Ghost Slayers
Chapter Forty-one
By Relm
Sylphiel sat her kitchen table with a foreboding look of dread on her face. She had been sitting at the table for quite some time. Sleep had eluded her for most of the night and eventually she had given up and decided to sit at the table as she waited for morning.
Amelia was sleeping soundly in Sylphiel's room despite the blond haired ghostly like police detective walking around the apartment. It made Sylphiel wonder if Amelia could sleep in any situation.
Letting out a yawn Sylphiel took another sip of her coffee as she sat and watched. What she was watching was the seemingly ghostly form of Gourry Gaberieve, police detective and a man whom had been crushing on her for years. It was so strange to see Gourry like that. It reminded Sylphiel off all those ghosts she and the others previously 'slayed'. They weren't the people used to be, just shells of their former selves unable to pass on. But that wasn't what she had here. Gourry wasn't dead (or least that what Sylphiel hoped) but he wasn't all there either. She could see him but as far as he was concerned Sylphiel didn't exist.
What existed to Gourry was the paperwork he was working on. It didn't matter how much Gourry finished more just seemed to keep on piling up. Clearly Gourry's last day as a normal living person hadn't been an exciting one.
"Gourry... I'm sorry... All that time you were... and I... and now I may never..." Sylphiel's eyes watered with the tears threatening to fall. It was stupid for Sylphiel to even try to talk to Gourry like that, he couldn't understand her. Hell Gourry didn't even know she was there for crying out loud! But still Sylphiel felt compelled to try and reach him. She couldn't of course and all it did was make her feel more upset.
Gourry whom completely ignored Sylphiel and everything around him just looked over another batch of papers. He frowned looking very much confused by what he was looking at. Every so often he'd look up and appear to be talking to someone. He'd make a few more faces before going back to the papers.
Sylphiel wiped her eyes and took another sip of coffee. There wasn't much good for her to go and cry again, she had done enough of that that night.
RING RING! Sylphiel's cell phone rang breaking Sylphiel from her thoughts.
Sylphiel went to grab her cell expecting to see that it was Lina calling. However it wasn't and Sylphiel didn't recognize the phone number. "Hello?"
"Hello Miss Sylphiel sorry to bug you at such an early hour but I need to talk to you." Sylphiel heard the voice of Gourry's partner Zangulus at the other end of the line.
"Hello Officer Zoanna. What can I do for you?"
"Please Miss Sylphiel call me Zangulus. We've known each other for long enough that you needn't be so formal with me."
"Alright then Mister Zangulus, what's the problem?"
"I'm not quite sure what sort of relationship you have with Gourry. I know he cares about you but I don't know if you're more than friends... But I need to know, have you seen him? He seems to have gone missing."
"Missing?" Sylphiel repeated as she nervously looked at Gourry sitting across from her.
"Yes. He was working late last night and the last time he was seen he was heading down to the case file room. However no one saw him come back up. What's stranger is that Gourry's left the cases he was supposed to be filing on the table down there."
Sylphiel felt her heart beating wildly in her chest. She knew she had to say something as Zangulus and Gourry do work together after all. He was going to notice something wasn't right when Gourry wasn't going to show up for the next couple days. But the problem was what to tell him? A lie or the truth? "And you have no idea where he went?"
"Where he went or how he got there... there's only one way to leave that file room, and that's up the stairs and through the door. Unless he somehow slipped out with no one looking then he's turned into Harry Houdini. I'm going to get the security tapes to see if I can see what happened."
Right away that concerned Sylphiel. If there were cameras then Zangulus was sure to see what happened to Gourry. There was no point in lying about it. "Mister Zangulus... I think I know what happened to Gourry..."
"You do? What? Where is he?"
"Sitting at my kitchen table..."
"He's wh-WHAT? What's going on?"
"Remember that case we were investigating at the library? You know Zelgadis Greywars?"
"A ghost but not a ghost, yeah sure I do."
"As much as we can figure it's one of the books. It's attacking people by taking their bodies and leaving their spirit essence behind. And after it attacks the book disappears. Besides Mister Zelgadis the book has also attacked Mister Xellos, a professor at the university that we used to work with."
"So you're saying Gourry got attacked by this book? How can you be sure?"
"For one thing I can see right through him meaning he's not solid. And I scanned him and he's not giving off the normal energy readings a ghost would. Plus he seems to be stuck in a loop doing the same thing, working on paperwork. Which is probably what he was doing when was attacked." Sylphiel explained.
"When did he show up at your place?"
"Last night. I was going to sit down in front of my TV with some popcorn and I saw Gourry's face in the reflection of the screen."
"Hmm... That would explain why the papers were left out. He must have gotten attacked while he was in the file room...I can't believe I'm even considering what you're telling me. God this is crazy! Are you sure it's Gourry?"
"It is."
"And to think I was all giddy yesterday about Gourry having to do all that paperwork. I shouldn't have left him alone..."
"Mister Zangulus I know it's tough but you can't blame yourself. I've already told Miss Lina what happened and we're going to do what we can to figure things out. But Mister Zangulus we could use your help."
"How so?"
"Was there anything strange that happened yesterday? Anything out of place?"
"Not really... Gourry doing paperwork was strange but nothing else I can recall."
"Did you see a strange book? Like the ones in Mister Zelgadis' office?"
"I um... can't remember... there were many things on Gourry's desk..."
"Well how about the security camera? Could we see what the camera recorded?"
"I don't know if I can let you see it. Hell I don't know what I'm going to tell the Chief. What a mess... I'll let you know later."
"Thanks Mister Zangulus."
"Miss Sylphiel can you do me a favour? Could you look after Gourry for me?"
"I will." After Sylphiel hung up the phone she let out a heavy sigh. She took another sip of her coffee and realized it was cold. She spied a look at her coffee machine, there was still coffee in there but no doubt it wouldn't be all that fresh tasting. How long had she been up anyway?
"Who were you talking to?" Amelia wondered as she let out a yawn and joined Sylphiel in the kitchen.
"I was on the phone... I'm sorry did I wake you?"
Amelia shook her head. "It's okay. I was going to have to get up soon anyway. Miss Lina ought to be coming by soon with the ray gun." She rationalized as she poured herself a cup of coffee and added her usual amount of cream and sugar. However she made a face after she took a sip of the brew. "This doesn't taste right... How old is that coffee?"
"I'm sorry Amelia. I made it when I got up earlier. I couldn't sleep." Sylphiel apologized.
"It's fine really. I've had worse." Amelia sat down next to Sylphiel joining her in watching Gourry. "You know it's going to be okay right? Miss Lina will think of something."
"I know... but it's hard when it's someone you know."
"You knew Mister Xellos." Amelia was quick to point out. "And that didn't bother you as much."
"Well Miss Filia is much closer to Mister Xellos than I am." Sylphiel countered.
"Was it Miss Lina or Miss Filia that called?"
Sylphiel shook her head. "No it was Officer Zoanna."
"What did he want?"
"Gourry disappeared last night when he was supposed to be filing cases in their file room in the basement. Officer Zoanna was wondering if I knew where Gourry was or what happened to him." Sylphiel explained. She took another sip of her coffee despite the fact that it was cold.
"What did you tell him?"
"The truth. I could have lied to him but he told me he was going to look at the security camera footage."
"At the very least Officer Zoanna understands this type of situation better. Is he going to let us see what the camera recorded?"
Sylphiel shrugged. "He's going to try and see. But he may not be allowed too. But he's going to talk to his boss for us. So it saves us from calling in and making some lame excuse to why Gourry's not going to show up at work."
"Well that's good. I hate lying."
"You mean like lying to Mister Val about your sister?" Sylphiel nudged Amelia in the ribs. She needed a distraction to take away from the graveness of the current situation.
"Oh god I forgot!" Amelia's eyes were wide with shock. "She and Miss Filia's step-brother went on that date last night! What if it went terrible?"
"Has Miss Gracia called you or messaged you?"
"No, not one peep! I should call her!" Amelia was quick to fish around to find her cell but before she could start dialling Sylphiel snatched it away from her. "Hey! Why did you do that for?"
"Amelia what time is it?"
Amelia looked to the clock on the wall. It read 8:34. "It's after 8:30, that's not too early."
"What sort of function was it that your sister needed a date for in the first place?" Sylphiel prompted her.
"A charity party..."
"And what do you think the two of them did at the charity party?"
"Drank and partied." Amelia mumbled. Though her sister was a seasoned drinker it still wasn't a good idea to call her so early in the morning after a bender. "Okay I'll call her later..."
"Good. And I'm pretty sure if the date was going badly she would have called you last night to yell at you."
"You're probably right. Though I wonder how it did go..."
...
When Val woke up that morning he had no idea where he was. The room was dark, too dark for his liking. The curtains were dark and heavy letting little to no light into the room. With what little light he did have to see Val noted at he was in a bed and it had black satin sheets. Oh and he was naked too, as was his bed mate.
Confusion swelled in the professor's aqua haired head as he tried to remember exactly what happened the previous night. Faint memories of booze and an annoying laugh surfaced as it all started to defog. If it had been a different day of the week Val might have settled back in bed and snuggled up to the very naked woman whom was using him as a body pillow. Except it wasn't the weekend, it was the middle of the middle of the week. A quick look to his watch sent him into a full blown panic. "I'm going to be late!" He cried out as he tried to get out of bed to change.
Naga opened one of her azure blue eyes and glared at the offending noise. "And what are you doing?" She demanded not liking being woken up in such a rude fashion.
"I'm going to be late for work! Good god woman let go of me this instant!" Val tried to squirm out of Naga's arms but the actress did nothing of the sort.
"Am I not worth blowing off your job for one day? I am the great Naga actress extraordinaire! OHOHOHOHOH! I deserved to be ravished by morning kisses not rude voices."
Val cringed from the sound of her voice. It was too early in the morning for that especially when he was nursing a hangover. "I have to work. I didn't expect to be waking up in some strange woman's bed."
"I am not strange I am-"
"Yes, the gorgeous Naga! I know."
"I was going to say talented but I know that I am gorgeous. You don't need to tell me that." Naga batted her eyelashes flirtatiously.
Val cringed, this time for another reason. "I have to go, I have to work."
"Have to this, have to that." Naga mocked him. "What you're going to do is pick up your phone, call in sick and then ravish me with kisses. I may have been drunk last night but I do remember just how talented those lips of yours are." She pulled him back down and bit on his bottom lip.
For a moment there Val almost gave in. Naga was annoying yes, but she was also enthralling. "GWAH! Enough! I'm going to work!" Val declared as he finally got himself free from Naga's grasp and started getting dressed.
"Hmmp!" Naga rolled her eyes and sunk back into bed. "Fine. Run off to your silly job. I'll just see you later."
"What? What do you mean?" Val looked back at her as he tied up his shoes.
"It was charity function dear. You did bid on the big prize and won after all." She said in a seductive sing song voice.
"What did I bid on?"
"Me. You won a lunch date with me." Naga stretched in her bed.
Val snorted. "Why would I do something like that for?"
"When I look this good how could you not?" Naga smirked at him.
At first Val thought Naga was lying, but then it all started to come back to him. How he started a bidding war and how much he was glaring at all the men trying to outbid him. "How much did I bid?"
"Well let's just say... I don't come cheap."
Val paled. Getting to work late was going to be least of his troubles.