The Ghost of Marlow House (Haunting Danielle Book 1) (12 page)

Lily and Danielle spent the next morning
away from Marlow House out shopping. Danielle picked out kitchen appliances, a
new washer and dryer, and two flat screen televisions. They loaded the
televisions in the car, but the appliances wouldn’t be delivered until the
first of the next week.  They got home in time for lunch and in time to greet
the cable man who installed Danielle’s new landline, cable, and Internet.

Exhausted from the busy morning and
afternoon, Danielle sprawled out on her bed and began flipping through the
channels of her new television. Ian had stopped by fifteen minutes earlier to invite
Lily and Danielle out for ice cream down at the pier. Danielle declined the
offer, certain that Lily would rather have Ian to herself. Danielle was alone
in the house, except for Walt, whom she had not seen since the night before.

“What in the hell is that?”  Walt asked
when he appeared in Danielle’s room. He stood in front of the television, hands
on his hips, staring at the flat screen as Danielle flipped through channels.

“A TV. Or television. I guess you’ve
never seen one.” Danielle stopped channel hopping and looked up at Walt, who
was still staring at the new television. He watched in fascination as cowboys
on horseback galloped across the screen in an old John Wayne movie. Still
watching, his eyes fixed on the horseback riders; Walt backed up to the bed and
sat down on the edge of the mattress.

“A movie theatre in your home? Amazing…”
Walt whispered in awe. “How is that possible?”

“There’ve been lots of changes in the
world over the last hundred years,” Danielle explained.

“I’ve seen movies in color…I knew they
were working on sound…but this…”

Danielle sat up and moved to the end of
the mattress, sitting next to Walt. She showed him the television remote, and
explained how it worked. Flipping through the channels she described the
different viewing options—entertainment, news, sports, history, education,
regular features, movies and more.

He began asking questions and she could
barely finish answering one when he would ask another. He wanted to know
everything from how the pictures got into the little box to programming
choices.

“Think of reading material,” Danielle
said when trying to explain the programing. “Watching a news show is sort of
like reading the newspaper. Watching a sports show is like going to a sporting
event, like a baseball game. A documentary, like something on
The History
Channel
is like reading a non-fiction book, while watching a movie or some
television programs is like reading a book of fiction. Like the movies back in
your day, except with sound. Some shows, like cooking shows or home repair
shows, are sort of like magazine articles for people who like to cook or fix up
their houses. Some of the programs are just to entertain, while others inform.”

“Fascinating…” Walt murmured, his eyes
still focused on the screen.

Danielle was about to change the channel
when it changed on its own.

“What the heck?” Danielle frowned,
looking at the remote in her hand. The channel changed again. She looked up at Walt.

“Did you do that?” she asked.

“Interesting.” Walt smiled as the
channel changed again.

“You are doing that!”

Walt shrugged. “You told me to learn how
to harness my energy. This is surprisingly easy. I don’t even need that little
controller of yours.” Suddenly the television turned off. It then turned on
again.

“Did you do that?” Danielle asked. Walt
didn’t respond. He just smiled, his eyes fixed on the television. Shaking her
head, she got up from the bed.

“Fine, watch if you want. But please,
keep the sound down, especially when Lily gets back.”  Danielle let out a weary
sigh and then walked to the bedroom door and glanced back at Walt. He sat on
the edge of the mattress, engrossed in the TV as he flipped through the channels—never
once touching the remote. He reminded her of a child with a new toy. Shaking
her head she left the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Just as Danielle got downstairs she
heard Lily and Ian entering the house. Lily was laughing and then Ian said
something and laughed.

“How was the ice cream?” Danielle asked
as she stepped on the landing.

“Good. You should have come with us,” Lily
said as she, Ian and Sadie walked into the house.  Sadie trotted over to
Danielle, greeting her with a wet nose and wagging tail. Just as Danielle
patted Sadie, the dog took off dashing up the staircase.

“Sadie!” Ian called after her.

“Oh, let her go,” Danielle chuckled.
“She loves to explore up there, and there’s nothing she can get into.”

“I really don’t know what’s gotten into
her lately. She’s never acted like that before.” Ian looked up the staircase
where Sadie had just disappeared.

“Like what?” Lily asked.

“She doesn’t listen to me,” Ian said.
“At least not over here. She’s never done that before, just taken off and
ignored me.”

“She did that the first day we met,” Lily
reminded him.

“What?” Ian frowned at Lily.

Danielle watched Ian, noticing his brief
confusion, and then the moment he realized what Lily was talking about.
Sadie—according to Ian—had run off and ignored his command the day she’d run
into the back yard of Marlow House.
Or had she?
Danielle wondered.
What
was Ian hiding?
Had Ian used his dog as a ploy to meet Lily—that Danielle
could accept—or was he lying about his profession. That she could not
understand.

The doorbell rang, interrupting
Danielle’s train of thought. Lily, who stood closest to the door, turned and
opened it. Standing on the front porch were two men—the two men Lily and Ian
had encountered at Pier Café. Lily’s eyes widened. The one she’d initially
spoken to at the café wore dress slacks and shirt, and his companion wore
denims and a blue work shirt. One of them was carrying a cardboard box.

“Hello, is Danielle Boatman here?” Adam Nichols
asked. Danielle heard his question, but she could not see who was at the front
door and stepped closer.

“You’re the man from Pier Café, the one
who asked about Marlow House,” Lily said.

“Mr. Nichols? Hello, how is your
grandmother?” Danielle asked, now standing next to Lily in the doorway.

“She’s fine. And please call me Adam. She
found some photos of your aunt that she thought you might like.”

“Photos? Oh, please come in. Lily, this
is Adam Nichols, he’s Marie Hemming’s grandson. I told you about her.” Danielle
and Lily stepped aside and let the two men into the house. Ian stood quietly in
the entry hall, watching.

“This is Bill Jones,” Adam introduced as
Danielle shut the front door. “We had a job in your neighborhood and my
grandmother wanted to know if I’d drop this off when we were over here.”

“Let’s go into the parlor,” Danielle
suggested as Bill handed her the box. “This is my friend Lily and our friend Ian.
He’s renting your grandmother’s house.”

“We met them at the café,” Lily
explained as they walked into the parlor.

“We didn’t actually meet them,” Ian
reminded her as he quietly looked the men over.

“Yes, Pier Café. We were discussing Ms.
Boatman’s plans for Marlow House,” Adam said, looking at Lily before turning to
Danielle and asking, “You’re turning Marlow House into an inn, I understand?”

“Please call me Danielle. And not an inn
exactly, a B and B. Lily mentioned meeting you. Of course, I had no idea you
were Marie’s grandson. How did you hear about my plans?”

“I have to keep up on the potential
competition.” Adam grinned.

“Competition?” Danielle set the
cardboard box on a small table by the window.

“I own Frederickport Vacation
Properties,” Adam explained. “Bill here works for me, does repairs and
maintenance.”

“That’s who I rented my house from,” Ian
said. “Frederickport Vacation Properties.”

“Yes, I handle my grandmother’s
properties. How’s the house working out for you?”  Adam asked.

“So far, so good.” Ian smiled.

Adam turned to Danielle. “If you ever
need a handy man—especially to help you get this place open, I can vouch for
Bill here. He’s dependable. Been working for me since I opened the company.”

 “I’m always looking for new jobs,” Bill
spoke up. “Need to keep busy.”

“Well, thanks.” Danielle smiled as she
opened the box Bill had handed her. “I’ll remember that.”

“Does your grandmother need these back?”
Danielle asked. “I could scan them.”

“Oh no, they’re yours if you want them.
Grandma’s been going through her things. Giving photos to family members and
friends. She thought you might like these.”

“That was very thoughtful of her…”
Danielle murmured as she sorted through the box looking at the photographs,
turning each one over to read the inscription on the back. Lily stood at her
side looking at the pictures.

Lily picked up one of the photographs. “She
was a beautiful woman.”

“Yes, she was. But these pictures of her
at the boarding school, it sort of breaks my heart,” Danielle said, studying
one photograph.

“Why is that?” Adam asked.

“It’s just so sad that she lost her
mother. That there wasn’t any family to take her in.”

“What happened to her father?” Ian asked.

“I don’t know anything about him,”
Danielle said. “To be honest, my aunt never discussed her parents. I didn’t
even realize she’d been orphaned at such a young age. Not until I talked to Ben
over at the museum.”

“She and her mother never lived at this house,
did she?” Bill asked, looking around the room curiously.

“As far as I know, they never did.”
Danielle placed the photos back in the box and closed the lid.

“I sure would love to see the rest of
this house,” Bill said. “I’ve always wondered what it looked like inside. Seems
like it’s in great shape.”

“Well come, I’ll give you both a tour if
you like,” Danielle offered.

“Thanks, we’d love that,” Adam said.

Lily and Ian stayed in the parlor while
Danielle showed Adam and Bill from the room to the entry, heading first to the
library.

“Something about those guys sort of
creeps me out,” Lily said when Adam and Bill were out of earshot.

“I know what you mean,” Ian agreed. “If
I understand correctly, the guy dressed like a car salesman—Adam—is the
grandson of the woman who owns the house I’m renting? And she knew Danielle’s
aunt, the one who left her Marlow House?”

“Yes. Dani told me all about it when we
went shopping this morning. I guess her aunt, actually her great-aunt by
marriage, was just a little girl when her mother inherited this house from her
employer, Walt Marlow.”

“Yes, the man in the portrait. How did
he die exactly?”

“Walt Marlow? Gee, I’m not really sure,
we didn’t talk about him. The only thing I know about him is that he left his
estate to his wife, but if his wife died before him, the house was to go to his
housekeeper. That was the mother of Dani’s aunt, Kathrine O’Malley.”

“So obviously, his wife died first.”

“Yes. Not long after Katherine inherited
the house she remarried—and this is the interesting part—she killed her new
husband and then fell to her death, leaving poor Dani’s aunt an orphan.”

“So Danielle really knew nothing about
the history of Marlow House. Were any stories passed down from her aunt?”

“No. She didn’t know anything until she
talked with the people at the museum and Marie Hemming.”

“How did you know the portraits in the
library were of Walt Marlow and his wife? I didn’t notice any name plaques on
the paintings.”

“Dani told me.”

“But how did she know?”

“I’m not really sure,” Lily shrugged. “I
recall asking Dani about that when we first saw the portraits, and she said it
was just something she remembered.”

“So she did know some history about the
house and Walt Marlow before coming to Frederickport.”

“I guess so…”

“Is that Walt Marlow?” Adam asked,
looking up at one of the portraits in the library.

“Yes,” Danielle answered.

“So he’s the one who hung himself in the
attic.” Bill glanced briefly at the painting then turned his attention to the
rest of the library. As he walked along the bookshelves his fingertips traced
the outline of the woodwork.

“I don’t think he hung himself. I think
he was murdered.” The moment Danielle said the words she realized she believed
them. Walt Marlow had been murdered
. But who killed him?
She wondered. 

Walt admitted he had been involved in
the jewel heist and with moonshining. Had someone from his shady past had a
reason to kill him? Or was it Angela and her twin brother? Had Roger been in Frederickport
all along? Was Angela only in Portland to establish an alibi for herself and
her brother? No doubt she’d visited friends in Portland who could have vouched
for her when she was questioned about her whereabouts during her husband’s
death. However, she had been killed in an accident, which meant instead of
becoming a rich widow, she’d made Walt a widower—and his fortune would pass on
not to her brother, but to the housekeeper.

Had Roger found a way to get his hands
on Walt’s money—and perhaps Kathrine discovered the truth. Was it possible
Kathrine killed Roger out of self defense?
Danielle’s mind
raced with all the possibilities.

“I’ve heard my grandmother mention
that,” Adam said.

Danielle stared up at the portrait,
paying little attention to the two men who took special interest in the library—and
all its architectural secrets.

Adam glanced over at Danielle. When he
could see she was not watching him, but studying the portrait, he gently
wiggled and pressed along the fireplace mantle and pushed against paneling
covering the wall. 

Danielle faced the men. “I would really
appreciate it if we don’t discuss Walt Marlow.” She frowned slightly when she
noticed the way both Bill and Adam abruptly dropped their hands to their sides
and looked sheepishly in her direction.

Adam reached out and awkwardly patted
the paneling next to the fireplace. “Love these old houses. They sure don’t
build them like this anymore.”

“No…I guess they don’t,” Danielle said
with a puzzled frown.

“Why don’t you want us talking about
Marlow?” Bill asked.

“Well…you know… feng shui and all.”
Danielle said weakly, glancing up to the ceiling. She wondered if Walt was
still glued to the television.

“Feng shui? Isn’t that some hippy dippy
thing?” Bill asked. “What’s it have to do with Marlow?”

“The man did die in this house,”
Danielle whispered. “I really see no reason to stir all that up—negative energy
and all.”

“You believe in ghosts?” Adam asked.

“Ghosts? Why, certainly not!” Danielle
gave a nervous laugh. “But I do believe in the power of positive and negative
energy, and frankly a violent death, be it by suicide or murder could interfere
in my efforts to create…well a positive feng shui…harmony. After all, I do
intend to open Marlow House to guests. I’d like this place to have an inviting
aura.”

Adam and Bill stared at Danielle.
Blushing, she could only imagine what they were thinking.
Hippy dippy,
she
thought
. Yep, that is definitely what they are thinking about now—and I
would have to agree with them.

In her encounters with spirits, Danielle
had learned that sometimes—if provoked—a spirit could be volatile. She would
prefer not to test Walt, and she had no idea how he might respond if someone
started discussing his reported suicide, especially since he was adamantly
opposed to the idea.

“Uhh…well sure. We won’t mention Marlow
if you think it will…uhh…screw up your feng shui,” Adam promised. When Danielle
turned to the doorway away from the men, Adam glanced at Bill and rolled his
eyes.

Bill snickered under his breath. Looking
at Adam he mouthed:
airhead.

Danielle showed the men through the rest
of the rooms on the first floor before heading upstairs. 

“What’s in there?” Bill asked when they
passed the closed door leading to Danielle’s room.

“Oh, that’s my room,” Danielle said, not
offering to show them in.

“Did you take the master bedroom?” Adam
asked.

“Yes, I believe it was.”

“Does it have a fireplace? This room
seems to be above the library,” Bill said.

“Yes, it does have a fireplace.”

“Can we see it?” Adam asked and then
added, “We don’t care if you didn’t make your bed. Its just these old houses
are so fascinating.”

Danielle smiled weakly.
I did say
they could see the house…and they did bring those pictures over
, she told
herself.

“Okay,” Danielle said reluctantly,
wondering if Walt was still watching her television. When she opened the door
she found Walt lounging on the bed with Sadie curled up on his lap, her body
going through his as they watched
The History Channel
.

“You have a dog?” Bill asked. Sadie
lifted her head, looked at Bill and began to growl.

“No…she’s Ian’s…I thought I’d left the
door shut…” she muttered. “I’ve never heard her growl before.”

“I had to let her in,” Walt explained.
“She was scratching at the door. Who are your friends? I don’t think Sadie
likes them. And why are you bringing men to your room anyway?”

“Sadie, be nice. This is Marie Hemming’s
grandson, Adam and his friend Bill.”

“I don’t think Sadie knows my
grandmother,” Adam chuckled. He glanced over at Bill and rolled his eyes.

“You forgot to turn your television
off,” Bill said, picking up the remote and turning off the set. In the next
moment it went back on again. Bill frowned and turned it off again. It turned
back on.

“It’s broken.” Danielle grabbed the
remote from Bill.

“Well that’s the damnest thing,” Bill
muttered. “Here, I bet you can turn it off directly on the TV…”

“No!” Danielle grabbed his hand as he
reached for the television. “Just leave it on. It’ll keep Sadie company.”

• • • •

“That woman should be blonde,” Adam
laughed when he got into his car with Bill twenty minutes later.

“No shit. We have to watch what we say
so we don’t offend the house!”

“How about we leave the television on,
to keep her neighbor’s dog company.” Adam laughed.

“I gave her my business card, but I’m
not sure she’ll call me. I got the feeling she wanted to get us out of the
house,” Bill said. “You don’t think your grandma said anything about me, do
you? I know she doesn’t like me.”

“Don’t be lame. When would they have
talked about you? Until Boatman met you today, she didn’t even know you were
alive.”

“I know, but her friend remembered us.”

“Looks like she and Ian have gotten real
cozy,” Adam noted.

“Wonder what he’s been able to find out.”

“Not enough, considering he’s still
sticking around.” Adam put the key in the ignition and started the engine.

“So what now?” Bill asked.

“Did you see any likely places?”

“A few, but I think our best bet is the
attic.” Bill looked out the car window and glanced up at the attic window of
Marlow House as Adam pulled the car into the street.

“That’s what I was thinking too.” Adam
drove the car down the road, away from Marlow House.

“If she doesn’t plan to do any major
renovation, then I think we have a little time. What I’m afraid of is some crew
going in there and knocking down walls.” Bill glanced over at Adam. “We’re
certain they’re hidden? Not shoved in a shelf in the kitchen, or under a
bathroom sink?”

“According to Gloria, she did a complete
inventory of the house after Boatman’s aunt died,” Adam said.

“No mention of priceless jewelry?”

“No.” Adam chuckled.

“You don’t think she found it? And…well
you know… kept it?”

“Gloria? Hell no. I’ve known Gloria
since junior high. Little miss goodie good.”

“What about Joanne?” Bill asked.

“You really think Joanne would still be
cleaning houses if she stumbled across something that valuable?”

“You never know. Maybe she figured it
belonged to Brianna and she didn’t want to go to jail. And then after the old
gal died, she took it, figured no one would know.”

“I don’t think so.” Adam shook his head.
“She would have taken off by now. She hasn’t.”

“What about before the estate hired
Joanne? One of the earlier housekeepers. That place has been vacant for years.”

“I suppose that is always a possibility.
But I have a gut feeling it’s stashed somewhere in that house.”

“That’s what we hope. He could have put
it anywhere, even sold it,” Bill said.

“I don’t think he took it to sell. The
guy was loaded. No, he wanted it for himself. And I can’t believe he would have
kept it anywhere else other than Marlow House.”

“It’ll be an interesting treasure hunt. But
it would’ve been a hell of a lot easier if we had jumped right on this, and
hadn’t taken Renton’s word for it that the new owner wasn’t arriving until a
few more weeks. We could have been in and out of there already.”

“Well, we didn’t. And if Boatman doesn’t
want to hire you, then there is only one thing left for us to do.”

“Break into the house?” Bill asked.

“It’ll be easy enough. We’ll just have
to do it when those two are gone for the day—and before they open for business.
They’ll be too many people around after that. I don’t want anyone in the house
when we go in.”

“I’m glad that dog isn’t theirs. Otherwise
we might have to deal with it when we break in.”

“No shit. That dog didn’t seem to like
you,” Adam laughed.

“Didn’t seem too thrilled with you
either.”