Free The First Church by Ron Ripley Page A

moment.
    Does he suspect? He thought nervously.  Does he know what I’m doing?
    “Serve it,” Ichiru said, and the dead gathered around the only living man in the house.
    With shaking hands, he took the tokkuri out of the microwave, poured the saké into each cup, and offered it to the ghosts.
    And they accepted.
     

Chapter 25: A Phone Call
     
    Brian picked up his phone and sent Jenny a text.
    Two boys blinded.  Another boy injured.  Cop killed.
    She wrote back a moment later.
    Sweet Jesus, Babe!  Do you think maybe you better pass this one off to someone else?
    Brian thought about it for a moment, pictured his one-time assistant and shook her out of his mind.
    No, he wrote back , I can’t do that.  I’m already here, and the situation needs to be resolved.  I only wanted to let you know what’s going on.
    Thanks.  Be CAREFUL.  You know how bad your heart is, and if you become a ghost, I swear I will have you bound to a tiara and put in a preschool.
    Brian laughed out loud and shook his head.
    I love you , he wrote.  I will be careful.
    Love you, too, Babe, she replied.
    With a sigh, Brian put the phone on his lap and leaned back.  He closed his eyes and smiled as he thought about Jenny.
    Ah, he thought, to be home, in my chair, with a Booker’s neat.
    Then he remembered Leo.  Brian pictured the strange little man and the gift he had given him.
    No, Brian told himself, home will have to wait.  These people need help.  I need to figure out what’s going on.
    The phone rang, and Brian nearly jumped out of his seat.
    He shook off the surprise, picked up the cell and looked at it.
    Unknown caller.
    Brian frowned and answered the call.
    “Hello?” he asked.
    “Hello, is this Brian Roy?” a man asked.
    “This is,” Brian answered.
    “Brian, my name is Shane Ryan. I’m a friend of Charles Gottesman,” he said.  “Charles told me you have a language problem with a ghost?”
    Brian nodded and said, “Yes I do.  Well, two now, actually.  They’re both Japanese soldiers.”
    “Aggressive?” Shane asked.
    “Extremely,” Brian said.  “I know for certain they blinded two boys, shot, somehow, a third, and we’re pretty sure they killed a police officer, too.”
    “Damn,” Shane said.  “You’re up in Rye?”
    “Yes,” Brian replied.  “So, you speak Japanese?”
    “I do,” he answered.  “Where’s a good place to meet?”
    “There’s a coffee shop on Main Street called the Riverwalk.  How long will you be?” Brian asked.
    “Give me an hour and a half.  I’ve got to square away some stuff and then I’ll grab a car.  Riverwalk, you said?”
    “Yes,” Brian answered.  “Listen, I really appreciate this, Shane.”
    Shane laughed, “No worries.  I’ll see you at the Riverwalk.”
    “Okay,” Brian said, and he ended the call.
    His stomach rumbled and reminded him he hadn’t eaten in a long time.  With a grunt, he got up from the chair, went to his overnight bag and pulled out his much battered and beloved copy of Max Brooks’ World War Z .
    Brian looked down at the orange cover and smiled.
    Thank God I don’t have to deal with zombies.
    He tucked the book under his arm, grabbed his wallet and keys, and then made his way out of the room.
    It was time to see what sort of food the Riverwalk offered.
     

Chapter 26: Searching for Answers
     
    Jim sat in front of a computer at the Rye Public Library.  His grandfather sat in a chair beside him, and together they sought out information about the dead Japanese soldiers.
    Although Jim couldn’t figure out how they might do it.
    “Now, Jim,” his grandfather said, “you’ll have to explain to me how this is going to help us.”
    “Okay, Grandpa,” Jim said.  “I have what’s called a search engine.  We’ll type in a piece of information, and then it will bring up all sorts of stories and articles related to the stuff we put in.”
    His grandfather frowned, but nodded a moment later.
    “Alright, let’s start