Locklyle, George, and a Haunted Coffee Shop.

3

Later that day, George had managed to escape to the library so I was all alone in dealing with a fuming Lockwood, who's currently pacing around the living room mumbling things under his breath while stopping and looking at me with a perplexed face every once in a while.

"Lockwood, calm down! You're making me nervous with your pacing. And besides, it wasn't that big of a deal, I've been in more dangerous positions!" I cry exasperatedly.

Lockwood then turns and looks at me with that weird look on his face again.

"Lucy, it's such a big deal! That horrid lady put you and George into danger! My employees and best friends! And the ghost  almost got you, and I would die if something happened to you because I love y- your work as an agent and incredible psychic hearing abilities!" Lockwood cries out quite awkwardly.

I shift a little in my armchair and look at him with a get-yourself-together-or-I'm-gonna-hit-you look.

"You know what, I'm gonna leave you all alone so I can go take a nap or something. Go wash up, you smell bad. Don't miss me too much, BYE!" Lockwood says, seemingly gaining his charming disposition back, flashing a big smile, and flouncing off to his room.

I shake my head and get back to my reading.

For about 10 minutes, I reread the same page over and over again because my mind has been going elsewhere.

I can't get that sound out of my head, the one that I heard at the coffee shop. It sounded like coins falling into a grate, and it just bothered me.

Coins... coins... coins. The homeless camp I found, with the can... what if it was a homeless woman that was murdered? I mean, the ghost did have ragged clothes... it makes sense.

At that time, George walked in through the door with a frown on his face.

"Lucy, I was out researching the shop and there's nothing that leads to a murder case. There was only a small article about its opening, and another about an influx of homeless people from back when it was under a different proprietor." he explains.

Upon hearing about the article, A large smile plasters itself across my face.

"Ghee, Lucy. are you high? I don't ever think I've seen you smiling like this before." George questions.

"No! listen. When I was outside, I found a homeless person's camp. The apparition had raggedy clothes. That means the victim had to have been homeless!" I exclaim.

"Yes Lucy! While Lockwood was freaking out over our 'safety' you were being smart and paying attention. This is such a typical Lockwood thing isn't it. Ok I'm going to go eat a donut, I just ate lunch and I need a celebration snack." George says while walking over towards the kitchen.

I head over to Lockwood's door and knock on it excitedly.

"Lockwood! Lockwood! We know who the victim is! Well, kind of." I call out.

At that moment, Lockwood swung his door open, exposing his messily dried hair and dripping body that's barely covered by a towel.

"Oh." I grunt softly, looking at his very toned chest and messy hair.

He smiles a smile he rarely ever shares with anyone and winks.

"You see something you like sweetheart?" He says in a tone so uncharacteristically sweet, even for Lockwood.

"NO!" I yell slamming his door and running into the kitchen.

The way he said sweetheart and smiled at me makes me smile. And I rarely ever smile.

................

"So you're saying that we have an idea of who the victim is, and no idea who could have murdered them?" Lockwood asks.

We were sitting at the thinking cloth where I had drawn out a sketch of what I had seen near the dumpsters at the shop. Lockwood had finally changed into actual clothing and we had just eaten dinner, all the while passing random thoughts around about who the killer might be, who the victim might be, what the murder weapon had been, etc.

"Well, there was an obvious gash where the ghost's heart would naturally be located and it was prrtty large, so maybe it was a kitchen knife from inside the shop?" George pointed out.

"So the newest owner is our prime suspect, because obviously the murder had only happened recently or else there would have been a sighting of the haunting already. " I added.

"I suppose we should go and talk to the old owner then, huh." Lockwood states, a confident smirk growing on his face.

"Off to the library then, I suppose." George says as he hustles away.

Lockwood then turns and looks at me.

"Luce, I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have opened that door half naked or called you sweetheart." Lockwood apologizes.

"No, Lockwood, I'm sorry. I shouldn't go around banging on your door during your... er, personal time, and the sweetheart thing, eh, I've been called worse things."

I could see his jaw start to shift and form a knowing smirk.

"No Lockwood, i didn't mean you cou-"

"Too late, sweetheart."