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Where We Left Off:
The Winchester-Nabu Detective Agency appears to have another friendly ghost.
The Grey Man II – Sierra Six:
Gus and Oliver took active part in the first installment of this case file. If you haven’t read that, it would be swell if you did. The Grey Man left the sanctuary of our Witness Relocation Program. He prefers a life of freedom and apparently that involves this house.
Perhaps, The Grey Man isn’t drawn specifically to the Winchester-Nabu house, and instead, is drawn to the delicious food he is “served” by the Grumpy Old Man. For months, the Grumpy Old Man has been putting out the killer traps for rodents. This is honestly a step up from the heinous glue traps. I cried and begged for him to stop using those. I admitted that even the most vegan out there would choose a quick death blow over the agony of being trapped, starved, and helpless in glue. Avoid glue traps at all costs.
Here’s where things got strange regarding the new killer/snapping traps. They’re made of plastic now and have a better design than the original wood and metal spring traps of yore. They are easier to set. They certainly work quickly as Gus personally witnessed during one of his shifts in the workshop. I was grateful the trap didn’t spring on him. The new plastic traps have an indented well space smaller than a dime for the bait. The Grumpy Old Man has been filling those with peanut butter which is why I occasionally find a jar of peanut butter in a peculiar place like the armory. I didn’t think of him as the type of person, like me, who will eat straight from the jar (not shared jars though, I’m not a monster).
A Look at Sierra Six in Action:
Gus will inspect the scents and objects on the porch whether or not I have to maneuver Ollie’s carriage around complicated terrain next to a busy road. Gus uses his Super Smeller all the time. I’m not sure he can turn off that power. He could be deeply asleep and wake up if someone enters the room with meat. Oliver hasn’t gotten a chance to sniff all around this particular porch, but he has spent time in his buggy sitting out there with his favorite humans. Gus is the one who informed the Grumpy Old Man about the need for cameras and traps there. He’s leary at first when a human approaches, but if there’s a box delivered, that brings him one step closer to identifying them as friendly.
Thanks to constant surveillance, the humans did discover what else Gus has detected. One time a bear was actually on the porch! That hasn’t happened for a long time, but this summer I did see one in front of the porch caught on camera as it circled around. We’ve had (too many) free-roaming cats, even MamaCat Marsh who has a home down the street. Recently, there had to be some kind of speakeasy party situation going on, because there was a mouse, an opossum, and a cat one after the other. Maybe they had to give a secret password to get into a hidden spot? That’s the only thing that makes sense.
The Discovery:
After examining the footage and conferring with Guster, we knew that The Grey Man had come back. Whether or not he would return to the indoors of the residence was uncertain. Maybe he goes in and out through one of the passageways. Nonetheless, The Grey Man is delighted by the constant peanut butter supply. He walks right onto the traps without setting them off! He sits on them and eats a full meal!
The Grumpy Old Man is astonished. “The lightest touch sets them off!” he has repeatedly said to me. At this point, I think he should give the mouse a proper name. I’m sorry, but Court Gentry is a terrible name.
There is something that makes this mouse uniquely qualified for espionage and thievery. Or would it be burglary? I can never keep those straight.
Case Findings:
Oliver and Gus would love to get their paws and teeth on The Grey Man again. It is unlikely, but not entirely implausible. With those skills, none of us would be shocked if the mouse and cats crossed paths again. It’s possible Gus will encounter the mouse outside. The mission, however, is to make sure the mouse does not come back inside. If he does, his life may be ended. Maybe The Grey Man can be convinced to return to the relocation program and retire somewhere else.
Case Status: Open