OLD MAN MALONE RETURNS

by Marianne Spitzer

  He hugged her. “Let’s go to our room. I need to get out of this tux.” He pulled his tie loose as he headed toward the elevators.

  ########

  Drew and Kellie woke early enough to order breakfast in their room before heading home. Driving down Willow Way toward the house, Drew asked, “Are you apprehensive about going home?”

  “No, Austern and Mrs. Decker will be there. I’m a little worried about tonight. We’ll have new guards won’t we?” She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes, her face tightening.

  “Yes, the company’s angry about what happened to their men and want the intruder to be caught as much as we do. One of the new guards is a retired police detective that used to work with your Uncle Mike.” Drew smiled trying to reassure her.

  “That’s great why didn’t you tell me before?” She sighed, her facial muscles relaxing.

  “I didn’t want to discuss any of this during our weekend or the wedding.”

  “That was sweet. Thanks. Well, the house looks the same.” Drew pulled up in front of the house. She leaned forward for a closer look.

  Drew pulled around the back into the garage. He brought their bags in through the kitchen and took the elevator to the second floor. He placed them in their bedroom while Kellie spoke to Austern. He told her everything was in place and quiet. Mrs. Decker was busy making lunch and had a roast baking for dinner. Hope had finished what little cleaning there was to do and was preparing to leave for the day. Everything was as it should be.

  ########

  The following week brought the beginning of October and a chill in the air. Kellie was grateful the house had several fireplaces. She loved it when they were all going and the house was warm and cozy. School had been busy, and Drew was given a few additional hours at work. Both were delighted when the weekend arrived.

  Kellie and Drew decided to go out to dinner and enjoy some quiet time away from the house. Mrs. Decker was happy to have the evening off, and Austern said he would take in a movie.

  Kellie dressed in a tight fitting black dress with thin lacey straps. She slipped on a pair of black heels. Her hair was pulled up on the sides allowing her gold earrings to dangle freely. Her golden locks curled loosely fell past her shoulders to her upper back. Drew whistled when he saw her at the top of the stairs. She turned slowly giving him a view from all sides.

  “Are you sure you want to go out? We could stay home and order pizza,” he winked at her.

  “Oh no, you don’t. You look terrific in that suit, and we’re going out and have a nice romantic dinner. I might decide we need to dance a little.”

  “Dance” Drew arched his eyebrows, backed up raising his hands in defense. “Please anything, but that.”

  Kellie laughed and held out her hand. He took it, and they walked downstairs.

  She had phoned for a reservation at “Paul’s,” Oaklin’s oldest and finest restaurant. Its fine china, crystal, white tablecloths, soft candlelight, and live music made any dining experience delightful. They were seated at a window side table which overlooked the river and the river walk. It was close enough to the musical trio that they could easily hear the music, but it was soft enough not to overpower their conversation.

  Drew mumbled to himself several times, set the menu down, glanced at the river, and picked up the menu and started the routine again. Kellie watched him for a few moments. He finally nodded to himself and placed the menu on the table.

  “What are you doing?” Kellie asked peeking over the top of her menu.

  “I’m contemplating each menu item seriously.”

  Kellie couldn’t help giggling.

  “I’ve decided,” she said.

  “So quickly. I’m not sure what to get.”

  “Take your time. We have all night.”

  Their waiter arrived and introduced himself as Lance. “Are you ready to order, or do you need a bit more time?”

  “I’m ready,” said Kellie. “I’ll have the Chicken Parmesan with penne pasta.”

  “It is served with breadsticks and soup or salad.”

  “I’ll have the minestrone.”

  “Very good, and for the gentleman?”

  Drew looked up concentrating on his choice, and then realized the waiter was standing there. “Gentleman? Umm, oh that’s me. I’ll have the sirloin steak, medium well, garlic mashed potatoes, and onion soup.”

  “Your dinner will also come with the vegetable of the day or our green bean casserole.”

  “What’s the veggie of the day?”

  “Carrots in a sweet brown sugar glaze.”

  “Carrots.”

  “Very good, sir.”

  Lance nodded, wrote some notes on his pad, turned, and walked away. He arrived back in less than three minutes with their soup, breadsticks, and a small ramekin of whipped butter.

  “I’m starved,” said Drew as he slathered butter on a breadstick and ate one third of it in a single bite.

  “Slow down. They won’t run out of food.”

  “I missed lunch,” he mumbled as he chewed the rest of his breadstick.

  No sooner had they finished their soup then Lance appeared with their entrees. Drew dug in immediately while Kellie did her best to engage him in conversation. He mumbled “yes” or “no” to most of her questions. She gave up, and they ate most of their dinner in silence.

  Drew finished first and finally spoke in a complete sentence. “That was delicious. I can’t wait for a piece of their apple cobbler. I love it.”

  “I can’t eat another bite. I’m going to take dessert home. I’m going to get a slice of their chocolate cream pie for a midnight snack.”

  Lance returned and asked if they were through. He would pack up the remainder of Kellie’s dinner.

  “Yes, thank you,” she said as he picked up her plate. She looked up at him to smile, and Lance was gone, replaced by the figure in black with an evil grin and sagging gray skin. Kellie screamed and stood so quickly she shoved the plate of leftover Chicken Parmesan onto Lance’s chest. It covered his pristine white shirt with marinara sauce and penne pasta that resembled globs of blood.

  “What the hell?” said Drew as he rushed to Kellie’s side. “What’s wrong?”

  “Don’t you see? It’s the old man. He must be a ghost.” She looked again and to her shock and embarrassment she saw Lance standing there pulling pasta off his shirt.

  “Oh my, oh my, I am so, so sorry. I don’t know what happened. I looked up and thought you were someone else. I was startled.” Her cheeks were red and tears formed in the corners of her eyes. “I’ll pay to have your shirt cleaned, or I’ll buy you a new one. Please forgive me.”

  “Of course, ma’am. Accidents happen.” Lance gathered up the balance of the dishes from the table. “May I get you anything else?”

  “No, thank you.” Kellie said.

  Lance nodded and left.

  Drew found the manager. He apologized, paid the bill, the cost of a new shirt, and a bit more to cover any cleaning.

  He found Kellie staring out the window toward the river, tears streaming down her face. He saw she had already left a one hundred dollar bill as a tip for Lance.

  “Let’s go sweetie. You’ll feel better when we leave.”

  She wiped her face with a napkin off the table, and walked toward the door. Lance, dressed in a clean shirt, hurried up to her and said, “Please come and visit us again. Don’t let this little incident keep you away.”

  “I won’t, and thank you for understanding.”

  Drew helped Kellie on with her coat. She saw Lance glance back at her. He smiled when he discovered his tip.

  There was a cozy lounge on the lower floor of the restaurant and Drew offered Kellie a glass of wine. She declined. Seeing the figure in black unnerved her, and she wanted to go home and relax. She knew he could be anywhere and most likely at the house, but it was home and she needed to be there. She also knew her mother’s spirit would watch over her at the house.

  ########r />
  After the ordeal at the restaurant, they planned to sleep in and relax all weekend. They were both deeply asleep when the grandfather clock began to chime loudly at four in the morning. It kept chiming long past the first four chimes. Drew hurried downstairs to find Austern trying to quiet the clock.

  He looked at Drew, “The key is gone. It is always kept on top of the clock. I can’t open the door to stop the pendulum.”

  “Break the damn glass and make it stop,” Kellie yelled from the staircase.

  “Okay,” answered Drew. He picked up a vase, drew back to hit the glass. The clock immediately stopped chiming.

  Austern saw the key sticking out from under the base of the clock. He bent over to pick it up. It was stuck, and he had to twist it to free it

  “Perhaps it fell due to the vibrations from the excessive chimes,” offered Austern. “However, it doesn’t explain why it was jammed and stuck under the clock.

  “Or perhaps my grandfather is up to his old games again.” She strode to the piano in the music room. “First you terrify me at the restaurant and now this. What is it you want, old man?” She hit the keys with her fist sending the loud musical notes throughout the house. “If you would tell me, it’d be easier on all of us,” she called out into the empty air.

  Drew, curious if they had an unwelcomed spirit or intruder, went to check the security footage. He passed through the archway leading to the music room and library. It was dark, but enough moonlight came through the arched stain glass windows that he was able to see. He found his way to the cabinet containing the surveillance equipment. However, he did not see the figure, dressed in black, standing next to the curio cabinet in the music room. His skin crawled and a chill ran down his spine. He felt uneasy in the library as if he wasn’t alone. The eyes of the mysterious figure watched him. Seeing none of the cameras had been activated, Drew hurried back toward the doorway, but not before he turned on the lamps which flooded both the library and music room with light. He looked around carefully. The room was empty, but his skin crawled. He felt on edge. Something wasn’t quite right, but he couldn’t pin it down.

  With the clock silenced and the security footage clear, everyone went back to bed. They slept without incident for the rest of the night. The dark clothed figure moved silently through the house disappearing into the blackness of the night.

  ########

  Drew and Kellie woke to the aroma of Mrs. Decker’s special Sunday morning biscuits and coffee. The house was quiet. Usually one of their friends would be up moving around. Kellie could hear the sound of her own breathing. They knew Austern was busy with whatever he found that needed to be done, and Sunday was Hope’s day off. Cole was at Andrea’s.

  Kellie rolled over and whispered, “I like the privacy of being alone, but I miss the hectic activity when we’re all here. I already miss Cole, and I’m glad Taylor and Hunter will be staying in the south wing. We’ll see them once in a while, I hope.”

  Drew snuggled closer to her and said, “I sort of like this privacy.” He slipped his hand under her nightie as she moved closer. She moaned and agreed with him. They finished their morning love making in the shower and dressed for breakfast.

  Cole arrived in time to partake in Mrs. Decker’s Sunday breakfast.

  “Biscuits, country gravy, thick sliced bacon, and scrambled eggs, yum,” Cole said as he sat down. “Hi, I came early for my stuff so I could enjoy this breakfast with you. How’s it going?”

  Drew shook his head at Kellie. She knew he didn’t want Cole to know what was going on or he might reconsider moving. Cole smiled all the time now, and they didn’t want to interfere with his happiness.

  “Doing great. How’re things with you and Andrea?” Kellie asked.

  “Fantastic. We go to work together every day and home after. We make dinner together. She’s a good cook which is helpful since you guys know how well I can cook.” He laughed at his own joke.

  “I’m glad you’re happy.”

  “I really am. I wasn’t sure after what Emma did, but Andrea’s an angel. I’m really in love with her.”

  Drew smiled. “Kellie and I worried about you because of your feelings for Emma. You acted as if you weren’t hurt, but we all knew. I’m glad you have Andrea. She fits in well with the rest of us.”

  “I’m glad you accepted her. After Emma, I wasn’t sure you would trust anyone I found. I wasn’t joking when I said part of the reason I asked Andrea out was because of the intense background checks they do before they hire us. They’re very careful who they allow around troubled children. I knew she was okay. After our first date, I knew it without the checks.” Cole’s eyes were misty when he spoke about Andrea.

  Kellie said, “We know you love her, and I hope you both will be happy always.”

  “We will,” he reached for more eggs and biscuits.

  Chapter Seven

  Monday morning arrived too soon. Kellie had a nine am class, and Drew was working extra hours. He had to be at work at ten am. Both hoped it would turn into a full-time job. Kellie wasn’t worried about finances, but she knew Drew wanted to work. He felt he should help support her even though she didn’t need it. He studied hard to get his degree and now considered going after his doctorate in psychology.

  Kellie went through her backpack making sure she had all her books. Drew shuffled some papers on his desk grabbing a report he had finished over the weekend. They laughed as they nearly bumped into each other at the back door. A quick kiss and they were on their way, leaving Austern to care for the house. It was in reliable hands.

  ########

  Evening brought a relaxing meal and some alone time for Kellie and Drew. Kellie was lying on the sofa with her head in Drew’s lap. He ran his fingers through her hair. She sighed, her thoughts drifting off on the soft music playing in the background. Kellie’s cell phone rang. She popped up into a sitting position and pulled it from her pocket.

  “It’s Taylor,” she said to Drew. “Hi, how are you? Aww, I miss you, too. Sure, you can come back whenever you wish. This is your home. I have one class that morning, but I’ll be home by noon. I forgot about all your gifts. I had them delivered here so they didn’t overwhelm your mom. Would you like me to host a gift opening Sunday afternoon? Sure, Saturday would work, too. See you Friday. Love you.”

  Drew leaned toward her as she ended her conversation. “What’s up?”

  “Taylor and Hunter are coming home Friday morning instead of Sunday.” Her eyes gleamed with excitement. “I can’t wait.”

  “Great. I’ve missed Hunter.” Drew stood, walked to the fireplace and added another log to the fire.

  “They purchased furniture for the south wing before their wedding and want to have it delivered Friday. We’ll host a gift opening on Saturday. That way if they need anything they can get it on Sunday and be set to go back to work on Monday.” Kellie’s excitement caused her to rattle all the information in one breath.

  “I better clear my office stuff out of there. I’ll move my things into the library.”

  “Austern can get the things moved for you.”

  “Great. I’m not up to moving furniture.” He flashed his silly grin at her.

  She smiled back shaking her head at him. “You’re getting spoiled.”

  “It’s your fault for moving us here.” He dropped into a chair and leaned back.

  “Are you listening to me?”

  “You have my undivided attention.” He stared into her eyes.

  “Taylor knows we moved my grandfather’s antique bedroom set into the master bedroom to use as a guest room. They’ll probably want to use the bedroom you’re using since it’s almost as big as the master.”

  “Probably, does it really matter?” He threw his hands up.

  “Yes, I’ll go find Austern.”

  She left Drew sitting by the fireplace and headed for the kitchen. She found Austern checking supplies in the pantry.

  “Austern, I need you to take care of a few things.”


  “Of course.” He set his pen and paper on a shelf and walked toward her. “What can I do for you?”

  “First, Taylor and Hunter will be home Friday morning. Would you have Drew’s office things moved into the library? Second, could you ask Hope to clean the south wing before they arrive home? I’d be happy to pay her extra for the additional time.”

  “I’ll take care of everything, and let you know if anything extra is needed.” He smiled and began to bow slightly.

  “Thank you, Austern.” She turned to leave the kitchen, turned back around saying, “You’re invaluable to our family.”

  “You’re welcome, and it’s my pleasure to help. This has become much more than a job.” He held out his hands, fingers splayed. “I can’t explain it, but this feels like home.”

  Kellie’s face softened. “This will always be your home for as long as you wish.”

  ########

  Drew’s furniture was carefully moved and arranged in the library while he was at work on Wednesday. He was very happy with the results. Austern told Kellie that Hope would completely clean the south wing Thursday readying it for Taylor and Hunter.

  Thursday morning brought clouds and a late spring storm. By noon, the storm was raging full force. The winds howled, and the power flickered on and off a few times. Several minutes later, the power went out and didn’t come back on. The generators kicked in to keep the food cold, the security system working, and for the house to have emergency lighting.

  Hope found Austern in the kitchen and said, “I’m nearly through with the south wing. What I need to do, I can finish without the lights. The windows are big enough to give me light to finish the kitchen.”

  “If you need anything, let me know.” Austern told her as Mrs. Decker set a plate in front of Hope.

  She ate her lunch and left to continue cleaning. About twenty minutes later Austern and Mrs. Decker heard Hope scream in terror.

  They ran to the south wing. They found Hope, hysterical, on her knees in the hall, outside the kitchen. Her hands were over her face, and she was shaking her head back and forth. Her sobs racked her body as she gasped for air. Austern helped Hope to her feet. He assisted her walk back to the main house. By the time she was sitting in the library, Hope had regained a bit of her composure.