by Alexie Aaron
They’ve been looking for me for twelve years! I screamed in anguish and received a backhand from Robert. My husband Niles, having only recently survived a stroke, just sat there and drooled. Robert took me into the gray room and left me to rot for four days. I was so weak after, I was unable to leave my room for a month. The first day I could manage it, I went downstairs and opened Mary’s special cabinet. I poisoned Robert. It looked like a heart attack, but much more painful, I assure you. I was surprised to inherit the house and property. Although he was left with a considerable fund, John was furious. But the lawyers were firm, and with no love lost between us, I asked him and his family to leave. Two weeks later, my dear husband died in his sleep. It was a blessing the doctor said. Pillows, bless them, are handy tools.
I received this book from Mary before she died. I never looked at it before today and was not surprised to find her little improvements to both gardens. This house reeks with despair.
“There is nothing until ‘Transplanting,’ would you like me to continue?” Mia cleared her voice.
In 1992, I engaged a private detective to research my - Tammy Peters - past. I also wanted him to find out if I had any kin. He found that I had a young female relative living in DeKalb, Illinois, a Caroline Peters. I made plans to see her but had to cancel them when I became ill. We did manage to become friendly. I pretended to be an old school friend of Tammy Peters. We wrote letters for a while, and then I asked her to spend some time with me here at the mansion.
It was wonderful. She brought such joy and life to the place. Caroline chased the shadows away. I no longer heard the creaking of the stairs or felt hot breath on the back of my neck at night. One evening she took me aside and wanted to confess a secret she had told no one else. I was quite taken aback that she trusted me with her secret. She had a child out of wedlock! In this day and age it wasn’t a big deal, but she suffered from a nervous condition, and after a few short weeks she put her son up for adoption. I agreed it was a good idea. I asked her if she knew who adopted her boy, and she did not.
Caroline’s nervous condition turned out to be Lupus, and I lost her a year ago. I decided to search for her son and make sure he was thriving.
“Stunted Growth.”
Hagan Fowler, dear sweet boy, I found you only to lose you to madness. I blame myself for letting the Bonners control my life. If I had not, I would have been your mother when Caroline could not. I hate them and everything they stood for. I will do everything possible to help you. It doesn’t look good. What possessed you to kill your family? Is our evil genetic?
I am in anger. I found out that your adopted father beat you, your adopted mother and your adopted siblings. The woman had no place to go. Why didn’t she just… but that’s a crime I share too. I could have changed things.
My lawyers are working on a plan. They promise me you can be released on parole soon.
“There’s one last bit. It’s under, ‘Starting Over.’”
Sometimes a garden plays out. Sometimes the soil goes bad. The gardens here have been corrupted with pain and evil. I know you will be strong and wield your axe and destroy the trees, pull the plants and plow them under. I saw Mary moving amongst the roses today. She wore the widow’s weeds we buried her in. Richard too has been moving through the house. He thinks I cannot see him, but I do. Elly comes and cries for her love. I cannot help her although I suspect he is near. In most every room is a memory of my part in this planting. What seed did I sow? I will not meet my maker, as I choose instead to die a corrupted death. I need to atone for my killing Robert and Niles Gruber. When you think of me, if you ever do, think of me kindly, for in my way I truly loved you. With sincere regret, Tammy Peters.
“That’s all there is. Did the journals we found tell you anything more?” Mia asked, setting the book down.
“No, just that we could tell there were two Eleanors but not why.” Audrey looked at Mia and hesitated but decided to ask anyway, “Did you get a chance to look at the things we brought out of the porn pit?”
“I opened the sealed package with much trepidation,” Mia explained. “If John didn’t hide his horrible pictures and devices but hid this journal, it must have contained something horrible. I was sitting downstairs babysitting Richard when my curiosity got the better of me, and I pulled the wax paper package out of my backpack. The Cliffs Notes version is this: Richard demanded his wife discipline Robert and John when they broke the rules. Since they were his heirs, they would only be subjected to a rod to the backside or a bare hand on a bare rump. They did not spend days in the gray room like the females of the house did. During one canning when John was in his teens, he became aroused, and Mary was horrified and stopped. She left the room upset. She sent Robert in to finish the punishment. John had already climaxed. This disturbed Robert so much he never talked to his brother again.”
“John sought out willing women who would participate in this behavior with him. The kick of doing it within yards of Robert’s and his mother’s bedroom added to the taboo and excitement. He soon tired of this restrictive behavior and moved on to clubs. His wife was a former mistress from a Chicago S&M club where they met and fell in love,” Mia finished and sat down.
“If it matters to anyone, I could find no evidence that Richard sexually abused his children. John seemed to have inherited his perverse joy in being hurt and hurting others. The abuse seems to have died out, as David and his sister seem quite normal for spoiled rich kids,” Alan enlightened them. “Eleanor’s case is a sad one. I hope both of them will find peace.”
“What about the others, the jazz quartet, the three other unidentified corpses?” Cid asked.
“I don’t know if we will ever know. Is it really necessary?” Alan asked. “DNA has been taken. Father Santos will have them buried as soon as the coroner releases them. The Bonners will have to be told about the gold we found. I will offer to help them with their claim, in trade for them dropping any new claims on this property. The house will be renovated for the shelter, if our assessor clears it?” Alan looked at Audrey.
“Let’s let the house rest for a week, and then let me take another tour. Hagan will still be in the hospital so we have the time,” Audrey assured them. “I think it’s going to be a damned great place. I can feel the difference already.”
“There are some very dangerous passages in this house. I’m sure I didn’t find them all,” Mia warned.
“Maybe you could consult with the renovation architect when the time comes?” Alan suggested.
“I can do that if we aren’t on another case,” Mia said.
“Good. Mike, aside from you cashing the law firm’s check, I think PEEPs is finished here. I thank you for your courage, time, patience and laughter. I will recommend you if the opportunity arises. Brenda, my assistant, would like to talk to Mia soon about her little problem. Other than that, I wish you well. May your investigations be easier than this one.”
“And in a ranch house,” Mia added.
Burt started laughing.
Ted picked up Mia and tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “Come on, before you get us fired,” Ted said.
Mia waved at the others and whistled for Murphy on her way out.
Chapter Forty-four
Ted and Mia walked through the awakening woods. Mia stopped to point out some early crocuses. “I think we should plant some of these next fall around Murph’s grave.”
Ted quivered inside. Mia was making plans for them as far as the fall. This gave him the courage that had failed him in the restaurant the previous evening. “Mia, you have given me so much joy. I can’t believe that you love me. I love you so much.”
Mia turned around and looked up at Ted. “You have given me courage, support and a love that fills me up. I wake up in the morning and think about you. Wanting to know what you’re up to.”
“I thought you had stalker tendencies,” Ted said.
“You should talk, with your GPS,” Mia said holding up her necklace
. “I guess we are kind of alike. During an investigation, nothing gives me greater joy than to hear your voice in my ear. I remember so many times, when with just a word from you, I felt I could do anything. I am sorry things went the way they did in Chicago, Ted. It was just me playing out a childhood fantasy. Even Burt knew I screwed up.”
“None of that matters. I know you love me. Maybe I wouldn’t be so sure of your love if you still had your crush on Whitney. Father Santos says that God directs us. He put you in my way, and I kept getting in your way until you realized I was there for you.”
“I’m a very bad catch,” Mia said. “I have baggage you wouldn’t believe.”
“Let me help carry some of that for you. Let me be your partner in life. I will share my life, my love and my worldly possessions with you.” Ted dropped to one knee, well aware of the dampness of the woods staining his jeans. “Mia, do me the honor of being my wife.”
Mia jumped in the air. “Yes, oh yes, yes yes yes!” She flew at him and knocked him over. They rolled down the hill, ending up in a patch of the very flowers they were looking at moments before.
Ted kissed her and she responded. “Ted, I will marry you. I will be your partner in life. I will share my life, my love and my worldly possessions with you.”
Ted was amazed she repeated his words perfectly. “I made this for you. It will fit under your glove when you’re working,” Ted said, pulling a ring he had made himself from his jeans pocket. He placed it on her finger and breathed a sigh of relief that it fit.
Mia held up her hand and looked at the tiny lacework design. “It looks like a new canopy of leaves. It’s perfect.”
“It’s what I saw the first time I asked God for you. I looked up and saw this brilliant light coming through the leaves.”
“You asked God for me? Like I would like to have a new bike kind of asking?”
“Yes. It worked.”
“It did, didn’t it?”
“I asked Bernard and Ralph too. You know when I was supposed to be out getting you the rock salt for the sawed-off shotgun?”
“Yes.”
“I was in Bernard’s office asking him and Ralph for permission to ask you to marry me.”
“Really, oh that must have touched them. You are a dear to do that, Teddy Bear.”
“I also asked Murphy and Burt.”
Mia sat up and looked down at him. “Now this intrigues me.”
“I didn’t want either of them to find out from someone else. They both love you and, in a way, lost you. I wanted to let them know that I would always be there for you and protect you.”
“Neither of them said a thing,” Mia mused. “Of course Murph’s not much for talking, but Burt’s like an old gossipy woman.” Mia opened her eyes wide. “This isn’t because of what Father Santos said is it?”
“No! Yes, no. I did overhear your private conversation,” Ted admitted. “Hearing it made me realize that I wanted to be the one to protect you, worry about you and be your dark knight. But I wanted to do this forever.”
“Phew! For a moment I thought you were being conned into marrying me. A sawed-off shotgun type of wedding.”
“I assure you that it comes from my heart.” Ted got to his feet and took her hand. Of course, you’ll have to go with me and meet my parents. They are going to love you and tell you horrible things about me, all of which are true.”
“You wouldn’t mind if we didn’t do anything with mine but invite them to the wedding? They probably won’t come, anyway.”
“As far as I’m concerned, Ralph and Bernard are your parents.”
“I’m so excited. I’m marrying a genius! I’ll sell the sanctuary to Burt.”
“You don’t have to do that. I could live there.”
“The reason I needed the sanctuary was that I was alone. I had no one to protect me. No one that cared if I made it home at night, so I built a cage and put myself in it.”
“It’s in a beautiful spot, but not big enough for a family, is it?” Ted said. “The farmhouse will give us room to grow. Plus, we have a unique kind of history here.”
“The funny thing is I’ve always liked Murph’s house even when it was haunted. It’s where I first met the PEEPs. Although in the beginning I didn’t like you guys at all. Murphy did though. Where is Murphy? Seems like he’s been avoiding us.”
“He and Cid are working on a new addition. They scrapped the one story and think that an apartment for Cid over the office would be nice. That way when he’s here, he won’t bother us newlyweds.”
“It’s because I snore, isn’t it?”
“Partly yes. And that you are so loud when…”
“Ted!”
“See what I mean. So you want to go back and send the boys out for ice cream while we celebrate?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“I’m the man with the plan, yes ma’am.”
They heard a faint whistling echoing throughout the wood as they walked. To Ted it sounded like the Wedding March. To Mia it sounded like approval. Her eyes teared up, and she sent her thanks to the man with the axe in the woods.
***
Alexie Aaron
After traveling the world, Alexie Aaron, a Midwestern native, returned to her roots where she’s been haunting for years. She now lives in a village outside of Chicago with her husband and family.
Her popular Haunted Series was born from her memories of fleeting shapes rushing around doorways, an heirloom chair that rocked itself, cold feelings of mysterious dread, and warm feelings from the traces of loved ones long gone.
Alexie also writes the Cin Fin-Lathen Mysteries. These cozies set in England and south Florida combine action and intrigue with a liberal dose of humor.