See Part One (A) For Disclaimers

Chapter Ten

"So what's the latest on DH?  Have you heard anything new?" Val asked Tatya as she entered the study with Renee and Philip.  The psychologist nodded, just barely looking up from what she was doing.  Val quickly glanced around the room.  Jasmine, she knew, was upstairs reading.  She had found some of her mother's old archaeology texts and began reading them.  Heavy stuffy for a thirteen year old, but Jasmine said it made her feel closer to Mel.

Val understood totally.  After her mother's death, she had kept one of her mother's burnt out candles in her jewelry box.  Melanie had the pentacle, since she was a practicing Wiccan.  And Val just wanted something which had belonged to her mother.  Something.  Anything.  It didn't matter.  So, when Jasmine had found some of Mel's old texts, Val didn't protest.

Dani was still running simulations in the control room . . . she had said that she would be in as soon as she was finished.  God only knew where Andy was.  He had disappeared after his argument with Dani in the kitchen.  She had put a message through to his pager, but she didn't know if he had received it.  Or if he would pay attention to it.  Val sighed, rubbing her hand over her forehead, and motioned for Philip to sit down somewhere, anywhere.  He took a chair near her own, and she was somewhat amused by his periodic, concerned looks in her direction.  He really was very sweet, but she didn't let that fool her.  He had a spine of steel.

Renee had dumped herself unceremoniously into a nearby chair, legs slung over the arm of the chair, her favorite position during informal meetings.  Val usually teased her about it, but right now, she just didn't have the energy to do so.

The front door opened and Tatya looked up as Andy joined them.  Her bright eyes flickered for a moment, then she set the paperwork aside.

Andy looked tired.  His face was drawn, but Val couldn't smell alcohol on him.  They'd had a talk about that shortly after Andy had joined Baltimore House.  Due to her mother's death, Val had strong feelings about alcohol abuse in her House.  Andy was already a member of AA in the Baltimore area, and had been sober for the four years he had been a member of the Legacy.  But Val knew it was an ongoing battle.  She had seen that for herself during her time in London.

"Sorry I'm so late.  I stopped at my sponsor's house on the way back," Andy explained softly, sitting down in a chair beside Renee's.  Val bobbed her head.  The former journalist glanced at Philip, who was merely sitting quietly, and Andy continued hoarsely, "What, nothing from our new resident priest? Horror that a member of the Legacy is an alcoholic?"

"I'm a priest, Andrew, not an archangel.  Not God.  It's not m' place t' judge.  And the Legacy has long had alcoholic members.  Drug-abusers.  Wife and child beaters.  I hardly think you're worse than any of them," Philip answered in a quiet, sad voice.  Val exchanged a look with Tatya, who sat forward.  They were wandering into her area now.

"You're quite right, Philip.  And as I recall from my research into San Francisco House, you've had your share of less-than-desirable types.  Jonathan Boyle comes immediately to mind, of course.  But Rachel Corrigan is another.  Here is a woman who is an alcoholic, and used drugs in college.  The classic case of a child trying to get her father's attention any way she could.  Trying to drown out the pain of losing her mother to death, and her father shutting down," Tatya replied.

She smiled at Philip's shocked expression, continuing, "I don't judge, Philip.  But this is the truth.  Rachel Corrigan cannot be deemed as stable, no matter what criteria one uses.  It's not what a person has survived that determines their character, their stability.  It's how they deal with it.  Rachel Corrigan is incompetent in that respect.  Yes, she has had hard times.  But she hides behind it, uses it as an excuse.  That is not a healthy way of dealing with hardship."  Philip, strangely enough, wasn't arguing.  What had happened to him in San Francisco?

Tatya tapped her files, explaining, "We have, within the Legacy, a number of survivors.  People who endured terrible traumas as youngsters, and survived.  Katherine Corrigan is one such survivor.  A girl, not quite thirteen years of age, who lost her father and brother in a car accident when she was only seven years old.  A girl who has the Sight, the Gift, the Curse.  Whatever name you wish to call it."

"Since her mother joined the Legacy, Kat has experienced things that nearly drove her mother insane.  But Kat remains strong.  Yes, she goes through the normal growing pains of a young teenager, and not so normal.  But she's a strong girl, and shows a great deal of potential," Renee put in.  She swung her legs over the arm of the chair, placing both feet on the ground.

She paused, sneaked a grin at Val.  Oh shit, Val thought,  what is she up to this time?  Renee continued, "There's also the example of a precept in the Legacy.

She was twelve years old when her mother was murdered by another member of the Legacy.  A return to the Salem witch trials, perhaps, except there was no trial.  Jonathan Boyle fully intended to beat Deirdre Barton to death, and kill her unborn child.  Her twelve year old daughter intervened, almost losing her own life."

"But it wasn't over for Deirdre," Tatya took up the narrative, "the nurses in the delivery said that when Kerry Isis Barton was born, the room temperature dropped twenty degrees."  Val glared at the two women, but both Tatya and Renee ignored her, Tatya continuing, "We've encountered this phenomenon.  Each time, the baby has died.  Most likely, because their mother didn't know what to do.  Didn't know how to protect their children."

"A spirit took the life force of the children?" Philip asked, frowning.  Tatya nodded and Philip continued, "For what reason?  I've never heard of such spirits.  What culture does it belong t'? Do you know anythin' about it?"  Val looked at Tatya.  Oh, you sly one, she thought,  so that's why you wouldn't back down about my mother's death!  Renee might have brought it up, but you saw a use for it.

"It doesn't recognize culture, from what we can tell.  And our best guess is that it steals the life force of its victims to sustain itself.  It couldn't take Kerry's life force because Deirdre was a witch, and knew that if she used energy, it would protect Kerry.  The cost was her own life.  Something else.  Each of the mothers went into premature labor due to violence.  Deirdre Barton, because of Jonathan Boyle's attack . . . others were attacked, or in car accidents," Tatya explained.

Philip sat back in his chair.  Val could tell his mind was spinning.

She glanced over at Andy, who was staring at Tatya, open-mouthed.  Score two for our resident mind-doctor, Val thought,  she not only managed to snag Philip's interest, but she's headed off Andy as well.  At least for the moment.  She knew she was only buying time, but there were times when that was all you could do.  Just buy time, and hope for the best.

And like any good storyteller, Tatya knew when to end her tale.   She sighed and continued, "We're still compiling the cases . . . that's all we know, so far.  Now.  Since Andy has graced us with his presence, I was hoping I could tell everyone about DH, once Val has finished with the orientation."  She winked at Val as she spoke, and the young precept struggled to keep from laughing.

However, all she said was, "Then let's get started.  Philip, we don't have House rules, as such.  Just some things that I would prefer you not do.  Most of them are common sense, but I like to go over them anyhow, just so we both know that you know.  Okay?"  Philip nodded and Val got started.

*    *    *

Damn him.  Damn him to hell.  He's a priest, he's supposed to tell me I don't belong in the Legacy.  Just like the bishop did, when he found out that I was an alcoholic who had abandoned his daughter.  Damn him for not judging me.  I want to hate him.  Why the hell won't he let me hate him?  Why does he have to be so reasonable?  And not even work at it?

Andy Ramirez sat back in his chair, listening with half an ear as Val explained the working rules in the House.  She didn't have that many . . . believed her people were adults, instead of children.  But she liked to go over what rules she did have.  It eliminated misunderstandings later on.  Most of the time.  Then again, Andy thought with more than a touch of self-disgust, I'm slow on the uptake.

He glanced again at Philip Callaghan.  There were strands of silver in his dark brown hair, just as there were in Val's.  Val was five years younger, however.  

The priest's pale eyes were focused on Val, though Andy could see doubt in those eyes.  Doubt.  Fear.  Guilt.  Damn.  Someone else with emotional baggage.

As if there wasn't enough in this House?  Andy shook his head, trying not to pay attention to the priest anymore.  But it was hard.  His heart and gut were telling him to give the other man a chance.  He didn't know if he could.

Val was saying now, "Anyhow, like I said at the onset, most of this is just using simple common sense.  But, I like to have everything out in the open, so there are no misunderstandings, no confusion.  Now.  Since we have that out of the way, I believe Tatya wanted to talk about Discount Heaven.  What exactly have you found out, oh great healer of the mind?"

Tatya rolled her eyes, but replied, "All right, this is what I found out.  I made a phone call to my supervisor friend at DH.  And for the record, the employees commonly call it 'Discover Hell.'  Anyhow, I happened to mention Philip and Renee searching for the obits of people who had died while working at DH, and he told me something very interesting.  Apparently, there was a death at DH just in the last year.  A manager, I'm still waiting to hear his name.  But apparently, this guy was greatly loved."

"Okay.  We still don't know that DH is haunted.  Is it a simple trick of the machinery which are causing these actions to take place, is it a ghost, or is someone screwing with the minds of the employees.  Tatya, I'm guessing that the manager figures into this somehow?" Val asked, nodding to Dani as she entered the study.  The former Marine was practically bouncing with excitement as she sat down on the arm of the chair beside Philip.

"Well, it seems not long before he died, one of the employees was teasing this manager about the way he was constantly being called, something about, I'll bet you hear us paging you in your sleep.  The manager replied, and this is what's interesting, 'I think I'll probably hear you paging me long after I'm gone from here.'  Now.  Like you said, we don't know if the place is haunted, but if it is, I would put money on this guy.  We've found that a spirit remains tied to a particular place for emotional reasons," Tatya explained.

"And because he was emotionally tied to the people, you think it might be the manager, if we're dealing with a ghost," Renee observed and Tatya nodded.  The young computer expert pursed her lips, a frown appearing, and she said, "So how do we find out for certain?  I mean, first we gotta ascertain if this is a haunting."

"I think I can help with that," Dani said, practically bouncing in her chair.  Val looked up with a half smile, and the former Marine continued, "Like I said, I've been running simulations.  Not just for the lawyer, although that was a lot of it.  No, I've also been running simulations, based on what I was told about the accidents.  I factored in everything I could think of . . . the speed of the machinery, the amount of dirt . . . that does factor into how machinery operates."

Val nodded encouragingly . . . not that Dani really needed any encouragement.

The former Marine went on after taking a breath, "Anyhow, I ran all of the simulations.  While it is possible for accidents to happen as they did, it's very, very unlikely.  If it had just been one accident, that would be one thing.  But it was more than one.  Just for the helluvit, I ran one more simulation.  Guess what I found out?"

The other members of the Legacy remained silent, looking at her expectantly, and Dani pouted, "I can't believe you didn't figure this out!  I ran a simulation, adding one more variable to the equation.  Possible outcomes if there hadn't been the accident.  I factored in the people in the area, all that jazz.  You won't believe what came up . . . a much nastier accident, with possible deaths."

Val sat up straight in her chair, her eyes widening.  Andy was fully focused on the meeting as well.  Tatya asked, probably speaking for them all, "So, what you're saying is, if these accidents hadn't happen, the outcome would have been WORSE?  How?  What would have happened?  Why wasn't I told about this when I called earlier?"

"Probably because no one had thought of it, Tatya.  I mean, they were so focused on what had happened, no one had calmed down enough to take a look at what might have occurred if the accident hadn't occurred.  To answer your third question.  To answer your first, and second, any number of things might have happened.  What's important, however, is that the accident prevented those possibilities from occurring," Dani replied.

"That does provide food for thought, Dani, but I need more information before I'm ready to commit myself to the ghost theory.  Renee, could you do a search for me, and see if there have been any other reports of things like this happening?  Start with DH, but don't stop there.  I also want to know why DH was on the Legacy database," Val replied.  Tatya nodded in agreement, and Andy saw Dani frown.  Not in anger, but puzzlement, as if she had forgotten something, and didn't know what it was.

"If we're adjourned, I can start now," Renee offered and Val bobbed her head.  The blonde girl flew into the next room, murmuring to herself about possible search engines which could help her.  Andy shook his head with a mixture of exasperation and affection, then glanced at his precept.  Her face was a study in . . . what?  Concern?  He couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"Andy, if you wouldn't mind sticking around, I need you to do some research as well . . . you up to it?" Val asked, and Andy nodded.  Val continued, "Find out what you can about this supervisor.  Since we know he died recently, say, in the last year, that should narrow it down for you.  If this is our ghost, we might find some clues about why he's sticking around."

"On my way.  Nice work, Dani," Andy replied, nodding to the security specialist.  She beamed, and some of the old camaraderie was restored.  The former journalist left the room, listening to Val talk with Dani, Tatya, and Philip.  Actually, the priest was listening quietly, while the women conversed about what Tatya and Dani had learned.  Damn, Andy thought again,  the guy doesn't even realize that he's already shaking up this House.  The thought annoyed and unnerved him.

"I don't know if this will be of any use to you, but in San Francisco, we often used P-wave technology to pick up on energy that wasn't natural.  I'm not sure if it was just a speciality of Nick's, or if other Houses have that capacity, but that might help," Philip was saying in the study.  Val flashed him a smile . . . whether he knew it or not, he had already started helping them.

However, it was Dani who replied, "Yeah, we'll be using that tomorrow.  Or at least, whoever is going to DH.  And I like that.  Discover Hell.  I had some friends who worked at Discount Heaven, and based on what I heard, that's exactly what it's like.  That reminds me, Val, who is going tomorrow?  I know Philip and Tatya are going, but what about the rest of us?"  Philip blushed, and Val decided she didn't want to know what he was thinking.

Instead, she observed, "Originally, it was just going to be Philip and Tatya, since we have other cases to research.  But . . . I dunno.  I keep getting this feeling that we should all go.  I mean, I've read through the case logs of the other Legacy Houses, and it seems to me that just sending Tatya and Philip could be dangerous.  It's not that I don't trust you two.  But, Uncle Nathaniel likes to quote Ecclesiates."

"Val, this should be a routine case.  Philip and I are just gonna look around, and set up the scanners for the p-waves.  I promise, if things get out of hand, we'll call, "Tatya interposed.  She smiled and reached for Val's hand, adding, "You can't always protect us, hon.  We love you for trying, but we can stand on our own two feet.  That said, when's dinner?"

"In a few hours.  I think Renee wants to do some research first.  And I need to have a little talk with my godfather.  Philip, you've done a lot for us already, why don't you get yourself unpacked?  I know you haven't decided how long you're staying, but it's not much fun living out of your suitcase," Val suggested.  Philip hesitated, then nodded.  He rose to his feet and quietly left the room.

The women remaining watched him go, and Dani said quietly, "I think he'll work out just fine.  Val, there is one thing about him which concerns me." Val raised her eyebrows, and Dani continued, "He's caught between his decision to leave the Legacy, and his desire to atone for what he did wrong.  Namely, Kristen's death.  As much as I want him to stay, I don't want it to be for the wrong reasons."

"I know.  I know.  I think that's something that Philip needs to work out for himself.  The thing is, Dani, we're a very different Legacy House than what he's used to.  Derek Rayne is a rather flamboyant character, and I think you know what I mean by that.  He went for the flash and dazzle, rather than . . . well, you know.  Philip is used to that, not to our way of doing things.  I want Philip to understand, for himself, that he makes contributions without even realizing it.  Do you . . . am I making any sense?" Val asked.

"Perfect sense.  And I'll do whatever I can to help.  And that," here Dani ducked her head, adding, "that includes leaving Andy alone.  He's starting to feel like a jerk about the way he's treating Philip.  If I start pushing him again, he'll start lashing out at Philip.  So.  I'll . . . well, I'll keep my mouth shut.  About him, at least.  But Rachel Corrigan is still fair game.  That reminds me.  Did anyone else notice how he reacted to the mention of her name?"  Val and Tatya exchanged a look, and Dani added, "I'll take that as a yes, then."

"We've noticed it, we just haven't figured out what it means yet.  If you're really curious, Dani, check into it.  From what I remember, Philip was rather close to Derek Rayne.  Check the Legacy Database to see what hospital Derek Rayne was flown to after he was found, and see how long Philip was there.  He told us that he returned to San Francisco after Nick Boyle's phone call," Val suggested.

"Sounds like a plan to me.  I'll check into it after I get the diskette all prettied up for the attorney.  Well, sometime tonight.  Since da big boss gave most of the kitchen staff the weekend off, I'll do the cooking tonight," Dani said with a mock glare directed at Val, who just smiled.  The truth was, the kitchen staff usually had the weekend off.  It just worked out better that way.

Continued

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