liar and a cheat after all.
Reece read the letter in a calm and sonorous voice, hitting just the right note of indignation and disappointment. He was a pretty good actor.
“You are not the benevolent benefactor of the wraiths of this world. Quite the opposite. You are a ghost hater, not a friend. From the very start, you have deceived us—using us as a weapon of spook destruction instead of aid.”
Felicity’s eyes traveled to Rick, who was following along tensely as Reece spoke the words he’d written. She mouthed, “Spook destruction?”
He gave her two thumbs up, then returned his attention to Reece.
“You secretly hoped that we would turn ghosts’ lives into a living hell, selecting us not because we are so good at what we do, but so horribly, terribly bad. In doing so, you have shown us your true colors.”
The moment Reece’s speech came to an end, the last words echoing through the room, Brian’s ashen face was a clear testament to his lies and deceit. Fee didn’t even need to see the results of the lie detector. She knew.
“How could you!” she cried out, not able to contain her anger any longer. “How could you hire us and turn us loose on those poor, harmless ghosts?!”
Brian gulped, his pleasant demeanor long gone. “I—this is so not true,” he protested feebly. He looked at Reece, who now stood like an undertaker, his hands folded in front of him. “Lies—a bunch of lies! Who told you all this?”
“We can’t reveal our sources,” Rick said smugly. “Let’s just say that we have an eyewitness who saw you in action at Castle Windermere last year.”
“But I’ve never been to Castle Windermere! I’ve never set foot in the place in my life!”
“You’re lying again, Brian,” Alice said. “We know for a fact that you were there. You were seen by no less than—” She looked at Rick for confirmation.
“About a thousand witnesses,” he said reluctantly.
“About a thousand—” Brian’s eyes went wide. “That’s crazy. I know for a fact that there’re no more than a dozen people in that place, staff included.”
“Well, that’s because they’re not people, are they?” Reece said. “They’re rats. Yes, rats, Brian. Big, hairy rats. And they all saw you harass the living daylights out of that castle’s ghosts. So you see, there’s no sense in denying.”
Brian’s eyes went even wider, now reaching their maximum dilation. Felicity fully expected them to pop from their sockets any moment now. She was directing a dirty look at Reece, as was Rick, for divulging their source. For some reason, rats simply don’t hold the same weight as humans when it comes to taking the stand and giving evidence in a court of law.
“Rats!” Brian cried, his eyes flitting from Reece to Rick. “You’re basing your whole case on rats?” Then he pointed an accusing finger at Rick, the team’s designated pet whisperer. “You!” he cried, the lawyer in him rearing its ugly head. “You’ve been feeding your friends tales about me? Why?!”
Rick shrugged. “Rats don’t lie,” he said simply. “They told me you were involved in some nasty business, and I see no reason to doubt a single word.”
“But it’s simply not true! I was never there—” His voice had taken on a pleading note, and Felicity was starting to waver. He sounded so convincing.
“But why would Jack’s brothers and sisters lie about this?” she asked.
He eyed her stupidly. “Jack? Who’s Jack?”
“Rick’s rat buddy,” Reece explained helpfully. He held his hands a foot apart. “He’s about this big, tail included, and helped us out back there.”
Brian gesticulated wildly. “Have you considered that the rat lied to you?”
“But how would he even know your name?” Rick asked. “He specifically told me that you came to the castle to stir up trouble.”
“He recognized my name?” Brian asked, aghast.
Rick nodded. “He did. Said you were a troublemaker and a ghost hater.”
Brian
Reece read the letter in a calm and sonorous voice, hitting just the right note of indignation and disappointment. He was a pretty good actor.
“You are not the benevolent benefactor of the wraiths of this world. Quite the opposite. You are a ghost hater, not a friend. From the very start, you have deceived us—using us as a weapon of spook destruction instead of aid.”
Felicity’s eyes traveled to Rick, who was following along tensely as Reece spoke the words he’d written. She mouthed, “Spook destruction?”
He gave her two thumbs up, then returned his attention to Reece.
“You secretly hoped that we would turn ghosts’ lives into a living hell, selecting us not because we are so good at what we do, but so horribly, terribly bad. In doing so, you have shown us your true colors.”
The moment Reece’s speech came to an end, the last words echoing through the room, Brian’s ashen face was a clear testament to his lies and deceit. Fee didn’t even need to see the results of the lie detector. She knew.
“How could you!” she cried out, not able to contain her anger any longer. “How could you hire us and turn us loose on those poor, harmless ghosts?!”
Brian gulped, his pleasant demeanor long gone. “I—this is so not true,” he protested feebly. He looked at Reece, who now stood like an undertaker, his hands folded in front of him. “Lies—a bunch of lies! Who told you all this?”
“We can’t reveal our sources,” Rick said smugly. “Let’s just say that we have an eyewitness who saw you in action at Castle Windermere last year.”
“But I’ve never been to Castle Windermere! I’ve never set foot in the place in my life!”
“You’re lying again, Brian,” Alice said. “We know for a fact that you were there. You were seen by no less than—” She looked at Rick for confirmation.
“About a thousand witnesses,” he said reluctantly.
“About a thousand—” Brian’s eyes went wide. “That’s crazy. I know for a fact that there’re no more than a dozen people in that place, staff included.”
“Well, that’s because they’re not people, are they?” Reece said. “They’re rats. Yes, rats, Brian. Big, hairy rats. And they all saw you harass the living daylights out of that castle’s ghosts. So you see, there’s no sense in denying.”
Brian’s eyes went even wider, now reaching their maximum dilation. Felicity fully expected them to pop from their sockets any moment now. She was directing a dirty look at Reece, as was Rick, for divulging their source. For some reason, rats simply don’t hold the same weight as humans when it comes to taking the stand and giving evidence in a court of law.
“Rats!” Brian cried, his eyes flitting from Reece to Rick. “You’re basing your whole case on rats?” Then he pointed an accusing finger at Rick, the team’s designated pet whisperer. “You!” he cried, the lawyer in him rearing its ugly head. “You’ve been feeding your friends tales about me? Why?!”
Rick shrugged. “Rats don’t lie,” he said simply. “They told me you were involved in some nasty business, and I see no reason to doubt a single word.”
“But it’s simply not true! I was never there—” His voice had taken on a pleading note, and Felicity was starting to waver. He sounded so convincing.
“But why would Jack’s brothers and sisters lie about this?” she asked.
He eyed her stupidly. “Jack? Who’s Jack?”
“Rick’s rat buddy,” Reece explained helpfully. He held his hands a foot apart. “He’s about this big, tail included, and helped us out back there.”
Brian gesticulated wildly. “Have you considered that the rat lied to you?”
“But how would he even know your name?” Rick asked. “He specifically told me that you came to the castle to stir up trouble.”
“He recognized my name?” Brian asked, aghast.
Rick nodded. “He did. Said you were a troublemaker and a ghost hater.”
Brian
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