Soon after we were inside a gust of wind swarmed past up and slammed the door shut. It sealed with a loud bang that echoed throughout the house.
“Didn’t it do that last time?” asked Jackie.
“No wonder people think this place is haunted,” I whispered. I looked into the inky blackness. It certainly got dark when the sun went down.
“So why are we here?”
I pulled the silver key from my pocket. “This,” I replied, “We found it here last time. I’d like to know what this goes to. And I’m not leaving until I find out.”
“That’s what this is about? A stupid key?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Mel, you have done some weird things, but this—”
“Look. I know this goes to something important and I think it’s connected to the robberies that have been happening around town.”
“How do you know?”
“A hunch.”
“You’ve been watching too many cop shows.”
She had that right. I was addicted to CSI, Murder She Wrote reruns, and Law & Order. Maybe some of that stuff in the shows rubbed off on me.
“We won’t be here long. I just want to know where this key goes. If I’m wrong, I’m wrong,” I said.
We walked into the hallway and past the stairs. “I just wish this place didn’t creep me out,” said Jackie.
As if on cue, a sorrowful moaning filled the area swirling around us as it vibrated from the top floor to our ears. Another one filtered through the house to us. Neither of them helped our already nervous disposition.
I pulled her along with me. We explored the back of the house. It remained dusty and abandoned. The wood floor creaked with each movement we took. Nothing stood out, so I went back to the stairs.
“Jackie, my arm.”
Jackie released my arm from her death grip. “Sorry,” she said. “Must we go up there?”
I ignored her question and continued up the steps. Each step I took brought out a long and drawn out creak. Talk about annoying. We soon reached the top. Immediately I headed for the room that had Pen Mills’ portrait.
It remained unchanged. I went to it and took it off the wall.
“What are you doing?” asked Jackie.
“Looking for clues,” I replied.
I placed the beam of light on it. The same words remained: the secret is in the fireplace. I scanned the rest of the canvass’ back. Nothing. None of this made sense.
I grunted as I hoisted the portrait back onto the wall. It sat crookedly. Jackie came over and straightened. Then she stood back studying it.
“Move it a little to the left,” she said.
I did. Sometimes I wondered about her.
She stared at it some more. “Now a smidge to the right.”
“Jackie,” I said.
“Oh, right. Priorities.”
I stepped back and looked at the portrait again. There was something strange about it. In it, Pen Mills wore the Rose Pendant. But her right hand intrigued me. Her left hand rested in her lap, but the other was held outstretched. In it was a key.
I pulled the silver key from my pocket. I held it up to the painting to compare the two. They matched.
Jackie,” I said waving her over. “Look at this.”
She peered at the key in the picture and the one in my hand. “They seem to be the same.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“Look.” We turned around abruptly. Timothy stood behind us. “I’m sorry I lied and everything, but there is something you should know.”
Before he could finish footsteps sounded outside. Heavy boots. They moved steadily and with purpose. Jackie’s face turned white. I knew what she thought. Those sounded like the same set of footsteps that introduced us to the axe man.
We faced the door. Creak. What was it with all the creaks? Another wailing moan sounded. The door slowly swung open. Jackie and I scrunched by the wall.
Thud. Thud.
In walked the man with the axe. He walked slowly, but with purpose. His axe held high above him ready to strike. Ghost or no ghost, this guy meant business. I didn’t want to risk him actually being able to harm us.
“Timothy, do something,” I hissed.
He froze.
“Timothy!”
“I…I can’t,” said Timothy. “He’ll kill me.”
“You’re already dead,” I shouted. My arm started to go numb as Jackie latched onto me shaking in fear.
“I—” Timothy disappeared.
Great. A ghost afraid of a ghost. What next?
The man with the axe came closer. Not having any other ideas I swung my flashlight at him. It vanished, turning into a swirling vortex of dust that sizzled around us. Then, all fell quiet.
I looked around me really quick unsure of what had just happened. I bolted from the room dragging Jackie with me. She didn’t need much encouragement. We burst out of that room and charged down the steps toward the door. But instead of exiting the building I halted.
“Mel, what are you doing,” demanded Jackie.
“We can’t leave yet,” I said.
“Did you not see that guy with the axe?”
“Jackie, we can’t leave until we know where this key goes.” I went to the sitting room.
Jackie bumped into me as she followed forcing me to drop the flashlight. I picked it up. The beam of light hit the fireplace capturing my attention.
“You’ve already inspected this place before,” said Jackie.
“But there is something weird about this fireplace,” I responded, “Why would anyone engrave a bunch of snails and frogs on a fireplace?”
“Does it matter? Maybe the guy who built this place had a fascination with them.”
That made sense. Some people did like the strangest things. I ran the light over the fireplace studying the artwork, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Then, I saw it. On the top right corner of the fireplace was the engraving of a giant bull frog. Its mouth hung wide open as though it were yawning. I looked closer. Sure enough, a small hole was there just large enough for a key.
I rubbed the caked on dust off. Hastily, I placed the key into the keyhole, excitement building inside me. Jackie must have sensed that I had found something because she knelt beside me.
I turned the key. Something clicked. Jackie and I stepped back a bit as the sounds of wheels turning and a low grating noise filled the area. The back of the fireplace lifted up revealing a hole in the wall. I shined my light in.
“Come on,” I said.
We crept into the dark interior. Battery powered lanterns were everywhere. Some sat upright and I figured they were the ones that still worked. Others lay in a crumpled heap on the stone floor. A table sat on the left side of the room. Chairs were strewn about in a mishmash manner.
Bags were everywhere. I opened one up. I couldn’t believe it. It was filled with necklaces and bracelets and many other expensive jewels that went missing from the jewelry store.
Jackie opened another. “Mel, over here.”
I placed the beam of my flashlight in the bag. The bag was full of silver platters, pots, and other stuff. Another bag revealed cash.
I walked over to the table. A pair of emerald earrings rested on it. The same earrings that were stolen from the museum. In the far corner of the room was the safe from the Candle Shoppe. It’s door hung open.
“Jackie,” I pointed out the safe.
“I guess we know who stole the safe,” said Jackie.
“We need to get out of here,” I said.
“You’re not going anywhere,” said a gruff voice behind us.
We turned around. Blocking our only exit were five men and one woman. I recognized the two from the museum and the one from the telephone pole. None of them looked happy.
“What are you doing here?”
“We got lost,” said Jackie shakily.
One of the men turned on a lamp. He studied us intently.
“Give me the flas
hlight,” said the same man.
I scanned my surroundings considering my options. If we obeyed their commands we were dead. I didn’t like the situation one bit. We solved the mystery and walked right into the beast’s lair.
I flung my flashlight at the group. When they dodged I yelled for Jackie to run. I had barely made it out of the secret room when Jackie screamed. One of the men had her in a choke hold. In my moment of hesitation a pair of hands grabbed me. I struggled furiously to break free, biting and kicking.
I kneed one in the stomach. He grunted and doubled over. I swung a fist at another. It felt like I hit someone, but in my desperation to break free I never bothered to look.
Suddenly, my feet left the ground as I flew through the air and crashed onto the floor. I heard Jackie struggling, but her efforts proved equally fruitless. Winded, I glanced up at our captors. They had closed our only exit.
“This one has some fight in her,” said one of them.
Next thing I knew, someone lifted me off the floor and put me in a chair. They had put Jackie in one as well. Rope was tied around my wrists and ankles. By the time they had finished tying the both of us, we could barely move.
“Now how did you get in?” The guy speaking seemed to be the leader. He wore a hat pulled low over his brow.
“This place is never locked,” I replied.
“You know what I mean,” yelled the man, “How did you get in here? This room?”
There was no point in trying to lie or talk my way out. Jackie and I were both in a pickle. A big pickle.
“Key,” I said, “I found a key.”
“And you just happened to know which door it opened?”
“No,” I said. “A ghost told me.” That part was a lie. No one told me, but it sounded better than to say that I was snooping trying to solve the thefts they were responsible for.
“Mel,” hissed Jackie.
“Shut it, lady,” said the woman.
I really didn’t like her and her gum chewing. She also had an annoying shrill voice.
“You’re drunk,” laughed the guy in charge. “A ghost told you. Now that’s a good one. Crazy woman.”
I detested being called crazy. “You killed Timothy,” I spat.
“Mel,” said Jackie obviously hoping that I’d shut up.
“Timothy,” said the man.
“He was only a high school kid and had big plans. He was last seen in this house on some dare. And he turned up dead,” I continued.
“Whoa, slow down. Who is this Timothy?”
“He went missing not long ago,” I said.
“I think she means that kid in the glasses and sweater vest,” said one of the others. “You know that geeky looking kid.”
“Him?” shrilled the woman.
“Yes, him,” I replied growing angry. I don’t know why I was getting ticked. After all, Timothy did lie to me about his death.
“We didn’t kill him,” said the guy in charge. “We found him upstairs and he was already dead.”
“Yeah,” said one of the others. “I was the one that went up there and found him. I’m telling you, Hal, this place is weird.”
“Oh, quiet. There are no such things as ghosts,” said Hal.
“Oh, don’t be such a realist, Hal,” said the woman.
“Shut up, Lina,” snapped Hal.
“I’m telling you, Hal, this place is creepy. Those footsteps upstairs, the white lady. And that constant wailing.”
As if to prove her point another eerie wail echoed through the mansion. I had to agree with Lina, this place was creepy. I silently kicked myself for not telling anyone where I was going. How stupid could I be?
“Look,” said Hal, “When we found that kid, we didn’t know what killed him. But we couldn’t have the cops looking around up here so we dumped him by the side of the road. That short article in the paper calling it an asthma attack relieved us all.”
“Come on, Hal, enough,” said Lina, “We need to leave. No way are we going to find that necklace so we should cut our losses and get out.”
“She’s right,” said one of the other guys.
“What are we going to do with them?” asked another.
“We should eliminate them,” said Lina. “They can tell everyone what we look like.”
Hal stood up. He fiddled with his hat. “Well, I hate to admit this, girls, but she’s right. We can’t just leave you here. But how should we do it?”
“Fire,” said Lina. Man, this woman was icy. “By the time they sift through all the ashes we’ll be long gone. And that’s assuming there is anything left for the cops to find.”
“Baby, that’s cold. But, it’ll give us the time we need to head north. I think a stint in Canada will do us well until everything blows over.”
This did not sound good. Burning alive? They couldn’t even kill us first and then burn us? Immediately I struggled with the rope that held me to the chair.
“Struggle all you want,” said Hal, “You’ll never get free of those knots.”
A couple of guys spread gasoline around the room. A gag was shoved in my mouth and in Jackie’s. A couple others snatched the bags and hauled them away.
“Sorry, girls,” said Hal as he lit his lighter and tossed it onto the gasoline. “But that’s what happens when you go snooping.”
Hal left and closed the door behind him. Jackie and I were trapped.
Chapter 10
I struggled violently with my bonds. My actions rocked the chair so hard that the feet came completely off the floor. One of the legs slammed into the stone floor crushing one of the bricks. It must have been cracked to begin with.
Jackie followed my example. Neither of us was able to loosen the rope. Hal was right. These were good knots.
Smoke filled the area quickly as the fire spread. I coughed from the thick smoke. Each cough caused me to choke on my gag. Thoughts that I had not only managed to kill Jackie and I, but also ones of never seeing Greg again floated through my mind.
“You know,” Timothy appeared beside me, “I know you’re probably angry at me. I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have lied about being murdered, but I knew something was going on in this place and I needed someone living to help me.”
I tried to speak through my gag. Timothy remained unaware that Jackie and I were tied and in danger of being burned alive. I maneuvered my chair toward him scraping the floor as I went.
“And I know I should have helped you with that ghost. But he’s the same one I saw when I came through here earlier. He’s the reason I died.”
I scooted the chair more desperately. For an intelligent kid he could be so dense.
“Look, I know you’re mad at me,” Timothy continued, “But the least you can do is respond.”
He finally looked at me. I’d love to respond, but it’s a bit difficult with a gag in my mouth.
“You’re all tied up,” said Timothy.
Congratulations, smart boy. I wiggled the chair even more. Jackie did the same.
He reached out to remove my gag. Nothing happened. Come on, I thought, you can do it. Timothy tried again. This time he succeeded. I inhaled deeply relieved to have the gag out of my mouth. Unfortunately, I also inhaled a lot of smoke and coughed violently.
“The rope,” I said, “Undo the rope.”
“I don’t know if I can,” said Timothy. Worry filled his voice.
“You removed my gag,” I said, “Come on, Tim, I’m counting on you.”
Timothy reached out for the rope. The first several tries failed, but on the fifth I felt it tug.
“Good. That’s it,” I encouraged him coughing more and more.
Timothy continued tugging on the rope. I guess the experts weren’t kidding when they said that spirits could move solid objects. He tugged at the rope with more force. Eventually, I felt it loosen enough for me to wiggle out of it.
“Timothy, go get Tiny and his pals,” I said, “Bring them here.”
He vanished.
; I quickly slipped out of the chair and ran to Jackie. I ripped the gag out of her mouth. She coughed deeply. I wrestled with the rope around her hands. A nail tore and warm blood flowed over my hand. I grasped the rough fibers of the rope and yanked.
Jackie thrust the rope over her and lunged out of her chair. We both coughed some more. The entire room was filled with smoke and the flames grew more intense. I felt blisters forming on my skin from the heat.
“We need to open that door,” yelled Jackie over the roar of the flames.
“I think it only opens from the outside,” I said.
“A lot of help that is.”
Our grim situation seemed to be getting grimmer. “Please,” I said to nothing in particular, “Please help us.”
Jackie shook my arm violently. Despite being half unconscious from smoke, that girl still had a vice like grip. I looked at where she pointed.
A lady dressed in white stood before us. Her dress seemed to flow with ripples as she faded in and out. Any other day I would have thought this a dream, but right now I really hoped she was here to help.
The ghostly lady pointed at a particular brick in the wall. Instantly, I lunged for it and pressed both my hands against it. It sunk into the wall. The grating noise filled my ears as the door rose up revealing our escape.
I shoved Jackie through the opening. Just as I was about to leave something caught my eye. I couldn’t believe it. It was a necklace. Throwing common sense away I dove for it and clutched the Rose Pendant in my hand. I took a closer look at the brick that my chair had smashed. A picture of a rose was on it. Beneath the rose. Any more simple and no one would have found that necklace.
A flaming scrap of wood crashed beside me. My flight reflexes kicked in and I ran out the opening just as more beams of wood landed behind me.
Jackie waited by the entranceway. She snatched my hand as I came up beside her and together we dashed out of the mansion. We continued running down the driveway forgetting about my car. Both of us just wanted to get away from there.
After a while we stopped. Both of us coughed violently from all the smoke we inhaled. The mansion was a goner. Flames leapt to the second floor engulfing it. I heard glass shatter as the windows exploded form the intense heat.
Janet McNulty - Mellow Summers 02 - Frogs, Snails, and a Lot of Wails Page 7