Mysteries of Holt House - A Mystery

by Marja McGraw

  “What else is in the box?” Mike’s tone sounded angry. He lifted things out and handed them to me.

  There were a few other small items such as a disposable cigarette lighter and a man’s sock, but nothing of value, and nothing that I could connect to any particular boarder. Mike moved the light closer and I noticed something resting beside the box. I picked it up to examine. It was a man’s ring, with the initials R.E. engraved on it.

  “Richard English?” I asked, handing it to Mike. “I knew I didn’t trust him. If he had anything to do with Ruth’s death – ”

  “Now hold on. We don’t know anything for sure yet. This is probably Richard’s ring, but who’s to say it wasn’t stolen, too?”

  “He never mentioned a missing ring.”

  “Maybe he hasn’t noticed it’s gone yet. Let’s leave everything just as we found it. I’ll even put the shoe back on the floor where it was. Then we’ll watch and wait, and see what happens.”

  “Sure, but if you happen to remember, Richard mentioned wanting to find a secret place to cool off, and here’s his ring, so maybe this is his secret place. He probably just figured we wouldn’t know what he was talking about.”

  “Maybe, but we really don’t have enough to go on. And remember, the police investigated and said Ruth’s death was an accident.”

  “Well, they were wrong.”

  “Let’s get out of here for now.” Mike placed the box back on the small table.

  “Okay. This room gives me the creeps anyway.”

  We left everything exactly the way we found it and returned to Mike’s room.

  “Let’s go downstairs,” I said. “I’ll make some coffee and we can talk about what we’ve found.”

  “Good idea.”

  He sat down at the kitchen table while I started the coffee. “I don’t really see that there’s anything we can do right now. We don’t know for sure who’s been using the secret passages, and we don’t have any evidence to substantiate that Ruth was murdered. You have to admit, it could have been an accident.”

  “But what about the notes I received?” I asked. “And I did see those hands.”

  “The notes don’t have anything to do with Ruth as far as we know. There’s nothing to tie them to her death.”

  “Then what do we do now?” I had a sinking feeling. I knew Mike was right, at least technically, but I was having trouble accepting it.

  “We do absolutely nothing. There’s not a thing we can do, but sit tight and see if anything else happens. And keep tabs on Richard.”

  “I know Sharon and David will help us. Richard will become suspicious if you or I are always hanging around him.”

  “Now you’re thinking. You talk to Sharon tonight, and I’ll talk to David. I don’t want you to think I’m making light of this, Kelly, because I’m not. Actually, I believe you saw hands, but we’ve got to have something concrete to go on.” I could hear the frustration in his voice. “I want to ask David to help me keep an eye on you, too. I’m not trying to scare you, but something strange is going on here, whether we like it or not.”

  Chapter Twenty-four

  “We spent more time exploring than I thought,” I said, glancing at the clock. “It’s almost three o’clock. Lucy and the others should be showing up soon.” I didn’t want him to know he was scaring me, where before our conversation I’d only felt nervousness.

  “I don’t think we should let them know about the passages.”

  “I don’t either. Except Lucy, I already told her about them.”

  “Well, don’t say anything to anyone else.”

  “Did you just hear the front door?” I asked.

  “Yeah, but it wouldn’t be Lucy. She always uses the back door.”

  “I know.”

  I stood up and walked out to the living room. I didn’t see anyone so I looked out the front window. Ted Fernley’s car was in the drive.

  “It was Ted,” I said, returning to the kitchen.

  “He’s an odd man,” Mike commented. “He’s nice enough, but he’s so formal about everything. Oh well, everyone’s got some kind of quirk. I should talk. He probably thinks I’m weird.”

  “Mike, you’re one of the most normal men I’ve ever met,” I said, laughing.

  The telephone rang and I got up to answer it.

  “I’ll be back in a minute,” Mike said, opening the back door.

  I picked up the receiver and went through the old, “Holt House, how may I help you?” routine.

  My advertisement for a room had been running in the newspaper again, and the caller was a possible new boarder. Her name was Marjorie Banks and she said she’d be out around six o’clock to see the rooms. After giving her directions, we hung up.

  “I think you may have a new boarder,” Mike said, walking back into the house.

  “How did you know?”

  “Huh? Oh, I’m not taking about your phone call. This boarder is waiting out on the porch. Come on,” he said, taking my hand. “You’ll like this guy.”

  I followed him out, but there was no one there. He looked around, at the ground, which I thought was strange. He even poked through the bushes.

  “Have you lost your mind? What are you doing?” I asked.

  He didn’t answer me, but walked around the corner of the house. He motioned for me to follow him. I did, but when I rounded the corner I still didn’t see anyone.

  “What are you…” I heard a noise and stopped talking. He stepped aside, and standing behind him was the most adorable puppy I’d ever seen.

  “Oh, Mike! Where did it come from?”

  “I don’t know. A stray, I guess. I don’t like it, but sometimes people drop dogs off out in the country if they don’t want them. I walked out the back door and he was sitting by the porch, waiting patiently.”

  “Some people are idiots.” I picked up the puppy. His tail was wagging so hard that his whole rear end shook. “How old do you think he is?”

  “I’d guess he’s at least a few months old.”

  “I wonder what kind of dog he is. Any idea?”

  “Hmmm. He’s definitely part Golden Retriever. Other than that, your guess is as good as mine.”

  “You’re right,” I said, hugging the dog. “It looks like we’ve got a new boarder. He could be trained to be a watch dog, too.” I can be such a pushover sometimes.

  “Uh huh. Is that the story you’re going to give the boarders? Why don’t you just admit you think he’s cute?”

  “Okay, he’s cute and cuddly. I’m going to get some food and see if he’s hungry. He looks hungry, don’t you think? You stay here with him.”

  I ran into the house and found some scraps in the refrigerator. Returning with the food and a bowl of water, I set them in front of the puppy. The poor little guy was hungry. He practically inhaled the food, and he followed up with a lot of water. His stomach was bulging by the time he was through.

  He had the prettiest golden-red fur, with a white belly. He finished eating and looked up at me with gold-colored eyes. Big eyes, the kind that made my heart melt. I watched him and knew we were meant to belong to each other.

  “Oh, Mike, look at those eyes,” I said, melting under his gaze. “I’m going to keep him. Let’s see. I’ll have to go to town and get some puppy food and a little bed, and a collar and leash, and… What am I going to name him?”

  “Slow down. We’ll take care of everything, but there are two things you’d better think about.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like maybe he already has an owner. We don’t know for sure that he was dropped off out here. He could have wandered off from someone’s home. You’d better put an ad in the paper. Also, don’t you think you should make sure the boarders are agreeable to having a dog around?”

  “One look at those eyes and they’ll fall in love with him, too.” I reached down and rubbed the dog’s ear.

  I heard a car pull in and looked up to see Lucy, Josh and Marion.

  “Come and see
what Mike found,” I called, motioning them over.

  The three of them walked over to see what all the fuss was about. Lucy was a little dubious, but that didn’t last long. Marion cooed over the dog, and Josh immediately started playing with him. Three down. I hoped the rest of the boarders felt the same as Josh and Marion. They really did have a say in the matter since they were paying me to live at Holt House. I’d worry about that later, just like I seemed to worry about everything later.

  “I’m going to call him Jem.” I smiled, knowing the dog wouldn’t be going anywhere soon, no matter what the other boarders said.

  “Why Jem?” Marion asked.

  “Because my favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird, and one of the characters was named Jem.”

  Lucy ignored my naming ceremony. “Who’s going to housebreak him?”

  “I am,” I replied. “He won’t be in the house that much anyway. He’s an outdoor dog. You can tell by looking at him.”

  “Uh huh,” she said, skeptically. “Have you ever owned a dog before?”

  “No, but I can figure out what to do.”

  “Sure you can,” she replied. However, she and the others did agree to put in a good word with the rest of the boarders. I was sure those big golden eyes had hooked them.

  By five-thirty everyone had arrived home from work. I trapped each one as they came in and told them about the puppy. They all agreed he could stay, although Richard English was reluctant.

  I made a special trip up to Ted’s room because he hadn’t been downstairs since he’d returned home that afternoon. I knocked on his door, but he didn’t answer. Looking down the hall, I saw that the bathroom door was closed and I thought I heard the shower running. I’d catch him after dinner.

  Dinner! I’d forgotten all about dinner again. I raced downstairs and into the kitchen, tearing through the refrigerator to see what I could fix in a hurry. Luck was with me and I found I had just what I needed in the way of leftovers to make a fast, tasty goulash. I called anything made up of leftovers goulash. One day I’d have to find out what goulash really consisted of, and I had a feeling it wouldn’t be leftovers.

  Sharon walked into the kitchen and immediately the doorbell bonged.

  I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. “Sharon, would you watch dinner while I get the door? It’s a lady who wants to look at the rooms.”

  “Sure, go ahead. I’ll get the salad ready.”

  “Thanks!”

  I ran to the door, feeling rushed, and stopped to compose myself before opening the door. “Mrs. Banks?”

  A tall woman stood on the porch, a polite smile in place on her face. “Yes. You must be Miss Sanders.”

  “Yes. Please call me Kelly. Come in,” I said, moving away from the door.

  I gave her the whole spiel while I showed her Ruth Bell’s old room. She was satisfied with all Holt House had to offer and said she’d take the room. I felt I owed it to her to be honest, so I explained that the last boarder had been in a fall and died.

  “You can take this room, or there are more rooms on the third floor,” I said.

  “This one is fine,” she replied. “Accidents happen. Besides, I’d rather only have to climb one flight of stairs.”

  I was somewhat surprised, but relieved at the same time. I showed her to the living room where we made arrangements for her to move in the following Friday night.

  She seemed to be a pleasant woman. She told me she had recently lost her husband and had moved from New York to get away from the memories. Her reason for answering my advertisement was similar to Mike’s. She’d started a job as a pharmaceutical saleswoman and did business in all of the surrounding towns and cities. She loved the idea of living out of town, and Holt House was centrally located for her.

  She was an attractive woman in her mid-forties, tall and slender with short brown hair, and her brown eyes were slightly slanted, giving her an exotic appearance. She was pleasant but businesslike, and somewhat reserved. I had the feeling she was probably quite good at her job.

  Ted came down the stairs as I was saying good-bye to Mrs. Banks.

  “Mr. Fernley,” I called out. “May I speak with you for a moment?”

  “Yes? What is it?”

  “Well, uh, there’s this puppy that wandered into the yard today, a stray. If I can’t find his owner, I’d like to keep him, but only if all the boarders agree to it.”

  “It’s very thoughtful of you to ask,” he said. “I don’t mind as long as he stays downstairs and away from the kitchen and dining room. I feel it’s unsanitary to have animals around eating areas. Of course, you’ll see that he has his shots, too.”

  “Of course, and I agree with you about keeping him out of the kitchen, so that’s no problem. Most of the time he’ll be an outdoor dog. I might let him inside during a few of those cold winter nights though, but he’ll be in my room, not the kitchen.” I sounded like a twelve-year-old trying to convince a parent I’d take care of the dog.

  “Fine.” He didn’t really seem all that interested and left me standing alone in the entryway, which worked for me. I now had all of the boarders behind me. Any future boarders would have to accept Jem or look elsewhere for a place to live.

  Once again, I’d forgotten dinner. I made a beeline for the kitchen and found Sharon had everything well in hand.

  “I did tell you in the beginning that I’d cook on Lucy’s days off, you know, but you always seem to beat me to it.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m glad you were here tonight though.”

  Sharon picked up a bottle of salad dressing. “Help me carry the dishes out to the table and we can call everyone for dinner.”

  The meal was delicious. Sharon had added something I couldn’t quite place to the goulash, and it tasted better than mine would have. I quietly thanked her and told her she could help out any time she wanted.

  She laughed. “Aren’t you the generous one?”

  After dinner Mike told David he needed to talk to him, and he and Sharon met Mike and I out by the gazebo late in the evening.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Mike and I told David and Sharon about what we’d found in the secret passages and they agreed to help us keep an eye on Richard.

  “Bet you wish you’d known what you were getting into when you bought this place,” David said. “I’d like to see those passages.”

  Sharon’s reaction was a little different. “I’m going to rearrange the furniture in my bedroom tonight. I’m going to move the bed against the wall where the dresser sits now. With the big headboard he won’t be able to come through the secret door, and he won’t get suspicious either.”

  I cringed and gritted my teeth. “Sharon, I’m sorry. I’ve been meaning to ask you if you’d ever looked behind the dresser. You’re right about moving the furniture though. I think I’ll do the same. Rearranging furniture is a normal thing we women do. He’ll never give it a second thought – other than the fact we’re both doing it on the same night. No, even that’s not too suspicious. We could have talked about it first.”

  Sharon smiled. “We did talk about it and decided tonight was the night. I can’t believe it, but I never looked behind the dresser. I didn’t think there was really anything wrong. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part.”

  I didn’t smile in return. “You know, one night I had a dream that someone was in my room. Maybe it wasn’t a dream after all. It did seem awfully real.”

  “You never told me about that,” Mike said.

  “I forgot about it until now. First I dreamed that someone was searching my room, and then I dreamed that someone was standing over my bed watching me.”

  “Was this recently?” David asked.

  “No. Actually, it was quite some time ago.”

  “You seem to have a faulty memory.” Mike looked at me accusingly, like I’d been hiding things from him on purpose. I guess I had. “I’m going to help you move your furniture tonight.”

  David turned to
Sharon. “Same here. And if you need anything during the night, just scream.”

  Sharon rolled her eyes at him. “Not funny, David.”

  I shivered. “Have you noticed that the nights are beginning to cool off already? It feels like summer has flown by.”

  Sharon rubbed her arms. “Fall’s on its way. It is getting chilly. I’m going inside.”

  We talked for about another five minutes before we returned to the house. On the way in I picked up Jem and took him to my room with me. He’d been tagging along behind me ever since we’d gone out to the gazebo. He knew we were meant to be together, too.

  “I thought he was going to be an outdoor dog,” Mike said.

  “One night inside won’t hurt anything. Besides, he’s just a puppy. It’s only one night.”

  “Right.”

  Mike helped me move the furniture, with Jem constantly under his feet. After we moved the heavy bed and headboard in front of the secret door, I put the dog outside one last time so he could do his business, and Mike and I adjourned to the living room. Surprisingly, there was no one around.

  We sat down on the couch and Mike looked up at the portrait over the fireplace. “It’s strange the way you and Amelia Holt look so much alike.”

  “Amelia? I’ve been wondering what her first name was. How did you know it was Amelia?”

  “I stopped in town to see if they had any floor plans of the house. I figured it was worth a shot, but they didn’t have them – they were lost in a fire several years ago. I wanted to see if the passages showed up on the plans. Anyway, there were some other papers on file that the Holts had signed when they bought the house. Their names were Amelia and George Holt. I thought you knew.”

  “Surprisingly, her name isn’t on anything I’ve seen. His was, but hers wasn’t. I guess in those days they figured the husband was the only one who mattered. How archaic.”

  “Yeah, archaic. I found some papers showing they’d taken a loan against the house to pay for some kind of hospital bills,” Mike said. “Apparently they were footing the bill for a relative who was in a hospital.”