Murder & Mockery

by K P Stafford

  Ms. Jensen leaned forward. "I'm just trying to help find a solution we can all live with. Things are going to change, whether we like it or not. If we can control the changes and the amount of changes, I think it's a better way to do things. Let her go digital, but let’s put the old paper copies in a storage facility."

  Mavis crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back. "Okay, you may have a good point.”

  “Ladies, we need to stay on track.” Grams said, looking from Mavis to Ms. Jensen.

  Lexi glanced around the room. “Why isn’t Mrs. Williams here? She’s the librarian now. She’s been so defensive about town history when I’ve asked. I thought for sure she’d want in on this.”

  Everyone turned to look at Lexi, disbelief was on most of their faces.

  Mavis Clark was the first one to speak. “She didn’t grow up here. She’s not one of the original families who started the town.”

  “Oh,” Lexi said. “I assumed she was since everyone knows her and she tends to be involved in everything that goes on.”

  Grams let out a sigh, “She married one of the originals, but he passed away several years ago. We don’t know much about her past. She’s always been interested in our little town, but since she didn’t grow up here, we didn’t think it was relevant to invite her.”

  24

  After Lexi fielded all the morning gossip callers, she got a message from Peyton that Charlie was bringing Bobby by the office. She let John know before she put a hot chocolate pod in the coffee machine and got some pastries out. She wanted him to feel comfortable and food usually did the trick.

  Bobby was quiet and a little timid, but well mannered.

  John told him he was doing an investigation and explained that he had to ask some questions.

  “Charlie explained it to me. I know I’m not in trouble if I didn’t do anything wrong, and I don’t think I did anything wrong.”

  John leaned forward in the chair. “There’s been some small fires at the cemetery, some plastic flowers have been burned. Do you know who did that?”

  “I did. They were old and didn’t look very pretty. I didn’t see a trash can close by so I went to the edge of the woods and burned them. I stayed until the fire was out. I didn’t want the woods to catch on fire.”

  “We’re glad you stayed. That’s very responsible. There was also a bird in one of the piles of ashes. Do you know anything about that?”

  “No sir. I would never burn an animal. I have burned insects, but Granny says most of them are pests anyway. But she did get on to me for it and said that they have a place in the circle of life. They feed on dead animals and keep the forest clean so it doesn’t start stinking.”

  Lexi let out a small chuckle. “I never thought about it like that, but I bet your grandmother is right. It could be a stinky place if nothing took care of the dead animals.”

  “That is a good point,” John said, “but I have a few more questions and then we’ll be done here. There were also some things torn up at the cemetery. We call that vandalism and it’s against the law.” He paused. “I hate to ask like this, but did you have anything to do with that?”

  “No sir. That could make the spirits mad. Granny told me never to make the spirits mad. They deserve to rest in peace, and doing bad things around their graves could make them come after me.” He opened his mouth to speak again but closed it and looked down at his hands.

  “Is there something you want to tell us?”

  “Well, since Charlie explained how these investigations go, and after everything you’ve told me, do you think all of this stuff has something to do with that lady who was on fire?”

  John and Lexi looked at each other. He was a smart kid, but he was too young to be worrying about things like this in life. John took in a deep breath, “That’s what we’re trying to find out. If you remember seeing anyone at the cemetery who was acting sneaky or anything, it could help us figure out who did all these horrible things.”

  “I always go there when the cemetery is empty. If I do see someone, even the grounds keeper, I stay in the woods until they go away. Granny taught me how to hide.”

  John and Lexi sat by the windows after Charlie and Bobby left the office. she looked over at John, he was deep in thought, rubbing his chin like he always did when something bothered him. “He’s a good kid. I’m glad he’s got someone like Charlie to be friends with.”

  “Yes, I agree,” his voice trailed off.

  “So, what’s bothering you?”

  “I believe the kid was telling the truth. He had nothing to do with any of this, but we’re still no closer to figuring this out.”

  “What about other people at the mining camp? Could someone else from up there be the culprit? The way he talked about his grandmother was kind of creepy.”

  “Most of them are harmless, quite a bit superstitious though. They believe in a lot of the old ways about spirits and waking the dead. Most of them are terrified of messing with anything like that. Knowing how cultish all of this is going, I can’t imagine anyone up there trying to stir up the old spirits, as they call them. I think we’re still dealing with one of the town’s folks. I just don’t know who.”

  John stood up and returned to his office. Lexi went to her desk and pulled out the old files she’d been going through, thought about everything that was discussed at her Grams’ house the night before with some of the older town’s people. Nothing was making sense or coming together. She’d been through the files so much she felt like she knew them word for word.

  The pyro, who they now knew as Bobby, had been marked off the suspect list. Dell Chimay had a good alibi and couldn’t have been involved. Who did that leave?

  She sent a group text to Jake, Peyton and Charlie to ask if they were ready for an adventure. It was time they checked out the old hidden estate.

  25

  They decided to meet up for lunch and make their way through the woods to the overgrown estate. As they walked through the woods, Lexi thought about the trails close to her Grams’ house that Peyton and she had explored as children, the same trails where she’d found the bodies of an elderly couple right after she moved back to Cryptic Cove. So much had happened in the short time since then. It hadn’t been quite two years, but she’d been involved in her share of strange investigations.

  As they neared a section of thick woods, the hairs on Lexi’s body started to stand on end. Chills and shivers shot through her. They were sure this place had belonged to one of her ancestors, but still had no clue why the whole town had tried to wipe out any information of his existence. She didn’t know if that’s what bothered her or just the fact that they were about to sneak into an old estate. It reminded her of the old teen mysteries she’d read when as a kid.

  Jake reached over and took her hand as they continued to walk. He always had a way of knowing when she needed extra support, when things just didn’t feel quite right to her.

  They made their way through a thick patch of undergrowth. Luckily, Charlie had brought a machete to chop a way through the forest. They heard a noise and looked up to see a black mass approaching. Baxter and his friends filled the woods. They were eerily quiet instead of their normal chattery selves. It was creepy, but kind of comforting too, knowing that they were there. Baxter let out a caw and then flew towards the estate, guiding their way.

  Once they made their way through the last bit of undergrowth, they were on the main property. Even though it had grown up and not been cared for, they stood and admired how beautiful it must have been at one time. Moss covered most of the outbuildings, making them blend into the surrounding woods. It was a wonder the place could even still be seen from the air.

  As they approached the main doors to the home, Jake noticed one of them was slightly ajar. He inspected it and assured everyone it had been like that for years. That was a relief. For one thing, they didn’t have to break in, but it was also a relief knowing that no one else had been out there snooping around recently. If this es
tate had anything to do with town secrets and the item Shirley had had in her possession, it was likely the killer was looking for it too, if he was even aware of its existence. Jake opened the door and stepped inside. Charlie rummaged through his backpack and pulled out several flashlights. “Good thinking. I can’t believe I left mine in the car.” Lexi said as she took one of the lights.

  Charlie laughed, “I’ve been exploring more than you guys. I try to prepare for dark places.”

  The main entrance was dark, but huge and open. Some natural light came in through the windows. It reminded Lexi of mansions she’d seen in old movies, complete with a gigantic double staircase that led up to the second floor. They decided to stick together, since it was their first time going inside, and to remain on the first floor.

  Everything in the home was still intact, albeit covered with dirt and years of grime. There were also bird and bat droppings in several areas indicating that wildlife had used the place as a refuge. That also meant they needed to watch out for snakes. The fall temperatures were much cooler, but that didn’t mean they had all gone into hibernation, and with an infestation of rats, it could be a regular buffet for snakes to find their meals.

  The kitchen was located at the back of the house. Pots and pans were still on the countertops, like someone had been in the process of cooking a meal and then just disappeared. There was a small staircase, just off the kitchen that led up to the second floor. Probably intended for the kitchen staff, so they didn’t have to haul food through the foyer to the main staircase. Under the staircase, tucked into a small alcove in the corner, was a small door, most likely a storage space. Lexi turned to everyone, “This is odd. This door has a really old lock on it. It looks almost like the Cryptex.”

  Charlie pulled out a rag and began wiping the grime off of the old lock. They stared at it in silence for a few seconds before Peyton finally spoke. “That’s the same markings we’ve found in those files and on the Cryptex.”

  Lexi’s phone beeped. She let out a laugh as a way to break the tension, and pulled the phone out to look at the screen. She stopped laughing when she read the message. “Grams is missing. We need to get back to town.”

  26

  Lexi and Peyton headed straight to Crystal Scents. John was still there with Ms. Jensen. “What happened?” She asked as she closed the door behind her.

  Ms. Jensen came over and took one of her hands. “Oh dear. I don’t even know. She got a phone call and said she had to leave, but she wouldn’t tell me who it was or what it was about. I didn’t ask too much. I mean, she gets calls all the time and leaves the shop. That was hours ago and now no one knows where she’s at. That’s just not like her. She’s never gone for more than an hour, and if she is, she always calls and lets me know.”

  Lexi led the distraught woman over to the sofa. “Ms. Jensen, have a seat. I’m sure it’s all going to be okay. We will find her. She’s stubborn and resourceful.”

  “I know she is, but I can’t shake the feeling that this has something to do with Shirley’s death and that awful thing she had hidden all these years. I can’t figure out why they’d take Velda though. She doesn’t know anything. Well not any more than the rest of us.”

  Lexi looked up at John. A look of anguish was written across his face. She had a feeling he knew Ms. Jensen was right about Grams being taken because of the Cryptex. She also had the strange feeling that he’d given it to her for safe keeping. If that was true, she hadn’t been safe at all. Who would know she had it? She thought back to the night of the meeting at Grams’ house. Most of the original descendants were there. They all knew about the object now, and they all knew someone was searching for old town secrets. It had to be one of them. But who?

  Lexi knew she and John had to speak privately so she asked Peyton to stay with Ms. Jensen while they went to the office to check on some things.

  Jake said he’d start making phone calls to see if anyone he knew had seen Grams. Charlie told Peyton he would go wait for Paisley to get out of school and then bring her into town.

  John and Lexi arrived at the office and noticed a piece of paper taped to the door. That wasn’t unusual. A lot of times people would leave notes about picking up some produce or they stopped by to leave some goodies. Lexi pulled the note off the door and tucked it under her arm so she could unlock the door.

  John went straight to the coffee machine. He normally didn’t have coffee this late in the day, but he was upset. Lexi didn’t want him to feel like she was on the attack, but she had to ask him some questions. “John, does Grams have the Cryptex? Is that where you went that day, to give it to her?”

  He turned around slowly. “Yes. I knew she would keep it safe. Unfortunately, I didn’t know it would put her in danger. No one else knows she has it.”

  “Well, we don’t know if she’s in danger. There could be a logical explanation for her disappearance. Maybe her cell phone is dead.” Lexi said as she opened the note that had been tucked under her arm.

  “I hope you’re right. We’re old and forget to charge all of these new fangled devices.”

  Lexi’s heart sank looking at the note. She sat down in a chair and stared at the words. “Well, we’re both wrong. The killer does have her and demands we give them the Cryptex in exchange for Grams.”

  John rushed over and looked at the note. “My heavens. This can’t be happening.”

  “Well, I suggest we give it to them.”

  “I don’t know where it is, and your grandmother would die before she let such a heinous person have those secrets.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of. And without that cursed thing, we have no leverage. We can’t give them what we don’t have.”

  “I’ll go call the sheriff. We need to report this.”

  Movement at the window caught Lexi’s attention. She looked up to see Bobby peeking inside. She waved at him and tried her best to smile. She didn’t want him to feel unwelcome, knowing he wasn’t used to being around so many new people, but her heart was aching for her grandmother, and her mind was racing with what to do. He had an inquisitive look on his face, so she motioned for him to come on in.

  He slowly walked to the door and pulled it open. “Hey there.” Lexi said as he stepped through the door. “Is something wrong?”

  He opened his jacket and pulled some books out. “I don’t know if you can use these. They belong to my Nanna, and she’d have my hide if’n she knew I took them, but the markings on the outside look like the ones I saw on your desk that day I was in here with Charlie.” He walked over to the desk and laid them in front of Lexi. They were extremely old. The leather was dried and cracking, but he was right, she could make out some of the symbols on the cover. She opened the book on top, the first entries were dated from the middle 1700s. Cryptic Cove had been established by then and was over fifty years old. She skimmed a few pages until she ran across the name Danforth and stopped to read the entries in detail. The Danforth who’d helped to build Cryptic Cove had been the son of the Danforth who’d played a huge role in the Salem Witch Trials. Unfortunately, he’d been accused of practicing black magic. The town had rebelled against him.

  She glanced up at Bobby, who was still standing in front of the desk. “Can you leave these with me, or do you need to get them back to your Nanna.”

  “Well,” he took in a breath, “She would be mad, but if I explain to her that you’re fighting a bad guy she might understand.”

  “I don’t want you to get in trouble.” A thought popped into her head. “I know what we can do. Since Charlie knows the people up there at the camp, I can have him visit your Nanna and go through these with her. She may know some more of the backstory. How’s that sound?”

  “I like that idea. My Nanna sure likes Charlie. I think she’d be okay with that.”

  “That sounds like a plan. But, before you go, would you like a cup of hot chocolate, and maybe a donut?”

  “Yes ma’am, that would be great.”

  She fixed him
a cup of cocoa to go and a little goodie bag. As soon as he left, she called Peyton and explained what she had read in the old journals from the mining town. It didn’t help her find Grams or give any clue as to who had taken her, but at least now they knew what the killer may be after…an old man’s black magic.

  27

  John was beside himself with worry. For the first time since she’d met him and been reunited with her family, she saw how much he loved her. He would never overstep his boundary and still had great respect for Lexi’s late grandfather, but there was no denying he was in love with her grandmother.

  Lexi told him to go to Grams’ house and wait by the phone there, in case the kidnapper called to make an exchange. He wasn’t much use to her in his present state of mind. He was trying to hold it together and had always been a rock of reserve in this town, but this hurt him deeply.

  She called Jake and explained everything to him. He was tied up with some insurance matters, but would be by as soon as he was done. Lexi wracked her brain and knew she couldn’t just sit around and do nothing, so she headed down to the Magistrate’s office to talk to Mavis Clark. She used to be one of the last people Lexi even wanted to speak to, but she knew Mavis loved this town, was aware of the old town secrets and had made amends with Grams. In a strange way, they had become close friends. With new information about the estate and the Danforth who had lived there, maybe she could put two and two together. At least she’d have a new starting point of where to look into town records and old real estate papers. Luckily, Lexi had photocopied a few pages from the journals little Bobby had shown her, so they had some reference points.