OLD MAN MALONE RETURNS

by Marianne Spitzer

  She smiled but bit her lip. Glancing around the room moving only her eyes, and tapped her fingers on her knees.

  “It’s been so quiet that it scares me. The creep in black didn’t go away.”

  “Maybe he was some kind of criminal, got arrested, and is in jail. We can hope.”

  “Even if that were true, if my grandfather is behind this, there will be more creeps and/or ghosts.”

  “Forget ghosts, let’s have dinner. Hunter and Taylor joined them and they had a wonderful time.”

  ########

  Kellie woke with a start. She wasn’t sure what woke her, but the hair on her arms was standing on end. She felt as if she had been given a small electrical jolt. Her legs were shaking, but she felt she had to get out of bed. She grabbed her robe and walked out into the hall. Kellie wrapped the robe tightly around her trying to stop her shaking. Taking a deep breath, the trembling continued.

  She glanced down the hall toward the door leading to the third floor and attic. Kellie felt drawn to the attic. Could it be her mother’s spirit again? Her lips turned up into a tiny smile as she moved to the door. She walked up the two flights of stairs in complete darkness without tripping. Once she entered the attic, she saw the moonlight flooding in from the window on the viewing platform. It spread across the floor chasing the shadows from the corners. She slowly walked toward the window not understanding what was drawing her there. Her heart began to beat faster as she rubbed her hands together. It was a dark night, the moon occasionally covered by clouds. When a cloud floated past concealing the moonlight, she saw it. The same tiny shimmer on her mother’s headstone she had seen a year ago. She was frozen in place. Her eyes focused on the glimmer of light. Kellie’s fingers reached out to touch the window.

  Her thoughts raced. Is that you mother? Are you trying to tell me something? Are you here because grandfather is near? I don’t understand. Please help me mother, don’t let him hurt me.

  The light brightened for a moment and then disappeared. Kellie slowly moved away from the window. She heard the stairs creak behind her. She quickly hid in the closet. Her heartbeat quickened when she saw the figure dressed in black enter the attic.

  Kellie felt trapped in the closet. Turning from side to side, she looked for anything to protect herself. Unable to catch her breath, she was terrified he would hear her breathing too loudly. Kellie remembered the secret entrance to the attic. She felt the closet wall directly behind her for the lock. She watched over her shoulder for the figure in black.

  Her damp palms had difficulty unlocking the bolt. Kellie slipped quietly into the stairway passage. She breathed a sigh of relief as she closed the door behind her. She ran down the steps tripping along the way. Kellie hit the door at the bottom of the steps. She grimaced as she got back on her feet. When she tried to leave she realized the door to the third floor was locked from the other side. Kellie was trapped between the third floor and the attic with a crazed man or ghost. Bile rose in her throat as her heart began to pound again. Tears ran down her face, and her body stiffened. Kellie’s only recourse was to scream and beat on the door hoping Drew would hear her and rescue her before the man in black found her.

  She balled her fists tight and took a deep breath. Kellie hit the door with all her strength. Pain sliced through her back and chest, but over and over her fists hit the door. She screamed as loudly as she could.

  Drew raced to the door and unlocked it. Kellie fell into his arms, her hands bloody from pounding on the door.

  Before she collapsed, she whispered, “He’s in the attic.”

  Austern stepped out of the elevator on the third floor. Taylor and Hunter ran up the stairs. Drew laid Kellie on the bed. He looked up at Austern and his friends.

  “Taylor, stay with her. Austern, call 911. She needs an ambulance. Hunter, please come with me.” Drew and Hunter raced up the secret stairs to the attic.

  “Hunter, did you see anything on your way up?” Drew turned on the attic lights.

  “No, I heard something pounding and woke Taylor. She thought she heard Kellie scream. We raced out of our place and followed the noise. Did she say anything?” Hunter walked around the attic looking behind boxes and furniture.

  “She saw him in the attic.” Drew stared out the platform window. His brow furrowed as he wondered why she went up to the attic alone again.

  “What was she doing in the attic?”

  “I don’t know.” Drew fought back tears and shook his head. “I hear the sirens, let’s get back downstairs.”

  The ambulance attendants decided Kellie should be taken to the hospital. She was shaking and her blood pressure high.

  Drew said, “We’ll follow.”

  ########

  The three of them sat in the E.R. waiting room for over an hour. Drew had called Detective Stellion. He and his wife, Rita, arrived shortly after his call. Everyone was frightened for Kellie. Taylor hurried over to her Uncle Mike and Aunt Rita as they walked through the door. “I’m so scared for her. I’m glad you came.” She sat with Rita to wait while Mike spoke with Drew and Hunter.

  The doctor walked out. “Mr. Adamson?”

  “Yes, that’s me. Is Kellie okay?” He jumped to his feet, his face twisted with worry.

  “She will be. Her hands are cut and bruised but not broken. They’ll heal. She told me she tumbled down a few stairs, but she didn’t break anything in the fall. However, I’m terribly sorry to have to tell you, but she lost the baby.”

  “Baby? What baby?” Drew’s jaw dropped and his hands flew to his face.

  Taylor burst into tears. Her Aunt Rita wrapped her arms around her and cried with her.

  “You didn’t know she was pregnant?”

  “No, she never said anything. I don’t know if she knows.” Drew’s eyes looked at the doctor for help and understanding. “Does she know she lost the baby?”

  “Not yet I thought you’d want to be with her when I tell her. She might not be aware of her pregnancy. I don’t think she was more than two months along.”

  “Can I see her now?” Drew’s face was drawn and pale.

  “Yes follow me.” The doctor led Drew to Kellie’s room.

  Drew turned toward the others, his face ravaged with pain. “I’ll be back later.”

  The doctor spoke quietly. Kellie’s eyes opened wide, tears flowed down her cheeks. She threw her hands over her ears, and screamed. Drew threw his arms around her and she wept. Trying to speak between sobs her words were lost. Drew held her tighter as she cried. She caught her breath and spoke.

  “Drew, I didn’t know, but my grandfather knew. It’s why he came back. He wanted the baby.” She gripped Drew’s arms. “He wanted to control what he couldn’t with me. Now he has my baby. Drew stop him!” She clawed at his arms as she tried to get out of bed. He held her tighter. “He can’t take my baby back to where he came…” Her words drifted off as the sedative the doctor injected into her IV took effect.

  “We’ll keep her overnight at least. The sedative should last several hours, and I’d like to have her speak to a councilor before she goes home. She’s had a terrible shock. That chair reclines fully, and you’re welcome to stay with her tonight.”

  “Thank you, doctor. I’d like to stay. I need to tell our family and friends. I’ll be right back.”

  Hunter and Taylor decided to go home and tell Austern what was happening. Detective Stellion said his officers had checked out the house thoroughly and found nothing. He was worried about Kellie going back to the house. Rita held his hand and did her best to calm his fears. Mike and Rita asked Drew to call them when there was any change in Kellie. He nodded.

  Drew hung his head and fought back tears as he walked to his wife’s hospital room. He wondered how she was going to deal with this loss. There had been too many in her life already.

  ########

  The figure in black heard Hunter and Taylor’s voices drifting through the house. The tragedy details sustained him as if they were food. It was not exac
tly what he planned, but it would do for now. He would get what he wanted, and they would all pay dearly. No one would escape.

  ########

  Kellie was asleep when Drew woke up. He told the nurse he’d be right back after grabbing a cup of coffee. He called Kellie’s cousin Kyle and let him know she was in the hospital. She would need family now.

  Becky answered, “Oh hi, Drew. Kyle can’t come to the phone right now. He’s out back with our vet. You don’t sound well. Is everything alright?”

  “Kellie fell down some stairs last night, and I wanted to let you both know. She’ll be okay, a few bruises and scrapes.” He couldn’t bring up the baby. The words stuck in his throat.

  “I’m so sorry. Tell her to get well. We’d visit, but we have some problems here. Let her know we’ll see her at your house soon.”

  “What’s going on, Becky?”

  “Not sure. We lost four cows, three pigs, a dozen chickens and two geese overnight. The vet thinks they were poisoned.”

  “Poisoned? Who would do that?”

  “We have no idea. It was awful to find them this morning. The vet thinks they ate whatever it was early last night. He’ll know more after some testing.”

  “Okay, take care and give my best to Kyle.”

  “I will. Bye.”

  Drew sat looking at his cup of coffee when he pushed his cell phone into his pocket. His thoughts drifted back to his conversation with Becky. Could it be a coincidence that the figure in black terrorized Kellie on the same night someone poisoned the farm animals? The more he thought, the more he was convinced the figure in black was responsible for both.

  He made a second quick call to Detective Stellion to let him know Kellie was asleep and what happened at Kyle Malone’s last night. He was afraid there might be a connection. “I’m worried the two incidents are connected, Mike.”

  “You may be right,” Mike said. He leaned his arm on his desk and held up his head. “I’ll head over to Kyle’s and see if I can get answers.”

  “Great, I’ll call later when Kellie’s awake.” Drew walked back to Kellie’s room.

  ########

  Drew was back in the room when a groggy Kellie woke. She smiled at Drew and drifted back to sleep. He pulled a chair next to the bed and laid his head down. Kellie woke enough to touch his face, and he held her hand. She fell back to sleep.

  Rita knocked quietly on the door. Drew picked up his head and said, “Come in.”

  “How’s she doing?” Rita’s face was drawn with concern as she watched Kellie sleep.

  “A little better. She slept all night.”

  “I’m awake,” Kellie said.

  “Hi, dear,” Rita said. “I hope you’re feeling better.”

  Tears began to run down her cheeks. “Can I talk to you alone, Aunt Rita?”

  Drew jumped up. “Of course. I’ll go to the cafeteria and get some breakfast.” He hurried out the door to give Kellie some time alone with her aunt.

  Rita sat next to Kellie’s bed and asked, “Okay, so tell me how you’re really feeling.”

  “Aunt Rita, I need your help. I need my mom. I can’t believe I was pregnant. I didn’t know, but it doesn’t matter. I had a baby, and now it’s gone. Tell me what my mom would have said. You knew her best. You were best friends. You’re my godmother, and the closest person I have to a mom.” She burst into tears.

  Rita held her, and they had a long girl talk. Kellie believed her Aunt Rita knew exactly what her mom would have said. It helped Kellie to begin to understand and accept her loss. Rita understood Kellie’s fear of her dead grandfather, and Kellie knew Rita didn’t judge her sanity. By the time Drew returned from his cafeteria breakfast, Kellie was sitting up in bed eating her own and she smiled at him.

  Rita said, “It’s time for me to leave. Call me if you need me.” She hugged them both and kissed Kellie’s cheek. She gave a little wave as she left the room.

  “You must have had a nice chat with your Aunt Rita.”

  “I did. She helped me see things more clearly and what my mom would have said to me.”

  “Kellie, I’m so sorry I wasn’t there last night. I didn’t hear you get out of bed. If I had, I could have followed you. You wouldn’t have been trapped.” His voice began to crack as he fought back tears. “If I had gotten to the closet secret entrance quicker, you might not have been so upset and maybe you wouldn’t have …” He dropped his head on the bed and cried.

  “It’s not your fault” She ran her fingers through his hair. “Aunt Rita helped me understand things happen for a reason. I don’t know why I felt the need to go to the attic. I saw a glimmer on my mom’s headstone again. I thought it was a message, and then I saw him.” Kellie shuddered at the memory. She twisted her hands over and over.

  “The closet was the only place to hide. I was the one who ran down the steps, tripped, pounded on the door, and screamed. I was hysterical. My body couldn’t handle it. Aunt Rita made me see that I wasn’t responsible for losing the baby.” She balled her fists and hit the bed. Her face turned red with rage. She glared at the foot of the bed and shook her head. “It was whoever was in the house. It’s not our fault Drew. It’s his and we have to find him no matter what.”

  He looked at her with tears in his eyes, “You don’t blame me?”

  “No, do you blame me?” Her eyes pleaded with him.

  “Of course not.” Drew kissed her gently.

  “Okay, we love each other, and that’s all that counts. We’ll have another baby, I promise.” She reached up and touched his cheek. He laid his hand over hers.

  He climbed in bed next to her and they snuggled. She sighed feeling safe.

  The doctor walked in glancing at her chart. He stood inside the door and smiled.

  “You look much better this morning. The OBGYN said your exam went well. Our counselor tells me you have a butler, cook, maid, and two friends besides your husband who live with you and would care for you.”

  “Yes, I do, and there’ll be two more once they find out.”

  “If that’s the case, I think you can go home today. You must promise to take it easy.”

  “Oh, she will, I’ll be sure off it. We also have an elevator. I won’t let her climb stairs until she’s healed,” Drew said.

  “Wonderful. I’ll sign your release papers.”

  “Thank you, doctor.”

  Cole almost knocked the doctor over coming in the door.

  “This would be one of those extra friends I mentioned, doctor.”

  The doctor shook his head and laughed as he left the room.

  Cole’s brown hair was mussed and fell to his eyes. His crumpled shirt hung out of his jeans. “I’m so, so sorry I wasn’t there last night, Kellie. Maybe if I had that crazed man wouldn’t have been there, or we would have caught him. Andrea and I talked, and I’ll move back in today. Please forgive me. I love you like a sister, you know that.” He dropped into a chair and hung his head.

  “Slow down, Cole. No one could have stopped what happened. You’re not moving back in. You belong with Andrea. You can visit, but you can’t move back in. Got it? I love you, too.”

  He gave her a bear hug and said, “Got it.”

  Drew grinned. Kellie tried to laugh, but her heart was breaking for the child she would never know. One more thing the old man took from her. She would never refer to him as grandfather again. Old Man Malone suited him perfectly.

  A nurse came in to help Kellie change.

  Drew walked Cole to the elevator. He then drove Kellie home driving well below the speed limit. He did his best to avoid any bumps and pot holes. He kept glancing at her to be sure she wasn’t in pain.

  Chapter Nine

  Kellie took a week and a half off from school. Her understanding professors explained where she could find all the lectures and assignments on-line. Thanksgiving was coming up, and she was feeling much better.

  Becky stopped in to visit her the Friday before Thanksgiving. Austern greeted her with a broad smile
when he opened the door. “Please come in. Kellie is in the parlor.”

  “Thank you.” Becky returned the smile as she handed her coat to Austern and walked into the parlor.

  “How are you feeling? Your color is back. You were so pale the last time I saw you.” Becky took her hand as she sat down next to Kellie.

  “I’m feeling well. Everyone wants to fuss over me.” She and Drew had decided not to share their sadness over the miscarriage.

  “I’m sorry Kyle didn’t come with me, but things have been so hectic lately.” Becky pouted and leaned back.

  “Drew told me about your animals. I’m so sorry.”

  “The vet said it was rat poison. We don’t understand who would do that, but there is more going on.”

  “What?” Kellie’s eyes opened wide. Her brow furrowed worried that the old man might be up to more nasty tricks.

  “Did you hear about the fire in the eight-family apartment building in town?”

  “I might have heard, but don’t remember. There was a week when I slept a lot. What happened?” Kellie turned to look directly at Becky.

  “It was in Kyle’s mom’s building. Someone started a fire in the vacant apartment across the hall from Sandra’s. The firemen were able to save her, but all her medical equipment was destroyed. She had to be moved to a nursing home until we can make better arrangements. We were having a special apartment added to the new house we’re building, but it won’t be finished until spring.”

  “That’s horrible. Kyle must be devastated.” Kellie reached out to take Becky’s hand.

  “He is. She was making progress, but now she’s been moved to a strange place and isn’t communicating as well. Her caregiver is allowed to stay with her, and Kyle visits a lot. We tried to get her back into the rehab facility, but they won’t have an opening for six weeks. Kyle’s worried she may lose all the progress she’s made in that time.” Tears filled her eyes as she gripped Kellie’s hand tighter.