by Sharon Hays
At five o’clock, Joan gathered up her current work documents, placed them into her briefcase, and prepared to head for home. When she was about to exit the office, her phone rang. “Bishop Realty, may I help you?”
A calm voice replied, “Hello, this is Lawrence Bonicelli. A male voice, with an Italian accent was on the other end. A friend of mine gave me your number. Said you are good real estate broker and I’m looking to find property here in Boulder.”
“Yes, I remember him telling me about you and that you are looking to move into the area.” She was filled with curiosity. “Are you related to the Bonicellis who used to own the Valencia Manor?”
“Yes I am. I hope I will be able to see the place when I get some time. I am a distant cousin of Gerald Bonicelli.”
“Oh, that’s interesting. I have been doing some research on the Valencia and would be glad to show you, but at this time I am not able to go inside due to some final work that has not been completed. However, I will take your name and number and notify you in a day or two when it will be available to view.” Joan was so excited by the call, but kept her composure and tried to act nonchalant as she wrote down the information on her tablet.
“I’m not interested in purchasing the Manor, just looking, you know. I am interested in looking at some property if we could meet at your convenience.” Lawrence clarified his position.
She took in a deep breath and then answered in as calm a manner as she could contain. “Of course. Next week on Tuesday I have some time in the afternoon. I’ll make a list of properties for you, and we can go out on Tuesday morning, if that time works for you.”
“Great. How about I come over at nine Tuesday morning and we can go from there. I’ll be looking forward to meeting you, Miss Bishop.”
She made a note for the appointment with Lawrence Bonicelli in her book and placed everything on hold. She began preparing to meet Marshall at the Manor at six. She was anxious to meet Vivian Gilbreth. She was somewhat apprehensive and a little scared to engage in the psychic investigation, but since Mario was in trouble, she knew it was time to push aside the fear and do whatever it took. She didn’t want to be responsible for any more problems at the Valencia. This time, she hoped, would make up for it. In less than an hour, she had to be at the Manor so there was no time to change clothes. There was only Time for a quick stop at home to drop off the briefcase, check for messages, and then leave for the Manor.
Ten minutes to six, Marshall arrived at the Valencia and parked his sleek, silver Mercedes behind Vivian Gilbreth’s small, white BMW. The sun was setting, and darkness started to crawl over the horizon, darkening the landscape, and inevitably, the Valencia. Joan edged into the space on the left of the Manor. Her outdated, blue Chevrolet didn’t fit in with its surroundings of BMW and Mercedes, she thought when she parked. She checked out her makeup in the rearview mirror while thinking, the ghosts really don’t care what I look like tonight. It’s dark and gloomy inside, anyway. Out of habit, she checked her teeth for lipstick stains. Then she climbed out of the car and passed through the gate that led up to the front entrance. Marshall and the Clairvoyant were standing by the entrance talking as she approached. Joan noticed Miss Gilbreth was wearing a long, silky, tunic style gown that was quite colorful and she was a rather large woman with hazel green eyes that seemed to give off a warm feeling when she looked into them. Her hair was short, light blonde, and cropped around her face. She looked to be in her early sixties.
“Just call me Vivian,” Mrs. Gilbreth said, and she gave Joan a quick hug.
“Of course, and you call me Joan.” She slipped the keys into the locks and opened the doors easily, poked her head around the corner of the door, and held her lantern in front of her. “The shadows at first glance are quite eerie when you first go inside, but one gets used to it.”
Marshall went on ahead of Joan. “Come on in,” Marshall said. Looking back to make sure they had lanterns in tow. Marshall was prepared and eager. This was his forte, as he explained.
Vivian was quite intrigued by the Manor and in awe of the room as she entered the foyer, scanning the interior from top to bottom. “This house has many sensations. Some are quite strong and evil. However, I get a sense of some very good vibrations as well. It will be quite a fascinating investigation of activity, I am sure.” Her senses were in tune and tapped into some paranormal activity that became obvious as she neared the back of the room by the fireplace. She shined the light inside the pit and slightly upward. Looking further, Vivian focused on a marble statue near the corner of the room.
“This statue is simply incredible. It has very strong vibrations, and was created in the late eighteen-hundreds. The original owners had it shipped in from Italy while they were constructing the Manor.”
“I feel a strong presence in this room tonight. However, it is not an evil, angry spirit. I get the feeling someone is trying to communicate with me about someone connected with this house. Let me have a moment to meditate so I can connect with the entity.” Vivian stood, eyes closed, touching the statue. She began to breathe deeply and seemed to be entranced in a communion of the supernatural. She opened her eyes and backed away from the sculpture, looking up toward the balcony. “I must go upstairs,” she quietly spoke as she turned away and held the lantern in front of her.
Marshall pointed his flashlight toward the upper railing of the balcony. He could see that the cherub carvings along the railing enchanted Vivian. They slowly made their way toward the staircase.
Vivian was communicating with the other side. A voice came through telling her of the Bonicelli family’s trip to New York City on the ship across the Atlantic to New York City and then on to Boulder, Colorado. The person who crafted the wood railing of Cherubs was a relative of the Bonicellis and was speaking to her. Vivian received several mental messages about the property from a man who said he was Mr. Bonicelli and she let her intuition lead her up the stairs and onto the upper landing.
Marshall led the way up the winding stairway, Joan fell in right behind him, and Vivian followed while touching and studying every piece of art, carving, and etching as she made her way up the staircase toward the landing. Joan took digital photos as she followed Marshall. As Vivian neared to top of the stairs, she stopped, when her attention had been drawn to the first floor. She looked down at the center of the great room. There was a small, young girl in white looking up at her as if she were lost.
Voices were coming through from another entity, but for the moment the child stood there staring up at the trio in quiet and peaceful silence.
A voice was coming through from a woman, Ida Bonicelli, who claimed to be the child’s mother. She began telling stories of the evils that had hung over the Valencia since the day they began construction. The woman shared the stories of the construction accidents all the way through including a real estate agent who got into an accident and was paralyzed from the injuries.
Vivian relayed the conversation to the other two. “All of the stories seem to connect to the newspaper articles Joan and Maryanne had discovered while investigating the conception of the Manor and beyond. Ida Bonicelli explained the guilt she felt about her child, Anna Maria’s accident when she accidentally caused her to fall back against the railing on the balcony and it gave way, sending the child to her death. She described the events of that fateful day and then she began sobbing with heartfelt pain. She wanted to be forgiven for the terrible event and would not find comfort or go on to the other side unless she finds her child and is forgiven.”
Vivian spoke to Ida Bonicelli in a quiet voice, explaining that the child was here and she would try to reunite them. She called to the child. “Anna Maria, your Mother is here and wants to speak to you. She is very troubled by the accident and is seeking forgiveness from you so she can pass over. Do you want to speak to her?”
The child looked up toward the landing where her Mother stood. She began to communicate again. “I love my Mother and want to be with her. I do not blame her for t
he accident. The railing broke when I fell back against it, when she had been in a very upset and depressed state of mind. She tried to reach out for me, but my hand slipped from hers. It was not intentional. I forgive her and love her. Please connect us so that we may be together.” She then vanished from her place below the balcony. Instantly, she reappeared next to her Mother on the landing at the top of the stairs. “Mother, I love you and want to be with you. I have been waiting for you to ask for me so I can cross over with you. We should be together.” The child reached out to her Mother and they embraced. Almost immediately they vanished into the light. They had come together and their spirits were again connected.
“I am thankful they accomplished their dreams and now will live in eternity together with love, as it should be.” Vivian took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
“Vibrations are very prominent here on the landing near the balcony.”
“Stop. There is another spirit present. I must try to make communication. Who are you…? Why are you still here…? Did someone hurt you here in this house…?” After each question, she paused, as if waiting for answers. Vivian carried on a conversation with a young child’s ghost as Joan and Marshall stood in amazement of the communication. They could not see or hear what Vivian experienced, but they knew the psychic was conversing telepathically to an ethereal spirit.
“She’s gone now.” She took in a deep breath. She was emotionally exhausted at what she had just experienced. “This child is Rosaria Marie Doubré, who died in California after her mother, Jacqueline, left Boulder on request of John Farthington, her married lover and the owner of this manor. His marriage was in jeopardy, and he insisted she leave. John never saw her again or the child. The child, Rosaria, died in San Francisco when she was eleven, and her spirit returned to the Valencia searching for her father. She has been here ever since. She tells me that there is a living being in this house that has been locked away for years. This child spirit communicates with the living person and tries to help it, but the being that resides in this house does not understand. She told me that there are three spirits connected to this house, and that one of them is extremely evil.”
Joan was astounded at this revelation. “That’s incredible! There is someone actually living somewhere inside this house? Where would that person be staying? The police have combed every inch of this Manor from top to bottom. They were not able to find anyone here at all. Whoever it was must have left the house or is hiding somewhere that we are not aware of.”
Marshall stood silent, not moving. He was in total awe, trying to take it all in. “Vivian, would you like to go further into the house?”
“Certainly we can. Let’s continue through the upstairs.” Using her second sight, Vivian took the lead, holding a candle and her lantern. “Spirits are drawn to light, especially candlelight.” She proceeded along the balcony. “Joan, will you carry the lantern for me?” She handed her the lantern and then thoroughly checked the first room on the right, then the second. She felt activity upon entering the second room.
She stood at the dresser, looking into the mirror, and placed the candle on top in front of the glass. Almost instantly, she saw the girl’s reflection. She had dark hair, brown eyes, and wore a beautiful, lacy, white dress, as if she were dressed for First Communion.
“Hello Rosaria. Can you tell me where the person is staying in this house? We would like to help her too, if we could find and talk to her. You say she does not understand English? What language does she speak?” The vision in the mirror vanished again, and Vivian was out of breath and very tired.
“She tells me the person inside this house cannot speak. She says she is a woman now; she suffered a trauma when she was a child and regressed into herself, not able to speak since the unfortunate event. We must search again. She said there is a secret room inside this house that no one knows about. A place like a tomb or dark hole, from what I can understand of the description she gave.”
Marshall was dumbfounded. “I am concerned that whoever is here could be dangerous.”
Vivian paused. “I have a feeling there is some danger, but not the kind we interpret in a normal sense. There is a lot of paranormal activity in here, and it will not go away until this child has accomplished her reason for returning. I am afraid the only way she will ever see her father is to go into the light and leave the earth plain that obviously ties her here, presently. I think I will be able to help her if we can figure out what is going on in the belly of this house. The paranormal activity is so strong here; there could be more than one spirit caught up in it. Some of it is quite evil, and I feel the presence of a man who is angry and wants to settle some differences with one who is associated with this house. Joan, do you know anything about a person connected to the place who wronged someone? Hurt someone?”
There could be any number of entities or other spirits here,” Vivian elaborated.
Vivian spoke quietly and agreed that they would meet again, but put her hands out to indicate the messages were still coming in and not to speak until she was finished. They left the room and made their way around the balcony to the other side, following Vivian as she entered each room one at a time, taking in the spiritual guidance until she had gone through each of the other three rooms. Vivian continued following her spirit guides, and found negative paranormal activity almost immediately upon entering the third room. A cold draft surrounded her, and the door slammed shut. She called out to Marshall and Joan, telling them not to worry, that she would handle this, and she asked them to wait outside the door. She saw the apparition of an older man standing in front of her. He wore a black, long-tailed jacket, a black hat, and a crop of long, white hair that hung almost to his shoulders. His eyes pierced the dimly lit room. Jackie knew he was evil and had prepared for this moment. She was shivering from the white cloud of freezing air that infiltrated the space around her when the demon spirit entered.
He spoke violently and loudly, “You must leave this house immediately! If you do not heed my warning, you and your guests will be tormented beyond your worst imaginations. I control the space in this domain and you will not interfere with my bidding.” She could feel his anger brimming. The power was unimaginable.
“I cannot help you or anyone here at Valencia Manor unless you let me help you see what it is that caused your anger and violence. I can help you relieve your anguish if you let me at least try.”
“My brother, John Farthington, had an affair with my lover, Jacqueline, which resulted in the birth of the child, Rosaria Marie. “He answered defensively. Vivian had previously encountered the ghost of the child and knew part of the story but not completely.
“Please explain to me what happened as a result of that?”
“Jacqueline was the love of my life, and John took her away from me. I am here for revenge and to find Rosaria, the daughter of John and Jacqueline. I cannot forgive John for such an evil deed. He ruined my life and I want someone to pay! I want to hurt someone he loves, so he will know the pain he caused me. I want John to pay!”
He told her the story from front to back and then let out a loud humbling groan. His hurt was apparent and Vivian knew he had suffered greatly, but she also knew there was a way to help him. She had to convince him that by crossing over; going to the other side, it would relieve his pain and release him from the agony.
“Rosaria was an innocent victim of the love affair and you should not hurt her, but try to understand and help her cross over to the other side.” She explained that Rosaria needed to go into the light, and so did he. He screamed out in a violent rage. Horrific sounds echoed through the Manor and he disappeared into the darkness.
The door burst open, slammed against the wall and Vivian was able to leave the room. “This is not going to be an easy fix,” Vivian said breathing heavily, and exhausted from the communication. “That was an angry encounter. It was John’s brother, Charles, who is angry because allegedly John had an affair with Jacqueline, who was Charles’s lover fir
st. Charles went back to England for a long visit. When he returned, John had sent Jacqueline away after he’d had an affair with her. He never saw Jacqueline again, and he is here looking to avenge the wrong that his brother, John had caused him. Now I have to figure out how to convince Charles Farthington to forgive his brother so that he can have some peace. It isn’t going to be easy. That is the only way this house will ever be free from the evil he perpetrates in this house. I will have to come back here. I am very tired from the heavy activity; especially the anger from Charles.”
Joan interjected, “I remember Irene Dirkshire mentioned her and John’s brother, Charles. She thought he could have been having an affair with Jaqueline Doubre’ while he was visiting from England. Now it makes perfect sense, and ties everything together so we can understand what actually happened between the brothers.”
“I would like to return tomorrow, if it is convenient for you. I am exhausted and cannot do any more tonight.” Vivian said, ending with a heavy sigh.
“That would be fine for me,” Joan answered. “How about you, Marshall? Are you up for it?”
“I am every bit up for it! This must be resolved.” he confirmed. They walked toward the door in silence. They left the Valencia Manor. Joan was glad to leave and breathed a sigh of relief as they walked down the stairs and away from the Manor.
“It’s odd. The newspaper articles we found never mentioned Charles at all.” Joan remarked.
“Well, I suppose the brother may not have been important to the article, as it were,” Marshall rationalized.
“You’re probably right. It makes sense, even though this crazy, twisted story gets more confusing every day,” Joan reciprocated. “I appreciate you coming and being so helpful, Vivian. It was a pleasure meeting you and I am looking forward to meeting up with you tomorrow. I’ll do what I can to find any new information on Charles Farthington,” Joan said.
