They- The Beginning

by K C Norrie

  "It may be more comfortable for you to wait there. We can call you there if we find anything."

  "My parents are already on their way," Tamara answered sadly. "I'm just packing up a few things to take. But thank you," she added.

  They hadn't told her about the clippings, but she was understandably upset just the same. Malcolm felt as if they had let her down somehow. Had anyone at all welcomed her into Settlers Way? Malcolm had a hard time believing no one had, but they so rarely had newcomers it was possible. It was better this way. If things turned out the way Malcolm thought they would, there was about to be a lot of pain inflicted on the families involved; particularly Tamara and Jakery's families. Tamara was better off at her mother's house.

  ****

  Malcolm and John reported back to the council office with the hatbox. After reporting to the rest of the team about Jakery's weekly nights out, combined with the locket he'd been holding and the hatbox with hidden clippings of the missing girls, the conclusion was unanimous. Jakery Delancey was a murderer. They wondered where he hid the bodies. Malcom and John were sent to the Highview Fielder's Meadow parking lot to place the necklace on the seat of the red Oldsmobile parked there. They encountered no difficulty. The car was unlocked, and no one was around.

  Before noon on the Saturday after Anna was reported missing, they notified all the surrounding towns of Jakery Delancey's disappearance. They called the F.B.I. about the evidence they found, possibly linking him to the disappearances of the women.

  Settlers Way was relieved. They were no longer involved. The spotlight would fall elsewhere.

  ****

  The following week, they received a disturbing call from the Highview Police Department saying that a witness found a bloodied body up in Fielder's Meadow.

  "It fits the description of Jakery Delancey. We'd like you to listen to his statement. See if it makes any sense to you."

  "Did you find him then?" Sergeant Walker asked.

  "Just hear the statement. Then you decide."

  It could mean anything.

  ****

  Charlie and Arnie went to Highview filled with apprehension. There were too many questions. Had someone found Jakery's body? They had taken the proper precautions. He couldn't have altered, could he have? Did someone see them and witness what they did? Had the body been moved? They had to be prepared for anything.

  ****

  Edward Weston was visibly shaken when Charlie and Arnie arrived at the Highview police station. He didn't indicate he recognized them, but he had the look of someone who witnessed something terrible. After introductions were made, they assembled into a small room and Edward was asked to repeat what he had witnessed.

  "I walked up to Fielder's Meadow Friday night. It was a full moon, and I wanted to gather some vines to make a little red tea. I liked to see those little flowers glowing. It was about ten at night. I was in some brush gathering the vines that had grown up the side of a tree when suddenly I felt a little sting on my ankle. I looked down to see what stung me and I found a body covered in blood," he said. "At first, I thought he might still be alive, just sleeping or unconscious. As I looked a little longer, I became afraid. His chest was opened, and I could see all the way to his spine. I didn't know what to do. I was frightened. What could have caused such an injury? Did some animals attack him? He was just lying there amongst the flowered vines. I was just getting ready to go and get some help when suddenly the vines began moving and covered over him as I watched. The body became covered in more of the vines until his entire body was concealed. Then he just disappeared altogether, vines and all. I searched and felt the ground all around, but the man was gone. I couldn't believe my eyes. I didn't know what to do. I've been afraid to report it. I only came here after hearing about that missing man. I didn't think anyone would believe me. If I hadn't seen it myself, I wouldn't have believed me. I decided it was my duty to report it, and now, whether or not you believe me, my duty has been done."

  Edward was dismissed to go home. He nodded politely and left.

  "What do you think?" asked Sam Moss, the Highview police officer.

  Arnie and Charlie looked at each other.

  "It may explain what happened to all those missing girls," said Arnie seriously. "You should probably let the FBI know."

  They all burst out laughing. For Charlie and Arnie, it had been an exhausting forty-eight hours; for Sam Moss, it was just beginning. The stress relief was much appreciated. The officers all shook hands and went their separate ways.

  ****

  Missing Man Solves Murder Mystery

  In an odd twist of events, a man reported as missing may be responsible for the disappearances of eight or more young women.

  Jakery Finn Delancey was reported last seen on Thursday where coworkers report he left work as usual. His wife did not report him missing until Saturday when he failed to return home.

  According to police, a search of his belongings found evidence that links Delancey to the disappearances of six young women in the Highview Newton Area. Evidence also links him to two additional disappearances in San Francisco.

  Delancey's car was found abandoned in Highview near a walking path that leads to Fielder's meadow. A locket that has been identified as reported seen in the possession of several of the victims, was found on the passenger seat of Delancey's car. A search of the area was conducted but Delancey was not found.

  "The abandoned car and the locket placed on the seat just so, may be Delancey's way of a confession. He may have staged his own disappearance to mimic that of the women he almost certainly murdered. He may have fled. He may be a victim of the rage of a jealous boyfriend. Make no mistake. This man is a monster," states FBI agent Chet Donnelson. "If he is still alive, he will be found and brought to justice. I urge anyone with additional information to come forward and contact the Highview police department."

  Delancey is originally from Highview where his father is still a preacher at "Our Savior" church. The family refused to comment.

  ****

  Highview California

  Monday 1945

  FBI Report 0045

  The only reason 10th Division contacted us, was that their investigation into the disappearances of eight women and one man, lead nowhere. "Every lead we were given ended at a brick wall. Eight women and one probable killer have seemingly been wiped from the face of the earth. Perhaps this one's for you," they had commented to us.

  Settlers Way is a small village isolated at the foot of a mountain in the State of California. The people at Settlers Way are quite religious, yet they cremate all their bodies. For a town so small, they even have their own crematorium.

  According to the State of California death records, the most recent death on record was a young woman, whose cause of death was listed as an "accidental fall." Coincidentally, she was cremated one day before the disappearance of "Jakery Delancey," a suspected serial killer who, only recently, called Settlers Way home.

  On arrival to Settlers Way we found no missing persons or bodies, but we found some interesting facts.

  The storm of 1841 is included as part of Settlers Way's history, chronicled by the original village founders.

  When we stopped for coffee at a small diner, we noted a pot of red tea.

  When our agent Benton Reece, researched the history of the area searching for anything we could use, he found this small article.

  Settlers Way has been implicated in multiple unexplained disappearances, the earliest occurring as far back as before the turn of the century.

  A cabin was found with the door wide-open and the cabin's seven occupants missing, never to be found again. It looked as though they disappeared while eating dinner; a half-eaten meal was left on the table.

  We filed our investigation as unsolved in the Settlers Way file. There is no panic to contain, and we assume the killer is unable to hurt anyone else.

  The Bulletin 1990

  First the police are called. That is the natural order
of events when something like this occurs. The police arrive and assess the situation. That's when the chaos and panic occur. That's when the FBI, the CIA, Interpol, CDC… everybody is called. That's when we hear of the incident. That's when we arrive to the scene; except in Jai` Doro, or Settlers Way, or Saint Ange. They don't call us. They don't call anybody. They have their own ways of dealing with these incidents.

  Colin Hayes

  Agent for GODSZ

  "Magic or Science?"

  There is documentation citing that back in the mid-eighteen-hundreds, there was a village in France in which the dead returned to life. This was not a miracle as those who were disturbed from their death were both violent and dangerous. They bore little resemblance to the loved one they had previously been in life. The village priests began the practice of nailing silver nails into the skulls of the deceased to remedy the problem.

  Dr. Natalie Zeller (Cultural Anthropologist)

  Introduction for "Magic or Science?"

  The History of Chateau de Riene

  By Louise Montrell

  As told to Nettie Zeller

  Chapter 35

  A family named Montrell, always resided in the Chateau de Riene that loomed above Saint Ange from her place on the mountain—and Saint Ange always basked in her shadow. When the Chateau burned, I searched through all the journals and accounts I had rescued from her and tried to recreate the story of what really happened. To this day, I have shared the account with no one; I feared it was too unbelievable.

  But now I feel the time for secrecy is over. I must tell my tale to someone, adding my testimony to the history of the Chateau de Riene before I die.

  ****

  When our own lives in the village became too ordinary, we looked to the Montrells, who lived a finer life. Clothes from Paris filled their wardrobes. Jewels glittered from their fingers and necks. They dined on the best cuts of beef and sipped champagne at every meal. When they rode through Saint Ange on one of their beautiful horses, villagers vied for glimpses of their finery and grace.

  The Montrell history enchanted us with stories of romance and intrigue, intermingled with others of tragedy and sorrow. Sitting around a sparse dinner table or during unsleepable nights, we were diverted by the story tellings of Montrell ghosts, curses and magic; and whenever there was thunder, we were told about the storm.

  There was once a storm that destroyed our village. When it was over, a wizard came down from the mountains and saved it. He became enmeshed into the lives of the Montrell's, and when they cast him out, he cursed them, condemning them to generations of pain and heartbreak. Afterward he escaped back to the mountain to be never seen again; but sometimes on clear nights some claim to see odd lights and white wolves seem to be a part of many of the accounts.

  As a young girl, I remember a statue of an unnamed angel in what used to be the village square. The rumors said it bore the face of the "Wizard Gabel." There was a plaque that held the names of all who died in the storm. But the statue, the plaque and the square are not there anymore. All were grazed flat and a building of apartments was built right on top of it, obliterating that piece of Saint Ange's history.

  It is what I have seen with my own eyes, that is most unbelievable, though I swear every word is true.

  My story happened long ago. I once lived in the Chateau and became one of the "Madame Montrells."

  My story begins when I was sixteen years of age and came to be employed at the Chateau de Riene as part of their household staff.

  My story takes place before the war. Modern times had come to Saint Ange, but not to the Chateau de Riene. Our little village had automobiles, and a bus that drove to Montory, a larger village. Montory had a train station with a train that traveled all the way to Paris. In the evenings Saint Ange was lit with electric lights and many homes had a telephone. You could sit in your own kitchen and talk to someone in Paris.

  Modern times ended about ten meters from the foot of the mountain. At the time, technology had not yet conquered the mountain path to the Chateau de Riene. The rise was steep, and the path was built for horses, not automobiles. Horses could easily traverse the path that zigzagged up the mountain, but the way was fraught with hazards for autos. A proper road was in the planning stages; but until then, the Chateau had to make do with candlelight, lanterns and horses.

  Arriving to work at the Chateau each day was like stepping back in time.

  ****

  At the time of my employment, the Montrell family consisted of Monsieur Traver, his unmarried sister Mademoiselle Gwendolyn, and Traver's son Monsieur Lucas. Traver and Gwendolyn's parents died before Lucas was born, before Traver even married. They perished in a fire that broke out in an inn where they had been staying while traveling. Their death was blamed on the Montrell curse, an affliction that seemed to plague the family throughout the generations. Other Montrells resided in Paris, and considered the Chateau de Riene, outdated and in need of great repair.

  Mademoiselle Gwendolyn was a tiny woman who never married. She was considered an old maid at the time, though she was a fairly young woman, still in her thirties. Despite her age she always seemed more child than woman. She had a strangeness about her. I often chanced upon her dancing alone, in hallways or in the gardens. Her hair at times was left wild and tangled, giving her the appearance of neglect. She rarely spoke.

  Monsieur Traver appeared a dour unhappy man, though the older staff members reported to me that this wasn't always the situation. His late wife Madame Merena was said to have been a beauty and Traver was said to have been deeply in love with her. Woefully, she was in frail health. Her pregnancy, which should have been joyful, was spent with Merena in bed much of the time, and Traver beset with worry.

  As her pregnancy progressed, Merena's health deteriorated. Traver arranged for both a physician and a nurse to stay at the Chateau. The physician kept Merena asleep most of the time, and the nurse chased Traver away whenever he came to see her, telling him it was best if she had no visitors. "It was a lonely time for him," reported one of the other servants.

  When the staff reported sightings of a white wolf near the Chateau, Traver ruled the wolf a dangerous trespasser and set out with his hunting rifle intending to kill it. When Gwendolyn, a young teenager at the time, found out her brother intended to kill it, she followed him out to try to stop him. No one knew until too late that she had done so.

  Traver did not return that night and no one could find Gwendolyn. It was a servant boy who said he saw her follow Traver earlier that morning. Search parties were sent to no avail. It was almost two weeks later that Traver and Gwendolyn returned on their own.

  The physician found both them both fit and healthy on their return, but the staff who said they were present at that time remembered Gwendolyn as anxious and frightened.

  Traver told them he had the wolf in his sights when his sister appeared from out of nowhere. She tripped and slid head over heels down into a ravine. She hit her head and Traver thought she would die. He struggled down the ravine to try to gather her up to bring home.

  I saved this account from one of Monsieur Traver's journals. Here is what he tells.

  ****

  "When Gwendolyn fell, her head bounced off that log, and I thought she was dead. I was only able to hold on because hope holds no regard for the truth. I made it down to her side and willed her to live. I remember a painful sting on my ankle that made me look down. When I looked back up, there were people come to help. A man took Gwendolyn from me and the others had me follow them up over a ridge. I still have no idea who they were, but I was thankful to see them. They cared for Gwendolyn, and when she woke up, I was filled with gratitude. Gwendolyn was frightened and wanted to leave, but she has always been this way, and I calmed her the best I could. The people gave her some medicine and had us both drink a delicious red tea. When Gwendolyn was a little better, they helped us leave. I wonder if being as terribly frightened as I was does something to the mind. I have trouble recollecting ever
ything that happened. I remember the camp, and the friendly people. I don't recall any of their names, or where they were from. Did I even introduce myself? I was so worried about Gwendolyn and whether she would live. I kept thinking about her hitting her head so hard. I don't remember being there for very long, yet they tell me at the Chateau, we have been gone for nearly two weeks! And somehow, I learned how to make the red tea and the yellow syrupy medicine.

  "The vine that makes the tea tries to camouflage itself blending in with other nearby plants but can easily be identified once you know what to look for. I am certain it is the same vine that had been banned from the Chateau all those years ago when the wizard lived here. 'Wizard's Vine.' " The elixir they spooned to Gwendolyn must have been the same syrup. But this is wonderful news. From all the accounts I've read, it has been said to restore even the worst of health. If this is true, then it should help Merena."

  The older staff told me that Monsieur Traver had always been interested in the "Wizard Gabel." As a boy, he was often seen rummaging through various dusty account books searching for information.

  Traver returned to the meadow and came back with a bushel filled with the vines and prepared the leaves to make the special tea. He served the tea to Merena each day. Later he added the syrup. Merena’s health improved. She was out of bed and taking short walks up until the day the baby was born.

  Tragically she bled to death shortly after giving birth.

  Though the pregnancy ended her life, they said she died happy, holding her baby boy in her arms. They also told me Monsieur Traver never recovered from her death.

  Traver named his newborn son Lucas Gabel Montrell, and rumors flew. You would think in modern times people would not believe in such things. Rumors that the baby wasn't Traver's child, but the "Wizard Gabel" himself had come down from the mountain and impregnated Merena; that Traver had sold his sister's soul for a healthy son; that Merena was still alive and kept in the dungeons below the Chateau; or that Merena had given birth to a monster. Of course, once the nanny laid eyes on the perfect baby Lucas; that rumor was squelched.