Chapter 49: The Women in White:

Gomber's POV:

I called upon the ghost of Patrick Gallagher. His wife cheated on him with a richer man, so he went mad and tried to kill them both.

"What do you want," asks Gallagher.

"Go spread some chaos and I'll find you the descendent of the people who wronged you," I said.

"Very well." Gallagher then flies off.

. . .

I waited, but then I checked the news and there was nothing about Gallagher's handy work. Something wasn't right.

"Gomber!"

"Master, what is it," I asked.

"This was the Women in White!"

I was... "No, you lost me."

"They are known for witchcraft and other occult practices that took place from the 1840s to 1940s."

"Did they have anything to do with my murderer," I asked.

"They have been collecting our spirits!"

"Well, I guess I'll have to do something about this," I said.

. . .

I then started walking through the town. My Master gave me a picture of the Women in White. Of course I could be dealing with a new generation. I then found the library.

. . .

I decided to look up something about these women in white.

"Doing research on something," asks Nancy.

"Nancy Drew," I said, "if you must know, I'm learning how to say, 'mind your own business' in Japanese."

"Yokeinaosewada," says some random person.

"What are you up to, Gomber," asks Nancy.

"Mind your own business," I said.

"Yokeinaosewada."

"Now you're just showing off," I said. I then got up and walked away.

. . .

I checked out a book and learned something interesting. Apparently, a member of these women in white once tried to harness the power of my Master, Arthrok. Also, the Women in White were the first to call upon the Aglaeca. Very interesting. Then someone almost shot me. I looked and I saw no one. Just to be safe, I better run away.

. . .

Whoever they were, they were chasing me. Something was going on. I then took a short cut through the graveyard.

. . .

I was hiding in a tree and my stalker showed up and I ambushed them. I then looked and saw it was a woman.

"One, who are you and two, if you don't answer the question, you'll end up here forever!"

"My name is Greta Grappler and I'm chasing you because you're about to learn things that never should be learnt!"

"Miss Grappler, I work for an actual demon," I said, "I think I can handle a cult."

"My ancestor was a woman in white," says Grappler, "they do not take kindly to meddlers."

"There is some confusion," I said, "they're the ones who are meddling by taking my ghosts!"

"You're the one who's been summoning ghosts?"

"Yes, and I need them to do horrible things so my Master can rise again!"

"The Women in White will not allow you to do anything before they do!"

"Why don't we talk at my place?"

. . .

Here I am, a cliched villain. I kidnapped a woman and took her to my evil lair. All I'm missing is a tower to put her in so she can call her Prince Charming.

"So, who are the Women in White," I asked.

"If I told you, they could kill me!"

"Well, there's the problem, because if you don't tell me, I could kill you!"

"Alright, but we have to make a deal!"

"Name it."

"You have to give me a share in whatever it is the demon is promising you!"

"I don't normally like sharing, but I guess I could make an exception. Who are the Women in White?"

"I don't know, but I can tell you who were in the original group! There was my ancestor, Gretchen Grappler, Edith Yates, Cora Clayton, Rebecca Topaz, Temperance Hudson, Martha Marvin, and Patti Pacer."

"Wait, one of them was a Hudson," I asked.

"Not just any Hudson. She was the one who helped Rebecca Topaz and Cora Clayton defeat me!"

"I thought the ones who defeated you were all good guys," I said.

"Who are you talking to," asks Grappler.

"Cora Clayton was good, Rebecca Topaz was neutral, and Hudson was bad!"

"Interesting," I said.

"Are you okay," asks Grappler.

"Oh right, you can only hear one half of the conversation," I said, "are you a member of the current group?"

"Yes, but we all decided to hide our identities from each other if we were ever to be caught."

"That's clever," I said, "maybe you can take me to where you ladies meet."

. . .

Apparently, the Women in White meet at Stonewall Prep. This place hasn't been used in years.

"So, now what do we do," I asked.

"Lucky for you, the Women will be meeting tonight," says Grappler, "at midnight."

"These things always seem to involve midnight," I said, "why is that?"

"And when are you going to unleash the demon," asks Grappler.

"That depends," I said.

"So, anything you'd like to do while we wait," asks Grappler.

"I can think of something," I said.

We then shared a kiss.

. . .

It was about midnight and the rest of the Women in White came.

"Once we get rid of them, you and I will share the demon's powers," says Grappler.

"Let's do this," I said.

We snuck in.

. . .

The Women in White were preparing their meeting. Apparently, they were absorbing ghosts to fuel their power. I saw that they keep the ghosts in a jar. Grappler was among them. I then prepared the trap.

"I'm sorry," says Grappler, "but it's over! Let's go!"

"About that," I said. I then made sure none of them could get out.

"What are you doing," asks Grappler.

"Tying up all loose ends," I said, "now you're all in there with the explosives!"

"But... I thought you loved me!"

"No, you loved me. I think it's time you learned how I met the demon. I was tired of being weak, so I asked him to remove my ability to love. In return, I became his servant. Goodbye."

. . .

I exited the building and the whole place blew up. "And that gets rid of the competition," I said.

Grappler's POV:

We all survived, and I learned something about this. You can only trust your sisters.

They're not literal sisters, by the way. In the next chapter, Nancy learns about crimes that are somehow related to a TV show.