The ecto-1 pulled into the firehouse at 9:00 pm that same night.
Peter groaned as he got out of the car. He walked over to his locker and opened the door. "Winston owes us one when he gets back from his vacation." Peter unzipped his jump suit and hung it up.
"It's his grandmother's funeral, Peter," explained Egon, as he did the same.
Ray walked past both of them, in his normal clothes. He was heading down to the lab.
Egon looked at Peter, who just shrugged. Peter shut his locker and cracked his back and headed for the kitchen.
Egon slowly shook his head as he shut his locker door and headed for the lab.
oXoXoXo
Egon walked down the stairs to the lab, to find Ray looking at all of the information, which he had laid out on the table, they had about Charlotte and her case.
Ray was reading her bio. Again.
Egon walked over to the table and skimmed the table with his eyes like a hawk trying to find a mouse. Until he fixed his eyes on the small, almost microscopic piece of information about Charlotte's mysterious birthmark.
He picked up the yellow sticky note and read it over for the umpteenth time.
'Ancient Rome. 13th century cult.'
They heard a loud "Clang!" from up stairs. "Sorry!" shouted Peter. They heard more clanging. Finally after about thirty more seconds, silence filled the air.
Ray picked up the file he had dropped from under the table, from when the clattering started. He had another piece of paper in his hand. It was yellow around the edges. Ray stood up and unfolded the paper.
Egon walked quickly over to Ray, and looked over his shoulder.
It was a signed letter from Charlotte's parents. However it was not a letter, but a dying wish.
'In the time of our untimely death we appoint Father Paul McCoy, legal guardian of our daughter Charlotte Mary Starkey. We wish she be raised Catholic and all our money be donated to raising our daughter and to the St. Anna's Catholic Church.'
At the bottom was signed Mary and George Starkey.
Egon took the letter from Ray and read it over once more. "This doesn't make sense."
"Why didn't she just go straight to McCoy?" asked Ray.
"Maybe the priest will know," said Egon as he headed for the stairs.
"It's pretty late, Egon. Maybe we should wait. I mean… this girl has been through so much. I don't think she needs three Ghostbusters coming in and waking everyone up," he explained, remembering the outburst Father McCoy had when Charlotte had come back at 8:30.
"I suppose we could wait. But I should inform Peter," said Egon as he jogged up the stairs.
Ray slowly walked back to the table. He picked up a picture of Charlotte from her file.
In the picture Charlotte had her hair tucked behind her ears. Her lips were curled ever so slightly. To the point, that if you didn't look close enough, you couldn't tell she was smiling. Her eyes were misty. It was almost painful to look at.
Ray put down the picture. He gathered up all of papers and stacked them on the table. He turned from the table and walked up the stairs.
oXoXoXo
Egon pulled into the churches parking lot the next day at noon. It was cloudy out but not raining.
Ray was about to get out of the car when Peter, who was sitting in the back seat, put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back.
"Listen Ray. This girl likes you. I don't know why. But all I know is that, she likes you. So you need to be her friend. Talk to her. Get her to tell you about her past. So we can find out what the hell is going on," explained Peter.
"Yeah, I could do that" said Ray.
"Okay," said Peter. Letting go of Ray's shoulder.
"Okay," said Ray getting out of the ecto-1.
oXoXoXo
Father McCoy was standing outside his office. Charlotte was standing in front of him. She was standing up strait but her head was leaning forward. Her long black hair fell over most of her face except for part of her right eye.
She smoothed her black knee high uniform dress as she gazed thoughtfully at her black scuffed shoes.
"Hello Father," greeted Egon as he walked up to the two Catholics.
"Hello Dr. Egon," said the priest. "And why have you called to talk to me this fine day," he said with a cheery smile.
"Well we wanted to talk to you about this," explained Egon, as he held out the will.
Father McCoy took the yellowed piece of paper, and unfolded it. He read it over. His once cheery face, turned dark like a rain cloud covering up the sun. "Where did you get this?"
"It was in the Charlotte's file. It looks like it hasn't been looked at for awhile," said Peter stepping forward.
The priest glared at both of the Ghostbusters. "Why is it any of your business?"
"Charlotte has suffered a trauma. She obviously still needs help. You took her out of that help. Dr. Venkman is a psychiatrist. We can help her. Or get the state involved for child abuse," said Egon.
"And by the looks of this building, you really can't afford it," said Peter, gesturing to the leak in the ceiling, and squeaky floor boards.
"Fine. But Egon and I must speak in my office," said McCoy opening the door.
"Peter go find Eleanor," said Egon as he and the priest went inside his office.
Peter raided his eyebrows at Ray and nodded toward Charlotte.
Walking up to the pale girl, Ray said, "So you're an orphan. That must suck. I'll be right back."
He walked over to Peter, who was watching the whole time.
"That went as well as I guessed it would," said Peter.
"I've never talked to a thirteen year old girl. Even when I was thirteen, I never talked to them!" whispered Ray.
"When it comes to talking to people, you suck. So we have to think of something you're good at," said Peter.
oXoXoXo
"Hotdog?" asked Ray as he handed Charlotte a hotdog. He took a huge bit out of his, spewing mustard all over his face.
"Thanks…" said Charlotte before taking a bite from her hotdog. Not a drop of ketchup staining her pale face.
"Good?" asked Ray with his mouthful.
"Terrific…" muttered Charlotte as she tried to control her gag reflex. She looked away and took another bite of her hotdog.
oXoXoXo
"I was too young to take care of her. I was only studying to be a priest," explained Father McCoy, as he sat calmly in his seat.
"How did you know Charlotte and her family?" asked Egon who was sitting in front of McCoy's desk.
"Her mother came to this church. We became very good friends," explained McCoy.
"And her father?"
"He believed in other things. Now if you'll excuse me I have a previous engagement to attend to," said Father McCoy held the door open for Egon.
Egon stood up and walked out of the office. The priest walked out behind him and without even a glance Egon's way, walked down the hall and turned the corner. Egon raised a questioning eyebrow at McCoy.
"Yeah and then I won the heavy weight championship for the 5th year in a row. But I gave it all for ghost busting," explained Peter as he walked up to Egon with Eleanor.
"That's… cool I guess," said Eleanor. "Hey Egon."
oXoXoXo
Ray threw away his empty soda cup. He turned toward Charlotte. She began to chuckle.
"What?" he asked.
She motioned on her own her own face, what was on his. He had mustard on his face.
He wiped his chin with the back of his hand. He wiped his hand on the side of his jeans.
The ecto-1 pulled up on the corner and Peter opened the door. Charlotte slid in and then Ray.
oXoXoXo
An hour later, Charlotte was sitting at the wooden table. She had wires attached to her head which were supported by suction cups. Ray was leaning on the table next to Charlotte. They had been talking for quite some time.
"Remember that incident in the library a couple of days ago?" asked Ray.
Charlotte nodded.
"Was that you?" asked Ray.
"No. I don't know what it was," said Charlotte.
"What were you feeling when that happened?" asked Ray.
"Darkness," answered Charlotte.
In the next room, unknown to Charlotte, Peter and Egon were monitoring her.
"She's telling the truth," said Egon, watching the screen.
"So now what?" asked Peter.
"Now we find out if Charlotte knows anything else," said Egon.