The Daughters of Julian Dane

by Lucile McCluskey

  “You had to tell him!” she accused Addie. “And as soon as you died, he came out to face me. He just stood there looking down at me with such hatred – oh, how it hurt! He had his hands in tight fists at his sides, otherwise, I think he might have strangled me. He looked like he wanted to, and I’ve wished a million times that he had. Oh, God! How I’ve wished that he had!”

  Wilhelmina was no longer yelling, no longer looking at Addie, but still held her by the arms. Her grip loosened, but Addie was afraid to move, afraid she would dig those nails in again if she did. She stood still, hoping the woman would calm down, would turn her loose.

  “Then he told me,” she said pitifully. “He said, ‘Our mother was just a tramp, but you, my Sister, are a murderer. And maybe I’m as much to blame as you – for keeping her secret’. I was shocked beyond words. All I could utter was ‘sister’? And he said, ‘Yes, Wilhelmina. The little girl you just killed was your niece, and she knew it. You and I are half brother and sister. Our mother loved my father, but he couldn’t marry her. He was of royal blood and already married’. Then he looked at me with such loathing, and said, ‘She didn’t even know who your father was’. And he turned and walked away, leaving me completely devastated. He had stripped me of everything, even my will to live,” she added in just above a whisper.

  Addie felt so sorry for the woman in front of her, but she had just admitted to planning one person’s death and causing that of another. Addie was stunned by the woman’s revelation.

  “That was the last time I saw him. He drowned himself.” she said pathetically. “I was responsible for his death too,” she admitted feebly.

  She had released her hold on Addie’s right arm, and just as she thought she might release her completely, she tightened her grip on her left arm and turned her toward the portrait of her mother again.

  “But she was responsible too,” she hissed. “She couldn’t love me even when she was dying. I waited two years for her to die, thinking she surely would tell me that she loved me on her death bed. But do you think she did?” she yelled. “Nooo! All she had to say to me was, ‘Willy, take what you want in this life regardless of the cost, because it all ends too soon’. She couldn’t even put her arms around me when she was dying. She just patted my hand,” the woman said bitterly.

  “Well, I tried living by her rules, and look what it cost me,” she said, her face right up in Addie’s again. She paused, her eyes boring into Addie’s. “The cost was too great,” she said sadly. “But I paid for my crimes. Do you know how? Do you?” she demanded, tightening her grip on Addie’s arm.

  “No! No, ma’am,” Addie said.

  “I’ll tell you how. I held a trial right there in that bed – her bed,” she said, looking again at the portrait of her mother. “And I found me guilty! Do you understand? Guilty!” she repeated with vehemence. “And I sentenced me to life in prison – life inside these walls. I was both judge and defendant, and I found me guilty of letting Meleah die, guilty of Nickelos’ condition, guilty of your death, and guilty of Julian’s death. Then I sentenced me. This house that I wanted so badly became my prison. For fifty years I’ve not left it!” Then, looking at Julian Dane’s portrait again, “But that didn’t satisfy you, did it?” she demanded loudly.

  “Come!” she commanded. “This balcony is as far as I get to the outside world. For fifty years I’ve paid for killing you! You’re dead! You’ve got to stay dead! I’ve paid dearly for killing you!”

  Addie screamed, “Nooo!” as the woman pulled her through the door. She was going to kill her! She was mad! And her strength – it was unreal! Addie grabbed the door facing with her left hand and held on as tightly as she could as Wilhelmina pulled her toward the balcony railing.

  “You’ve got to stay dead!” the woman screamed. “And Julian has to stay dead!”

  Addie was straining to hold onto the door facing, but she could feel her fingers slipping. There wasn’t enough to grab hold of. Then Wilhelmina shoved her against the iron railing, which didn’t quite come to her waist. Addie realized that the slightest pressure on her upper body from the woman, and she would go over it. My only hope, she thought, is to try to get a grip on the rail with both hands. But suddenly, the light from the bedroom that tried hopelessly to penetrate the heavy blanket of fog was diminished to almost nothing. Addie looked in the direction of the doorway as she felt for a hold on the rail with one free hand. The large form of a man filled the doorway.

  “Wil -lee, Wil – lee,” he whined in a childish voice.

  Wilhelmina turned sharply from Addie, still holding onto one arm tightly. “Nooo! Nickelos! NOOO!” she yelled as she let go of Addie with such force that she almost lost her balance and grabbed for the door facing with the hand Wilhelmina had let go of. The woman had turned to face the man who had moved onto the balcony with faltering footsteps, still calling, “Wil – lee.”

  “GO BACK! NICKELOS! GO BACK!” She demanded as she tried to move from in front of him to the far side of the small balcony.

  He held out his arms to her, calling “Wil – lee!” He stumbled toward her and fell against her as she screamed, and both of them went over the iron railing. The woman’s scream ending with a sickening thud on the concrete porch of the library two and a half stories below.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  If only she had paid more attention to Addie that morning, Della thought. She would have realized that Addie was not herself. She also realized that she was becoming very upset. And she must not. She needed a clear head. She had to stay calm, think positive. She must have faith. She began to pray for her daughter’s safety again as she had done off and on for hours. The afternoon traffic was getting heavy and traveling at a snail’s pace through the deepening fog.

  She knew the house on Forest Lane that belonged to the Johnson’s because of Ben having pointed it out to her on one of their Sunday afternoon drives. But when she reached it, Ben’s truck was not in the driveway.

  “Oh, no!” she cried almost in anger. The one-day in her life when she needed him the most, he continuously eluded her. She did see one hopeful sight though. Donnie Whitefield’s bike was leaning against the side of the garage. At least she would find out if he knew anything of Addie’s whereabouts, and perhaps she’d find where Ben might be now.

  Parking the old Plymouth as close to the walk from the driveway to the house as she could, she got out of the car and found her legs were quite shaky again. She felt like she was wobbling as she hurried to the porch steps as fast as she could, and up to the door, and rang the bell. She waited impatiently for what seemed like several minutes, then pushed the bell again before she heard footsteps approaching from the inside. The door was opened by a middle aged, plump, graying woman who looked very agitated. “Yes, what is it?”

  “I’m sorry to bother you, Mrs. Johnson, but I’m Della Martin. I’m looking for my husband, Ben. I was told ...”

  “Well you won’t find him here. He left me with water all over the place to go look for you. If my nephew hadn’t come in when he did, water would be in my hall carpet by now. Good day,” she said preparing to close the door.

  Quickly, Della stopped the door from closing with her hand. “Please,” she begged. “Mrs. Johnson, this is very important ...”

  “I beg your pardon! I told you ...”

  “I need to speak with Donnie a moment,” Della said quickly.

  “My nephew?”

  “Yes, please. It’s very important.”

  “Mrs. Martin!” she heard Donnie’s voice exclaim from inside the house.

  Mrs. Johnson turned around. “What do you think you’re doing? Get back to cleaning up that water!”

  “I’m almost through, Aunt Mel,” Donnie said as he approached the door. “Mrs. Martin! Boy, am I glad to see you! I was just coming to try to call you again when I heard your voice. I’ve called you and Mr. Martin all day,” he said in a distressed voice.

  “And just why would you be calling these people?” his aunt wante
d to know, as he tried to move between her and the door facing.

  “Donnie, do you know where Addie is? Have seen her today?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he answered, as Mrs. Johnson looked from one to the other with contempt, and refused to allow him through the doorway.

  “Aunt Mel, I need to talk to Mrs. Martin for a few minutes,” he said as he forced himself to squeeze between her and the door.

  “You’ll do no such thing! You get back in that kitchen and clean up the water her husband left all over my kitchen carpet!”

  “I won’t be but a minute, Aunt Mel,” he pleaded. “And this is a very private matter to the Martins,” he added, steering Della by the arm to the far end of the long porch.

  “I will have no such insolence in my house, young man!” Mrs. Johnson was declaring. “You will do as I say!”

  “I will in just a minute, Aunt Mel,” he begged, looking at Della with a very worried expression. “Mrs. Martin, are you sure Addie is not at home?”

  “No. She isn’t. I just called. I’ve been searching for her most of the day. Where is she, Donnie? When did you see her last?” Della asked frantically.

  “I’m not sure where she is now, but I know where she was this morning. Mrs. Martin, you look done in. Are you all right?”

  “Please,” Della pleaded breathlessly, “just tell me ...”

  Mrs. Johnson had stepped out onto the porch and was issuing all kind of commands and threats to Donnie, who was ignoring her.

  “I found Addie downtown this morning,” he said, “only she wasn’t Addie. She was Vicki. I had to take her to Stonegate with me on an errand. She apparently left the truck while I was busy in the back of it. She was Addie again when I got out of the truck, but I think she became Vicki again, and she must have gone inside Stonegate. I looked for her, and called her, and called her, but, Mrs. Martin, she wasn’t anywhere around. So she had to have become Vicki again and gone inside the mansion. That’s the only answer. I knew that you or Mr. Martin would have to come to get her out of there, because, as Vicki, she wouldn’t know me. I rushed to a phone to call either of you, and I’ve called both of you every chance I got all day.”

  Della saw the distressed look on the boy’s face and knew he was blaming himself. “Thank you, Donnie. I know you did the best you could. Don’t blame yourself. I’m just glad to finally know what happened to her and where she is. But why? Why would she go into the mansion?” If only she’s still there, she hoped.

  “That’s why I feel sure she was Vicki again. But you’d think someone at Stonegate would have called the police or somebody by now. It’s not a place a person can just wander in and out of.” he said with worry.

  “I must get out there,” Della said. “Thank you again, Donnie. I hope I haven’t ...”

  “Mrs. Martin!” The boy exclaimed. “That’s not a place where you just walk up and ring the doorbell. There’s no way you can get in there.” Then, “Wait a minute. I can get you in there. I’ll go with you. Besides, you don’t look like you’d make it that far.”

  He turned and looked at his aunt, who was standing silently in front of the door, her arms folded across her ample bosom, her face flushed, with a ‘you’ve had it now’ look in her eyes.

  Della did not understand the woman’s hostility. She could tell that Donnie was torn between obeying his aunt and helping her to find Addie, whom he was feeling responsible for, as he stood there for a few moments.

  “No, Donnie,” Della said. “I’ll make it now that I know where she is likely to be. I seem to have caused you some trouble with your aunt, and I’m sorry. I’ll try to explain to her later, but I’ve got to go now. This fog makes getting around very slow and difficult.”

  “Mrs. Martin, I’m the one who left Addie there. I’m going to help you find her.” And he marched back to where his aunt stood.

  “Aunt Mel, I have to go with Mrs. Martin. I wish you’d try to understand that this is very important. I’ve gotten most of the water up. I’ll finish when I get back.”

  Mrs. Johnson emitted a sarcastic sound, then, “Donnie Whitefield, I warned you, and now I’m telling you – you leave this house, and you’d better take your belongings with you. You won’t be welcome here any longer.”

  Della was standing close to Donnie. “Mrs. Johnson! You can’t mean that! This is an emergency! My daughter could be in very grave danger!”

  “Oh! Your daughter! Well! I might have known a girl was involved.” She stepped aside from the doorway. “Make your decision,” she demanded of Donnie.

  For a moment he stood there staring at his aunt helplessly. “Aunt Mel, I’ve never been welcome here,” he said sadly. “This is something I have to do.”

  “Stay here, Donnie,” Della commanded, as she hurried down the steps of the porch as quickly as her shaky legs would allow. Then she felt him taking hold of her arm.

  “Let’s hurry,” he said helping to speed her along to the car.

  Della protested, insisted that he stay there, but at the car he quickly opened the passenger door and helped her in. “I’ll drive,” he said, then closed the door and rushed around the front of the car and got in.

  “Donnie, please stay. I can’t be responsible for your having no place to live.”

  “Mrs. Martin”, he said, backing the car out carefully and as quickly as he thought possible, “part of the reason I went off and left Addie at Stonegate for one of you to a pick up was because I was afraid of doing something that would displease my aunt. And she would put me out of their house. Well, now she has. I don’t have to worry about it anymore. We have to worry about finding Addie, and in this pea soup, it’s not going to be easy. And I hate to say it, but there is one chance that she didn’t go into the mansion.”

  “Oh, Donnie, let’s hope she did, but like you said, why haven’t the police or somebody been notified? I know it’s a big place, but surely somebody would have found her if she was just wandering around.”

  “Have you seen her when she’s completely Vicki Dane?” he asked, his face right up to the windshield.

  “Only for a few moments,” Della answered. “I don’t want to distract you, but can you tell me more about finding her this morning?”

  He had stopped and was straining to see if there was traffic approaching from a street on his right side. Visibility had become limited to not much more than a hundred feet or so. As he eased the old Plymouth onto River Road, he muttered, “It was weird, really weird. She was like a lost and frightened child, and of course, she didn’t know me from Adam.” Then he gave Della a detail account of the morning’s happenings, and added, “There’s just one other little thing. I’m not sure it’s important, and I don’t want to worry you any more than you already are.”

  “What is it, Donnie?” And when he hesitated, she said, “Tell me.”

  “You know my grandfather said Addie looked the spittin image of Julian Dane, as he put it. And, Mrs. Martin, I saw a man just outside the gates of Stonegate as I was leaving this morning, who looked just like Addie – red hair and all. He looked just like the man in that old photograph.”

  Della made a small screeching sound, and her hand flew to her mouth. Donnie looked at her. She was even more pale than when she arrived at the Johnsons. “What is it?” he asked. “You look so frightened. Is he why you’re so frightened?”

  “Yes, Donnie. We have to hurry, but be careful,” she added when he had to brake suddenly as a car’s lights appeared too close in front of them. Della put her hands over her face and prayed for her daughter’s safety, and theirs.

  When she looked up again, he said, “Mrs. Martin, I know that Ben is not Addie’s biological father. She told me, but this man, Julian Dane – what is he to Addie?”

  “Donnie, I know you won’t believe this, but I have no doubt that the man you saw was Julian Dane, a man who has been dead for about fifty years.” She looked earnestly at Donnie. “He’s Addie’s real father.”

  “What?” exclaimed Donnie. “He’s dead! He�
��s been dead ...!”

  “Yes,” Della agreed. “And you know about Vicki. Donnie, she’s also dead, but very much alive inside our Addie,” Della said calmly.

  “Yeah, but ... Oh. I see what you mean. I guess,” he stammered, and looked at Della frowning. “But how can a dead man…. But don’t worry. He’ll never get in Stonegate.”

  Helplessly, Della asked, “Do you really think he can’t?”

  “Oh. No. No, you’re right. And beside, he knows the same entrance that I do – that Addie knows – that Addie knows as Vicki ... I mean ... I don’t know what I mean. I’ve never been so dumbfounded in my life. But, why? Mrs. Martin, why is he here? Why is his spirit here?”

  “Because – because he’s their father – Addie’s and Vicki’s. I think he’s come for them. He can’t take Vicki without taking Addie. It’s like Addie said, she must have been born with Vicki’s spirit inside her. And ... and, oh, who knows why he’s here?” Della cried with heart rendering fear.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Addie screamed at the sight of the two bodies tumbling over the iron railing then shuddered at the sound they made when they landed below. She did not want to look, but she was powerless not to. She could barely make out the outline of their bodies due to a light from somewhere on the ground floor. They lay on what appeared to be a concrete porch. She thought she was going to be sick, or was she going to faint?

  She inched her way through the door holding on to the door facing. She had to get away from here. That was her only thought. She rushed to the bedroom door and yanked it open. She could hear running footsteps and a man’s voice calling, “Mattie! Mattie!”

  She hurried across the wide hallway and down a narrow stairway in front of her. At the bottom, she looked around, but didn’t know which way to turn until she saw the French doors across the dining room to her right. There were two sets of running footsteps now and a woman’s voice had joined the man’s. She ran to the door, grabbed the doorknob, but it wouldn’t turn. She had to get out of here. Her hand scraped the big iron key in the lock below the doorknob. The man’s voice was screaming, “Miss Willy! Mr. Nicki!! Oh! My, God!”