by Hazel Holmes
He related to Nathaniel too much. He had been in his shoes, just starting out in a profession that was often tough with long hours, grueling workloads, head chefs who were incredibly hard on their employees, and diners who complained over the simplest mistakes. Drug use and drinking wasn’t uncommon in kitchens. That environment could break men, and he admired anyone who was passionate enough to work through that.
He also knew what it was like to try to impress a father but falling short each time. He empathized with Nathaniel’s desire to buy the bed and breakfast, and the disappointment he felt in being unable to do so. He could understand why Nathaniel would want to keep working here, without necessarily having ill intentions. It was a tie to his father, a way of respecting him even if he hadn’t been able to buy the property.
Ezra wanted to give him a real shot, the kind of chance at making things easier that Ezra hadn’t been given. He wanted to see Nathaniel succeed. He wanted to give him the opportunity to work at the bed and breakfast while cultivating the skills he’d need to own his own business someday. It was a kind of big brother sort of thing.
He would be careful, especially now. Regardless of how much he wanted to root for Nathaniel, Ezra would be careful to ensure Clara’s safety. He wouldn’t let it blind him. But he also didn’t want to fire him just yet. He didn’t want to be too hasty.
Before he could make a concrete decision, Clara came downstairs, looking beautiful in a wine-colored dress and black wool tights that fit the aesthetic of the house perfectly. Stress clearly weighed on her though. She looked troubled over something, and Ezra didn’t want to add to her troubles. He didn’t want to get into a disagreement with her about Nathaniel.
They were perfect together. They created a life they loved, but lately tension had seeped in. He hated that. He wanted to get back to being carefree and happy.
“I love you,” he said as he walked over and kissed her. She leaned against him in a warm hug that was everything.
“I love you too,” she whispered.
They each thought about sharing their stresses. They were naturally inclined to come together during times like this. It was difficult to stand alone. But maybe they didn’t trust each other as much as they thought they did, because they kept their worries to themselves.
They were worried about how the other might react, and the stress drained them so much that neither of them wanted to get involved in such discussions. They certainly didn’t want to start any disagreements.
“Thank you,” she said, accepting the muffin. Clara sat down to enjoy the best breakfast, while Ezra started a to-do list for the day.
They convinced themselves they were only trying to protect each other, and they felt there was something noble in that. Even if the guilt didn’t allow them to fully believe it.
27
Clara didn’t believe in ghosts. Even after the incident in the basement, the music playing by itself, and the dress finding its way onto her bed, she still didn’t believe in ghosts. She loved a good mystery in the stories she read, and she was curious about the world. She could separate fact from fiction though, and ghost stories fell squarely in that surreal category. However, she was starting to suspect something odd was going on in their new house, and she was determined to figure out what that was.
As Clara ate the sweet, cinnamon perfection muffin, she contemplated how she could find the answers to satisfy her confused mind. She’d never dealt with such strange occurrences before, and usually she would discuss this kind of thing with Ezra. They always came up with the best ideas when they were working together while facing an obstacle. Barring that ability, she had to do it on her own, and that was difficult.
She still wasn’t ready to tell him though. So, she buckled down and decided it’d be good to start with learning more about the history of the house. To understand what was happening now, she thought it’d be a good idea to learn what happened before.
She was also admittedly curious as to why people thought the house was haunted. Sure, there was the incident that happened with Lyla and Richard, but Brittany believed the house was haunted before this. She thought that was why Lyla and Richard behaved in such a horrific manner. So, why did she think that?
Clara wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince herself the house wasn’t haunted or trying to convince Ezra. The situation had become so complex that she wasn’t sure what to think of anything anymore, but she knew she needed to do something. She couldn’t live among this confusion forever.
Thankfully, Clara was a fan of true crime documentaries along with the horror movies she loved. So, after a bit more thought, she found a place to start. She put on her coat, said goodbye to Ezra, and headed over to the local police station.
The small brick building was a warm relief from the cold. Few officers were inside, easing some of Clara’s worry. She had never tried doing anything like this before, but to her surprise it was relatively easy. She just walked up to the front desk, asked for a copy of the police report, and was able to obtain it for a small fee.
“What’s got you so interested in the case?” Margaret asked as she handed over the file. Wisps of grey hair tumbled out of her bun and over inquisitive blue eyes obstructed by thick glasses. Clara noted the apprehension in them.
Margaret’s husband was the sergeant and she had worked there a long time. She’d seen too many people who were interested in this crime for reasons she deemed unsavory and shameful. She didn’t recognize the woman in front of her, so she suspected she was someone from out of town chasing information on a crime that had caught far too much media attention for her liking.
Margaret was protective of her small town. She didn’t like the reputation it was getting. She didn’t like anyone who might further the stigma.
“I moved here recently with my husband,” Clara explained. “We bought the bed and breakfast and are planning on reopening it soon. I’d like to know the history of the house though, since we’ll be living there.
“I’ve heard there are some dark rumors about the property, so I’d like to get to the bottom of it so I can understand what’s going on. I think it might be helpful to know where these rumors are coming from so we can effectively combat them and revamp the bed and breakfast’s reputation. I want to give proper respect to the children’s deaths while turning the focus away from their murders.”
Margaret instantly warmed towards Clara. This was everything she had hoped for the property and their town. They needed someone to change the narrative about the bed and breakfast. She would do anything to help with that.
“That’s an admirable undertaking,” she said. “I’m grateful someone’s taking the time to do it. That house needs a thorough rewrite. I’m so tired of people visiting simply because they’re curious about something so morbid, something that broke all our hearts.
“To really get to the source of the rumors though, you’ll have to go back to a time before the scandal with Lyla and Richard. You’ll have to go back to before they even owned the bed and breakfast.”
“What do you mean?” Clara asked, though as she thought of it, it only made sense there’d be more to the story. Brittany thought a ghost influenced Lyla and Richard, but why would she believe there were ghosts there in the first place? There had to have been another death before theirs.
“I’m surprised the realtor didn’t disclose it,” Margaret said. “Though it was so long ago, maybe they didn’t need to. Maybe they didn’t even know about it. I guess most of the younger generation doesn’t. Things were different back when it happened. We weren’t all openly ghost hunters and fascinated by death. Back in those days if you were like that, you’d be shunned. It’d be far from normal and everyone in town would judge you for it.
“It’s a whole new world now though.” Margaret shook her head. “Now people flock to the darkest parts of humanity like we used to flock to a good meal. Anyway, there was another murder before Lyla and Richard took over. Because it was a different generation, that bed an
d breakfast stayed closed for a long time after that. It was rumored to be haunted and the only person who wanted to buy it, didn’t have the money to.
“I think he almost came up with it though before Lyla and Richard took it over. It took him longer than most because he was orphaned at such a young age, and his grandparents didn’t do him many favors in the way of education. We all felt bad he wasn’t able to make that particular dream come true, but he seemed content enough working alongside them after.”
“Nathaniel’s father,” Clara whispered, as a morbid picture began to form.
“So, you’ve heard about Billy?” Margaret asked. “Of course you have. He’s still well-loved in the community.” She shook her head. “Such a shame his life was so tragic. He was a good man.
“Anyway, it’s such an awful situation all around. To really dispel the haunting rumors, you’ll have to address the first murder. Would you like that file as well?”
Clara nodded. She thought about asking Margaret to explain further, but she was having difficulty following what Margaret was trying to get across in the first place. Another murder? She hadn’t been told about another murder, and one was eerie enough. What was it about the property that brought on such horrible actions?
Clara paid the fee for the extra file, thanked Margaret, and went to the library. She no longer felt completely comfortable in her own house. She wasn’t ready to admit to that out loud quite yet though. She still couldn’t fully explain why.
28
Clara gravitated to the space in the library where she first found comfort; the little room in the back where the book club meeting was held. No one was in there now, so she snuggled up on the warm red flannel couch that was right in front of the window. Sunlight reflected off the snow-covered ground to give Clara plenty of natural light to read by. She liked the reminder of the trees, blue sky, and books all around her. It helped tether her to a reality that was far more pleasant than the dark cases she was diving into.
She decided to start with the first murder. She thought it might be helpful to give her context into what happened with Lyla and Richard. She still didn’t think ghosts could’ve explained why they murdered their children, but learning about the first murder might explain why Brittany thought ghosts were involved.
Furthermore, those rumors could’ve had a deeper impact on Lyla and Richard, though it was awful to consider. If enough people got into their heads, convincing them the house was haunted, it might’ve colored the way they saw things. They could’ve started to attribute the strange, unexplainable things that happened in everyday life to ghosts. It could’ve triggered something in their minds that was already mentally unwell.
Fear did horrible things to people. Clara worried that if Lyla and Richard thought the house was haunted and feared the ghosts, maybe they also started to think they were possessed by the spirits. Maybe they used that to justify their increasingly concerning behavior. Maybe those beliefs led to them killing their children, even if no actual ghosts had anything to do with it.
That was most concerning of all to Clara. It made her worry about Ezra, who had started to believe in ghosts lately. What if those rumors and fears worked their way into his mind? What if it made his mental health shaky?
After the incident that morning, she had an even deeper fear. What if those worries were working their way into her mind? What if they distorted her perception? What if she was the next person to snap?
She opened the file in hopes of finding answers that could prevent all of that.
29
Maggie’s family had been worried about her for quite some time now. When she first met William, they were all so impressed by him. He was a hard worker, a gentleman, polite, and kind. Most importantly, he made her happy. They loved to see the way she glowed when she talked about him. Their wedding was lovely, and everyone thought they’d live out that happily ever after they all coveted.
They were excited for her when the couple was able to save up enough money to buy a gorgeous property and build a bed and breakfast on it. The pair worked building it together, hammering away into the night. They used up the last of their savings to finish it up.
Unbeknownst to their loved ones, the project cost more than intended so they took out a loan to complete it. They took out another loan to get the business started. They still had good credit, and banks were eager to get people to start investing in this tiny town. So, they had a discussion.
Running a business like this was going to take a lot of time and hard work to make it successful. They were starting from scratch, taking a risk. They both wanted this more than anything else. They were willing to do anything it took to make this business a success.
So, after some thought, they took out a third loan to ensure William could quit his job and join his wife in putting their all into this new business. It’d give them enough money to live off while they waited for the income to come in.
Opening day was more successful than they even hoped for. Everyone in town came out to celebrate with them, and after seeing what impressive work Maggie and William had done, guests were eager to book rooms. They were the only bed and breakfast in town. Visitors who couldn’t stay with family had to stay with them. The future was bright, and they were sure they were going to succeed.
Then, Maggie got pregnant. It wasn’t great timing, but they always wanted children someday, so the couple was still happy about it. They were certain they could make it work. They’d just have to work harder, spend less. They had good intentions. It seemed impossible that their dream could ever go wrong.
They had their baby boy and from an outsider’s perspective, the little family was happy and flourishing. And for a while, they were. Until the bills started piling up. The economy took a turn for the worse. People had to focus on the essentials, they didn’t have enough extra money to travel, let alone stay at a bed and breakfast. William started drinking heavily.
On the fateful day of the murder, William started drinking at 10am. Maggie took Billy to the park with her best friend. As the children were playing, she confessed to the troubles in her marriage and home life. Her husband was drinking too much, getting angry all the time, and they were behind on all their payments. They couldn’t take out any more loans.
As she cried, her friend asked her to come stay with them for a while. She was worried about Maggie being alone in the house with a man who was clearly struggling. She didn’t want to see anyone get hurt. She promised they could work through this together, she’d help her get back on her feet. But she thought some breathing room might be best. It might even encourage William to get help for his addiction.
As Maggie watched her son playing in the carefree way he no longer could in their home, she seriously considered this offer. She told her friend that she’d think about it and get back to her the next day. That night, her friend went home and got a room ready for Maggie and Billy. She’d seen the look in Maggie’s eyes. She was ready for a change and her friend was thankful for it.
Meanwhile, William continued drinking. He paused just long enough to get the mail and open the envelope he’d been dreading. He hadn’t quite been honest with Maggie about how behind they were. He hadn’t quite been honest about how much money he spent on the endless amount of alcohol he was consuming.
Now, the bank was going to foreclose on their house. They were going to steal the bed and breakfast the couple worked so hard to build. William was angry, disappointed in himself. He had never felt so hopeless in his life. Mostly, he was ashamed.
He always wanted to be a good husband to Maggie. He loved her and Billy more than anything else in the world. When they first got married, he thought they were going to live the perfect life. He was willing to give his all to make her dreams come true. He really thought they were going to be happy, successful.
Somewhere along the way though, he let her down. He hated himself for it. And for a moment, this gave him the motivation to try to sober up. He was going to do better. He was goi
ng to be a better husband, a better father. He’d fix this.
He went into the office and researched different jobs he might be able to get, and how much he’d be paid for various positions. He looked up the averages of the guests they were hosting each week. He took stock of various things he could sell. He scraped together every option he could think of to get an idea of how much income they could access. By the time he was done, he was hopeful. They could do this. He just had to try harder.
Then, he took out all the bills and late notices. He made a spreadsheet of all the money they owed and tried to come up with a plan to pay it back, to get them back on track.
He realized they were even worse off than he thought though. He couldn’t see a reasonable way they could keep the property, even by drawing off all the resources they had. He would have to tell his wife the truth, and she would probably leave him over it. He would probably lose his whole family.
He went back to drinking and Maggie went home with Billy, contemplating how to give her son the best life possible, even if it couldn’t be the life she envisioned.
It wasn’t long after dinner when William sat Maggie down for a talk. She was already tense. He had already snapped at Billy over nothing as they ate the carefully crafted meal Maggie cooked with their dwindling groceries. She wasn’t sure how long William had been drinking, but she guessed it was long enough.
Of course, William was tense too. His shame fueled his anger, as that was a much easier emotion to deal with. The anger was so bright it blinded everything else. It fought back all those other emotions. It was a blanket over his pain, a blanket he couldn’t afford to let go of.
The two collided in a fight that was more horrible than either of them could imagine. Maggie decided she finally had enough and started packing a bag for her and Billy. She was going to her friend’s house. She needed a break to figure out her new life, because she simply couldn’t stand this one any longer.
