Buried Within
Scattered

"I'm sure there isn't a ghost."

George was sure there was a ghost in the house their possible client was renovating.

"I mean, the probability of there being a ghost there at the house I bought has got to be low, right?" the woman said, unlocking her car so George could help her bring her and her daughter's belongings into Lockwood's house.

George frowned. "Actually, I'm sure the chances of that body you found not being a source is low."

"Which means when you confirm that there is no ghost there, we can move in," the woman said, grabbing a small suitcase before heading up the stairs to the row house where they all lived.

"Hold on," George said, "I just said the chances of there being a ghost in the house is high, not low!"

"No. You said it was low."

"I said the chances of it not being a ghost was low," George said, shaking his head while following the woman in. She set the suitcase on the coffee table in front of the sofa and started going through the items. He let out a sigh. "And you're not listening to me," right before taking the box into the kitchen and setting it on the table.

Frowning, he turned to head back outside to bring more things inside, noticing that the mother was still going through things. He shook his head, going to get another box, leaving only a few larger suitcases. There weren't many things the two brought with them, but he saw Lucy coming down the stairs with Ms. Pascal on his way back in. George frowned. "How?"

"I asked her if that was everything," Lucy said.

"And?" George said.

"I forgot there was more," Ms. Pascal said, grabbing the biggest suitcase and dragging it up the stairs making the wheels clunk with each step up.

"There's a lot of things she forgets," George said, heading inside so he could put the box he grabbed onto the kitchen table. "Like the fact, dead bodies are very likely to be a source."

"I know, but be patient with her," Lucy said.

"Why?" George sighed, pushing his glasses up when he set the box down.

"Because she's a potential customer," his fellow agent said.

"Oh. That," George said.

Lucy glanced over in the direction of the front room, where Ms. Pascal was already going back through the things. "For her daughter's sake?"

"How can someone be in such denial about The Problem," George muttered, watching the woman from just outside the front foyer, speaking low so the woman couldn't hear them.

Lucy smirked, turning her head to look at him. "Oh? I thought you liked investigating the abnormal?"

"This is different," George said. "This is even crazier, maybe, than those ghost cultists who think we should just welcome the ghosts who are killing us into this world. I mean, she goes about life as if The Problem never happened. I didn't think it even possible."

"I'm not sure she does," Lucy said. "I mean, she isn't bothered at all by the dead body in the wall of the house."

"Maybe she put it there, and that's why?" George speculated, turning his head to look at Lucy as footsteps were heard coming down the stairs.

"And then she bought the house?" Lucy said.

"No, that's what she told her daughter," George said.

"I highly doubt it," Lockwood said, dropping a duffle bag in the kitchen. He turned to look at the woman, frowning. "Could someone make sure she doesn't go through my things thinking it's theirs while I'm gone?"

Lucy opened her mouth while George spluttered. "Gone. Where are you going?"

"To do my job while you do yours, George."

"My job?" George said.

"You know, research," Lockwood said, grinning ear to ear as if they'd not yet again been handed a strange case. Lucy's mouth snapped shut, and she glared at him, folding her arms across her chest.

"But how am I to do that without an address?" George asked.

"How?" Lockwood. "I don't know because I don't do the research. I'm sure you'll figure out something. And do make sure she doesn't go through my things here. Maybe show her to my room, so she's not," Lockwood frowned.

"Ah!" George said, pointing a finger. "Now that it involves your room and the thought of her doing something strange in there, you suddenly realize that maybe, just maybe, we shouldn't take on the cage."

"We need the money," Lockwood and Lucy said simultaneously, leaving George to stare off at the space both left, with Lockwood having escaped through the front door, and Lucy went over to talk to Ms. Pascal.

"Hey. So, first, "Lockwood's cleared his room out of his things, or what he needed."

"Oh. Then I can move into there," the woman said, standing up and reaching through the suitcase without closing it.

Lucy quickly reached for the suitcase, pushing it down. "Why don't we go ahead and zip this up? We can then go up, but a second thing, what is the house's address."

"I've not decided to hire you yet," the woman said.

George's jaw dropped. "We're letting you stay at our home."

"And we've still not decided to take on the case," Lucy said, switching to a very Lockwood-like tactic. How can we when we don't even know if there is a ghost? You want us to get this done as soon as possible so that you and your daughter can move into your new home, but so your ex-husband is less likely to find out."

"Oh, yes. I don't want him to find out," the woman said, hauling the small suitcase up the stairs. "This room."

"That room off limits," George said. "Even to Lockwood."

"Must be his parents' room," the woman said, continuing along. "I respect a young man who is able to respect his parents."

George frowned, turning to Lucy. "Actually, I think I've got his parents' room."

"Well, don't tell her that," Lucy said. "She is a bit odd, I know, but we'll manage."

"Thank you for not saying it's because we're odd ourselves," George said before hurrying after the woman. "Hey! Ms. Pascal! I still need an address so I can start working."

"I still don't know if I'm hiring you."

"But who else will you hire?" Lucy said. "One of the other reputable agencies that will charge you more than us, or one of those less than reputable ones which will, if there is a ghost there, leave it there hoping you and your daughter get ghost-touched."

"Oh, oh!" the woman said. "Yes. I need to, I guess, tell you. Let me think."

And then she was in Lockwood's room, the door closed. George turned to look at Lucy, a frown on his face. "Now what?"

"We wait for the daughter to wake up and ask her for the address."

"If she even knows the address."

"But she might remember some detail about the area that will clue us into where it is," Lucy said. She glanced outside. "Plus, we really can't do much without Lockwood here, and I don't think they'll be much time for you to go and investigate at the library today."

George looked out the window. "No. There's typically no slots left at the library at this time of day."

"So just stay calm, or as calm as you normally are," Lucy said.

George frowned. "I guess I can go deep clean the house." He started back down the stairs. "I think I'll deep clean the bathroom."

Lucy sighed, heading to sit in the parlor, frowning as she looked at the big suitcase still sitting there, untouched.