My first full day at Haystone. It’s been an experience I won’t forget in a
hurry. I thought we were a bunch of
differing personalities who rub along day to day and, occasionally, rub the wrong
way, but this bunch leave us standing in their dust. How it doesn’t break into all-out war is just a little beyond my
grasp but I think it has to be Andrew’s influence. The guy’s a natural mediator.
There’s Carrie – who is really starting to irritate me – with her
constant demands, and Florence – who’s nice enough but could use a little
backbone – who is bottling up a big store of resentment at being overlooked,
and then there’s Drake. I don’t know
why he feels he has to constantly stand between me and Merli but that’s what
he’s doing. I get the impression that,
if he could sleep with us, he wouldn’t hesitate. I am trying to accept the situation with grace and good humor,
but I don’t know how much longer I can do it.
Merli’s done nothing to encourage him, I know for a fact, and she’s
treating him like she treats everyone else yet Drake seems to think it’s
something more than what it is.
We worked till around 5:00 on the
recording and I have to admit, by that time, I was getting pretty tired. Not ready to sleep where I stood but my eyes
were getting gritty. There is a second
voice – too soft to be able to pick out words but it’s definitely female. Alex thinks it’s a sweetheart, a lover –
maybe one of the staff in the house at the time. Someone of their own social standing wouldn’t have made the guy
say what he did. Someone lower down the
scale … And that fits in with the
shouted words too. It’s starting to
form a picture.
At 6:30, we went back to the lodge,
ate, and crashed. Merli and I didn’t
sleep immediately but we didn’t talk much either. You can’t beat making love for getting warm after a long, cold
night in a haunted house and, after, you sleep incredibly well. I don’t think I even dreamed.
At 2:00, we got the wake up call. Derek, Rachel and Alex came to us for a
start of day conference where we discussed what we’d learned during the night
and tried to fit that into the framework of information. Merli told us that, although she hadn’t seen
anything, there was an energy present at the source of the voice. Some ghosts linger in a form we can see and
others linger as voices. Either way,
it’s still acting out the events which anchor it to this world. In this case, however, the events seem out
of sequence. We agreed that, although a
picture is starting to appear, it’s fuzzy and needs a lot more detail. Then we went out to face the day and have a
full conference.
Drake’s found there’s a cellar in the
lodge and he wants to use it as a darkroom to develop his films. He took a run into Mendocino this afternoon
to pick up what he needs. I’ve offered
to help him – he’s still thinking it over.
Rachel spent time with Alex and Florence today. She thinks that, if she can demonstrate to
Carrie that she isn’t here to be her personal doctor, Carrie will ease up. I think it’s wishful thinking but it’s
easier on Rachel whatever her reasons.
We decided to go back and do a re-run
of night 1 – sit around, wait and hear what happens. We may get lucky or we may get a night off. Whatever, Alex is still trying to dig out
facts that are proving hard to get.
Florence offered to go into Littleriver tomorrow to see if there’s any
local knowledge in the library. Alex
agreed and they’ll both go after lunch.
Merli’s prowling. She says she’s tired of Aquila muttering all
the time. She’s asked Derek to prowl as
well and see if he can see anything. It
might give us the edge, or a pry bar to crack this open. And, if that fails, we always have the
option of giving Andrew and his group the ultimate haunted house experience – a
séance. I wonder how that would go
down. Florence could take it, so could
Andrew. I’m not sure about Drake. And Carrie ..? That’s anyone’s guess.
*****
I have been prowling today. Hunting for clues to support my theory. My powers of observation have never been so
acute. I’m actually starting to enjoy
this vacation. They are extremely good
at disguising their own handiwork, I’ll give them that. I haven’t found anything concrete ..
yet. But I will. It’s just a matter of time.
Peri had an insufferable smirk on her
face this afternoon. She actually said
to me ‘great sex’ and winked. Her
husband – how I pity him – awake all day, and all night, and she forces him to
perform … I can’t bear to think about
it. It’s just too gross.
It was a boring night after the
excitement. As usual, the guys decided
to do all the work and the women sat around looking decorative. I don’t mind doing that for a while but 5
hours? I couldn’t even sleep because I
wanted to stay on the case, observe these cheats in the act of manipulating
events so they’re seen as facts.
Actually .. thinking back, what I really wanted to do was help with the
audio work because it looked very interesting but the guys had it under
control. At least keeping tabs on
everyone was easy because, after the voice and the rushing upstairs, we were
all in the library and no one left.
Okay, that was the night. The day began with breakfast and an
agreement to start again at 2:30. We
went upstairs and had our mini-conference in private. Andy was very excited about what he’d done, Drake marginally less
so. Florence was glowing in her
praise. I can’t believe these people
can be so dumb as to fall for it! I
didn’t tell them my suspicions, nor could I make any statement about Rachel
because I’d done my level best to stay away from her. Then we went to sleep. I
have to say the mood among them is very different now. The fear seems to have gone – even I’m not
afraid anymore (but I’ve figured out why).
Florence said something about the library but I couldn’t remember
exactly what. It was later that I
learned she meant the library in Littleriver.
We woke at 2:00 and congregated
downstairs for the day’s action plan.
How boring – a re-run of last night.
Derek and Andy went up to the Manor to reset the recorders. Drake said he’d found a cellar in the lodge
(when did he find this?) and he wanted to turn it into a darkroom. Something had triggered the cameras and he’d
changed the films; now, he wants to develop them. Then he left to go to Mendocino, saying he’d be back in time for
the night’s watch. He was – just. Nick doesn’t like Drake much. He’s okay face to face but, when Drake’s
back is to him, his eyes narrow and his jaw twitches. I feel sympathy for the both of them. Nick’s married to an impossible woman and Drake’s got the hots
for her too. As for Peri, she’s
enjoying all the attention and playing one against the other.
As I write this, we’re in the library
again. The Manor is silent. Even the smell in here isn’t so bad (or I’m
getting used to it). Perhaps it’s
giving us the night off. I’ve just come
back from ‘stretching my legs’. Peri
keeps on going out to walk around. I
have to follow her to make sure she isn’t loading the next rigged recording
onto one of the machines. Florence
commented that I don’t have to do it - we have live feed from the video cameras
onto the monitors so I can just watch that.
I’m not sure if she knows I’m following Peri or if she’s being helpful.
I think some kind of sequence is being
created (and I use that word with a reason) but it has holes. We need to learn more. If not tonight, some other night. Personally, I can’t wait for the time when I
can present my evidence and denounce the Luna Foundation as the frauds they
are. I just have to find the evidence
first!
*****
Our 1st day on site had
been completed and we are in the Manor for the 2nd full night of our
investigation. Peri asked me to take a
walk around and see if I could sense anything.
The house feels different tonight.
Yesterday, there was an energy here, an atmosphere of .. something. Tonight, that is missing and I was not aware
of it until it had gone. For this
reason, I don’t believe we will hear anything new. I doubt we will hear any repetition of earlier occurrences. It gives us all a chance to pause and catch
our breath, and think about what we’ve learned so far.
Andrew and I, Nick and Drake worked on
the recording for some hours early today and we have ascertained that there is
a second voice there. It is very quiet,
in the background, but unmistakably female.
Once we had raised it as much as we could, we played it to the others
for their assessment. Alex suggested
the voice belongs to a lover or sweetheart and she might be a member of the
staff at that time. She is going to
attempt to find out the names of any staff in the Manor during those 4 years in
question. Alex is also working very
well with Florence who has an organized personality and a logical way of
thinking. It’s clear that, when they
are apart, they are still thinking in tandem because Florence remarked today
that she had wanted to discover more about Haystone as a living home and
perhaps the library in Littleriver might be a source of information. She and Alex are going there tomorrow in
search of answers. I do not know it for
a definite fact but I suspect an enduring friendship has been made between
those two.
Rachel has abandoned her attempts to
get along with Carrie Hess, for today anyway.
She worked with Alex and Florence during the afternoon and is continuing
to work with them tonight. Carrie is
conducting an investigation of her own and I have no idea what it is – but I do
know it is linked only remotely to the Haystone Manor phenomena. Carrie keeps to herself and I have not yet
had the chance to really talk with her.
Perhaps that is an oversight on my part. Of us all (excluding Peri), Carrie is the only one to detect the
smell in here. If she has latent psi
ability, she could be of great value to Andrew’s group. As it is now, she appears to be the greatest
liability – a force which destroys bonds and not one which strengthens
them. She definitely has some kind of
grudge with Peri.
Another one with some kind of issue to
resolve is Drake. He seems to have ..
shall we say hopes when it comes to Peri and the fact she is not only married
but that Nick is also here does not appear to have dented Drake’s hopes in the
slightest. Peri has not distanced
herself from the situation yet has done nothing to encourage Drake. Nick is coping admirably – he knows Peri
would never cheat on him and she would certainly never do it right under his
nose. However, the almost constant
provocation must be wearing on Nick’s patience and I, for one, know that Nick’s
patience is not of an inexhaustible supply.
As for Andrew, yesterday he was a
little reluctant to be the leader. He
appeared to want to delegate that role to me.
However, I have, by my actions and words, demonstrated that I will not
accept that position. I will suggest
and recommend but I will not decide.
Once the recording was captured, he changed dramatically. He had captured a recording of his own but
then lacked the knowledge of what to do with it. Working with me, he has rediscovered his enthusiasm for
Haystone. He no longer sees it as
something to be feared but rather as an opportunity to be exploited to the
fullest. I will gladly assist him in doing that.
Drake took a run into Mendocino this
afternoon to purchase supplies to temporarily convert the cellar into a
darkroom. He says he has cameras with
sensors which have triggered, there may be something on the film and that it
may help. It’s true. But Haystone is not a visual phenomenon,
it’s auditory. I wonder what it is that
he has captured.
*****
Haystone Manor is very reluctant to
surrender its secrets. I’ve never been
in a situation exactly like this before.
Something is obviously going on but I cannot tell if it’s ghosts or
historical memory. I’ve tried to walk
around, leaving myself open to whatever is trying to make contact or tell us
something but, with Florence watching my every move, it is a little
difficult. Maybe I should just be
honest with her. This is the Luna
Foundation, after all. We investigate
places like Haystone for a living.
Surely, it’s expected of me to try every avenue.
Similarly, I’ve never known such a
faceless, anonymous family as the McFarlanes.
I’ve practically exhausted everything and learned nothing more. But the recording has given us a possible
new lead. Derek, Andrew, Nick and Drake
worked on it for several hours while the rest of us maintained the watch. It seems Haystone metes out its secrets in
small rations of one per night because nothing else occurred. At around 5:00 this morning, Derek played
the recording to us and let us draw our own conclusions.
The man’s voice sounds young. His words are very clear. And, very faintly, there is the sound of
another voice, that of a woman. We can’t
make out the words as it’s only a soft murmur, but, from what the man is
saying, I think she must be protesting or demurring in some way. I said I thought it might be a lover or a
sweetheart but not one of an acceptable social position for a McFarlane male. This led me to believe it could be one of
the staff. A house this size would have
had staff, just as we have Andrew.
Tomorrow, I’m going to the library in Littleriver with Florence (whose
idea it was) to check out any local knowledge.
When we finished for the night, we
returned to the lodge, ate breakfast, then went to sleep. Rachel and I had a quick discussion on how
it’s going and I think Andrew’s friends did the same because we could hear the
mutter of conversation upstairs for about 15 or 20 minutes. Rachel told me she’s going to give Carrie a
wide berth for a while. When I slept, I
dreamed of Haystone and it wasn’t a helpful dream but I woke thinking about the
locked doors I’ve discovered. Maybe I
should get Nick to try opening them. It
may reveal nothing but, on the other hand, we may discover a clue.
We went into the dining room for a
start of day conference. Peri related
what she’d learned the previous night – a source of energy at the location of
the voice. She also mentioned that
Aquila spends a lot of time in the Manor, just patrolling, and she’s found
nothing. The ghosts of Haystone don’t
walk. They only ‘appear’ when they have
something to say. We agreed we need
more information although a picture does seem to be forming.
Then we met with the others for lunch
and debated tonight’s action plan.
Andrew decided to go for a re-run.
Florence mentioned the library in town – an excellent suggestion. Drake said he’d discovered a cellar below
the lodge and it would be ideal as a darkroom to develop his films. He left at once for Mendocino and only just
made it back in time for the walk up to the Manor.
Tonight is different. I noticed it as soon as I entered. The house feels empty, somehow flat and
lifeless. It’s strange how you notice
things like that only when something’s missing – until that point, you accept
it as normal. My gut is telling me
nothing will happen. Maybe, having
given us this much, the residents of Haystone are taking the night off.
I have only a few observations to make
– Carrie is keeping a very close watch on us and I don’t know why. She’s a difficult woman to get close
to. On the surface, she’s hard but
brittle. Underneath, I sense she’s
easily hurt. Maybe that’s why she’s so
defensive. She hasn’t learned the
lesson yet that, if you want to feel love, you have to risk pain. If you’re not prepared to risk pain, you’ll
never know what love is. Drake is the
opposite. He feels something for Peri
and he’s risking a lot of pain. I
admire Nick’s patience with the guy but I do wonder how much longer it can
last.
*****
If my mother were here, she’d take me
to one side and tell me not to be so stupid.
It’s a good thing my Mom is not around.
I know I have a really intense crush on Peri but I find myself wondering
if it’s something more. Could I actually
be in love with her? I can’t think of
any other reason why I’m acting this way when her husband is like my
shadow. And, on the whole, Nick is a ..
nice guy. If I were in his place (and,
boy, what fantasies I have about that) and it was him taking every chance to
get close to my wife, I would have thumped him long before now. But he hasn’t. Now, my rather fevered imagination is trying to tell me that it’s
because he doesn’t care .. but my logic is saying he’s watching me, closely,
and, when his patience runs out, I am so going to regret it. Unfortunately, logic can’t dent lust.
It got so bad, I couldn’t sleep
earlier today. My dreams were taking a
decidedly erotic turn and I woke up in a sweat, couldn’t get back to sleep (or
didn’t dare) so I went for a walk. Not
outside, just around the lodge. I
realized I hadn’t really explored it.
Anyway, creeping around so not to wake everyone, I found a cellar. Off a flight of steep stairs, under the
kitchen. Old pantry or food store or
something. I figured I can turn it into
a darkroom to develop the films. Good
idea, Drake! Plus, going to Mendocino
on my own gave me a reason to try to put Peri from my mind. Working in the darkroom, on my own, will
force me to concentrate on my work.
Having decided that, I went back to bed and fell asleep quite fast.
We woke at 2:00, met for lunch and
daily conference, and I announced my plans.
Nick offered to help. I said I’d
think about it. I have and I will
continue to think about it, but my initial reaction is no way. But maybe I could use his help in setting up
and having him stand guard outside the door.
Anyway, I left soon after lunch and made great time into Mendocino. Took ages to hunt down a supplies store but
I got everything I need and hightailed back to Haystone. Hit the early rush hour traffic so only just
made it back in time for supper.
I think my strategy was working. My gut didn’t twist quite so hard when I saw
Peri but when she smiled at me … Okay,
it was only a quick smile and I’m not sure if it was a greeting or sympathy but
I found myself not really caring. It
was a smile and it was just for me.
Flo said something about going to the
library in town tomorrow. She has
really taken to this research gig. What
started as the ‘annual trip’ to a haunted house so we could sit around for a
week or so hoping to get scared has turned into a full blown
investigation. I think it’s great. Really, I do. I’ve learned a lot and the Luna Foundation people are
terrific. There’s no ‘you have to do this’
or ‘you must do that’. Sure, we’re
taking our lead from them because they’re the ones with all the experience but
it’s all discussed in advance and we get the opportunity to put forward our
ideas and thoughts – and they don’t laugh at us. That has to be a bonus.
Nothing’s happened tonight. I don’t think it will. How do I know? Well, I don’t know but the house feels like an empty house
and it hasn’t felt like that before.
Maybe Carrie’s hysterics and all the wiring has scared them off. We’re not doing much except staring at TV
monitors. I might ask if I can quit
early so I can go make a start on the cellar.
I know I need to take a step back from this Peri thing. Andy should have been more forceful at the
start – she shouldn’t have come with us.
She should’ve turned up with the others. I could’ve coped with that.
Probably.
*****
This is bizarre. It’s like I’m living two lives – both me,
and I don’t know which life I prefer.
There’s good old Andy, founder of the ghost watch club, and Andrew, head
of domestic services for the Luna Foundation HQ. Day 9 of my journal. Who
would have thought at the start I would be writing these words?
Well, to record today’s events ~ I assisted
DR with the analysis and I was surprised at how much work he gave me to
do. I was excited yesterday at the
prospect of watching but it was more a lesson on how to do this. DR is an extremely patient teacher. I’m toying with the idea of asking if we
could perform a similar exercise on the ‘shouting man’ recording; we may be
able to find out who he’s shouting at.
Once we’d done (and that took hours),
we played it to the others. Carrie
looked bored. Florence, AM, RC, and P
all listened very closely. We’ve agreed
that it’s definitely a female voice. So
that’s three voices we have to identify.
We can’t hear what she’s saying.
AM suggested it could be a girlfriend but maybe someone beneath the
acceptable level. Someone like
staff. Like me, in fact.
That stuck with me all day. I don’t believe for a second AM said it as
some kind of insult to me personally but that’s how I felt. A lesser member of society. It took me until fairly recently to figure
my way thru it. Back then – that’s what
I have to remember. Back then – nearly
a hundred years ago – domestic staff were of a lower social level. They didn’t have degrees in management or
catering. They were often illiterate,
young, naïve, and exploitable. Cheap,
easy labor. Turnover was high. And a girl employed as a kitchen skivvy or
to sweep out the ash from the hearths would have been way below the
level suitable for a McFarlane (assuming the voice we can hear clearly is a
McFarlane).
We have to find out more information
so Florence – who has really gotten into the research aspect – had a brilliant
idea. She and Alex are going into
Littleriver tomorrow to check out the library.
I’m going to suggest they should also call in on Mom and Dad, the reason
being that Dad is the local keyholder to the estate. His side of the family has been in the area for generations. He may have some insight.
After breakfast, we retired for the
day but, before we separated to sleep, we held a mini conference of our
own. That’s where the two personalities
come to the surface. Andrew is
protective of his people. Andy has to
take a backseat. I don’t say much at
all but I listen very carefully. But,
thank God, Florence thinks bringing them in is a terrific idea. I believe I overreacted yesterday saying she
was watching AM like she suspected her of something. As always, Florence was levelheaded in her words but I can see
that she and AM are working well together.
AM is another patient teacher and treats Florence as an equal. ‘I don’t know’ is an invitation to explain
and educate, not to ridicule or deride.
Drake is in a sad way and he’s just waiting to be punched. Maybe I should tell him about NB’s former
career. Carrie is being Carrie. She won’t join in. She seems to have some ideas of her own so, provided she doesn’t
upset anyone, I’m willing to let her go her own way.
When we woke in the afternoon, Drake
said he was going into the city to get some supplies to develop his films. There’s a cellar under the kitchen. I think he went walkabout because I woke at
around 10:30 and he was gone. If it
shifts his thoughts away from PB, great.
We’re back in the library now. The Manor is silent and it doesn’t seem to
have that brooding, watchful atmosphere of the past nights. I
think we’re in for a quiet few hours.
Carrie will probably say it’s boring.
After the events we’ve witnessed, maybe it is boring but it’s also
restful to have a night off.
*****
I really think I’m in the wrong
job. Alex has shown me there’s so much
going on that I never even considered, that going back to the hospital will be
very tedious. I’ll still be dotting i’s
and crossing t’s, and I’ll know it’s all necessary, important work, but my
heart and soul won’t be in it. I’m
meant for other things.
Okay, Day 9. If Alex has taught me anything today (and she’s taught me a lot),
it’s that keeping records is so important.
In another 88 years (they have to be accurate records too), someone
might want to know what we did in Haystone Manor. If I don’t write it down, how will they find out?
We listened to the recording and I
never realized you could clean them up so much. I was right there when the man was speaking and I never heard
another voice but it was on the recording and it took 5 hours of work to bring
it out. Unfortunately, we couldn’t hear
what was said but it is so clearly a female voice. We debated to whom it might belong and Alex thought it could be
staff. An illicit romance – how
exciting. We never considered that
before. Then we went back to the lodge,
ate breakfast, had a mini conference and went to sleep.
When we woke in the afternoon, we met
downstairs for an action plan debate.
That’s when I said maybe going to the local library might be a good
idea. They could have records which
have never been put on a database. Alex
gave me such a smile, I knew I’d been right to speak up. So, tomorrow, we’re going into town to check
it out. Rachel is another nice person,
so helpful and friendly. She worked
with us today rather than try to bridge the gap with Carrie. She suggested medical records and we did get
as far as the local hospital but their records are only archived from
1930. Rachel’s thinking of taking a
trip herself to see if any hard copies still remain.
Drake said he wanted to make a
darkroom and left almost at once. I
think it’d do him good to put some distance (physical and emotional) between
him and Peri. I’ve noticed Nick is
watching him and not always with a pleasant expression. It must be wearing for him to have another
guy around who’s trying to get close to your wife and being so obvious about
it.
Carrie isn’t doing much. She isn’t helping with the investigation and
yet she seems to be thinking a lot.
She’s always following Peri around, like she’s tracking her. I said she didn’t need to, what with the
live feed from the video cameras and she gave me a look. Suspicious.
I wonder what she is doing.
(Alex says speculation is okay in a journal because it helps shed light
on the thought processes of the individual.)
Drake came back just in time to grab a
quick bite to eat before we headed up to the Manor. I don’t know if it’s just me or whether others are affected as
well, but the house has a different feel to it tonight. I never realized it on the other nights that
it felt different. I just assumed that
was how it always felt. Tonight, it
seems .. dead. Like it’s an empty
house. Actually, this is how it should
feel all the time and it doesn’t seem as silent as it has before. I’m noticing that I can hear wind in the
chimneys, the very faint creaking of wood.
This will sound silly because I have nothing factual to base it on, but
I think the ghosts here are sleeping tonight.
It’s Saturday night. Maybe
they’ve gone out.
Peri is still patrolling – I can’t
think of another word to describe it. I
watch her on the monitors and she often pauses, head tilted, as if she’s
listening, before she moves on. She has
a very economical way of moving. She covers distance with the minimum amount of
effort.
One thing I must remember to raise
tomorrow – the locked doors. What’s the
deal there? Why are some doors
locked? What’s behind them? If anyone can break the rules and get us
inside, it’ll be Nick. Of course,
first, we’ll have to either persuade or otherwise subdue the holder of the
permit – Carrie Hess.
*****
First of all, I’ve realized I omitted
a couple of things from yesterday’s entry so I’ll correct that right now. I forgot to record that Nick and Peri went
out to survey the exterior of the house and check over the grounds. It’s something they do every place we
go. I suppose they’re making sure we
have alternative exit routes or that nothing is going to surprise us. I also forgot to mention that Haystone is a
very nice house. It certainly doesn’t
look its age. Nor, I have to say, does
it look like it’s been empty for over 50 years.
That was yesterday. Today, or rather tonight, it does. If I didn’t know better, I would have to say
that the entities here keep it clean and they’ve taken the night off. I think that’s good because it gives us all
a chance to catch up and get a grip.
I’ve worked with Alex and Florence
today on research. I’m hoping Carrie
will learn some kind of lesson from that.
I doubt it though. Having
recorded that, I have to say her behavior is different today. There’s a watchful stillness about her and
she appears to have Peri firmly in her sights.
As Alex has discovered, the one person you do not want to take on is
Peri. Carrie will learn this too and it
could be a very worthwhile experience for her.
And, if it comes to tears, I guess I’m here to help pick up the pieces.
There’s someone else here heading for
tears and that’s Drake. Peri has made
it plain that she has no interest in Drake beyond temporary friendship. Her life is with Nick – they both know that. Drake seems hell-bent on trying to upset the
status quo. So far, Nick has let the
situation ride but I can see the signs in his eyes that it is starting to get
to him. Drake decided today to take
himself away from the situation and I think that is wise. He went to buy photographic development
supplies so he can convert the cellar into a darkroom. His cameras are, he says, equipped with
sensors. Apparently, he has film to
develop. What he’s caught on it is
anyone’s guess because the entities here are auditory phenomena. No one’s seen anything.
As for Derek, he’s really enjoying
this. It’s almost like a working
vacation for him. He likes nothing
better than a good mystery to solve, and Haystone is definitely a mystery. He’ll probably give Andrew a pay raise as a
thank you for calling him in.
The Manor is calm tonight. There’s a different atmosphere, and, as I’ve
written above, there’s a neglected feel to the place. It isn’t suddenly strung with cobweb or filthy underfoot, but it
feels .. lifeless, exactly how a house empty of residents for 50 years should
feel. Sad, even melancholy. We’re in the library again. I don’t think it’s as cold in here as it has
been but that could just be the weather.
It’s been particularly warm the last few days – it’s almost a crime to
sleep thru it.
I also wrote that I have a chance to
catch up and get a grip. The people
here are working together and we’ve all remembered Derek’s instruction not to
take over. Carrie is the exception but she
only illustrates how well the rest of us are working together. So far, the reported phenomena are: a smell
in here of something dead or rotting; a man shouting; a man talking to a woman
who may, according to Alex, be a servant; a gunshot and a pool of fresh
blood. A picture is starting to form
but the ‘scenes’ being spoken to us aren’t in the right order. If I were to attempt to put them in order
I’d have to say it’s the man talking, then the man shouting, then the
gunshot/blood, and finally the smell.
Derek says that one of the tenants also smelled the stink and gained
permission for the floor to be lifted but nothing was found. If it was a body killed, murdered, and buried
or hidden beneath the floor, there are no bones. Obviously, it was removed a long time ago – possibly even before
the Manor was sold to the Jessop family.
I wonder if there’s a family plot either here in the grounds somewhere
or in Littleriver. I’ll get Alex to
check when she and Florence take a run into town tomorrow afternoon.
*****
Keeping a journal is a damned stupid idea. It gets in the way of doing stuff. I am going to stick with it only until we get back to the city
and then I am going to ceremonially incinerate the thing. I swear to God, I am never going to do this
again.
All right, today’s entry. I give Nicky maybe .. 2 more days of Drake
then he’ll use him to decorate the walls.
I can see him smiling and I hear him talking, and I can feel the
resentment boiling off him. It’s kind
of amusing in one way but so unnecessary in a lot more ways. If I had given Drake any ideas, I could
understand his constant flirting but I didn’t and I haven’t. It’s getting to the stage where I am tempted
to take the night off and let Aquila loose in my place. If she can’t get Drake off my back and out
of Nicky’s face, there’s no hope for him.
We listened to the recording early
this morning and there’s definitely a woman’s voice on it. Alex thinks she’s staff. I don’t.
I’m not saying the McFarlane male we can hear wasn’t above seducing a
member of the household staff but I don’t think he’d fall for her to the extent
that calling it off would cause pain to be heard in his voice. I think this unknown female is a local woman
of equal standing in the community. We
could have a Romeo and Juliet scenario here – families who are bitter
enemies. Alex is going to the library
tomorrow to check out more local information.
Good plan. Florence is on the
ball and thinking the right kinds of thoughts.
When we got back to the lodge, Nicky
and I made out. It was great. The best way ever to get warm after a long,
cold night. We slept incredibly well
afterward. At 2:00, we got the wake up
call and were soon joined by Derek, Rachel and Alex to discuss our
findings. It was the first chance I got
to tell them about Aquila’s experience the preceding night. Then we met up with the others for a full
action plan conference. A re-run. Drake announced he was going to Mendocino
for supplies. The cellar is going to be
his darkroom. He left. Alex and Florence took Rachel under their
wing because Carrie is still ignoring her.
They worked on the laptop all afternoon. Drake got back just in time for supper. Then we went back to the Manor.
I don’t know what Carrie’s up to but
she’s following me. She’s extremely
suspicious and that has roused my suspicions.
It’s good because Aquila is now following Carrie and Carrie is someone
Aquila can do something about. It’s
shifted her focus away from Haystone and the brick wall she’s been hitting her
head against. Alex, too, is off my case
– temporarily, at least. It can’t last
but this house is using all her concentration.
As for me, I’ve been patrolling.
The Manor is calm tonight.
Nothing’s going on. No one’s
going to show (or speak). I could take
the night off but I have to show I’m part of the team, even if I have little
common ground with any of them.
When everyone was busy or occupied
today, I called Evan to see how he’s coping.
He’s having a ball. He has the
whole house to himself and he is so enjoying it. I asked if he’d been in anyone’s bedroom to look thru their
closets yet; he said no. He was
lying. I don’t think he’s been thru the
closets but he’s checked out the rooms.
It’s standard operating procedure.
The guy is too engrained with the rules. He knows I live there and I wouldn’t allow anything to develop
there but he can’t trust me. I’m going
to have to speak with him when I get home.
I also got a call today from the boss, asking me how much longer would I
be away. I told him I don’t know. Shit, that’s the last 2 things I want – him
turning up here to drag me away and him getting a cell phone.
Continue to Day 10 Return to Home