with an explanation that doesn't involve the paranormal."

"I can" said Jeremy.

"You just think I'm crazy."

"I don't think you're crazy. I just think you've been under a lot of pressure lately what with....." He stopped.

"What with what?"

"I was going to say what with the break-up and everything."

"Don't flatter yourself Jeremy" said Natalie.

"I just think it's a more rational explanation than saying the building is haunted."

"I saw him. I even had a conversation with him. Well, half a conversation."

"Are you sure you were awake?" asked Dana.

"Positive."

"Have you taken any LSD lately?" asked Casey.

"Not since college" said Dan.

"Could it have been a trick of the light" asked Isaac.

"Damn good trick if it was" said Natalie. "But what light? The lighting in the control room is always the same, it has to be, and nobody ever saw a man in a hat before."

"Which brings us back to our two alternatives" said Dana. "Either Natalie was hallucinating or imagining things...."

"Which I wasn't."

"....or it was a ghost."

"Which don't exist" said Jeremy.

"How can you just sit there and say they don't exist" said Natalie. "There have been thousands of well documented sightings of strange apparitions."

"Sightings are meaningless Natalie. If ghosts exist, why is there no hard evidence?"

"You believe in the existence of aliens."

"That's different. The witness accounts for UFO phenomena are...."

"Sightings are meaningless Jeremy. If UFOs exist, why is there no hard evidence?"

"There is hard evidence."

"Where?"

"The Government has it hidden away."

"How very convenient."

"Can we get back to the point?" said Dana. "Natalie, I'll ask you again. What do you think you saw?"

"I don't know."

"Do you believe in ghosts?"

"I believe in the possibility of there being something beyond my experience which we call ghosts. Whether they are the spirits of the dead I couldn't say."

"Was what you saw something beyond your experience?"

"I'd say so." Suddenly she jerked her head around. "What the hell was that?"

"What was what?"

Natalie raced to the window and looked out. "Didn't you hear it?"

"Apparently not" said Jeremy.

"What was it you heard Natalie?" asked Isaac.

"A cheer."

"A cheer?"

"Yes. A big one, like at a baseball game when someone on the home team hits a home run." She continued to look out the window. "There's nothing happening out there. Maybe on the other side of the building." She turned and began to walk to the door.

"Natalie wait" said Isaac. "There was no cheer." He put up his hand to forestall her protest. "I'm not saying you didn't hear it. But there are six of us in this room and you were the only one. So unless you have dog hearing, whatever you heard, it wasn't a real cheer."

"But I....."

"I know" soothed Isaac. "You heard it."

Natalie slumped down into her chair again. "What the hell is going on here?" she asked the room in general. She got no answers.

"Maybe you should take a vacation." suggested Dana.

"Where? Transylvania?"

"I just think that a couple of weeks away would do you good. Things might seem.....better after a rest."

"You still think I'm seeing things don't you?"

"It has to be a possibility Natalie."

Natalie shook her head. "No vacation. I want to sort this out and running away won't do that."

"What will?" asked Dan. "The man in the hat only seems to be interested in you. Nobody else can see him."

"Sort of like an imaginary friend" said Jeremy.

Natalie cast him a look.

"We could call a priest" suggested Casey.

The others looked at him. "What? It's a practical suggestion. This is priest territory. Not that I want to be around when he comes, I saw what happened to the guy in The Exorcist."

"I am not having an exorcism in my studio" said Dana.

"You could at least have him sprinkle a little holy water and say a few prayers."

"I said no Casey."

"Would you rather the guy in the hat just played with Natalie's head?"

"Of course I wouldn't. I just think...."

"Does anybody care what I want?" interrupted Natalie.

Dana turned to her. "What do you want Natalie?"

"I don't know. But I don't want to call in a priest. Not until I get really desperate."

"So your plan is to do nothing" said Jeremy.

Natalie shrugged. "Let's just see what happens shall we?"

In the event nothing much did happen. At least not for a few days. Natalie was just starting to convince herself that it was all over. Then one morning she turned up for work and again got the intense feeling that somebody was watching her. Looking round she saw that it was true, somebody was watching her. Everybody in fact. Even more sinister, they were grinning.

"What?" she said. She looked herself up and down. "Is my outfit totally last season?"

She got no reply, only more grins. The door to the editing suite opened and two figures emerged. It was Casey and Dan. They were wearing overalls and had vacuum cleaners strapped to their backs. They began to sing. "If there's something strange, in your stu-di-o. Who ya gonna call?"

"GHOSTBUSTERS!" chorused the news-room.

"A man in a hat, playing games with your head. Who ya gonna call?"

"GHOSTBUSTERS!"

The whole placed collapsed in laughter.

"Very funny guys" said Natalie once the laughter had died down. She gestured at their outfits. "Was it really worth all this effort for a five second joke."

Casey and Dan looked at one another, then back at Natalie. "Definitely" they said.

Natalie shook her head at them. "I know this is all big fun for you, but I know what I saw."

"If he's real, how come he only appears to you?" asked Casey.

"I don't know, maybe he can tell the rest of you are assholes."

Natalie wandered along the corridor heading for the videotape archive which was at the far end. She'd been here a lot recently. It had been a bad year for dying athletes. Or should that be a good year? Whatever, there were a lot of them, and Sports Night had been doing tributes just about every other night for the past few months. Suddenly she became aware of a presence at the end of the corridor. She looked up, and stopped walking.

"Hello again" she said, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice.

As before, the man just stood there, staring at her.

"I'm Natalie" she said.

Still nothing.

"And you are?"

Again there was no response, yet Natalie had the feeling she was being heard, and understood.

"Nice hat" she offered.

The man blinked, and tilted his head slightly. The cool, rational part of Natalie's brain was telling her to walk towards the man, find out one way or the other who, or what, he was. But her feet thought that was a dumb plan and stayed put. On balance, Natalie agreed with her feet.

"Who are you?" she asked. "What is it you want from me?"

The man stared at her for a few more moments. Then he slowly unbuttoned his jacket. He pulled it wide to reveal - nothing. Where his waist should have been, there was simply nothing.

"Oh shit" said Natalie.

The man fastened his jacket again and, with one last look at Natalie, he turned and walked straight through the door of the videotape archive.

"Oh, SHIIIIIT!" said Natalie as she turned and ran back down the corridor like a bat out of hell.

Dan, Casey and Jeremy were gathered at Jeremy's desk when Natalie came barrelling towards them.

"Guys, guys!"

"Hey Buffy!" said Dan.

"I saw him again."

"Who?"

"The ghost."

"Then you saw nothing" said Jeremy.

She pointed. "Well nothing just scared the crap out of me then walked into the tape archive."

"Really?" said Casey.

"Really. Come on let's go." She set off back the way she had come, then stopped when she realised she was alone. She looked back. "Come on guys!"

"I'm not going ghost chasing" said Casey.

"I thought you didn't believe in ghosts."

"I don't" said Casey. "But the ghost might."

"Jeremy?"

Jeremy shook his head.

"You'd let me go after him alone?"

He just shrugged. "As your ex-boyfriend I am no longer obliged to protect you."

"YOU don't think there's anything to protect me from."

"Even more reason."

Natalie looked at Dan, putting on her best doe-eyed, little girl lost, look. "Daaaan" she pleaded.

Dan looked at her.

"Pleeeaase."

He threw up his hands. "Come on then Daphne"

"Great."

"You too Shaggy" he said to Casey.

"But....."

"Come on."

Casey stood up and followed them. Shrugging, Jeremy also followed.

"He went through there" said Natalie pointing to the door.

"Did he go through it?" asked Dan.

"I just said."

"No, I mean did he go through it."

Natalie nodded.

"Ok" said Dan swallowing, "We'll check it out." He and Casey walked slowly towards the door. They paused in front of it and looked at each other.

"Are you armed?" asked Casey.

Dan looked around and saw a bright red fire extinguisher. He picked it up. "I am now" he said.

Casey nodded his approval, then picked up the green extinguisher (For use on electrical and chemical fires only) that had sat next to it.

"Fire extinguishers?" said Jeremy. "If only The Exorcist had known."

"Ignore him" said Dan to Casey. "Are you ready?"

"Ready" said Casey.

"Open the door."

"You open it."

"Oh for Pete's sake" said Jeremy. "I'll open it." He reached between the two men and opened the door. It swung open revealing darkness within. Gingerly, Casey and Dan inched forward, extinguishers poised.

"Remember guys" said Natalie. "Don't cross the beams."

"He was there Dan. I swear."

"I believe you" said Dan.

"Really?"

"I want to believe you." The intrepid, would-be, ghostbusters had found nothing in the videotape archive, except videotapes. "Not even any ectoplasmic residue" Jeremy had noted.

"Well why don't you?"

"Come on Natalie, it's quite a story."

"It's not a story. This studio is haunted."

"Are you sure it couldn't have been a person?" asked Casey. "A living one I mean."

"He walked through a solid door and had no waist."

"Maybe it was David Copperfield" said Jeremy.

"You're not helping Jeremy" said Dana.

"I'm the voice of reason."

"You're a pain in the butt" said Natalie. "I saw him as clear as I'm seeing you."

"Was he wearing his hat?"

"Yeah, no belt though."

"How are you feeling" asked Dana.

"I'm ok."

"Are you sure? Because if you want to go home...."

"I'm fine Dana. I was scared as hell at the time but I'm alright now."

"You still look a little shaky to me" said Dan.

"Really, I'll be fine. Just so long as I have people around me."

"Well if you're sure" said Dana.

"I'm sure."

"In that case, we have a show to do." She stood up. "Now, who's going to get the tape from the archive?"

The show was on, and Casey was introducing the next item. "There were two world titles up for grabs in one bout in Mexico City today as WBC Light Weight champion 'Prince' Naseem Hamed took on WBF holder Domingo Perez."

Dan took over. "And what a fight it was. We're going to show you what happened, along with informed commentary from Harry Carpenter."

"Run VT" said Natalie.

Everybody turned their attention to the monitors. Slowly, looks of consternation spread across their faces. It was boxing alright, but it wasn't from Mexico City, and it most definitely wasn't Hamed versus Perez. What was on the monitors was a grainy piece of black and white film footage showing two fighters battling it out in silence.

"What the hell is this?" said Dana. She got no reply as everyone was staring at the scenes on the monitors. "Chris, what the hell is this?"

"I don't know where it's coming from. Guys?"

Dave and Will held up their hands.

"Somebody tell me they know what this is" said Dana.

"It's boxing" said Natalie

"Stop the tape."

"I stopped it already" said Dave.

"Then why is it still on the screen?"

"Beats me." Everybody started pushing buttons, even buttons that had nothing at all to do with VT.

"Jeremy?"

"There's nothing in the machine Dana. The only thing that should be on the screen is Casey and Dan."

"Then it must be a glitch on the internal monitors."

"Talk to me Dana" said Casey. "Are we on air or not."

"Yes you are" said Dana.

"No they're not" said Kim. "I checked the external feed TV." She pointed at the monitor. "We're broadcasting that."

"Well stop it!"

"How?"

"Natalie, call......"

Natalie put the phone down. "Already done. I called station control and they've taken over the feed. We're not broadcasting it anymore."

"What are they putting out?"

"Commercials."

"Then what?"

"I said we'd get back to them."

Dana though for a second. "Who's birthday is it today?"

"Mine" said Will.

"Are you famous?"

"Not really."

"Then give me somebody else."

"Happy birthday Will" said Natalie. "You should have told us."

"Whose birthday is it!" shouted Dana.

"Jesse Owens'" said Jeremy, "if he wasn't dead."

"Dead seems appropriate right now" said Dana. "Kim, dust off the Jesse Owens tribute tape and run it upstairs. Natalie, call them back, tell them the tape is on it's way and to announce technical difficulties."

"I'm not going to the videotape archive on my own" said Kim.

"It was him" said Natalie. They were having a post-mortem on the night's events. The black and white footage had remained on the monitors until Dana had instructed everything to be switched off.

"You're sure?"

Natalie nodded. "The guy in the white shorts was my ghost."

"He wasn't wearing a hat" said Casey. Natalie didn't grace his comment with a response.

"There's no such thing as ghosts" insisted Jeremy.

"Then how do you explain what just happened in there?"

"Maybe we picked up somebody else's broadcast."

"Is that possible?" asked Dana.

"No."

"Well then...."

"At least, not in theory. But maybe somebody goofed when they wired up this floor."

"Or maybe it was a ghost" said Natalie.

"Could have been solar flares" said Elliot.

Everybody looked at him. "It's nighttime Elliot" said Kim.

"The sun's still there" he countered. "And solar flares do that you know, mess with satellites and stuff."

"Have they ever been known to mess with the forty foot of cable between the studio and the control room?" asked Dana.

Elliot just shrugged.

"Well tomorrow I'm going to have the engineers take the whole system apart and put it back together again. If there's a glitch in the machine, they'll find it."

"What if there's a ghost in the machine?" said Dan.

"Then he'd better get the hell out. Because if he messes up my show again he's going to wish he was......" she stopped.

"Dead?" asked Natalie.

"I'll think of something. Let's just say that Casey's exorcism idea is starting to look better an better."

"I had a good idea?" said Casey.

"What do we do in the meantime?" asked Natalie.

"We go home, get some sleep, and come back refreshed tomorrow."

"That's all?"

"What else do you suggest?"

"We could find out what that fight was for a start."

Dana nodded. "Ok, anybody recognise the other guy?"

There was much shaking of heads and muttered denials.

Dana looked at Natalie. "We tried."

Two weeks later even Natalie was starting to think that maybe it was all down to solar flares. There had been no further incidents of a ghostly nature. But at least everyone had been spooked enough to quit with the Ghostbuster and Scooby Doo jokes. Except for Jeremy, who was feeling vindicated by the lack of spectral activity. So she really wasn't expecting anything odd to happen when she got into the elevator with Dana and Isaac that particular morning. The three of them made the usual small talk until they reached the 14th (or 13th depending on your point of view) floor. The doors opened.

"After you" said Isaac, ever the gentleman.

"Thank you kind Sir" said Natalie with a smile, and stepped out. When she looked to the front, she found herself just inches from a now familiar figure. "Christ!" she exclaimed and threw herself backwards into the elevator, falling to the floor and taking Dana down with her.

"Natalie, what the hell....." began Dana.

"It's him" she exclaimed pointing.

Dana and Isaac looked. "Where?" they said. Isaac walked out of the elevator, straight through the man.

"Aaaaahhhh!" said Natalie.

"There's nobody out here" said Isaac.

Dana knelt beside her. "Natalie" she said calmly, "there's nobody there."

Natalie ignored her and kept her eyes fixed on the man. "Leave me ALONE" she yelled.

The man regarded her, then repeated his performance of displaying his waist, of lack of it. Then he turned and walked through the closed doors of the opposite elevator.

"Sorry I have no brandy" said Isaac, "but this might help." He handed Natalie a very large Scotch.

Natalie took a gulp. "Thanks Isaac."

"Are you feeling any better?" asked Dana.

Natalie nodded. "A little."

"I thought you were getting used to his little visits."

"So did I. I guess it was just the shock of seeing him suddenly, and so close."

"Was he really right there?" said Isaac.

"He really was."

"And did I really walk right through him?"

"You did."

Isaac frowned. "I didn't feel anything. Wouldn't you expect me to have felt something?"

"I don't know" said Dana. "I lack experience in these matters."

"You sound like you believe me Isaac" said Natalie.

"Well I'm from an older, less rational generation" said Isaac. "I still remember the stories my Grandmother used to tell me."

"Ghost stories?"

Isaac nodded. "I never did get much sleep when I stayed at Grandma's house."

"Did he say anything?" asked Dana.

"No, he seems to be the strong silent type."

"So he just stood there?"

"He did his trick where he demonstrated the ultimate in weight loss."

"And then?"

"Then he walked into the other elevator."

"The doors didn't open" observed Isaac.

"No" said Natalie. "He tends not to worry about things like that."

"So no clue as to where he's been the past two weeks" said Dana.

"Well he didn't have a tan so I'm guessing he wasn't on vacation."

"The question isn't where he's been" said Isaac. "It's why he's back."

"He better not be back to mess with my show" said Dana.

"Sorry Dana" said Natalie. "I'm betting that's exactly why he's back."

"But he can't!"

"I think he can."

"Why are you so sure?"

"Two things. First, why else show up again after two weeks? And second, we're showing boxing tonight, which seems to be his sport."

"Oh, God" said Dana. "We have to stop it."

"How?" asked Isaac.

"Move to another studio. He only seems to have control on this floor."

"But then we won't know if anything was going to happen."

"Damn."

"Wait a minute" said Natalie. "I have an idea."

"We're doing what?" asked Dan.

"We're recording the show" said Dana.

"But it's a live show."

"I know."

"Dana" said Casey, "the whole point of a live show is that it's live. That's why it's called a live show. If you show a recording, it ceases to be a live show."

"We are doing it live" said Dana.

"But....."

"We're recording a show at ten, complete with contributions from all out correspondents. We will then do it all again live at eleven."

"Can I ask why?"

"So if the man in the hat decides to make an appearance again tonight, station control will just take over the feed, play the recording, and Sports Night will be on air no matter what."

"The man in the hat is back?" asked Dan.

"He is. And Natalie thinks he's going to try and take over again."

"He doesn't know who he's messing with" said Casey.

"Damn right."

"It's happening again" said Kim. The old black and white footage was on the monitors where Tyson's latest comeback fight should be.

"Record this" snapped Dana while Natalie instructed station control to take over the feed and run the recorded version of the show.

"What's happening" asked Dan.

"Relax guys" said Dana, "your work is done for the evening."

"Can we go watch ourselves?" asked Casey.

"No, get in here and watch this."

They came through and gathered with everybody else watching the silent movie.

"It's the same fight as last time" said Jeremy.

"Does nobody have any idea who the other fighter is?" asked Natalie. It appeared that nobody did.

"And you people call yourselves sports reporters" said Isaac.

Everybody turned to look at him. "You know?" asked Dan. Isaac hadn't been present the last time the footage had appeared.

Isaac smiled. "I'm particularly disappointed in Dan and Casey, both of whom claim to be boxing fans."

"That footage must be eighty years old" protested Dan.

"More like ninety" said Isaac still smiling.

"Smugness doesn't become you Isaac" said Dana.

"But it's fun though."

"Just tell us who it is.".

"That is Ivan Petrovski, son of a Russian immigrant, and one of the lesser known heavyweight champions. Won it in 1910, lost his first defence four months later."

"Petrovski" said Casey. "I know the name, never saw his picture though."

"Take it from me, that's him."

"Do you know my guy too?" asked Natalie eagerly.

Isaac stared at the monitor for a while. Eventually he shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I don't think I've ever seen him before."

Just then the man in the hat landed a knock out punch on Petrovski.

"Good shot" said Dan. The crew then stood and watched as the mystery man was presented with the championship belt. Then the footage abruptly ended, to be replaced by the previously recorded Dan and Casey.

"Did you get that?" Dana asked Chris.

"Let's see." He rewound the tape he was recording on and played it. The black and white movie reappeared. "I guess I got it."

"How is that possible?" asked Jeremy. "There was nothing to record."

"Never mind that" said Isaac. "That man just won a world championship. How is it that we've never heard of him?"

"Not just us" said Dan. "The record books don't mention this fight. Petrovski lost his title to Jim Duggan."

"Are you sure that's not Duggan?" asked Dana.

"Pretty sure. Duggan was black."

"So who the hell is he?"

"If he fought for a world title he must have had a lot of fights to get there" said Casey. "There must be a record of him somewhere."

"Ok" said Dana. "Chris, capture a good shot of our mystery man from the video and print it off."

"Then what?" asked Natalie.

"Then you can go to the photographic archives, and the public library, and you can look through every photograph, newspaper and boxing magazine till you find him."

"I'm on it" said Natalie.

"Good. Ok people, looks like we have another early night. Go home and be back bright and early tomorrow."

"Wait a minute!" called Natalie. "I just want to ask if there's anyone who still maintains that there isn't a ghost."

There was silence from the assembled crew.

"Jeremy?"

"Let's just say that I'm starting to believe in the possibility of there being something beyond my experience."

Natalie smiled. "In that case, I'd like to announce that I will be available any time during office hours to accept complete and fulsome apologies from all of you."

The crew started to file out of the room. Natalie called after them. "I find apologies always seem more sincere when accompanied by a small gift."

"You're kidding" said Casey.

Natalie shook her head. "I kid you not. The man in the hat is Vince 'Hammer' Hurley."

"You think he's related?"

"It would explain why I'm the only one to see him. Plus I called my Grandpa Hurley and he said he had an uncle who was a boxer. He never knew him though. Apparently he died pretty young."

"It's a pretty safe bet that it's the same guy though" said Dan.

"I'd say so."

"But it doesn't explain why he's here" said Jeremy.

"He must want something" said Dana.

"Like what?"

"Isn't it obvious?" said Natalie. "He wants his title. He wants his name in the record books where it belongs. That's why he had no waist. The empty space is where the belt should be."

"That makes sense" said Casey.

"Makes sense?" said Jeremy. "Nothing is making sense right now."

"Just go with the flow Jeremy" said Dan.

"I'm trying Dan. But assuming Natalie's right, how do we get Hammer's title recognised?"

"We have the tape" said Natalie.

"A ghost tape? I don't think it's going to convince the boxing authorities somehow."

"I can't say I'd blame them" said Dana. "There were thousands of people at that fight, plus the officials and press. If it really took place, how come nobody knows about it?"

"I may know the answer to that" said Isaac.

"You do?"

Isaac smiled. "I'm on something of a roll right now aren't I?"

"So what's the answer" asked Natalie.

"The answer lies in the venue" said Isaac.

"Dan and I were trying figure that out" said Casey. "We couldn't place it."

"You wouldn't. If I'm right it doesn't exist anymore. Never did exist as far as boxing is concerned, officially at least."

"So what is the venue?" asked Dan.

"The Bullring."

"The what?"

"The Bullring. It was set up as a rival to the Garden."

"And what happened to it?"

"It was built but never opened. Story was that the owners went bust. The place was demolished shortly afterwards."

"So what makes you think that Hammer fought Petrovski there?"

"Well you see, the Bullring may have gone, but I know where it was."

"Where?" asked several people at once.

Isaac just pointed to the floor. "We're sitting on it."

The assembled crew just sat there open-mouthed for a few moments.

"This is getting too weird" said Casey.

"Are you saying this building was put up on the site of this Bullring place?" asked Dan.

"That's what I'm saying."

"How come nobody ever talks about it?"

"Let's just say that there were certain parties who didn't want the Bullring remembered."

"Like who?"

"Like the people who ran the Garden."

"Oh, come on."

"You have to remember Dan" said Isaac, "back in those days the mob had quite a stake in the Garden, and in boxing in general."

"And I don't suppose they wanted the Bullring moving in on their territory" said Dana.

"The mob were never fully committed to free-market principles."

"How did they do it?" asked Dan.

"They leaned on people."

"Who?"

"How should I know? Banks, promoters, managers, whoever it took."

"But at least one fight took place" said Natalie. "We saw it."

Isaac nodded. "That was news to me. History says that the Bullring never opened."

"Well history is wrong."

"Apparently so."

"How can that be" asked Casey. "How can a world title fight just.....vanish?"

Isaac shrugged. "All I can guess is that the fight went ahead without the sanction of the family concerned. So they erased it."

"Erased it? How?"

"More leaning."

"That's a lot of leaning" said Dan. "There were thousands of people there."

"Actually it wouldn't be that hard" said Jeremy. "All they would need to do would be to announce the fight as void over the tannoy - that takes care of the crowd. Then lean on the press, fighters, managers and officials."

"That's true" said Dana. "If it doesn't get into the papers, it didn't happen."

"So then they erased the fight and closed the Bullring down?" asked Casey.

"It's the only explanation I can think of" said Isaac.

"What about Uncle Hammer?" asked Natalie.

Isaac looked at her for a moment. "You said he died young."

Natalie's eyes opened wide as she realised his meaning. "They killed him?"

Isaac shrugged. "I'm guessing he wasn't the type to take kindly to being leaned on."

"No" said Natalie quietly. She gave a weak smile. "Must run in the family huh?"

Dana looked at her. "Are you ok?"

"I guess so" said Natalie. "It's weird, I mean he's dead, I knew that. But to think he was murdered. Suddenly it feels like it just happened."

"Well he won't have died for nothing" said Dana. "We'll get his title back."

"Ok" said Dana, "any thoughts?" Everybody had just watched the tape of the fight again.

"Is there any chance that anyone who was there is still alive?" asked Casey.

"Maybe" said Jeremy, "if they were ten years old at the time. But how would we find them?"

"We could just broadcast the tape" said Dan. "Ask for anybody with information to come forward."

Dana thought about it. "I'd like to leave that as a last resort. We could end up looking pretty foolish."

"Besides" said Natalie, "we need someone important, someone with proof. Like a manager or promoter."

Dana nodded. "Isaac, any ideas?"

"Well there's Petrovski of course. He's long dead but if he has any surviving relatives they might know something. Then there's his manager's family - finding the name of the manager shouldn't be too hard." He took a breath. "Then there's Lou Priest."

"Who's Lou Priest?" asked Dan.

"The referee."

"You recognised him?"

"I told you I was on a roll."

"Is he still alive?"

"Not likely, he must have been fifty at the time of the fight. But he had a reputation of being incorruptible, quite a rare thing in those days. If anyone involved had a guilty conscience, it's him. Maybe he left a confession."

Dana nodded. "Good, that's three leads. Let's find them."

"Find them?" said Natalie. "How?"

Dana looked at her. "I thought you said you had a degree in journalism?"

"I do."

"Well go journalise."

"Here we are" said Natalie.

"You're sure she lives here?" said Isaac.

"According to the Public Records Office."

They got out of the car and walked up the path to the front door. They stood there for a few moments, then Natalie rang the doorbell. After a while it was opened by a woman of about seventy years old.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Mrs Mary Harper?" asked Natalie.

"Yes."

"Was your grandfather a boxing referee called Lou Priest?"

The woman opened her eyes in surprise. "Yes, he was. Why?"

"Well, we're investigating the circumstances surrounding a fight he refereed at a place called the Bullring in 1910 and.......are you ok Mrs Harper?"

The woman had started back in fright. "I knew you would come" she said with a tremor in her voice.

"You knew we would come?" asked Isaac.

"The mob."

"We're from CSC Mrs Harper.".

"I don't care what you call yourselves now."

"We're journalists Mrs Harper" said Natalie. "From Continental Sports Channel."

"Journalists?"

"Yes Mrs Harper."

Mrs Harper looked at the pair and decided that they probably weren't from the mob. "I suppose you'd better come in" she said.

"My mom said it preyed on his mind his whole life" said Mrs Harper. "He quit soon after that fight you know? Couldn't face it anymore. He felt too much shame." She looked at her guests. "But what could he do? They said they'd kill my mom and grandma if he ever said anything."

"I understand" said Natalie, "he was just protecting his family."

The woman nodded.

"So maybe now he would want the record put straight" said Isaac.

Mrs Harper looked frightened again. "But.....the mob?"

"Mrs Harper, there's nothing to worry about" said Natalie. "The mob won't come looking for you, even assuming the same family is still around. There's nobody left alive to prosecute, nobody left alive to care."

"Are you sure?"

Natalie nodded. "I'm sure."

Mrs Harper thought for a moment. "Alright, she said, I'll help you put the record straight. Grandpa would want that."

"That's great Mrs Harper."

"Did your grandfather leave anything that would help" asked Isaac. "A journal perhaps."

"Oh yes" said Mrs Harper, "there's a journal. It's all in there. Would you like me to fetch it?"

"Please Mrs Harper."

When the old woman left the room to fetch the journal Natalie and Isaac congratulated themselves. "I just hope that the journal has what we need" said Isaac, sounding a word of caution.

Mrs Harper soon returned with a small carton. "All Grandpa's things are in here" she said. She fished inside and pulled out a battered and faded book. "This is his journal" she said passing it to Isaac. Isaac took it and began leafing through it while Natalie looked on.

Mrs Harper continued to look in the carton and pulled out another object. "Would this be anything do you think?" she asked, holding the object out to Natalie.

Natalie looked and her eyes widened. Gingerly she took the object from the woman and peered closely at the label on it. "Isaac" she said.

"Hmmm" said Isaac not looking up.

"I think we may have something better than the journal."

Isaac looked up. "Oh" he said. "Is that....?"

Natalie nodded. "Do you think the film will still be good after all these years?"

"Is the canister sealed?"

Natalie checked. "Looks like it."

"Then it should still be good. Celluloid is a damn site tougher than videotape."

"Do you think he'll show?" asked Dana as they prepared to go on air.

"Who?"

"Hammer Hurley."

"Maybe."

"Are you scared?"

"Of course not."

"You were scared before."

"That was before. Hammer would never hurt me, he's family."

Dana smiled, then turned her attention to the monitors.

"Hi, I'm Dan Rydell alongside Casey McCall. Coming up on Sports Night tonight we have an exclusive, a new heavyweight boxing champion of the world."

In the control room Natalie watched the monitor intently. Was it her imagination or could she see a reflection in there, as if somebody was standing behind her? Somebody in a hat. She turned round quickly but there was nobody there. When she looked back at the monitor the reflection too was gone. It didn't matter though. She was sure that the figure in the reflection had been smiling.

THE END