Wicked, Manor, and Murder (Paranormal in Manhattan Mystery: A Cozy Mystery on Kindle Unlimited Book 7)

by Lotta Smith

  “Yup, we can hope,” Brian muttered. “Except something isn’t right with this fog.”

  “What do you think, Mandy?” Rick asked, touching my arm.

  “I agree with Brian,” I said. “It looks like something, or someone, is telling us not to leave.”

  CHAPTER 5

  On the white screen set up by a wall, a little girl wearing a white summer dress was running across the garden.

  “Oh my God, little Fiona is so cute!” Jackie exclaimed, floating by my side.

  “I know,” I agreed, then conveyed my guardian angel’s words to Fiona, who glanced at me like she was trying to figure out what I was talking about.

  “Thank you, Jackie.” She smiled. “You’re so sweet. I wish I could see you.”

  On the screen, a yellow butterfly was flying and little Fiona chased it, giggling.

  “Did your grandfather shoot it?” Rick asked.

  “Yes.” Fiona nodded. “Grandpa Stan was passionate about shooting videos using 8mm films. He used to take a ton of videos in my childhood.”

  “It’s a rather old movie, isn’t it?” I said. “Considering that little-girl version of you in the film is moving really smoothly.”

  Unlike many old 8mm movies featuring people moving like robots, the butterfly and Fiona on the screen moved so fluidly.

  “That’s because granddad employed twenty-four frames per second,” Fiona explained.

  “Twenty-four frames per second?” I tilted my head to the side.

  Fiona smiled. “Generally speaking, using eighteen frames per second was the norm amateur videographers back in the old age employed, and twenty-four frames per second was used by those who shot professional motion pictures. Using twenty-four frames per second, you need more films, but my granddad was such a junkie for filming, he preferred it, so he got to capture more real movies with the characters moving more smoothly.”

  “I see.” I nodded. “That’s why the soldiers in pre-World War II are marching like a bunch of mechanical toys. Wow, I didn’t know that. Whenever I saw one of those military documentary videos airing on TV during the summer, I assumed the people back then used to walk in a different manner than how we do now.”

  Fiona, Brian, Rick, and I were in a smaller salon Fiona and Leo were using as a living room.

  It was late at night—almost midnight, to be precise. The fog hadn’t cleared at all, and the tour guests and the TV crew shooting Brian’s show were staying at the manor. Thanks to the generous size of the salon and Fiona having enough beverages and baked goods, people were happy despite the sudden change in schedule.

  Meanwhile, we were gathered in this room to discuss the reason for our visit.

  “Most of the films are about me running around as a kid and my mom and dad. Typical, boring family videos. But….” Fiona’s face sank as she set a new film on the projector. “Anyway, I want you to watch this.”

  “Oh?” I muttered. “It’s starring you.”

  Unlike other films, this one was in black and white. The setting was somewhere looking like a meadow. Fiona was clad in a whitish-colored dress with large floral prints. She was admiring wild flowers in the middle of the wide field.

  “Are you sure it’s an old movie?” I asked. “You in the film is not a little girl anymore. It’s… you.” I shook my head. “Am I making sense?”

  “Under normal circumstances, I’d say no,” Rick commented.

  “Except I can see exactly what Mandy’s saying,” Brian chimed in.

  “In my opinion, whoever took this was trying too hard to push for old-fashioned chicness. I can’t think of any other reasons for shooting a black-and-white movie.” Jackie squinted as if she’d suddenly turned into a critic. “Or else it’s a really old film recorded decades ago.”

  Indeed, the current adult version of Fiona was squatting in the field, picking flowers. As the camera came closer to her, the picture trembled.

  “The camera didn’t have motion stabilization,” Rick mumbled, prompting me to shush him.

  “Everybody, will you stop talking and watch it?” Fiona warned us. “We’re watching the crucial part of this movie.”

  Apparently, Fiona on the screen didn’t see the videographer coming. One moment she was picking the flowers, looking completely absorbed in her activity, and the next thing, she visibly sucked in air as she turned back to the camera. Fiona on the screen seemed to have noticed that she was being recorded.

  She laughed, looking like she was totally enjoying the moment, and then she opened her arms, showing off the flowers in her hands.

  She said something, but it was a silent movie and I couldn’t figure out her words.

  She picked more flowers as the camera kept rolling. A while later, she stood up and stretched her arms, back, and legs. Then she brought the flowers to her face, as if she was smelling them.

  And then, out of the blue, Fiona glanced at the camera. Her eyes widened, and she looked uneasy. The camera was too close to her.

  Suddenly, the camera shook violently, and then an arm reached for Fiona, grabbing her delicate neck. She tried to brush off the arm, but it wouldn’t budge. Her face turned red as her eyes filled with fear and panic.

  “Oh my God,” Jackie gasped.

  Fiona was dragged down to the ground on her back, the camera capturing every moment from above. The skin on her face turned visibly dark as the videographer strangled her.

  Fiona’s whole body jolted violently. Once, twice… but there was no third time.

  Her lips moved, but she wasn’t making words.

  With her face displaying complete agony, Fiona’s body stopped moving. With her lips half open, she lay there completely motionless.

  And that was how the movie ended.

  The flesh-and-blood Fiona stood up and switched off the projector.

  “Now you know what’s been bothering me,” she said, flicking the lights on.

  “Is this the film you found in the storehouse?” I asked.

  “I know it looks like total garbage, a C-class snuff movie. Then again, I’m not that low as to bother you with such a stupid prank,” Fiona said, shrugging. Her shoulders were visibly trembling.

  “I know, I know.” I patted her arm. “I’m sure it’s not a joke.”

  “So, what do you think about this film? Can you decipher its meaning?” Fiona asked.

  “Well, I don’t know….” I fumbled with my words. “What do you think?” I turned to Brian.

  “Everything looked real,” he said, frowning and crossing his arms.

  “I can have the film checked out, things like the time it was created, if it’s been edited for special effects, and so on,” Rick offered.

  “Thank you,” Fiona said weakly. “Do you think this video came into my hands to predict my future?”

  “Come on, lady, you don’t want to be so pessimistic,” Jackie chimed in. “Besides, you want to stop frowning. Your dermatologist won’t be happy, you know.”

  Before I could relay her words to Fiona, she took a deep breath and said, “You know, Mandy, did you see the dress I was wearing in the movie?”

  “Oh yes. The whitish-colored dress with large floral prints.” I nodded.

  “I have that exact same dress,” Fiona said softly, almost whispering. “I bought a dress with the exact same print, silhouette, and everything before coming here. I found it at a boutique in Manhattan, fell in love with it, and purchased it. I was planning to wear it here, but then I saw that movie. I still have it, but it’s stashed in the deepest corner of my closet.”

  “Oh my….” I didn’t know what to say.

  “Fiona, how did your husband react to this movie?” Rick asked. “I’m assuming you’ve shown it to Leo, am I correct?”

  “Yes.” Fiona nodded, biting her lip. “I’ve tried to show it to Leo, but whenever I played the same film in his presence, nothing appeared on the screen. Just a white, blank screen displaying nothing, nada. How could it be possible? He said I was tired and stressed out. A
nd a part of me agreed with him. I was afraid that everything might have been happening in my head, but considering you guys witnessed my murder in this movie… I don’t know what to think about everything.”

  Rick opened his mouth. “Fiona, Mandy told me about the weird messages from an unknown person who might be stalking on you. Could it be possible that your stalker has upgraded from texting to videos?”

  “Excuse me?” Fiona’s eyes widened. “You mean, like, the stalker has made this video and broken into the storehouse?”

  “What do you think?” Rick asked sincerely, without answering her question.

  “I don’t know,” she muttered, shutting her eyes and then opening them. “I don’t think so. The storehouse’s lock was intact when we opened the door, and there was no sign of someone sneaking in and out. Besides, Nana should have told me about having an intruder if someone sneaked in. Also, considering that I’m playing a major part in this video, I should remember shooting it, except I have no memory of playing the victim in this horrendous video.”

  “Okay. That’s a good point.” Rick nodded.

  “Fiona, Mandy told me about your granny giving you a warning about danger coming your way,” Brian said. “It seems to me like your granny doesn’t want to meet your husband. Can you think of a reason why?”

  “I’m guessing the reason to be Leo’s stubbornness. He happens to be one of those pragmatists who never believes in anything supernatural,” Fiona replied.

  “Could it be possible to tamper with the film so it wouldn’t play in Leo’s presence?” I asked.

  “That’s interesting. Can I take a look?” Rick asked Fiona.

  “Of course.” She took the film out of the projector and handed it to him.

  “Thanks.” Rick inspected it for a while. “Okay, so I can’t conduct any sophisticated tests here, but obviously it’s an old analogue film. Considering that, I’d say it’s impossible to tamper with it so it wouldn’t play in a particular person’s presence.” He handed it back to Fiona.

  “I see.” Fiona nodded, looking over the film in her hands. “I was wondering about the same thing. The projector itself doesn’t come with a remote, so it’s not possible to tamper with it either. I’ve tried playing this particular film in advance and inviting Leo in the room, but that didn’t work. As soon as he came in, it stopped playing. So he started to think I’m pulling pranks on him. Anyway, it’s eerie.”

  “Can I try touching the film?” Brian asked.

  “Sure. Feel free.” Fiona smiled and handed the film to Brian, who turned pink as her fingers touched his.

  “Are you hot, Brian? Perhaps you want to ask Fiona to lower the AC temperature setting?” Rick said casually, but assuming from his ear-to-ear grin, he was just playing with his old friend.

  “I’m fine. Don’t bother with the AC.” Brian cleared his throat, his eyes shooting daggers at Rick. Holding the film in his hands, he closed his eyes. A moment later, he said, “I don’t feel anything. Mandy, why don’t you try reading it?”

  “Okay.” I nodded, accepting the rolled film.

  As soon as I touched it, a jolt of electricity shot through my hand, prompting me to suck in air.

  “What?” Rick looked into my eyes. “Did you feel anything?”

  “I don’t know.” I frowned. I definitely felt something on the first contact, but I didn’t after the initial shock. “It was like an electric shock. But it might be just static electricity.”

  “Are you sure?” Rick questioned. “How about something like the videographer’s memory flowing into you? You said when you put on the haunted ring, its previous owners’ memories literally flooded into your head.”

  “I know. At first, I felt a jolt of something that was like the prologue of feeling something, but then it totally disappeared.”

  Brian turned to Fiona. “I don’t mean to be nosy or anything, but how is your relationship with your husband?”

  “Excuse me? Leo and me?” Her eyes widened. “We’re good, I guess. Just like any other couple. Okay, so we’re not as madly in love with each other as Mandy and Rick here. Then again, that’s quite normal when you’ve been married for years.”

  “Okay. I can imagine.” Brian nodded. “Have you purchased any high-stake insurance policies lately?”

  “Excuse me? Are you implying that my husband is going to kill me?” Fiona raised an eyebrow. Boy, she sounded offended. “If that’s the case, it’s ridiculous.”

  “Well, I mean….” Brian fumbled with his words.

  “Fiona,” Rick interjected, “he just asked you a standard question. With homicides, spouses are always the prime suspects. Okay, so you’re alive and well at this moment, and discussing things with the assumption that you’re going to be killed might sound ridiculous, offensive even. However, identifying the predicted danger you’re facing and keeping you out of it are our intentions, so please don’t be offended by him. The guy’s never been known for being subtle and sensible, but he’s a decent guy.”

  “What?” Brian’s eyebrows shot up. “Are you dissing me or praising me?”

  Fiona took a deep breath. “I’m so sorry, Brian. I didn’t mean to snap at you like that. It’s just….” She looked up at the ceiling and then met Brian’s eyes. “I haven’t really been myself. I apologize.”

  “No… I mean, actually, I’m the one who owes you an apology,” Brian said. His lips quivered as if he had something more to say, but before he had a chance, someone knocked on the door.

  “Yes?” When Fiona answered the door, Baz was standing in the doorway.

  “Hey, Baz, how’s the fog?” Brian asked the bus driver.

  “Actually, it seems to be getting thicker.” Baz shrugged. “If it resembled milk earlier, now it’s more like cream or butter. You know what I mean?”

  “I guess.” Brian grimaced. “We have to stay here much longer than planned.”

  “Brian,” Fiona interjected, “you and your entourage are welcome to stay here for the night. And, of course, so are Mandy and Rick.”

  We all said our thanks for her hospitality.

  “Some of the guests will have to call home to inform their families about the delay,” Baz reasoned.

  “Right, I guess I need to let the guests know about the situation.” Brian stood up.

  “Oh, by the way.” Baz clapped his hands. “Someone was standing in the corridor just outside of this room, apparently attempting to eavesdrop or something. The person scurried away as I approached.”

  “Could you make out who it was?” Rick asked.

  “No. It was dark, and the person was wearing a hooded, shapeless jacket. I couldn’t even tell if it was a man or woman.”

  “Okay, let’s go back to the salon,” Rick said. “If we get lucky, we can find our peeping Tom. If that person happens to be your stalker, we could kill two birds with one stone.”

  * * *

  “Sorry for keeping you waiting, but I have news for you. And unfortunately, it’s not good,” Brian announced to the guests as soon as we went back to the salon.

  He looked tense, perhaps bracing himself for the participants demanding a refund for the tour. But when he delivered the news, they didn’t seem upset; in fact, some even seemed to be happy.

  “Oh my God, we get to spend the night here?” Lauren said excitedly, high-fiving her pal Carrie.

  “Indeed, I’m glad to stay here for the night,” said the older lady who’d expressed her wish to visit there again. “Fiona, I have a hunch that your grandma has just granted my wish.”

  “Wow! You might be right. Nana was such a social butterfly, and she loved to party.” Fiona chuckled lightheartedly. Then her face turned serious. “May I ask you to form groups of two to four people and share some of the rooms? Unfortunately, I don’t have enough rooms to assign each of you a private one.”

  Thanks to many of the guests participating in Brian’s tours on a regular basis, it didn’t take a lot of time or effort to divide into small groups.

&nbs
p; “It’s like experiencing the pre-opening event in a cute bed and breakfast.” Wendy, who was sharing a room with Carrie and Lauren giggled like a schoolgirl.

  “You’re so right.” Fiona smiled. “Considering that I’m thinking about opening a small hotel or a bed and breakfast, I’ve got to fully utilize this opportunity to broaden my knowledge.”

  CHAPTER 6

  Ten minutes later, Rick and I were entering a guest room assigned to just the two of us.

  “Oh, this is nice and cozy.” I let out a contented sigh as I took in the room with a king-sized bed and pieces of beautiful antique furniture. It was embellished with feminine décor such as lavender walls and baby pink curtains with a matching bed cover.

  “Hmm, is this the bathroom?” Rick opened the door closest to the entrance.

  “Let me check the water pressure.” I slipped into the bathroom and turned the faucet. As the water came out nicely, I smiled. When I tried the hot water, my smile grew bigger. “Yay, we have good water pressure and hot water.”

  Checking the water pressure and availability of hot water had become my habit whenever visiting an old building. Perhaps that had something to do with reading so many horror stories about staying at the world’s old hotels whenever I had spare time. I knew there were tons of beautiful hotels and resorts out there, but somehow, I always ended up lured to the dark side of hotels and older architecture.

  “How cool is that?” Rick joined me, holding me from behind. Then he pulled me out of the bathroom and waltzed us into the bedroom. “That means we won’t be in trouble even if we get a little sweaty.”

  When I turned back, facing him, I noticed the green of his eyes growing into a darker, more intense shade.

  “Um….” I cleared my throat. “Actually, that wasn’t what I had been planning on.”

  “Come on. We won’t be getting out of here anytime soon. Let’s loosen up and have some fun.”

  “Still, we’re at my friend’s place along with other guests, and I’m not keen on being remembered as that loud couple who kept everyone awake all night. Oh, don’t forget Fiona is my bridesmaid at our upcoming ceremony. I’d really hate to see the knowing look on her face, implying, ‘I could hear you guys doing it all night.’ That would be embarrassing, wouldn’t it?”