Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Every day was the same for Ariz Jones. School, part time work and twice a week she meets up with the irregulars of Nobel Paranormal Investigation. Sometimes when he's not busy, Ranka Taniyama the NPI Japanese resident monk or Ran for short teaches Ariz something about exorcisms and some warding spells.

While Serenity Sinclair—another psychic specializing in making charms showed her how to draw and make some of them so that she could use it whenever she's in an uncompromising situation with the paranormal. Serenity also helps her in her studies. Since Serenity is like a mother to her, she's the one Ariz could turn to whenever she's having difficulties in some subject.

Butter Mayers is still doing her work as a celebrity medium and Ariz admits that she's a fan of hers. It's not like she can't talk to spirits but every time she watched Butter on TV, she couldn't help admiring the medium for her calm and cool personality.

Lian Sanders—the intel of the group, didn't agree with her though. She remembered one time when she's having lunch with him and they happened to talk about Butter. According to him Butter wasn't that calm and collective. She could also be a total brat sometimes.

She just smiled at him and teased him how he noticed the girl. He just chastised her using his old customs and obsolete conducts. There’s also their catholic priest, Feist Lask who’s good at conducting exorcism, they only see him once a week as he’s busy helping in the orphanage.

Nobel and Clyde go back to England for some private matters after their last case in San Carlos. After two months they came back and re-established the Nobel Paranormal Investigation. Nobel made her a part time investigator and Lian as a part time researcher.

She's now a freshman in California University of Science and Medicine and taking up Medicinal course. Why medicine? Well, she wanted to help people in need. If she's able to help ghost of dead people, then why not also help the living people? Ran finds it amusing while Serenity was all out supportive like a mother.

***************

_ _ _Tuesday

February 5_ _ _

Ariz rode the escalator and went up to the second floor of the building. On the second floor three tenants were occupying the rest of the units. An Orthodontist, a somewhat shady planning company and an interior design shop.

Ariz halted in front of a painted wooden framed door. The upper half has a glass pane that was carrying the office's logo. Nobel Paranormal Investigation. A company which specializes in investigating and researching paranormal phenomena.

She sighed, tucked her long auburn hair behind her ears, and slightly pouted her pink full lips. Never in her life did she imagine that she will work in this kind of company as a paranormal investigator. Let's say, she doesn't have any talent for something like this . . . Well, that's what she thought.

Hardly gripping the door knob, Ariz slowly opened the door and peer inside. When she didn't see any people in the receiving area, she tiptoed and silently moved inside. She was almost at her desk when she heard Nobel from his office.

"Ariz! You're late, thirty six minutes and Forty five seconds."

She grimaced. To hell with Nobel being a real life counting machine!

"Tea, now!" she heard him say.

"Can I poison your tea?" she asked.

"If you want to lose your good paying part time job, go ahead," he answered from inside.

"Right," she said ironically. After putting her bag on her desk, she went to the kitchen and made Nobel his tea. After that she delivered it to her boss. She found him silently sitting on his reclining chair while reading a file. His raven black short hair shines at the light of the small chandelier, although his bangs cover his eyes as he looked down, Ariz knew how beautiful his emerald green eyes are.

Nobel Damian Lewis is his full name. At the age of 23, he is already a well-known parapsychologist, professor/researcher in British Society for Psychic Research that studied paranormal activities both those blamed to be cause by entities, and those believed to be cause by the mysterious ability of human mind.

Aside from his genius mind, Nobel is also popular because of his handsome looks. With the height of 5’11, a lean body, and his pale white skin, people once asked her if her boss is a real living vampire.

She placed the tea on his table and looked at her boss.

Nobel seems to felt her gaze. "What is it?" he asked, not even looking up.

"I was just thinking—" she started but was cut off by him.

"You were?" he said.

Ariz brows twitched. "What? I actually think and stuff you know! You're not the only one with brain!" she growled, slowly getting pissed.

"Yeah, too bad you don't do it often," he said with a teasing voice.

What the heck is wrong with this guy? She just stayed there to ask him something but here he was, deliberately teasing her.

"At least I don't over work my brain resulting of being grumpy!" she answered not noticing how hard her voice came out.

"The more reason to call you an idiot."

"Oh yeah? I thought intelligent people don't talk to stupid people?"

"There is such a thing?" Nobel asked her with plain curiosity leaving Ariz speechless.

"... ...None," she said with a small voice.

"Read a book Ariz, it would do something about your lack of knowledge."

"I'm not an idiot!" she yelled.

"You're not." Nobel said finally looking up at her. "Then let us hear what you were thinking."

"I heard from Clyde that you're going on a trip next week. Are you going to close NPI for a while?" she asked.

Clyde informed her that Nobel needs to attend a conference in England and he will be gone for three weeks. Ranka wouldn't make it this time so she wondered if they're going to close the office while they're on a trip.

"Not at all. Lian will be accompanying you here while we're gone. Since you are an investigator, you can do a written request and I will review it when we get back."

"—I see…" She said sighing. She really thought that they will close it. Three weeks is a long time and she didn't know where to spend her free time if ever they close the office.

Nobel watched Ariz carefully. She seems relieved. He knows what she was thinking, the reason why he wouldn't close the office. His presence is imperative in the conference that's why he has to go.

"Is that all?" he asked her.

Ariz nodded. "That's all."

"Ariz, I'm going to leave the office in your hands for a while that's why don't do unnecessary things while we're gone."

"I understand..."

******************

_ _ _Wednesday

February 6 _ _ _

"Ariz! Do you have something to do after class?" Her classmate Jonas asked

"Jonas, she already has a boyfriend so get lost!" Vivian said while glaring at Jonas. Of course it was a lie.

"And who told you that you can call her by her first name? Hm, mister Harrison?" Tiffany added.

"Wait, wait! I'm not asking her out!" Jonas defended.

"Then what is it?" Vivian asked still glaring at him.

The poor guy just scratched the back of his head while searching for the right words to say. "Well you see, my friend's friend is searching for a paranormal investigator. Then my friend asked me if I know someone. I remember miss Jones. Didn't you work for a psychic research?"

"Y-Yeah, but my boss is going on a trip. And I'm the one who'll manage the office when they're gone. For the time being we're just allowing written request."

"I see, so I'm guessing that you're still conducting investigations in paranormal cases?"

"We do, but doing an actual investigation is currently on hold."

"And a friend's friend is kind a suspicious Harrison, are you planning something on Ariz?" Tiffany crossed her arms.

"N-No! That's not true! I'm not planning anything." He said smiling sheepishly "Honestly, I don't know much about Wade’s friend that's why I'm calling him a friend's friend. We're not even close and I only saw him once."

Vivian raised a brow.

"How about just hearing my friend's friend case and decide on it when your boss gets back?"

Ariz thought about it for a moment. Nobel and Clyde are going on a trip. While Serenity is in some conference in Manhattan and Ranka is having his meditation on the mountains. She can write down the interview and the outline of the case and give it to them later so they could decide what to do with it.

"When can I meet your friend's friend?"

Jonas smiled cheerfully. "After school. There's this cafe not far from here, we can meet him there."

"Then after school it is." She said smiling back.

"Thank you miss Jones!"

******************

Ariz look around at the cafe they're in. It was small yet cozy. The walls were painted in brown with a cream lining and a light brown border, reminding her of a chocolate cake and Frappuccino. There're only seven tables with four wooden chairs each. Every table has a white vase filled with flowers and a tissue holder. You can see the counter along with the glass shelf displaying different variation of sweets ten meters away from where they're seated.

"How the hell did I miss this café?" She asked Jonas.

"Don't worry. This is a newly open cafe. They launched the grand opening last week. You're not the only one who's out of the loop. Only few people knew this cafe exists."

The door chimed signaling that there's a newly arrived customer. Her attention flew to the door and her eyes met the new customers gaze. That simple gaze brought shiver down her spine. Her instinct kicked in notifying her of the danger coming.

"Oh! There he is! Mister Dankworth, here!" Jonas said waving his hand on the newly arrived person.

The man looked at them before walking towards their table. Ariz noticed how handsome this man was. He looks like he is in his mid-twenties, He has a silver hair so she wonders if he's a mixed blood. Although he's wearing thick eyeglasses, she could see his dark violet eyes along with a thick lashes and double eyelids. His hands are covered with a pair of black rubber gloves. She wondered if he's afraid of dirt. He's wearing a light brown shirt under a black suit and a pair of black slacks and black shoes. He's tall, more like Ranka who’s 6’2 in height.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting. There's an urgent matter that in need of my assistance earlier."

"It's okay," Jonas said. "We've just arrived."

It's intriguing!

How come a good-looking guy such as him can be a dangerous person? But then again, one must not judge a person by their appearance. She remembers Annabel the doll, it looks cute but was made in to a vessel by some evil spirit.

Mister Dankworth sat beside Jonas and across Ariz.

Ariz couldn't ignore the nagging feeling inside her chest. It was like if she stays a little longer with this man, she's not far from vanishing.

"Is there something wrong miss Jones? You look pale." Jonas asked earning her a look from mister Dankworth.

"I-It's nothing. Kind a hot in here don't you think? Um...shall we start?"

Mister Dankworth nodded.

She reached for her notepad and pen "I'm Ariz Jones. An investigator, I'll be hearing out your case. So..."

"My name is Archibald Dankworth."

Ariz paused. 'What a weird name' she thought.

"Yes, Mister Dankworth can you please tell me some information regarding this matter. The abnormal activities."

He fixed his glasses and bore his dark violet eyes on her. "I'm managing a hotel in Baja Todos Santos and a two hectares land of strawberry field in Fallbrook, but I'm staying in San Carlos due to business matters. I own this mansion near the outskirts of San Jose, and something is happening for a while now. I believed it's paranormal enough to convince you to do a preliminary investigation."

"Can you please elaborate what's happening in your mansion? We need more specific information before considering a case."

"Yes of course." Dankworth leaned on the table and looked closer at Ariz. In a low tone he said. "Some of my maids will disappear within a day and the next day they would show with rope marks on their wrist, legs and neck but they didn't have any recollection of what happened on their disappearance."

"That's sounds bad." Jonas remarked.

"Yeah, also, some of them would say that they feel like they're being watched and every one of them said that they saw a bloody-hands waving outside the window."

"Do these occurrences hurt someone in your house hold?"

"One of my assistants got possessed and jumped from the roof of the mansion. Fortunately, some tree catches his body before landing on the concrete floor. He was injured for six weeks."

Jonas gasp and gave mister Dankworth a sympathetic look, the latter didn't see it though as his eyes were fixed on Ariz.

"There's a rumor that my mansion is somewhat connected in some kind of underground tunnel, it is said to be a hideout of some cult performing dark rituals." He added.

"... ...I see, are there people who frequently gives you a visit?"

"Aside from my two assistants I rarely get a visitor." Dankworth answered.

"Since you're managing a hotel and a wide strawberry field, it's clear that you're a business man. Do you think someone has a grudge on you and doing this?"

"I have thought of that. I already request an investigation from the police yet they failed to know what's happening, in addition to that one of the police man experienced the same thing."

It's that bad? But why this Dankworth doesn't look like he's bothered by the occurrences at all? Mai couldn't see a hint of worry in his eyes like some of their past clients had whenever they have a case. The way he explained things was also weird. It's like stating something out from a book.

She's sooo not going to take this case! No! Not without the help of Nobel's brain and Clyde's familiars! Arizknew that this case will be dangerous for each of them. Not that she didn't trust Serenity or Ranka and Feist's capability, but her instinct told her that there's something far worse than what he was stating. So as long as she could she wants to keep her family safe.

"Was that enough to suffice the information to look attentively into my case?" He asked.

Ariz gave him a small smile. "I can see the situation is bad and in need of investigation. I'll forward this information to my boss. He will decide if he's going to take the case or not. So please be kind and wait for our call."

He straightened and gives her a dangerous smile. "I'll be waiting...miss Ariz Jones."

Ariz sighed after they see mister Dankworth off. At last she can breathe freely again! That guy gives a stiffed and dangerous aura around him making it difficult to breath.

"I don't mean to say this miss Jones but..."

"What is it?"

Jonas scratch his lower nose using his index finger. "I think I don't like that mister Dankworth. There's something in the way he looks at you."

She nearly gasps. So, he did notice!

"It's not something like 'Like'. It's something much deeper, as if he found what he's looking for and wanted to have it or possessed it."

She laughed half-heartedly. "Don't say something like that. Maybe that's really how he looks at people."

Jonas shook his head. "There's something more miss Jones and I feel it."

She looked away and falls in to a deep daze.

'Yeah...I feel it too.' She thought.