Chapter 7
"Danny, can I come in?" Maddie's voice asked, knocking on her son's door.
Danny looked up from the math he was struggling with and said, "Yeah." Watching his mom open the door and step just into his room he noticed she must have taken that nap after church Jazz was bugging her to take. Her eyes looked clearer and her hair was now sticking to the side a little.
"Didn't you date Valerie a while ago?" Maddie asked, putting her arms behind her as she leaned against the doorframe.
"Uh, yeah." Danny sat back in his chair, wondering where this was going.
"You wouldn't know if she might've…" Maddie's voice trailed off as if struggling to get the right words, "maybe made some enemies. Someone who could be around your age?"
Danny's eyes widened as realization hit him. "We forgot to tell them," Danny admitted.
Maddie looked at her son with a tilt in her head as she asked, "Tell them what?"
"Yesterday, you remember that little girl that was in the room with us at the hospital?" Danny asked, getting a nod from the woman. "After you left, we got to see the picture and found out that the dude's after her. His name's Mack Olsen. There was an accident with his girlfriend and her family and he's blaming Dani."
"Why is he blaming a little girl?"
Danny shrugged, not willing to give an answer.
"And why didn't any of you remember to tell us?" Maddie shook her head as she stepped away from the frame.
"Mads!" Jack's voice called out as his footsteps shook the second floor. The man stopped just in the doorway with the cordless still in his hand. "The Underground Ghost Hunters in Greenwood, you know, the Hunter's up north, they had a kid come in not too long ago fitting the description. Said his name was Mack."
"Are they still on the phone?" Maddie asked, getting the phone from his hand as the man nodded his head. She put it to her ear and said, "Hello, this is Maddie Fenton. Thank you for helping us on a Sunday."
Danny could just make out the voice on the other end, giving him the luxury of a full conversation.
"Hi Maddie, it's Erik Hunter," the male voice announced. "Your husband said you were looking for someone?"
"Yes, I just found out his name is Mack Olsen. That wouldn't happen to be the Mack you know?"
"Yes, you said his name was Mack?" Maddie checked. "You wouldn't happen to know his last name?"
"No, I don't, sorry," Erik admitted. "He came by one day, asking about our research for a school project, and got Mable talking about her new Spector Sound, you know how it can be. You get her talking and some days you can't get her to shut up." A laugh came with the note.
Maddie smiled even though the man couldn't see her as she took a glance at Jack still standing next to her.
The laughter ended as he asked, "I wouldn't happen to be able to ask why you're interested in this boy?"
Maddie's smile disappeared as she admitted, "He's the prime suspect in a case I've been called in to help. It seems he used what he learned from your wife to attack a girl down here."
"She had ecto-weapons, didn't she?" Erik asked, his voice solemn.
"Yeah."
"I'm sorry," Erik tried.
"Would someone be able to use her research through a payphone?" Maddie asked.
A moment passed before his voice said, "In theory, yes. All phones today, including landlines, and including payphones, can send out something 10 Hertz by 100 decibels. That being the sweet spot for ecto-plasm."
"No wonder her eyes were damaged," Maddie said, her eyes going wide. "Isn't it 19 Hertz that reacts to the human eye?"
"Yes, which is why anyone using the Spector Sound has to wear our specially made goggles," Erik admitted. He took a second before asking, "Isn't it a bit of a round-a-bout way to attack a human, even if they had ecto-weapons?"
"That's what I've been thinking," Maddie nodded her head. "Thanks for your help. If we need to ask some more questions, you wouldn't mind another call, would you?"
"No, it was good to talk to you again Maddie. Good bye," Erik said before the line went dead.
Maddie pulled the phone away from her ear and saw Jack and Danny looking at her as if waiting to hear what all she had learned. "I've gotta go to the station."
Danny watched her disappear into the hallway, taking Jack with her. He turned back to his homework that was due tomorrow and picked up his pencil as his mind started to worry. Valerie knows too much, Dani's in trouble and Damon might learn too much, Maddie might learn too much now knowing about Dani. He dropped his head into both hands as his worries overcame him.
