Mysteries of Holt House - A Mystery

by Marja McGraw

  He took it from me, smoothed it out and read it.

  “When did you receive this one?” His eyes remained on the paper and he didn’t look up.

  “I found it on my pillow when I went to my room early this morning. It was right after I left you and Josh, after the police left.”

  “Why didn’t you come get me?” He sounded angry. “Don’t you realize how much danger you might be in? What’s the matter with you?”

  “I take it you’re interpreting it as a threat, too. That’s the way I read it, but I honestly don’t think this person is ready to make a move yet. He’s playing with me first. Oddly enough, I don’t feel like I’m in any danger, at least not yet. But it’s coming, I can feel it – just like a train picking up speed while it moves down the tracks.”

  “You could be right, but why did he call you Amelia? It doesn’t make sense, other than the fact that you look like her.”

  “I don’t know.” I coughed. “It’s got to have something to do with the fact that I look like her. I’m really confused, Mike. I don’t know what to think anymore.”

  “I know.” He put a comforting arm around me. “Nothing around here makes any sense lately. Come inside with me where it’s warm, and we’ll talk to Josh. I think he should see this note. Since he’s an ex-cop, maybe he’ll come up with something. We’ve got to put a stop to this before it goes any further.”

  “You’re right, maybe Josh can help.”

  I had a small fit of coughing as we ran to the house. I had to stop for a second, and Mike made me slow down. “What’s with all the coughing? I knew you shouldn’t be out here. I noticed you were coughing during breakfast, too.”

  “I think it’s just nerves. I’ve got a tickle in my throat.” I covered my mouth and coughed again. “Sorry.”

  I pushed the back door open and Mike pointed to a chair. “You sit down here and I’ll find Josh. I’ll be right back.”

  While he was gone I started heating water for tea. I hoped it would relieve the tickle. While I was looking through the refrigerator for a lemon, Josh and Mike walked in and sat down at the table.

  “What are you looking for?” Mike asked.

  “A lemon. Tea with lemon and honey is supposed to be good for coughs.” I coughed again to confirm the malady, and realized my chest hurt.

  “You’re beginning to look flushed. Do you feel feverish?” Mike stood and walked over to me, putting his hand on my forehead to see if my skin was hot.

  “I’m fine,” I said, pushing his hand away. “If I look flushed, it’s from being out in the cold. It is cold outside, you know.”

  “She’s getting irritable, too,” Josh pointed out. “A sure sign of illness.”

  “You’re a big help,” I said. “Don’t worry. I’ll take some vitamin C.”

  “Okay, okay. Let’s sit down and discuss what’s going on around here. Mike,” Josh asked, “where’s this note you were telling me about?”

  Mike handed it to Josh, who read it, and they both turned to look at me.

  “It has something to do with the portrait – your resemblance to Amelia Holt,” Josh said. “And somehow all the occurrences are tied together, I’m sure of that. The fact that the note was left last night tells us that much. It’s too much of a coincidence that Richard was murdered and the note was left on the heels of his death. The other notes came just before Ruth’s death, from what Mike tells me.”

  “You already told him about the other notes?” I asked, looking at Mike.

  “Early this morning, after you went to bed, Josh and I talked for a long time.”

  “I wish I’d been there to join in.”

  Mike took hold of my hand. “Josh and I came up with an idea last night. I don’t know if you’re going to like it or not though.” His words were said quickly, like he wanted to get the conversation over with. “You’re the only witness to two murders, and you’re the only one we know of who’s received any notes. This guy is coming after you. It’s like he’s playing with you first. Ruth and Richard must have gotten in his way.”

  Josh nodded in agreement. “So here’s what we have in mind. We’d like you to be bait. If we work everything out so you’ll always be protected, will you do it?”

  “Do you realize what you’re asking me to do?” Ex-cop or no ex-cop, did Josh really know what he was doing? I couldn’t help but wonder. I didn’t know much about his past. Had he really been a homicide detective? Could he be the one leaving me notes?

  “We know, honey,” Mike said. “But I think whether you help us or not, he’s going to come after you. Think about it. ‘Woman is his game’? So why not turn the advantage to our side and make things happen on our terms.”

  Josh leaned forward intently. “Think about it, Kelly. Whoever’s doing this has taken months to get to this point. He’s been patient and taken his time and watched you. Now, all of a sudden, he’s addressed you as Amelia. That tells me the rules of the game have changed.”

  I poured the water for my tea and began squeezing the lemon I’d found, the juice dripping into my cup. I added some honey. I was stalling for time, not wanting to answer. Another fit of coughing seized me. “I guess I don’t feel all that well after all.” I had to admit I felt like I was running a temperature. I kept stalling.

  Josh had been here when someone threw the pillowcase over my head. No one else had moved in yet. And, yet, I didn’t believe he was a bad guy.

  “Yes,” I said, finally. “He’ll come after me. I can feel it in my bones. I just wish I knew why. That’s the part that’s driving me crazy. Why does he want me? What did I do?”

  “I don’t think you’ve done anything,” Josh replied. “Like I said, it’s the fact that he called you Amelia that sticks in my mind. I think this guy has turned a corner.”

  “And,” I added, “he commented on my fondness for quotations. I’ve never cared one way or the other about quotations, but I’ll bet Amelia liked them.”

  Mike nodded. “Okay. We’re going to pull Lucy and Sharon in on this, too. That way, between the four of us, someone will always be with you.”

  “What about David?” I asked.

  Josh and Mike exchanged glances and managed to look a little sheepish.

  “Let’s face facts,” Josh said. “None of us knew David until we all moved in here. And other than Sharon, none of us knows all that much about him. You understand, don’t you?”

  “No, I don’t. He wasn’t even here when Ruth was killed. And besides, I like him.”

  “So do I,” Mike said. “I can’t argue with the fact that he probably wasn’t here when Ruth was murdered, but I don’t want to take any chances. He could have slipped away from Sharon for a while. Like to get his truck worked on? David stays in the dark for now.”

  I didn’t even have to think about it before I said, “I didn’t know you guys until you moved in here either. What about that? And you were both here the night Ruth was killed. Besides, David already knows about the passages. And, Josh? You were the only tenant living here when the pillowcase incident happened.”

  “I didn’t attack you. You can take that to the bank.”

  “No, you didn’t know me and Josh, but that’s different,” Mike said. “And I wish we hadn’t told David about the passages.”

  I thought for a moment before speaking. “Okay, I’ll do it. If for no other reason, I’ll do it to prove David is innocent. I hate this already.”

  “In the meantime,” Josh said, “I’m going to contact some friends of mine with the L.A.P.D. and have them start some background checks on the boarders. We may be able to turn something up.”

  “You come with me,” Mike said, “and we’ll go talk to Lucy. I think Josh can be more diplomatic with Sharon than we can.”

  Climbing the stairs caused another bout of coughing.

  Mike and I found Lucy in Ted’s room, making up his bed. He’d finally condescended to having Lucy and me make up his bed and dust his room, although I thought he might follow along behind u
s and do what he thought was a better job.

  “For someone who said he slept well last night, this bed is a mess. It looked like he tossed and turned all night.” Lucy wasn’t a big fan of Ted’s.

  “Maybe he just won’t admit how upset he is,” I suggested. “He might seem less than perfect if he admitted to having a fault.”

  “He sure didn’t seem upset this morning,” she grumbled.

  “He said he took a tranquilizer,” I replied.

  “Never mind that,” Mike said. “We’ve got to talk to you, Lucy.”

  Lucy tucked in the corner of a sheet. “Let me finish here and I’ll meet you downstairs. This is the last room anyway.”

  “I’m sorry, I should have been up here helping you.” I’d been derelict in my duties, again.

  I walked around to the other side of the bed and helped her, finishing in a matter of seconds. The three of us went downstairs to my room when we were done. Mike thought we’d better talk where we couldn’t be overheard.

  Neither of us thought about the passages.

  Chapter Thirty

  Mike filled Lucy in on the latest, with me adding comments in between coughs. At the end of his story, he explained the plan to her.

  It was a long moment before Lucy spoke. “I don’t like it. It’s too dangerous. I can tell nothing I say is going to make the slightest bit of difference though, so I’ll do what I can to help out. I don’t want anything to happen to Kelly.”

  “Thanks,” Mike said.

  “What about when she’s sleeping?” Lucy asked. “She’ll be a sitting duck, what with that secret passage and all.”

  “We’ve covered that. First of all, her dresser is in the way of the passage. And secondly, we’ll set something up in here so we can take turns sleeping near her.”

  “Uh huh. I didn’t hear anyone asking me about that,” I said.

  Mike folded his arms across his chest. “You have no choice.”

  “No choice,” Lucy echoed.

  “Oh, brother! I’m not going to have any privacy at all from here on out. Wonderful. Just wonderful!”

  “I don’t see why David isn’t in on this though.” Lucy glanced from me to Mike.

  I turned to Mike. “See? I’m not the only one who likes David.”

  “I’ve explained all of that to both of you. Just trust Josh and me. We know what we’re doing.”

  I certainly hope so, I thought, coughing. The coughing was becoming very annoying.

  “You sound terrible. I’m going to fix you some chicken soup, and I’ve got some cough medicine in my room. I’ll get it for you. And Mike,” Lucy said, “you’d better drive her in to see the doctor on Monday.”

  “I will.” Turning to me, he said, “Why don’t you lie down for a while?”

  “I’m fine. I’d rather go join the others right now.”

  We left the privacy of my room and headed for the living room, via the kitchen. Sharon was sitting at the kitchen table waiting for me. Her face looked downright stormy.

  “We’ve got to talk,” she said.

  “I know. You guys get lost.” I waved my hand at Mike and Lucy in a shooing motion.

  Sharon and I waited until we were alone.

  “Why don’t you trust David?” Sharon asked. “He’s one of the good guys. You can look for a long time and you won’t find anyone as trustworthy as David.”

  “I do trust him,” I said, covering my mouth while I coughed, “and I think Mike and Josh do, too, but they’re afraid to take any chances right now. Let’s face it, Sharon, it’s my life we’re putting on the line here. We’ve been friends for a long time. Are you willing to take the chance? No matter how outlandish it seems to us?” I coughed again and rubbed my chest.

  “That’s right, throw our friendship in my face,” she said, the barest shadow of a smile on her face before she again became serious. “Absolutely nothing can make me believe David is involved in any of this, but I’ll go along with Mike and Josh for now. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you, and I want this guy to be caught. Both for your sake and so David will be cleared. You understand, don’t you?”

  “Of course, I understand. I don’t suspect him, Sharon. I wanted to tell him what’s going on.”

  “I know. Josh told me. That’s why I’m not angry with you. I realize we really are talking about your life and the fact that you don’t want to lose it. Lord! Did you hear me? I made it sound so trivial. But it isn’t, and we’re doing something very serious here. I just don’t like leaving David out of it. Even if no one really suspects him, it makes it look like they do. I don’t think he’s going to be very happy later on when he finds out.”

  I coughed again.

  “You sound terrible,” Sharon said.

  “So I’ve heard.”

  We left the kitchen and wandered out to the living room. Ted was on his way out the door, and everyone else was sitting around trying to look unobtrusive. I tried talking about anything that came to mind, hoping to lighten things a little, but talking made me cough. Everyone made a point of telling me how sick I sounded. I gave up and picked up a magazine. The small talk worked though, and soon there were conversations around the room. I relaxed.

  I was wondering if our plan was going to work or not, when the doorbell bonged. I got up and answered the door, finding a stranger standing on the porch.

  He held out his hand, which happened to contain a badge and identification card, and introduced himself.

  “Detective Hardy. Homicide Division. May I come in?” he asked.

  “Of course. We’ve been expecting you.” I smiled inwardly, thinking the Homicide Division probably consisted of one man, namely Detective Hardy, and under normal circumstances he was probably a traffic cop.

  “Are all of the people here who were around when the incident happened?” he asked, entering the house.

  “They’re all here except Joshua Forbes, Ted Fernley and my housekeeper, Lucy Daley.”

  “Could you please ask those three to join us?”

  “I can get two of them, but Mr. Fernley left shortly before you arrived. I don’t know if he’s on the grounds or not.”

  I walked to the window and checked the parking area. “His car is gone, so he’s not here.”

  We gathered together in the living room, and he asked most of the same questions we’d been asked early that morning. No one could add anything to what they’d already said. He asked me to show him where the incident had taken place, and I led him to the staircase.

  “The officer mentioned the carpet looked like it had been tampered with. I see what he was talking about,” Hardy said, fingering the frayed carpet.

  “It looks like someone took a razor to it and then picked at the edges,” I commented.

  “That’s a pretty good assumption. You didn’t notice anything wrong with the carpet before this morning?”

  “No, nothing. And I certainly would have noticed a tear this big.” I glanced at the three inch cut and shook my head. “Besides, it looks like it was cut with a razor and then picked apart.”

  “So you said.” Hardy looked at me with interest. “You’re pretty observant, aren’t you? I mean, he did a good job of cutting, trying to make it look natural.”

  “Now wait a minute. I’m the witness, not the suspect. I just happened to take a close look after the officer mentioned it. After all, this house is my livelihood, and I want to know what’s going on. I want to stop what’s going on.”

  “I wasn’t accusing you of anything, Miss Sanders. I was merely commenting on your knack for noticing details.”

  “Sorry,” I said, coughing. “I didn’t mean to come across sounding so defensive. You have to understand, I tried to tell everyone that Ruth Bell was pushed, and no one would believe me. Now that Richard is dead, all of a sudden I seem to know what I’m talking about. This whole thing has upset me, especially…” I broke off mid-sentence. I’d been about to say, “…especially since I’ve been receiving those strange notes”, but I w
asn’t supposed to tell the police any of that because if they started looking around they might scare the killer away. What a mess.

  “You started to say something?” He interrupted my thoughts.

  “Nothing of any importance. On top of all this, I’ve got some personal problems, that’s all. Nothing to do with the murder.” Ha! I didn’t even believe me, so why should he?

  He finished his examination and returned to the living room to ask a few more questions.

  “Okay, folks, that’s all for now,” he said, taking his coat down from the coat rack. “I’ll be back to talk to Fernley. None of you will be leaving the area anytime soon, right?”

  There was a mumbled assent from the group.

  “Uh huh,” he said, slipping his arms into his coat.

  It had turned into a near blizzard outside.

  “It looks pretty bad,” I said, walking to the front door with him. “Drive carefully.”

  He smiled at me indulgently. “I’ll be in touch.”

  Detective Hardy wasn’t a handsome man by any means, but he did have a certain animal magnetism. He had a sort of swarthy look, a rugged appearance. There was a small scar over his right eye which added to the rugged look. He wasn’t very tall, maybe 5’7” or 5’8”, but his demeanor made him seem like a big man. I found myself comparing his dark hair and coloring to Mike’s light hair and blue eyes. Mike won the mental contest, hands down. Of course, I was in love with Mike, which meant he’d have won no matter what the comparison was.

  As the weekend wore on, my cough grew worse and I developed a sore throat. My chest hurt every time I had a bout of coughing. By Sunday evening I went to bed early, with no intention of getting up for anything. My fever was high and I slept a lot. Each time I woke up, coughing, I saw one of my friends sitting in the rocking chair.

  Chapter Thirty-one

  On Monday morning I dragged myself out of bed and got dressed, knowing I needed to call the doctor’s office as soon as they opened to make an appointment.

  It had stopped snowing, but the sky still looked menacing. Mike insisted I bundle up far more than I wanted to. The drive into town was slow because the roads were still covered with snow, and I slept part of the way. During those moments when I awoke, I noticed Mike glancing at me.