The telephone rang on Admiral Nelson's desk. Harry picked it up. "Nelson."

"Harry! Guess what I did!"

Harry sighed and rolled is eyes. His sister was the dearest person in his life, but there were times when he just couldn't believe some of the things she did. He wasn't sure that he wanted to know.

"Edith. How are you doing? Just what did you do?"

I bought a house!"

"What do you need a house for? You already have one."

"This one is in California. I decided I wanted to move to California so I could be close to my best brother."

"Edith, I'm your only brother."

"Well, so what. You're still the best!"

Harry sighed as he shook his head. "What house did you buy?"

It is a nice little bungalow just outside of Santa Barbara. I found it the last time I came to visit. Nothing fancy. I bought some furniture from the Nantucket House in Chatham. Just some old things they wanted to get rid of. The truck should be there by the end of the week. I will be flying in day after tomorrow. It has been abandoned for years so it needed some work I have already hired someone to clean it all up and do t work on it so I wouldn't have to do it when I got into town."

"Nantucket House? Harry laughed and started to relax. " Aren't you afraid that you might bring the ghosts with you? You do know that place is supposed to be haunted, don't you?"

"Oh, Harry! Just because you find all these monsters, aliens, ghosts and whatnots doesn't mean the rest of us will be so...so...lucky."

"Well, I just want to make sure. I will send some of the crew out to help you when the truck gets here."

"Great! I knew you wouldn't let me down!"

"Okay. I have work to do so call me when you get in town and if I can't get there I will have someone meet you at the airport."

Harry hung the phone up when he realized that he should have asked for the address. He wanted to check this place out before his sister got to town. He tried calling back, but apparently Edith had left as no one answered.

Harry picked up Edith a couple days later. It was all he could do to get her to come home with him and get some rest before they went to the house. After a couple hours he finally gave up. It was a nice house outside of town, but Harry wouldn't describe it as a bungalow. It was a lot larger than he was led to believe. The atmosphere was definitely different out here than back east so he wondered how long she was going to be able to stand it before she went back home.

Harry put his hands on his hips as he scanned the front of the house. "Edith! I thought you said bungalow! This is not a bungalow!"

"Oh Harry, you are always so literal. What are you worried about? Afraid of getting lost in it?"

They looked around for a few minutes so that Edith was satisfied that all the work had been done and Harry's curiosity was appeased.

Harry smiled to himself. Well, at least the furniture Edith bought should fit right in. The house, itself, looks like it could be haunted.

They then decided to eat out so went to eat at the Harbor Restaurant on Stearn's wharf.

A couple days went by with Edith seeming matching every move Harry made. She was so excited that she followed Harry around almost continuously. Harry had about decided to sic her on Lee or Chip when the call came that the truck with the furniture had arrived.

Angie walked in to Harry's office. "Admiral, there is a call from your sister. Something about furniture?"

At that moment Harry couldn't have been happier. Edith would have her furniture and would be out of his hair. He loved his sister dearly but he did have to get some work done sometime. He would get Francis to round up some of the crew to help her.

Harry put a stack of work in his outbox and sighed as he looked at the inbox. It seemed to fill up faster and faster all the time. He looked at his watch and decided to take a break and see how far they had gotten on moving the furniture.

Harry drove up behind the moving van making sure there was enough room between his car and the van so that there wouldn't be any accidents. He got out of the car and walked over to the sidewalk and just missed getting hit by a china closet. Yelling quickly reacted by backing up before he got sideswiped.

Sharkey popped his head around the side of the cabinet with a slight look of horror on his face. "Admiral! Sorry I didn't see you. You better watch out! Don't want you to get hit by flying furniture." Sharkey laughed at his little joke while Kowalski looked around from the other side and looked at Nelson.

Harry looked at Kowalski and grinned. "Francis, you had better treat this furniture right or it might do more flying than you think it should."

Following them into the house, Harry ran into Edith. "Harry what are you going to do, throw it at them?"

Edith was holding a solid black, sleek looking cat. "And I want you to meet Isis. I just had to adopt her after I met some friends who run an animal rescue in town."

Harry reached over to pet the cat. "No, Edith, I was wondering if the trucks brought any ghosts with it."

"Ghosts! What ghosts!" Sharkey looked at him in horror as he put the china closet down. "What do you mean ghosts!"

Harry was starting to enjoy this. "Well, Edith bought this furniture from a haunted house and I was just wondering if she brought the ghosts along with the furniture."

"If anything flies about the room I am out of here!"

Sharkey looked around the room wondering what he would find.

"Hey Chief. Whatcha' looking for?" Laughing, Kowalski walked out the front door to get some more furniture. Looking behind him he saw Sharkey following him close behind.

Harry watched as the crewmen slowly carried the furniture into the house and placed as much of it as possible where Edith wanted it. He was glad that Edith had already thought about hooking up the refrigerator and had bought some food and drinks. He decided that he would enjoy watching someone else work so he got a beer, fixed a sandwich and made himself at home on the couch in the living room.

He watched as most of the furniture was brought into the house. That afternoon most of the furniture had been unloaded, but there would be still more to do the next day.

After the crewmen left Edith sat down in a chair with Isis firmly entrenched in her lap joining Harry where they sat in silence for a few minutes just enjoying each other's company.

Edith turned towards her brother. "Harry, I have seen a side of you today that I haven't seen in a long time."

Harry took a sip of his beer. "What do you mean?"

"Chief Sharkey. You couldn't help teasing him about ghosts, could you?"

Harry laughed. "I just couldn't pass it up."

Abruptly Isis jumped down and walked over to the door leading to the cellar. Her ears perked up as she started scratching the door. The scratching ended as quickly at it began. She cocked his head then returned to Edith's lap.

"What was that all about?" Harry asked as he looked back and forth between the door and Edith.

"I have no idea what was going on? Maybe she heard something." Laughing Edith's eyes sparkled. "Maybe Sharkey's ghost was bothering Isis."

"Now look who's teasing." Harry continued. "I need to get back to work. It looks like you have enough to do around here to keep you busy. I will be busy this evening and all day tomorrow, but why don't you call me tomorrow and we can get together for dinner tomorrow night.

Walking Harry to the door Edith planted a quick kiss on his check and bade him goodbye.

Edith bent over and petted Isis as the cat rubbed up against her leg. "Isis, just what were you looking for?"

Edith soon forgot about the incident as she went to work unpacking the boxes that the crew had been able to unload.

Edith, finally exhausted from the work, decided to go to bed with Isis asleep across her feet. She was abruptly awakened by the hisses and snarls of Isis as she was fighting unknown forces at the foot of the bed.

"Ouch!" Edith screamed as Isis planted her claws into her ankle. Jerking her feet Edith distracted Isis who quit fighting her imaginary foe to look at Edith. Isis turned back around to look at the far wall for a few seconds then went back to sleep. Edith finally got back to sleep and there were no incidents the rest of the night.

Edith got up that morning at Isis' insistence. Edith had a very hungry cat on her hands and Isis let her know it.

Th.....i.....s i.....s m.....y h.....ou......se!

Edith turned around towards the disembodied feminine whisper she heard. "Who's there? Where are you!"

G...e....t....ou...t.....of......h...e..r....e

I'm not leaving! I was brought here and I am staying!" another disembodied voice, this time a male, replied.

Isis hissed at the second voice, which seemed to emanate from the dining room where most of the furniture from the Nantucket House had been placed until some of the crew could move it where it belonged.

Edith stood in the hallway looking upstairs where the first voice came from. "What is going on?" she yelled toward the staircase. "What am I doing?" she whispered. "I'm talking to myself. I have to be. I do not believe in ghosts!"

Not hearing any responses Edith headed towards the kitchen with Isis following close behind. She gave Isis some food and made herself a cup of tea. At least Sharkey and his men had gotten the refrigerator, kitchen table and chairs unloaded along with her bed. There was still more unpacking and moving to do. She wondered what she would tell Sharkey and his men when they showed up to finish the job.

Harry decided to see how Edith was doing before going to the office. He knew that Sharkey and his volunteers would be along soon to finish moving Edith's belongings into the house. He figured it was a good enough excuse to get away from the paper work that threatened to engulf him. Sometimes he hated being in port. At least he could hide from the paper work when he was at sea. As he pulled up to the house he noticed a female figure upstairs looking through the window.

"Edith!" Harry called to the figure in the window. As he watched the figure he heard the front door open.

"Harry. What are you yelling for? Just come on in."

Doing a double take Harry turned his head, looked at Edith then looked back up at the window. The figure faded into the background, but he was sure he had seen it.

"Uh, I thought you were upstairs, so I was yelling at you to get your attention."

Harry, I haven't been upstairs for probably an hour. Isis and I have been down stairs in the kitchen eating breakfast."

Harry followed Edith into the house and into the kitchen where Edith handed him a cup of coffee.

Edith studied Harry for a minute. "Harry could you find something out about this house? I mean its history?"

Harry took a sip of his coffee and looked questioningly at Edith. "I guess I could. Is there any particular reason why?"

Thinking to himself about the figure he saw upstairs through the window he wondered if Edith had seen something.

"Well, it may be my imagination, but I could swear I heard some voices. I am starting to wonder if not only did I bring a ghost from back east, but whether there was already a ghost here to begin with."

As if to confirm her suspicions, the noise from a conversation seemed to drift down from upstairs.

"What are you doing in my house? This is my house! You are trespassing in my house!"

"I am not trespassing! And I did not have any intention of invading your privacy! I came here with the furniture. See how you feel if someone uproots you from your home of 400 years without even a by your leave! Women!"

Hearing a knock at the door, Harry stood up and turned towards the steps not daring to believe what he was hearing. He went to answer the door as Edith went back into the kitchen to get more coffee.

"I don't believe it!"

"I don't believe what?" Sharkey asked as he walked through the door. "Uh, Admiral, what do you mean? You don't believe what?"

"Sharkey, come on in. It looks like Edith is sharing her house with a couple of ghosts."

"For real? Wait a minute! You said a couple of ghosts?"

"Yep. It looks like it."

In a minute Kowalski and Patterson followed Sharkey in carrying a dresser.

"Admiral, do you know where this goes," Kowalski asked, "or do I need to ask your sister?"

Harry raised his hands up in defense. "Don't ask me!" He laughed.

Harry turned towards the kitchen. "Edith, you need to tell Kowalski and Patterson where to put this dresser."

Edith came out and beckoned to the two crewmen. They followed her upstairs with Isis close behind. As they got to the room the dresser was to go in. Isis darted through the doorway and hissed at a shadow on the wall.

"Oh, no! A cat! I hate cats!"

"Well, you don't live here anyway! This is my house! Not your house! I like cats! In fact you can go back home where you belong."

"Like for sure! How am I going to get there! I told you! I came with the furniture!"

Edith, Kowalski and Patterson stood in stunned silence as they heard the voices arguing.

Just as Harry made it up the stairs with Sharkey following behind, Edith found her tongue.

"Shut up the both of you! Whoever you are! Where ever you are! This is my house!"

"Really! Well, I never! Hummph!"

Harry and the crewmen stood in stunned silence as Edith argued with the ghosts. After the last retort from one of the ghosts there was a nervous silence. After a couple minutes Edith turned towards Kowalski and Patterson and pointed to the corner. They then put the dresser down and all of them retraced their steps and went back downstairs.

"I can't believe it! I am living in a house with two ghosts and they can't even get along! Well, I never!" Edith stomped over to the couch in the living room and sat down. She then looked at Sharkey and his men.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go get the rest of the furniture. Don't take all day!"

Harry rubbed the side of his head and looked at his sister. "Are you sure you want to stay here? I mean, let me check the house out and see what its history shows."

Sharkey looked expectantly at Edith, hopeful that the Admiral could talk Edith into leaving. He sure had no desire to stay in the house any longer than he had to. The sooner he could leave, the better.

"I am not leaving! This is my house and I am staying!" Edith stood her ground and glared at her brother. "Sharkey. Please go get the rest of the furniture and bring it in. I don't want to have to wait any longer."

Sharkey looked towards Nelson in hopeful expectation and was disappointed in the results.

"Well, Sharkey, let's all go finish bringing in the rest of the furniture. I will help and maybe we can get everything moved sooner."

Harry headed out the front door with Sharkey, Kowalski and Patterson following. They finally got all the furniture off the truck and into the house. It took the rest of the day, but they didn't have any more problems with the ghosts and everything went smoothly.

Sharkey stood outside and looked over the house looking for anything amiss. He didn't see anything nor did he hear any more voices.

"Come on, let's get back to the boat. You bozos have some chores to do!'

With that remark Sharkey, Patterson and Kowalski got into the truck and left, leaving Harry with his sister.

Harry took a quick look at the second story where he had seen the figure in the window, but not seeing anything he walked back into the house and walked back to the kitchen where Edith was feeding Isis. He hesitated as he looked at his sister.

Edith turned towards him. "Okay, Harry. What are you thinking? I can see that look in your eye. If you are going to try to get me to leave you are wasting your time! I am not leaving!"

Smoothing his hair with his left hand Harry grinned. He realized he had lost. Laughing he said, "Well, at least it is the right time of year. Halloween is in a month. Maybe your ghosts can help with the trick or treaters."

At that Edith also laughed and threw a towel at him. "Come on. Let's go out to eat. I'll treat. I still don't have the dishes unpacked so I am not going to do any cooking."

Edith walked out with Harry close behind. As Harry closed the front door he was sure he heard some voices behind him.

"Look at that! They're gone! Now you can leave!"

"Oh, you're not making sense! They're just going out to eat! And I tell you I am not leaving! My furniture is here and I am staying with it!"

Harry decided not to tell Edith what he heard and that later he was going to check the history of this house out. They drove over to the Enterprise Fish Co. on State Street and had a quiet dinner.

Later Harry dropped Edith off after she insisted that she would be okay and she wasn't going to leave the house. Against his better judgement he left her and went home deciding to learn what he could about the house the next day.

After a couple of hours to think about it, he decided to return.

"Edith I think I am going to camp out here on the couch tonight. I would feel better if I stayed here tonight to make sure you're going to be okay."

Laughing, Edith relented. "Okay, but it's your back. As you said you will be camping out on the couch since I only have one bed set up so far. And brother or not you aren't sleeping in my bed!"

Edith walked over to a box in the dining room and pulled out a set of sheets and a blanket.

"Here are some sheets. I'll go upstairs and get you a pillow. I guess I can at least let you one of my pillows."

At that she went upstairs. By the time she got back down Harry had already put the sheets and blanket on the couch.

"Well, here you are." Edith said as she threw him the pillow. "Have fun. I'm going to bed."

"Good night, Edith. See you in the morning." Harry said as he lay down on the couch.

During the middle of the night Harry felt something and woke up with a start and sat up. He then realized that Isis had decided to keep him company and was laying at his feet. He then realized that he felt like somebody was standing next to the couch. The feeling was quite strong. Harry should his head, but the feeling didn't change. He saw nothing but Isis. He was starting to feel uneasy though. He started berating himself, though, as he felt childish. I don't believe you are feeling this way! You feel like a kid afraid to look under the bed because you think there are snakes there! He lay back down and stared at the ceiling. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dark shape move across the front window. He blinked, hoping it would disappear, but it didn't. He felt like the undistinguished shape was staring at him. He swung his legs around and stood up. He was going to find out just what or who was standing in front of the window. Focusing on the dark figure, Harry didn't pay attention to the box next to the couch. He tripped over it and fell hard, hitting his head against the coffee table. He blacked out before he hit the floor.

The dark figure approached the man laying on the floor and looked at the box. He then stared at Harry.

"Now that was pretty stupid if you ask me. You are going to have one hell of a headache when you wake up in the morning."

Shrugging the ghostly apparition picked Harry up, placed him back on the couch and covered him with the blanket. Isis, who had been watching from a safe distance returned to the couch after the apparition disappeared.

Harry woke up the next morning with a terrific headache. For a split second he had no idea why he had the headache until he spied the box and remembered what had happened last night. Now how did I get back on the couch? I sure don't remember waking up after hitting my head. I sure don't remember how I got back on the couch? Harry rubbed the sore spot on his head and came away with some dried blood. He figured he would go to the bathroom and wash up.

He then heard Edith come down the stairs and followed her into the kitchen instead.

"Edith, did you help me get back on the couch last night?"

Edith was puzzled. "What do you mean, Harry? What are you talking about? I didn't come downstairs at all last night."

That is when she noticed the cut on Harry's forehead. "What happened to your head?"

Harry sat down at the kitchen table and proceeded to tell Edith what had happened that night.

Edith grinned, walked over and patted Harry on the shoulder. "Well, big brother, it looks like you are the one that has problems with this house, not me."

After having a cup of coffee and washing the blood from his forehead Harry left determined to find out what he could about the house.

Harry came back that evening and reported to her that indeed that house was said to be haunted. Supposedly in the early 1800's, a father had not allowed his daughter to see her lover again and she had died of a broken heart in the very room that Harry had seen the figure in through the second story window.

Over the next week Edith reported hearing several conversations between the ghosts but did not seem alarmed. At the end of the week, though, the ghosts had a very noisy argument and Edith woke up with some of her belongings thrown around on the floor.

"Okay! I have had it! This is my house! I am getting tired of all this bickering! You two stop this!"

It seemed to settle down for a couple of day and Edith started to relax. She didn't know why, but she felt like the ghosts were more of a nuisance than a threat. Although after talking with Harry she realized he wasn't as trusting as she was. She had called him tell him of the ghosts' latest escapades.

"Are you sure you don't want to move out for a few days until we can check this house out? I am worried that something may happen."

"Harry, no, I am not afraid. They don't seem to really be bothering me anymore. Especially after I yelled at them to stop."

"You yelled at them!" Harry was surprised. He decided he didn't know his sister as well as he though. "I know I had a problem the other night, but I am not sure there are ghosts in this house. Do you realize that there might not be any ghosts and there is a more earthly reason that this is happening?"

"Oh, Harry! You always think the worse!"

Things were calm for about a week and after one hard day still getting boxes unpacked Edith went to bed with Isis curled up next to her head on the pillow. His low rumbling finally lulled her to sleep.

During the night Edith realized that Isis was restless and wanted to calm her down. She reached over to pet her and instead of finding a furry creature by her head there was a larger lump in the bed beside her.

Trembling she felt the form realizing it was a lot larger than Isis so it couldn't have been the cat. Jumping out of bed she turned on the lights and jerked the covers back. She saw nothing, but there was something that was compressing the springs as there was a large dent in the mattress.

She screamed and instantly the depression disappeared and she heard a very soft plea.

"Please! Please! Please don't scream anymore. I didn't mean to scare you. I was just relaxing."

"What were you doing in my bed?" Edith complained to the empty space before her.

"Well, first of all, that is really my bed, remember? You bought it from my house."

At the beginning of Edith's protest, the unembodied spirit continued.

"Never mind. At least it used to be my bed. I want to explain."

The ghost sighed and continued.

"She threw me out. She threw me out of the house and told me not to come back. I decided I wasn't about to leave."

"Oh, for pete's sake! Don't tell me you two can't get along. Why don't you two go haunt someone else."

"This is where we belong. This is her house and my furniture. I hate to say it, but you're stuck with us."

"Well, if I am stuck with you, just who am I stuck with?"

"Well, my name is Alonzo and her name is Magnolia."

A ghostly feminine voice interrupted. "What are you doing back here! I told you to get out! Leave!"

"Shut up the both of you. I don't care who this house and furniture used to belong to! It belongs to me now and neither of you have any say in the matter! I am going to get an exorcist and get rid of the both of you!"

With that Edith stormed out of the house to calm down. She didn't care if she were in her pajamas. She had to make a decision. She couldn't believe she was talking to ghosts. She must be going nuts. Besides she really didn't believe in ghosts, did she? Her thinking along that line had definitely changed in the past few days. She couldn't decide what to do.

Back inside the house Isis was upstairs in the hall, her ears perked up and hairs standing on end. She knew that she was supposed to be alone in the house except she alone was hearing voices. She didn't know what they were saying, but they were saying something.

No! She can't do that! This is my house!"

"Now calm down! Just because she said she was going to call in an exorcist doesn't mean she is going to do it."

"I'm scared! I don't want to leave! I haven't left this house in over 200 years! And what do you care! You don't belong here anyway!"

"Don't worry. We'll figure something out. I won't leave you here alone."

At that the house was quiet once again and Isis when downstairs, curled up on the couch and went to sleep. Soon Edith returned and as able to get a couple hours sleep.

Edith had been up most of the night and that morning she decided she needed to do some thinking so she drove down Shoreline Drive to West Beach to walk along the beach. One thing definitely different between her home back east and here was the weather. Even though it was fall, the weather was pleasant and walking along the beach seemed to calm her down.

After trying to call Edith and finding out that she wasn't home, Harry decided to do some investigating on his own and after getting some equipment and commandeering Sharkey, he came back to the house. He wasn't so sure that someone wasn't trying to scare Edith to get her to abandon the house. He couldn't decide whether he preferred a ghostly or earthly reason for what was going on in the house.

Harry opened up the front door and allowed Sharkey to walk through carrying several pieces of equipment.

Isis looked up from the couch and realizing she knew who these humans were she settled back down and went back to sleep.

Harry beckoned Sharkey to follow him into the kitchen. "Put the equipment on the kitchen table. That's probably safer than putting it on the dining room table."

Puzzled Sharkey asked, "What do you mean, safer? Do you think someone is going to steal them?"

"No, I mean if I scratch any of Edith's furniture she will have my head!"

"Oh, I know what you mean, sir. She definitely wouldn't be happy."

Watching them from upstairs, Alonzo and Magnolia listened in to see what they were doing.

"Alonzo, do you think they are going to do anything to us?"

"Don't worry, what could they do to a couple of ghosts? Harry is just worried about his sister, although from what I can see she doesn't need any help. She can probably take care of herself."

Harry was contemplating a plan of action when he realized he had forgotten something.

"Sharkey, go back to the institute and get the voltmeter. I forgot to bring it with us. While you are gone I will start setting up the equipment."

"Are you sure? What if those ghosts do something while I'm gone? Or what if someone else is trying to force Edith to leave? I mean, if someone is here and they realize that you might find out who they are and what they are doing they may not like it."

"I'll be fine, Francis. Go ahead and get the voltmeter."

Sharkey left and Harry started setting up equipment around the house. He went down the steps to the basement to find the electrical panel. If something were tied into this house it might be tied into the panel someway and he wanted to check that out while he was setting the monitors up. Walking down the steps he was startled by something rubbing against his legs, but as he looked down he relaxed as he saw Isis.

Harry bent over and scratched Isis behind her ears. "Well, Isis, what do you think? Man or ghost?"

Alonzo and Magnolia followed Harry around with interest. They had been fascinated with the changes in the world through the years and Harry had brought even newer equipment and other things they had not seen before.

Harry was busy setting up monitors when Isis growled at the corner where the electrical panel was located. He saw a shadow and went to investigate. Isis continued to meow, but had started to relax.

"What's wrong Isis? Seeing ghosts again?" Harry reached over to pet Isis when she moved and he ended up losing his balance and falling. As he reached to steady himself against the wall sparks flew as he accidentally grabbed a bare wire. He jerked violently as the electricity surged through his body. He fell, lifeless, on the basement floor.

"Alonzo, come here. Quick. Edith's brother just collapsed."

Alonzo walked over to Harry. "What happened?"

"He grabbed a wire as he tried to keep from fall. He just fell after sparks flew. I haven't seen him move at all."

"He doesn't look too good. With that jolt he looks as pale as a ghost....Oops! Sorry about that." Alonzo laughed and continued. "Well, it is true. Ghosts are 'very' pale."

Alonzo looked closer at Harry and noticed he wasn't moving at all.

"He looks pretty bad. Worse than when he hit his head. I don't think I had better move him. Why don't you watch him and I will go after that Sharkey fellow. He is going to need more help than we can give him. I would go after his sister, but she didn't say where she was going. At least we know where Sharkey is going."

"Well, okay, but don't take too long!"

"I'll be back."

At that Alonzo left Magnolia to go find Sharkey. He was lucky in that he found the car that Sharkey was driving. It was easy to see with the NIMR logo on the side. He floated down through the top of the roof and sat in the passenger side of the front seat.

Sharkey felt a cool draft hit him from the right side of the car and looked over. Startled at the figure in the seat next to him he jerked the steering wheel and slammed on the brakes to keep from hitting the oncoming car. He came to a stop and jumped out of the car.

"Who are you? What are you? Stay away from me!"

"Wait a minute! I mean you no harm. You have heard me before in Edith's house. I wanted to tell you that her brother Harry has been hurt. He needs help. You need to find him a doctor."

"How do I know you aren't lying! Why should I believe you?" Shaking Sharkey mumbled. "What am I doing? I have to be talking to myself. I can't be talking to a ghost! No way!"

"I am afraid you are and if you want to save Edith's brother you need to find a doctor. What motive would I have to come after you when you left the house?"

Sharkey hesitated as he looked at and seemingly through the spirit before him.

"How would it hurt if you did go find a doctor? Wouldn't it be better to be safe than sorry?"

"I guess you're right." Spying a phone booth Sharkey called Jamieson and asked him to come out to Edith's house.

"Look Doc, I know you don't believe me, but what if I am right. I mean, if the Admiral is hurt and you don't come out........well, I don't know. What if he's hurt bad?"

Jamieson relented and told him he would meet Sharkey at the house. He also told Sharkey he would call the Captain.

Sharkey turned around. "Well, are you happy? The Doc is.....". He quit speaking and looked around as he realized he really was talking to himself now. The ghost, if there really had been one, had disappeared.

"Guess I had better get back to the house.... and face the music if the Admiral is okay."

Sharkey jumped back in the car, turned around and headed back to the house.

Alonzo had come back to the house and was standing watch over Harry with Magnolia.

Magnolia walked over to Alonzo. What if he dies? What if they blame us? What if they do something to the house? I have nowhere else to go?"

Alonzo put his arm around her. "Nothing like that is going to happen. The doctor will get here and he will be just fine."

At that they waited in silence for Sharkey to return with the doctor.

Soon they heard the front door open and Sharkey ran down the steps. He saw the Admiral laying there and realized the ghost was right. That was when he noticed the two standing beside him. He jumped and yelled. "Why don't you two let people know where you are? Do you know just how you make me feel with you standing there?"

"Sorry about that. We will try to warn you the next time. Of course, you know, that doesn't make sense. How are we going to let you know where we are before we are there?"

"Oh, forget it!"

Sharkey heard the front door open. "Down here Doc! We are in the basement."

Jamieson appeared with Crane close behind. Jamie took one look at Harry and walked over to him totally disregarding the apparitions standing by him. His breathing was shallow, but at least he was breathing. He was definitely in shock.

Crane noticed the ghosts and did a double take. "Sharkey, uh, who are those two?"

"Oh, that's Alonzo and Magnolia. Alonzo came with the furniture that the Admiral's sister bought and Magnolia was already here. This is her house. Or at least it was her house."

"You seem pretty calm for having to deal with a couple of ghosts." Lee kept an eye on the ghosts as he responded to Sharkey.

"Well, if it weren't for them the Admiral may have died and I guess I can cut them some slack."

"I still don't know that I believe it all." Lee commented.

"Well, from what I hear from your escapades on your sub I can't see why you find this so different". Alonzo looked at Crane. Before he could continue they were interrupted by a voice from upstairs.

"What's going on! Why is everyone here?" Edith shouted as she walked in the front door.

Not finding anyone on the first floor she could hear voices coming from the basement so headed down the steps. As she reached the bottom she realized that Harry was laying on the floor unconscious and ran over to him.

"Jamie, what happened!"

Alonzo stepped forward. "He was shocked. He accidentally touched a wire. Sparks flew all over the place. I went out and found and got him to call a doctor."

Edith looked over at Sharkey. "Is that true?"

"Yeah, it sure is. The ghost there, uh,,, Alonzo, just sort of appeared in my car and told me what happened. I almost didn't believe him. Of course I almost didn't believe myself for a minute. Couldn't believe I was talking to a ghost."

"Jamie, how is he? Is he going to be okay?"

"I believe he is. In fact he is coming around now. Let's get him upstairs. We need to get him back to the Institute for some tests to confirm that."

Harry groaned and looked up at Jamie. "What happened? Where am I?"

Sharkey stepped forward. "Remember? We came over to set up some equipment? We forgot the voltmeter and you told me to go back and get it. While I was gone apparently you touched a live wire."

"Okay. So that is what happened. How did everyone find out about it since I was here alone?" Harry was puzzled.

"Well, sir, you really weren't alone. You, uh... forgot about the ghosts. One of them, Alonzo, saw that you had gotten shocked and found me to tell me what happened. If he hadn't done that ...."

"You mean the ghosts saved me?"

"Yes sir, it sure seems that way. At least they are the ones that let me know what was going on."

Edith stepped towards Alonzo and Magnolia. "I don't know how to thank you. I don't know what I would do without my brother. He is the only family I have left."

Magnolia stepped forward. "Please don't tell us to leave. This is my home. This is the only home that I have ever had." She looked over at Alonzo. "I am even getting used to Alonzo being here and wouldn't mind him staying."

Edith looked down at her brother then looked over at Sharkey and Lee. "I don't believe I am going to make a deal with a couple of ghosts!"

She turned towards Magnolia and Alonzo. "Okay, but you have to realize that I live here, too. I don't want any loud arguments and no scaring my friends and family."

With that Lee and Jamie helped Harry upstairs with Edith and Sharkey following behind. Alonzo and Magnolia apparently took a short cut as they were already up in the living room by the time the rest of them got there.

Harry was helped over to the couch and true to form ruled out going to the Institute to be checked out. "I'm fine. I think I am just going to stay here on the couch for awhile. I will return to the Institute when I am good and ready." He looked at Jamie and Lee daring them to argue with him.

Jamie gave Harry an ultimatum. "Sorry, Harry but you are coming back to the Institute. You can come back here after I pronounce you medically fit. If you don't I won't let you go on the next cruise."

Harry finally agreed so the four of them headed back to the Institute. Before getting in the car Harry turned towards the house and spoke to no one in particular. "Someone is going to tell me what happened when I hit my head the other night." He then got in the car and they left for the Institute.

Pretty soon Jamie pronounced Harry fit and the next day Harry headed back to Edith's house. He was then able to find out that when he hit his head it was Alonzo who had put him back on the couch. He also had to explain to Edith what he and Sharkey were doing there in the first place. She wasn't too happy at first but then realized her brother was just trying to protect her. She also figured that she was probably safer from more earthly entities with a couple of ghosts living in her house.

Things after that settled down. Edith and her unearthly boarders seemed to get along. Edith decided it was interesting to have a couple ghosts living in her house and even Isis got used to the idea and quit hissing when they entered a room.

A couple weeks later Harry decided to go visit his sister. He had been gone for a few days with a short mission so hadn't had time to see how she was doing with her new found friends. He drove up and parked in front of the house. It was dusk by the time he got there and noted some short goblins carrying bags walking up Edith's walk towards the house. He realized that it was Halloween and wondered how Alonzo and Magnolia were handling the kids that would be invading the house. Edith always enjoyed Halloween and got fully into the swing of things. Edith always enjoyed entertaining the children who came to her house in New England. He was sure she would carry on the tradition here. Sounds of laughter drifted out the front door as he followed the young goblins inside.

Edith was about to great the new trick or treater at the door when she noticed it was Harry. "Harry! Where's your costume? No one allowed here without a costume!" She laughed.

"Uh, I don't have a costume. Can't I come as a naval officer?" Harry replied. He noticed a group in the dining room. "What's going on in the dining room? Whose in there with the kids?"

"Oh that's Alonzo and Magnolia 'pretending" to be ghosts and doing 'magic' tricks. Of course the kids don't really know that they are real ghosts. They actually covered themselves with sheets so they look more solid, but their tricks are something else."

"I bet they are! So, I guess you, Alonzo and Magnolia are getting along, then?"

Edith walked towards the kitchen. "Oh, they have really been a great help. I am glad to have them here. Isis even gets along with them."

"Hmm? Maybe I ought to hire them?" Harry grinned, his eyes sparkling. He took the cup of coffee Edith offered him.

"Oh, no you don't! They're my ghosts! Go get your own!"

"No, thanks! I have had to put up with my share of ghosts, goblins, aliens and monsters on board the Seaview. I prefer to be ghost free on land!"

With that Edith and Harry sat and listed to the gleeful cries of the children being entertained in the dining room.

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