The Halloween Haunting

by Kathi Daley

  “Do you know if Ethel had a younger brother? A much younger brother?” I decided not to bring up the possibility Tony and I had discussed about the body in the sealed secret room being Ethel’s child unless the idea seemed warranted.

  “There was talk of a child. As you’ve indicated, the rumor pertained to a child much younger than Ethel. I’m not sure how the child came to be in the house or even how old he was, but I do remember my friend, Evette, who worked for the Vandenberg family as a maid commenting that Mr. Vandenberg was keeping a young boy locked up in the attic.”

  I frowned. “He kept this child in the attic?”

  Bella nodded. “The only people allowed into the attic were Ethel and her father. Evette seemed to think the child suffered from some sort of a developmental disorder. She never had the opportunity to meet the child, but she did say the sounds coming from the room were not the sounds that would be made by a normal child.”

  “Do you have any idea what happened to the child?” I asked.

  “He seemed to disappear about the same time Mr. Vandenberg went back to England, so I imagine the child went with his father when he left.”

  Tony and I spoke to Bella a while longer, but she didn’t seem to know anything that would conclusively prove that the body in the secret room was this child, or whether or not the boy in the attic was Ethel’s son or her bastard brother. If the boy had been born with some sort of disorder that would not make him fit to be integrated into normal society, I could totally see someone as cruel as Edward Vandenberg locking him away out of sight. I could also imagine a situation where violent behavior was a symptom of the disorder, and as the child approached manhood, he became increasingly hard to control. In this scenario, it could have been either Edward or Ethel who killed the boy in self-defense.

  During the ride home, we discussed the situation. “I really don’t think there is a way to find out exactly what occurred all those years ago,” I said. “I suppose we can assume that the body in the secret room is the body of this child who’d grown into a young man by the time he died. Perhaps Ethel’s father killed the boy, and then left the area, or perhaps he killed the boy, and then Ethel killed her father and buried the body somewhere.”

  “Why would Ethel bury her father’s body but entomb the body of the child that had been living in the house?” Tony asked.

  “Maybe she cared about the child. Whether he was her son or her brother, she did live with him in that house with only the father for company. They may have been quite close even if the boy did suffer from some sort of developmental disorder.”

  “It is also possible that the father did return to England, leaving Ethel to care for this man child and she was the one to have ended up plunging a knife in his chest,” Tony pointed out.

  “I did think of that.” I let out a slow breath. “I really do think this is one of those instances where we might never have our answers. Everyone who really knew what happened is dead, and it doesn’t appear that Ethel left behind any sort of diary or journal.”

  “If she did, it is long gone. The house was emptied of any personal possessions left when the Jordans moved in.”

  “Which also means that if Ethel left a treasure as some in the area suspect, the Jordans most likely found it,” I pointed out.

  “True. Of course, the fact that the skeleton was still entombed in the secret room means that the Jordans never found the room or the secret passage, so if they didn’t find the room or the passage, then it stands to reason they may not have found the treasure, if it even existed, either.”

  I supposed Tony had a point. “I guess we should go home and check on the animals and then get to the haunted house. I’ve really enjoyed the event, but I have to admit I will be happy when the event is over, and we can get back to our normal routine.”

  “This has been a labor-intensive fundraiser, but I think we’ve raised a lot of money.”

  “Oh, we have,” I confirmed. “More than I ever thought possible; thanks to Haunted America and the free publicity they provided.”

  Chapter 21

  Sunday, October 27

  Tony and I both found it frustrating that we’d most likely never know the details relating to the skeleton in the secret room, but some mysteries really aren’t meant to be solved and after discussing it in depth, we’d both decided this was one of them. It had occurred to us at some point along the way, that if Edward Vandenberg had taken his wealth and returned to England, then Ethel wouldn’t have had all that cash to give away, so given the fact that the man just seemed to disappear, we both assumed he’d died, and Ethel had covered it up. The only reason we could think of for her to have covered it up was if she had killed her father, or perhaps someone she cared about, such as the boy in the attic, or perhaps her friend, Conway, had killed her father. If any of the three had killed the abusive man, I would assume his murder would have been justified, so I didn’t feel a great need to prove this one way or another. Tony had done an extensive search for Edward Vandenberg after he’d supposedly left town, but was unable to find mention of him in any country. For all we knew, the man might very well have been buried somewhere on the Vandenberg property.

  “Is Mike coming?” I asked Bree after she arrived alone for the haunted house that evening.

  “He is going to meet us here. He had an idea relating to Joe Brown’s murder that he wanted to check out, but he assured me he should be here by the time we start.”

  I glanced at my watch. It was five-thirty now. The event started at six, but if Mike had a lead on Joe’s murder, that was definitely more important. “Any idea what he figured out?” I asked.

  “He didn’t say, but I did overhear him speaking to Frank on the phone, and they were discussing Joe’s phone, or more specifically, his wife’s phone. I’m not really sure why the fact that Joe had used his wife’s phone to email Grange was important, but Mike seemed to think he was onto something.”

  I frowned. “I guess I can see where Mike is coming from. Joe wanted to go back to the house that evening to check something out, and he knew he’d need help, so he texted Grange who is the one who’d told him about the house and the treasure in the first place. His phone was not only dead, but he’d left it in his truck, so he used his wife’s phone which she’d left sitting on the coffee table to text Grange. Grange, however, had been bowling and had not seen the text, but someone saw the text and answered on Grange’s behalf saying they would meet Joe at the house. The person who answered Grange’s phone deleted the text chain from Grange’s phone so Grange never even knew he’d received the text. I have to assume that it was this person who then met Joe.”

  “Sounds right,” Bree said.

  “I wonder if Grange has a security code or fingerprint entry for his phone? If he does, it seems unlikely that anyone other than Grange could have sent the return text. If that is true, then Grange must have lied about not seeing the text, and the only reason to lie would be if he actually was the one to have killed Joe.”

  “Not everyone has security on their phone,” Bree pointed out. “I didn’t until I married Mike and he made me add it. I found the whole typing in a passcode thing to be too cumbersome, and it wasn’t like there was anything important on my phone.”

  “Yeah, it is a pain to have to type in a passcode every time you just want to check your email, but phones are stolen and easily lost, so it does seem like a necessary precaution. Still, some people know my passcode. Tony for one and my mom since I asked her to check something for me when I left my phone at her house. Maybe someone had Grange’s passcode.”

  “Like who?” Bree asked. “He isn’t married.”

  “No, but he probably uses his phone for his business, and he does have a business partner.”

  Bree’s eyes widened. “Greg.”

  I nodded. “I know Grange said he wasn’t angry at Joe for leaving to start his own business, but I’ve also heard that Greg is furious. Tony found out that since Joe left, the company has been experiencing som
e financial hardship. Grange wasn’t sure where he’d left his phone that night. He admitted that he often lost track of the dang thing. What if he left it on his desk? We know he was bowling when the text came through, but what if Greg was working late and saw the text on the lock screen when it came through. If he knew Grange’s passcode, or if Grange doesn’t use a passcode, he could have answered Joe pretending to be Grange and then met Joe at the house and killed him.”

  “Makes sense,” Bree acknowledged. “I bet that is what Mike figured out as well.” Bree’s smile faded. “He really should have been here by now, or he should have at least called if he got held up. Do you think something’s happened?”

  Suddenly, at that moment, all I could think about was Mike being shot and left for dead the last time he’d gone after a killer. “I’m sure he is fine, but maybe we should call him and check in.”

  Bree nodded. She pulled out her phone and called Mike. The call went straight to voicemail. Then she called Frank, but his phone was off as well. “I’m worried,” Bree said.

  “Me too. Let’s get Tony, and go and look for him. Brady can oversee things here.”

  Once I located Tony and informed Brady what we were doing, Tony, Bree, and I headed toward Greg Plimpton’s house. The house was dark, and there were no cars in the drive, so we headed toward the office Greg and Grange used for their construction business, but it dark and empty.

  “I think we should ask Grange if he knows where Greg might be,” I suggested.

  Tony looked up his number and made the call. He didn’t answer, so we decided to go by his house just in case he’d left his phone somewhere, which is a behavior he’d already admitted he frequently engaged in. When we arrived at his home, we found his truck in the driveway, so the three of us approached the house.

  “Hey, guys,” he greeted after answering the door. “What can I do for you?”

  “We’re looking for Mike, whom we believe to be with Greg. We hoped you might know where he could be,” I said.

  “I’m not sure. I was finishing up some bids in the office earlier, and Greg was there with Olivia, but he didn’t mention Mike.”

  “Who is Olivia?” I asked.

  “Greg’s ex. She works for the company as a bookkeeper.”

  “Seems awkward,” Bree said.

  “It can be, but Olivia has worked for Plimpton Construction longer than I have. She was originally hired by my dad, so she has worked for the company since before she and Greg were married. It didn’t seem right to fire her when she and Greg divorced, so they’ve found a way to be civil to one another.”

  “I see.” I glanced at Tony. He shrugged. “Do you know if Greg planned to go somewhere after he left work today?”

  Grange frowned. “I’m not sure. Have you checked his home and the office?”

  “We have,” I answered.

  “We do have a new speck house out past highway twelve. Greg and Olivia were discussing tile versus granite for the countertops. They might have gone out to take a look.”

  “Can you give us directions?” I asked.

  “Sure. You just head out of town until the main highway crosses twelve. Take a left and go about a mile. There is a large two-story house under construction. A Plimpton Construction sign is in the front. You can’t miss it.”

  “Okay, thanks,” I said and then turned to leave. I turned back. “By the way, I know this is an odd question, but do you have a passcode on your phone?”

  “Yeah. The way I leave the dang thing laying around, I need one. Why do you ask?”

  I lifted a shoulder. “Just curious. Does anyone other than you have the code?”

  “Greg and Olivia. My buddy, Cox, and this woman I used to date named Helen. Probably a few others. Why?”

  “No reason. Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Will you be at the haunted house for the finale on Thursday?”

  “You know, I will.”

  After we left Grange’s house, we headed toward the spec house. The closer we got, the tighter the knot in my stomach became.

  “Based on the expression on your face, you’re working on a new scenario or a twist to the old one,” Tony said.

  “Not really,” I answered. “But I do have a new suspect in mind that hadn’t occurred to me until this point.”

  “Olivia,” Bree said. “When Grange mentioned her, it was like a light went on.”

  “Mike looked into the financials of Greg and Grange, as well as the company. We’ve established that the company is struggling, but Mike also mentioned that Greg was struggling personally due to his divorce. If Joe leaving hurt both the bottom line of the company and Greg’s personal bottom line, it must have affected Oliva’s income as well. I guess I assume she gets income from both the company she works for and her ex.”

  “Do you really think Joe was killed by Greg’s ex?” Tony asked.

  “It makes as much sense as anything,” I answered. “And Joe most likely wouldn’t have been leery about going up to the clock tower with Olivia, whereas, given the fact that Greg has been openly hostile toward him, I would think he might have proceeded with caution. But if Joe had worked for the company for a long time as Olivia had, the two might even have been friends.”

  “Or lovers,” Bree piped in.

  “Yes,” I answered. “I suppose there could be that as well. An affair might even explain why Greg and Oliva broke up.”

  When we arrived at the spec house, we found Mike’s car in the drive. If Greg was here, he must have parked his truck elsewhere. Tony suggested that Bree and I wait in his truck while he checked things out. Of course, neither of us did as he suggested and followed him down the drive and into the house. The front door had been left open, allowing access.

  “Mike,” I called.

  We all paused to listen.

  “Did you hear that banging?” Bree asked.

  “It sounded like it was coming from downstairs,” Tony answered. “There must be a basement.” Tony took a step forward. “Stay behind me,” he instructed.

  I fell in directly behind Tony and Bree fell in behind me. When we arrived in the basement, it was dark. Tony found the switch and turned the lights on.

  “Mike!” Bree screamed, running forward.

  I followed behind. Mike was tied up and gagged, but he looked fine. Greg, on the other hand, was lying dead on the floor.

  “What happened?” I asked after pulling off Mike’s gag while Tony worked on the ropes that bound his hands and feet.

  “Olivia happened. I had the idea that Greg might have killed Joe, so I called, and asked to speak to him, and he told me to meet him here. When I arrived, Greg was already dead. Olivia had a gun. She had Frank tie me up and then she left with Frank.”

  I frowned. “Frank was in on this?”

  “No. Olivia took him out of here at gunpoint.” As soon as Mike’s feet were free, he stood up. “We need to find him. We need to find both of them.”

  “We will,” I said.

  Mike got on the radio and called Gage. He told him to put out an APB on Olivia, Frank, and the car Olivia was driving.

  Chapter 22

  Wednesday, October 30

  “This is nice,” Tony said as we snuggled on his sofa with the dogs and cats. It was a cold and rainy night, which was pretty perfect for our annual Halloween Spookathon.

  “It is nice, and the fire is lovely, but I do hope the storm blows through before the haunted house tomorrow. I’m really hoping for a strong finale.”

  Tony passed me the popcorn. “According to the weather report, we should wake to sunny skies and mild temperatures.”

  “That’s perfect,” I said, popping a piece of the salty treat into my mouth. “I really have enjoyed doing the haunted house, but to tell you the truth, I’m going to be really happy to wrap it up as well.”

  “It will be nice to have our lives back,” Tony agreed. “Of course, your mom is already hitting me up for help with Christmas on Main, so the break will be brief.”

&nb
sp; “I thought the committee hired someone to oversee the whole thing.”

  “They did,” Tony answered, “but all the woman is really doing is organizing the volunteers. Apparently, it is up to the committee to recruit the volunteers. When I ran into her, she mentioned that she had signed both of us up for several different duties beginning with the setup, which includes enhancing the electrical and building the Santa house.”

  I guess I should have known that I wasn’t going to be able to attend the event as a mere spectator. “I guess I don’t mind helping as long as I don’t have to dress up as an elf.”

  Tony grinned. “I think an elf costume would look cute on you.”

  “Never going to happen. Mike did take a few of the Santa shifts in the past, and I can see him doing it again. If he does, Bree can be his elf.” I smiled. “I remember one year when the committee was desperate, and Frank ended up being the elf.”

  Tony chucked. “How is Frank doing anyway?”

  “He’s doing well. He had to have quite a few stitches in his head, and he suffered a few bumps and bruises when he rolled out of the vehicle Olivia was driving, but nothing that won’t heal in a few weeks.”

  “I guess it’s a good thing that family from Topeka saw him hit the pavement and got him to the hospital right away. It could have been so much worse.”

  My heart sped up just a bit. “Yes. It could have been a lot worse. He actually had lost a lot of blood from the head wound by the time they got him to the hospital.”

  “Any news about Oliva?” Tony asked as a commercial came on.

  “I spoke to Mike when I delivered his mail this afternoon. He said she is still in a coma. I’m sorry she ran her car into a wall when she realized there was a police car chasing her, and I really do hope she pulls out of it and makes a full recovery, but even if she does wake up, all she is really waking up to is a very long time in prison. Not only did she confess to intercepting the text meant for Grange and killing Joe, but she killed Greg and kidnapped Frank as well. If he hadn’t acted when he did, he might very well have died from the head wound she inflicted while trying to get him into her car, and then she would be looking at three murder charges, and one of those would have been a cop.”