I could a tale unfold - 17

Otis led them deep down into the bowels of the building. Ross doubted that even the maintenance people had been down here, or at least not in the near past, considering the number of cobwebs lining the dimly lit corridor. Only one light bulb in five seemed to be working.

Finally, they reached the end of their journey. Otis pointed to the brick wall in front of them and then to himself.

"Your body is behind that?" Kirk asked.

Otis nodded.

"This should be fun," Ross muttered before he had a sudden thought. "If it's back there, how did you get your skull out?"

Kneeling, Otis tugged at one of the bricks, pulling it loose, and then a second one and a third, until there was a space that might, barely, had accommodated the girth of the skull.

"Now I really wish we'd remembered to bring a flashlight," Kirk commented as he lay down on his stomach, trying to peer into the opening to see what was behind it.

"Here," Ross said, handing Kirk his lighter.

Kirk shot him a look, growling, "I thought you quit."

"Mostly, more or less," Ross replied somewhat sheepishly. "So, what's behind there," he asked, wanting to change the subject before Kirk decided he needed another lecture.

After flicking it and turning up the flame, Kirk stuck the lighter into the hole. He was quiet for so long that Ross almost wondered if exhaustion had taken over and he'd fallen asleep. Finally, Kirk sat up, handing the lighter back to Ross.

"There's bones, sort of covered with dirt and other stuff I'd rather not think about. They're laid out pretty neatly all things considered." Kirk looked up at Otis. "Were you dead when you were put in there?"

Otis nodded.

"We're going to have to tell the police, you know," Ross stated.

"And just how do we explain finding this? They're for damned sure not going to believe that a ghost led us here."

"Well, umm, yeah. Good point." Ross ran a hand through his hair. "At least we know about it, which is a start. Let's get back upstairs and…"

"Go home. Do you realize what time it is?"

"Late," Ross told him. "Very late. Otis, are you going to be around tomorrow? Hell, rather a stupid question."

Otis smiled, pointing to himself and then the wall.

"That's where you hang out? Ouch, but I suppose it makes sense. Alright, how about you show up in the costume shop tomorrow night once everyone is gone," Ross told him.

Pointing to Kirk, Otis looked at him in question.

"Yes, I'll be there too."

Otis nodded once, and then vanished.