The Pine Hill Inn

by J A Whiting

  Ella gave a barely perceptible shake of her head.

  8

  It only took fifteen minutes for Ella and Livvy to drive to Leo’s brother’s house on Poet’s Hill. The home was a Queen Anne with a huge porch wrapping around the front and sides. There was a large barn at the end of the driveway where Larry Billings had his studio. He heard the car and stepped out of the barn to greet the visitors.

  A tall husky man, Larry was thirty-three-years old, with dark hair and brown eyes. He was wearing jeans and a work shirt with the sleeves rolled up to show muscular arms.

  “Hello,” Larry called and walked over to meet Ella and Livvy.

  After introductions were made, the sisters offered Larry their condolences on the death of his brother.

  “Thanks. I appreciate it.” Larry turned his attention to Ella. “You’re the one who found my brother?”

  “I did, yes.”

  “Why were you out in the gardens in the dark?”

  Ella thought that was a strange question to be asked. “My cat was with me. She had to go. We passed the gardens on the way to the back field behind the inn.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m not asking because I think you were the one who killed him. Well, come inside.” Larry led them into the two-story barn where paintings in various stages of completion were hung on walls and stood on easels. A long wooden table splattered with paint was set along one wall and a desk and chair stood near a large window. Another table was covered with print making supplies.

  “Here’s my work space. I do paintings, I do prints, and I make calendars and greeting cards. I’m in here most of the day and part of the night.” Larry chuckled. “I should just put a bed and a microwave in the space and I could rent out the house.”

  Ella and Livvy walked around looking at the artwork, asking questions. Larry was pleased to show them what he’d been working on.

  “Would you like to sit down?” The man gestured to the four chairs over by his desk, and they took seats.

  “What can you tell us about your brother?” Livvy asked. “We understand he grew up in the city, worked in various restaurants after leaving high school, and recently returned to the area to work at the Pine Hill Inn.”

  “That just about covers it.” Larry ran his hand over his hair. “Leo and I didn’t communicate much. There were eight years between us so we were always at different places in our lives. I’m sorry to say we didn’t know each other very well.”

  “Had you seen one another since Leo moved back?” Ella asked.

  “Twice. We met for dinner one night, and another time we went out for drinks. It was nice to see him, but you know how it is … you have your routine, the way you do things, the things that take up your time and get in the way of making an adjustment to your schedule so you can fit in someone else. I didn’t feel the need to see Leo a lot since we hadn’t seen much of each other for years.”

  “Did he mention that anything was bothering him?” Livvy questioned.

  “He didn’t. Leo was always a quiet guy. He didn’t like a crowd. He preferred one-on-one or a small group to socialize in,” Larry explained. “We talked about what was going on in our lives, talked about sports, the state of the world. The usual things people talk about. There was nothing earth-shattering.”

  “We heard Leo wanted to go to culinary school one day,” Ella said.

  “That was his goal. I don’t know if he would have done it.”

  “Why not?” Ella asked.

  “Leo was always putting things off. I think part of it was that Leo didn’t have a lot of confidence in himself. He was a worrier. I think he doubted his ability and shied away from making applications to cooking schools for fear of failure. We’ll never know now, we will?”

  “Did Leo have a partner?”

  “He dated a young woman for a little more than a year. She has a job in Boston now. They met in New York City and they both moved to Massachusetts when Leo got the job at the inn.”

  “Do you know her name?” Livvy was taking some notes on her phone.

  “Rose. Her last name was … let’s see … oh, it’s Mahoney. Rose Mahoney.”

  “Where does she work?”

  “At that big financial place, Briggs and Hall.”

  “They must have been serious about each other if they moved from New York together,” Ella said.

  “Leo seemed happy with the relationship,” Larry said.

  Livvy asked, “Do you have any idea who might have hurt your brother?”

  “I don’t have a clue. Maybe Leo was mixed up in something I don’t know about. He was always concerned about saving money, about paying his way through school. Maybe he got involved with drugs. I don’t mean taking them, I mean selling them. Who knows? Maybe he made an enemy somewhere along the line and the person tracked him to the inn. I really didn’t know Leo. We hadn’t seen each other in years,” Larry told the sisters.

  “Do you have any other siblings?”

  “No, it was just me and Leo.”

  “Are your parents still alive?”

  “Leo and I had different dads, hence our different last names. My father passed away when I was about two. Mom later remarried, and she and her second husband had Leo. Leo’s dad, Edwin, died about a year ago. Heart attack. Our mom died six weeks ago from kidney disease.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Ella told the man. “Where did your mother live?”

  “She lived over on the west side of the city. She lived in the same house for almost thirty years.”

  “Any cousins? Aunts or uncles?” Livvy asked.

  “A couple of cousins live out on the west coast. We don’t keep in touch.”

  “Are you married?” Livvy asked.

  “No, I’m not. I haven’t found the right partner yet. I’m so busy all the time, I never get out.” Larry shook his head. “I’m not going to meet anyone working in this barn all the time.”

  “Did you go to art school?” Ella asked.

  “I went to art school in New York. It cost me a lot of money. Sometimes, I think I should have just gone right to work on my art after high school.” Larry shrugged. “But art school was a good experience overall.”

  Livvy looked up from her notes. “Have the police talked to you about your brother?”

  “Yeah, a detective came by yesterday.”

  Ella shook off the wave of unease that passed over her when she heard the detective’s name was Jonas Damon.

  “Did Detective Damon have any information to share about Leo’s death?” Livvy asked.

  “He didn’t have much to say about it. He was the one who was doing all the asking.”

  After about ten more minutes of discussion, the sisters thanked Larry for his time and headed to their cars. Ella needed to get to the university and Livvy had to go back to the shop.

  They stood by Livvy’s car for a few minutes.

  “What did you think of the meeting?” Livvy asked.

  Ella glanced over at the barn. “Something seems off with Larry. He isn’t very upset about his brother being murdered. Maybe they weren’t close, but gee, a murder? Your brother? I’d think he’d show a little more emotion over it.”

  “I agree. Maybe it’s just always all about Larry.”

  “We should talk to the girlfriend,” Ella suggested. “Rose Mahoney. I’ll look her up when I get to my office.”

  “Okay. I’ll talk to you tonight.” Livvy waved as she drove away.

  Ella walked to her car and right before she opened the driver side door, a man called to her, and she looked up to see Jonas Damon striding over to her.

  “Professor Daniels,” Jonas greeted Ella.

  “Just call me Ella. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

  “Are there ghosts here at Mr. Billings’s home?” the detective asked sassily. “Did he call you in for assistance?”

  Ella looked the detective in the eyes. “Just because we have different belief-systems, it doesn’t mean we can’t be respectful to one a
nother.”

  The bluish-green eyes staring into his own made Jonas’s knees weak. “I apologize. I’ve never met anyone with a serious interest in ghosts.”

  “Lots of people say the same thing.” Ella smiled.

  “So you beat me to Larry’s house,” Jonas pointed out.

  “Not technically. Larry told us you were here yesterday.”

  “Yeah, I was.” Jonas let his eyes wander over the house and the barn. “What did you think of Larry?”

  “He was welcoming, told us what he could.”

  “He doesn’t seem that broken up over his brother, does he?” Jonas asked for Ella’s opinion.

  “Maybe he keeps his emotions hidden. Although, Larry and Leo weren’t close so he might not feel any loss over his brother’s death,” Ella said.

  “Still.” Jonas turned back to the young woman. “Did Larry ask you about your interest in the case?”

  “I told him I found his brother in the garden and wanted to do something to help.”

  The detective’s face softened a little. “Do people really come to you for help with spirits?”

  “Yes, they do, and sometimes it’s the ghost who comes to ask us for help.”

  “The ghost.” Jonas took in a deep breath. “Your family really believes this stuff?”

  Ella couldn’t keep a smile from forming on her mouth. “It isn’t hard to believe when ghosts are staring you in the face.”

  Jonas kept his eyes on the woman in front of him.

  “Just like the way you’re staring at me right now,” Ella joked with the detective.

  “Oh, sorry.” The detective seemed a little flustered. “I’m trying to make sense of what you’re saying. Listen, could I come by your business office sometime?”

  Ella cocked her head to the side with a questioning expression. “Why?”

  “I don’t know why,” Jonas smiled. “Maybe I’d like to learn more about this.”

  “Look on our website. Our business hours are listed there. I need to get to the university now. Good luck with the case.”

  As Ella was getting into her car, Jonas wished her a good day.

  9

  Ella welcomed Liam into her antique Cape-style house located only two blocks from her sister, Livvy’s, home. It was her turn to be interviewed by Liam and she invited him to come to her house where it would be quiet and free of distractions.

  A stone walkway led from the sidewalk to the front door of the gray house. Flowers bloomed in a bed placed in front of the house, and pots of mums stood on the steps leading to the door.

  “What a great house,” Liam said when he stepped inside and saw the wide pumpkin pine wood floor, natural woodwork, large fireplaces in the living and dining rooms, and beamed ceilings. Sunlight streamed in through the many windows flooding the rooms with good cheer.

  Raisin padded down the front staircase and hurried over to the man to get some petting.

  “Hello, Raisin.” Liam laughed at the friendly greeting he received and how the cat followed him from room to room as Ella gave the journalist a tour.

  “The house was built in 1789 for a man named Myles Browning and his wife, Dorothy. They had six children, but two passed away before the age of three. Myles was a merchant and owned several stores in town. An interesting fact has to do with Dorothy. She wrote a cookbook in the early 1800s and it became something of a bestseller. She followed it up with a book on keeping house focusing on the economics of running a home.”

  “That’s fascinating,” Liam said.

  “Myles encouraged his wife’s and his daughters’ endeavors which was unusual for the time,” Ella said. “His two daughters learned bookbinding and set up a workshop in the barn at the back of the house. Their expertise became well-known in the trade. Myles was quite proud of what his wife and daughters were able to accomplish.”

  “What a great family. They were way ahead of the time,” Liam said.

  Ella led the man into the sitting room off the kitchen. The space had pine floors, a woodstove, comfortable sofas and chairs, and huge windows that looked out at the perennial gardens in the yard, a brick patio, two large maple trees, and an arbor with grape vines growing over it.

  “This house is like something out of an architectural magazine. I love this place.”

  Ella smiled at Liam’s reaction to the house.

  “Are there ghosts living here?” he asked.

  “It’s an old house.” Ella avoided a direct answer. “Have a seat. Help yourself to the drinks and snacks.” A pitcher of water stood on the sideboard along with a carafe of coffee, and there was a plate of cookies and squares on the coffee table.

  Liam poured a glass of water, took a cinnamon cookie from the platter, and sat down in one of the chairs.

  Raisin jumped up on his lap.

  “How was Aunt Jin to interview?” Ella asked.

  “She was great. She’s so accomplished. A medical degree and a Ph.D. and her research into learning disabilities was really interesting to hear about.”

  “Jin’s a smart woman. What else did you talk about?” Ella wanted to know how much of the family secrets her aunt revealed to the journalist.

  “She told me that your mother lives in Salem with a sister where they run a store together,” Liam reported.

  “That’s right. Those two are hoots,” Ella smiled. “They’re both outspoken and opinionated, but they’re funny and smart and have kind hearts. There are many days when Livvy and I would like to throttle both of them. We think it’s best they live about forty minutes away.”

  “Maybe I should interview them, too.”

  “You’d get an earful,” Ella warned him. “Did Jin talk about the investigations we do?”

  “She did. She told me the ability to see ghosts goes way back in your family history.”

  Ella stiffened. “Yes, it does.”

  “Were you born here or in Salem?” Liam asked.

  “Here in Quinsigamond. My mom, her name is Jodie Daniels, and my Aunt Kay decided to move to Salem when I was in graduate school.”

  “Do you see your mom and Kay very often?”

  “Oh, yes. Livvy might say too often,” Ella joked.

  “Can they see ghosts as well?”

  Ella nodded.

  “How old were you when you saw a ghost for the first time?”

  “Oh, let’s see. My mom told me I was not quite a year old, but I don’t remember seeing my first ghost. I’ve always taken it for granted because I’ve always seen them. It’s a natural thing for me. I thought everyone could see spirits.”

  “Do they ever speak to you?” Liam asked.

  “Some do, yes. Most communicate the way Rebekah does with yes-no questions. A few won’t communicate at all.”

  “How do you help the ones who won’t communicate?”

  “You have to take note of where they are when they appear. You have to use reasoning to figure out what they want,” Ella explained. “Sometimes, we have to do some research on the house or building they’ve attached themselves to and use that information to make some educated guesses.”

  “How did your family decide to open an office and start a business?”

  “We don’t think of it as a business. We don’t charge anything to help someone.”

  “You don’t?” Liam seemed surprised to hear there was no fee for their services.

  Ella shook her head. “All the work we do is done pro bono. We don’t think there should be a charge to help a spirit cross over, or to figure out what’s bothering a ghost and offer him or her some comfort.”

  “So the business is more of a non-profit organization?” Liam asked.

  “That’s how we think of it. We all have other jobs that pay our bills,” Ella told the journalist. “Livvy’s work is flexible as long as she has an employee there who can cover the shop. My brother, Ben, is a firefighter and he has days off during the week. Jin is working part-time now and even though my schedule at the university is fixed each semester, there are t
imes when I’m free to devote to our investigations.”

  “But you have to rent the office space and pay for heat and lights and all that,” Liam said. “How do you pay for the expenses?”

  “We all chip in. We share the cost of the expenses,” Ella said.

  “Do you have other skills?” Liam questioned.

  Ella played coy. “What do you mean by other skills?”

  “I don’t know for sure. Can any of you move objects through the air? Can some of you cast a spell on someone? Can your siblings see the future?”

  With a smile, Ella said, “Well, I haven’t seen any of them send objects through the air … oh, except that one time, Livvy threw a bunch of grapes across the room because it had a giant spider on them.”

  Liam grinned at Ella’s joke. “I meant being able to move objects with the mind.”

  “Oh, no. None of us can do that … that I know of anyway. Maybe they don’t tell me everything they can do. That way they can use their hidden powers on me someday.”

  “Why do I think you’re not going to give me a straight answer on these questions?” Liam’s eyebrow raised.

  “No one in my family can make things fly through the air,” Ella replied.

  “Can they tell the future?”

  “My cousin Kara … she lives in Salem … she seems to have some ability like that. She does psychic readings for people.” Ella shrugged. “But of course, she could just be intentionally vague when she talks to the clients, or she could be making everything up.”

  “Isn’t that dishonest?”

  “Maybe Kara is telling people what they hope to hear,” Ella said.

  “Can you tell the future?”

  “No.” Ella was firm in her answer.

  “When we were at the inn the other night, you told me you don’t rely on the ghost hunting equipment, but you use the tools anyway. Why don’t you need to use them?”

  Ella shifted on her chair. “They don’t help me very much. I can hear when a ghost speaks. I can see them without using a device. I sense when they’re nearby even before they make themselves known.” Ella pushed a strand of her black hair over her shoulder. “I don’t need the tools, but I’ll use them because there are times when we get-together with other investigators and its helpful for them to see and hear what the equipment picks up.”