“No flashlights. We are all familiar with these passages and it might be easier to catch them. Let’s go!” Penny demanded. Her old cop instincts kicking in full-force.
Three intrepid women entered, then stopped and listened. There was another thump below them. They all crept down the hallway and after following the turn, started down the narrow staircase. At the half-way point, Mallory stopped them with her arm like a mother protecting children in a car. Listening intently, they heard someone bumping around below. Descending again toward the closet exit, Mal switched her flashlight on, and shone the light directly in Edwin Poe’s eyes.
SEVEN
“S
ylvia?” Edwin whined. “How do you get out of here?”
“Mr. Poe, I’m Mallory Vianu, the manager of Caravan Manor.”
“Oh, yes. Hello. You were in the kitchen earlier.” He said.
“Yes. You came here with Sylvia Broome… do you know where she is?” Mallory studied his face.
“I don’t know. We got separated when everyone was moved.”
“You work with her?”
“Yeah. I’m her… ugh, assistant.”
Mallory didn’t need to be psychic to know just what he was assisting her with. Sylvia’s sexual appetite preceded her.
“Is this her black onyx choker?” Mallory asked him, showing him the broken necklace.
“Yes. Why do you have it?”
“I found it.” Mallory didn’t want to give too much away. The man was hiding something. Was it more than the two of them sneaking off for a little side action?
“What are you doing in here? This area is off-limits to guests.”
Danior and Penny descended the remaining steps, backing Mallory up.
“Why would you let someone post the entrance locations on YouTube if it’s off-limits?” Mr. Poe asked in his whiny nasally voice.
One of the attendees from their blogger’s convention last year had uploaded their secret passage information. They obviously needed to change the entrance mechanisms before something terrible happened.
“That was an unauthorized video, we won the fight to have it pulled off the internet, but not before it went viral. We’ve been looking everywhere for you. You were supposed to check-in and go to the dining room.”
“Believe me, I wanted to, but Sylvia insisted she needed me to run up to her room to get her flask. It took some time to find it with a flashlight. By the time I returned, she was gone. I went back upstairs to find her although I couldn’t have missed her on the staircase. That’s when I thought of the passageway. Sylvia loved the idea of them in this grand old house, so I didn’t put it past her to sneak in here. I’ve been trapped ever since.”
“So, you’re the one who trashed her room?”
“Huh? What happened to her room?” Edwin was whining again.
“Alright, come with me.” Penny frog-marched Mr. Poe up the stairs and around, coming back the way they came in.
“Dan, open Madam Broome’s door, please,” Penny requested.
After the door was unlocked and pushed open, all three turned their flashlights into the room.
“What’s wrong?” Edwin peeked in.
“Her room has been ransacked!” Mal nearly yelled.
Edwin jumped, but chuckled and slapped his knee. “That’s normal for Sylvia! She’s a slob.”
Mallory blinked.
“You’re telling us that she always lives like this?”
“Yes. My job is no picnic, but I have it much better than her cleaning people.”
As Mallory surveyed the room, she noticed something on top of the nightstand–part of the chain from the broken necklace. The energy belonged to Sylvia. She’d ripped the necklace from her own neck and thrown it at him. “You were breaking up with her, weren’t you?” It was just a guess, but an educated one. Why else would Sylvia be that angry and frustrated with him?
Mallory could see from his aura that she was right.
“I don’t see how that’s your business.”
“Well, Mr. Poe, I’m taking you to the dining room, where you will stay while we try to locate your employer. I’ll also update Nana and the BFC,” Penny said.
“Mal, I’m going to find Eve and Emilion to see what’s taking so long with the generator. We should have had power by now.” Danior added.
“That’s a good idea. I’m going to continue snooping around up here to see what I can find.” Mr. Poe and his jailer headed back downstairs. Meanwhile, Mallory walked to the window and stared out at the dark, angry waters of Bohemian Lake. Sylvia, please tell me you weren’t stupid enough to venture outside. Mallory shivered and bent over to pick up some of the discarded clothing on the floor. She then proceeded to do the same in the bathroom and the wardrobe. After she dumped the pile on the bed, she turned back to the closet and noticed she had missed a colorful scarf. She pulled it and a box the size of a board game fell out—a Ouija board game. She had no idea how they could call it a game because it should never be used without proper supervision. This one was so old the image and description had worn down.
Mallory sat on the bed and opened the box. She touched the game’s planchette—a small, heart-shaped flat piece of wood equipped with wheeled castors—and instantly doubled over in pain, grabbing her temples. The violins were screaming in her head along with an image that she couldn’t make out. Was it a knife? Mal managed to shove the box under the clothes on the bed and staggered out of the room. She thought if she could get away from Madam Broome’s Ouija Board, then the screaming noise would lessen. Mallory grabbed the banister and moved down the stairs by stumbling and running, her hold on the banister the only reason she stayed on her feet. It was as if she was being pulled to the manor’s massive double doors.
Nana stepped into the foyer just as Mallory, hands covering her ears uselessly, stumbled to the front door. She could still hear Nana yelling her name as she ran outside. Percussion was added to the violins making Mallory scream as she ran down across the lawn and beyond. Nana yelled again causing Mal to stop and turn for a moment. She knew she was scaring Nana, but she had to keep going. The sodden ground swallowed the sound of running except for the slap of her shoes in the puddles; muddy water splashed on her dress. Not that it mattered. She was soaked. Cloud-to-ground lightning struck nearby, shaking the ground, causing Mal to fall to her knees, pain searing through her head. The music was so loud she thought her eardrums would burst. She was near the caravan by the lake now. More lightning and Mallory thought she saw something. She picked herself up and half-ran half-limped to the caravan. Why didn’t they check out here for Sylvia? Was there something in the tree? Lightning lit up the sky again and her stomach plummeted. Not again!
She ran toward the tree—toward the body that was hanging high up in the willow tree. Tears spilled over, mixing with rain, so you couldn’t tell one from the other. Mal pulled her phone out of her hidden pocket and punched the button for Kaden.
“Kaden,” Mallory whimpered.
“Mallory, what’s wrong? Where are you?” Kaden demanded urgently.
“I-I’m at the caravan by the lake. Please come.” Mallory was crying full force now.
“Nana called me. I’m already on my way. Hang on.”
“Don’t hang up!”
“I’m right here. You should see my lights shortly.”
Mallory screamed in pain as she dropped to her knees. Clutching her head, she let go of the phone, and slumped, unconscious.
She woke to headlights and a very panicked Kaden sprinting toward her.
“Mallory, what’s wrong? Where are you hurt?”
“I’m not hurting anymore.” Mallory called back. “It was the music, it was so loud. Help me up.”
Mal was drenched and shivering. Kaden took his trench coat off and wrapped it around her, running his hands up and down her arms.
“What happened, Mal? Are you hurt?”
“N-no.” Mallory pointed up at the tree. “But she is.”
EIGHT
M allory couldn’t bring herself to move. The macabre scene was highlighted every few seconds as the blue and red lights revolved on the roof of Kaden’s squad car.
“Mal?” Eve called from the distance. “What are you doing out here?”
“We found Sylvia,” Kaden called back as Mallory wept on his shoulder.
“We have to get her down, Kaden! What if she’s still alive?”
“Preposterous!” Mallory heard someone say in a gruff and unfamiliar voice.
She looked around, but no one else was near. “Who’s there?” Mallory demanded.
“Who’re you talking to, darlin’?” Kaden asked, lifting her chin to meet his gaze.
“I don’t know,” Mallory answered. “Didn’t you hear that voice?”
“No, sorry,” he replied. “Will you be okay? I need to call the ME and Captain Lumos,” he explained. “I hope they can send someone right away. Things are really backed up. You know she’s dead, right?”
“Of course,” Mallory had known when she’d seen Sylvia’s discolored face and lips but that hadn’t made it any easier to accept.
“I hate these storms,” Eve said, her hands shaking. “It seems like someone always kicks the bucket… or the ladder in this case. It’s getting a little mundane.”
Mallory looked at the ladder, it was tipped over and lay only a few feet from where Sylvia’s body dangled. Where had it come from?
Kaden had reached Cody and he arrived at the manor a little after the assistant ME officially declared Sylvia dead. They were putting her body on a stretcher as he ran back to where they were standing. “Can you tell what happened?” he asked the assistant ME.
“Strangled,” the man answered. “The drop wasn’t sharp enough to break her neck. Poor thing. We see this all the time with the do-it-yourselfers.”
“Do-it-yourselfers? Are you suggesting suicide?”
“That’s the way I see it.”
“What was she doing out here?” Cody looked at Mallory. “Did anyone know she was missing?”
“She sure didn’t seem suicidal at the party before the power went out,” Eve commented.
“Well, they don’t always, do they now?” The assistant ME retorted.
Mallory quickly explained what happened—how she suspected Madam Broome’s boyfriend had broken up with her—but she had to agree that Sylvia committing suicide in the middle of Hexfest, and during a storm didn’t make any sense. What if her vision of the knife when she’d touched that Ouija Board meant someone had forced her to do it?
After Cody and the ME had left, Mallory told Kaden about Sylvia’s assistant as they headed back to the manor. How he’d gone missing at the same time.
He listened calmly, as he usually did. “So, you think this man who was working for her did this?”
“I don’t know. I don’t see him as a killer. But I also don’t see her as the suicidal type. Not to mention the vision I had of the knife.”
“Has anyone searched him for a knife?” Kaden asked.
“No.”
“Edwin could’ve forced her to climb the ladder using the knife as intimidation. Or he could have staged the scene. He could’ve strangled her and then moved her body to make it look like a suicide.”
“That’s a long way to move a body,” Mallory said, “But he is a tall guy, so I guess it’s possible.”
The storm had downgraded its temper tantrum but it wasn’t over yet. Kaden and Mallory were standing on the patio now under an eave. They were both quiet as they listened to the constant hum of the generator, and watched the angry gray lake from afar. Now that the adrenaline had petered out, Mallory was feeling exhausted. She leaned into Kaden’s chest and thought about the voice she’d heard. She wanted to mention it again to Kaden but it had nothing to do with what had happened. Besides, she’d been under a lot of stress and it would only make her sound crazy.
“I guess the ME should be able to tell…” Mallory started to say and then she remembered her friend. “Oh no.” Mallory said, pushing away from Kaden’s chest. “Somebody needs to tell Star. Who should we call?” She said, and headed for the door.
“Wait. Mallory.” Kaden chased after her. “Stop. Maybe you should be the one to tell her what happened.”
“No. I can’t.” Mallory paused. She couldn’t be the one to tell Star that her best friend was dead, possibly murdered. “Oh, but who…” Kaden was right. Bad news should come from good friends. Nana always said that.
“You can do it.” Kaden said, following Mallory inside to the foyer. “But first, point out this assistant. We’ll need to speak with him.”
Mallory led the way, and it wasn’t long before they found Edwin, downing a beer at the bar in the lounge area.
“Kaden, this is Sylvia’s assistant,” Mallory explained. “Probably the last person to see her alive.”
“Alive?” Edwin swiveled on his barstool to stare at her. “What are you saying? You found her?”
“Yes,” Kaden answered. “The ME took her a few minutes ago.”
“She’s d-dead? I-I have to get out of here. There’s no reason for me to be here if Sylvia’s gone.”
“I’m sorry, but you can’t leave yet,” Mallory explained.
“You can’t make me stay,” Edwin said.
Oh, the hell she can’t,” Eve barked coming closer. “If Mallory says you stay, you stay.”
“Eve! You—” Kaden started to speak but was interrupted.
“Now, listen here Detective Scoldy-Locks. I am tired and I am grumpy, and I will not be trifled with. Now who wants drinks? I’m thinking hurricanes? I wonder if Nataliya has any orange juice left in the kitchen.”
Mallory shook her head and Edwin sat down again. Clearly, no one was ready to stand up to Eve. Instead, Edwin turned away and stared out of the window. Perhaps, finally realizing that this wasn’t something that would go away quickly.
Mallory wondered, looking at him, if he was the kind of person who could’ve killed Sylvia and tried to cover it up. There was no way to know for sure, but he didn’t seem the type.
Of course, her mind jumped ahead to other questions. Why the tree? Why not dump her in the lake? A drowning might not have been suspicious but hanging a witch from a tree—now that was a statement.
Mallory knew from listening to Kaden talk that these things didn’t always make sense–until all the pieces fit together. It would probably be the same way with Sylvia’s death. They wouldn’t know for sure what had happened–but they’d find out eventually.
“You think he’s okay here with the ugh… other guests or will they turn on him and cast a spell or something?” Kaden whispered to her as they turned away.
“He’ll be fine. Eve will watch over him. She can threaten them with Nana. No witch would dare cross Nana,” Mallory said.
“Or Eve for that matter… if they know what’s good for them,” Kaden teased.
From the lounge area, they headed into the foyer where one of the windows had been smashed by a projectile from the storm. The look on Nana’s face when they walked in was heartbreaking. Knowing how much she loved this old place made Mal feel even worse.
“What a mess,” Mallory said. “I’m glad we have good insurance.”
Nana took a deep breath, and Kaden helped Emilion board up a few of the other more vulnerable windows. They put a tarp on the foyer floor to protect it until the repair could be made. At least the damage wouldn’t get any worse.
Mallory really didn’t want to face Star, but she owed it to her. She’d stalled long enough. She was about to go find her when Star walked in to the foyer from the direction of the library. “I heard Sylvia is missing. What happened?”
NINE
M allory wrapped an arm around Star’s shoulder, guiding her down the corridor with Kaden in tow. “Let’s go to the parlor, huh? It’s more private.”
As they entered through the pocket doors, Mallory’s eyes washed over the traditional red wallpapered room. Good, the doors to the library w
ere closed. Last thing they needed was an audience.
Though the fireplace hummed from within the ornate black marble mantle, the room was still dark so Mallory switched on a table lamp. The red tassels swayed as she moved her hand away. She was going to tell Kaden that he could go. This wasn’t his responsibility, when she realized that, from an official stand point, it was. Anyway, she knew when he plopped down in the wingback chair that he wasn’t leaving.
“What’s going on, Mal?” Star glanced around nervously.
There was no easy way to tell her, so she just blurted it out. “I’m so sorry to have to tell you this, Star but Sylvia’s dead. We found her body by the lake.”
Tears filled the woman’s eyes. “What? I don’t understand.” Star was shaking her head. “No, I just saw her a few hours ago. You’re mistaken. What would she be doing outside during the storm?”
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Kaden answered. “It seems she and Edwin disappeared when everyone else left for the dining room. We don’t know why she went outside.”
Star’s gaze flickered over them. “Was Edwin with her? Did he kill her?”
“We don’t really know yet. The ME took her to the morgue. I’m sure they’ll do a full autopsy. All we know right now is that Sylvia died during the night. I’m so sorry.”
“Can I see her?” she asked.
“I’m sure you can, at some point,” Kaden said.
“I want to talk to Edwin!” Star demanded. “What does he say? I bet he did this.” Star pounded her fist on the armrest. “I told her–I warned her–to stay away from him. I knew he would hurt her.” She got to her feet and paced.
“What do you mean, Star? Why would Edwin hurt her?” Kaden asked.
“I don’t know. I just had a feeling. She said he had a terrible temper and, well, of course, so did she. I worried about her, you know. I mean, I thought he was going to break her heart; though, I didn’t think he’d kill her. Where is he? I’m going to curse him into next week.”
Kaden stood up too. “Not here, Star. Not now. You can rip Poe a new one later.”
Ouija, Death & Wicked Witchery Page 4
