said.
“I hope so. So you two must be from here. I
haven’t met many people my age here. It seems what young men I do
meet are always from out of town,” she said giggling then like
there was something funny about that.
“Yeah we’re from here,” he said glancing at
McElroy. “I was hoping you could pull the permit applications of
any witches that came in the past couple of days.”
“I can do that since you’re a policeman,”
the girl said like Tom wouldn’t have known that.
She went over to file drawer and pulled out
a folder. She brought it over to the counter and started pulling
out forms. Finally she laid about two dozen down on the counter and
Tom started looking through them.
“Usually we only get about seven or eight a
day, but since it’s Halloween tomorrow, business has picked up. I
think we’ve had six come in already today,” she explained.
Tom found what he was looking for. A form
filled out by Pandora. He quickly checked her answers to the
questions the form asked, but she’d left the most important box
empty, the one that asked where she’d be staying.
“Did you question her why she didn’t write
down where she’d be staying?” Tom asked pointing at the empty box
on the form.
“I did,” the girl said, “but she didn’t
know. You both seem awful young to be detectives.”
“Well, both of us were officers in the war,”
McElroy told her. “I think that helped.”
“Thanks,” Tom said straightening the stack
of papers before handing them back to the girl.
“Are either of going to attend one of the
fancy balls tomorrow?” she asked.
“We were just talking about that,” Tom said,
figuring he’d rib Inspector McElroy some. “Mac here’s planning on
going all alone to one.”
“Really?” the girl asked. “How come?”
McElroy blushed with embarrassment. “Well
it’s because I’m married,” he told the girl.
“That actually sounds like a reason you
should not be going alone,” the girl said. “Doesn’t your wife want
to go with you?”
“We’ll she has not passed over yet. She’s on
Earth still.”
“Oh, then you’re not really married then.
Not until she arrives here and both of you determine you want to be
married to each other once again. How long ago was it since you
died and came here?”
“Five months.”
“And how old is she?”
“Twenty three.”
Tom could see a glimmer of hope in the
girl’s eyes then.
“So it may be forty, maybe even fifty or
sixty years, before she dies. And she may remarry before then. Most
likely she will,” the girl said making her argument. “That’s a long
time to be all alone and I’m sure she was very beautiful and
charming for you to have fallen in love with her.”
“Yes, she was.”
“Of course she would never forget you, but
fifty years is a rather long time.”
“It is,” McElroy said, seeming confused
now.
“How long were you two married?”
“About a year.”
“I’m sure she will always consider that the
best year of her life,” the girl said, “but I would not want
someone I loved to never go out on a date again after I left. Maybe
just like to see a movie, or go on a walk with or attend a ball.
Did you know that you can ask the Administration if your spouse has
remarried?”
“I did ask actually,” McElroy admitted, “but
they want you to wait a year first before you inquire.”
“We’ll I can understand your reluctance not
to want to be unfaithful toward her, but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind
you having a date for Halloween,” the girl said wrapping up.
“Especially Halloween in Transylvania City. I would go with you if
you wanted me to.”
McElroy was clearly torn, he wanted to be
faithful to his wife, but he also didn’t want to spend the next
fifty years sitting at home every night. “Well if you’d like to; I
suppose that would be alright,” he said.
The girl jumped a foot off the floor. “Oh
thank you,” she exclaimed. “And I am an excellent
“I hope so. So you two must be from here. I
haven’t met many people my age here. It seems what young men I do
meet are always from out of town,” she said giggling then like
there was something funny about that.
“Yeah we’re from here,” he said glancing at
McElroy. “I was hoping you could pull the permit applications of
any witches that came in the past couple of days.”
“I can do that since you’re a policeman,”
the girl said like Tom wouldn’t have known that.
She went over to file drawer and pulled out
a folder. She brought it over to the counter and started pulling
out forms. Finally she laid about two dozen down on the counter and
Tom started looking through them.
“Usually we only get about seven or eight a
day, but since it’s Halloween tomorrow, business has picked up. I
think we’ve had six come in already today,” she explained.
Tom found what he was looking for. A form
filled out by Pandora. He quickly checked her answers to the
questions the form asked, but she’d left the most important box
empty, the one that asked where she’d be staying.
“Did you question her why she didn’t write
down where she’d be staying?” Tom asked pointing at the empty box
on the form.
“I did,” the girl said, “but she didn’t
know. You both seem awful young to be detectives.”
“Well, both of us were officers in the war,”
McElroy told her. “I think that helped.”
“Thanks,” Tom said straightening the stack
of papers before handing them back to the girl.
“Are either of going to attend one of the
fancy balls tomorrow?” she asked.
“We were just talking about that,” Tom said,
figuring he’d rib Inspector McElroy some. “Mac here’s planning on
going all alone to one.”
“Really?” the girl asked. “How come?”
McElroy blushed with embarrassment. “Well
it’s because I’m married,” he told the girl.
“That actually sounds like a reason you
should not be going alone,” the girl said. “Doesn’t your wife want
to go with you?”
“We’ll she has not passed over yet. She’s on
Earth still.”
“Oh, then you’re not really married then.
Not until she arrives here and both of you determine you want to be
married to each other once again. How long ago was it since you
died and came here?”
“Five months.”
“And how old is she?”
“Twenty three.”
Tom could see a glimmer of hope in the
girl’s eyes then.
“So it may be forty, maybe even fifty or
sixty years, before she dies. And she may remarry before then. Most
likely she will,” the girl said making her argument. “That’s a long
time to be all alone and I’m sure she was very beautiful and
charming for you to have fallen in love with her.”
“Yes, she was.”
“Of course she would never forget you, but
fifty years is a rather long time.”
“It is,” McElroy said, seeming confused
now.
“How long were you two married?”
“About a year.”
“I’m sure she will always consider that the
best year of her life,” the girl said, “but I would not want
someone I loved to never go out on a date again after I left. Maybe
just like to see a movie, or go on a walk with or attend a ball.
Did you know that you can ask the Administration if your spouse has
remarried?”
“I did ask actually,” McElroy admitted, “but
they want you to wait a year first before you inquire.”
“We’ll I can understand your reluctance not
to want to be unfaithful toward her, but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind
you having a date for Halloween,” the girl said wrapping up.
“Especially Halloween in Transylvania City. I would go with you if
you wanted me to.”
McElroy was clearly torn, he wanted to be
faithful to his wife, but he also didn’t want to spend the next
fifty years sitting at home every night. “Well if you’d like to; I
suppose that would be alright,” he said.
The girl jumped a foot off the floor. “Oh
thank you,” she exclaimed. “And I am an excellent