Whispering Pines

by Mavis Applewater

  “What the hell is that?” Delia said when the heavy door swung open, revealing a brick wall.

  “A brick wall,” Faith quipped, bringing a small smile to Shawn’s lips.

  “A poorly built one at that,” Delia said. “A back staircase had been built for a home that would house servants. Only the great Captain Stratton didn’t want his help living in his house. I often wondered if the room Catherine lived in was built for a maid. This explains the gap in the wall. It probably runs the height of the manor and was designed and constructed before the captain saw the plans, if he ever even bothered to look at them. The second architect probably tried to hide it, hoping that the captain wouldn’t find it until after he had been paid.”

  “The captain didn’t look at the plans,” Shawn said. “He commissioned the construction before he married. Upon learning that the captain was opposed to servants roaming freely in his home, the builder hid the stairwell as best he could. He had done such a good job creating the hidden doorways it was easy. Imagine being alone night after night, your husband away at sea. Anna explored her home and found this quite by accident.”

  “So the second builder bricked up the wall,” Jimmy said. “And this means what?”

  “No, this brick wall wasn’t constructed by a craftsman,” Delia said. “The work is sloppy. The person who slapped this together had no skills whatsoever. They probably never built anything before this.”

  “Built by a madman, late at night, in an effort to hide his sins,” Shawn said. She brushed back the tears. “‘What trickery is this?’ That’s what he said when he was spying on his sister that night. The room was empty. He had stepped out the door to her room when he saw her slipping into her room from the hidden doorway. That’s why he was spying on them in the kitchen the following morning. He saw the caresses, and he knew. With complete calm, he ducked out to the woodshed, got the axe, and murdered both of them. You need to call the police. Tell them to ignore the door in Catherine’s room and the one in the corridor just outside of this room.”

  “Oh, my God,” Delia gasped. “There’s one in the kitchen?”

  “Behind the pantry,” Shawn whispered, hearing the pained voices begging for her help. “Don’t bother with your cell phone,” she told Carey. “Won’t work. Try calling from the van.”

  “In the meantime,” Faith said, “until the cops arrive, anyone got a sledgehammer?”

  “We can get one,” Delia said.

  * * *

  “Are you sure about this?” Althea asked half an hour later. “The police are on their way.”

  “Let them start with the kitchen.” Faith held the large sledgehammer Andrew St. James had handed her. Delia had called her brother to bring tools, while Carey called the local authorities. Althea went about, quickly setting up cameras in both rooms.

  “That’s where I’d start if I weren’t such a chickenshit about that room,” Faith admitted.

  “Not to mention, it’s a crime scene,” Carey said. “Wait for them.”

  “Anna and Catherine have waited long enough,” Faith said. “This is the only room where he can’t stop us.”

  “Rishi and I will be downstairs with the troopers,” Carey said. “See you at the other end.” She paused when the entire house seemed to shudder. “I hope,” she added under her breath.

  “Me, too,” Faith said. “Ready?” she asked the St. James siblings, who each held a large sledgehammer.

  “All my life,” Andrew said. “Let’s do it.”

  “Shawn?” Faith asked her lover, who was looking on from the fireplace.

  “You’re safe,” Shawn said. “I don’t know what will happen when you break through, but for now Anna and Catherine are right here, watching. They want you to do this.”

  “Tell them it’s my pleasure,” Faith said as Delia delivered the first blow, forcing the wall to start crumbling.

  “Yeah, crappy workmanship,” Delia said. The three of them began tearing into the wall.

  Shawn held her breath, watching. Anna and Catherine lingered in the corner, silently urging the trio on. From below, she could hear the sounds of the police hammering away. She spied another figure lurking outside of the room, a dark, angry force, hissing as the wall fell. She rubbed the bracelet on her wrist, and the cool silver warmed.

  “That’s it,” Delia announced. The trio brushed dust and debris from their bodies while Jasper filmed the scene.

  “Unbelievable,” Jimmy said. “How did you know?”

  Shawn stepped closer and grabbed a flashlight. “They told me.”

  “Who wants to go first?” Andrew asked, his face turning ashen as he glanced into the dark void.

  “As eager as I am to find the truth,” Delia said slowly, “I’m not thrilled at the thought of stepping in there.”

  “I’ll go,” Faith said.

  “I’m right beside you,” Shawn said.

  They stepped into the darkness. An icy wind assaulted them as they fumbled inside the long-forgotten stairwell.

  “Up is Catherine’s room,” Shawn said, trying to adjust her senses to the dim lighting. “That way is the corridor, and down is…” her voice trailed off. Her stomach became queasy, and images of blood dripping from the kitchen walls bombarded her.

  “God, I can smell their blood,” she choked out. She relaxed slightly when she felt Faith’s hand resting against the small of her back.

  “You don’t have to—” Faith tenderly began to say.

  “Yes, I do.” Shawn’s voice quivered. She pushed forward. “From the sounds of it, they haven’t broken through the downstairs yet. It was so easy for him. The only person who knew about the door was dead.”

  She could see it happening: the axe swinging, their limp remains being tucked into the wall, and Horatio bricking it up later that night. She pushed past the cobwebs as they began their descent. Guided only by the light from their flashlights and Jasper’s camera, they stumbled downward, clinging to the wall and each another. Suddenly, on the last flight of steps, they saw the stairwell just below them flood with light; the police were finally breaking through the kitchen wall.

  Shawn choked back her tears at the horrific sight of shattered bones covered by decaying cloth.

  “Bastard,” she whispered, unable to look away.

  “All this time,” Delia said sadly from behind Jasper.

  “Hold up,” Carey called up from the entrance in the kitchen. “We need to process the scene.”

  “Knock yourself out,” Faith said. “I’ve seen enough.”

  “Jasper?” Shawn looked over her shoulder at the shaking man. “Can you finish filming?”

  “I got it,” he said.

  The rest of them squeezed back up through the stairwell. Covered with dust and cobwebs, they stepped back into the bedroom and brushed themselves off.

  “The fire is out,” Faith noted, wrapping her hands around Shawn’s shoulders. “Are they gone?”

  Shawn smiled at the sounds of laughter that only she could hear. “No.” Her smile grew wider. “Come with me?” She took Faith by the hand, and the others followed. They stood at the top of the staircase, Shawn’s gaze fixed on the foyer.

  “What is it?” Delia asked.

  “Your grandfather,” Shawn said, looking down at the man standing by the front door. “He’s waiting for them.”

  Anna and Catherine lingered on the staircase. “Go to him,” she quietly urged the women.

  The others blinked for a moment, catching a glimpse of something they couldn’t explain. The image passed so quickly, all but Faith dismissed it as nothing. Shawn was the only one who saw them glide down and greet Richard.

  The others jumped back when the door opened, then slowly closed. Shawn was the only one who smiled. “Now they’re gone,” she sighed happily.

  “Are they at peace?” Delia asked later, as they huddled in the foyer.

  “Not yet,” Shawn said. “Soon. After the police finish, and your family can give them a proper burial, they will f
inally rest in peace.”

  “And him?” Andrew asked, his lip curling.

  “They tormented him before he died,” Shawn said slowly. “Once he joined them in death, he eagerly returned the favor. He isn’t as strong as he was. Revealing his crimes has taken some of the wind out of his sails. He’ll never leave, but perhaps Whispering Pines can finally be utilized. I can’t guarantee that.”

  “Really?” Faith beamed. “Wait here.”

  “Faith, I wouldn’t,” Shawn called after her, but she was already sprinting towards the kitchen.

  “Fine.” She sighed, waiting for Faith’s hasty return, which occurred a few short moments later.

  “Fuck that,” Faith snarled as she bolted back into the foyer.

  Shawn laughed. “I know you wanted to tell him off for slapping you. He’s still evil, and that doesn’t change, not in death and not by outing him as a murderer. He might be weaker, but he’s still an evil son of a bitch, and always will be.”

  Epilogue

  New York City

  December 2005

  “I swear, I’ll never get used to that,” Carey said, watching the ornaments move on the Christmas tree.

  “Willie just likes to play.” Shawn laughed. She finished typing away on her computer. “I think that’s it.”

  “Do I get a copy of this book?” Carey asked.

  “But of course, since we’ll be working together more often.”

  “Is Althea still pissed you signed that deal with Court TV?”

  “Yes,” Shawn said. “Not much choice, as your department has a better relationship with them than with Sunny Hill. I’ve agreed to still work with Althea, just not as much. I prefer staying closer to home these days.”

  “Fancy that.” Carey smiled. “How is my sister? I haven’t seen her since the St. James family invited us to the funeral for Anna and Catherine.”

  “Busy,” Shawn said. “But also enjoying not traveling as much. She should be back soon. She’s trying to find a Christmas gift for me. Bless her heart, she’s trying to surprise me with something.”

  “That must be a little futile with you,” Carey noted.

  Shawn grinned. “A definite downside to my gift.”

  “So you know what she’s getting you?”

  “Yes. She hasn’t bought it yet, but I know. She’s almost here. I’m glad the two of you are getting along.”

  “Me, too,” Carey said. “A lot of wasted years. We still aren’t there, though.”

  “You’re sisters. You’ll always have your squabbles.” Shawn shut down her computer. “Speak of the devil.”

  “It’s as cold as a well digger’s arse out there,” Faith announced as she stormed into the apartment. “Shopping for you is a bitch.”

  “My parents would agree,” Shawn said. “Coffee?”

  “Absolutely.” Faith slipped off her coat. “Hey, Jess, um... Carey.”

  “Hi, Faith.” Carey smiled.

  “Did you kids finish your homework?” Faith asked.

  “Yes,” Carey said. “I just finished going over all of the crime lab findings and the final police report. Surprise, the bodies we discovered were those of Anna and Catherine Stratton and yes, they met with foul play. The case is officially closed. It just sucks that Horatio never stood trial.”

  “No kidding.” Shawn handed her a cup of hot coffee.

  “He’s in his own hell,” Shawn said. “Trapped at Whispering Pines, his name always preceded by the word ‘murderer.’ His victims are at peace, but he remains a tortured soul.”

  “Not enough,” Faith snarled.

  “He got off easy,” Carey said. “Hate to do this, but I have to get going,” she said reluctantly. “I have to work tonight.”

  “I see Willie has been decorating again,” Faith said after Carey made her departure. “Carey isn’t really working tonight, is she?”

  “No.” Shawn curled up next to Faith. “She has a date. Rishi. They’ve been together since Whispering Pines.”

  “And I thought it was us who made all that noise.” Faith snickered.

  “It was,” Shawn felt the blush suffusing her cheeks. “They switched rooms because of it. Frankly, it grossed Carey out.”

  “Understandable,” Faith said.

  Shawn glanced over at her with a knowing smile. “What?” Faith asked.

  “I think it’s a good idea,” Shawn said.

  “Not fair.” Faith laughed. “Okay, so what’s a good idea?”

  “Leaving Willie out here to play with the tree while we slip into the bedroom,” Shawn repeated her lover’s thoughts.

  “Hmm.” Faith stood, taking Shawn by the hand. “I’m glad you like the way I think. How about an early Christmas present?”

  “For you or for me?”

  Faith laughed. “You figure it out. You’re good at that.”