Keeper 2: Chapter 7

Chapter 7

As the High Talbot had said all that he felt needed saying, he left shortly after. The unsettling feeling of disquiet didn’t leave with him and for a long while, Jamie sat alone drinking his tea, barely tasting the hot liquid. He knew he needed to figure out who had attempted to create a faux human.  He knew he needed to find out what was going on with Michael, and as ghosts seemed intent on adding the study of magic to his to do list he figured that was important too.

Instead, his mind seemed intent on focusing on the visilore and meeting the other Keepers. No matter what he started to think about, his thoughts invariably led him back.  What had started out as mere curiosity and the desire to possibly talk to someone who had been doing the job longer than him had morphed into something that felt urgent. He couldn’t explain why and somehow that bothered him more than anything else.

“Can it be a compulsion?” he wondered setting his cup aside finally and standing.  He thought about Reginald’s insistence that the book was his life’s work. Compelling someone seemed like something a magician ought to be able to do, although he in truth knew very little about it.

“Can a ghost even compel the living?” Jamie left the parlor.  He stopped by the stand in the hall and looked over his mail.  The top note was from Levas stating that he would be by mid-morning the following day to meet with Jamie. The second note smelled of lilacs and was from Queen Genevia stating that she would be pleased to take tea with him tomorrow at four.

“I suppose I’ll have to remember to put on shoes for that one,” Jamie muttered to himself. Somehow he didn’t think any royal would be thrilled at someone wearing wool socks as slippers for their meeting. As fairies were overly sensitive, believing that people routinely slighted them due to their small physical stature, he imagined Queen Genevia would take less kindly than most to the implied disrespect of improper dress.

“The fairies seemed to know something about Michael,” Jamie remembered.  “At least the ones who tried to kidnap me anyway.”  That might give him some insight as to why Michael seemed drawn to the property. Although he hasn’t been around since the funeral.”  After the funeral, Jamie had attached an alarm to the gate so he could be notified if someone tried to come onto the property without permission.

Jamie smiled a little at himself.  The man who came to do the instillation had thought Jamie was trying to prevent poachers and had waxed poetic about the subject the entire time he was performing his installation. Apparently the man did a fair bit of hunting in his spare time and had an intense dislike of anyone who broke the rules. As correcting his interpretation of the situation would have meant explaining that Michael was under the influence of some Fae chemical, magic or some combination of the two and Jamie was looking for more information to help sever the connection didn’t seem the sanest of responses, Jamie had let his belief stand.

“Maybe she would be willing to help me since I helped her,” Jamie thought.  “And as she sent me to the building where the vat was found, she might know more about the faux human as well.”  Jamie shook his head, knowing that he was only repeating the information he had listed on his notepad. “And the vial has to go to someone else as well,” Jamie added out loud. “I don’t have the skills to deal with it. Jim might know something or someone.”

Knowing he would feel less guilty about focusing on the other Keepers if he at least set something in motion, Jamie slid his cell phone out of his pocket and pulled up Jim’s office number.

“Evers and Evers Law Offices,” a woman’s voice told him.  Recognizing it Jamie smiled.

“Lucy, hi this is Jamie Fulton I don’t suppose Jim is available?”

“Jamie, hi,” Lucy said, her professional voice edged with warmth.  “He should be, give me a moment to check.”

“Sure,” Jamie replied.  There was a staticy sort of silence as she put him on hold and Jamie found himself grateful that Lucy remembered how much he hated the hold music and left it off.

“He is in and I’ll transfer you back to him,” Lucy said a moment later.

“Thanks oh and thanks again for coming out to the funeral,” Jamie replied. “The flowers were lovely.” As she murmured appropriate replies before transferring him to Jim, Jamie wondered if he should return to Albe’s gravesite and remove what were sure to now be dead flowers from his grave.

“Jamie,” Jim said picking up the phone and pushing Jamie’s thoughts of graveside cleanup away.  “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Well I was hoping that you could help me with something as you seem to know pretty much everyone,” Jamie began.  “I have a lovely chemical concoction that I need analyzed. It was suggested I find a human alchemist, and although I believe a modern day chemist would be fine for the task, I have no clue what components are in the mix.”

“Which means you need someone who is sort of in the know?” Jim guessed with a laugh.

“Exactly.”

“Someone actually used the term alchemist?” Jim asked.  In the background Jamie could hear him moving something around on his desk.

“They did,” Jamie confirmed.  “Admittedly he also thought my digital camera was some sort of human magic.  I don’t suppose you know anyone with knowledge of goblin tribal markings?”

“Not offhand,” Jim replied.  “But I think I have someone who may help with your analysis.” Jamie sensed Jim’s reluctance to pass on the name of a client, even if they were friends.

“Excellent.  I need to come into town tomorrow,” Jamie told him.  “Perhaps I could drop it off with you if you would be willing to send it over.”

“That would be great,” Jim said sounding relieved. “Maybe we could get lunch while you’re here and catch up.”

“Sure,” Jamie said nodding at the phone and then rolling his eyes at himself when he remembered Jim couldn’t see him nod.  “I’ll be by around noon.”

“Great,” Jim told him. “Oh and I should warn you, Bella has been by several times.  She wants a copy of the will, bank statements and a copy of the house inventory. None of which I gave her of course.”

“I appreciate that,” Jamie replied.  He rubbed his forehead thinking his headache’s return was imminent. “I’ll talk to her and see if I can get her to leave you alone for a bit. Actually I had a question for you about that.” Jamie quickly related the family tree and birth certificate incident, deciding to leave out the ghostly visitations.

“I know that someone blacked out the information for a reason.  I’d like to know why as much as I would like to know what happened to my mother.”  Remembering the other blanked out spots he added, “And her family.” He sighed.  “I would also like to keep the search as quiet as possible in case it stirs anything up.”

“Well we do know how to be discrete,” Jim replied.  “I’ll see what I can find out.”

“Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow then.” He and Jim ended their call and Jamie felt relieved that several items on his list had been set into motion. “Nothing like multitasking.”  Jamie stared at his phone for a moment wondering if he should call Bella now or put it off.

“Quick like pulling off a Band-Aid,” he told himself. He forced himself to press call before he could talk himself out of it.

“Well it is about time you called,” Bella said angrily as she picked up the phone proving that she had checked the caller id before answering. “I suppose you finally realized you need us and are calling for some favor or other.”

“Actually I am calling because Jim Evers let me know that you have been making a nuisance of yourself at his office,” Jamie said, in no mood for the verbal sparring that his calls home usually entailed. “As a friend he let me know so I could warn you before he had to report your harassment to the authorities.”

On the other end of the line he heard Bella sputtering in indignation.  Jamie knew she was unaccustomed to hearing stern tones directed at her, especially from him. Jamie’s usual method of dealing with his family involved avoidance or mute acceptance.  Since Albe’s death, neither had been options for him. It wasn’t just the Fae that had to deal with a new power structure. Bella seemed to be taking it no better than they were.

“I told Jim I would warn you and that if you did not heed the warnings, he should feel free to deal with you through normal legal proceedings.” Jamie told her.  “I hope you take the warning to heart.”

He heard her snort.  “And just when are you planning to finish that inventory?” she demanded.

“That is not your concern,” Jamie told her.

“Not my concern, not my,” Jamie could hear her pause and take a deep breath. “We cannot hold an auction until you complete the inventory.” She told him.

“There will be no auction,” he told her. “Just as there will be no land sale.” He knew Bella dreamed of selling Albe’s property to a large developer and reaping massive cash rewards. The fact that none of the land or property was hers had not even factored into her equation and she had even gone so far as to bring a developer to the house in attempt to pressure him.

“There is no need for you to be so selfish,” She hissed. Jamie sighed.

“Please stay away from Jim,” Jamie said flatly.  “This property is not yours and never will be. Goodbye,” he said.  Before Bella could respond, Jamie ended the call.  After a second’s contemplation of the darkened screen, Jamie turned the phone to silent mode.  If Bella called back to argue with him, he didn’t want to know.

Oddly enough When Jamie looked up from his phone, he found himself standing to the doorway leading into the basement. “I must have walked while I talked,” he said frowning, not remembering leaving the hall. “Odd.”  He turned away from the door and returned to the map covered floor. As he had figured out that the golden lines crossing near towns were the most likely places to find houses of other Keepers, he picked up a notepad and made a list of the towns. There were twenty six total.

“And mine would make twenty-seven,” he said, straightening up and looking at the list.  He tapped his pen on the page as he read the items over.  The details he had read in the early morning flitted through his head as he tried to come up with a plan. He looked up from the notepad only to find that once again he had gone walking while his mind was occupied.  Once again he was standing in front of the door to the basement.

Jamie sighed and tucked his small notepad into his back pocket.  “I suppose I can take a hint.” He said.  He remembered the waiting feel to the basement when he had visited with Burr. “It’ll be worse if I ignore the hints I expect.”  He placed his hand on the door knob and opened the basement door wondering what the former House of the Keeper planned to show him this time.