"They're here Gaia. Put your hair up." Maria handed her a couple of hair combs and a ribbon.

She braided her waves into two braids and pulled a puffy beret over them.

"Do we want to make me invisible now? Or, do we do it after I'm seated at the bar?" She thought the risk of being bumped was less if she went into the pub first.

"Go in now," Harry said. "We have word the men you want to observe are on the way from Ricardo's grocery store now."

"Sit at the end by the wall over there." Salvatore pointed to where the U shaped bar met the wall by the hall to the restrooms. "My pass through is on this end. I want you here, Harry." He patted the dark walnut surface of the bar top beside the hinge.

"This stool is perfect, Sal," Gaia said. "I can relax against the wall. Put the bowls you keep the nuts here, and no one will even think to sit here. I should be safe from an accidental touch that way."

"Can do, Red. I'll just fill them now."

"Give me the bag of salted peanuts," Gaia said. "I'll do it. I can't sit here doing nothing."

"Yes you can. I hear the front door opening," Harry lifted his wand and Gaia watched her reflection disappear from the mirror behind the liquor bottles.

Salvatore spread a dozen small bowls in front of her and began pouring mixed nuts into them. As he finished each row of three, he stacked them, a left three piles sitting with just enough room for her to lean on her elbows. He took the other three and placed them on the bar. As two swarthy men with slicked down black hair climbed onto the stools dead center along the length of counter.

"Budweiser for me, and a whisky, neat for my friend. We have a proposition for you. You would wise to take it this time. The boss isn't happy with you, is he Ricky."

His companion reached into his inside jacket pocket, and Gaia saw his pistol in its holster. The quick blue gleam which settled into his pocket went unnoticed. She studied their reflections in the mirror. The spirits around them appeared from smoke gray mist. Their faces grim, and their voices soft, their whispers sent shivers down her spine.

Damn, how am I going to get them to speak up. They can't see me. I can't speak or I'll be discovered. Thank you, Harry. I wonder what will happen if he tries to shoot that gun?

"Sal, coffee for me," Harry requested. "I wonder what the dead would say if we could hear them?"

"Stupid, shit. They won't say a word. That's why they're dead. And you'll be joining them if you don't start to hand over your Friday night cash. Or better yet, a hundred dollars every night. That way we get our three big ones every month. I figure that's about right for letting you live. What did you let a God damn Irishman into the business for?"

"Because he's a genius at scheduling deliveries. Remind Enrico, his goods are under our control as well." Salvatore set two bottles of beer down beside the bowls of nuts.

Ricky stuffed a handful of the salty snack into his mouth and chewed slowly. Gaia wondered what he would say.

"And we know where you live. Have care, or your pretty little girls will be ours to play with."

"Do you wish a war with the Bronx?"

"We'll take the girls. All of them. We have places to sell them. Slaves are always welcome if you know where to sell them. Remember that."

"He lies."

Gaia glanced around looking for the speaker.

"I am here. I am Rosina. Tell my darling Sal, he lies. They break bones. They kidnap women, but Enrico, devil that he is, does not hurt children. He has a soft spot."

She recognized the woman. Sal's twin daughters did look exactly like her. Beautiful, blonde, and slender she swayed in the mirror behind the ouzo and amaretto bottles.

"I know you cannot speak to me, but I see you clearly as your spirit shines through the spell. Tell Harry, the warehouse across the backstreet behind the fish market is where the black sedan disappears. The door is disguised. It is a clever painting, not real bricks."

Gaia nodded her head and raised her eyebrow hoping her questions would be answered.

"The dead here, are silent. Many had their tongues cut out before they died. Ricky is eviler than Enrico knows. He is the one you need to watch. Their bodies? Under the brand new concrete floor in the warehouse. I am their hope. I will protect my family, my children, and even you. We all will." She gestured to more than a dozen others in the mirror. They nodded as she spoke.

Gaia glanced back to Salvatore as he pulled the empty snack bowls away from Ricky's greedy hand. His face was blank, but she noted a slight tremor as he poured more peanuts to refill them.

"Don't spill them, barkeep. You'll need them to keep your customers drinking," Ricky said. "I'll be back at closing to collect tonight's take. You owe me for at least a year."

He stood, picked up his beer bottled and guzzled it down in one long gulp. When his shadow pulled out a five dollar bill to pay, he grabbed and stuffed it into his own pocket.

"I'll be back for what's ours later." Ricky turned his back, and his double, pulled his gun, pulling the trigger as he pointed it at Harry. It exploded in his hand.

The man's scream trailed him as he ran out of the pub. His gun, a molten pile of metal on the floor with tiny flames flickering around it. Harry pointed his wand, and a stream of water hit it, splashing Placido as he came from the kitchen to investigate.

"More magic?" Placido asked as he pointed to the mess.

"Yes indeed. Leave it there until it cools a bit more. I'll deal with it later," Harry told him. "Ricky's friend will require care if he wants to keep his hand." He lifted his want again.

Gaia watched her reflection reappear beside Rosina as she faded away.

"Sal, Ricky lied about your daughters. Your sweet wife has given me the answer. They hide behind the Fulton Market. The doors are as big as yours. But they are disguised."

"So how do we put them out of business?" Salvatore asked.

"By watching the runners." Pietro came in with a smug smile. "One of them dropped this, as he ran for his life." He handed Harry the small black notebook. "Do you know of someone who would be interested?"

"What did you do Pietro?" Maria demanded as she came out with coffee for Harry. Her brother kissed her cheek and gave her a huge smile.

"Missed the curb just right, and the boy jumped out his skin. He came down running and went into the alley behind Fulton's. Disappeared. I have no idea where. But I have his book and the proof of extortion. That has it all." He nodded toward Harry where he examined the pages.

"Let Gaia take a look. She's the one who has a head for numbers. I see over twenty businesses listed in here. Yours is on the last page. It says balance owing: 95,000. Ricky is a greedy goon."

"Goon?" Placido asked.

Gaia walked over to stand behind her husband.

"Stupid oaf. I wonder if Enrico knows about this. He's bleeding the businesses dry. He's putting a huge cut in his own pocket. See these numbers here?" She pointed at a group of pencil written figures.

"It has to stop," Sal said. "But how? Like I said, what's the plan?"

"Taxes." Harry hopped off his stool. "I know exactly who to tell, and this little book will be of great interest to him." He closed it and put it in his own inner jacket pocket. "The government will be more than happy to see this." He disappeared into the kitchen and they heard the delivery door open and slam shut.

"Be careful, Harry." Gaia whispered as she stroked her abdomen. "Our baby needs her father."