“I think you’re right,” Hunter said. “There’s no way they would go to expense to bury bodies.” He ran down the stairs to the front doors and turned around. “Before we go, we have to check out the basement.”
“Are you insane? I’m not going down there.” Drew sat on the stairs and crossed his arms tightly in front of him.
“Suit yourself,” Hunter walked off toward the back of the building in search of the basement entrance. He wandered through an archaic kitchen with pots, pans, dishes, and silverware tossed haphazardly around the room. He found the double delivery doors and nearby, the steel door to the basement. A hasp for a padlock was on the door, but broken. Hunter said, “Someone broke the lock off, but there’s no way of knowing when. Ready to go down?” The girls followed him closely.
The three stopped at the bottom of the basement stairs. “What are we looking for?” asked Taylor.
“Anything that might give us an idea coffins were made down here.”
“Coffins, I never thought about that.”
Drew pouting and sitting on the main staircase heard a giggle. “Knock it off Kellie. I’m not in the mood for your jokes. I thought you went with Hunter?” He looked around, didn’t see her, and shrugged. A white wisp blew behind Drew and disappeared.
Kellie called Hunter over to a pile of wood she found stacked in a corner. He sorted through the pieces, and toward the bottom he found a piece cut in the shape of an old fashioned wooden coffin.
“You were right. There are bodies buried on this property.”
“Do we call your Uncle Mike now?”
“No, I know the old man had more hidden. This is too easy. We’ll come back next weekend with the right tools and look under the loose floorboards. It was his favorite hiding place. We’ll also tear out the walls of the closet.”
“Then we’ll report what we found. I don’t want to get arrested for withholding information in whatever crime this might be.” Hunter tossed the wood back onto the pile.
“Okay,” Kellie agreed. “If we don’t find more answers, I’ll turn the page and box of rings over to my Uncle Mike. I wish I had the letters, but at least we’ve all read them so Uncle Mike will believe us.”
“Good thing, it’s another crazy Malone story. I wonder when it will end.”
They returned upstairs and found Drew sitting in the same place. “It’s about time, this marble is cold. I also don’t appreciate you playing games, Kellie.”
“What?” She scowled at him.
“You were laughing at me while I was sitting here.”
“I’ve been with Taylor and Hunter the entire time. You’re hearing things.” She strode toward the front door, and left Drew mumbling about being miserable.
Drew realized the other three had left the building and he was alone. He jumped up, and ran out to get to the SUV before Kellie left him behind.
As the SUV pulled out onto the road to head home, soft voices echoed through the asylum.
“They left us alone.”
“They said they will come back.”
“They said they will bring tools to search.”
“Do you think they will find it?”
“Yes, we will help them.”
“Do you think they will find us?”
“Yes, we will help them. The girl wants to find us.”
“How can we help them?”
“We could make the roses bloom in the snow again.”
“I like that. Each of us could have our own roses.”
“Yes, and they will find us and send us home.”
“I do hope you are right, Veronica.”
Chapter Twenty-eight
The four arrived home later than they anticipated. Cole and Andrea were finishing their lunch when they walked into the dining room. Drew wandered into the kitchen to inquire about lunch. The girls and Hunter sat at the table with Cole and Andrea. Drew hurried back into the dining room declaring, “Mrs. K. has lunch ready for us. I’m starving.” He pulled out his chair and sat down.
Cole smiled and said, “I’m so glad you guys are home. Maybe you can answer the question.”
“Cole!” Andrea’s eyes widened.
“Please Andrea, listen guys. Is it wrong of me to ask the doctor when Andrea and I can start enjoying our honeymoon?” He raised his eyebrows and smiled.
Andrea covered her face with her hands, and dropped her head to the table.
Kellie bit her lip to keep from smiling, and walked out of the dining room.
“Umm, Cole, this might be better discussed between you and Andrea,” Drew suggested.
“But she won’t discuss it. I need you guys.”
“Then we’ll talk alone after lunch,” said Hunter.
“Okay, told ya, honey, they’ll agree with me.”
Kellie and Taylor returned to the dining room. Andrea’s bright red cheeks began to lighten. Lunch without more sex talk was enjoyed by all. After lunch the guys went to the library to talk. Andrea had questions about their trip to the asylum.
“You’re going back next weekend. Weren’t you afraid?”
“No, there was no one there, and it was so quiet. No weird noises or voices. It’s a big abandoned building, but I believe it’s holding secrets. The old man loved to write things in code and keep his little notes. He also kept souvenirs which is why he had the rings.” She sighed and placed her arms on the table. “I’m hoping once I find the rest of the information he has hidden, my Uncle Mike can find someone to search for and identify the bodies,” Kellie leaned her cheek on her closed hand.
“You really believe the owners of those rings are buried on the property?” Andrea crossed her arms and tapped her fingers on her arms. “It’s hard to believe a person could do that, but then he did attack Cole with a sword. Umm, I mean his spirit attacked Cole. I guess being evil in life helped him be evil in death. It gives me the creeps.”
“That’s why we’re trying to keep this from Cole. I can tell he wants to get back to doing more than sitting and healing. I don’t want him involved. He’s been hurt enough. I feel so bad.” Kellie placed her elbows on the table, crossed her hands in front of her mouth and fought back tears. “I never meant for Cole to be hurt.”
“I know and so does Cole,” Andrea said. “I found him staring at me while I was sleeping this morning. He thinks he’s stronger than he is, and wants life to be back to normal.”
“Maybe you should let him ask the doctor about making love. If the doctor says no, Cole may accept it better.”
“I hope so,” Andrea smiled. “I love him, but he’ll drive me crazy before he’s completely well. He doesn’t have the strength yet, and he could damage all the grafts in his arm. I’m worried he’ll do something dumb.”
########
After lunch, the guys disappeared into the library to watch their beloved sports; the girls feeling abandoned decided to go shopping.
“An afternoon at the mall is exactly what we need,” Kellie said.
Kellie pulled into a parking spot and stopped. “Why did you park at this end of the mall?” asked Taylor. “You always go in the other end first so you can grab a hot pretzel at the kiosk.”
“I’m full from Mrs. K.’s lunch. Maybe I’ll want one when we shop all the stores in between here and there. I also felt drawn to this end. Lately I have been giving in to what I feel when the feeling hits.”
“Oh no. No talking about odd feelings. We’re only shopping.” Andrea said.
“You’re right, only shopping. Let’s go.”
They entered the mall and Kellie noticed a new store. “Look, there’s a new antique store. Let’s look. You never know what they might have that would look great in the house.” She hurried in the direction of the antique store.
Andrea followed her. Taylor made a face, but also followed. She preferred everything in her home to be new and modern.
Kellie weaved through the tables and displays not paying much attention. Something on the back wall had her attention and pulled
her closer. She stopped in front of a huge curio cabinet filled with delicate figurines.
“May I help you?” asked the middle aged sales clerk. “I own this shop and know many details about each of the items we sell.”
“Thank you,” said Kellie her eyes glued to a lovely porcelain figurine of a young woman in a pale cream dress. The figurine was about ten inches high and intricately molded. Its blonde hair, gentle features, and delicate hands holding a single red rose intrigued Kellie.
“That particular style of figurine was popular in the thirties and forties. This one was a gift. It is signed from mother to daughter, and I believed the date was 1945,” the sales clerk explained.
“May I see it? It reminds me of a portrait of my mother.”
“Certainly,” the woman unlocked the cabinet and removed the figurine. She handed it to Kellie.
Kellie was charmed by the figurine. Warmth flowed through her when she held it. A feeling of connection encircled her. Not the connection she felt with her mother’s spirit, but there was a feeling she couldn’t explain. Turning it over, she saw hand written words on the bottom, “To Veronica, Love Mother, 1945.” Kellie felt compelled to take it home.
“I’ll take it.”
“Very good. I’ll wrap it for you.” The clerk headed to the front counter.
Kellie meandered through the store, but nothing else caught her eye. She paid for her purchase and picked up the bag. “Can you tell me where the figurine came from? It’s very beautiful and delicate.”
“Yes, it was found in an old trunk in the attic of a large turn-of-the-century home in the next county north of here. I purchased most of the belongings from the attic at an estate sale. The last of the Wheeler family wanted to move out of state, and put the estate on the market.”
“Thank you,” Kellie smiled. “It’s nice to know where the antiques come from. My house is full of them.”
“Oh, do you live around here?”
“Yes, in the Malone mansion.”
The woman’s eyes brightened as she handed Kellie her business card, “If you ever need to sell anything, please call me. I know the mansion holds some beautiful objects.”
“If I do need to sell, I’ll call.” Kellie placed the card in her purse and left the store.
“I’m glad you are through in there, the place even smells old,” Taylor said wrinkling her nose.
Andrea laughed, “No it doesn’t. It was filled with lovely things that Cole would break the first day.”
Their next stop was the lingerie shop, and Taylor’s idea of the perfect place to shop.
Kellie and Taylor were having a good time going through the sexy items as Andrea quietly found the perfect red teddy. She was as excited as Cole for the day they could make love again. She blushed as she paid for it and Kellie and Taylor walked up before the young sales clerk could place it in the bag.
“I have one exactly like that in black. It drives Hunter crazy,” Taylor said. “Cole will love it.” Andrea blushed deeper, grabbed the bag and left the store.
“Don’t tease her, she’s not used to you the way I am,” Kellie said trying to hide her amusement.
They found Andrea meandering in a dress shop. She was staying clear of any of the evening wear. Kellie poked Taylor in the ribs, “I think you embarrassed her more than we thought.”
They walked through several more stores. Taylor spent thirty minutes and a small fortune in the kitchen store buying all the gadgets she hoped for but didn’t receive as wedding gifts.
They had worked up enough of an appetite to each buy a pretzel. They sat, rested, ate, and chatted about little things. Andrea glanced down the long hall leading to the opposite side of the mall and said, “I guess we’ll be working off these pretzels by walking back to the car.” They meandered through a few more shops and made several more purchases.
########
The girls carried all their purchases into the parlor. Curious, the guys wandered in to see what they bought. Andrea hid her bag. Taylor’s kitchen gadgets were spread all over the coffee table. Placing the figurine on the fireplace mantel below her mother’s painting, Kellie smiled
“What the hell is all of that?” Hunter asked.
“I’m going to learn how to cook,” Taylor gleamed with excitement and happiness. Her eyes shined as Hunter sank onto the sofa and groaned, “Help me.”
Kellie admired her purchase. She felt it was the perfect accent and there was something more she didn’t understand. Why was this particular figurine so important to her?
“Looks like your mother.” Drew commented.
“I know. It was part of the Wheeler estate. It’s dated 1945, a gift for a girl named Veronica from her mother.” She cocked her head and laid it on her right shoulder while looking at the figurine. She repeated the action to her left side. There was something about the figurine. Maybe, she thought, it’s the red rose and the dress. They remind me of my mother. No, there was something more, but what. She couldn’t explain it.
########
A soft voice echoed through the empty asylum. “She bought your doll, Veronica.”
A second voice answered, “Yes, and she is connected to it. She feels my presence.”
“Will that help us?”
“Yes, she will recognize the same feeling when she comes back.”
“How will that help?”
“She will know I am here. She knows my name.”
“Oh, Veronica. She will help us.”
“Yes, I think she will.”
“She will help us all.”
“We will help her find us.”
“But two of us are gone.”
“She will find them, too”
“Are you sure?”
“The evil one kept notes. She will read them.”
“I cannot wait to leave this place.”
“I know.”
A muttering of many voices echoed through the halls. Birds in nearby trees took to the air and squirrels scampered away. Silence consumed the asylum again.
########
Kellie went to class Monday morning, but her mind wasn’t on what her professor was saying. Her mind was walking the halls of the asylum. It was wandering the grounds speculating if there truly were bodies buried there. She would have to look at the journal page again to see if the codes she read could be directions. A stop at her other house was in order before she went home. Making a copy and keeping the original out of Drew’s hands was necessary. While Kellie contemplated what she was going to do, Drew was busy at work.
Drew stopped his boss in the hall, “Excuse me, sir. I have a question, if you have a moment.”
“Of course, what can I do for you?”
“A friend mentioned to me that the old ‘Petal Gate Asylum’ was once used for illegal purposes. He said people were kept there against their will. Do you have any idea if that’s true?”
Drew turned the folder he was holding over and over while waiting for the answer.
His boss answered, “There have been rumors for years that terrible things went on there, but that’s all it is—rumors. If there had been any illicit business there the police would have found out. Kids love to tell stories and each generation they grow. I understand now people believe it’s haunted and bodies are buried on the grounds.”
Drew laughed, “That’s what I thought. How do these rumors get started?” He hoped his boss wouldn’t see his shaky hands. He was worried about losing his job. He was sure his boss thought he was an idiot for asking.
His boss slapped him on the back. “Good question, Adamson. You never know when a patient may ask a question or have visited that place and have gotten spooked. You know how teens can be.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”
Drew rushed to his office, closed the door, and leaned against it. Working at slowing his breathing, he was becoming angrier with Kellie over the crazy things she does. He threw the file across the room, punched his book case, and shook his hand regretting the a
ction.
########
Kellie stopped at her former home on her way to the mansion. When they moved, Drew left his old copier/printer behind. She made two copies of the journal page. The copies could have been clearer, but they were good enough for her to read. She hid the original back in its hiding place and headed home.
None of the others were around when she arrived. She took a few minutes to look over the journal page. She knew she was right. After the initials, diagnosis, and date were the letters and either the word “back” or “side.” She was now convinced the twenty names were victims, and they were all buried on the asylum property. Some were buried behind the asylum and some on the side or both sides. The letters for the directions would help the police. When she found anything the old man had left behind, she would turn the original page over to her Uncle Mike.
The mansion was quiet. Cole woke from his nap and took the elevator down to the first floor. Needing Troy to push him frustrated Cole. He tried, but couldn’t move the wheel chair with only one arm.
Kellie hid the copies she made in with her class papers. She saw Cole in the parlor and joined him.
“Hi, how was your day?”
“Better now, it gets boring around here when all of you leave. Maybe I can go back to work part-time. I need to do something. I’m asking the doctor on Friday among other things.”
Kellie smiled. “Your mom and dad are welcome here anytime. They could visit and help with some of the boredom.”
“No way,” Cole cringed. “I love them, but my mom hovers. Last time she was here she tried to feed me.”
“Okay, no parents.” Kellie chuckled.
The dining room door opened and Andrea walked through. Cole brightened up immediately. “Hi hon, I missed you today. How are you feeling?” Andrea asked.
“I feel great, want to go upstairs for a while,” he grinned at her.
“Cole, please be patient.”
OLD MAN MALONE RETURNS Page 27