Mary Kendall, A Ghost Story
A Memorable Day, part 2
Jamie wants to get to know Bekka better and invites her to help him construct an igloo. Working together it is built in record time. Bekka seems shy and a little bit sad to Jamie. She doesn't seem to want to talk about herself. She answers briefly and changes the subject off of her. Jamie tries to draw her out by asking questions about growing up in Hidden Springs and has she gotten tired of the snow.
"Oh, no!" She tells him. "I love it here. I don't know if I could live anywhere else. This will always be home. I love our long winters, and the snow doesn't bother me."
He talks about some of the fun times he had growing up in Riverview and how he travels around with his job. When they finish building the igloo, he grins up at her and innocently tells her they should see how warm and comfortable it is inside the igloo.
Jamie is shocked at how quickly Bekka changes from a shy young woman to an angry offended one. "How dare you suggest that to me! I'm not woohooing with you in an igloo!" she exclaims in an outraged voice. "I am not that kind of girl and I don't want to be part of the harem you seem to be setting up in town. I've seen you around town flirting with so many other females including a few of the married women!"
Bekka's knowledge of what can happen inside of an igloo stems from last winter. She discovered her boyfriend in an igloo at one of the town parks, naked as the day he was born with a tourist who was also naked. They were so busy they didn't notice her at first until she shrieked. Bekka gained her revenge. While they were trying to get dressed, she used her knowledge as an architect and quickly damaged a few areas of the igloo. It came crashing down and blocked the exit. She left them to get out on their own and said boyfriend found that certain body parts like toes, fingers, and ahem others don't like freezing weather! Can anyone say frostbite? Luckily, neither were seriously hurt and no one suspected the igloo crash was related to her tampering. Bekka has a hard time trusting men since then and has not dated at all.
She finally slows down long enough for Jamie to respond back. "How dare you accuse me of something like that! I was definitely not suggesting anything like what you are apparently imagining. I barely know you well enough to suggest that, if I was willing to freeze my jewels off and publicly woohoo with a stranger. You've got some peculiar idea's lady! When Francesca introduced us, I thought you would be a delightful person to get to know. You are a beautiful woman but apparently have some issues that I would rather not deal with. As far as encountering women around town. I expect I've met as many women as men in town. I'm new here and trying to get to know people. I plan on making this town my home and base for my business. Are you some kind of stalker following me around and examining my interactions with people? You don't have to worry about seeing me again. I'll stay out of your way, and you stay out of mine."
Jamie turns and leaves before she has a chance to respond back to him. Jamie might be a charmer and at times a jokester. He might be a little arrogant about being excellent at his job but he is not the type of man to suggest what she imagined. He is also not allowing anyone to imply he would. He doesn't understand why she would think that of him. He is still distressed and figures he better leave before he says anything else that would make the situation worse. He cannot believe how angry her comments made him. He was very attracted to her before all that. He takes several deep breaths as he tries to calm down before getting on his motorcycle.
Bekka turns bright red with embarrassment and shame. She tries calling him back, but he throws his arm up in the air in dismissal and doesn't even turn around as he stalks away. She cannot believe all that came out of her mouth. Obviously what happened last year still bothers her more than she realizes. Bekka wants to run after him and plead for him to listen to her and apologize for what was said and thought. She hopes she can find out from Francesca more information about him like where he lives. Leaving the park she rides the roads on her motorcycle trying to clear her mind and soothe her nerves. The ride does not help as it usually would. She turns towards home and arrives still very much in distress. She hurries inside and curls up on the love seat trying to figure out what to do next. Her cats Rani and Sari both sense she is upset and try to comfort her.
Damien and Mary sit at one of the firepits and warm up after enjoying several hours at the festival. Jamie joins them at the firepit and pulls out a bag of marshmallows. Damien can tell Jamie is troubled but leaves him alone when he says he doesn't want to talk about it. "I've got a couple of jobs to do tonight but wanted to share my bag of goodies with you two before going off to hunt poltergeists. Jamie wasn't paying attention and burned his first marshmallow, but he didn't mind as it tasted pretty good anyway. Jamie relaxes with his friends and calms down, feeling himself let go from the anger he experienced. He laughs at their descriptions of the snowboarding and how Mary loved zooming around so fast on the snowboards. "Mary, we need to get you a motorcycle!" Jamie exclaims. "If you love speed, you will love the feeling of being one with your ride." Her eyes sparkle with enthusiasm and agrees it would be fun to have a motorcycle. "I'll have to go collecting and see if I can find a few more of the really valuable stones up in the woods. I'm sure motorbikes are expensive."
"The superior ones are," Damien informs her, "but well worth it. I'll let you ride mine tomorrow and see if you like it."
Jamie tells them goodnight as he heads off to work. "Have fun!" Damien is still concerned about his friend but he can see he is not as upset as he was. Perhaps he will talk with him tomorrow.
Damien wants to visit Hans Tavern and Cafe before returning home. "I read in the paper it reopened in time for the holidays. Perhaps it is not too busy." The bar area was deserted but neither wanted drinks. They went upstairs, and Liam was there with his girlfriend Cassidy Earthsong. Introductions were made, and the four of them chatted. Mary was surprised at how friendly Cassidy was and she found her very easy to talk with. Liam and Damien enjoyed several games of darts and enjoyed getting to know each other while they played. Damien discovered that Liam had a wicked sense of humor and was an excellent darts player. Mary and Damien enjoy a snack at the bar before heading home.
Before going upstairs Mary reaches out and squeezes Damien's hands, thanking him for the delightful day. "It was another enjoyable day and a memorable one. I can't thank you enough."
"It was my pleasure to share this day with you, Mary."
She reaches out and hugs him, and he watches her go upstairs with a hopeful smile on his face.
Jamie arrives home from work and is greeted by Lia who stretches up to be picked up. Jamie obliges and pets and loves her. "Who needs an angry but beautiful lady in their life when I have you, Lia? But please tell me, why I can't get her off my mind? I have a feeling this day will be stuck in my memory for a long time, Lia" Jamie sighs and heads upstairs to bed.
@bekkasan Kind of poltergeists to stay put during holidays .
The long skirt doesn't look like a very practical garment for standing in the snow having a snowball fight - I hope the lady's got thick wool socks under it .
A mysterious girl thinks Jamie is cute... She should have definitely gone to skate with him.
I love the snowboarding pictures, especially the one of Mary with the rainbow behind her .
Jamie is popular with the ladies. Maybe the young woman should try and get to know him too.
Brrr, Bert Alto's shirt is definitely not an outfit for that weather! He's going to get sick.
Is Bekka the same Bekka you used to play with and who's still abducted by aliens?
Jamie is immediately attracted to Bekka - could this be another lovestory?
Ouch! Doesn't look promising, Bekka getting angry about Jamie's innocent suggestion!
Bekka's got a hot temper, having made the igloo collapse too . It's not good to make her angry! Poor girl though, having got cheated on
Jamie got understandably really angry. Can't blame him. If that's going to be a romance, it will take a while. Shame, they both like motorcycles too .
I think she might be a little bit interested in Jamie, feeling so distressed after the situation. I hope she'll get her chance to apologize.
Kind of Damien to borrow his motorcycle to Mary. I hope she'll enjoy it. A motorcycle driven by a ghost would be a scary sight .
Looks like a fun visit to the cafe.
Look at that, Jamie is still thinking about Bekka . There's a lot of attraction between those too. I do think Lia might be getting some competition in the future.
@meerkattime Thanks so much for your sweet comments! I hope you are doing well!
hehe, some of those winter outfits are just silly! I change some but some I leave alone.
That's my Bekka! Very good memory! I changed a few things, skin, traits, hair, and gave her freckles as well as anger management issues! lol
I kinda thought Mary would like a motorcycle too. I sure hope she can ride one!
@bekkasan Oh MY, what an enjoyable couple of story posts these were! "A Memorable Day," that title got me uber curious.
I could watch Damien cook all day. (Why isn't he shirtless? Oh that's right, it's winter. )
Glad to hear Mary wants to go to the Festival and that Jamie is making friends in town.
Is that Alisha Cho wearing that long skirt in the snow? Yeah, skirts = bad idea when it's snowing. Gotta love sims. Poor Jamie getting wet and frozen from the snowball fight. I worry about that kind of thing IRL, especially with the kiddos.
Ooooh, mysterious lady checking out Jamie! I like this! (Nice to finally meet her, even though you kept her face hidden for a while there. Guess I know how it felt when I kept Harvey's clean shaven face hidden for a bit in my story there. )
Aww, Mary is watching Damien snowboard with such love and care for him in her heart. ("Please don't fall and break your neck!" )
LOVE the rainbow in the background as she's snowboarding!
This is making me wanna play winter in HS again...
Oh and Damien looks smokin' hot snowboarding in the next pic. Woo!
Nicholas is explaining how he and his friends live off the land and how the long winters make that very difficult but a challenge they are willing to accept.
^Yup that very much sounds like the Free Spirit household.
Cute of Jamie to assist Alisha in building the snowman, and oh...mystery lady is watching him.
Bert Alto approaches her and she cringes inwardly while trying to maintain a neutral look on her face. How does this sleazy guy keep from freezing out in the cold wearing that tacky outfit?
^HA HA! Saying what everyone else would be thinking if it was their game! Gosh, that was hilarious! And yes, Bert is very much a sleaze bag!
Bekka is her name. Cute!
Instant attraction! Love it!
She has to place her hand behind her back to keep from reaching up to touch the dimple in his cheek.
^Hee hee hee! I had a feeling you would mention his irresistible dimple.
Jamie thinks Bekka is extremely attractive, loves her strawberry blond hair, and thinks the cute freckles across her nose and cheeks are irresistibly kissable.
^Ooooh
Strawberry blonde hair huh? It looked red to me, but in the later pictures I can see the more blonde in it. 👍 Gotta love how highlights and colors sometimes switch places on different hairs. It kinda drives me bonkers if you know what I mean (which I think you do. ). She's got beautifully colored hair.
Yes! Those books DON'T write themselves Francesca! (Though we all know she really dismissed herself to give those two some alone time. Hee hee!)
----
Building an igloo together sounds fun.
Hmm, Jamie senses some reservation on Bekka's part. 🤔 Interesting... (Curiosity is piqued.)
"I love our long winters, and the snow doesn't bother me."
^Yup, that would be me too.
(Speaking of, got some big flakes falling outside right now. ❄ )
I'll admit for a tiny second I thought it was bold of Jamie to suggest they try and see how warm it is in side the igloo, but really...who wouldn't ask that after building one with someone? Test it out, you know? And I knew he was asking it in a non-sensual way too. Jamie's a good guy. 👍
Bekka's reaction: Woah! Like, my mouth dropped!
And yeowza to this:
"...and I don't want to be part of the harem you seem to be setting up in town."
I mean, I could only imagine how Jamie was feeling in that moment. (Me personally, I would've been furious at the assumption and accusation!)
Okay...so we can see why she reacted the way she did. Poor girl. (Another reminder that once again we cannot judge when we don't know what is causing a person to behave a certain way. 🤦♀️ Oftentimes I ask myself, When will you learn Em? It's so hard. )
She left them to get out on their own and said boyfriend found that certain body parts like toes, fingers, and ahem others don't like freezing weather! Can anyone say frostbite?
^ROTFLOL!!! 🤣 Oohhhh my! Have to compose myself! LOL!
Don't blame Jamie in the least for his reaction. It was harsh, but then again so was what she said, so...
This here made me laugh also:
I barely know you well enough to suggest that, if I was willing to freeze my jewels off and publicly woohoo with a stranger.
The tension between them here, I am just soaking it up!
I'm glad Bekka feels a bit of remorse after that, it shows she is truly a good person and has a heart, but was just burned. You described this perfectly and I could totally visualize it:
She tries calling him back, but he throws his arm up in the air in dismissal and doesn't even turn around as he stalks away.
Aww, she wanted to run after him and apologize. Hopefully she'll learn some better insight about him and his integrity from Francesca for now.
LOVE her shirt! I'd like to know where you found that one if you remember. If not, no worries.
Cute kitties! (Calico! My favorite! ) But yeah, she's a pretty lady and I like the way you decorated her house from what I can see in the picture.
Poor Jamie. And I had no doubt Damien would sense some distress in him. Glad he liked the taste of his burnt marshmallow. Not me...
Cute how Jamie suggested Mary get a motorcycle. I rode on one once with a guy I was interested in back in college. It was kinda fun, but I didn't like that wind in my hair...only wrapping my arms around his waist. Golly I'd forgotten about that until now...
I still love that perfectly captured shot of Jamie looking so angry and frustrated at the firepit. 👍
Love the way you fixed up the café. And Cassidy looks so cute! You gave her a good makeover.
Liam looks very suave and sexy playing darts there.
Before going upstairs Mary reaches out and squeezes Damien's hands, thanking him for the delightful day. "It was another enjoyable day and a memorable one. I can't thank you enough."
"It was my pleasure to share this day with you, Mary."
She reaches out and hugs him, and he watches her go upstairs with a hopeful smile on his face.
^Awwwww! All I have to say about that. I can't wait for the day they kiss ever so passionately and he turns her human and they live happily ever after. However I will thoroughly enjoy reading about their journey in getting there.
And of course Bekka is still on Jamie's mind.
So FANTASTIC lady! I am once again hungry for more!
@bekkasan : 2 updates in a row!
I have to hurry to catch up.
Nice pictures of Mary and Damien snowboarding, good explanation of why Mary likes it although she can already fly.
I have to agree, the skirt in the snow doesn´t look very appropriate and functional, I would freeze like hell!
Unfortunately there aren´t many cute outfits for cold weather in the game, this skirt is used a lot by the game...
When I see Jamie in his biker´s outfit I freeze again, I always need a scarf for my neck, his bare neck makes me shiver! Brrrr!
I like your version of the overlook, it´s so colorful! The overlook is a bit sparsely decorated from the beginning.
Damien and Mary get along together quite good! She seems to get more and more comfortable in his company! Great that she grabs his hands, that´s a massive progress of her!
🐸🐸🐸🐸, Damien looks very good in this picture!
Cassidy and Liam are a cute couple, you did a very good job on her outfit!
Looks as if Jamie has a stalker! She looks interesting, although you don´t show her face at the beginning. Interesting hair color!
So, the stalker´s name is Bekka, aha!
He likes her, aww! She looks sweet! Poor girl, being cheated by her friend the year before in an igloo!
Stupid Jamie! How can he ask such a question???? If he had asked this question with the same words to me I would have asked him politely if he was crazy or stupid! You know I have a slightly crush on him but here he was very stupid in my view!
He didn´t mean it suggestive, but she doesn´t know him so of course she had to interpret his words like that! She overreacted, of course, too, but his question was really bad timing! He behaved like an elephant in a china shop as we say in German! Men!!
I´m a bit sorry for Bekka that he didn´t give her the chance to apologize. But it seems as if he can´t be angry on her for too long, Good so!
Looking forward for their love story as well as Damien and Mary´s!
@emorrill Thanks so much for your comments. I always enjoy reading what you are thinking when you are reading my stories!
Is that a hint you want a shirtless picture of Damien cooking?
I will try to oblige you.
I think that one was Winnie something or other in that long skirt. Alisha wears one too.
I love how the rainbows pop up so often in HS's. Not seeing them in DV though. Wonder why!
I couldn't believe what Bert was wearing but I left his sleazy bu tt in it.
I tried my best to make it strawberry blond but yea, in some light it looks a little reddish. I should go back into cas and try again.
lol, your comment about her comment about the snow. Next time you send me a message about the snow in your town and having to shovel it etc I'm gonna remind you about that comment!
So, I surprised you with Bekka's reaction?
I really had fun writing that part. I wondered what the reactions would be and it has been varied on the other thread.
I needed that tension so I wouldn't let her explain!
@alexakry Well, it was really one update, but was way too many pictures (36) to put in one post! Thanks so much for your comments! I love reading them.
I really love the snowboarding and am happy to have it back in my game!
I can't stand those plain venues and have to fix them up with fun things for sims to do.
Yes, they are getting more comfortable with each other and Mary seeks him out when I am controlling others.
Jamie didn't mean anything suggestive by his question. He didn't even suggest anything suggestive. He had no way of knowing what her past was either. Remember, he is new to town. She really jumped to conclusions based on her past and her assumptions that she had seen him flirting with women all over town.
Why wouldn't sims want to crawl inside and check out the igloo they just built. I would!
I think EA made the igloo's 'dirty' in simmers minds by allowing woohoo in them.
I actually had a survival story once and my two sims lived in the igloo most of the winter. They didn't have a house.
I needed the tension between them so I wouldn't let her explain. I love watching the sparks fly between my redheaded Jamie and Bekka who is supposed to be strawberry blondish. In some of the light, it looks kinda red though.
Damien sits on the floor and plays with Lia for a bit before starting his day. Lia pulls the birdie down and lets it go. The toy springs up and down making a whistling sound as Lia bats at it trying to capture it again. Damien laughs at her antics.
He finally gets up off the floor and reads the paper. The paper has published his findings in the death of Mary Kendall. The editor has spoken with the local police department. The chief of police issued an official statement that an investigation is underway in both her death and the police department's culpability in the investigation. He contacts the editor to thank him for publishing the article. The editor assures Damien they will stay on top of the investigation and make sure nothing gets swept under the rug this time. "I may have another story for you soon regarding a murder that was disguised as a drowning. I hope to be collecting the last pieces of proof soon."
"I would like to send my journalist with you?" asks the editor. "We may need to interview your sources for the story."
“I’m sorry, you likely wouldn't believe me if I did divulge my sources. I would rather wait until I have the absolute proof. I don't want the murderer to be tipped off accidentally and escape." Damien chuckles thinking about a journalist meeting Betty and the ensuing conversation.
Mary slept in for a change and awakened well-rested. She enjoys a quick breakfast and goes back to her room and makes a few adjustments to her brain-enhancing machine. She is hoping the new tunings will allow her to identify exactly what makes her different from the other ghosts and possibly repair it, so she can become human again.
Lia captures her toy mouse and decides she is ready to try to grab a real critter. She stalks around the yard scenting her prey and delivers a sneak attack! The fight is on. Alas, her inexperience rules against her. The battle is lost.
Damien visits the local junkyard to examine Betty's boat. The insurance investigator met him at the lot. The submerged boat had been salvaged and taken to the yard. Examining the wreckage carefully, he collects a few samples. He opens the live well and makes an interesting discovery. A lead pipe. The insurance man is shocked by the find. They both carefully photograph Damiens discovery and it is placed in an evidence bag. They deliver the samples and the lead pipe to the science facility for analysis. By late afternoon he receives some preliminary results. The remnants of the cushions were contaminated with fuel and the fuel is not marine fuel. It is standard fuel used in lawnmowers. There is one set of prints on the pipe and old blood was found on the pipe as well. Damien calls the insurance investigator and he will have the samples and pipe taken to the police lab for further study.
His next destination is the former home of Betty. He observes a car in the driveway and settles behind some bushes to observe. He watches as a man goes in and out of the back of the house. He is hauling loads out but going back empty-handed. "I guess I'm going to have to come back after dark and hope no one is home."
Now that the holiday is over Liam was able to complete his findings from his examination of Mary. They settle in the living area to discuss his findings. Mary had asked Damien and Jamie to stay and hear what Liam has to say.
“Mary, you are not at all typical of the average ghost I’ve tested over the last few years. I had already determined that you were different, but the new tests definitely confirm it. Your ectoplasm is very different from the other ghosts I've examined. Somehow after your death, your spirit was trapped, and you didn’t move on. At the same time, you are only able to be on this plane in winter, and that is very different from other ghosts or spirits. Even the ghosts tied to the ghost gnomes are around most of the time. Most other ghosts have free will and can return to the netherworld if they desire. You are bound to the whims of Fate it seems. The reason is only known to the Fates. They apparently desire something for you or from you.”
Liam takes a deep breath worried that Mary will be upset as she was in his office. The others shift in their chairs waiting for what else he has to inform them.
Mary looks at him and shrugs. “I’ve railed at the Fates every year when I’ve returned wondering why they are doing this to me. They don’t answer.”
Liam is happy that Mary is much calmer now and not upset and crying.
“I spoke to an ancient fae here in town to obtain his opinion. He thinks you’ve been selected by the Fates but for what purpose we don’t know. I’ve initiated a search on the computers at my lab on the Fates and what it means to be bound by them. Many of the ancient texts have been imputed into the computer systems over the last few years. It will be a faster search than trying to read the texts myself. If the search does not give a specific answer, I am hoping it will at least lead us in a new direction.
Lia, tired of all the talking going on and wanting some attention, jumps into Damien’s lap. They all laugh and smile at her antics.
Mary describes to Liam her adjustments on the brain enhancing machine and what she expects to discover and be able to accomplish with the machine. Liam thinks they should examine several types of ghosts on the device. Ned volunteers to be the first and they set him up for the scan. All goes well with the test and Ned’s scan is complete. The machine continues working even after Ned is allowed up. The data from the scan are automatically correlated with the parameters set up by Mary. It will continue working for several hours before the next subject can be scanned. Liam will have a few of the local ghosts come by the house for testing over the next several days. He plans to return to perform the testing on Mary, who will be tested last.
Mary and Damien enjoy ice cream as they talk about his visit to the junkyard and plans to search Betty's house. Jamie arrives back from his last job of the night and grabs some leftovers out of the fridge. They sit with him as he eats. Jamie is a little concerned about how Mary is handling things given her history. "Mary, you seem to be okay that Liam didn't find anything specific to help you."
"I am hopeful that with all of us working towards the common goal that we will find something. My anger, rage, and misbehavior were not productive at all. I hope I've left that all behind me. I'm not going to give up on my dream. I am going to live as best I can while working towards that dream.
Jamie finishes his meal and sets his fork down. "That was delicious. Thanks for saving me a plate Damien. The books my brother sent finally arrived, as well as my other things. I will start going through them. A few are quite old and rare so might have the information we can use."
@bekkasan Alright, first thing this morning I'm giving my comments. OMGosh those pictures of Damien watching Lia play with the birdie toy is SO adorable.
Yes! The Police have officially reopened Mary's case! What a joy and relief that must be for her and Damien both.
“I’m sorry, you likely wouldn't believe me if I did divulge my sources. I would rather wait until I have the absolute proof. I don't want the murderer to be tipped off accidentally and escape." Damien chuckles thinking about a journalist meeting Betty and the ensuing conversation.
^Ha ha! Seriously!
(Perfect face expression you captured of him saying that. 😄 )
That was very wise and thoughtful on Damien's part to say. He's a great PI.
I really hope the adjustments Mary makes to the machine will help them figure out what sets her apart from other ghosts. 👍 And cute that she was giving the Parrot some attention too and cleaning his cage. (Can't believe I'm forgetting his name at the moment. )
Awwwww! This picture!
Sorry she lost the fight while on the hunt. Poor baby.
A lead pipe in Betty's sunken boat? Hmmm.... 🤔 Suspicious. I bet the prints on it are Betty's husbands and the blood is hers! Seriously, like I said earlier you wrote this all so well and I am impressed! (Kinda a little jealous of your writing skills in this area. You rock! )
Oh boy, I wonder what Damien will discover spying on the current house residents in Betty's old house. The plot thickens!
So Liam confirms that Mary is indeed a very different ghost from the others and there's really nothing he can do on his end. Definitely some kind of divine reason behind it.
I'm so proud of Mary for being able to keep her emotions in check at the news. She's growing as a person (thanks to Damien's love and friendship. ) Great character development.
Mary looks at him and shrugs. “I’ve railed at the Fates every year when I’ve returned wondering why they are doing this to me. They don’t answer.”
^Railed <--- I like that word. Haven't seen it used much. I love learning new words!
Oooh who's this ancient Fae in town? Yup, it sounds like Mary has to do her best to trust in a Fates and figure out their reasoning for all this. (So much easier said than done... *Insert text conversation we had yesterday* )
Lia's smiling face there in Damien's lap! SO cute! Even Jamie is looking down at her thinking the same.
Glad all went well with Ned in trying out the upgrade to the Brain Enhancing Machine. 👍 That's good news! 🤞
Hee hee, I've always loved when the tester does this. You can almost hear the evil laugh. (Though I know there's not one coming from sweet Liam. To me it's an expression of anticipation and hope.)
"I am hopeful that with all of us working towards the common goal that we will find something. My anger, rage, and misbehavior were not productive at all. I hope I've left that all behind me. I'm not going to give up on my dream. I am going to live as best I can while working towards that dream."
^Yay Mary! 🙌 I'm so proud of her. I know Damien and Jamie are too. They got this! Together!
I was kinda hoping Jamie would bring up Bekka at the table. But, I guess that's being saved for another Chapter.
Like I said before, freaking awesome chapter and very well written! You nailed it lady! I can't wait for more!
@bekkasan Cute pictures of Damien and Lia playing .
Awesome that they are investigating Mary's death again, thanks to Damien.
It might not be the best idea to invite the editor to talk to Betty, lol .
Lia looks adorable with the toy mouse .
Sounds like Betty's husband will be in trouble soon...
Men don't usually like seeing women cry and get upset, lol.
Liam can't be much of help for Mary then . What a shame, but Mary is taking it well. I wonder what purpose the Fates have in my mind for her.
Those are cute poses of Lia jumping on Damien's lap and Damien reacting to her.
I hope the brain enhancing machine will bring some interesting results.
I'm glad Mary has decided to enjoy her life as much as she can while hoping to achieve her goal, and that she's now accepting and appreciating the help that she gets.
@bekkasan : Great update!
I like the picture of Damian playing with Lia, she got a lot of self-confidence from playing it seems! Shame that she couldn´t get her first prey, especially because she went out in the snow for catching something. No wonder she needed some cuddles from Damian later.
I like the happy smile of hers when she made it to his lap.
Great that Mary decided to live more happily! This will help her to become human again, I hope. I really wonder what is different with her.... Good that she got so much exccelent help now. (Liam looks so sweet whith his skinny legs in his short pants, especially when it´s winter outside )
So Betty died not long ago? I really thought that she was a much older ghost, given how she speaks.
So Mary eats ice cream? I hope she doesn´t freeze herself to death because of it!
I hope they´ll finde a cure soon, how long does winter lasts until she has to go again? Will be enough time left?
@emorrill Thanks so much for your comments! I do understand not commenting that late at night! hehe, I was sleeping!
I kinda thought you would like Damien playing with Lia and the toy. He had such cute expressions.
I'm surprised you forgot the parrot's name too! hehe, Sherlock!
Can you tell I'm loving having pets back in my game?! I love the things they will do and sometimes it can kinda mess up a planned action by one of the others. lol
Luckily, Damien already knows who is guilty from his conversation with Betty previously. He just has to find the proof.
I'm old...I can teach you lots of old words not used today! LOL, I find myself deleting some things I type and going to the thesaurus. But, that word seemed to fit Mary since she is from a different era. By the same token, I often have to look up things I read that have new slang to figure out what someone means.
hehe, we were having that convo while I was writing that scene!
I thought about adding Jamie and Damien talking about Bekka, but so much was happening that it didn't seem the right time. I had to delete a couple of pictures I had of Jamie working the chapter was so long! I will use them later. They are too cool not to use. The night is still not over for them! Besides, I see Jamie as more the caregiver type, rather than the one to reach out to get help for himself. Does that make sense?
@meerkattime Thanks so much for reading and commenting on the story!
Yes, science is not working very well for them. Perhaps Liam's search on the Fates will help?
I'm hoping Jamie will find something in his treasured and rare volumes of supernatural.
Mary is so much happier now that she has let go of the rage and anger she was filled with.
It will be interesting to see how she responds to further trials as the search continues.
@DeafSimmer Thanks so much for reading the story and commenting. I'm glad you are enjoying the story. It's definitely a favorite of mine. I'm happy to see you posting again in the other thread as well.
@AlexaKry Thanks so much for commenting! I really appreciate it.
That was such an adorable moment for him to sit down to play with Lia and that toy. I probably took 15 pictures! lol
She is not very high in hunting skill yet so gets a lot of maple leaves, candy wrappers, and snakeskins. Lol, it is so fun to watch her hunting as she stalks through the deep snow. Sometimes you barely see her ears poking up, just the trail of her body.
hehe, I love Liam and those shorts are just so perfectly nerdy for him to be wearing in winter. I'm not even tempted to change him in the slightest. If SP doesn't marry him with his current girlfriend I will be tempted to do it! He had another girl at the beginning of the story assigned by SP but they broke up.
Betty was a young adult ghost, but I changed her for the story. She kinda looked old in her ghost form with that hair so I just went with it. Her name wasn't Betty either but I thought she looked more like a Betty. LOL! So, I'm trying to portray her as an elderly lady who was taken advantage of by a con man. Since I don't really like the elderly body I left her as she was. That would be awesome if someone could break EA elder code and fix elder bodies where they are not sagging and baggy and all the same. In some of my older stories, I would not advance a sim to the elder stage when they were supposed to have a birthday. I aged them by adding age lines and adjusting their appearance a bit in CAS and extended their adult stage.
hehe, yes, Mary loves ice cream.
There are approximately 3 more weeks of winter in the story. Given that one day can take 3 chapters....it could last forever.
Jamie is relaxing on the bed, reading one of his rare books about the spirit world when he gets an emergency call from the science lab. They need him to take care of some ghosts that are terrorizing a family in town. On the way out he notices Damien closing his safe. Lock picks, evidence bags and gloves are sitting on his desk. "You're not planning a little B and E without me are you? My job shouldn't take more than 30 minutes."
Damien jots an address down on a sticky note and tucks it into Jamie's front pocket. "Meet me at this address when you complete your job."
Jamie waves his hand and rushes out the door. "Sure thing boss!"
Jamie arrives at the home and finds two incredibly ancient ghosts. They are dressed in coarse foul-smelling ragged animal furs. The home owner tells him he was experimenting with a time machine and apparently these ghosts came back with him. Neither ghost is willing to talk to Jamie or go back to the netherworld. They both argue and mock Jamie, taunting him to do his best. "ok, you asked for it. I'm the best there's ever been." Jamie takes out his spirit collecting device and quickly captures them and hopes that Liam will have better luck with them.
Damien is preparing to leave the house to investigate Betty's former home. Mary floats into the room.
"Hey, wait for me!" she exclaims. "I'm coming with you. This seems like a dangerous thing for you to be doing alone."
Damien is encouraged by her concern for his safety. "I appreciate your offer. I've been doing this kind of thing for a long time and don't take chances. Jamie is meeting me there."
"I'm still coming with you. I can be your lookout."
"To tell the truth, that is a great idea." She rides on the back of his motorcycle enjoying the sensations of her arms around Damien as they roar across town. Damien enjoys the ride as well feeling her arms around his waist. As he executes the turns, she clutches a little tighter. He looks forward to the ride back up the mountain and he plans to take the long, winding route. He stops a block or so away from the house and they hike the rest of the way on foot.
The car is not in the driveway tonight, and Damien hopes he will be gone long enough that they can complete the search. Jamie arrives to help while Damien is going through the mail in the mailbox. They discuss what to do if Mary spots anyone approaching the house. Mary remains outside while Damien and Jamie enter the house. "You search the downstairs Jamie, and I will take the upstairs. Try being fast but thorough."
Jamie searches the ground floor. The walls are stark and bare. There are no pictures or nick knacks around the house. The furniture is all that is left. It doesn't take long for Jamie to check under cushions and in closets since the house is so empty. He goes into the kitchen and looks in the cupboards and finally searches the trash compactor. "Phew, what a nasty job. I think it has been months since they emptied this thing!", he complains to himself. Luckily he found a couple of bags under the sink, so he can put the refuse in a bag as he takes it out. He uses the other bag as a covering to keep his gloves from becoming soiled. He is rewarded with several computerized receipts towards the bottom of the compactor. They are slightly soiled but still legible. He photographs them in place and then places them in an envelope. He completes the search and does not find anything else of value. He makes one last circuit of the rooms.
Damien discovers the upstairs is empty as well. Nothing of value remains in the house except a computer on the desk in the master bedroom and some men's clothing in the closet. He quickly hacks into the computer inserting the drive he brought with him. The contents are downloaded to go through at his leisure and safety at home.
Damien searches the dumpster he saw the man throwing stuff into. It is full of photos and nick knacks that must have meant something to Betty and her children. He calls a contact and arranges to have the dumpster removed and an empty one put in its place. He will notify Betty's children to see if they want to salvage any of the things that have been thrown out. At least the dumpster appears clean, and no garbage was tossed in it.
The search is completed and luckily they were not discovered. The diner is close by, and they warm up and enjoy a late snack. Adrenaline and investigating can stir up an appetite. There are a few others in the diner, and Mary recognizes Cassie, Liam's girlfriend. She stands and places her hand on Damien's. "I'm going to talk with Cassie for a few minutes."
Damien squeezes her hand and smiles up at her. "Take your time. We will be right here."
Jamie watches Mary walk across the room. "Mary seems much more comfortable talking to people. Not a single person in the room even blinked when she came in with us." Jamie briefs him about the receipts he found and hands the envelope over. Damien tucks it into the inner pocket of his coat. "I'll look at them at the house. I hope they help us out or something on the computer does. It's challenging to discover proof this many months after her death. We have some excellent circumstantial evidence with the will he produced being different from the original one. The signature has been evaluated by an expert, and the report came this morning. It is fake."
Damien looks over at Jamie and he can tell something is still bothering his friend. "So, what's got you all uptight? Do you want to talk about it?
Jamie shrugs. "I don't know if it will do any good but I know you will keep bugging me until I tell you."
Damien snorts. "Hey, I'm not Dr. Phil if you don't want to talk to me that's fine!"
Jamie rolls his eyes at Damien. "So, not Dr Phil, I met someone at the park, and she kinda got the wrong impression about me. We had words over it. I'm still trying to figure out how it all blew up because we were having fun getting to know each other, laughing and talking. She seemed shy and a little sad but turned into a passionate little firebrand. It really was awesome to see once I thought about it. Not particularly awesome at the time, though. I was very upset when she thought I was a creep. I set her straight on that! Possibly a little harshly. Damien, she has the cutest freckles on her face, and her hair is strawberry blond and she apparently has a fiery temper to match that beautiful hair. I felt this instant connection to her when we met."
Jamie doesn't realize how expressive his face is when describing the incident to Damien. They have been best friends since they were toddlers in daycare together. Jamie loves the ladies but he treats them all as friends. He has never had a serious relationship. He always told Damien he would know when he met the right one. Jamie has always been absolutely honest with ladies he dated about keeping things friendly. Has Jamie finally met the right one? "Do you know where she lives? Perhaps you should visit her and try to talk things out."
"Yep, I'm going to talk to Francesca tomorrow. She is the one that introduced us so I am certain she knows where she lives. Hopefully, she will tell me. I feel terrible because I think she was going to apologize when she saw how upset I was, but I walked off and didn't give her a chance."
"Give her a chance if you can find her tomorrow. Keep a lid on your own fiery temper, my friend."
Jamie blushes and nods in agreement just as Mary walks back over yawning as she gets closer to the table. "Guys, I'm beat. I'm not used to being up all day and all night too." Damien pays for their snacks and drinks. He helps Mary on the motorcycle. They ride to the house with Mary snuggled into his back holding on tightly as he takes the long, winding road back up the mountain.
This picture made me giggle! Their outfits are so conspiratorially!
So, they actually broke into a house? Hopefully they don´t left some lead to chase them!
Hehehe, Damien planning the long way back, such a clever fox! Just to get some morer hugs of Mary! Sweet!
So Jamie has the girl on his mind still! Does he really think that a visit at her house will be a good idea? Wouldn´t it be better to meet her on neutral ground? It seems that she has some problems, he has to be very sensitive to get near to her heart, I believe.
Damien and Jamie are such good and long friends, I think it´s adorable that they have such a good bond to each other and that they are talking about their feelings with each other. They can be happy to have each other!
They even notice changing behavior on others, not so often with men. (Sorry boys )
Great that Mary opens up to others, it´s so good for her to make some friends.
love the Neanderthal ghosts and their appearance, especially their smelling and their archaic behavior! I wonder what Liam can do for them.
Looking forward to the next update, I hope Jamie will get a new start with the freckled, strawberry blonde girl!
@AlexaKry Thanks so much for commenting! I'm glad their outfits made you giggle. Even though I colored Mary's stuff all dark she still shines like a bright light in the dark. I think that hat is just too funny!
I had fun with them in this chapter. I just wish she could have really rode on the cycle with him. Wouldn't that be so cool!
Those ghosts totally surprised me. I'd only come across a couple other human ghosts since he's been doing the hunting. Usually they are just the spirit type.
I've known a couple of guys that have a really tight bond and look out for each other. I kinda see Jamie and Damien with that kind of friendship.
I think Jamie wants to see her quickly because he feels bad for not letting her explain at the park. He also wants to see if that connection he felt was real.
@bekkasan I like how this chapter starts out with a picture of Jamie in his boxers lounging on his bed and reading a book. Very nice. Love the fireplace in his room too. It's pretty.
I can't believe I actually had to look up what "a little B and E" means. 🤦♀️ I freaking studied Criminal Justice in college for crying out loud!
I'm worried about them breaking into the house, however I get the feeling you wouldn't allow anything bad to happen to them.
Neanderthal ghosts.
They both argue and mock Jamie, taunting him to do his best. "ok, you asked for it. I'm the best there's ever been."
^A line in "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" comes to my mind here.
Aww, Mary wants to come along with Damien to investigate. That hat she's wearing! (I don't even think I have that one in my game...) She could definitely do some spying that they wouldn't be able to do, especially if this guy returns home during their investigating.
He looks forward to the ride back up the mountain and he plans to take the long, winding route.
^Hee hee. Smart (and smitten) Damien. Love it!
Gosh the snow looks beautiful. (Forgive me, I'm missing it here. We've had such a drought... )
Months since they emptied the trash? Gross... 🤢
Makes sense for Jamie to take the trash for them to look through, but I worry about the guy coming back to the house and noticing that the trash was taken out and realize...someone broke in.
Glad Damien was able to get some info from the computer. Hope it's helpful. 👍 It was sweet of him to contact Betty's family and see if there's anything of family value in the trash they would like to keep.
Mary recognizes Cassie, Liam's girlfriend. She stands and places her hand on Damien's. "I'm going to talk with Cassie for a few minutes."
Damien squeezes her hand and smiles up at her. "Take your time. We will be right here."
^Aww, he holds her hand and talks to her like she's his girl. Are they officially a couple yet? Have they decided on that?
It's nice to see Mary's coming out of her shell and socializing and making friends.
Dr. Phil.
Yay, Jamie is opening up to Damien about Bekka!
Aww, he recognized that Bekka felt bad saying what she did. I have a feeling that once he finds Bekka the apology will go well and she will become the girl he's been waiting his whole life for. (Honestly with how cute he is, I'm surprised he's never been in a serious relationship before. )
I can't wait for more!
@ciane Thanks so much for letting me know that you love my story!
@emorrill Thanks so much for your comments. hehe, I thought you might like that shot of Jamie.
I've watched and read too many mysteries and cop procedurals in my life, so I didn't think that B and E would confuse folks. Sorry 'bout that!
So, yes, that is where that line comes from. Second time Jamie has used it and it probably won't be that last. He is very self assured and a bit of a braggart about his abilities with his ghost hunting.
The hat and the outfit she was wearing came from the Russian set. here
Jamie didn't take the trash, just the receipts.
They are not officially a couple yet. You will know when that happens. Damien is still not rushing things, but he better get his cute little tush in gear soon!!
I think his soul already recognizes her as his. That is why it is important for him to find her and have that conversation with her.
@bekkasan I love the blanket on Jamie's bed. Cute pattern!
Lol @ those ghosts lost in the wrong time. Maybe they don't even speak the same language so they couldn't have a chat with Jamie even if they wanted to .
I hope they are not going to get caught while exploring Betty's old house. Sounds like a risky task! Good thing Mary wanted to help.
Mary's got an interesting hat .
I like the way you described their ride. Too funny Damien chose the long route to continue enjoying Mary's arms around him .
I wonder what was in those receipts Jamie found.
Good job hacking the computer, Damien! Hopefully Betty's husband has left something important on it.
I'm glad Damien managed to rescue some photos and other stuff from the garbage.
Mary has changed a lot - good to see her making friends.
Yay, Jamie is talking about Bekka ! He must meet her again and let her apologise! It's a good sign he feels guilty about not having given her a chance.
Hmm, I wonder how Bekka takes it if Jamie will just suddenly appear on her door - there is a little chance she thinks it's creepy, but I hope that's not the case.
I think there is a good chance Bekka is the right girl for Jamie .
@meerkattime Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
I love the patterns that look like quilts.
Ya know, I didn't even think about the language barrier. Of course, that male ghost was definitely taunting him with the naNAnaNAnaaaa animation.
All will be revealed on the clues soon.
Yes, Jamie wants to see her again for sure.
Bekka is up early the next morning having slept fitfully. She has a bowl of yogurt and cleans the kitchen. Her little kitten Rani meows a good morning while making tracks to the food bowls. Bekka is still upset about what happened at the park. While washing up the dishes, she replays what happened in her mind. ‘We were having so much fun! I was about to crawl inside the igloo we had built. Jamie asked if I wanted to see how warm and comfortable it was inside. Suddenly I’m seeing that 🐸🐸🐸🐸 ex of mine and the floozy woohooing in that igloo! I lost it completely and yelled at the poor guy and accused him of awful things with no proof that he is that type of person. I seem to have no control over my mouth or temper anymore. He was correct I jumped to some awful conclusions. I don’t blame him at all for being mad and yelling back. I deserved it and so much more. It’s times like this I miss my parents more than anything. I wonder if Godmother will be up this early. I expect so. She is very organized.’
Bekka finishes getting ready for the day, making sure there is plenty of food and water for her cats. She picks up Sari and gives her smooches and love and starts her ride down the mountain to her Godmother’s house.
Bekka greets her Godmother, Catarina Vanderburg and is invited back to her home office to chat privately. Explaining what happened to her yesterday is difficult but she knows Catarina is the one person who won’t judge her harshly and will find her the help she needs to manage her anger. She’s had other incidents but none as bad as this one and she tells them all. Catarina knows Bekka has had a rough time this year and has been keeping to herself since the breakup. She hugs her, and they sit down and talk.
“First thing, you need to apologize to the young man. I know you already know that, so we won’t dwell on it. Secondly, here is the name of someone you can talk to who will help you channel your anger productively.” She hands Rebecca a card. “You have the right to be angry at times as long as it is not destructive to you and others. I know this next one is going to be the hardest. You need to forgive your ex. As long as you have that much anger inside of you towards him it will continue to fester and interfere with your life. Don’t let it ruin the rest of your life by holding on to those feelings.”
Rebecca is stunned, shocked and a little frightened by Catarina’s last comments. “I had not thought of it like that. By not letting go of those feelings, I'm letting him affect my life even though he is no longer a part of it. You are right, it is going to be very hard. I don’t think I can snap my fingers and make all that hurt and anger go away in an instant.”
“No, it won’t go away in an instant. The therapist will help you. We are always here to help you. Your Mom and Dad would want you to come to us anytime. Now, talk to Francesca this afternoon after your interview and see if she can help you find this young man.”
“Speaking of the interview I’ve got to get back home and gather my portfolio and drawings to take with me. Thank you so much! I love you, Godmother.”
Rebecca leaves and rides back up the mountain. She changes to clothes suitable for inspecting a home in need of renovation. She gathers her portfolio and stashes it in her saddlebag and drives to the job site.
Damien explains to Jamie and Mary that he must leave shortly to meet with the insurance investigator and Betty’s lawyer. “I was up most of the night going through the evidence and I need to get this information to them before that man skips town. The evidence we've collected is substantial."
“I will need you and Mary to show the designer around the house. She should be here any minute, and I can only stay a few minutes.”
Jamie and Mary both agree to show the designer around while Damien is gone.
A timely knock is heard at the door, and Damien introduces himself to the designer. “I’m Rebecca Danforth, owner of Rebecca Renovates..
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Danforth. I’m Damien Nazario. Please, come in. I want you to meet my friends who live with me.”
“Thank you, please call me Bekka.”
“And I am Damien.”
Bekka walks in the room looking forward to meeting the others. Damien seems pleasant, and she is excited about potentially being hired to renovate Spring Manor. Her steps falter as she spots Jamie from the park directly in front of her. Her first thought is ‘please just let the floor open up and send me to Shang Simla.’ Her second thought is ‘omg, he is smiling at me and that adorable dimple is beckoning me again.’ She glances at Damien who is looking between Bekka and Jamie.
Damien notices Jamie has a huge smile on his face and he is actually blushing. He looks at Bekka, and she is blushing as well. Well, they don’t call him a detective for nothing. Damien puts two and two together and figures Rebecca is the girl from the park. Apparently, neither one of them is saying anything.
“Bekka, I would like for you to meet Jamie McNeil and Mary Kendall. Jamie is my best friend and Mary has lived in this house off and on during the winters. She can probably answer most of the questions you might have about the history of the house. Jamie and Mary, this is Rebecca Danforth, the owner of Rebecca Renovates.
“Let’s all go have a seat.” Mary ushers Rebecca over to a seat while Damien quickly asks Jamie, “Is she the one from the park?”
Jamie nods and takes a seat in the chair next to Rebecca.
Damien explains his ideas to Rebecca on the renovation. “Jamie and I had planned to do most of the work ourselves. I am busy with investigations, and Jamie is tireless with his job as well as helping me. I absolutely need someone to help organize and develop the renovations. We can still help out if things slow down or if we need to perform the work to cut costs.”
Rebecca explains her qualifications and expresses her excitement for working on the project. "I would like a tour of the house and look through your notes and ideas. I will develop some ideas for the renovation and present it to you in a few days." He provides her copies of all his notes and plans that he had written out.
“I'm afraid I have another appointment. Jamie and Mary will show you around and answer your questions. I will be back in a few hours so if you are still here I could answer any questions at that time. Jamie has heard me talk about this house for years though and should be able to fill you in on anything not in my notes.”
Damien takes Mary aside. “Can you make an excuse and leave those two alone for fifteen or twenty minutes?”
“Sure, I’ve got an experiment to check in the attic. You will tell me why later right?” Mary grins up at him.
“Thank you! Yes, I will tell you later.” Damien reaches over and hugs her shoulders and kisses her cheek before rushing out the door.
Mary touches her cheek and watches him leave smiling with pleasure.
Jamie leads Bekka into the kitchen thinking Mary will be right behind them. "I've got my work cut out for me here! Does Damien like cooking?” She thumbs through Damien's notes looking for comments about the kitchen.
"Yes, Damien cooks.”
“Will Mary be living here?”
“Yes.”
Mary calls out that she is going up to the attic to check on an experiment and will join them shortly. “I don’t want to burn the house down.”
Damien finds his way to the conference room set up in the insurance office. He sets up his evidence in the case and reviews it with the team assembled by the investigator from the insurance company.
The will presented by the husband was faked. The signatures do not match.
The blood on the lead pipe matches Betty’s based on her autopsy report and lab reports.
The fingerprints on the pipe match a known con artist named Billy Jenkins whose mugshot looks just like Betty’s husband Bob.
The cushions on the boat were soaked in standard fuel not marine fuel.
Betty’s autopsy toxic screen shows she was sedated heavily at the time of the accident.
The injury to her skull and brain found on autopsy showed bleeding. It had to have happened prior to the drowning. Once the coroner examined the pipe, he agreed it was consistent with the injury.
The experts agree no one could have survived the accident considering the extent of damage that was done to the boat. Bob survived without a scratch saying he was thrown off the boat. They conclude it was impossible.
The receipt found in the trash was for scuba diving equipment and lessons.
Banking records from his computer show payments to a local storage facility. The police officer executed a search warrant on the facility and recovered scuba equipment as well as Betty’s jewels and other valuables taken from the house.
The police contact the judicial officer and a warrant for the arrest of Bob Banes, aka Billy Jenkins has been issued for the murder of Betty Banes.
Damien packs up his files and prepares to return home. He hopes that Betty will be able to move forward once she knows that Bob will pay for what he did to her and her children. He will talk to Betty first and then make an appointment to visit her son and daughter.
@bekkasan Thanks for the reply comments.
No worries about the B and E thing.
Are you proud of me for nailing down where that line came from?
Sorry I thought that Jamie took the entire trash. My brain lately...
You surprised me with a new Chapter tonight. (Sorry I got busy this evening again...)
I'm ready to rock n roll! Excited to find out what happens next!
Ha ha, what word got censored there with the hearts?
Poor Bekka, it's how we all feel when we realize we messed up. I'm glad she recognized that and wants to make things right. It means when Jamie finds her their conversation should go well. :blushed:
I can't remember if I said this earlier, but I find it no coinky-di'nk (coincidence ) that she likes to ride a motorcycle like Jamie does.
Oh Catarina is her Godmother? Interesting...
“You have the right to be angry at times as long as it is not destructive to you and others. I know this next one is going to be the hardest. You need to forgive your ex. As long as you have that much anger inside of you towards him it will continue to fester and interfere with your life. Don’t let it ruin the rest of your life by holding on to those feelings.”
^Yes! 🙌 Wise words of wisdom right there. For all of us.
Oooh, might Bekka run into Jamie during her next job?
“I will need you and Mary to show the designer around the house. She should be here any minute, and I can only stay a few minutes.”
^Hee hee hee! I guessed it!
I have to say real quick that I LOVE Bekka's pulled back hair and the long bangs that frame her face. So pretty.
Anyway!
Bekka walks in the room looking forward to meeting the others. Damien seems pleasant, and she is excited about potentially being hired to renovate Spring Manor. Her steps falter as she spots Jamie from the park directly in front of her. Her first thought is ‘please just let the floor open up and send me to Shang Simla.’ Her second thought is ‘omg, he is smiling at me and that adorable dimple is beckoning me again.’ She glances at Damien who is looking between Bekka and Jamie.
Damien notices Jamie has a huge smile on his face and he is actually blushing. He looks at Bekka, and she is blushing as well. Well, they don’t call him a detective for nothing. Damien puts two and two together and figures Rebecca is the girl from the park. Apparently, neither one of them is saying anything...
...“Let’s all go have a seat.” Mary ushers Rebecca over to a seat while Damien quickly asks Jamie, “Is she the one from the park?”
^OMGOSH I was soaking this all up! I was laughing too. I LOVE it!
Ah! You showed a pic of them getting hearts! *squeal* (And Mary's all like, "Let's get down to business already!" )
Once Damien leaves I can totally imagine Jamie and Bekka feeling pits in their stomachs.
So sweet of Damien to ask Mary to give the two a few minutes alone so they can patch things up. He's such a good man. Aww, and he kissed her on the cheek!
Awwwww, I was anxious to read about Jamie and Bekka's chat!
Solid evidence. 👍👍 You GO Damien! (And oh my gosh how sexy professional he looks standing there looking at the board and explaining everything. Woo! Great picture! )
Case closed! I'm happy that Betty will be able to rest in peace now and that her horrible husband will get what he deserves!
This chapter was GREAT! More soon please! Very very soon!
Comments
A Memorable Day, part 2
Jamie wants to get to know Bekka better and invites her to help him construct an igloo. Working together it is built in record time. Bekka seems shy and a little bit sad to Jamie. She doesn't seem to want to talk about herself. She answers briefly and changes the subject off of her. Jamie tries to draw her out by asking questions about growing up in Hidden Springs and has she gotten tired of the snow.
"Oh, no!" She tells him. "I love it here. I don't know if I could live anywhere else. This will always be home. I love our long winters, and the snow doesn't bother me."
He talks about some of the fun times he had growing up in Riverview and how he travels around with his job. When they finish building the igloo, he grins up at her and innocently tells her they should see how warm and comfortable it is inside the igloo.
Jamie is shocked at how quickly Bekka changes from a shy young woman to an angry offended one. "How dare you suggest that to me! I'm not woohooing with you in an igloo!" she exclaims in an outraged voice. "I am not that kind of girl and I don't want to be part of the harem you seem to be setting up in town. I've seen you around town flirting with so many other females including a few of the married women!"
Bekka's knowledge of what can happen inside of an igloo stems from last winter. She discovered her boyfriend in an igloo at one of the town parks, naked as the day he was born with a tourist who was also naked. They were so busy they didn't notice her at first until she shrieked. Bekka gained her revenge. While they were trying to get dressed, she used her knowledge as an architect and quickly damaged a few areas of the igloo. It came crashing down and blocked the exit. She left them to get out on their own and said boyfriend found that certain body parts like toes, fingers, and ahem others don't like freezing weather! Can anyone say frostbite? Luckily, neither were seriously hurt and no one suspected the igloo crash was related to her tampering. Bekka has a hard time trusting men since then and has not dated at all.
She finally slows down long enough for Jamie to respond back. "How dare you accuse me of something like that! I was definitely not suggesting anything like what you are apparently imagining. I barely know you well enough to suggest that, if I was willing to freeze my jewels off and publicly woohoo with a stranger. You've got some peculiar idea's lady! When Francesca introduced us, I thought you would be a delightful person to get to know. You are a beautiful woman but apparently have some issues that I would rather not deal with. As far as encountering women around town. I expect I've met as many women as men in town. I'm new here and trying to get to know people. I plan on making this town my home and base for my business. Are you some kind of stalker following me around and examining my interactions with people? You don't have to worry about seeing me again. I'll stay out of your way, and you stay out of mine."
Jamie turns and leaves before she has a chance to respond back to him. Jamie might be a charmer and at times a jokester. He might be a little arrogant about being excellent at his job but he is not the type of man to suggest what she imagined. He is also not allowing anyone to imply he would. He doesn't understand why she would think that of him. He is still distressed and figures he better leave before he says anything else that would make the situation worse. He cannot believe how angry her comments made him. He was very attracted to her before all that. He takes several deep breaths as he tries to calm down before getting on his motorcycle.
Bekka turns bright red with embarrassment and shame. She tries calling him back, but he throws his arm up in the air in dismissal and doesn't even turn around as he stalks away. She cannot believe all that came out of her mouth. Obviously what happened last year still bothers her more than she realizes. Bekka wants to run after him and plead for him to listen to her and apologize for what was said and thought. She hopes she can find out from Francesca more information about him like where he lives. Leaving the park she rides the roads on her motorcycle trying to clear her mind and soothe her nerves. The ride does not help as it usually would. She turns towards home and arrives still very much in distress. She hurries inside and curls up on the love seat trying to figure out what to do next. Her cats Rani and Sari both sense she is upset and try to comfort her.
Damien and Mary sit at one of the firepits and warm up after enjoying several hours at the festival. Jamie joins them at the firepit and pulls out a bag of marshmallows. Damien can tell Jamie is troubled but leaves him alone when he says he doesn't want to talk about it. "I've got a couple of jobs to do tonight but wanted to share my bag of goodies with you two before going off to hunt poltergeists. Jamie wasn't paying attention and burned his first marshmallow, but he didn't mind as it tasted pretty good anyway. Jamie relaxes with his friends and calms down, feeling himself let go from the anger he experienced. He laughs at their descriptions of the snowboarding and how Mary loved zooming around so fast on the snowboards. "Mary, we need to get you a motorcycle!" Jamie exclaims. "If you love speed, you will love the feeling of being one with your ride." Her eyes sparkle with enthusiasm and agrees it would be fun to have a motorcycle. "I'll have to go collecting and see if I can find a few more of the really valuable stones up in the woods. I'm sure motorbikes are expensive."
"The superior ones are," Damien informs her, "but well worth it. I'll let you ride mine tomorrow and see if you like it."
Jamie tells them goodnight as he heads off to work. "Have fun!" Damien is still concerned about his friend but he can see he is not as upset as he was. Perhaps he will talk with him tomorrow.
Damien wants to visit Hans Tavern and Cafe before returning home. "I read in the paper it reopened in time for the holidays. Perhaps it is not too busy." The bar area was deserted but neither wanted drinks. They went upstairs, and Liam was there with his girlfriend Cassidy Earthsong. Introductions were made, and the four of them chatted. Mary was surprised at how friendly Cassidy was and she found her very easy to talk with. Liam and Damien enjoyed several games of darts and enjoyed getting to know each other while they played. Damien discovered that Liam had a wicked sense of humor and was an excellent darts player. Mary and Damien enjoy a snack at the bar before heading home.
Before going upstairs Mary reaches out and squeezes Damien's hands, thanking him for the delightful day. "It was another enjoyable day and a memorable one. I can't thank you enough."
"It was my pleasure to share this day with you, Mary."
She reaches out and hugs him, and he watches her go upstairs with a hopeful smile on his face.
Jamie arrives home from work and is greeted by Lia who stretches up to be picked up. Jamie obliges and pets and loves her. "Who needs an angry but beautiful lady in their life when I have you, Lia? But please tell me, why I can't get her off my mind? I have a feeling this day will be stuck in my memory for a long time, Lia" Jamie sighs and heads upstairs to bed.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
The long skirt doesn't look like a very practical garment for standing in the snow having a snowball fight - I hope the lady's got thick wool socks under it
A mysterious girl thinks Jamie is cute... She should have definitely gone to skate with him.
I love the snowboarding pictures, especially the one of Mary with the rainbow behind her
Jamie is popular with the ladies. Maybe the young woman should try and get to know him too.
Brrr, Bert Alto's shirt is definitely not an outfit for that weather! He's going to get sick.
Is Bekka the same Bekka you used to play with and who's still abducted by aliens?
Jamie is immediately attracted to Bekka - could this be another lovestory?
Ouch! Doesn't look promising, Bekka getting angry about Jamie's innocent suggestion!
Bekka's got a hot temper, having made the igloo collapse too
Jamie got understandably really angry. Can't blame him. If that's going to be a romance, it will take a while. Shame, they both like motorcycles too
I think she might be a little bit interested in Jamie, feeling so distressed after the situation. I hope she'll get her chance to apologize.
Kind of Damien to borrow his motorcycle to Mary. I hope she'll enjoy it. A motorcycle driven by a ghost would be a scary sight
Looks like a fun visit to the cafe.
Look at that, Jamie is still thinking about Bekka
@meerkattime Thanks so much for your sweet comments!
hehe, some of those winter outfits are just silly! I change some but some I leave alone.
That's my Bekka!
I kinda thought Mary would like a motorcycle too. I sure hope she can ride one!
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
I could watch Damien cook all day.
Glad to hear Mary wants to go to the Festival and that Jamie is making friends in town.
Is that Alisha Cho wearing that long skirt in the snow?
Ooooh, mysterious lady checking out Jamie!
Aww, Mary is watching Damien snowboard with such love and care for him in her heart.
LOVE the rainbow in the background as she's snowboarding!
This is making me wanna play winter in HS again...
Oh and Damien looks smokin' hot snowboarding in the next pic. Woo!
Cute of Jamie to assist Alisha in building the snowman, and oh...mystery lady is watching him.
Bekka is her name.
Instant attraction! Love it!
Strawberry blonde hair huh? It looked red to me, but in the later pictures I can see the more blonde in it. 👍
Yes! Those books DON'T write themselves Francesca!
----
Building an igloo together sounds fun.
Hmm, Jamie senses some reservation on Bekka's part. 🤔 Interesting... (Curiosity is piqued.) ^Yup, that would be me too.
(Speaking of, got some big flakes falling outside right now. ❄ )
I'll admit for a tiny second I thought it was bold of Jamie to suggest they try and see how warm it is in side the igloo, but really...who wouldn't ask that after building one with someone? Test it out, you know? And I knew he was asking it in a non-sensual way too. Jamie's a good guy. 👍
Bekka's reaction: Woah!
And yeowza to this:
Okay...so we can see why she reacted the way she did. Poor girl.
Don't blame Jamie in the least for his reaction. It was harsh, but then again so was what she said, so...
This here made me laugh also:
The tension between them here, I am just soaking it up!
I'm glad Bekka feels a bit of remorse after that, it shows she is truly a good person and has a heart, but was just burned. You described this perfectly and I could totally visualize it: Aww, she wanted to run after him and apologize.
LOVE her shirt!
Cute kitties! (Calico! My favorite!
Poor Jamie.
Cute how Jamie suggested Mary get a motorcycle.
I still love that perfectly captured shot of Jamie looking so angry and frustrated at the firepit.
Love the way you fixed up the café.
Liam looks very suave and sexy playing darts there.
And of course Bekka is still on Jamie's mind.
So FANTASTIC lady! I am once again hungry for more!
I have to hurry to catch up.
Nice pictures of Mary and Damien snowboarding, good explanation of why Mary likes it although she can already fly.
I have to agree, the skirt in the snow doesn´t look very appropriate and functional, I would freeze like hell!
Unfortunately there aren´t many cute outfits for cold weather in the game, this skirt is used a lot by the game...
When I see Jamie in his biker´s outfit I freeze again, I always need a scarf for my neck, his bare neck makes me shiver! Brrrr!
I like your version of the overlook, it´s so colorful! The overlook is a bit sparsely decorated from the beginning.
Damien and Mary get along together quite good! She seems to get more and more comfortable in his company! Great that she grabs his hands, that´s a massive progress of her!
🐸🐸🐸🐸, Damien looks very good in this picture!
Cassidy and Liam are a cute couple, you did a very good job on her outfit!
Looks as if Jamie has a stalker! She looks interesting, although you don´t show her face at the beginning. Interesting hair color!
So, the stalker´s name is Bekka, aha!
He likes her, aww! She looks sweet! Poor girl, being cheated by her friend the year before in an igloo!
Stupid Jamie! How can he ask such a question???? If he had asked this question with the same words to me I would have asked him politely if he was crazy or stupid! You know I have a slightly crush on him but here he was very stupid in my view!
He didn´t mean it suggestive, but she doesn´t know him so of course she had to interpret his words like that! She overreacted, of course, too, but his question was really bad timing! He behaved like an elephant in a china shop as we say in German! Men!!
I´m a bit sorry for Bekka that he didn´t give her the chance to apologize. But it seems as if he can´t be angry on her for too long, Good so!
Looking forward for their love story as well as Damien and Mary´s!
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/953447/streuner-a-cat-s-tale
@emorrill Thanks so much for your comments.
Is that a hint you want a shirtless picture of Damien cooking?
I will try to oblige you.
I think that one was Winnie something or other in that long skirt. Alisha wears one too.
I love how the rainbows pop up so often in HS's. Not seeing them in DV though. Wonder why!
I couldn't believe what Bert was wearing but I left his sleazy bu tt in it.
I tried my best to make it strawberry blond but yea, in some light it looks a little reddish. I should go back into cas and try again.
lol, your comment about her comment about the snow. Next time you send me a message about the snow in your town and having to shovel it etc I'm gonna remind you about that comment!
So, I surprised you with Bekka's reaction?
I really had fun writing that part. I wondered what the reactions would be and it has been varied on the other thread.
I needed that tension so I wouldn't let her explain!
@alexakry Well, it was really one update, but was way too many pictures (36) to put in one post!
I really love the snowboarding and am happy to have it back in my game!
I can't stand those plain venues and have to fix them up with fun things for sims to do.
Yes, they are getting more comfortable with each other and Mary seeks him out when I am controlling others.
Jamie didn't mean anything suggestive by his question. He didn't even suggest anything suggestive. He had no way of knowing what her past was either. Remember, he is new to town. She really jumped to conclusions based on her past and her assumptions that she had seen him flirting with women all over town.
Why wouldn't sims want to crawl inside and check out the igloo they just built. I would!
I think EA made the igloo's 'dirty' in simmers minds by allowing woohoo in them.
I actually had a survival story once and my two sims lived in the igloo most of the winter. They didn't have a house.
I needed the tension between them so I wouldn't let her explain.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Back to Work
Damien sits on the floor and plays with Lia for a bit before starting his day. Lia pulls the birdie down and lets it go. The toy springs up and down making a whistling sound as Lia bats at it trying to capture it again. Damien laughs at her antics.
He finally gets up off the floor and reads the paper. The paper has published his findings in the death of Mary Kendall. The editor has spoken with the local police department. The chief of police issued an official statement that an investigation is underway in both her death and the police department's culpability in the investigation. He contacts the editor to thank him for publishing the article. The editor assures Damien they will stay on top of the investigation and make sure nothing gets swept under the rug this time. "I may have another story for you soon regarding a murder that was disguised as a drowning. I hope to be collecting the last pieces of proof soon."
"I would like to send my journalist with you?" asks the editor. "We may need to interview your sources for the story."
“I’m sorry, you likely wouldn't believe me if I did divulge my sources. I would rather wait until I have the absolute proof. I don't want the murderer to be tipped off accidentally and escape." Damien chuckles thinking about a journalist meeting Betty and the ensuing conversation.
Mary slept in for a change and awakened well-rested. She enjoys a quick breakfast and goes back to her room and makes a few adjustments to her brain-enhancing machine. She is hoping the new tunings will allow her to identify exactly what makes her different from the other ghosts and possibly repair it, so she can become human again.
Lia captures her toy mouse and decides she is ready to try to grab a real critter. She stalks around the yard scenting her prey and delivers a sneak attack! The fight is on. Alas, her inexperience rules against her. The battle is lost.
Damien visits the local junkyard to examine Betty's boat. The insurance investigator met him at the lot. The submerged boat had been salvaged and taken to the yard. Examining the wreckage carefully, he collects a few samples. He opens the live well and makes an interesting discovery. A lead pipe. The insurance man is shocked by the find. They both carefully photograph Damiens discovery and it is placed in an evidence bag. They deliver the samples and the lead pipe to the science facility for analysis. By late afternoon he receives some preliminary results. The remnants of the cushions were contaminated with fuel and the fuel is not marine fuel. It is standard fuel used in lawnmowers. There is one set of prints on the pipe and old blood was found on the pipe as well. Damien calls the insurance investigator and he will have the samples and pipe taken to the police lab for further study.
His next destination is the former home of Betty. He observes a car in the driveway and settles behind some bushes to observe. He watches as a man goes in and out of the back of the house. He is hauling loads out but going back empty-handed. "I guess I'm going to have to come back after dark and hope no one is home."
Now that the holiday is over Liam was able to complete his findings from his examination of Mary. They settle in the living area to discuss his findings. Mary had asked Damien and Jamie to stay and hear what Liam has to say.
“Mary, you are not at all typical of the average ghost I’ve tested over the last few years. I had already determined that you were different, but the new tests definitely confirm it. Your ectoplasm is very different from the other ghosts I've examined. Somehow after your death, your spirit was trapped, and you didn’t move on. At the same time, you are only able to be on this plane in winter, and that is very different from other ghosts or spirits. Even the ghosts tied to the ghost gnomes are around most of the time. Most other ghosts have free will and can return to the netherworld if they desire. You are bound to the whims of Fate it seems. The reason is only known to the Fates. They apparently desire something for you or from you.”
Liam takes a deep breath worried that Mary will be upset as she was in his office. The others shift in their chairs waiting for what else he has to inform them.
Mary looks at him and shrugs. “I’ve railed at the Fates every year when I’ve returned wondering why they are doing this to me. They don’t answer.”
Liam is happy that Mary is much calmer now and not upset and crying.
“I spoke to an ancient fae here in town to obtain his opinion. He thinks you’ve been selected by the Fates but for what purpose we don’t know. I’ve initiated a search on the computers at my lab on the Fates and what it means to be bound by them. Many of the ancient texts have been imputed into the computer systems over the last few years. It will be a faster search than trying to read the texts myself. If the search does not give a specific answer, I am hoping it will at least lead us in a new direction.
Lia, tired of all the talking going on and wanting some attention, jumps into Damien’s lap. They all laugh and smile at her antics.
Mary describes to Liam her adjustments on the brain enhancing machine and what she expects to discover and be able to accomplish with the machine. Liam thinks they should examine several types of ghosts on the device. Ned volunteers to be the first and they set him up for the scan. All goes well with the test and Ned’s scan is complete. The machine continues working even after Ned is allowed up. The data from the scan are automatically correlated with the parameters set up by Mary. It will continue working for several hours before the next subject can be scanned. Liam will have a few of the local ghosts come by the house for testing over the next several days. He plans to return to perform the testing on Mary, who will be tested last.
Mary and Damien enjoy ice cream as they talk about his visit to the junkyard and plans to search Betty's house. Jamie arrives back from his last job of the night and grabs some leftovers out of the fridge. They sit with him as he eats. Jamie is a little concerned about how Mary is handling things given her history. "Mary, you seem to be okay that Liam didn't find anything specific to help you."
"I am hopeful that with all of us working towards the common goal that we will find something. My anger, rage, and misbehavior were not productive at all. I hope I've left that all behind me. I'm not going to give up on my dream. I am going to live as best I can while working towards that dream.
Jamie finishes his meal and sets his fork down. "That was delicious. Thanks for saving me a plate Damien. The books my brother sent finally arrived, as well as my other things. I will start going through them. A few are quite old and rare so might have the information we can use."
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
More comments on it to come from me later, I promise.
Have a great day.
Yes! The Police have officially reopened Mary's case!
(Perfect face expression you captured of him saying that. 😄 )
That was very wise and thoughtful on Damien's part to say. He's a great PI.
I really hope the adjustments Mary makes to the machine will help them figure out what sets her apart from other ghosts. 👍 And cute that she was giving the Parrot some attention too and cleaning his cage.
Awwwww! This picture!
Sorry she lost the fight while on the hunt. Poor baby.
A lead pipe in Betty's sunken boat? Hmmm.... 🤔 Suspicious. I bet the prints on it are Betty's husbands and the blood is hers! Seriously, like I said earlier you wrote this all so well and I am impressed!
Oh boy, I wonder what Damien will discover spying on the current house residents in Betty's old house.
So Liam confirms that Mary is indeed a very different ghost from the others and there's really nothing he can do on his end.
I'm so proud of Mary for being able to keep her emotions in check at the news. She's growing as a person (thanks to Damien's love and friendship.
Oooh who's this ancient Fae in town?
Lia's smiling face there in Damien's lap!
Glad all went well with Ned in trying out the upgrade to the Brain Enhancing Machine. 👍 That's good news! 🤞
Hee hee, I've always loved when the tester does this.
I was kinda hoping Jamie would bring up Bekka at the table.
Like I said before, freaking awesome chapter and very well written! You nailed it lady!
Awesome that they are investigating Mary's death again, thanks to Damien.
It might not be the best idea to invite the editor to talk to Betty, lol
Lia looks adorable with the toy mouse
Sounds like Betty's husband will be in trouble soon...
Men don't usually like seeing women cry and get upset, lol.
Liam can't be much of help for Mary then
Those are cute poses of Lia jumping on Damien's lap and Damien reacting to her.
I hope the brain enhancing machine will bring some interesting results.
I'm glad Mary has decided to enjoy her life as much as she can while hoping to achieve her goal, and that she's now accepting and appreciating the help that she gets.
I like the picture of Damian playing with Lia, she got a lot of self-confidence from playing it seems! Shame that she couldn´t get her first prey, especially because she went out in the snow for catching something. No wonder she needed some cuddles from Damian later.
I like the happy smile of hers when she made it to his lap.
Great that Mary decided to live more happily! This will help her to become human again, I hope. I really wonder what is different with her.... Good that she got so much exccelent help now. (Liam looks so sweet whith his skinny legs in his short pants, especially when it´s winter outside
So Betty died not long ago? I really thought that she was a much older ghost, given how she speaks.
I hope they´ll finde a cure soon, how long does winter lasts until she has to go again? Will be enough time left?
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/953447/streuner-a-cat-s-tale
@emorrill Thanks so much for your comments!
I kinda thought you would like Damien playing with Lia and the toy. He had such cute expressions.
I'm surprised you forgot the parrot's name too! hehe, Sherlock!
Can you tell I'm loving having pets back in my game?! I love the things they will do and sometimes it can kinda mess up a planned action by one of the others. lol
Luckily, Damien already knows who is guilty from his conversation with Betty previously. He just has to find the proof.
I'm old...I can teach you lots of old words not used today! LOL, I find myself deleting some things I type and going to the thesaurus. But, that word seemed to fit Mary since she is from a different era. By the same token, I often have to look up things I read that have new slang to figure out what someone means.
hehe, we were having that convo while I was writing that scene!
I thought about adding Jamie and Damien talking about Bekka, but so much was happening that it didn't seem the right time. I had to delete a couple of pictures I had of Jamie working the chapter was so long! I will use them later. They are too cool not to use.
@meerkattime Thanks so much for reading and commenting on the story!
Yes, science is not working very well for them. Perhaps Liam's search on the Fates will help?
I'm hoping Jamie will find something in his treasured and rare volumes of supernatural.
Mary is so much happier now that she has let go of the rage and anger she was filled with.
It will be interesting to see how she responds to further trials as the search continues.
@DeafSimmer Thanks so much for reading the story and commenting.
@AlexaKry Thanks so much for commenting!
That was such an adorable moment for him to sit down to play with Lia and that toy. I probably took 15 pictures! lol
She is not very high in hunting skill yet so gets a lot of maple leaves, candy wrappers, and snakeskins. Lol, it is so fun to watch her hunting as she stalks through the deep snow. Sometimes you barely see her ears poking up, just the trail of her body.
hehe, I love Liam and those shorts are just so perfectly nerdy for him to be wearing in winter. I'm not even tempted to change him in the slightest. If SP doesn't marry him with his current girlfriend I will be tempted to do it! He had another girl at the beginning of the story assigned by SP but they broke up.
Betty was a young adult ghost, but I changed her for the story. She kinda looked old in her ghost form with that hair so I just went with it. Her name wasn't Betty either but I thought she looked more like a Betty. LOL! So, I'm trying to portray her as an elderly lady who was taken advantage of by a con man. Since I don't really like the elderly body I left her as she was.
hehe, yes, Mary loves ice cream.
There are approximately 3 more weeks of winter in the story. Given that one day can take 3 chapters....it could last forever.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
The Winding Road
Jamie is relaxing on the bed, reading one of his rare books about the spirit world when he gets an emergency call from the science lab. They need him to take care of some ghosts that are terrorizing a family in town. On the way out he notices Damien closing his safe. Lock picks, evidence bags and gloves are sitting on his desk. "You're not planning a little B and E without me are you? My job shouldn't take more than 30 minutes."
Damien jots an address down on a sticky note and tucks it into Jamie's front pocket. "Meet me at this address when you complete your job."
Jamie waves his hand and rushes out the door. "Sure thing boss!"
Jamie arrives at the home and finds two incredibly ancient ghosts. They are dressed in coarse foul-smelling ragged animal furs. The home owner tells him he was experimenting with a time machine and apparently these ghosts came back with him. Neither ghost is willing to talk to Jamie or go back to the netherworld. They both argue and mock Jamie, taunting him to do his best. "ok, you asked for it. I'm the best there's ever been." Jamie takes out his spirit collecting device and quickly captures them and hopes that Liam will have better luck with them.
Damien is preparing to leave the house to investigate Betty's former home. Mary floats into the room.
"Hey, wait for me!" she exclaims. "I'm coming with you. This seems like a dangerous thing for you to be doing alone."
Damien is encouraged by her concern for his safety. "I appreciate your offer. I've been doing this kind of thing for a long time and don't take chances. Jamie is meeting me there."
"I'm still coming with you. I can be your lookout."
"To tell the truth, that is a great idea." She rides on the back of his motorcycle enjoying the sensations of her arms around Damien as they roar across town. Damien enjoys the ride as well feeling her arms around his waist. As he executes the turns, she clutches a little tighter. He looks forward to the ride back up the mountain and he plans to take the long, winding route. He stops a block or so away from the house and they hike the rest of the way on foot.
The car is not in the driveway tonight, and Damien hopes he will be gone long enough that they can complete the search. Jamie arrives to help while Damien is going through the mail in the mailbox. They discuss what to do if Mary spots anyone approaching the house. Mary remains outside while Damien and Jamie enter the house. "You search the downstairs Jamie, and I will take the upstairs. Try being fast but thorough."
Jamie searches the ground floor. The walls are stark and bare. There are no pictures or nick knacks around the house. The furniture is all that is left. It doesn't take long for Jamie to check under cushions and in closets since the house is so empty. He goes into the kitchen and looks in the cupboards and finally searches the trash compactor. "Phew, what a nasty job. I think it has been months since they emptied this thing!", he complains to himself. Luckily he found a couple of bags under the sink, so he can put the refuse in a bag as he takes it out. He uses the other bag as a covering to keep his gloves from becoming soiled. He is rewarded with several computerized receipts towards the bottom of the compactor. They are slightly soiled but still legible. He photographs them in place and then places them in an envelope. He completes the search and does not find anything else of value. He makes one last circuit of the rooms.
Damien discovers the upstairs is empty as well. Nothing of value remains in the house except a computer on the desk in the master bedroom and some men's clothing in the closet. He quickly hacks into the computer inserting the drive he brought with him. The contents are downloaded to go through at his leisure and safety at home.
Damien searches the dumpster he saw the man throwing stuff into. It is full of photos and nick knacks that must have meant something to Betty and her children. He calls a contact and arranges to have the dumpster removed and an empty one put in its place. He will notify Betty's children to see if they want to salvage any of the things that have been thrown out. At least the dumpster appears clean, and no garbage was tossed in it.
The search is completed and luckily they were not discovered. The diner is close by, and they warm up and enjoy a late snack. Adrenaline and investigating can stir up an appetite. There are a few others in the diner, and Mary recognizes Cassie, Liam's girlfriend. She stands and places her hand on Damien's. "I'm going to talk with Cassie for a few minutes."
Damien squeezes her hand and smiles up at her. "Take your time. We will be right here."
Jamie watches Mary walk across the room. "Mary seems much more comfortable talking to people. Not a single person in the room even blinked when she came in with us." Jamie briefs him about the receipts he found and hands the envelope over. Damien tucks it into the inner pocket of his coat. "I'll look at them at the house. I hope they help us out or something on the computer does. It's challenging to discover proof this many months after her death. We have some excellent circumstantial evidence with the will he produced being different from the original one. The signature has been evaluated by an expert, and the report came this morning. It is fake."
Damien looks over at Jamie and he can tell something is still bothering his friend. "So, what's got you all uptight? Do you want to talk about it?
Jamie shrugs. "I don't know if it will do any good but I know you will keep bugging me until I tell you."
Damien snorts. "Hey, I'm not Dr. Phil if you don't want to talk to me that's fine!"
Jamie rolls his eyes at Damien. "So, not Dr Phil, I met someone at the park, and she kinda got the wrong impression about me. We had words over it. I'm still trying to figure out how it all blew up because we were having fun getting to know each other, laughing and talking. She seemed shy and a little sad but turned into a passionate little firebrand. It really was awesome to see once I thought about it. Not particularly awesome at the time, though. I was very upset when she thought I was a creep. I set her straight on that! Possibly a little harshly. Damien, she has the cutest freckles on her face, and her hair is strawberry blond and she apparently has a fiery temper to match that beautiful hair. I felt this instant connection to her when we met."
Jamie doesn't realize how expressive his face is when describing the incident to Damien. They have been best friends since they were toddlers in daycare together. Jamie loves the ladies but he treats them all as friends. He has never had a serious relationship. He always told Damien he would know when he met the right one. Jamie has always been absolutely honest with ladies he dated about keeping things friendly. Has Jamie finally met the right one? "Do you know where she lives? Perhaps you should visit her and try to talk things out."
"Yep, I'm going to talk to Francesca tomorrow. She is the one that introduced us so I am certain she knows where she lives. Hopefully, she will tell me. I feel terrible because I think she was going to apologize when she saw how upset I was, but I walked off and didn't give her a chance."
"Give her a chance if you can find her tomorrow. Keep a lid on your own fiery temper, my friend."
Jamie blushes and nods in agreement just as Mary walks back over yawning as she gets closer to the table. "Guys, I'm beat. I'm not used to being up all day and all night too." Damien pays for their snacks and drinks. He helps Mary on the motorcycle. They ride to the house with Mary snuggled into his back holding on tightly as he takes the long, winding road back up the mountain.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
This picture made me giggle! Their outfits are so conspiratorially!
So, they actually broke into a house? Hopefully they don´t left some lead to chase them!
Hehehe, Damien planning the long way back, such a clever fox! Just to get some morer hugs of Mary! Sweet!
So Jamie has the girl on his mind still! Does he really think that a visit at her house will be a good idea? Wouldn´t it be better to meet her on neutral ground? It seems that she has some problems, he has to be very sensitive to get near to her heart, I believe.
Damien and Jamie are such good and long friends, I think it´s adorable that they have such a good bond to each other and that they are talking about their feelings with each other. They can be happy to have each other!
They even notice changing behavior on others, not so often with men. (Sorry boys
Great that Mary opens up to others, it´s so good for her to make some friends.
Looking forward to the next update, I hope Jamie will get a new start with the freckled, strawberry blonde girl!
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/953447/streuner-a-cat-s-tale
@AlexaKry Thanks so much for commenting!
I had fun with them in this chapter. I just wish she could have really rode on the cycle with him. Wouldn't that be so cool!
Those ghosts totally surprised me. I'd only come across a couple other human ghosts since he's been doing the hunting. Usually they are just the spirit type.
I've known a couple of guys that have a really tight bond and look out for each other. I kinda see Jamie and Damien with that kind of friendship.
I think Jamie wants to see her quickly because he feels bad for not letting her explain at the park. He also wants to see if that connection he felt was real.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Store Install
Unlocked Stencils
random legacy
I can't believe I actually had to look up what "a little B and E" means. 🤦♀️ I freaking studied Criminal Justice in college for crying out loud!
I'm worried about them breaking into the house, however I get the feeling you wouldn't allow anything bad to happen to them.
Neanderthal ghosts.
Aww, Mary wants to come along with Damien to investigate.
Gosh the snow looks beautiful.
Months since they emptied the trash? Gross... 🤢
Makes sense for Jamie to take the trash for them to look through, but I worry about the guy coming back to the house and noticing that the trash was taken out and realize...someone broke in.
Glad Damien was able to get some info from the computer. Hope it's helpful. 👍 It was sweet of him to contact Betty's family and see if there's anything of family value in the trash they would like to keep. ^Aww, he holds her hand and talks to her like she's his girl.
It's nice to see Mary's coming out of her shell and socializing and making friends.
Dr. Phil.
Yay, Jamie is opening up to Damien about Bekka!
Aww, he recognized that Bekka felt bad saying what she did.
I can't wait for more!
@ciane Thanks so much for letting me know that you love my story!
@emorrill Thanks so much for your comments.
I've watched and read too many mysteries and cop procedurals in my life, so I didn't think that B and E would confuse folks.
So, yes, that is where that line comes from.
The hat and the outfit she was wearing came from the Russian set. here
Jamie didn't take the trash, just the receipts.
They are not officially a couple yet. You will know when that happens.
I think his soul already recognizes her as his. That is why it is important for him to find her and have that conversation with her.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Lol @ those ghosts lost in the wrong time. Maybe they don't even speak the same language so they couldn't have a chat with Jamie even if they wanted to
I hope they are not going to get caught while exploring Betty's old house. Sounds like a risky task! Good thing Mary wanted to help.
Mary's got an interesting hat
I like the way you described their ride. Too funny Damien chose the long route to continue enjoying Mary's arms around him
I wonder what was in those receipts Jamie found.
Good job hacking the computer, Damien! Hopefully Betty's husband has left something important on it.
I'm glad Damien managed to rescue some photos and other stuff from the garbage.
Mary has changed a lot - good to see her making friends.
Yay, Jamie is talking about Bekka
Hmm, I wonder how Bekka takes it if Jamie will just suddenly appear on her door - there is a little chance she thinks it's creepy, but I hope that's not the case.
I think there is a good chance Bekka is the right girl for Jamie
@meerkattime Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
I love the patterns that look like quilts.
Ya know, I didn't even think about the language barrier.
All will be revealed on the clues soon.
Yes, Jamie wants to see her again for sure.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
The Evidence Is In
Bekka is up early the next morning having slept fitfully. She has a bowl of yogurt and cleans the kitchen. Her little kitten Rani meows a good morning while making tracks to the food bowls. Bekka is still upset about what happened at the park. While washing up the dishes, she replays what happened in her mind. ‘We were having so much fun! I was about to crawl inside the igloo we had built. Jamie asked if I wanted to see how warm and comfortable it was inside. Suddenly I’m seeing that 🐸🐸🐸🐸 ex of mine and the floozy woohooing in that igloo! I lost it completely and yelled at the poor guy and accused him of awful things with no proof that he is that type of person. I seem to have no control over my mouth or temper anymore. He was correct I jumped to some awful conclusions. I don’t blame him at all for being mad and yelling back. I deserved it and so much more. It’s times like this I miss my parents more than anything. I wonder if Godmother will be up this early. I expect so. She is very organized.’
Bekka finishes getting ready for the day, making sure there is plenty of food and water for her cats. She picks up Sari and gives her smooches and love and starts her ride down the mountain to her Godmother’s house.
Bekka greets her Godmother, Catarina Vanderburg and is invited back to her home office to chat privately. Explaining what happened to her yesterday is difficult but she knows Catarina is the one person who won’t judge her harshly and will find her the help she needs to manage her anger. She’s had other incidents but none as bad as this one and she tells them all. Catarina knows Bekka has had a rough time this year and has been keeping to herself since the breakup. She hugs her, and they sit down and talk.
“First thing, you need to apologize to the young man. I know you already know that, so we won’t dwell on it. Secondly, here is the name of someone you can talk to who will help you channel your anger productively.” She hands Rebecca a card. “You have the right to be angry at times as long as it is not destructive to you and others. I know this next one is going to be the hardest. You need to forgive your ex. As long as you have that much anger inside of you towards him it will continue to fester and interfere with your life. Don’t let it ruin the rest of your life by holding on to those feelings.”
Rebecca is stunned, shocked and a little frightened by Catarina’s last comments. “I had not thought of it like that. By not letting go of those feelings, I'm letting him affect my life even though he is no longer a part of it. You are right, it is going to be very hard. I don’t think I can snap my fingers and make all that hurt and anger go away in an instant.”
“No, it won’t go away in an instant. The therapist will help you. We are always here to help you. Your Mom and Dad would want you to come to us anytime. Now, talk to Francesca this afternoon after your interview and see if she can help you find this young man.”
“Speaking of the interview I’ve got to get back home and gather my portfolio and drawings to take with me. Thank you so much! I love you, Godmother.”
Rebecca leaves and rides back up the mountain. She changes to clothes suitable for inspecting a home in need of renovation. She gathers her portfolio and stashes it in her saddlebag and drives to the job site.
Damien explains to Jamie and Mary that he must leave shortly to meet with the insurance investigator and Betty’s lawyer. “I was up most of the night going through the evidence and I need to get this information to them before that man skips town. The evidence we've collected is substantial."
“I will need you and Mary to show the designer around the house. She should be here any minute, and I can only stay a few minutes.”
Jamie and Mary both agree to show the designer around while Damien is gone.
A timely knock is heard at the door, and Damien introduces himself to the designer. “I’m Rebecca Danforth, owner of Rebecca Renovates..
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Danforth. I’m Damien Nazario. Please, come in. I want you to meet my friends who live with me.”
“Thank you, please call me Bekka.”
“And I am Damien.”
Bekka walks in the room looking forward to meeting the others. Damien seems pleasant, and she is excited about potentially being hired to renovate Spring Manor. Her steps falter as she spots Jamie from the park directly in front of her. Her first thought is ‘please just let the floor open up and send me to Shang Simla.’ Her second thought is ‘omg, he is smiling at me and that adorable dimple is beckoning me again.’ She glances at Damien who is looking between Bekka and Jamie.
Damien notices Jamie has a huge smile on his face and he is actually blushing. He looks at Bekka, and she is blushing as well. Well, they don’t call him a detective for nothing. Damien puts two and two together and figures Rebecca is the girl from the park. Apparently, neither one of them is saying anything.
“Bekka, I would like for you to meet Jamie McNeil and Mary Kendall. Jamie is my best friend and Mary has lived in this house off and on during the winters. She can probably answer most of the questions you might have about the history of the house. Jamie and Mary, this is Rebecca Danforth, the owner of Rebecca Renovates.
“Let’s all go have a seat.” Mary ushers Rebecca over to a seat while Damien quickly asks Jamie, “Is she the one from the park?”
Jamie nods and takes a seat in the chair next to Rebecca.
Damien explains his ideas to Rebecca on the renovation. “Jamie and I had planned to do most of the work ourselves. I am busy with investigations, and Jamie is tireless with his job as well as helping me. I absolutely need someone to help organize and develop the renovations. We can still help out if things slow down or if we need to perform the work to cut costs.”
Rebecca explains her qualifications and expresses her excitement for working on the project. "I would like a tour of the house and look through your notes and ideas. I will develop some ideas for the renovation and present it to you in a few days." He provides her copies of all his notes and plans that he had written out.
“I'm afraid I have another appointment. Jamie and Mary will show you around and answer your questions. I will be back in a few hours so if you are still here I could answer any questions at that time. Jamie has heard me talk about this house for years though and should be able to fill you in on anything not in my notes.”
Damien takes Mary aside. “Can you make an excuse and leave those two alone for fifteen or twenty minutes?”
“Sure, I’ve got an experiment to check in the attic. You will tell me why later right?” Mary grins up at him.
“Thank you! Yes, I will tell you later.” Damien reaches over and hugs her shoulders and kisses her cheek before rushing out the door.
Mary touches her cheek and watches him leave smiling with pleasure.
Jamie leads Bekka into the kitchen thinking Mary will be right behind them. "I've got my work cut out for me here! Does Damien like cooking?” She thumbs through Damien's notes looking for comments about the kitchen.
"Yes, Damien cooks.”
“Will Mary be living here?”
“Yes.”
Mary calls out that she is going up to the attic to check on an experiment and will join them shortly. “I don’t want to burn the house down.”
Damien finds his way to the conference room set up in the insurance office. He sets up his evidence in the case and reviews it with the team assembled by the investigator from the insurance company.
The will presented by the husband was faked. The signatures do not match.
The blood on the lead pipe matches Betty’s based on her autopsy report and lab reports.
The fingerprints on the pipe match a known con artist named Billy Jenkins whose mugshot looks just like Betty’s husband Bob.
The cushions on the boat were soaked in standard fuel not marine fuel.
Betty’s autopsy toxic screen shows she was sedated heavily at the time of the accident.
The injury to her skull and brain found on autopsy showed bleeding. It had to have happened prior to the drowning. Once the coroner examined the pipe, he agreed it was consistent with the injury.
The experts agree no one could have survived the accident considering the extent of damage that was done to the boat. Bob survived without a scratch saying he was thrown off the boat. They conclude it was impossible.
The receipt found in the trash was for scuba diving equipment and lessons.
Banking records from his computer show payments to a local storage facility. The police officer executed a search warrant on the facility and recovered scuba equipment as well as Betty’s jewels and other valuables taken from the house.
The police contact the judicial officer and a warrant for the arrest of Bob Banes, aka Billy Jenkins has been issued for the murder of Betty Banes.
Damien packs up his files and prepares to return home. He hopes that Betty will be able to move forward once she knows that Bob will pay for what he did to her and her children. He will talk to Betty first and then make an appointment to visit her son and daughter.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
No worries about the B and E thing.
Are you proud of me for nailing down where that line came from?
Sorry I thought that Jamie took the entire trash.
You surprised me with a new Chapter tonight.
I'm ready to rock n roll! Excited to find out what happens next!
Ha ha, what word got censored there with the hearts?
Poor Bekka, it's how we all feel when we realize we messed up.
I can't remember if I said this earlier, but I find it no coinky-di'nk (coincidence
Oh Catarina is her Godmother? Interesting...
Oooh, might Bekka run into Jamie during her next job?
I have to say real quick that I LOVE Bekka's pulled back hair and the long bangs that frame her face.
Anyway! ^OMGOSH I was soaking this all up!
Ah! You showed a pic of them getting hearts!
Once Damien leaves I can totally imagine Jamie and Bekka feeling pits in their stomachs.
So sweet of Damien to ask Mary to give the two a few minutes alone so they can patch things up. He's such a good man.
Awwwww, I was anxious to read about Jamie and Bekka's chat!
Solid evidence. 👍👍 You GO Damien!
Case closed! I'm happy that Betty will be able to rest in peace now and that her horrible husband will get what he deserves!
This chapter was GREAT!
My sentiments exactly!
Store Install
Unlocked Stencils
random legacy
Also slowly digging into the storyline.