OLD MAN MALONE RETURNS

by Marianne Spitzer

  “You kids have fun, I’m going upstairs.” Kellie wasn’t sure they heard her.

  ########

  The guilt she felt was consuming her. She had to try and make right some of what her grandfather had done. Knowing both Drew and Cole’s agencies were always short on funds especially for patient needs, she wanted to help. Drew worked for the county, and they usually could come up with some additional funds, but Cole’s agency was private. Cole worked with children under ten. He told her at that age they are shy, and don’t always tell the entire story. They can fall through the cracks in the system, and there isn’t enough money to help them all. She had come up with an amount her grandfather and Mr. Morgan had made from the pages she was able to read before Drew destroyed them. Donating that amount was her plan.

  Kellie phoned Mr. Crawford, her attorney. She knew most of what had happened would make the news and she confided in Mr. Crawford.

  “What I’d like to do is donate the illegal sum those men made to the County Mental Health Society and Oaklin Counseling Center. I’d like to donate it anonymously, make it clear that it’s for patient needs, and not for new additions to the buildings, etc. Yes, I’d like forty percent to go to the County and the other sixty percent to the private center. They need more help.”

  “That is not a problem. Deliver a check to my office, and I‘ll make sure the funds are given according to your specifications. I will ask for an accounting of the funds to be sure they were used for patient needs.”

  Kellie dropped back on her bed, “Thanks. I’ll drop a check off tomorrow. Please bill me for your time. Good bye.” She breathed a sigh of relief that the horror that was her grandfather would be rectified, at least in part.

  “Who was that?” Drew asked.

  He was standing in the doorway listening and Kellie jumped at his voice.

  “You scared the hell out of me.”

  “That’s what you get for playing around with spirits. You get jumpy. Why do you need to give someone a check?”

  She explained her plans.

  Drew’s face turned red and he balled his fists, “I’m tired of you acting like a child, grow up. You can’t save the world.”

  They argued back and forth for over twenty minutes. Taylor and Hunter could hear them in their apartment. Kellie threw her pillow across the bedroom, got off the bed, and headed out of the room. Drew’s voice echoed in the large foyer as he followed her down the stairs. They were sure the help could also hear them.

  Taylor asked, “Why is Drew being so cruel to her? A year ago he would’ve been supportive. He acts as if he hates living here, and everything she does. I thought finding a job would help him.”

  “I think he began to change when Kellie lost the baby, and Cole was attacked. It might be more than he can handle. Maybe he feels guilty.”

  “Then he needs counseling. Kellie lost that child, too. She isn’t going off the deep end.”

  “I’ll try talking to him.”

  They heard Drew’s voice booming again. “I will not sleep in Cole or Hunter’s old room. The bedroom is as much mine as yours. We’re married, remember?”

  “How can I forget, but evidentially you forgot you had to be a big man before we got married. Do you remember when you said no wife of yours was going to support you, and we had to draw up that stupid pre-nup?”

  “Yeah, so?” He scowled at her.

  “So, this is my house, and I don’t want you in my room.”

  Hunter and Taylor heard a lot of foul language as they heard Drew stomp down the hall and another bedroom door slam. Then the mansion became eerily quiet. The ticking of the grandfather clock was all that could be heard.

  Drew didn’t come down to dinner. It was a quiet meal. None of the friends spoke, they looked at their plates as they ate. Everyone disappeared to their rooms shortly after dessert was served.

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  The week passed quickly and Saturday morning was sunny and fairly warm. It reminded Kellie of the previous Saturday. At least they wouldn’t freeze when they went to the asylum. Kellie smelled coffee. She dressed and hurried to the dining room. Taylor and Hunter were sitting with Drew at the table. Kellie was surprised to see Drew; he had slept each night in Hunter’s old room. It was his choice. He told Kellie he needed a little space to think. She was hurt, but didn’t want to argue again. She had already apologized once.

  “Good morning, everyone ready?”

  “I am,” said Taylor. Drew remained silent. Taylor shrugged at Kellie.

  Hunter said, “Yes, eat first and we can leave. I put every type of tool I could think of in the back of your SUV.”

  “Great.” She ate her waffle and drank her strawberry smoothie. She and Taylor chatted while Kellie drank her coffee. Taking the last sip, she said, “Let’s go.”

  She was glad Drew was coming along. Maybe things would get better between them. Kellie tried to smile at Drew, but it was hard when he ignored her. He stood and slowly walked to get his coat. Mumbling to himself, he pulled on his boots. Kellie frowned. She thought perhaps he should stay home.

  ########

  “Veronica, look. That strange red vehicle is coming down the road. She did come back.”

  Kellie saw the asylum loom up in front of her, but it was no longer frightening. She wasn’t afraid of ghosts or evil. She felt calm. Something beckoned her. Was it a feeling, a premonition, or hope of finding clues, she wasn’t sure. The closer she came to the building, the stronger the feeling became. Kellie knew they were not alone. Something unearthly lived in the asylum. She pulled up and parked. Her excitement grew as she left the vehicle.

  “I told you she would sense my presence. I can tell from here that she feels us, and is not afraid.”

  Taylor and Kellie ran up the stairs to the front doors. Their trepidation gone, they were ready to investigate.

  Drew grabbed a few tools and headed for the smaller offices. Maybe, Kellie thought, he’s only here to prove that I’m wrong.

  Hunter pulled a large tool box out of the back of the SUV, and followed the girls. He found them in the large office on the first floor.

  Kellie said, “I believe the old man would hide something in here. It’s the nicest of the rooms and speaks of class. The old man thought he had class. He was wrong.”

  Hunter began pulling boards from the closet walls while Kellie and Taylor did their best to look for a hiding place under the floorboards. They were dirty and some were warped, but they continued to look. Kellie used a large claw hammer to pull the floor boards away from the wall. Taylor did her best to pull desk drawers apart looking for secret spaces.

  “Ouch” yelled Hunter when he hit his thumb while trying to knock boards loose inside the closet. By the time Kellie had ripped away the floorboards and Taylor dismantled the desk drawers, Hunter announced the closet didn’t have any hiding places he could find.

  “Maybe under the desk? It looks as if it hasn’t been moved,” Taylor suggested.

  The three pushed it out of the way. Hunter studied the floor. It was dusty and dirty. They did their best to sweep off the dust with a few old rags they found. Finally, Hunter pointed to a board that wasn’t loose, but didn’t appear to fit properly.

  Hunter grabbed a tire iron and popped the board off. It flew several feet across the room. The three stood and looked at the floor. There was an opening under where the board had been.

  Hunter said, “There might be something in there.”

  “I’m not putting my hand in there,” squealed Taylor. “Remember the mouse we saw?”

  Kellie dropped to her knees and looked into the back of the opening. It held a leather bound journal.

  Kellie reached for the journal and pulled it out from under the floor board. She flipped it open. Much of the information it contained was accounting for payments to employees and merchants. There were several pages that listed patients, but there was a difference. At the end of the line the word “released” was added. It seemed as if it was a general
journal. Why would it have been hidden so well? Kellie twisted her lips as she looked through it once again.

  Kellie sighed and said, “No more dead bodies thank goodness. I think we have found all there is.” A loose sheet of paper fell from the back of the journal. Kellie glanced over the page. He eyes grew large; she inhaled, and held her breath. When she exhaled she insisted, “Get Drew, he has to hear this, too.”

  Hunter ran to the door and yelled down the hall for Drew. He ran to the office where Kellie was, “What’s the matter? What’s wrong?”

  “Please listen to this. It isn’t dated, but it’s written in the old man’s hand. When I thought he couldn’t have gotten any more evil, we learn this.” Her hands were shaking. She walked over to an old chair and sat down. Fighting tears, she took a deep breath.

  “Read it,” Drew snapped. Kellie glared at him. She started…

  Alexander said six more women are coming tomorrow. That is over a half million dollars more. This is the best financial deal I have ever made, but it is boring. We don’t throw parties or go out to dinners to celebrate. He goes home to his family, and I stay here doing book work, sit in a bar where all I can find are whores, or go home alone. The women here may be disrespectful, but they are from decent families. They are good women in need of a few lessons. Maybe I need to make friends with one or two. Maybe I need a party of my own. There are two women in the activity room.

  There’s a second entry, but no date on this one either,” said Kellie and she continued to read aloud.

  Something went terribly wrong. All I wanted was a party with the pretty ladies. They laughed at me. I returned with two syringes full of tranquilizer and tackled them both. I couldn’t party here, they would scream. They were asleep and I carried them out the back into the dark, and put them in the back seat of my car. I drove home.

  “Oh my God, the old man brought them to the mansion.” Her hands continued to tremble.

  The younger one didn’t move when I got home. I decided to take her upstairs first, but as I pulled her from the car, I realized she was dead. Too much tranquilizer. What was I to do? I carried her to the cellar. I would take care of the body after my party. I returned to the car. The other woman was beginning to wake. She struggled. I was stronger, but she hit her head on the car frame and passed out. I pulled her out and there was so much blood. She was dead, too. My party was ruined. I wrapped her in a sheet from the house and carried her to the cellar. I rinsed away the blood and went into the library and poured myself a scotch. After my second, I decided I should bury them. The staff would be off until Monday morning, but why take the chance. Father could return early from his business trip.

  “This is terrible beyond belief. He killed two women and doesn’t care. He’s cold about it, as if it happens every day. How could he be that way?” Kellie held the paper in her right hand and rubbed her temple with her left. She fought tears.

  “Hurry up and read,” Drew snapped.

  “Shut up,” she screamed at him. “Can’t you understand how horrible this is?”

  Drew stood, shoved his hands in his pockets, and leaned against the wall.

  I buried them on top of each other to save room. The gardener kept a box of lye. I sprinkled it over the bodies, and tossed the empty box in the hole. I chose the corner of the cellar where we planned to build walls to divide the cellar into storage sections. For the first time I was grateful to Father for forcing me to work manual labor during my summers. Knowing how to lay brick saved me. I built a six foot long wall in the corner of the cellar. I built a second three foot wall connected to the longer wall. The cement would be dry before the brick layers arrive next week to work on the cellar. I bought more brick the following morning. I paid a steeper price, but they delivered the brick immediately.

  “Here’s the next entry,” her voice was shaking.

  Success. Father arrived home late Sunday. I told him I had been looking at the cellar. He agreed that we did not need additional rooms in the cellar. If we walled off the larger section, we could use the small section for the wine cellar. It would be easier to control the environment, and give us access to the tunnel. Father agreed. He told me I was brilliant. I now know I am. I can do anything. The wall will be built this week. The bodies will never be found.

  Fighting tears, Kellie said, “There is one last entry.”

  The wall has been built. It is solid. It has been two weeks since the women were reported missing. It is believed they ran away. The next party will take place here, in the basement, with fewer tranquilizers.

  “That’s the end of the journal entry. We need to go back to the mansion. I have to call Uncle Mike. There may be twenty bodies buried out here, but there are two in my basement. I can’t stay in that place for another night.” She tossed her keys at Drew. “You drive.” The four hurried out to the SUV and headed home.

  “Veronica, they know, they know. They’ll find us.”

  “I am very hopeful they will.”

  “Now we know that Maggie and Barbara did not run away. He killed them.”

  “Don’t cry. They will find them, and the girl will make sure they are buried properly. She has a good soul.”

  “Will we be buried properly?”

  “Yes, she will see to it”

  The voices in the asylum quieted.

  On the drive home, Kellie left a message for her Uncle Mike to meet her at her house as soon as he could. She called the Royal Hotel and booked three suites. She dialed information.

  “Now who are you calling?” Drew asked.

  She ignored him. “The number for Oaklin Realty please. Thank you.” She pressed the ########2 key to be connected. “Hello, my name is Kellie Conley-Adamson. I am in the market for two homes. I would prefer if they were large. Four bedrooms each. Also, I would like them to be on the same street or as close as possible. Yes, it’ll be a cash transaction, and I’d like to close as soon as possible. You can reach me at this number. Thank you very much.” She ended the call and looked at Taylor. “We’re not spending another night in that house, and we can’t live in the hotel forever. We’ll find those houses we wanted.”

  Taylor asked, “What about Cole and Andrea?”

  “I’ll buy them a house, too, if they want one.”

  “You can’t keep doing things like this. Buying homes, giving huge amounts of money to charity, buying whatever you want. You’ll go broke,” Drew insisted.

  “Drew, stop sounding like a worry wart. I have an excellent investment councilor thanks to Hunter’s recommendation. Last year my investments paid me much more than two houses will cost. We’re financially stable and well off.” She smiled at him. He glared back.

  “You’re crazy, Kellie, and getting worse each day.” He hit the steering wheel.

  “Shut up, I told you before; if you’re not happy—leave.” She gripped the arm rest and stared out the window. Fighting back the tears she felt forming, she wasn’t going to let him see how much he hurt her.

  Hunter and Taylor cuddled in the back seat. Hunter bit his lip, and Taylor fought back tears. Drew had been so cruel to Kellie lately. She didn’t understand it. How could he hurt her that way?

  Chapter Thirty

  It was time to inform Cole about everything that had been going on. They couldn’t keep him in the dark any longer. When they arrived home, Hunter spoke to Cole and Andrea in the library. He explained about the bodies most likely buried at the asylum. Andrea didn’t try to hide her tears. She dropped her head into her hands and sobbed. Cole rubbed her back with his good hand. He stared at Hunter without a sound while he listened. He pulled Andrea close to him. Drew disappeared upstairs, and Taylor waited with Kellie for their Uncle Mike to arrive.

  Detective Stellion arrived thirty minutes later. He listened to Kellie explain what she has learned about the asylum. His face grew pale as he stared at her. She handed him the journal page about the bodies buried in the basement.

  “You know what this means? We have to look in the basemen
t, and they will cut into those walls.”

  “I hope so and the sooner the better. What about the bodies on the asylum property? Will someone look for them?”

  “That’s the sheriff’s job, but yes with this amount of information, they’ll most likely do a cadaver search.”

  Taylor shuddered at the word. Kellie began to cry.

  “I’m related to a cold-blooded killer. What does that make me?” She leaned on Taylor and began to sob. The old man had finally gotten to her.

  “It makes you the beloved daughter of Donna and Larry Conley, and from what I have learned, you are also the beloved daughter of Alexis Malone. Frederick Malone is an ancestor that you should purge from your memory forever.”

  She stood, wiped her tears, and hugged her Uncle Mike. “Thank you. That’s what I’ll do. I’ll rid him from my life for good. We can’t stay here. We’ll be at the Royal Hotel. After what we’ve been through, we could use some pampering. Here are my keys for the garage and shed and the code for the key pad. Do what you have to do to find the bodies. I don’t want to be here.”

  He hugged her. “I’ll be here. I’ll take care of things. You relax.”

  “Will you let me know what they find, and what they are going to do at the asylum?”

  “Of course. I’m sure the sheriff will want to speak with you, too.”

  “Give him my number. I want this entire situation over.”

  When everyone left the house, Kellie stopped before getting into her SUV and driving down the street. A patrol officer was circling the house with yellow police crime scene tape. He wrapped it around a large oak tree on the edge of the property and walked across the front of the yard to another tree and wrapped the tape around it. He then headed up the side yard letting the tape drag behind him.

  “Fantastic,” mumbled Drew. “People will wonder what’s going on at the haunted Malone mansion again.”

  “Who cares, we’ll be at the hotel and not here.”

  “Not me, I’m going to my parents. I can’t deal with more of this.”