Mary Kendall, A Ghost Story

Mary Kendall, A Ghost Story
Sorry

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Damien takes a moment to enjoy the new office space. He will enjoy working closer with Jamie and Mary helping others overcome problems. He knows they will have more clients in the future. Both the local police and the insurance investigators have been pleased with the results of his previous cases. They will definitely provide referrals. Jamie thinks the occult community will flock to them once word gets out about how he resolved Betty's mystery as well as solved Mary's murder. They are both looking forward to helping other occult members with Jamie.
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Damien sits down at his desk sipping on his warm coffee. Opening his computer, he reviews his notes on the fire ghost case. He checks the search program set to discover information on known arsonists in the area. Several firebugs live in this area. One familiar name doesn’t surprise him. Elias is on the list. He must convince Elias to talk with him. Damien closes his computer and takes a few more sips of coffee. Leaning forward lost in thought, he recalls Mary telling him about Elias. Apparently Elias liked helping her work on the old car in the garage. He knows what to do now.
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Changing his clothes, Damien goes into the garage and begins working on the body of the old car. It is almost ready for the first coat of paint to be applied. Mary has carefully removed all the rust and old paint with her hard work. The room begins to feel quite warm. He has learned over the last few months increased warmth in a room is a tell-tell sign of a fire ghost.
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Sure enough, Elias appears and watches him work on the body for a few moments. Damien watches Elias float to the front of the car and poke around in the engine. “Have you tried turning it on? Mary was working on the engine.”

“Damien looks over at him. “No, I have not. Why don’t you start it and see what happens?”

Elias glides into the car and manipulates the key to turn the engine on.
“It sounds worse than howling cats!” Elias exclaims.

“It does sound pretty bad. Do you know anything about engines?”

“Yes, but I can’t handle the heavy tools with these ghostly fingers. Just light objects like the key.”

Damien begins the work with Elias' guidance. He learns which tools to use and what to do with them.
“Good work. Maybe that’s got it.” Elias finally tells him. “I’ll try it once more.”
Elias turns the key and the engine catches and purrs, but then chokes off.
Damien follows his instructions and soon the car starts easily.
Elias looks pleased. "You did good for someone who doesn't know cars. You should start it every day while you work on the body so it won't freeze up again."
"Thanks for the help Elias!"
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“Can we discuss why you left so abruptly when talking about the fire?" Damien asks.
“Yeah, I guess so. I figured you would eventually get back to me.”
“Let's go up to the office.”

Instead of sitting behind the desk, Damien sits next to Elias.
Elias notices the folder on the desk with his mug shot on the top. “I guess you think you know all about me now?"
"Not necessarily. Why don't you tell me about yourself?"
They discuss his background. The only time Elias was caught and convicted was in his 20's. He served two years for setting fire to a car. He worked for the syndicate after getting out of prison. Arson was his specialty.
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Elias talks about the various jobs he did with the syndicate. When he gets to the last job he becomes more and more upset. Elias stands and paces back and forth as he talks. Damien is worried he will disappear again. Elias begins to sob and collapses on the sofa crying out. “No one was supposed to be inside. I was told the building was empty and had been abandoned for many years. I did a check and it was abandoned. I saw no signs that even the homeless were living in it.”

He sobs in misery, repeating over and over. “No one was supposed to be inside.”
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Damien sits beside him and waits for him to calm down. Once Elias quiets, he asks, “Who asked you to set fire to the building?”
“The head of the syndicate. They wanted to collect the insurance on the building. It was not worth renovating in that neighborhood. Unbeknownst to me at the time, they wanted to kill the Romero’s as well. I tried saving them when I heard their cries. I ran back in and climbed the ladder to the offices. I did my job too well. The place was ruined, full of flammables, old rags, papers and rotting wood. It went up in flames before I could get near the office. I deserved what happened to me. But they didn’t deserve what happened to them. I was shocked when we all ended up here. I couldn’t tell them I was the reason they were dead. I just didn’t talk about my death.”
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“I’m not informing them, but I think you should. They deserve to know their death was ordered by their boss. I need to collect evidence of his guilt for them to move on. You could help them do that. You also need resolution Elias. Telling them, helping me, this may give you resolution.
“Damien, I don’t care what happens to me but yes, I do want to help them find their way out of this ghostly life we lead. I will talk with them. Can we do it now?”
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Damien calls Daisy and Daniel to his office. He starts the discussion by explaining the course of his investigation and that Elias has some things to tell them.
Elias nods to both of them. With his eyes downcast he explains working for the same syndicate as them. "My job was to burn down buildings for them to collect insurance money. They always assured me the buildings were empty, but I went through them myself to be sure. I found no evidence of anyone living in the building. I went in at dusk to set up the small explosives that would start the burn later on a timer. I had perfected them, so they were not detected by arson investigators. I always return to be sure they work. I heard your screams after the fire started. The building was supposed to be empty. I hadn't checked it again before the explosives went off. Rushing inside I tried to rescue you. The flames were racing through the building. I was caught by the flames climbing the stairs to the office where you were trapped. The flames engulfed me as well as you. I did my job too well in that old dilapidated building. The flames tore through it in minutes. Sorry is not enough, but I am desperately sorry. No one was supposed to be inside." He breaks down into tears again as Daniel and Daisy listen in horror to his story.
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Daniel looks over at Elias sobbing in the chair. "Damien, I want the man behind Elias. Nothing will be resolved until he is caught. We were petty thieves working for the syndicate. We were not murderers or assassins. Why we were targeted for death I don't understand. Elias is as much a victim as we are. He did not know we were inside and he died trying to save us. We know Elias well after living here over the many years. He is not a murderer. I understand why he did not want to tell us."
Elias sobs even harder after Daniel's comments.

Damien looks over at Daisy and she nods in agreement. “Bring the man that ordered our deaths to justice Damien. That is the resolution we need.”

Daniel moves over to Elias and pats his shoulder awkwardly, but with compassion. Daisy stands next to him consoling him as well, wiping tears out of her eyes. Damien looks over amazed at the show of support and forgiveness they have for Elias. When Elias is calmer, Damien asks them all to have a seat.
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Damien takes out his notepad. “Tell me all about the syndicate. I need all the names you recall, who was in charge, who was second, etc. I want to know the relationships of those names within the syndicate, any enemies they had, jobs you did, dates, who you reported to. Basically, I need anything at all that you can remember to help figure this out.”
The three of them talk for several hours as Damien records the information. It seems as though the syndicate did have a specific hierarchy. Some of the names Elias recalls are not always known by Daniel and Daisy. All three agree on who was the leader at the time of the fire.
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