Blooms Bones and Stones Box Set

by Olivia Swift

  It was some time later when he said that he had to go.

  “As I’ve got this van tomorrow, I’ll pick you up at about eight thirty.” She agreed and said she would pack some garbage bags and cleaning things as well. He took another long and lingering kiss at the door and then drove off into the night. After standing behind the locked door for several minutes remembering the touch of his lips, Corby suddenly leapt into action to put things together for the next morning. It had been a long and lovely day, but she was exhausted and slept as soon as her head touched the pillow. It seemed only seconds when the alarm rang at seven.

  “So much to tell everyone,” she said out loud as she managed breakfast and then dressed in clothes that were smart but still allowed for work to be done. She added simple jewelry to lift the effect and a lovely floaty scarf that contrasted well with her long, dark hair. She contemplated leaving her hair loose but decided to be practical instead. Carlo knocked at precisely the agreed time. When she opened the door, he handed her a little box with a bow on it.

  “What on earth is this?” As she smiled, he told her to open it and see. Corby was speechless at the tiny cup and saucer within that had painted flowers inside and outside and a handle that was a twisted vine with leaves curving outward. “It, it’s—fantastic. I love it. Oh, thank you, Carlo.” She went to place it in the middle of the dresser and stood back to admire the effect. He came and wrapped his arms around her waist.

  “Glad you approve. We had better get going to be there first,” he said. They collected the things to take and climbed into a very large van and sped away.

  “I brought the big van because it will be better to get everything moved in one trip.”

  “I am so looking forward to seeing Marla and Jez again and introducing them to everyone else.” Corby shuffled in her seat with excitement and Carlo grinned. He loved to see her relaxed and happy. They rolled up to the house and unlocked the door. Nothing appeared to have been touched this time, but they switched on lights and checked the cellar. It was just as they had left it, and both of them breathed a sigh of relief. The sound of an engine outside made them run upstairs to see Kim and Rob coming to the door.

  “Hi folks. Come in,” Corby said and gave Kim a hug. As they entered the house, another vehicle with Jazz, Evan, Dex, and Carly arrived.

  “We left Molly Kim with a babysitter,” Jazz said as she took care climbing the steps to the house because of her pregnancy. Evan handed boxes to Dex and Carlo to carry inside. He had come prepared with food.

  “This is a lovely house,” Jazz said as she turned around in the living room. “You’ve bought some covers and things.”

  “It looked so bare,” Corby answered and told everyone to just wander around and see where everything was. “The cellar is down these steps if you want to inspect where people have dug up the floor.” Carlo opened the door to the cellar, and Rob went down first. The discussion was underway about why the concrete was broken when Jules, Miller, Jez, and Marla all drove up at the same time. Corby rushed out to make Marla and Jez feel welcome, and everyone gathered in the main room.

  “Where do I start, Carlo?” Corby asked. He took the lead and gave everyone a brief account of how they came to meet Marla and Jez yesterday, and that Corby had found some long-lost relatives. There was much exchanging of names and excited conversation. Evan decided to make coffee and produce snacks. They found seats of some sort and then brought everyone up to date.

  “Corby, this is so exciting,” Kim said. “Can we do a grand tour?”

  Corby explained that there were three bedrooms, an attic room, and the cellar. “There is a veranda out back and quite a large yard and a path across to where the caretaker man lives.” They went upstairs and saw the rooms. Carlo said he had brought a van because the bedroom furniture was to go to the recycling center.

  “I would appreciate help to get the stuff downstairs and into the van.”

  “Not those two sets of dressers?” Miller asked, and Corby nodded. “Can I have them, please? They will upcycle beautifully.”

  “Of course, you can, and anything else that looks useful,” Corby agreed. They inspected the attic, looked out of the windows, and trooped downstairs into the cellar. “This is where it gets weird. When I stand beside where someone has dug or at this point against the wall, the pendant heats up.” Corby went to the wall and felt the pendant warm against her skin. “Feel it and you will see I am right.” She held out the necklace, and they agreed it had a lot of heat. Jez was the last to come and lay a hand on the turquoise, as he had been standing very quietly as the others talked.

  “What is it, Jez?” Marla asked her brother. As he added his hand to the necklace, the heat increased tremendously to the point where Corby took it away from her neck.

  “Ouch,” she said and looked at Jez. Carlo explained that Jez had a hobby of ghost hunting and Jez nodded.

  “There is something in here. I can feel it even without bringing equipment,” said Jez.

  Carly stepped beside him. “You have a feel for these things,” she said and touched the pendant herself. “I dowsed this turquoise and it went crazy over it.”

  “So, what does it mean?” Evan asked and looked at Jez for some sort of explanation. He shook his head.

  “We always heard stories about a murder and buried gold and jewels, but Dad said it was just the sort of thing people made up. Maybe there is a grain of truth somewhere in there.”

  “What should we do?” Corby asked.

  “We could take up the floor,” Rob answered, but Dex asked how he could get machinery into a small space. “I’ve got drills that would break this up in no time. It would sound awful and we’d need ear protection, but it would work.”

  “Then we would see if there was anything, then lay a new floor,” Carlo added. They all looked at each other.

  “Before that, if you wouldn’t mind, Corby, I could come with my two friends and do a proper investigation.” Jez looked at their faces. “The meters pick up voices that the normal ear can’t hear, but you hear it on playback. The infrared picks up any warmth and movement, and there are lights triggered when any extra power or energy comes close.”

  “My brother can tell if a spirit is nearby,” Marla added. Carly said it sounded wonderful and could she be part of it.

  “What do you think, Corby?” Carlo went and put an arm around her shoulders—a movement that was not lost on Kim. She gave Rob a quick glance and he smiled back.

  “I think we go for it,” Corby said. “After that, we can take Rob’s offer and see if there really is anything under the floor and then lay a whole new one and make it a game room.” She got a round of applause from the group who were listening.

  “Wow. Thanks, Corby,” Jez said and made those gestures people do when they are pleased with a result. “When can we set it up?” The plans were made, and Evan suggested they talk over coffee and cake. Upstairs they decided that two days would give time for Jez to make arrangements with his friends. Carly, Dex, Carlo, and Corby all agreed to be there as well, and Marla said she wouldn’t miss it for the world.

  After further inspection of the house and garden, the men hauled the bedroom furniture downstairs and stacked it in the van. There was no sign of any neighbors and when the rooms were empty, Corby remarked that she could see it as a different house in her head. Miller agreed with that, and Corby told her she was going to lay blond, wooden floors everywhere.

  “It might take a little time, but I can do it bit by bit,” she said and laughed. “Carlo was amazed that I had done my own floor by myself.

  “Mmm. Men always think that they are the only ones who can do woodwork.”

  Jez came to join them.“I don’t feel anything anywhere in the house except the cellar,” he told her. “But we will check out the whole place on Wednesday night.” He paused. “I really do appreciate it. It’s really hard to find new places to investigate.” He handed her a card. “Here’s the website where we put what we find.”


  “I’ll look at that later,” she told him. When every square inch of the house and the outside had been inspected, they said their goodbyes, and the ghost-hunting team agreed on a time to meet. Carlo and Corby were left to lock up and go over what had happened.

  “Let’s have another drink and get our breath back,” Carlo said and made two more coffees. They sank into the sofa and talked about the events.

  “Jez seems quite convinced there is a spirit of some sort in the cellar.” She ran her hand over the pendant at her throat. “When he touched it at the same time as me, beside the spot in the cellar, it was so hot it almost burned me.”

  “I will be interested to see the meters he talks about that registers voices and things,” Carlo added. “More of a science than just thinking there might be something paranormal.”

  “I’m glad we moved all the bedroom furniture. It seems more like a blank canvas now,” Corby told him as they carried the coffees upstairs to have another look around.

  “It leaves space to lay floors and decorate the walls,” he added.

  8

  They had only driven a few miles when Corby gasped and said that she had left her purse in the kitchen.

  “It’s only a few miles,” Carlo said and drove back to the house. Corby grabbed the house keys and ran lightly up the steps to the door. She was picking up her purse from the counter when she heard voices and froze to the spot. She tiptoed back to the door and ran down to the car.

  “There are voices outside at the back,” she said urgently, and Carlo came back to listen. They stepped quietly inside the house, and there were definitely voices outside and scrabbling noises. Listening carefully, it sounded like a man and a woman. Carlo flung open the door and demanded to know who was there. There was a surprised shout from the woman and a silent indrawn breath from the man. The two people caught in the act of digging a hole beside the back doorsteps were frozen in position.

  “What on earth are you doing?” Corby asked as Carlo was pulling out his phone. He took photos of the two with the spades and then said he would call the police.

  “No. No. Please don’t phone the police. I am trying to get back my own property,” the woman anxiously said and put down the tool she was holding.

  “She’s right,” the man said and did the same. “We are just recovering what is hers.”

  “There is nothing in the house,” Corby answered.

  “I’m not looking in the house or breaking in. I hid some stuff when I lived here,” the woman stated. “Please just listen. Don’t call the police.” She started to cry without making any noise, but tears streamed down her face, and the young man put his arm around her shoulders.

  “My cousin is telling the truth,” he said.

  Corby looked at Carlo and he nodded. “Come inside and explain.”

  “We might as well have a coffee and listen in comfort,” Carlo said and started to heat water. “It’s just instant, I’m afraid.” The woman smiled for the first time and said her name was Becks.

  “I prefer instant,” she answered. “My cousin’s name is Melvin.”

  “So, tell me about this stuff you hid,” Corby asked, and Becks related the story of how she rented the house from a very nice, old gentleman named Santana. Corby broke the news of her uncle’s death and explained why she was at the house as well.

  “Oh, I am so sorry. He was lovely, and I loved the house and being out in the country.” She smiled. “He told me stories about the place being haunted, but I loved that idea and it didn’t bother me at all.”

  “But?” Carlo asked, and she nodded.

  “A big but. I thought the noises were what he meant and then discovered that the neighbor was coming into the house at all times of the day and night.”

  “Mr. Maddon?” Corby inquired and Becks nodded. “I knew there was something strange about him.”

  “Becks thought he was stealing stuff, so we had buried some of her things. We left in such a hurry, we didn’t have time to dig them up. She came to stay with me.”

  “Did you report it?” Carlo asked, and she nodded.

  “I did, but the police didn’t take me seriously.” She looked at Corby. “I’m sorry if we scared you.”

  “Let’s go and retrieve your things,” Corby suggested and gained a smile of thanks from the other girl. It didn’t take long because the soil was loose. They found a wooden crate tied around with rope, and hauled it onto the steps. Becks pulled it open to reveal photographs and trinkets that had belonged to her family. They had writing and pictures that proved she was telling the truth.

  “Well at least we found them,” Corby said and glanced back at the hole. She was about to suggest putting the soil back when she pointed down the side of the wall. “What is that?” Becks laughed and told her it was the door to the cellar.

  “We never saw a door inside,” Carlo answered, and she told him that there was another small room.

  “Originally I think it was for storing logs. It’s empty now. It had been filled in before I came to live here.”

  “Wow,” Carlo said and took the spade to clear away enough soil to open the door. It wasn’t locked and revealed a smaller room than the other cellar but still quite a large space. They used lights on their phones to glance around the inside. “We’ll check it out properly when we come back again,” Carlo finished and closed the door. In the kitchen, Becks thanked them again and handed over a card with her name and number.

  “If I can help with anything, give me a call,” she said. “Watch out for that Maddon guy. He’s nasty.” The two cousins drove away in a car that had been hidden down the road, and Carlo looked at Corby.

  “This place gets more and more peculiar.”

  “The stories about Mr. Maddon frighten me a bit,” she said. When it is restored, I might have to sell it and forget the history.” Carlo came and held her close.

  “I don’t want you to be here by yourself. I’ll come with you or make sure someone else is here as well. Right?” She nodded into his chest.

  “No problem there. I don’t want to be here on my own.” As they locked the house and climbed into the van, she wondered about the haunting stories. “I might give Becks a call and ask what she knows. Jez would be interested.”

  On the way back, Corby suggested that she would cook something for them when they got back, and they could call everyone and tell them the extra news.

  “Sounds good to me,” he said and told her he would drop off the dressers for Miller and the rest at the recycling center the next day.

  Over steaks and salad, they talked about what had happened, and each took a couple of phone numbers to call. Kim’s reaction was horror that the Maddon man had been entering the house even when Becks were in there. The others felt the same, and they were all curious about the extra cellar. Rob added that they could dig that one up as well and make sure there was nothing to find.

  “I think that Mr. Maddon should be warned that there will be trouble if he shows his face again,” Dex suggested, and Carlo agreed with that.

  “In fact,” Carlo added, “I will ask Joe Garcia what the legal situation is.” Corby told them she was going to call Becks about the ghost stories before she called Jez.

  “Making the phone calls is going to take all night. They are good friends though,” Corby said laughing, and Carlo reached across and held her hand.

  “Call her now and find out,” he said, and she found the card with her number.

  Becks was happy to tell her what she remembered.

  “He said that maybe his great-great-grandmother was said to have been murdered for the gold. The gold has never been found, so maybe they got away with the murder and the loot.” She added that there were stories that the murdered woman still appeared and was still protecting her treasure.

  “That is about it, really,” Becks finished and hesitated. “I don’t suppose I could come and watch the ghost hunting? I find it fascinating.”

  “Of course you can,” Corby answered. “Se
ven, on Wednesday evening.”

  “Thanks so much. See you there,” Becks told her and hung up. Carlo had spoken to Joe Garcia in the meantime and said he would make sure the Maddon man received an official letter warning him to stay away or risk prosecution. By the time everyone was caught up, it was quite late.

  “What a day,” Carlo said and held Corby's face in his hands. “Will you be okay?” She smiled in return and reached forward to kiss his cheek.

  “Thanks for asking but yes. Work tomorrow and then ghost hunting on Wednesday.” He claimed that he had been thinking about the kiss for some time. He had to admit to himself that Corby was in his head most of the time. A little voice inside him added that she was in his heart as well, but he chose to ignore that for the time being.

  Corby felt her head swim as he put his feelings into the kiss. She could not help but let feelings of her own respond, and even as the world drifted away and her senses took over, she wondered why this had never happened with anyone else. The answer was obvious but, like Carlo, she pushed it to one side and let the moment simply sweep her away. It was enough that she could feel safe in his arms and feel a flood of wonderful emotion.

  Work claimed all of them for the next two days, although the phone calls from Carlo were always a little secret enjoyment. Kim smiled to herself and was pleased for her friend. They talked about what to take on Wednesday evening and gathered together flashlights, cameras, and snacks to keep them going through the night. Carlo picked her up, and the whole group met at the house. Nothing had been disturbed, and there was no sign of any neighbors. Becks was introduced to the rest, and she showed them where the door to the other cellar was located. With flashlights in hand, they all crowded into the newly discovered cellar. Dex went over to the wall and tapped with his hand.

  “This is a stud wall,” he said. “It was all one big cellar originally.”