Blackthorn Manor Haunting

by Cheryl Bradshaw

  He paused, eyeing her curiously. “You know, for a woman who is only here as a guest, you seem a little too interested in what’s been going on.”

  “Until you know who’s responsible for Catherine’s death and why she was murdered, not only are we all suspects, I question whether we’re safe. And for now, we can’t even leave. If I knew what you knew, maybe I could help in some way.”

  It was a big ask, but he seemed to be considering it.

  “Over the past few days, I had the chance to get to know Catherine,” Addison added. “We had several conversations, and I’d like to think we were becoming friends.”

  “Catherine wasn’t the friendly type, and not the kind of woman who usually made new friends. Aside from Gene, the only people I’ve ever seen her interact with on a personal level are the couple in the guesthouse. You mind explaining how you managed to get through to her in such a short time?”

  “I just kept talking about things she cared about—her family, her life, the manor.”

  “Why?”

  “Why not? The place intrigued me, made me want to know more. Beneath her hard exterior, I saw a woman wanting to connect. She just no longer knew how to do it.”

  “And did you ... connect?”

  “We talked about Billy, her son.”

  Lancaster rubbed a hand across his chin. “Billy. Wow. I haven’t heard anyone say his name for a while now. I have two boys myself. Can’t imagine what it would be like to lose one of them. What happened to him was unfortunate. A terrible accident.”

  “Catherine said she blamed Cora for Billy’s death.”

  “It was easy for her to place the blame on Cora, and I guess I see Catherine’s logic. If Cora hadn’t ended her life the way she did, he’d probably still be alive.”

  “I only know bits and pieces. I know Joseph died at sea, leaving Cora brokenhearted, and Cora couldn’t live without him. Do you know what happened?”

  “S’pose I can tell you what my father told me, and what I’ve heard over the years.”

  He glanced over his shoulder, noticed Lia and Marjorie peeking through the parlor window.

  “Those two are supposed to be packing their things,” he said, “not wandering around.”

  “We could go inside and talk there.”

  He nodded. “Good idea.”

  They walked to the manor, which gave Marjorie and Lia adequate time to take a hint and vanish. Beck was in the parlor, milling around.

  “How’s it going?” Lancaster asked.

  “Fine, I guess.”

  He seemed confused, leading Addison to believe it may have been the first homicide scene he’d ever processed.

  “Are you about done in here?” Lancaster asked.

  “Think so.”

  “Good. I need the room.”

  Beck nodded and shuffled away.

  Lancaster paced a moment. “Joseph and Cora married young. Right after they graduated. They were high-school sweethearts, but Cora, Catherine, Joseph, and Raymond had known each other since they were kids. They used to play together. When Joseph told Clayton he had proposed to Cora and they planned to marry, it came as no surprise, but his father didn’t take the news well. He was against the marriage.”

  “Why was Clayton opposed to it? Did he have a problem with Cora?”

  He shook his head. “He liked Cora. I imagine it was because she had a sweet temperament. From what I know about her, she never said a cross word about anyone. She tolerated Clayton, and most people didn’t.”

  “Why would he be against the marriage, then?”

  “Clayton had done a business deal with Cora’s father the year before. I don’t know the specifics, but it went south. Clayton blamed its failure on Cora’s father, and Cora’s father blamed it on him. It caused bad blood between the two families.”

  “Joseph and Cora still married, though.”

  “He would have married her no matter what his father said, but shortly after their engagement, Cora’s parents died in a car accident, and Clayton softened, taking Cora under his wing like she was his own daughter. I also think he was trying to repair the damage he’d done. He’d already lost one son. He didn’t want to lose another.”

  “When you say ‘lost,’ I assume you’re referring to Raymond.”

  He nodded. “Raymond was hardheaded, just like Clayton. They bickered so much when Raymond was a teen, the kid dropped out of school and left town just to get away from him. He returned a few years later, right after Clayton passed away. He assumed, even though they weren’t on good terms when he died, Clayton would leave the estate to him when he passed. He was wrong. Clayton managed to get one last dig in before he died. He cut Raymond out of his will completely, leaving the estate to Catherine and Cora.”

  “Cora? Why?”

  “Toward the end of his life, when his liver was failing, it was Cora by his side day in and day out. He made an amendment to his will, stipulating Catherine and Cora were to take over the estate, and Joseph was to take over the fishing business.”

  “What did Raymond do when he returned and found out?”

  “At the time, he was broke and had nowhere to go. Catherine took pity on him and invited him to move into the manor, which he did.”

  The pieces of Cora’s life were finally starting to come together, but it was far more complex than Addison had imagined. So many questions remained. “Where is Raymond now? Is he still alive?”

  Lancaster shrugged. “I don’t know. Catherine and Gene haven’t had any contact with him for many years. After Cora died, Raymond took off again. Took his daughter with him. Don’t think he’s ever returned.”

  “He left right after Joseph was lost at sea and Cora killed herself, I’m guessing?”

  Lancaster eyed her curiously. “You know there’s quite a time gap between those two events, right?”

  She didn’t.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Joseph disappeared five years before Cora committed suicide.”

  Five years?

  It took a moment for it to sink in.

  It couldn’t be true.

  Could it?

  Addison thought back to the vision she’d had and how she watched Joseph’s boat capsize and then Cora plummet off of the cliff with Billy in tow. Not once had Addison considered so much time had passed between the first event and the second.

  “It doesn’t make any sense,” Addison said. “I was sure Cora’s death followed Joseph’s, that in her devastation, she walked off the edge of the cliff, killing herself, and Billy.”

  Lancaster shoved his hands inside his pockets. “Well, yeah, both of those events did happen, only at two different times. When Joseph’s body was never found, Cora slipped into a depression. She barely spoke to anyone. This went on for months. Raymond thought Cora needed to move out of the manor, get away from it all. Catherine disagreed. She convinced Cora to stay and thought Cora would be better in time. She was wrong, and she paid the highest price for her mistake. S’pose there was no way they could have known, though.”

  It was human nature. One person believing the other could change and adapt because they themselves would change and adapt if put in the same situation. But no two situations are the same. No two people are the same either.

  “The truth is, overcoming life’s harshest challenges is hard,” Addison said. “Cora’s pain consumed her, and the day finally came when she couldn’t bear it anymore.”

  “The ironic thing is, even though Catherine despised Cora over Billy’s death, she still buried her in the family gravesite alongside the rest of the family, which means Catherine will join her now.”

  “Where is the family burial site—somewhere in town?”

  “In town? No, it’s a lot closer than you think.” He tipped his head toward the back of the house. “It’s back there, behind the guesthouses.”

  Behind the guesthouses on the estate was a fenced-in area Addison had wondered about. It was also padlocked, and the one time Addison had press
ed her face to the wood, trying to peek between a thin, rectangular-sized crack between two slats, she’d felt the sharp thrust of a finger pushing into her backside. She’d turned to witness Catherine’s disapproving look, which was followed by a lecture about the area being off-limits, not accessible to guests.

  “Ah,” Addison said. “It makes sense. When I arrived here, Catherine told me we could walk on the beach, but to stay away from the area past the guesthouses.”

  “I’m not surprised. For a long time, it was open. Then one night Catherine caught a few of the guests sitting on top of her parents’ graves, smoking weed. The following week, she had the fence installed.”

  “I don’t blame her.”

  “Yep, I don’t either.” He glanced into the hall. “Well, should we check on the others, see if they’re all ready to go? You probably need some time to gather your things, too.”

  “I’m already packed. I had considered heading home today, well ... before everything happened with Catherine. I’m just wondering, why share the Blackthorn’s family history with me? I appreciate it, but I’m surprised. You don’t know me.”

  “You’re right. I don’t. And you don’t know me.”

  “Why do it, then?”

  “I’d like to think I’m a good judge of character. I consider it part of my job. I believe you learn everything you need to know about a person by looking them in the eye.”

  What do my eyes say about me?

  “You appear to be a good person with a genuine concern for others,” he said. “You’re kind, but troubled. Your mind is constantly wandering, just like it is right now.”

  “I’ve just had a lot going on this week.”

  “Your friend Lia thinks highly of you. She told me she’s never met anyone with a heart as genuine as yours.”

  She’d watched the two of them step out of the car when they arrived back at the manor. As Lia headed into the house, she’d turned back, meeting Lancaster’s gaze. Aside from Luke, she’d never seen a man look so smitten.

  “You know, Gene told me something interesting today,” he said.

  “Oh?”

  “On your wedding day, you were found unconscious on the porch.”

  “I was.”

  “You told everyone you’d fallen from the second-story window, even though no one saw it happen. Later, you said you’d been pushed out of it.”

  That’s not possible.

  Addison hadn’t told Gene she’d been pushed from the window, so how did he know? And what else had he said to Lancaster? Maybe Addison’s conversation with Lancaster was the opposite of what it appeared to be—less of an inquest about the Blackthorn family and more of a subtle attempt on Lancaster’s behalf to get to know her when her guard was down.

  Quid pro quo, Addison.

  “I never told Gene I was pushed from the window,” she said.

  He grinned. “You’re right. You didn’t tell him. I hear the manor walls are thin. It seems like Gene has developed a habit of eavesdropping over the years.”

  Out the window, Addison watched Luke’s car pull into the drive, the perfect time to cut the conversation short. “Well, thank you for taking the time to talk to me. I really appreciate—”

  “Addison, if there’s anything else I should know about what’s going on here, I’m always available to talk. Even though we don’t know each other, you can trust me.”

  Trust.

  The ability to rely on someone other than herself.

  It would take a lot more than words for him to earn that right.

  “I’ll keep it in mind,” she said.

  “And, oh, as to your question about Gene. The judge has agreed to release him on bail in the morning.”

  “Let me guess—the judge is a family friend too?”

  “You don’t need to worry. Gene’s not a flight risk. He won’t go anywhere.”

  Gene taking off wasn’t what worried her. “You’re keeping him overnight, though. You must suspect something.”

  “I did. And it’s been disproven. A small amount of blood was found in Gene’s car. It’s not Catherine’s, though; it’s Gene’s. Guess he cut himself a couple of days back.”

  How convenient. “Can I ask one last question?”

  “Shoot.”

  “You mentioned Raymond left after Cora’s death.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “You also said he took his daughter,” she said. “Was he married, because no one has even mentioned his wife?”

  “Catherine didn’t tell you?”

  “Tell me what?”

  Lancaster crossed his arms over his chest. “After his brother’s death, Raymond spent most of his time taking care of Cora. Somewhere along the way they fell for each other, and about a year later, he married her, and they had a daughter together.”

  CHAPTER 27

  The revelations kept coming, leaving Addison feeling like she was on the teacup ride, spinning in every direction. Cora had lived longer than Addison originally thought. And Raymond and Cora had married. Two unforeseen twists.

  Had Cora loved Raymond? Or had the marriage been one of convenience, the consolation prize she’d accepted because he was familiar, and she knew he’d take care of her? And what of Raymond? Had he loved Cora? And why was this the first time she was hearing of it?

  Marjorie descended the stairs, suitcase in hand.

  “I still think this is a ridiculous waste of time,” she said.

  “Gran, can you do me a favor?” Addison asked.

  “Depends on the favor.”

  “You know the fenced area toward the back of the estate?”

  “Yes, yes, what about it?”

  “Lancaster told me it’s the family’s graveyard, and I want to check it out.”

  “What does this have to do with me?”

  Addison pointed out the window. “Can you distract Luke? Not for long, just for a few minutes while I take a look.”

  Marjorie set her suitcase down. “It’s locked, you know.”

  Addison winked. “I know. I’ll find a way.”

  While Marjorie went out the front door, Addison went out the back, tripping over Brad as soon as she stepped outside. He had been on his knees, pulling weeds. She hadn’t seen him.

  Catching her breath, she said, “Oh, hey, Brad. I didn’t see you. I ... ahh ... didn’t know you were back here. It’s almost dark. I didn’t think you worked today.”

  He dropped a handful of weeds into a black plastic bag. “I don’t, usually. Needed something to keep my mind off what’s happening. One of the officers called me wanting to ask a few questions. I told him I was here working, and since he was already on his way over, he met me here. I’m just finishing up. Where are you going in such a hurry?”

  “We’re being moved to the guesthouse tonight, I guess, until Lancaster says we’re allowed to go home. I wanted to check it out, make sure it will work for all of us.”

  He frowned. “Sad what happened, isn’t it? Catherine was always good to me.”

  It was clear Brad was in the mood to talk, but Addison wasn’t. Time was limited. “It is sad. I actually think I would have liked her if I had the chance to get to know her more. I gotta go, but we’ll catch up later, okay?”

  Before he had the chance to add anything further, Addison took off. She reached the guesthouses, pausing a moment to ensure Brad didn’t see her walk behind them, but he was no longer in sight.

  Arriving at the wooden gate to the graveyard, she realized something.

  The padlock securing the gate was gone.

  Searching the soil beneath her feet, she noticed a smooth, reflective piece of metal. She picked it up, palming it in her hand. The lock had been cut from the looks of it—sliced clean through. Addison bent down to find it, locating the missing fragment about six inches from the gate.

  Addison had been in this exact spot one day earlier, and the lock was secure, which meant it had been broken in the last twenty-four hours. She pushed the gate open, expecting to find an
ornate shrine of graves on the other side, but was met with simple headstones lined up in rows. And while they were nothing special, they were clear of weeds, and the headstones had all been wiped clean.

  The first grave Addison came to was Luther’s. He was buried next to his wife, Willimena, an infant boy who had died at birth, and a daughter who lived to the age of twenty-nine. Heading to the second row, her attention was diverted to a small headstone sitting off to the side, away from the others. A teddy bear rested in front, and clutched in the bear’s hands was a weathered red ball.

  Billy.

  Addison walked to the headstone, crouched down, and lifted the bear off the ground, holding it in her hands.

  “I’m sorry we never got to play ball,” she said. “But you have a better playmate now, and she’s wanted to play with you for a long time.”

  She returned the bear and went back to where she left off, the row of Catherine’s parents, Clayton and Hilda. Joseph was buried beside them, and the headstones ended there.

  Lancaster had said Cora was buried with the others.

  So where was she?

  A weight came over Addison, a coldness piercing her skin. The feeling was familiar, and one she’d had before. She wasn’t alone. She looked up, even though she already knew who was there.

  Cora stood in front of a tree a small distance away from the rest of the graves, and it was then Addison realized why Cora hadn’t been placed with the rest of the family. Cora had been buried off to the side, a possible slight on Catherine’s part, a way to shun her.

  Unlike the other graves in the yard, Cora’s was noticeably different, and it provided Addison with an answer to the question about why the lock on the gate was broken, and why someone was so determined to get in. Spanning the entire length of Cora’s grave was something puzzling, something put there by someone else, someone living: dozens of bright, fresh-cut flowers.

  CHAPTER 28

  “I was hoping you’d come,” Addison said.

  Cora acknowledged Addison’s presence with a slight nod, then shifted her focus to her own grave, marveling at the festive new addition.

  “They’re beautiful. Someone went to a lot of trouble to place these here,” Addison said. “Do you know who?”