“Are you sheriff Anthony?”

Tom barged in the room to find a man in his mid-forties, signing a heap of documents that lay on his desk. The room thankfully had a working AC, but the man still had sweat forming on his forehead.

“Ever heard of knocking?”

“I believe I had informed you of my arrival via phone.”

“I get a lot of phone calls every day. You expect me to remember every single person who contacted me?”

“I am Thomas Anderson, the paranormal investigator.”

The man looked up while his hands were still working. It didn’t look like he was reading the documents he was signing. He scratched his neck with his left hand and motion him to come in. He let go of the pen in his right hand to give it a much-needed rest.

“So, you’re that kid. I still don't know what the higher-ups were thinking while giving an underage kid a warrant, but you got some mad negotiating skills to pull it off.”

“You just have to know the right people.”

“People who can forge a mirror copy of warrants, that is.”

Rachel whispered into Tom’s ear and got a rapid stomp on her foot as response.

“That hurts.”

Tom pretended his stupid sister was never there and continued.

“Can I please get your permission now? I would like to get started as soon as possible.”

“Sure....”

Taking in a deep breath, the sheriff scribbled his authority on to a paper and stamped it. He handed the paper to Tom as he folded it neatly and slipped it into his pocket.

“Remember, you got three days. After that, I want you out of here.”

“You need not worry. I’m a man of my words.”

The sheriff had yet to give his consent for allowing a teenager to solve problems in his town. His client was obviously stupid to have hired him to take care of childish things as ghosts, but he was desperate. Tom exited the room with Rachel behind him.

“Andrew sure is a nice guy.”

“You call that embodiment of a demon ‘nice’. He takes half of the earnings for every case that needs a warrant.”

Tom dreamt of the day he wouldn’t need Andrew’s help. That will be the day he can punch the guy hard in the face without thinking twice. Andrew's plastic smile grossed him out more than anything else. The so-called ‘nice’ person wouldn’t hesitate to take advantage of people in need, and he did it with a beaming smile.

They exited the station and headed to their client's place. The client's house was smaller than others and had a rough look to it. Obviously, the client wasn't wealthy and needed someone with an affordable rate to work for him.

Tom rang the doorbell, and out came a man in a worse condition than the house he was living in. Tom wasn't sure if it was makeup or the dark circles around his eyes were real. His light brown hair was a mess, and so were his clothes. He had a lit cigarette in his mouth and had the stench of ash all around him.

“Greetings, I am Thomas Anderson.”

“Ah, I have been waiting for you.”

Tom tried to fake a smile when shaking the man’s oily hand.

“Come on in.”

The man casually invited. Tom doubted if he was really the one who hired him. Even though his rates were cheap, the man didn't look in the right condition to pay him even that. He took out a tissue to clean his hand from the shake.

“Tom, are you alright?”

Rachel asked, seeing Tom shudder in disgust. The man looked as if a ghost and possessed him, and he needed an exorcism.

“As you can see, I’m almost bankrupt.”

The man who is named William Carlson bluntly described his position. The ragged interior of his house screamed he was telling the truth.

“I have no choice but to resort to this.”

‘It is alright, Mr. William. Help has arrived.”

“I sure hope so.”

The man gave a dull laugh, deprived of energy. His expression had become stiff from the hardships he’s been through.

‘Well then, please start telling each and every detail.”

'There is nothing much to tell except for what I've told you before. I'm the younger son of my father who inherited his famous summer house. My older brother had gotten most of the things after our father died, but he willed his most precious possession to me before kicking the bucket."

Tom took out his notepad to match the facts.

"My brother always wanted the house, but I couldn't just give it to him. As the older brother, he would mostly get new things, while all I got were hand-me-downs. But my father wanted me to have this. That house is well-built and was quite lavish at the time of construction. It also has the best view in the whole town. Something easily worth more than just a pretty penny. My brother inherited my father's business, and I had to find my own place in the world. I left the town a few years ago to start my own gig, but that didn't turn out too well."

“That’s such a sad story.”

Rachel sympathized with the man. William had it rough, and she felt sorry for him. On the other hand, no emotion leaked out of Tom's expressionless face.

"After that, I returned here. I needed money, and I needed it urgently. With a heavy heart, I was forced to sell the only thing I was left with—the summer house. Strangely, no one was ready to buy it even though I had received offers crossing 150 grand for that place before I left. Now nobody was ready to pay a hundred. As it turns out, some ghosts have taken over that house and haunt the place. Those were the rumors. I decided to find out for myself, but I'm a chicken of a man."

William scratched his head and made a silly face unusual for his age. Tom wasn't sure how old the man in front of him was. His appearance and few strands of hair said he was fifty, but his attitude said he was in his mid-thirties. Intriguingly, he hid the fact that the reason he was bankrupt was because of a little gambling.

"So I arranged for a priest to get rid of them, but that didn't work. The priest got scared himself. And now this incident proves that the ghosts are real, and I need an expert to make them leave.”

“And thus, you contacted me."

“Please, this is my last chance. Help me.”

William forcefully joined his hand and pleaded. The man’s back was against the wall. Tom placed his notebook back into his pocket and stood up.

“The time limit given is three days. The matter will be solved before then, I assure you. Please have the fee ready.”