Chapter 19

MYSTERY OF THE SINGING GHOST

By Ana Riley

CHAPTER 19

I can’t believe the title of this book that Constable Lemaigre has just handed me! It’s outrageous, ridiculous! Yet, the lady constable looks absolutely sincere. I don’t want to show disappointment in my eyes. Maybe she isn’t as clever as I thought. I’ll give the slip of paper to Alex and see what his reaction is.

“Porcupines? What’s that got to do with ghosts?” Alex’s age is showing. He’s not as sensitive to other’s emotions in situations like this.

Constable Lemaigre isn’t bothered by his outburst. “Porcupines mate in August. They enjoy good gardens and their mating call sounds like singing to humans. It’s possible that your ghost is a porcupine.”

Alex looks disappointed, and yet, I can see his mathematical mind calculating that this is a more realistic possibility than an actual ghost.

“Constable Lemaigre, there’s one other thing we haven’t mentioned yet. Last week, we found strange writing on our bathroom walls. Alex researched one of the drawings and it is an ancient Viking symbol. With all respect to your theory, porcupines don’t write on walls.”

“Ah, that is a piece of evidence that does throw a curve into my theory. Tell me more about this writing.”

“My dad is trying to find a scientific reason for it. You see, we have a thin covering of soot – it’s invisible, actually. We’re not bad housekeepers or anything. You don’t realize the soot film is there until you start scrubbing the walls. Anyway, last week we noticed this writing scrawled on the walls. It looks like someone took a pencil and wrote into the paint, though my dad proved it was etched into the soot. The lines run vertically as well as horizontally. Some of the letters look the same as those in our alphabet. Others are mysterious, like Viking symbols.”

“Is it possible the writing is the result of bugs walking on dampened walls after a shower?”

“That’s the line of thinking my dad has. But, how would bugs trace Viking symbols?” Alex is caught up in this discussion.
“That’s a real puzzle. I’d like to see this writing sometime, maybe when things around here settle down. The vandalisms are causing great unrest in the community. Until now, I’ve felt like I’ve been chasing my own ghost or ghosts. I think there’s more than one.”

"We'd show you the symbols, but my dad washed the walls – to see if the writing was in the soot or not. Do you think these terrible things are being done by local ghosts?” Does Alex know what he just said? Roll my eyes!

“I don’t have enough evidence to come to any conclusions, Alex, but my instincts tell me this is an outside job. Maybe Constable Pearce has more information.”

Constable Pearce is tall, thin and has graying hair at the temples, but I don’t think he’s that old. I think he likes working with Constable Lemaigre. Maybe they like each other. Maybe they’re dating.

“How are you all doing in here?”

“Great. Any news on the livestock?”

“The boars have been spotted as far away as Melville. Word has been given to shoot on sight. Early hunting season for those who like boar meat.”

I had no idea there were bore farms in Saskatchewan. “Why would someone raise animals like boars?”

“Aitkins raises them for a hunting outfit in Quebec. Foreigners get a thrill of coming to the wilds of Canada and tracking down wild boar.”

“Are they as dangerous as I read about at school?” It’s nice to know something Alex learned at school stuck to his brain.

“Heard they're listed as one of the ten most dangerous animals in Canada!”

Constable Lemaigre seems interested in everything a person says. She watches your face carefully when you’re talking. She really listens.

“Any news on the horses and cattle?” Constable Lemaigre has a gentle way of asking questions. Maybe that’s how she gets so much information out of people.

“There’s a possibility the horses have been stolen. We found a set of fresh tandem trailer tracks. As far as the cattle, they didn’t go far. They should be back in place by the time the fence is fixed.”

“And the perps?”

“A call came in that some teens, transporting horses in an unmarked trailer, stopped for gas just over the border in Manitoba. They talked big and had large denominations of cash, not the usual twenties that one gets out of a cash machine. We’ve got someone following that lead. [ring] This could be him now.” Officer Pearce is answering his cell phone.

“…Thanks, John. We’ve made it to first base…” It’s hard to understand what Constable Pearce is talking about from this side of the conversation. Maybe police officers are trained not to reveal much when they’re talking on the phone. About his ‘first base’ comment, baseball is big in Saskatchewan.

“That was our detachment in Manitoba. Those truck drivers weren’t talking much until they found out that that if they cooperated, things could go better for them. They said they were hired to ‘mess things up a bit’ around here. We still don’t know who’s behind all this, but at least we’ve got Milikin’s horses.”

Constable Lemaigre has changed from a fun, young woman to a professional cop. “Excuse me for a moment, Gia and Alex. I need to have a word with Constable Pearce.”

My dad is coming towards the jeep. He’s talking with the police. He's looking at us.

“You kids okay in there?”

“Sure, Dad. Milikin’s horses have been found.”

“I heard. It shouldn’t be too long before those kids who stole the horses, start squawking.”

“Kids?”

“Three boys, fifteen to seventeen years of age. The police are after the person who hired them.”

“Who do you think masterminded this, Dad?” [I think getting your dictionary out and looking up this word is a great idea. I love dictionaries!]

“Personally, Gia, I still think it has something to do with the corporate takeovers of land in this area.”

“Now that they have those guys in Manitoba, can we go home? I’m starved!”

“Yes. Officer Pearce said it’s okay. Ethan, do you mind taking them home?”

“Consider it done.”

“Would you object to hanging around the house until I get there?”

Oh Dad, how could you think of this wonderful, absolutely divine idea? Ethan at our house is a marvelous plan! I can’t believe my ears.

“No problem, Mr. Cooper!”

“Thanks! Pizza is on me. Order what you want. Leave me three slices.”

My dad’s beginning to sound relieved. Pizza is a food we order when we want to kick back and relax a little.

“Thanks, Constable Lemaigre, for looking after us and for the information on the Weldon ghost.”

“My pleasure. Good luck with your garden ghost!” Constable Lemaigre walks like a policeman.

“What was all that about?” Ethan is curious. He's watching the constable walk away. How curious is he? He’s also covered in sweat. He looks like he needs a shower.

“She’s hot, huh?” Of course, Alex would have to say something like that when Constable Lemaigre is barely out of earshot.

“Not bad. So, what’s up about the Weldon ghost?”

I better jump in here before Alex says something more stupid. “Constable Lemaigre just HAPPENED to know the lady that we set out to interview this morning. Can you believe that?”

“Small world!”

“Yeah, and not only did she know the Weldon lady, but they’re good friends and Constable Lemaigre even stayed at the house with the ghost in it.”

“Looks like we saved ourselves a long drive.”

“That hot cop said she thinks our garden ghost is a porcupine. I’m going to set up my trap tonight and see for sure.”

“Porcupine ghost?”

“Yes. Constable Lemaigre gave us the name of a book on porcupines. She says that porcupines mate … by … Ethan! Watch out!”

"More boars! Man, are those ugly things ugly!” Of course Alex can identify ugly. [Okay, God, so we need to chat because I am going to need help if I'm going to quit with the burn words.]

“Another forty or fifty of them!”

“Why would anyone want to eat meat from something as ugly as that?” Alex, again, speaking fluent Nonsense, the language of all landed aliens.

“Pretty decent meat, I hear.” Ethan is coming to the rescue with intelligence.

“Look at those little piglets. Too bad they grow up to look like those big ones. How much do you think those large boars weigh?”

“Four, maybe five hundred pounds. Aitkins makes a good living raising them. The market down east is strong.”

“Yuk! Waking up to those ugly beasts every day would be enough to turn me off living here forever! Cows are cute. Horses are beautiful. Boars are nothing but horrid!” [Have you looked up ‘horrid’ in the dictionary yet? If not, here’s your chance!]

I don’t like driving up to our house and seeing that plywood covering our living room window. I hope we can get it fixed soon, especially before Mom gets home.

“Half and half or all pepperoni?” First thing Alex thinks of when he walks through the door is food.

“Half Hawaiian. I’ll phone it in.”

“I will. That way, you two can be ALONE.”

How can Alex embarrass me that way? Ethan is smiling.

“Alex is right. It’s been so crazy that we haven’t had a moment to ourselves.”

Ethan is divine. I know I’ve told you that before, but I’m going to say it again right here. ETHAN IS DIVINE!

“Pizza’s ordered. I’m phoning the Library. Maybe the librarian will tell me over the phone about the porcupines.” Alex is full of spunk after all that’s happened to him today. “Pizza’ll be here in thirty minutes.”

“Ethan, do you think it’s possible that our singing ghost is nothing more than a porcupine?”

“Sounds strange but then, Constable Lemaigre doesn’t look like the kind of person that would put you on a wild goose chase.”

“You’ve got that right. She was most sincere when she told us to read this book. Somehow, I’d be a little disappointed to find out our singing ghost was nothing more than a natural phenomenon.”

“On the other hand, it might be nice to know that you don’t have a haunted house or garden.”

“Good point. Do you think those boys the R.C.M.P. caught in Manitoba are the same ones Alex heard in the mall this morning?”

“Yes, and I think we’ll find out they’re responsible for all the mischief that’s gone on this summer.”

“Who do you think hired them”

“Don’t have a clue. Whoever it is must be greatly motivated to have carried out this sort of plan to such an extent.”

“Hey, Ethan, the librarian said porcupines sing in gardens when mating! I’m getting my trap ready.”

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