Mysteerie Manor

by Sharon Hays

  “Yes, it would probably be a good thing. Can’t hurt, anyway. Go ahead and call her. Let me know when I can get in. Maybe she can get me something to help me sleep, at least, and not have so many nightmares.” She pushed her hair back. She looked exhausted, and dark circles were beginning to show under her eyes. The stress was taking its toll.

  “I will call her this afternoon and let you know when she can see you.”

  “Thanks Joan, you’re a dear friend. I wish I had never gone to that manor, yet there is something about it that intrigues me and draws me to it. I think the guilt I feel about Mario Ramos is what is getting to me. If only he hadn’t gone back there to look for my purse, he wouldn’t be in the hospital right now, either. I pray that he’s going to be all right.”

  “First of all, you are not at fault, and no one thinks you are. It was an unfortunate circumstance that it happened. It could be anyone, even you. Just get those thoughts out of your head.”

  “Thanks again, Joan, and I promise to see Tina as soon as she has an opening. I know it’ll help me. It always helps to talk things out with someone. I have never had emotional problems before, and I am sure that it’s my reaction to Mario being injured.” Maryanne tried to be positive, knowing that a good attitude had always kept her together, even in some of her worst times.

  “Don’t mention it. It’s no problem. All I am concerned about is your health. Right now you could use some care, but mostly rest.”

  “Are you able to answer any questions right now, Maryanne?” Officer Tratnik took out his notebook and pen. “I would like to get a few more answers, so we can work on this. With those bruises, I am inclined to think you were sleepwalking. I don’t see how you could have gotten them otherwise. We’ll take a look around, just in case. That still doesn’t account for some of the strange dreams and hallucinations you’ve been having, though.”

  “Yes, Officer, go ahead and ask. I can handle it now. I am fine.” She forced a smile. “But could you tell me if you have had any news of Officer Ramos? I am so worried about him.”

  “Apparently, he has been improving some, but has not said too much. He is still a little delusional, what with a concussion and the other injuries; he’s bound to have some problems. The attack was quite brutal and it has certainly affected him. But I will keep you informed, Miss O’Donnell. Now, I have some questions for you, if you don’t mind.” He paused, and then went on, “Have you thought about it clearly? “OKAY, then you said you were in the shower.”

  “Yes, I was standing under the water, trying to relax so I could get to sleep for a change. Then it felt different. I opened my eyes, and there was blood, or looked and felt like blood! I jumped out, grabbed a towel, and called 911.”

  “Could you have accidentally cut yourself before you got in? Maybe you had a nosebleed and you put your hands over your face and got the blood in your eyes?”

  “I don’t think so. I would have remembered that. I didn’t feel anything. I can’t remember doing anything other than getting undressed and turning the shower on. It’s possible I had a nosebleed, I guess. At this point any kind of explanation would sound good to me.”

  “I’m going to check the shower again to see if there is blood in the drain or anywhere on the faucets.” Steve went into the bathroom and carefully examined the sink, medicine cabinet, and tub. He found no sign of blood on the faucet of the sink, on the floor or any of the towels. There didn’t appear to be any areas that could have caused the bruises. At this point he thought she may have fallen asleep and dreamed the entire scenario. But still, that did not explain the blood, or the fact she was in the shower and not in bed. Of course there was always the chance of her sleepwalking. He knew there had to be a logical explanation. He returned to the living room where Joan had just served Maryanne some chamomile tea.

  “Where’s mine?” he formed a half-smile, his striking blue eyes beaming. “Here, let me pour you a cup.” Joan poured the hot tea into a mug and handed it to the officer.

  “No thanks, just kidding.” I appreciate it,” he smiled and blushed, a little. Steve was a little on the shy side, which Joan found appealing.

  Officer Montrose, sat back on the bar stool near the small counter at the opening to the kitchen, sipping on a hot cup of black coffee. “This coffee is what I needed to keep me going. I have seven more hours until I call it quits. I’m working extra for Marty today and have been working all night.” He leaned on the counter, head resting on one hand. Looking very tired, he sipped the coffee, hoping to get a second wind.

  Steve was ready to call it a day. He had worked a double since Mario was in the hospital. “I suppose I have all the information I need for now. We have to leave, but you know you can call me at any time. You have my personal number, so don’t hesitate to call. If it’s an emergency, call 911 first, and then call me. Always call 911 first, just in case I’m on another call.”

  “Yes, certainly” Joan smiled and shook his hand.

  “That will be fine,” Maryanne whispered in a quiet, drained voice. She waved him out, not moving from her spot on the sofa.

  Joan locked the doors as the officers left. “I’m gonna stay here for a while, Maryanne, just in case you need anything. You lay down, and I’ll make some calls while you rest.

  Maryanne picked herself up from the sofa and was off to the bedroom. She was exhausted and very sure she could sleep well.

  “See you in a while. I told you it would have been better if you stayed at my house last night. You would have been asleep hours ago. Next time, you take some of my well intended advice, Maryanne.”

  Maryanne nodded her head in agreement and closed the door to the bedroom. Joan leaned back against the sofa…thinking about Steve.

  Maryanne fell into bed, pulled the comforter up around her face and nodded off quickly to sleep…

  Joan called a few clients and kept busy. .She went to her office to meet a client for a possible listing. Business was getting better for her and it looked like the week would be full.

  Maryanne got an extra two hours of sleep and then was up and feeling more refreshed and able to cope. She got ready for her appointment with the therapist, Tina Farley and got in right away, thanks to Joan. The therapist took her into places about her past that she hadn’t thought about for awhile. It was good, and she knew this was the best thing for her now. When the appointment was over, she felt much better. Talking about it seemed to help clear her mind and would more than likely help her cope with the unusual happenings. She got a prescription for sleeping pills, but the therapist told her not to use them unless she absolutely had to, warning her that they could become habit forming. She said that she was positive the situation was only temporary and lack of sleep could play a big part in the dreams and hallucinations.

  Joan stopped by after work and told Maryanne she was going to stay the night, just to be sure she was all right. Maryanne felt much better by bedtime and did not take any medication. She managed to sleep comfortably and soundly with no apparent nightmares. Joan’s presence was comforting, and she was very thankful to have her as a friend.

  9

  Joan was out of bed and working by seven a.m., ahead of schedule for a change. She thought a lot about Officer Tratnik, which was unusual. She hadn’t been so excited about meeting someone for at least a year. His quiet, shy personality impressed her. It was something new from the guys she had met at the club from time to time. Joan kept working and putting a few listings down for clients who would be coming during the week. She worked on Maryanne’s computer which was a great advantage when she was out of her office.

  Maryanne’s alarm broke the silence like a screaming siren. She pushed the button, half-awake and startled. After lying there awhile, she heard Joan call from the living room.

  “Go back to sleep, Maryanne. You don’t need to get up this early; it’s only seven a.m.” She had gotten up earlier, started the coffee and sat at the kitchen table reading the Colorado Tribune, catching up on the latest news.

/>   Maryanne poked her head around the corner. “I’m wide awake now, Joan. I have a full day ahead of me. Have been putting off too many things, I have some research to do for a client for an antique that I’m having a problem locating and I’m anxious to visit Detective Ramos at the hospital as well. I would like to make that trip to Lyons to visit Mrs. Dirkshire. I think today would be perfect, if we leave early and only stay an hour or so. Should give us enough time to finish up with her story and still have time to work on other projects we have going on, then later on I will visit Detective Ramos, as planned.”

  “I made the coffee, you jump in the shower, and I’ll have breakfast ready by the time you’re finished.”

  “Sounds like a plan. I’ll get ready then. Maryanne headed for the shower, but not without hesitation after the experience she had encountered on the last one. Finishing without consequences, she hurriedly dressed and did her face. After a quick breakfast of frozen toaster waffles, the girls headed out to Lyons, Colorado.

  It took them about forty-five minutes, and they were already pulling up in front of Mrs. Dirkshire’s little cottage. As soon as they drove up she was on the porch waving at them with her sweet little smile, glowing as expected and she seemed thrilled to see them. The two women observed her lovely yard, surrounded by a white picket fence edged with flowers. It was a perfect fit for such a lovely woman. They greeted her and went inside.

  “Sit down, ladies. I have some wonderful blueberry pie and coffee or tea, whichever you prefer.” Her sparkling blue eyes reflected her bubbly personality as she scuttled around the kitchen, anxious to deliver the goods.

  “Here we are, ladies, still warm from the oven, and I have some vanilla ice cream to top it off. She set the table with plates of pie, and then carefully placed the china cups with saucers onto the table in front of them. She was out to please and so happy someone was there to share her empty house. She obviously used her best china for this occasion. It was quite stunning. She brought a matching china teapot and set it on a trivet. She brought the coffee and served Maryanne first, knowing it was her favorite. After everything was in place, she sat at the table with them, and they sipped and ate homemade blueberry pie topped with vanilla ice cream until they were pleasantly full.

  “Not good for my figure, but I could not turn it down. It was fabulous,” Maryanne complimented.

  “Ditto on that one! It was so good, I almost went for seconds,” Joan added with a smile. “I’m glad you enjoyed this and hope we can do it more often. I just love company.”

  “Well let’s get down to it, then. The saga of the Valencia Manor,” Maryanne urged, with a look of determination.

  Mrs. Dirkshire cleaned off the table, and Joan laid out the documents and pictures so they could finish their investigation. She hoped they could find anything that could tie the sequence of events together, concerning the break-in and strange occurrences at the Valencia. The most pressing issue was who is at the Valencia that no one can seem to find. Could it be a ghost? The ladies considered different possibilities as they prepared to examine the documents and pictures.

  Joan picked up a handful of pictures. “I found some pictures of your brother’s baby, the one he had with his lover I presume. It says on the back: ‘Baby Rosaria Marie, John, and Jacqueline, Boulder, Colorado nineteen forty-nine. Jacqueline, the baby’s mother, was quite beautiful from this photo.”

  Mrs. Dirkshire looked out into the room, reflecting. “I never met the woman or the child.” She seemed sad when she saw the pictures. “They were sent away before anyone really knew what was going on. One of those family secrets, you know. Yes. Yes it was very sad, indeed.” Irene wiped a tear with a lacy linen handkerchief. “Sometimes life deals out things, and they don’t always turn out the way we would like.” Mrs. Dirkshire was quite emotional as she told her story.

  Joan looked through the paperwork and wanted to verify some of the information she had copied. “John and Sarah bought the home in nineteen thirty-eight. Says here; the house was built in eighteen eighty-nine. The house belonged to Gerald and Ida Bonicelli, an Italian family who migrated here in the late eighteen hundreds and had the Valencia Manor built.”

  Mrs. Dirkshire interjected. “That is correct. Mr. Bonicelli was a descendant of a wealthy Italian family from Sicily. His parents died, leaving him quite well off, and they came to America. They had one daughter, Anna Maria, who died from an accident when she was still a child. No one seems to know much about that, either. Though, there were some articles implying that Mrs. Bonicelli possibly had something to do with the accident, nothing ever came of it. Mr. Bonicelli bought a mercantile store in nineteen—hundred and six, and after running the store for about fifteen years, he passed away with a bad ticker.” She leaned back and shook her head with a sad look on her face. “Ida Bonicelli lived another sixteen years until she passed away. The estate was then willed to a cousin in Sicily.” The woman stopped talking and sat quietly.

  Maryanne filled in the rest of the story. “That is when the Manor was listed on the real estate market, and it was sold in nineteen thirty-eight to John and Sarah Farthington, according to this document.” She held up the paper, and then placed it back on the table. “Bonicellis store was torn down years ago. It was in old town Boulder. Mr. Bonicelli was quite the entrepreneur from what this article states. That is the most recent research I have on the home, the Bonicellis, and the Farthingtons. It’s like connecting the dots. The people, the Valencia Manor, and recent events seemed to be coming together and giving us a clearer picture of what has taken place in that house.” Joan flipped through more pages and viewed more photos, with enthusiasm and curiosity.

  “We want to thank you for your hospitality, and your story. The pie was wonderful, and we won’t forget it. One day soon we will take you out for dinner at a fancy restaurant. Would you like that?” Maryanne already knew the answer to that one. “Nothing could be as good as your home cooking, but it would be nice for you to get out and enjoy yourself with company.”

  “You bet your boots I would.” She was delighted and delightful.

  “We really have to get back to Boulder, Mrs. Dirkshire. We are in the middle of a dilemma there and must work to finish up. It has been a pure pleasure to visit, and we will do this again soon. Thank you, again.” With that, Maryanne and Joan left for Boulder to finish another busy day. Mrs. Dirkshire stood on the porch, waving as they pulled away.

  When they returned to Boulder, Maryanne and Joan set out to complete their work for the day.

  Joan entered the library, carrying her briefcase, laptop, notes and essentials. An older, gray-haired woman was seated behind a large wooden desk, peering at her over the top of her reading glasses, which were perched at the end of her little, round nose. Joan wondered how she managed to keep them on.

  “May I be of service?” the woman asked.

  “Yes. You may be able to help me; I am looking for information on the Valencia Manor and anything connected with it, as far back as you can go. Can you help me?”

  “Hmmm,” she mumbled something and then stood up, darting into an aisle near the end of the room. When she returned, she commented, “Another young lady was asking me something about the Valencia Manor awhile back, so I did a little more research. She is supposed to return, soon. Meanwhile, I found something that may interest you. Here, I have a few books you may look at and hopefully find what you are looking for.” She handed her three old books, worn quite badly, but still very readable.

  “The woman who came in the other day…was it Maryanne O’Donnell, by chance?” Joan began thumbing through the top book as they walked back to the desk.

  “Yes, it was. Do you know her?” The librarian gave her copies she had made of articles, prior to her arrival. “I made extra copies for her when she returns.”

  “Yes, I do know her. As a matter-of-fact, we are both working on the same research project.” She smiled. “I want to thank you for sharing these with me. I know they will be of great help.” She ca
refully flipped through the copies she had been given, fixing her interest on an article based on the construction of the Valencia Manor. She slowly walked out of the library.

  “Thanks again.” She placed the pages into her briefcase and walked to the exit.

  “Have a nice day.” The woman took her glasses from her face, made an attempt at a smile, and then turned away, returning to her desk.

  “You too,” Joan replied as she was eyeing the old library when she left the building. Her cell rang.

  “Hello, Joan, how was your library expedition?” Steve was on the other end, checking in.

  “Very fruitful! I just walked out of the library. I have to run a couple of errands and will call in when I am finished. Talk to you ASAP!” Joan sped off toward her lawyer’s office with some vital information and questions concerning the ownership and documents pertaining to the transfer of property.

  She parked in front of the new office building her lawyer had recently finished constructing. It was a beautiful, contemporary design, with beige and light peach colored stone, in a unique, updated style. The front was almost all glass with a zigzag placement of windows and very up scale. It didn’t blend in with the existing neighborhood, but it was in the older part of town, where houses were being torn down and replaced by new businesses and modern buildings. She walked up the stairs and pushed against a massive glass door, which opened with ease, to her surprise.