It's Local Not a Real Job

75.

"Gilbert said not to take any jobs." Doris had called Clarissa at home, Clarissa wasn't even fully dressed from having sat around in a funk since Gilbert had left.

"Its not a job, its helping someone who lost her kid."

"Call the cops."

"They won't help her, its something we do."

"Like a job?"

"Clarissa just get over to my apartment building I can give you the address, bring some of Gilbert's whatever he uses." Doris gave her the address and hung up, Clarissa sighed, Gilbert said not to do any jobs, but a child was missing he had to have some kind of exemption for that right she thought to herself as she showered and got ready to leave. Before she turned the lights off she knew the answer was no, that would not be an exemption.

****

"They say he's with my ex husband, but I know that's not true I know it." Claire Dickinson was a wreck. Her face was tear stained, her hands shook as she talked and the cigarette she was smoking was the last of several smashed up in the ash tray in her living room. She claimed she only started smoking after Micheal went missing.

"Where is your ex husband?" Clarissa chose not to wear the work jumpsuit, if only because announcing she was an exterminator probably wouldn't have assuaged the mothers fear.

"That's the thing, he's missing too." Clarissa was afraid the police were right, but Doris seemed to believe Claire and that had to be enough.

"So tell me what happened?"

"It's that fucking show, something about it always seemed off to me, but it kept Micheal out of my hair and you know I just just didn't think a kids show could do something to a child."

"A kids show?" Claire handed over a kindle, it was smudged with food and other remnants of a small child. When Clarissa touched it she felt something, a jolt, not exactly static shock but something was off about the device.

"Yeah its like a cartoon duck inviting you to her house, it repeats over and over just different animals come over, but then I started to hear things, I thought at first it was just being sleep deprived, works been busy,and Micheal has been a handful, but I swear the duck was talking to Micheal, asking him things, inviting him over, I just wrote it off at first, and then one day I went to check on him and he was gone. Juice was sitting on the carpet, his toys next to that fucking kindle but no Micheal. I live on the fourth floor so its not like he could be taken out the window and I was in the living room." Clarissa felt a chill run up her spine, for some reason she thought of the forest, and the chill stayed with her.

"Can you show me the program?"

"That's the thing, its not there now, and I know you'll think I'm crazy, but I swear it was there, and now its not, I even sent something to Amazon and they claim that's never been a show on their device."

"I don't think you're crazy, I don't know if Doris told you what I do for a living, but sadly this is in line with that, can I see his room?"

"Yeah just past the bathroom, I left it as I found it other than just frantic looking under things."

"I'll be respectful."

"I don't care if you tear it all apart if you find Micheal." Clarissa didn't know what she could do, or who could call, but something was off here, something wasn't right. She wasn't in the room for long holding the Kindle before she heard it, a chuckle like that of a kids show. The device was off, but Clarissa knew that didn't matter, she dropped the device and took out her cell phone. She thought for a minute to call Father Timms, but this seemed outside of his realm, and Gilbert was right out since his decree about not doing a job would be broken here.

"Clarissa darling I didn't think you'd call, well that's a lie I knew you'd call, but how I knew is one of those things you're best not to know." Demurra's previous russian accent was gone, now she sounded more like a bored house wife.

"I'm in..."

"Trouble yeah I get that, and yes I can read your mind through phone lines, again succubus powers best for you not to think about it, so the kid's missing and you feel something bad."

"Real bad, I can't put my..."

"Finger on it, but it reminds you of the forest yes I get that."

"Can you let me actually finish what I'm saying?" Demurra laughed.

"Sorry you people are so slow at saying what you want to say, but yes I can come out there, don't know if I can help, but better than letting Gilbert know you're working when you aren't supposed to be right?" Demurra hung up before Clarissa could even tell her the address, but she figured the former Demon had taken that from her mind as well.

"Everything all right I heard voices?" Claire looked to be worse than before.

"I had to call in back up."

"You're boss?"

"Not exactly, just she's a bit weird ok, so know that's she's going to do her best to get your son back."

"Honey I don't care if whoever you call shows up stark naked, if she can get my boy back I'm all ok with it." Clarissa didn't want to say how true the woman's statement might have been, she just hoped Demurra showed up in more than the robe.