I had just returned from running an errand in town. As I approached the bar, I noticed for the first time it really did have an eerie, spooky sort of look to it. The bar was haunted after all. It was October so the skies were overcast as if even the sun was apprehensive about peeking in on the scene below. I couldn't blame it. Weird things were brewing. It was a few days before Halloween. Ghouls, goblins and ghosts would soon be everywhere. Especially at Joe's haunted bar.

I let the shivers clear my system before I entered the bar to only have them return as I realized there tending my bar was a very sexy vampire with blood streaking down from the edges of her mouth. A gentleman in Victorian garb was defensively grasping the scarf around his neck no doubt to stop the bleeding from the vampire's attack.

On second glance, it was just Jolene trying out her Halloween costume for Freddy who had shown up to the bar in a Dickensian waist coat and cravat claiming to be the famous writer. Jolene was trying to convince him he looked more like Heathcliff from Wuthering heights saying Dickens wore ties and not cravats.

I interrupted their disagreement, "I got the fake blood, red food coloring, and Halloween decorations you wanted, Jolene." We were planning a big Halloween bash. Anyone in costume got drinks half priced watered down with food coloring. Jolene wanted to go all out on the decorations.

"Thanks, I'll start stringing the cobwebs. You take over the bar."

"Freddy, who in the Dickens are you supposed to be?" I asked as I made my way behind the bar.

"Ha-ha, you can tell I'm Charles Dickens, can't you?"

"You're certainly no Beau Brummel," I said making reference to his neckwear.

"Who?"

"Never mind. Sure, you look like Dickens, but more like during his worst of times than his best of times," I assured him.

He pushed his empty glass towards me. "Please sir, I want some more," he said in his best Oliver Twist impression. I poured him another beer as two more patrons entered. Appropriately, one was Isabella our resident goth wannabe. I couldn't tell you if she was dressed for Halloween or not. She always looked like that. What was different was the young man with her.

There were several things that stood out about the young man who accompanied Isabella into the bar. First was the fact he was accompanying Isabella. She usually came into the bar stag. Next, he was goth attired just like Isabella, complete with fake eyebrow piercing and eye shadow. Finally, and this was the really odd part, he looked hauntingly familiar. It's not like I know a lot of goth types. In fact, Isabella is the only one, but for some reason I felt I'd seen this guy before, including the whole goth look, but something wasn't quite right.

They sat at the corner of the bar at the opposite end from Lupin. Lupin called down the bar, "Who's your friend Elvira?"

Isabella ignored Lupin. I really wanted to know who the guy was; so, I went over greeted Isabella, and introduced myself.

"Richard Joseph Wazinsky," the new guy gave me his full name as he reached over the bar and shook my hand. "You can call me Rich."

Lupin interrupted, "I think I'll call you Dick. You seem like a real dick to me."

We all ignored Lupin.

"Glad to meet you Rich. Your full name is quite a mouthful." I was curious why he gave it.

"It is, but I like the way it rolls out. Sounds more foreboding. Serial killers always go by their full names." He was trying to sound scary, but he wasn't very good at it.

"Okay," I smiled to let him know his goth act wasn't really working. "Where did the two of you meet?"

"A Chelsea Wolf concert in the city," Isabella replied feigning apathy. I suspect she was actually somewhat excited by the memory of the concert and her new acquaintance. She just didn't want to show it in front of Rich. You know, typical goth.

I turned to Rich and asked, "Help me out here. I have the feeling I have seen you before. I just can't place you.".

"I'm an actor. Maybe you've seen me in a movie or on TV."

"Maybe. What have you been in?"

"Nothing memorable, a few commercials, an extra in a few independent films. Whatever pays the bills. You know, I don't even remember most of them and the ones I do, I'd like to forget."

"No help," I sighed. "Do you live around here?"

"Nope. Just up here visiting Bella. I live in Sacramento. Spent my whole life there except for when I took jobs in southern California."

"He's staying with me through Halloween. We will be here for your big bash," Isabella added.

As I headed down to Lupin's end of the bar, I got to thinking about Rich's middle name and Kirby's investigation. Kirby is the detective trying to find the rightful owner of Joe's bar. He is looking for a Joe or Josephine born in 1990 in Sacramento. Rich looks to be the right age. I wondered if Kirby has considered the possibility Joe could be a middle name rather than a first?

I got down to where Lupin was sitting and leaned in so the others couldn't hear and asked, "What's going on that you keep ragging on Rich?"

Lupin shrugged and said, "Besides the fact he's with Vampirella? I don't know. I have this feeling I've seen him before and I don't think I like him. I'm gonna trust my gut till I remember where I know him from.

"Weird. I think I've seen him before too. He says he's an actor, but hasn't been in anything memorable."

Both Freddy and Jolene joined our conversation and also felt as if they'd seen Rich somewhere.

I told them my theory that he could be the long-lost relative of Joe Bob that Kirby was looking for. Maybe there was a resemblance to Joe Bob. And maybe that was why he looked familiar. That might explain it. Only, we were all having a hard time imagining what Joe Bob would look like in a goth get up.

The mystery of why Rich looked familiar was going to be with us for a few more days.