“Are you sure that was a warning for Baldwin and Brandi?”, asked Kat. “Yes, I’m positive it was,” I said, “that was no idle legend that Jessica gave us, it was the only way she had to warn us. If she tells any more we have to listen carefully.” “And we need to be careful too,” added Kat, “there is just something strange going on here, I know there is, but I just can’t figure it out yet.” Meow,meow.=Yep, something not feel good, have scary feeling. House more scary than castle even. Meow.=I agree, not like house, something bad there. Also not like human Ben, he very bad person. “That reminds me,” said Kat, and she took out her sketch book now that we were back in our room at the Inn.

She sketched a perfect picture of Ben. “I have seen him somewhere before,” she said, “I just know I have.” I took a photo of it and sent it off to Rossana to see if maybe there is a police file of him. It didn’t take long to get an answer. His real name is Willard Bannerman, wanted by police across Europe and America. Listed as ‘very dangerous’ and ‘do not approach’. But if I call the police into this right now, then it will ruin things for us and our case. “What do you think Kat?”, I asked. “Now I remember him,” said Kat, “he worked for Katrina at times, he’s just totally bad, an enforcer, he has no conscience at all. But we need to find out what Jessica is up to, she really might need our help.”

“Okay cats, what do you think about Jessica?”, I asked them. Meow.=Human Jessica not ghost, but also not Jessica, I remember, all humans have different smell, she not Jessica. Meow,meow.=That right, I say that too, but she seem scared, maybe really does need help. Meow.=Not certain about that, me think she only acting, but maybe forced to act part. Meow,meow.=Hmm, that possible, could be acting to make trap. “Yes, I agree with that Muffin,” I said, “and we will be extra careful. Now for a good night’s sleep so we can check out the cemetery tomorrow.”

Meow,meow?=Why we go there? “To dig up some clues Muffin,” I said, “sometimes old bones can talk.” Poor Muffin when I said that! Her eyes got big and her ears went straight up! “Don’t worry Muffin,” said Kat, “I’ll be there to keep you two safe.” Meow,meow?=Hey, where M.C.? He pokes his head out from under the bed. Meow.=Um, checking to make sure no bomb hiding under bed. We all laugh and soon we are asleep, the cats taking turns watching again, they are very good at the night watching. After breakfast we drove out to the cemetery and there was an older man working out there, so I asked him if he knew of a grave for Benjamin Carberry.

“Sure do,” he said, “I’ve been working here for 30 years now, I know everyone here.” Then he promptly took us to the graves of Benjamin, his wife and daughter. “Are you sure that Benjamin is really buried here?”, I asked. “Of course he is, can’t you read the marker?”, he asked. “That’s just a marker, it doesn’t mean that anyone is buried here,” I said. “I was here for the funeral and saw them put the casket in the hole,” he said. “But if the casket was empty, you could be in trouble,” I said, “helping to fake a death is a serious crime.” “Are you the police or something?”, he asked, quite surprised by now.

“Yes, I am,” I said and showed him my ID. “Undercover police!”, he said, “this is serious then.” “Yes, it sure is,” I said, “and because this is an undercover operation, we have to keep this quiet.” “Oh, oh yeah, I can see that,” he said, getting a bit nervous now. “Now if I was to dig up this grave and find no one in there, then you would be off to prison for a long time,” I said seriously. He was sweating now and looked rather scared. “L..look,” he said, “I didn’t know it would be serious for me, I was told nothing could happen to me,” he said shaking, “my wife, what about her, she didn’t know nothing, my kids too, just me.

I was paid to keep quiet, there’s no body down there, he’s still alive, involved in something right now.” “Tell me what it is and I can promise you a fair deal and all the help you need,” I told him. “Well, he’s over in the castle, got something going on over there, he said…” And the man fell to the ground. I told Kat to run behind some trees. I had heard a shot in the distance and looked around but could see nothing. The man was obviously too far away. He wasn’t interested in killing us though, just the man at the cemetery.

To Be Continued.

Previous chapters of this story, and other stories, can be found on my home page under “The Investigators, Inc.”

©2021 Steve McLeod.