La Grange City Hall

I was coming slowly to all the recent uncanny events. My phone was continuing ringing. It is unlikely to get a call from an unknown number at this hour of the night. Am I slowly turning into a pessimist? Though I was curious, my mind was skeptical to pick the call yet I couldn't resist the urge. So without refraining myself, I answered the call,

“Leonard speaking.”

But it was absolute silence which I got from the other side. So I raised my tone and repeated, “Excuse me, can you hear me?”

All I could hear later was some cranky noise due to an unsteady network issue following a few more seconds of silence. Soon, the call dropped. It's damn strange. I could sense that both Klein and I were expecting it to be Michelle. Quickly I gave a call back to the same number but it was unreachable. In disappointment, I entered the cafe and I was taken aback looking at the vibe it emitted. It definitely got two different worlds clubbed into a single cafe.

The cafe was reflecting the shades of Texas and Kansas, with fewer night writers scattered all over. The mysterious serene aura truly reflected Michelle's persona. Something inside me was howling to me that Michelle was here. My eyes raided through the cafe. The decor was poised and classy, yet it was raw and rustic. We chose a table in the right corner and waited for our coffee. I was physically and emotionally exhausted. Lowering the voice, Klein said,

“Should we call for some assistance from the police?”

Klein’s voice brought me back from my train of thoughts. Slouching slightly, I said,

“I don't think it's a good idea. It might get us into trouble. If we approached the officials, we might need to give away all the information about MythBusters and your activities. It won't do us any good. Moreover, it might delay everything and we couldn't do anything for Michelle. So better we refrain from it.”

My response took away the enthusiasm from Klein. Staring at his disheartened face, I asked, “Why don't you try to connect with any of the members associated with MythBusters? We never know if they could do something or help us to track Michelle. We could reach Michelle through them.”

Pertaining the same expression, Klein said, “I'm afraid that it doesn't work like that. We are a closed community of fewer members. For security and confidentiality, we never share each other's contact information. Only Ms. Cox had the access to everyone's contact. The rest of us used to contact each other through a specialized app. We all become part of this due to our passion for the quest of truth. And we all work independently for the same reason. But I don't think that Miss Cox has contacted anyone else other than me for this mission.”

I don't get how on earth these people function. With a pun intended I asked, “So you guys work as aliens without being for each other, you meant that?”

Sniffing out my sarcasm, Klein said, “It may sound strange, but as it's a very risky thing, we restrict ourselves from involving others much. We can't put someone else's life in danger. It doesn't mean we won't associate ever for any mission. It depends on the requirement. Even Ms. Cox completes all the missions individually. It's unlike her to call for some help. But when she requires any help she definitely got our back. It’s mostly a soul quest and upon completion, we send across all those gathered stories to Ms. Cox.”

Klein was testing my patience and I was getting agitated.

“ You guys dig out all the hidden truths yet couldn't figure out where you're head Miss Cox is? It sounds quite hypocritical.”

Klein didn't utter a word, but in fact, how could I blame him for this? Michelle never leaves any traces of her whereabouts for anyone to reach her. And am in no way an exception, as she has always kept me in the dark. I was drowning in a black hole where I am trying to grapple a path. Everything seemed like a dead end. But I was never ready to give up. How would I trace where she stayed or where she went? Sitting idle is not going to work. I have to figure out something. I gazed at Klein and instantly it struck me, definitely Klein might know something. He could recollect something from his last visit to this place.

Inquisitively, I asked, “It's not your first time here right? So last time, why were you here and were you alone?”

Sitting upright, Klein replied vaguely, “No, I came here all alone. Ms. Cox assigned me here for an interview.”

Klein’s reply imbibed a curiosity in me. I asked, “Interview? What kind and for whom?”

Klein give a glance to the surroundings and advancing to me, he said, “To interview the earlier security guard of La Grange City Hall. He was an expert in the history of that building. I needed to know everything he had witnessed and experienced in that place. Moreover, I wanted to shoot some videos of the city hall at nighttime.”

Suspiciously, I asked, La Grange City Hall? What's the peculiarity of that building? And after all, why take the interview of a guard?”

What I heard from client following that made my logic take a backseat. Klein astonishingly looked at me and said, “Haven't you heard about it? Quite surprising. It is a very old and prestigious building of the town, yet there is a heresy that the building is haunted, and many have experienced several paranormal activities inside the building. Still, it doesn't hold any proof.”

Sarcastically, I asked, “So were you successful in extracting the truth?”

Klein could sense the skepticism in my tone, he continued, “But that visit was a vain attempt. Long back, he left the place resigning the job. Also, couldn't trace him as well. When I informed Miss Cox, she instructed me to return and then I left from here and still, the truth is a mystery.”

As I delve deeper, it turns out that it is more tangled. “But why did Michelle assign an interview to a guy who himself is a Ghostbuster? Hmm, quite a puzzle to solve. Ultimately, it's all about the quest for truth.”

Interrupting my thought process, my phone again started to ring briskly. I checked my phone again, an unknown number flashed on my screen. Was this the same number? I picked the call immediately without putting too much thought.

“ Leonard speaking.”

It repeated that same cranky annoying noise. What I heard next was a wild screech of a lady.