Case 1: The Runaway Heiress
The sun was barely visible behind heavy clouds over downtown Creos. While everyone whipped up for another week ahead, several beings hovered over a rundown building, worried that the young man sleeping on the wrinkled bed, wearing the same black shirt from yesterday, had gone down the abyss.
"Mother Earth," whispered the young ghost, no more than fifteen, wearing the same school uniform she had been wearing since the day of her demise. "Kailangan na natin siyang gisingin," she told the old lady ghost beside her. "Baka patay na siya."
The old lady clicked her tongue at the notion of a necromancer's death. "Mag-ingat ka sa mga sinasabi mo. Baka marinig ka niya," she admonished the young ghost.
The two hovered in a corner, their feet attached to the ceiling and walls while watching the sleeping form on the other side of the small room.
"Paano kapag patay na talaga siya?" insisted the young ghost.
Crawling over the ceiling, the young ghost stopped above the bed to watch the sleeping man, her long hair hanging midair. Before the blood from her body dripped down, the old lady grabbed her.
"Juniper!" she gasped. "Alam mong hindi gusto ni Mr. Law kapag lumalapit tayo sa kanyang personal na espasyo."
"Tinitingnan ko lang!" complained Juniper, too young to fear the wrath of a necromancer.
"Hindi siya mamamatay sa alak," exclaimed the old lady, brushing away the blood-like liquid oozing out of her burnt shoulder. "Mas nag-aalala ako sa walang limitasyon niyang paggastos, lalo sa mga mamahaling alak."
"Tunog nag-aalalang nanay," giggled Juniper.
Their chit-chat and constant hovering around the ceiling woke Law up. But he had no strength to shoo them away like flies. Last night's shenanigans resulted in a wicked hangover, and he might as well be dead at this point.
After ten long minutes of deliberating whether Law would rather stab himself than start his day, he sat up on the bed, which surprised the two ghosts hovering at the ceiling. For ghosts, they surely carried more energy than him.
"Mother, gising na siya!"
Law shoved himself over the sheets, his angular face still fazed. He raked his fingers through his dark disheveled locks and made his way to the bathroom by kicking away some paper trash on the floor.
Law's room was the complete opposite of what the place used to be—an organized file room attached to the office of the investigator who died while solving a case. Now it was nothing but a barren place to sleep in whenever Law wasn't trashed in a casino or bar.
Law slammed the bathroom door closed. The two beings remained at the farthest corner, in fear that he might use his tricks on them if they hovered close. It became a rule to the non-living beings of the building not to mess with him, especially when he was attending to his personal routines.
Law, or Lawrick Stryker for the few people who knew him, was a necromancer by blood, and to mess with him was to die twice. Their race was infamous for their ability to execute pain to the non-living and to completely erase their existence if needed.
That's why beings in the building had no choice but to adjust to his presence, and those who failed to do so had to resort to searching for another desolate place to stay.
"I-check mo ang opisina sa baba kung may naghihintay na kliyente," motioned Marissa, the older lady, to Juniper.
"Twelve na ng tanghali," the youngster muttered. "Baka hindi niya bubuksan ang office ngayong araw."
"Bubuksan niya ito kapag may maayos na kliyente."
Juniper's presence became a hot vapor as she swooshed past the concrete walls and flew through the narrow staircase separating the living space and the office.
She poked her head through the light gray wall of the office, which thankfully, remained pleasant and presentable. Thick beige carpet covered the floor, curtains blocked the light from the large glass windows, and there were a few decorations by the former investigator that Law decided to keep, such as the furniture, the array of vinyl records and phonographs, and the oak desk.
Juniper scrunched her little nose at the sight of the empty bottles of liquor on the respectable desk. The office must be stinking, she could tell, even though she couldn't smell it. She swiftly flew over to the guy in front of the computer table, busily typing as though he could still hit the keyboard.
Compared to the two ghosts, Harold, the ghost at the office, was more decent in appearance. He wore a white dress shirt, complete with a tie, and black trousers.
Most ghosts appear as their last appearance in the living world. Gruesome, bloody, burnt, sick looking or with gunshots on their heads. Changing their appearance would require energy and cause exhaustion in their already fading presence, that's why most of them don't bother with their appearance.
But for a newly dead like Harold, to remain alive-like was his soul's ability to cope. That's why most of the time, he has forgotten he was already dead.
Juniper poked his shoulder. "Pst..." she hissed. "Pst. Mr. Harold."
He paused from his task to face her. "Yes, ma'am?"
"May kliyente bang naghihintay kay Mr. L?"
He pointed to the heavy wood door with a tiny, frosted glass window. "May sumilip kanina sa pintuan. Sinabi ko na pumasok siya sa loob pero naglakad lang siya palayo."
Juniper folded her arms over her chest while hovering mid-air in front of Harold. "Mr. Harold," she started, as though she was explaining something basic to a child. "Hindi tayo naririnig ng mga buhay na tao. Ilan lang sa kanila ang nararamdaman ang presensya natin. Hindi nakapagtataka na umalis ang kliyente."
"Hindi, ma'am." Harold shook his head. "Naghihintay siya sa labas."
Juniper excitedly flew to the glass window of the office only to see it covered in thick curtains. She swung her head from side to side, desperate to take a peek from the spaces between the fabric but she still couldn't tell if there was a car stationed on the street in front of the building.
If only she had enough energy to go outside, but it's a risk nowadays since her presence had faded to half from hanging around public places. It was only later she learned about this from Mr. Law, that people with life energies could mess with the souls of ghosts like her.
"Papasok ba sa opisina si Mr. Law ngayong araw?" asked Harold from the computer table. "Naayos ko na ang mga file niya sa computer."
Juniper couldn't help but shake her head at the poor Mr. Harold, who always confused death with reality, unlike her, who fully accepted her fate.
"Titingnan ko."
The cheeky Juniper swooshed back to the room where Law was already drying his hair with a towel.
"Mr. L! Mr. L, may naghihintay sa 'yong kliyente," she reported with a tiny salute.
"Tell them to fuck off," was all Law said.
Pouting, Juniper threw herself to Marissa. "Ang sama niya talaga," she complained.
"May hangover siya ngayon," whispered the old lady.
Juniper poked her head from behind Marissa and called on Law once again. "Pero Mr. L, wala ka nang natitirang pera pambayad ng renta—"
Law's sharp gaze in their direction only made her hide again behind the old lady.
"Hindi ko lang naman gustong maging tindahan o may tumirang pamilya sa lugar na ito," she mumbled, still not backing down. "Ayoko sa mga batang maiingay at tumatakbo kung saan-saan. Ayoko ng intrusive energies nila."
"You're also a kid," Law pointed out.
"Fourteen na ako!" She stomped her feet in the air.
Law disregarded the statement, knowing well no one would want to rent such a place. Desolate, empty, and located in a rundown building at the tip of downtown Creos, the place was an eyesore to common humans.
Only a few people knew about the office residing in the building and those people were the clients of the former investigator. They were the ones who had assumed Law was the one who took over his work. At first, Law found their constant visits and demands bothersome. But he came to the realization that with a spending habit of a millionaire, he needed a job... badly.
Law folded the sleeves of his gray shirt to his elbows. Despite being insolent to a fault, Law always made it a point to look presentable in front of clients. It was the only way people with hefty money could take him seriously as an investigator. The office might as well close if he decided to appear as himself every morning—hungover or pissed off.
"Mr. Law, hindi ka pa kumakain mula noong bumalik ka kagabi," the old lady reminded him before leaving the room. "Masama ang may hangover sa walang laman na tiyan."
"Siguradong mamamatay siya dahil sa health issues," huffed Juniper beside her.
Law, who couldn't care less if he hit the abyss, left the room and trudged down the narrow staircase to his office. Once he kicked open the door, a pungent smell reached his nose. He gazed over to the empty bottles of liquor he left behind last night, making the two small rings pierced on his right eyebrow move with his frown.
"Good morning, Mr. Law!"
Harold stood up from the computer table, startling Law. Newly dead riled him the most because they looked closest to the living. Their presence hadn't fully faded yet and they almost looked like living people at a glance. No wonder people barely noticed the difference when they hang around.
Law carelessly shoved the empty bottles to a nearby trash bin before sitting on the swivel chair. He swung his feet to the table surface and leaned against the leather cushion. Facing the ceiling, Law closed his tired eyes.
"Matutulog na naman ba siya?" whispered Juniper to the old lady as they poked their heads through the walls of the office.
"'Wag mo siyang alalahanin. Baguhin mo ang itsura mo, nasa opisina ka," admonished Marissa.
Juniper pouted before scrunching her face as she exerted effort for the blood and cuts to fade from her body. She didn't even know why they had to do it, but because Harold looked decent in office uniform, they felt the need to look normal too.
Juniper went flying in mid-air through the office, now wearing a clean school uniform and braided hair from both sides of her head. "Mr. L! Mr. L!" she called.
Law cursed under his breath, hearing the high-pitched voices of the beings around him. Without opening his eyes, he muttered, "Kung iinisin niyo lang ako mula umaga hanggang gabi, mabuti pang maghanap kayo ng mayamang kliyente para naman magkasilbi kayo."
"Meron, Mr. L! Nakita ito ni Mr. Harold!"
Juniper flew over the door and peeked through the frosted glass. At the same moment, the door flew open with a bang, sending her flying to a corner of the ceiling.
A large lady barged into the office as Juniper started crying with only the sound coming out from her mouth, no tears. "Ang sama niya." She pointed to the lady clutching a pink luxury handbag in one arm, unaware of the ghosts' existence.
With the commotion, Law was forced to open his eyes. His gaze immediately zeroed in on the pesky bright color of the bag, up to the frown on the wide face of the lady roaming her eyes around the office.
"Ikaw ba si Mr. Law?" she demanded.
Before Law could even give a half-hearted answer, the lady placed a handkerchief over the seat that was supposed to be for the clients. She sat uneasily, adjusting herself to fit while her face remained scrunched up from the pungent smell of liquor in the office. She fished a bottle of perfume from her bag and sprayed it around herself to avoid the reeking smell sticking to her clothes.
Ah, shit. Law muttered to himself as the immense sweetness assaulted his nose. Rude, demanding clients were the worst part of his work, way more stressful to deal with than the cases themselves. For twenty-five years old, he sure could age twice if he kept receiving clients with trash personalities.
Law sat up more properly on the swivel chair. He was hoping it was going to be a good case with good cash money. The client looked well-off after all, considering she was dangling around expensive-looking bags and jewelry.
"What can I help you with?"
The lady studied him, unable to grasp the fact she was dealing with such a young investigator with such a brazen look. Angular face, long dark hair in a half-bun, and ring piercing on his eyebrow. He seemed to be the type of person who might also have tattoos.
But that's Lawrick Stryker. In such a short amount of time, his name became infamous in the city of Creos for having a hundred percent success rate in the cases he handled. But he was also known to be very picky and would rather not work if he had a choice. Only one thing can make him work beyond his irresponsible nature and that was if he's short on money.
The lady slammed a picture on the table. "I need you to find my daughter."
Law sighed upon hearing her demand. Finding a missing person wasn't exactly up his alley. As much as he needed the money, he was still up for some excitement. Law dragged his gaze over the picture of a girl in a dark robe, smiling brightly with a large bouquet of flowers in her hands—clearly a college graduation picture.
Leaning back against the chair, Law massaged his pulsing temples. The client swatted the air in irritation as though swatting a fly while Juniper hovered over her, playing with her hair, with her tongue stuck out, calling her a big meany.
"Narinig kong ikaw ang pinakamagaling na private investigator sa siyudad na ito," she exclaimed, having no idea of the other beings in the same room with her. "Kaya kong magbayad ng kahit magkano."
Her statement made Law's eyebrow shoot up. He's no hypocrite. He might appear money-hungry for the way he chooses his cases, but he didn't care. That's the point of working his ass off—to enjoy his bad habits.
Law scratched his pierced eyebrow with a finger. Yes, the client in front of him might not be the best one to deal with... but the client's money was still money. He grabbed some blank sheets of paper from the stacks of folders on the desk and whipped out an old fountain pen owned by the former investigator. Time for business.
Mildred Oakley. That's the name of the client. A well-known gallery owner and art collector in the city of Creos. She has a daughter from her first husband and a ten-year-old son from her current one. Her daughter, Madeline, twenty-three, was reported missing a week ago after attending an extravagant graduation party organized by two of her closest friends.
"Hawak na ng mga police ang kaso ng anak ko, pero hindi ako kumbinsido na ginagawa nila ang lahat para mahanap siya."
Law shared a nod of dry sympathy. Her statement was no surprise for a city like Creos where crimes were rampant and there were more casinos than family parks. Authorities in this place weren't much help if they gained from the illegal activities themselves.
A runaway heiress to a fortune, with no ransom demands. It looked like something interesting to solve. Law laid his back against the chair and told the client his rate for the case.
"Ganoon kamahal?" she exclaimed, raising her perfectly threaded eyebrow. "Mukhang totoo ang narinig ko tungkol sa 'yo."
Law raised his arm, nonchalant. The corners of his thin lips tugged up to an empty smile. "I don't hold clients at gunpoint. The decision is yours..."
Law liked to keep things at face value. There's a heavy exchange for dealing with missing people, violence, and murder. He's either a hero or a fool for people of his race, depending on which angle they chose to perceive his lifestyle.
Some would surely say he's wasting his talent—his given skills in exchange for material things. But Law was never idealistic. For him, human life was nothing but a vulnerable vessel that could shatter at any time. There's no point stressing over things that didn't matter such as pride, emotions, or beliefs.
His offer remained unanswered as the client roamed her meticulous eyes around the dingy office, in doubt if he could completely trust this small-time investigator with half a million Kalon—the price of a decent car.
"Wala kang dapat ipag-alala. Naniningil lang ako ng bayad kapag naresolba ko na ang kasong hawak ko."
The statement caught the woman off-guard. "Hindi ko kailangang magbigay ng initial payment?" she confirmed. "Would my daughter's case move at all? Masyado na akong maraming nagastos sa mga police. Hindi pa rin gumagalaw ang kaso ng anak ko."
"Woman..." Law muttered, closing the discussion. "I'm no normal investigator."
The beings lingering inside the office couldn't help but nod their heads in agreement.
"I can find anyone... here and in the afterlife."
***
Mildred Oakley left the building after officially signing the documents, completely leaving the case of her daughter to the person they called Mr. Law.
Before heading to the car waiting on the street, she couldn't help but turn her eyes back to the rundown building. When one of her friends suggested seeking this Mr. Law, she never expected she would find herself in such a place.
The narrow smelly stairs, the dirty walls, the abandoned rickety signs of businesses that used to dwell in the building. For a private investigator with such a success rate and outrageously high fees, he sure chose a god-forsaken place to be his office.
She opened the door of her car and sat comfortably on the clean, polished leather seat, wanting to forget the encounter. She remembered the feeling of being inside his office as though several eyes were watching her, which almost made her leave.
She shuddered at the thought. Suspicious people and deals weren't new to her, but this Mr. Law, who was younger than she initially thought and with an insolent appearance and piercing gaze... something wasn't normal about him.
***