Foliage and Fatality

by Karen Musser Nortman

  “You did a good job. But we need to pull it apart a little more. It’s too bunched up,” Terry said. “Let’s check out the living room.” He pulled the pocket door open.

  Amorphous shapes shrouded in sheets appeared in the gloom. Terry pressed a button on a device hidden on a shelf. Blue lights near the floor tucked behind furniture added an eerie glow to the room, casting elongated shadows on the walls. Mist or smoke wafted from the fireplace and an ugly chandelier swayed slightly creating an occasional brassy tinkle. More cobwebs hung from the beams.

  As her eyes became accustomed to the dim light, Lil picked out a person—no, not a real person—standing behind a draped wingback chair. Claw-like fingers rested on the wings and a leering face leaned over the back, inviting her to sit.

  Rival noticed the expression on her face. “Scared you, didn’t it, Grandma?” He had a satisfied smirk on his face.

  “It certainly did!”

  Max laughed. “She always was a scaredy-cat.” But she jumped when the lid on a wooden box on an end table beside her creaked open, and a gray hand emerged.

  Terry smiled at his mother, waggling the remote in his hand along his side where Max couldn’t see it.

  The dining room, separated from the living room with an archway and oak pillars, held a long table with a variety of Adams family-styled dummies propped in the chairs. Zombie-type faces with stark make-up leered at one another across the table. A chandelier matching the one in the living room dripped cobwebs over the table. Formal china and crystal completed the setting.

  “Is that our mother’s soup tureen?” Max pointed at a large Haviland footed tureen with gold trim.

  Terry grimaced. “Um, yeah. But we will have volunteers in every room making sure nothing gets touched.”

  “I certainly hope so. That is quite valuable.”

  “Oh, Max,” Lil said. “It’ll be fine. You never wanted any of her china.”

  “That doesn’t mean I thought it should be treated carelessly.”

  Melody held up her hands. “Aunt Max, we can certainly replace it. We didn’t mean to offend. We’ll take it home with us and pick up something at the local thrift shop.”

  Max waved her hand. “Don’t worry about it. I guess it’s not my decision to make.”

  “I guess not,” Lil muttered.

  “No, I’m sorry,” Terry insisted. “I wasn’t thinking. We’ll take it when we leave.”

  Rival and Ren watched this exchange with some impatience, hopping up and down and trying to pinch each other.

  “The kitchen! The kitchen!” Ren insisted, as she led the way through a swinging door. It emitted appropriate creaks.

  Gray light from the cloud-obscured sun and more windows made the kitchen slightly brighter than the other rooms.

  Max pointed at a menu taped to the wall. In block letters, it said ‘Finger Foods’, ‘Arm Roast’, ‘Liver’, and ‘Blood Pudding’ “Very clever,” she said.

  On the counter lay a butcher knife dripping with ‘blood’ and part of a leg—plastic, Lil hoped. Bones of various sizes were piled on a platter on the kitchen table.

  At the old cookstove, a skeleton, suspended with fishing line and dressed in a bright, red-checked apron tied around its bony middle, grinned garishly as she (he?) waved a spatula over a skillet. Just the air currents in the room were apparently enough to provide the life-like movement.

  Melody pointed out a huge hairy spider on the ceiling. “I know it isn’t real, but that thing gives me the creeps every time.”

  Rival took Lil’s hand and pulled her back toward the entry hall. “The best stuff is upstairs. Wait ‘till you see the playroom.”

  They tromped up the wooden steps with Terry in the lead, so that he could turn on the lights.

  Several closed doors led off a long hallway at the top. Large black and white photographs of stern Victorians with stiff collars and rigid hairdos hung on the walls in ornate frames.

  Terry opened the first door on the left. A sparse bedroom held only an iron bed, a tall dresser, and a wooden chair. The faded quilt on the bed provided little color, and light from the windows filtered through dusty brown shades.

  Lashed to the chair was a dummy of a woman dressed in a high-necked, long white dress, her mouth contorted in a silent scream. Blood dripped down her face, the result of a small axe buried in the top of her head.

  “Oh, ick!” Lil covered her mouth. “She looks so life-like!’

  “For a dead person,” Max added.

  “She’s pretty gruesome,” Terry agreed. “The woman who did all of the manikins is a window dresser over in Pittsburgh. She did a great job, but some of them are a little over the top.”

  Melody said, “I think it’s a bit much for children.”

  “Maybe I should have her tone it down,” Terry said.

  “Even if you just removed the axe…” Lil suggested.

  Terry nodded. “I think you’re right. Let’s move on.”

  In the bathroom, a witch stirred an empty claw-footed tub with a long paddle. “We’ll put dry ice in there for the public showings,” Terry said.

  An open casket on a stand was the only thing in the next room. Terry pushed a button on a remote by the door, and a vampire-like creature sat up, turned his head, and said “good evening” in a voice from the grave.

  Rival doubled over. “I love that!”

  Max laughed at the boy’s expression. Lil felt as if the tension between Max and her family was somewhat eased.

  Terry smiled. “But next is Rival’s favorite: the playroom.”

  “Make Grandma and Aunt Max go in first!” Rival shouted.

  Lil stopped and looked at Terry. “This sounds suspicious.”

  “It is.” He opened the next door and, with a sweeping gesture, ushered them into the room.

  Max stepped in first, determined not to be frightened by a haunted house for children. Lil followed right behind her.

  A large box, four or five feet tall and painted in a red and yellow diamond pattern, stood to the left of the door. The two women examined it, and Max said to her sister, “It reminds me of—” just as the top slammed open and a grotesque figure popped up swaying on springs and leering down at them. A pointed hat with bells, a long sharp nose, a ruff around the neck, and a striped costume completed the picture.

  Lil put her hand on her heart. “A Jack-in-the-Box?”

  Max gasped. “Yes, I think that’s it.”

  Lil looked at Ren and Rival. “What are you guys trying to do to your grandma?”

  They giggled and hid behind their dad.

  “So what else do you have to show us in this room?” Max asked sternly, but then grinned at the kids.

  Terry wielded his remote again, and the lights dimmed while a line of jack o’lanterns with malicious grins appeared along the far wall. Discordant music came out of overhead speakers and some kind of glowing projectiles flew across the room in front of them.

  Max and Lil jumped back toward the doorway. “What is that?” Lil yelled.

  Terry softened the music. “Tennis balls with glow-in-the dark paint. One of those machines that pitches them for dogs.”

  “Good thing Rosie isn’t here,” Max said.

  Terry turned the lights back up and the music off. The tennis balls stopped hurtling but continued to bounce around the room. Ren and Rival rushed to pick them up and return them to the ball launcher.

  “Had enough, ladies?” Terry asked. “The big opening is tomorrow and there’ll be a lot more to see then.”

  “It’s really great, Terry,” Lil said. “It should be a huge success. Do you need any more volunteers?”

  He looked surprised. “Sure! You want to do that?”

  “I’d love to,” Lil said.

  Max nodded. “Me too. Sounds like fun.”

  “Great! Maybe we’ll start you out taking tickets and filling in, but Monday we have a bus tour coming through. One of those fall leaf tours. Some of our volunteers are not retirees and have to be b
ack at work then. We could use more help.”

  Melody motioned to the kids. “Did you get everything picked up?”

  “Yes!” they chorused, accompanied by a couple of fist bumps.

  They were so loud going down the wooden steps that Terry called “Quiet down! You’ll wake the dead.”

  That got them giggling, and they tiptoed the rest of the way with exaggerated steps. When they got to the entrance hall, Terry said, “I’ll grab that soup tureen and we’ll find something else tomorrow.”

  Maxine grabbed his arm and smiled at him. “Forget it, Terry. And that I snapped at you about it. I apologize. This is probably the best use it could get.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “I’m sure.”

  On the return home in Terry’s SUV, the kids peppered Max and Lil with questions about their favorite parts of the haunted house and where they were most scared. Their excitement carried through supper and all the way to bed.

  Chapter Three

  Max

  The next morning, Maxine woke from a pleasant night’s sleep. She enjoyed a hot shower and dressed for the day. The sun began to make streaks across the back lawn.

  The first order of the day was to take Rosie out for her morning walk. The sidewalk followed the winding street down to a bridge over a rocky creek. Max let Rosie off her leash and stood on the bridge leaning over the stone railing to watch the dog frolic in the water. After a few minutes, she called the dog, and they continued around the neighborhood. The gracious lawns, old trees decked with fall color, and the crisp blue sky combined to give her a feeling of complete peace. Back at the house, she dried Rosie off with an old towel that she kept in her car and led her back through the house. Melody told her the night before that the coffee was on a timer and the newspaper would be at the front door before dawn. She found the newspaper under a bush and helped herself to the coffee.

  Soon she was ensconced on a chaise lounge on the ‘scream’ porch with her coffee and the paper, watching the early birds at the feeder outside. Rosie appeared exhausted by her swim and didn’t even feign interest in the wildlife.

  Max had to admit that Terry and Melody had picked a great spot for a house. The back yard was surrounded by trees and shrubs, dressed in their fall colors. Behind them, rounded hills displayed more color.

  Burnsville was nestled in the hills of western Pennsylvania—one of those villages being revitalized by attracting day tourists to antique shops, boutiques, small museums, and specialty cafes. The haunted house should fit right in with that clientele. Max looked forward to helping with the project.

  She had been worried that this visit would be on the dull side. She and Lil traveled together several times a year, and of course Lil wanted to visit her son and family. Max thought the entire time would be spent sitting around while Terry and Melody droned on about their children’s clever sayings and accomplishments.

  Not only was that not the case, but Max was enjoying that cleverness first hand. She had never had children and didn’t normally seek out their company. Her teaching career had been spent with college students and that was young enough for her. But Ren and Rival—despite their odd-as-heck names—since she had seen them last a few years earlier, had developed such an unaffected and refreshing view of the world that she found them quite funny.

  She had dozed off when the slam of one of the French doors brought her full awake.

  “Whoops.” Ren stood there looking at her with one small hand covering her mouth. “I dint know you were asleep.”

  Max straightened her gray sweater. “I was just dozing. How are you this morning?”

  “Great!” Ren said. “After school, the haunted house is going to open.”

  “That will be exciting,” Max agreed. “I love your outfit.”

  The little girl wore a baggy turquoise sweater, a short ruffled red skirt, black and white striped leggings, and ankle high red boots. She twirled, holding her arms up. “I picked it out myself.”

  “You have excellent taste.”

  “I know,” Ren said.

  Max glanced at her watch. “What time do you have to go to school?”

  “Eight-fifteen.”

  “Do you need help with your hair?”

  Ren’s red curls stuck out on one side and were flat on the other. The little girl put one hand up to her head and grinned. “I forgot. Be right back!” She twirled again and rushed back into the house. Lil and Melody soon joined Max on the porch, and they chatted until Ren and Rival came out balancing bowls of cereal and glasses of orange juice.

  Ren noticed Max watching her progress to the table. “Mom lets us fix our own breakfast.”

  Melody looked a little embarrassed. “Terry and I feel it’s good for them to take on whatever responsibilities they can handle. Some call it free-range parenting, like it’s a bad thing.”

  “I think it’s great,” Max said.

  Terry walked in, tightening his tie. “I have to go in to work this morning. Mel thought maybe you would like a little tour of downtown?”

  “Sounds good,” Lil said. “Is there anything we can do to help get ready for the haunted house opening?”

  “No, I think we’re in pretty good shape. But we’ll give you jobs tonight.” He leaned over and kissed Melody. “I’ll see you all later.”

  After he left, Melody said to the kids, “Finish up your breakfasts. It’s about time to take you to school.”

  “Can I do that?” Max asked.

  Rival dropped his spoon in his bowl. “In your car?”

  Max nodded.

  “Cool! Can she, Mom?”

  Melody smiled. “Of course. You have to behave.”

  “We will! We will!” Ren shouted and returned to her bowl of cereal with gusto. They finished their breakfasts in record time and gathered their backpacks. Max was glad they would be strapped in with seat belts.

  Lil rode along and helped Max field the kids’ constant questions. By the time they unloaded them at the school and got back in the car, Max laughed. “I’m exhausted!”

  Lil agreed. “I need a nap. I don’t know how Melody does it.”

  Max pulled away from the school curb. “She seems to cope very well.”

  “She does.”

  They found Melody relaxing on the porch with the morning paper. She looked up, smiled, and started to get up.

  “Stay still,” Lil said. “Can I get you anything?”

  “No. I was just enjoying the quiet. Those two can sure fill up a space with noise. But I thought you wanted to go downtown?”

  Max waved a hand. “Later. Absolutely no rush. I could do some reading myself.”

  Lil offered to help with laundry or vacuuming but Melody refused. “We all work on laundry and Terry insists on having a cleaning service once a week.” She winked at them. “He doesn’t know that I do some touching up in between, and don’t you dare tell him. I need some activity.”

  Max looked at her watch. “How about if we go downtown about 10:00?”

  “Sounds good to me,” Melody said. “Lil?”

  “Great.”

  Their first stop was the bank. Terry spotted them from inside a glass cubicle where he was standing and talking to an elderly couple. They apparently were finished as they shook hands, and he held the door for them.

  “Welcome! How about a tour of our massive financial facility?” He grinned as he swept his hand around the fairly new, although moderately-sized, room. Two granite-topped counters stood in the center with slots for pens and envelopes. A counter with three teller windows stood on one side with a row of glass-fronted offices like Terry’s on the other. A larger office with fewer windows was in the back.

  “Of course,” Lil said.

  “I’ll just wait in your office,” Melody said.

  Terry pointed at the big office in the back. “First, I want you to meet our president.” He led them back, tapped on the door and opened it a crack. “Camille? Have you got a minute? There’re some people here I would lik
e you to meet.”

  A petite, striking woman with dark upswept hair got up and came around her desk, hand outstretched. Her broad smile was welcoming and extended to her eyes. A beautiful fall scarf artfully arranged around her neck complemented her rust colored suit.

  “This is my mother, Lillian Garrett, and my aunt, Maxine Berra. My boss, Camille Bamford.”

  The women shook hands.

  Camille Bamford said, “Terry has told me so much about you. You’re the two women who travel all over together? It sounds so great—makes me wish I had a sister.”

  Max and Lil gave each other sideways glances and grinned. “It is great—most of the time,” Lil said.

  Camille raised her eyebrows but didn’t question the comment. “I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed working with your son. He’s turned out to be a great hire for us.”

  “Thank you. He seems to be very happy here.”

  “Should I leave?” Terry asked. “I mean, if you want to talk about me?”

  Lil looked up at him and patted him on the arm. “No, dear. We’ve pretty much exhausted that subject.”

  Camille laughed. “I see where you get your sense of humor.” She glanced at her watch. “I have a short meeting with some of the board members, and then Art’s coming to take me to lunch at the City Center. Why don’t you all join us? I’d love to hear more about your trips.”

  “That would be great,” Terry said. “I’m going to give them a tour of the rest of the bank and a couple of shops, so why don’t we meet you there?”

  “About noon?”

  “Works for us.”

  After a brief trip around the bank and meeting the rest of Terry’s co-workers, they collected Melody from Terry’s office and headed down the street toward the cafe. Max and Lil stopped in a couple of the shops along the way, so that it was almost noon by the time they reached the City Center Cafe, which faced an open plaza with a small fountain surrounded by benches.

  “City Center is an ambitious name for a spot in a town like Burnsville, but it’s very popular,” Terry said. “Would you like to eat inside or out?”

  “It’s such a beautiful day,” Max said. “I vote for outside.”