"What's the signal?" Karen asked.
"I'll just come get you."
They all piled out of the van after turning onto the side road. Trevor unhitched the boat then got in the driver's seat of the van. He glanced at his reflection in the rearview mirror, licking his fingers and slicking them through his blond hair. After a couple more adjustments, he waved to the others and backed the van out of the narrow lane. It was a tight squeeze around the boat, but he managed to pull it off.
The road wound up the hill like a snake. He wiped the sweat off his forehead. He was used to the drier heat from Texas, not this sticky mess. The dense foliage ahead cleared away at last and the van cruised out onto pale red paving stones.
The estate sprawled before him. He'd never seen anything quite so big. A two-story mansion sat front and center on the crest of the hill, surrounded by manicured gardens and patios. The trees cut away on his right, revealing a perched view of the bay. The water sparkled like a brilliant gemstone. A parking lot sat to his left. Beyond it, the hill sloped down into dense croppings of trees below. The sticky hum of bugs and wildlife told him that was where the water slowed into the brackish and swampy lanes of the bayou.
He guided the van into the parking lot then got out, stretching his legs and shielding his eyes from the blistering sun. There was one other car in the lot. He walked along a pathway that took him around a dry fountain edged with carved cherubim and up to the front doors. He gazed up at the two tall slabs of wood marking the entrance to the grand mansion. He ignored the knockers and pounded his fist on one of them. Just a moment later, the massive door opened.
"Trevor, I presume?" a voice inside said.
The voice startled him, and Trevor leaned to the side and cupped his hand over his eyes to see whom it belonged to. When his eyes adjusted, he saw a head poking just behind the door. "Oh, uh... yeah," Trevor said. A hand shot out from behind the door and Trevor shook it.
"Come in."
Trevor followed him inside, a tall, thin man who looked to be in his late thirties. They found themselves in an enormous entrance hall. High windows next to the doors let long sheets of muted light lean along the marble floors. The ceiling high above them was custom made with elegant moldings fitted around the edges and a hand-painted mural of angels stretching out and floating among a sea of clouds covering the interior. The age of the abode was apparent—almost bleeding from the walls and permeating the heavy air—but the museum had also been updated with some furnishings not originally included, like lights fixed along the walls made to look like old torch sconces. A bronze podium stood next to the entrance, the top of it worked into the shape of an open book. Each of the two open pages welcomed the visitor to the museum and gave an introductory history of the estate.
"I trust your drive wasn't too bad?" the man said.
Trevor snapped out of the gaze he fell into looking at the opulence around him. "Oh... yeah, it was fine. This place is amazing."
The man smiled. "I'm glad you think so. Most people do." He held out his hand again. "I'm Will Proper, by the way. I realize our phone interview was a little hasty... apologies for that."
"No problem at all," Trevor said, taking his hand again. "Nice to meet you."
"I'm the curator of this museum," Will said, signaling around them with an open gesture. "This mansion has stood for over three hundred years. It was built in the early 1700s by Mr. Jasper, who used his vast fortune from the nautical trading company he started to construct it. I won't give you too much history, since you can freely browse the historical displays around the museum during your employment here. But I will give you a tour and go over your job duties."
"Sure," Trevor replied, still taken by his extravagant surroundings.
"Come with me," Will instructed as he began walking across the hall. They passed hallways on either side of them and headed for a set of doors on the far end of the large room. They came to an antechamber on the other side, the small room constructed just as breathtakingly as the entrance hall.
"The kitchen and pantry are over there," Will said, pointing down a hallway to the right. "We normally don't keep any food here, but I've provided you with some provisions for your stay. If there's anything else you want, you'll have to drive into town."
The two of them stepped forward through an archway and came into an open courtyard. Large plants sprawled out of little plots of garden around the stone square, maintained just as carefully as the gardens outside. Walkways on the floor above ringed the courtyard and looked down on the bottom floor. Glass panels covered the open ceiling, protecting the house from the elements while also giving an outdoorsy feel. And standing in the center of the courtyard was a tall statue carved out of stone.
The stone man stood proudly in an old-style suit. His face was pointed up toward the sky and one of his arms was raised into the air. In the hand, he clutched a shining red gem. Another bronze podium stood in front of the statue that said: Jacob Jasper – Founder of the Jasper Trading Company.
They took a right through the courtyard in the direction the statue was facing, Trevor lagging behind as he stared at it. They crossed under a walkway above and went through another archway to find themselves in a parlor. The room was furnished in old and carefully maintained chairs, tables and lamps. Two decorative swords were adorned to the walls on either side of the archway coming from the courtyard. A handcrafted rug covered most of the marble floor, and it looked old. Trevor wondered if Jasper had acquired it in some faraway land hundreds of years ago.
Will stopped in the middle of the room, but Trevor found himself drifting toward a loggia where the edge of the parlor transformed into a covered balcony overlooking the bay. He walked down the wide steps onto yellow brick and leaned on the railing. The semicircular area jutted out from the mansion and was perched over a cliff. In fact, the whole side of the mansion was butted up to the cliff where the ground gave way to the rocky water some thirty feet below.
"This is amazing," Trevor said, his eyes falling on the gorgeous blue water.
"It has that effect on most," Will replied. "Don't worry, I'm sure it will become run-of-the-mill to you soon. Let's go to my office and I'll get you your set of keys and go over your responsibilities."
"Right, sorry," Trevor said, returning to the parlor.
"Not a problem," Will said. He inspected his watch. "I just have to be going soon."
They entered a long hallway from the parlor.
"Where are the construction crews?" Trevor asked. "I didn't see any when I came in."
"We're going through a bit of a dispute with the contracts right now," Will said. "The museum might be closed for a little longer than originally anticipated. Until the dispute is resolved—I'm hoping a week at the latest—it's just going to be you up here."
The thought of treasure ran through Trevor's head as they passed a series of windows in the corridor overlooking the bay. He had been floored since he arrived at how much wealth was just in the mansion's furnishings, and he kept a running list in the back of his mind of what looked most valuable. "And the cameras," Trevor said, pointing up at a security camera perched up in the corner at the end of the hallway, "that'll help me keep an eye on things." He hoped his question didn't come off as probing as it sounded in his head.
"Those are all inactive right now, I'm afraid. The construction crews are supposed to do some renovations to the electrical system as well, so we backed up the feeds and took them offline this morning. Then we hit our unexpected snag with the contracts. It would be a hassle to get them going again before the crew comes in, so you're going to have to keep an extra careful eye. I know it's a lot of area for you to cover, but once you familiarize yourself with the layout, you should be flying through here in no time." They walked into an enormous living room with a staircase leading up to the second floor. "Troubles abound, I suppose."
"So they'll be down the whole time?" Trevor asked.
"Yes. Why? You're not thinking of stealing anything, are you?"<
br />
Trevor stopped dead in his tracks. "Um... what? No, I was just wondering because—"
"I'm just kidding," Will said, patting him on the back. "Sorry, people sometimes say my humor comes off a little dry." The two of them crossed into another hallway.
They eventually came to an office at the rear of the estate. It was a little smaller than most other rooms in the house, but it was big enough to fit two rows of suits of armor on either side of the long, narrow space. Trevor's nerves flared for some reason as he passed between them. Will stopped at a desk at the end of the room that was stacked high with papers, binders, books, and a slim silver briefcase lying on its side. He sat down in a chair and opened a drawer next to him. He pulled out a ring of keys and held up one of the two on the ends. "This one is for the exterior doors of the museum," he said. "It locks and unlocks the front doors where we came through and also a set of doors at the back leading out to a patio. All the other keys are for individual doors within the mansion. Some of them are labeled, some are not. My apologies. You can sort through them yourself, but most of the rooms can be left alone; I want you to patrol the hallways, mainly. And make sure the outer doors stay locked. You were going to be employed here for three weeks, but it might be four now. If that's a problem, just let me know and I can make other arrangements after your three weeks are up. I've prepared quarters for you in one of the bedrooms upstairs. You can get there from the staircase in the living room. Just take a right when you get to the top; it will be the first bedroom on your right. You're the only security here, so if you have to take a trip into town, just make sure you lock up and try not to be too long. Other than that, get familiar with the place, and keep an eye out for anything suspicious."
Will opened another drawer and produced an old flip phone. "Here. This is for you. Keep it on your person at all times in case I need to get a hold of you or you need to get a hold of me. My number is taped to the back." Trevor took it and turned it over. "You mentioned you didn't have a cell phone."
Trevor shook his head. "People say I have to get out of the Stone Age."
"I hear you," Will said. "I usually can't make heads or tails of gizmos like that. These things are best left to the young."
Trevor cocked an eyebrow. Though older than Trevor and his friends, Will seemed quite young. But there was a rigid stuffiness to him, like he had peeled himself off the wall of the mansion like some ancient molding just before Trevor knocked.
Will looked around, trying to figure out if he had missed anything, but he came up satisfied. "You'll be paid half by cash and half by check at the end of your stay. Any questions?"
Trevor thought for a minute. "No. I think I'm good. And I guess if I think of anything, I can always give you a call, right?"
"Of course." After a moment of silence, Will stood up. "Well then... let me show you around to a few more things, and then I'll be off."
The two of them ducked out of the office and walked the length of the hallway at the back of the mansion. Near the end, Will stopped in front of a closed door. "This," he said, "is the entrance to another wing of the museum. But it's off-limits to everyone. That includes you, I'm afraid. I haven't given you a key for this door, so you won't have to worry about it, but just remember that no one is to enter, no matter what. Understand?"
"What's in there?" Trevor asked. He hurriedly added, "...if it's not too much to ask."
"Just some private effects belonging to the Jasper family," Will replied. "Nothing too mysterious, but we keep it closed from visitors at all times. And don't get too excited, there's nothing much of value back there," he said with a laugh. "There's actually less than you'd think of value in this whole museum, unless someone wanted to try and pry up the marble floors, I suppose. So you shouldn't need to worry about hoodlums too much. We get the odd looker coming up here for fortune, but they usually leave disappointed."
"What do you mean?" Trevor asked.
"Oh, every once in a while someone comes here after hearing rumors of treasure or some kind of riches. Some people think there's a vast treasure hidden away in the mansion. Others think it's out in the bay or even stowed away in the bayou on the other side. Many tall tales of marauders or pirates leaving it here. I'm sure you know the sort."
"Do you ever get anyone out on the water looking for it?" Trevor asked carefully.
"Rarely, but once in a while we do. The police patrol the bay here and there. That's usually enough to scare most people away. But please do keep your eyes peeled in your patrols for any activity on the water."
"But there's nothing out there?"
"You sound disappointed."
"No, um... sorry. Just curious."
"Yes, quite understandable," Will replied. "But anyway, I think that should about do it. I'll show myself out, and then you'll have the run of the place."
Trevor nodded and the two of them made their way back to the front of the mansion. They stopped at the door and Will turned to him. "Remember to give me a call if you need anything."
"Definitely."
Will gave him a curt nod and walked along the path toward the parking lot. Trevor watched him get into his black sedan and drive off. As soon as the car disappeared into the foliage, a head popped out of the greenery. Bridgette looked around, then spotted Trevor standing in the doorway.
"Can we come out?" she said in a weird yell-whisper.
"Yeah," Trevor called out.
Five people emerged from the bushes. Karen did something that resembled the jitterbug as she brushed what she prayed weren't bugs and spiders off her.
"Oh, I'm not doing that again!" she cried.
"No one else is here?" Dawson asked. He looked down the winding road. "What about the construction?"
Trevor shook his head. "Good news. We're probably looking at at least a week, the way that guy told it. Just us. No construction crews or anything. There's some security cameras in there, but they're offline until renovations are over. A week'll be more than enough time to find the gold."
They took their luggage out of the van, then Trevor brought them into the mansion.
"This is straight out of a book!" Bridgette said, wandering around the entrance hall. She softly touched the plaster walls as if to see if this whole thing was really real.
"Wow," Billy muttered, looking around. "This is a slice of history right here. Built in 1714 by the largest shipping and trading magnate in the western hemisphere."
"You're such a damn nerd," Trevor said, walking past him and facing everyone. "Forget all that crap. Here's the skinny. The first thing we'll do is check this place out a bit and see what we're working with, then we'll find a way to get the boat down into the water. From there, we can start looking for the treasure. Probably nighttime is going to be better for that, but I think we'll wait until tomorrow to get started. That will give me time to see what kind of activity goes on around here."
"What did he say?" Bridgette asked. "Did he mention anything about the treasure?"
"He said there wasn't any," Trevor replied. "Said it was all a myth."
"He's right," Dawson said. "All a big fairytale."
"It's here," Trevor snapped. "What, you think he's going to point it out to us and say, 'Oh look, it's right here. Go ahead and take as much as you want!'? Hell, even if he doesn't know it's here, it's here. I'd bet my life on it."
"Careful what you wish for," Karen chimed. She walked toward the set of doors leading to the antechamber. "Good Lord, am I ever going to put my feet up here!" She glanced at Trevor. "Do we get a butler, too?"
They wandered further into the mansion, and suddenly Janet paused then disappeared into the parlor.
"What is it?" Bridgette asked. The others followed behind and the whole group entered the room and saw Janet walk out to the balcony overlooking the bay. They joined her in leaning against the thick stone banister enclosing it. They all took in the full beauty of the water, in awe at how it sparkled in the afternoon sunlight.
"Black Bay," Bridgette muttered.
"It's even more beautiful than I'd imagined."
"If the rumors are true," Billy said, "this could have been the site where the crew of pirates sank into the water with all the treasure they were carrying. Many souls... perished, every last one of them."
Karen slapped his shoulder. "You're such a dork!"
"It's out there," Trevor said. "It's out there, and we're all going to be stinking rich."
Boomer
Bridgette wandered around the mansion on her own. She slipped from room to room, through corridors and elaborate archways. She soaked all of it in, sometimes closing her eyes and imagining that she was walking through the vivid story of an adventure novel. She stood just inside the doorway of a reception room and looked across it, imagining the two characters from the book she'd been reading, Beau and Laura, holding each other in their arms. She saw him sweep Laura off her feet and carry her out of view to some unseen bedroom. Her heart fluttered at the idea and then she came back to reality and gazed upon the beautiful marble work of an old fireplace.
She headed back into the hallway and explored another room. As soon as she entered, she stopped. The large square room was filled with tall bronze busts and display cases. Bridgette immediately felt a cold chill as soon as she walked in there, like the temperature had dipped down by five degrees. She took a few steps into the room and the feeling passed. Suspicious, she turned and looked at the spot where she had been standing. She walked back into it. But now the temperature was just as warm as the rest of the mansion. Bridgette shivered and backed into the room, and she suddenly recalled a part of her romance novel where Beau encountered the ghost of his crew's skipper. Beau had felt the temperature inexplicably drop when he touched him, like she just had. She turned her attention to the contents of the room, trying to wave off the silly idea that she had just touched something otherworldly.
The Box Set of Hauntings and Horrors Page 39
