Haunted: A Lockwood & Co Story

Chapter Ten: Invitations

Charlotte woke up in Lockwood's bed for the second time in two days. After they had gotten home in the early hours of the morning, Lockwood didn't want to let her out of his sight and so he had instructed her that she would be sleeping in his room again. He had given the skull to George to put away because as Lockwood had said 'he can't be trusted.' Charlotte noticed that his room was empty, save herself. She pulled the covers off herself before walking out of Lockwoods room. She could hear George still going over Bickerstaff's papers in his room and she could hear Lockwood talking to someone in the downstairs. Just as she reached the bottom of the stairs, a letter came through the letterbox in the door. She walked over to it, bending down to pick it up. Charlotte flipped the envelope over to see Lockwood & Co written on the front in fancy cursive writing. She walked back over to the stairs to go give it to George, but stopped when she recognised Flo's voice.

"Very kind of you, Locky. Love what you've done with the place, by the way." Flo said. Charlotte snuck over to the closed door and listened.

"Oh I haven't touched it." Lockwood told her.

"Exactly. I thought you might have changed a few things up at least. Like have you found another use for that room on the landing yet?" Flo asked. So Flo had been around long enough to know what was in the room. Charlotte felt a pit of jealousy growing in her stomach.

"No."

"Can't avoid it forever, Locky."

"I know."
"Right. Well I didn't come here for an intervention." Flo said. "I heard Carver got your message."
"Walked through the door with a knife in his back." Lockwood told her. "Do you think Winkman did it?"
"Wouldn't surprise me. If you need somewhere to hide, I know a lovely houseboat by Eel Pie Island." There was the sound of keys rattling.

"It's tempting. We're still trying to find the mirror." Lockwood said. "Have you heard anything? Has Winkman tried to sell it?"

"If the houseboats too close to home, how about you and me in a nice caravan in Camber Sands?" Charlotte had to force herself not to walk in there right now. Technically she and Lockwood had not talked about what had happened over the last two days. The entire day yesterday, Lockwood had been acting like nothing had happened between them. That they hadn't kissed and that they hadn't practically declared they loved each other. Charlotte decided then that she was going to stop listening before she got more upset. She walked up to her room and placed the letter on the end of the bed. Charlotte grabbed a light to dark purple ombré top and some light coloured denim jeans. She threw them on before grabbing the letter again. Charlotte grabbed her pocket knife from where it was and she sliced through the wax seal on the back. She pulled out the letter which was an invitation.

Anthony Lockwood & Co.,

The Fittes Agency invites you to the Fittes at 50 ball.

6pm, 1 October 2023

Black tie event

Charlotte walked down the stairs, with the letter in hand to show Lockwood, just as George was leading Lockwood up the stairs.
"Charlotte. Found something big to show you." George motioned Charlotte into his room. As she walked into his room, the papers that they had taken from Bickerstaff were posted around the room. They covered the entirety of his wardrobe. Charlotte paused at one of the papers. The page that she had stopped on, as well as the ones surrounding it had some sort of drawing of what looked like different spirits.

"These are ancient depictions of spirits being tied to their sources." George explained. "Bickerstaff must have come across these illustrations and tested that theory. That's why his basement was such a horror show."