The Investigators, Inc. The Castle Mystery. Chapter 3. Looking Around.

Well, it was a nice peaceful night, something that I was not expecting. But I am glad it happened, I think we were all tired from our trip. We had a very filling breakfast and were now ready to begin looking around for some clues concerning the disappearance of Gabriella. Bjorn and his personal butler, plus his driver, have gone into town which is about 30 km away. This castle is on a nice hill so it is easy to see the town from here. Cynthia and Mariia are looking after the kids and right now they are in the north yard area playing.

Bjorn likes to have them outside twice a day for fresh air and exercise. Samantha is with Vanda, giving her a checkup and talking with her. Beryan is with them also as a guard. The rest of us are in teams of 4, and each team has two cats. My team is Jennifer, Dawn, Aasta, plus me and Muffin with Storm. We are concentrating on finding some secret doors, passages and rooms. In a castle this old, there must be some secret passages in here.

We are on the top floor where only a handful of rooms are actually furnished properly to be used, including a small library. There is a much larger library on the main floor. It was the unused rooms that looked to be the most interesting. In one room Muffin called out, Meow,meow!=Skinnies living in this room. “Muffin, Skinnies are not alive, they are dead,” I told her, “therefore they can’t be living in this room.” Meow,meow?=Hear that Skinnies? You not can live in this room, it only for alive people and you not alive. Better move to basement maybe.

Meowr?=If Skinnies not live here in room, then why are Skinnies in this room? They get lost maybe? Meow,meow=Maybe should have new glasses so they not get lost maybe. Meowr.=This Skinny have glasses, not help him. Meow,meow.=Oh, that true, but his glasses not have glass, only have part that hold glass. Meowr.=That true. Hmm, how you know Skinny is him and not her? All Skinnies look same to me. Meow,meow.=Hmm, you have good point, not know how to tell apart.

Meowr!?=How to tell apart boy Skinny from girl Skinny!? And if Skinny dead, why does Skinny wear glasses? “Why are you two yelling about Skinnies?” asked Dawn as she came over to the cats, “Oh, that’s why. Steve, the cats have found something.” We all came over to look. Sure enough, there were 3 skeletons on the floor in one corner of the room. Meow,meow.=Maybe now they believe us. Meowr.=Maybe, hard to tell. “They are real skeletons,” said Jennifer.

“How can you tell?” asked Aasta. “I’m a ghost, remember?” said Jennifer smiling, “We ghosts know all about these things.” Meowr?=Then what is boy and what is girl? “Well, that one is a man,” she said, “because it is wearing a man’s glasses, that means the other two are women skeletons, they are his girlfriends.” The cats look at each other. Meow,meow.=Learn something new, Skinnies have girlfriends and boyfriends.

Meowr.=Yep, not know that before. This also prove must be ghosts around too. Meow,meow.=Maybe we go look for real ghost. Meowr.=Okay, I come with you. “Hey, you two,” said Jennifer, “all you have to do is look at me.” “Meowr.=We mean look for ghost that is all white. “That only happens in movies,” said Jennifer, sighing. After the cats left Jennifer looked at me. “Steve, I sense danger close by,” she said. I called the cats back and they came running quickly.

Meowr!=See big, ugly man standing over there. Tracy and her team were on this floor too so I called them over to our room. They arrived very quickly. “What is wrong Steve?” asked Tracy. “I am not sure yet,” I said, “but the cats saw someone over that way, so decided to call for help.” We all made our way over to the spot. But there was no one in that area, or anywhere in that room. “I don’t sense the danger anymore,” said Jennifer. “Hmm, that is very strange,” I said, “anyway, it is time to quit for lunch and Marchelline likes people to be prompt.” So off we went.

Meanwhile. “I thought you got rid of those skeletons,” said one man. “I forgot, there was a lot to do in a short time,” said another man. “You have time now,” said a woman. “Right, I will get at it immediately,” and off he went. “And you, remember, Enar is next, right after lunch, when he goes to his room,” she said. “Uh, why not wait until these Investigators go home?” he asked, “Doing it now will just make them stay longer.” She just looked at him. “Bjorn needs to know we are serious,” she said, “I thought you did not mind killing.”

“Well, I don’t, but he’s just 9,” he said, “I have never killed a kid before.” “Then this will be a first for you,” she said, “just think of him as a short man, that will make it easier.” She then laughed and disappeared down the passageway. “She’s a cold one,” said the first man. “Yep, she sure is that,” said the other man. Back to us. Right after lunch Zina grabbed Enar’s hand and started to almost drag him away. “What are you doing Zina?” I asked. “He is being punished by his father and must spend one hour alone in his room each day,” she said.

“Not today,” I told her. “You cannot do that,” she exclaimed, “Mr. Hendrickson gave an order and I obey it!” “I said, not today, so let him go,” I said, “it will be my responsibility, if Bjorn has any questions about it, then I will be glad to answer them.” Wow, I thought that Zina was going to totally blow up at that point. That is when Sky intervened and told her again to let go of Enar. She did so and stormed off. I told the kids they could have more outdoor time which they were very glad to hear.

I told Cynthia, Cathy, Mariia and Maryna to watch the kids, plus Midnight and Ginger. We went back upstairs and discovered the skeletons were gone. Meow,meow.=Guess Skinnies get bored lying around all day so go somewhere else. Meowr.=Yep, move good for someone that dead. “Steve, I sense trouble outside,” said Jennifer…

To Be Continued.

©2024 Steve McLeod.