A Case of Unfinished Business

I groaned as I sat up from the grass.

I rubbed the back of my head and found a huge lump.

Well, that answered that question, whatever I had stumbled on in Watkins cemetery was very important.

Important enough for someone to club me over the head.

I swiped the dew from my coppery hair, expelling my breath in the dark. I was lucky there was a sliver of moonlight to see by.

I had come here around 3 o'clock in the afternoon…. so, I had been out for, I checked my watch, a quarter to midnight meant I had to lay out here for almost 8 hours, not good.

I shivered in the cold when I felt something draped over me.

I smiled; Frank was very caring that way.

I had had odd things happen since I was a kid and had finally figured out that I was haunted. I didn't mind, it was nice to know somebody was there and none of the entity’s actions were malicious unless someone meant to do me harm…then things got really interesting for the person in question.

I eventually dubbed the entity Frank, he seemed ok with it, even answered to it.

It was through Frank's guidance that I was able to make headway so quickly on my cases.

In a way, Frank’s persistent presence replaced the parents I hadn't really had.

I had grown up with my Grandmother Marisol Flores, while my mom pursued her dreams of acting and my father went off to Hollywood to make it big as a director. Needless to say, Grandma hadn’t heard from either of them again.

She believed in the supernatural world and so after assessing Frank's nature, she just nodded and let him stick around. I had always wished that I could talk to him.

I sniffed the cloth over my shoulders and made a face, it was a burial shawl by the smell of it.

I sighed “Thanks Frank”

Then I saw a large figure in a dark trench coat and fedora whip his head away from the grave he was crouched at, a freshly dug grave.

I would have sworn he wasn't there a minute ago. Either I was hallucinating, or I was in big trouble.

He looked at me as though he was trying to figure out if I could really see him, then he tilted his head a bit “Kid?”

“Who are you?”

“You can see me?” He looked shocked

“Yeah, I think so. Should I not”

He blinked “Generally No. You generally don't hear me either.”

I pulled the shawl tighter “Who are you?”

He broke into a grin “Kid it's me, its Frank!”

“But you’re a ghost. How can I see you, and how do I know your Frank?” wary suspicion slid into my gut.

He sat back on his heels, raised his eyebrow and gave me a knowing look ”Not sure, but do you remember Marci Bright’s cat Fluffers, you were in second grade, and you really wanted a puppy?”

“Yeah, Grandma said when I got a job, I could get my own puppy.”

“Un hunh, so when her cat disappeared you offered to find it for a fee equaling the exact cost of the puppy that you wanted.”

I laughed “Yeah I remember, I hated that cat!”

He smiled ”Yes you did. But you still hid him in the basement for a week and pretended to search for him.”

“Uhm, ok I believe you.”

“He almost died when he got into the marshmallows. You had to stick your hand down his throat to get the marshmallow out?”

I cringed at the memory. Then I smiled at the thought of my big German Shepard at home ”But Kinsey was worth it!”

He smiled and laughed “That he is!”.

“It's really you! I have so many questions. How did you die? Why did you come to me? What's your name?”

“Kid, I know you have a lot of questions, I want to answer them all. But right now, we need to find the person that hit you over the head. I was worried about you taking this case originally, its connected to some very powerful people, and you are in a lot of danger.”

“Wait a minute, have you been putting ideas in my head all along?”

“It's part of being a ghost, I can contact your subconscious mind and place ideas there. It is how I can help on cases and such”

“You know a lot about this case from the leads you've already given me, and you're worried…. What gives?”

“This is the grave of Anne Marie La Quoix, noted heiress and purported smuggler queen. Known as Anne Marie the Red, before her untimely death at 37. It was rumored that she ruled the underworld through the ports in this city. I got the case to find a locket of hers that had gone missing after her death. It was a family heirloom and her niece paid me to find it and bring it to her.”

An uncomfortable thought settled into my mind “That's not Anne Marie in there is it, Frank?”

“No. It's my body in her coffin.….this is the case that I died on.”

“Oh my god. Nobody knew?”

“There wasn't anyone to ask any questions. Gumshoes disappear every day, it’s a hazard of the job. The only person who had questions was Sargent Stan Harrows, he was my contact on the force. We had been friends since we were kids. Stan was suspended quickly and retired quietly afterward his inquiries.”

“Wow!” He nodded and went back to inspect the open grave.

“What is your actual name, Frank?”

“Private investigator Frank Kiels” He tipped his hat at me.

“Private Investigator Olivia McDonaugh, pleased to finally meet you” I smiled.

This case is going to get a lot more interesting than I had suspected when I woke up this morning.