One of the reasons it’d taken Aubrey a lifetime and a half to return to the city was because he’d sincerely loved managing that historical home in Key West and wanted to continue in the same line of work. Only, it wasn’t like there were tons of homes that doubled as museums here in the five boroughs. Of the one or two that did, and were of the Victorian American period, they weren’t looking to add another salary and benefits package to their payroll. So when the property manager of a home on the Lower East Side, a guy Aubrey said was Bela Lugosi back from the grave, was looking to retire, he’d jumped at the position. Aubrey had since been head of The Percy House, a historic landmark in the city that’d once been the home of eccentric inventor, Edmond Percy, who’d been a bit like if Edison and Tesla had a love child.
“Would I call if it wasn’t important?” I countered.
“Sure hope it’s about that servant bell system we purchased through the Emporium.”
“It hasn’t come in yet.”
“The board isreallyhoping to have that on display in the kitchen before our 150th anniversary event.”
“Can you slap the guilt on a bit heavier? I’m not quite convinced I’m a piece of shit yet.”
Aubrey laughed quietly.
“The bell system is coming from England, you know.”
“I know.”
“It’s been held up in customs for over a week.”
“I know.”
“The sender didn’t include an accurate description for the package, despite me having supplied the exact definition to write on the forms. I swear to God, I’m one step away from wiping people’s asses for them.”
Around a bite of his lunch, Aubrey asked, “Get it all out of your system?”
“Did I mention it’s been a long day?”
“You did, yes. Are you okay?”
“Do you know what a spiritoscope is?” I asked.
Aubrey hemmed for a moment. “I don’t think—oh! That’s an antique talking board, isn’t it?”
“Sort of. Invented by Robert Hare during the Spiritualism movement.”
I could hear typing over the line—Aubrey must have been doing a Google search.
“Sure, I remember this now.”
“Yourememberit?”
“When I was still with Gold Guys,” Aubrey began, referring to a pawn shop here in the city he’d worked at years and years ago. “It was just after meeting you. I started cruising the major auction houses every morning—Sotheby’s, Christie’s, Heritage.”
“Why?”
“Because you were an irritating fount of knowledge without even trying, and I was sick of working at a place where a guy once tried to pawn his own testicles. I figured the best way to learn a little about a lot was to study verified and appraised items.”
“Smart. But what’s that got to do with the spiritoscope?” I asked.
“Right, right. One of them—there’s more than one model, isn’t there?—was up for auction, and I remember it because, you know, it’s kind of strange and so stereotypical of the period.”
“That was the last you’ve seen or heard about one?”
“Pretty sure. Why? What’s going on?”
“I’d love to track down the buyer.”
“Start calling the houses.”
