Chapter One
No one's POV:
It started as a typical 35 Portland Row morning. The tea kettle whistling, George stuffing his face with donuts as he doodled on the thinking cloth, Lockwood reading his magazine. The only missing was the annoyingly frequent comments of the skull.
Then, the phone rang.
"I'll get it." Holly stood up. And answered the phone. "Hello?"
"Who is it?" Lockwood put down his magazine.
"It's... Mrs. Carlyle." Holly continued the conversation on the phone, walking into the library.
After the call, Holly came back into the kitchen, where everyone was cleaning up. She looked nervous and excited, neither emotion reaching her face.
"What does she want?" Lucy asked, obviously distracted.
"She says she has a job."
"Details?" Lockwood was interested, most likely he was all too ready to accept the case.
"It's her sister's mansion. Lucy,your aunt... she was ghost-touched." Holly gave a sad glance at Lucy. "And your mother is inheriting everything from her. And now she wants us to get rid of every ghost in that mansion."
"Already researching." George was all ready to leave for the archives.
"Holly, call her back, tell her we're taking the case." Lockwood turned to Lucy. "Can you help me get our supplies together?"
"We're taking the case?" Lucy said, still processing what was going on.
"If it's okay with you of course." Lockwood flashed his megawatt smile. "She's your mother."
"Oh, well, it's fine..." Lucy replied.
After everyone went off to their tasks, Lucy stayed in the kitchen. Something was missing. Something unsaid. And she knew what, but she knew better than to admit it. She missed the skull. She didn't know why. He had annoyed her to pieces more times than she could count or even try to keep track of. So why did she feel like she lost something important?
Lockwood's voice cut through her thoughts. "Luce, you coming?"
Everyone was ready to go and leave on their separate paths. Lucy had been standing their longer than she thought.
"Yeah." Lockwood handed her a bag, and then 35 Portland Row was empty. George was off to the archives, Holly off to a minor case with Kipps, leaving Lockwood and Lucy on their own to take a look at the mansion. Which would most likely end up in a disaster, looking at past cases.
After a long trip to get to the richer part of London, they ended up at the front door. They put down their bags andrangthe doorbell.
"You ready Luce?" Lockwood flashed a megawatt smile at Lucy.
"Let's get this over with." Lucy picked up her bags as the door opened, revealing Lucy's mother.
"Hello Lucy."
