“Ok, thanks. Are you aware of your brother's actions at the sheriff's office?” I wasn't sure if she knew, but I felt bad for their family, even if Lloyd was confessing to something as serious as murder.
Belinda must've noticed my hesitation. “Yes, I still can't believe he locked Prudence in the basement. There must be a valid explanation. I don't know a lot at this point.”
“Lloyd is a good guy. I have a tough time believing it too.” I paused, uncertain how to change the subject but proceeding. “I understand you were against the plans for the Memorial Library renovations.”
“There were better ways to accomplish the college's goals. Although the contractors stipulated it would only take a year to finish the work, I would've placed money that it lasted much longer.” Belinda frowned and stared directly at me. “I thought it would be best to build somewhere new, rather than phase in all the work as a renovation. I'm retiring at the end of the year and need some quiet.”
“Isn't that a little short-sighted? The library is important for Braxton's future.” I didn't reprimand the woman any further, but I couldn't comprehend her position.
“I know how it made me look. I understand the need for progress, and that's ultimately why I yielded. We couldn't raise satisfactory funding to start from scratch.” Belinda confirmed that Hiram had convinced her he'd already donated enough money in the past, so she'd finally agreed to let it go. “Hiram offered to pay for my short-term house rental if it became too noisy. I can't say no to him.”
“That was generous.” I wasn't particularly fond of Hiram but had to credit the man for talking Belinda off the ledge. “So, you saw nothing strange occur at the house I just bought?”
“I didn't say that, but this isn't the proper place to discuss it. My relationship with Hiram has not been easy. Although the man divorced me, I will always be grateful he acknowledged me as Damien's mother throughout the years. Let's find time to discuss it over a proper meal soon.” Belinda stepped out of her office and directed me to follow her assistant through the main area.
At first, I wondered if she acquiesced at breakneck speed just to force me to leave. Then, I realized she offered to discuss what she knew. Belinda's assistant scheduled a breakfast for us the following week, after the Fall Festival was underway and didn't require extensive daily oversight.
* * *
Most of the next day and a half focused on classes and the final coordination and preparation of the Fall Festival. Belinda, Nana D, Mom, and I had brokered a truce, ensuring the spectacular would be amazing. Madam Zenya had checked into the Roarke and Daughters Inn and organized her temporary psychic reading room in a tent at Danby Landing. Although I still hadn't met the woman, the entire town vociferously commented on her strange appearance. Madam Zenya always dressed in a Victorian black lace gown and wore an enormous headdress that covered her face. No one had ever seen what she looked like without it. She told everyone it was to create the illusion of a mystery and allow her to connect with newly departed souls. Eleanor loved the story. I wanted to gag over its preposterousness. Had I settled on my next Halloween costume?
April and I found zero time for our welcome-home-we're-back-in-the-same-state dinner. Once Lloyd Nickels confessed to killing Prudence Grey, it had turned her life upside down. It had shocked most everyone in Braxton to hear of his arrest, but the Wharton County Sheriff's Office had a motive, the means, and opportunity. They still considered the facts crucial evidence and kept everything hidden, as Lloyd wasn't permitted to tell others his reasoning or actions. Luckily, between Connor's generosity and April's growing infatuation—okay, increasing tolerance—for me, I'd assembled most of the details.
Belinda Nickels and Hiram Grey had been high school sweethearts for two years. After graduation, they'd attended different colleges and struggled to maintain a relationship. Belinda moved to Philadelphia for school while Hiram followed in his father's footsteps at Braxton. During that time, Hiram married Prudence Garibaldi and started law school. After getting her degree at Temple University, Belinda returned to Braxton and reconnected with Hiram, who'd been unsuccessfully juggling law school, fatherhood, a disturbed wife, and being a member of the multifaceted Grey family.
Lloyd had adored his sister more than anyone else in his life and would do anything to protect her. He knew how devastated Belinda had been when Hiram ended their relationship. After hearing her fondly recall their romance and watching Prudence's grip on reality dissipate further, Lloyd secretly engineered a plan to reunite Hiram and Belinda. During the Vietnam War protest on campus, Lloyd coordinated a clandestine rendezvous for his sister and Hiram at Stanton Concert Hall. They planned to discuss whether it was the right time to rekindle their relationship. While Hiram and Belinda were meeting, Prudence showed up at the library looking for her husband, ranting to anyone nearby that he was out with his new girlfriend. Lloyd had been repairing a loose electrical wire near the front desk and watched her enter the building. He kept her distracted and away from everyone else, so she didn't instigate additional trouble for his sister. When Prudence insisted on searching every crevice of the library, he found an opportunity to lock her inside the antiquated, original part of the building that had been cordoned off for construction. Because of the protest's noise, no one would hear her screams or shouts in the basement. Lloyd planned to unlock the door once his sister returned to the library to reveal the results of her discussion with Hiram.
Unfortunately, the protest turned violent and grew exponentially impossible to contain. Everyone in the library had gone outside to see what was unfolding. Lloyd worried about his sister's safety and wanted to warn her and Hiram about the fights erupting on campus. While he searched in Stanton Concert Hall, a fire engulfed the old library wing. Lloyd rushed back when he saw the smoke from the music building, but by then, firefighters wouldn't let him inside. He was afraid to confess what he had done, so he hunted for Prudence, Belinda, and Hiram. Eventually, he located his sister who explained that she and Hiram had delayed rekindling their romance until Prudence sought help for her psychosis. The fire had consumed most of the old wing of the library, but the searchers found no bodies. Then, Hiram produced a letter that Prudence had left behind at their home, showing she'd departed to seek help after their last discussion. The police eventually stopped searching for her. Lloyd assumed Prudence had escaped the fire, never admitting to anyone that he'd locked her up. He'd lived for fifty years with the guilt that she'd run away because of him.
When the skeleton was found, Lloyd's fear and culpability compelled him to come clean about Prudence's true moments before death. The police had sheltered Lloyd in a Wharton County prison cell for the last thirty-six hours. He was unwilling to seek bail because his prior actions had mortified him. April had to wait for confirmation on the body before the man could officially be charged with murder.
On the walk across campus, I distinctly heard shuffled footsteps following me in the distance but every time I turned to confront the stalker, no one was there. Whoever it was, if not a figment of my imagination, was skilled at covertly hiding behind things and keeping me guessing. I was not happy about it either. Luckily, Nicky and his crew had finished nearly all the renovations on the new house with no interference from ghosts or humans. We would meet that evening after work for a walkthrough, to determine if anything else needed to be addressed before I moved in on Saturday.
As I walked past Memorial Library, Connor called out to me from the crime scene. “Hey, Kellan. What brings you by today?” Connor, who towered over me, was as charismatic as he was intelligent. Although the military haircut and rippling, muscled body often scared people, I knew the gentler and kinder side of him—the benefit of a long-term friendship.
“I'm picking up books for Ulan's school project. How's everything coming along with processing Lloyd Nickels? I don't condone what he did, but hopefully there will be leniency given his age, the time since the crime occurred, and that he never intended to kill the woman.”
&nb
sp; Connor shook his head. “The district attorney plans to charge Nickels with involuntary manslaughter, but she can't do anything until we have verification that it's Prudence.”
“How long will it take to process the DNA?” I knew they could analyze fresh samples in as little as two days, but it would depend on the laboratory's workload and how much had been obtained from the skeleton. A fifty-year-old case wouldn't be granted priority over anything currently in process, especially when the culprit had admitted to the crime and volunteered to remain in prison.
“I expect conclusive evidence by tomorrow. I'm glad Damien Grey willingly provided a DNA sample. Our mayor called in a few favors to have them rush the testing,” Connor mentioned, holding back a fully formed smirk. “Apparently, your nana wants to put everything to rest as quickly as possible.”
Damien was the only other living relative who would match Prudence Grey's DNA. While everyone was certain the skeleton had belonged to the missing woman, confirmation was still an essential part of the process. “I'd forgotten my nana was close to Lloyd. She means well, I'm sure.” Nana D wouldn't stand in the way of convicting anyone who'd committed a crime, despite her connection to them, but she'd also commented to me she wasn't entirely sure of her friend's guilt.
“April's had a fit over the entire situation. The skeleton wasn't found in the exact location where Lloyd said he'd imprisoned Prudence that afternoon.” Connor explained that although the fire and demolition had shifted the underlying ground, the skeleton was located at least twenty feet away from key debris. “There are other things I can't reveal. I suspect someone is playing a dangerous game.”
“What does that mean?” I scratched at the back of my scalp, pondering if April might shed light on the other details. He gaped at me without answering. “Well, I need to meet Maggie and head to my new house. If everything goes according to plan, I'll move in this weekend. Come by to help?”
“As long as you stay out of my investigation.” Connor laughed, thrilled to have held his ground and kept me from pushing him too far. “But if you throw in some beer, I'll drive the moving van, bud.”
“Not a chance. I'm all over this one. It's involved me personally, like an insidious rash. Every time we discover new evidence, things reset back to the beginning.” I needed to protect myself and my family. Between the threatening messages, the increasing pranks, and the possibility that I didn't own the home, I had to stick close to the investigation, if not run my own in parallel. If someone was following me, then there had to be something larger going on that could negatively impact me.
When I reached Maggie's office, she wasn't alone. Braxton's former librarian sipped tea in a comfy guest chair in the corner. Although Minnie O'Malley and I had previously confirmed the time for Emma's upcoming religious classes, she'd been too distraught about her close companion's confession to murder to discuss anything with me.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. O'Malley. I'm glad I ran into you today.” I waved to Maggie, who pointed at the piles of books she'd checked out for me.
“Oh, Maggie and I just talked about you. I'd be indebted if you'll complete a teeny tiny favor for your former advisor.” Minnie placed a hand on her heart, casting wistful eyes upon me. “Please say yes.”
I gazed at Maggie, imploring her to provide a clue. What was I missing? “I'll do my best to help. You were always so kind when I was a student and you were the head librarian. What is—”
“I'll talk to him, Minnie. You get some rest. I'm sorry Lloyd has refused all visitors. He'll come to his senses soon,” Maggie interrupted, holding up one hand to stop me from talking and the other patting her mentor's back.
“Convince that merciless sheriff to release my Lloyd. I know he didn't mean to hurt Prudence. It was all just a big misunderstanding.” Minnie shuffled out of the office and down the hallway, a low and throaty moan accompanying her on the path.
“How am I supposed to do that?” I lifted my eyebrows in further confusion.
Maggie updated me on her conversation with our former librarian. “Minnie is adamant that Lloyd does not belong in prison. She doesn't comprehend why he hasn't been released. He couldn't have killed Prudence. It must've been an accident.”
“I admit this all sounds rather suspicious, but he had fifty years to say something. Lloyd looks guilty because he kept silent. If he'd confessed the day of the fire, we'd be having a vastly different conversation, Maggie.” I rifled through Ulan's books to verify they were all present.
“You're correct. He should've told the firemen he saw someone in the basement, even if he didn't admit to locking up Prudence.” Maggie confirmed Connor had discreetly shared the details with her, but no one had told Minnie the specifics. Minnie only knew Lloyd confessed and was stuck in prison.
“But you have something else you want to say.” I could see the doubt on Maggie's face.
“What if Lloyd's covering for someone? We never found out who started the fire.”
“Such as?” I paced the floor of Maggie's office. “What if it implicates Minnie?”
“Doubtful, but Lloyd's confession is oddly convenient, especially before they've identified the body.” Maggie ran her fingers through her hair and clicked her tongue against the back of her front teeth. “I think you should do a little investigating. Minnie needs our help. She's not guilty either.”
“Don't you think this is awfully close to being solved already?” I advised Maggie we needed to wait for confirmation on the body, then see what Lloyd was officially charged with. “Maybe they'll reduce the charges after a full autopsy or extensive analysis of the skeletal remains.”
“Minnie's had a hard life. Ian died in Vietnam, leaving her a widowed mother of a small boy. She never had a chance to say goodbye to her husband, and then their only son and daughter-in-law died of a drug overdose. The poor woman had to raise her granddaughter all by herself.”
I'd forgotten that Emma's summer camp teacher, Jane O'Malley, had been orphaned when she was only two years old. Minnie's son and his wife had developed an addiction to opioids, despite caring for their young daughter, Jane. When Minnie hadn't heard from them in two days, she'd gone by their apartment and found Jane screaming in her crib, malnourished and sickly. “I feel bad for Minnie, but first we need more details about the skeleton. Fair?” Once Maggie assented, we agreed to revisit the topic. I knew I would investigate the situation, but no one else needed to know exactly what I'd do.
I exited and arrived at the house ten minutes prior to my scheduled meeting with Nicky. The workers had packed up early and left upon finishing the final tasks. Nicky had sent me pictures of the new fireplace mantle and the recessed hallway ceiling lights. His team transformed the place into a warm and inviting home.
As I approached, an unexpected new addition caught my eye. Hanging from the rafters on the front porch was a large set of wind chimes. Long metal rods and copper tubes, suspended from a central wooden ring, dangled in the wind. A haunting melody twanged as I climbed the steps, encouraging an unsettling shiver to cascade across my body. Someone was watching me. I couldn't see them, but they lurked nearby as I studied the object. When I peered closer, the name Garibaldi was carved into the ring. Why had this gift suddenly appeared on my doorstep?
As soon as I opened the front door, I knew something was wrong. A cloud of fog and dusty residue filled the foyer, and a wall of overpowering heat hit me. I inched forward to determine if there was still a fire burning somewhere, then saw billowing smoke in the kitchen. After verifying the existence of a direct path to enter and exit the room, I rushed in to locate the source. The oven had been turned on, and a bunch of dirty rags had caught flame and incinerated into ashes. Luckily, the fire had already died out. Or had someone intentionally extinguished it? I used a piece of cardboard to protect my hands when brushing the embers into a nearby metal garbage pail. I scanned the room to determine where Nicky had installed the smoke detectors only to realize they'd been removed and smashed on the floor in the corner. Someone
had deliberately set the place on fire to delay my move.
I grabbed my phone to call Nicky, but he'd already run into the room. “What happened?”
“No clue. I just arrived too.” I led him to the porch to inquire about the wind chimes.
“I saw them this morning when the crew arrived. We thought you hung them.” Nicky pensively rubbed his eyebrows. “Come on, let's itemize all the damage.”
After containing the risk of any explosions, we surveyed the first floor. At the low end, we had hours of tedious cleaning and frustrating repairs. At the high end, someone had broken three back windows and dumped gallons of dirty water on the bedroom carpets. The basement door, which had been repainted after the original incident, unexpectedly contained a new threatening message:
I'm gonna hang your corpse like a scarecrow at the Fall Festival!
Chapter 7
Connor arrived rapidly once I reported the crime. “Are you certain no one else has a key?”
Nicky nodded. “We installed the new front locks yesterday. I gave the original key to Kellan when we filed the plans with the county for the certificate of occupancy. I have the only other one.”
“Neither left our possession,” I added. Nicky and I had already covered it once we saw the destruction. “Someone must've broken the window, reached through to unlock the back door, and snuck in to inflict all this damage.”
“There is no way you can move in this weekend, Kellan. I'm sorry. I'll get my crew back again tomorrow, but we'll need at least a week to order new windows, dry the carpets, and clean the soot throughout the place.” Nicky looked like he'd been sucker-punched one too many times.
I felt bad for the contractor as he'd gotten more than he'd bargained for when he bid for this job. “I'm not sure if I should move in at all. Can't imagine who's targeted me or for what reason.”
Connor stopped pacing the kitchen abruptly. “Wait! Didn't you install a camera last time?”
Haunted House Ghost: Death At The Fall Festival (Braxton Campus Mysteries Book 5) Page 10
