While M.C. and I were in the basement, Annelie and Rock were in the attic, and Kat, with Muffin, were in the living room thinking. “Remember what we talked about before Muffin?”, asked Kat. Meow,meow?=You mean about fireplace maybe in that wall over there? “Yes, that’s it,” she said, “and if so, maybe there’s a way to open it up.” There is a mantel on that wall, between two book cases that go from floor to ceiling. Muffin and M.C. measured things before and the living room is 4 feet shorter than the outside measurements. That leaves enough room for a hidden fireplace.

Why anyone would want to hide it for, I have no idea. But Kat and Muffin started looking around. Kat put Muffin on the mantel and told her not to knock anything onto the floor. Meow,meow.=Little lion not move, it stuck. Kat tried turning it, pulling on it, sliding it, but nothing worked. Then she tried pushing down on the lion, it moved just a little and that section of the wall between the bookcases opened up to reveal a fireplace! “Hey, we onto something Muffin,” said Kat excitedly. Her and Muffin looked all over, but found nothing.

Then Muffin thought she saw something in the chimney part of the fireplace, so Kat held her up as high as she could reach. Meow,meow.=Need to go higher. “Hmm,” said Kat and she pulled Muffin back down, covered in soot. Kat giggled, “my lovable black kitty.” Muffin looked at herself and sighed, she knew this meant a bath for her later. Kat got a stool from the kitchen to stand on so she could reach higher. Muffin stood on her hand and stretched as high as she could. Meow,meow.=No doll. Kat then pulled Muffin back down and shut that big door again.

Back to M.C. and I in the basement…When I turned to leave I stopped and stared. M.C. noticed I stopped and came back to find out why. “Look,” I told him. He looked the way I was pointing but saw nothing. Meow?=What I supposed to see? “The woman in the white dress,” I said, “it’s Jennifer.” “Careful Steve,” said Jennifer, “there is danger. The doll, fireplace, danger, John, John is here, he is not dead, he wants to kill you.” My head was swirling, paining bad. I held my head and fell backward hurting my back again. I fainted from the pain.

M.C. hit the distress signal which alerted everyone. Muffin came flying down to the basement with Kat not far behind and found me lying on the floor. Meow.=It his head again, he see things, said he see Jennifer. Then he fall and hurt back and go to sleep. By that time Rock and Annelie were there too. “He hurt his back when he fell,” said Kat. “Carry him carefully Rock,” said Annelie and she showed him the best way to do it. Rock then carried me to the living room and put me on the sofa. It was not long and I opened my eyes. “Where am I?”, I asked.

Then I saw Kat and Muffin jumped up on me. “Okay,” I said smiling, “I remember now. I sure hurt my back when I fell. I saw something, it wasn’t real, but it was that woman in the white dress, it was Jennifer.” “Steve, you know that is not possible,” said Kat and she leaned over and kissed me. I smiled, “yes, I know it is not possible, but my head was swirling again, and things get mixed up when that happens. But I said it before too, John is not dead, he is here and wants to kill us. I know that is real, and yet it can’t be real.” “I checked John’s body myself Steve,” said Rock, “he was definitely dead.”

“If that really was John,” I said, “maybe it was someone working for John, someone that looked more like Baldwin that John did.” “That’s an interesting thought,” said Annelie. “I heard things when I was taken by them and given those drugs when they were trying to find out what I knew,” I said, “but it’s just trying to figure out what is true and what is not. By the way, why are you so dirty?” “Muffin and I were looking in that fireplace you keep talking about,” she said. “Did you find the doll?”, everyone asked at the same time.

“No doll, but a lot of old soot,” she laughed. Meow,meow.=It not funny, look at me, now I need bath. M.C. giggled. Muffin jumped. AAAAAA!!! Flooof! Meow,meow.=Now you need bath too. Meow!=My nice white patches! “Maybe you just missed it Kat,” said Annelie. “Take a look for yourself, just push on the lion,” said Kat. The door slowly opened again. Annelie and Rock went inside to look around. Rock looked in the fireplace and bumped the side. Flooof! He was covered with soot. The cats were watching and giggled. Kat put her head beside mine. “Now,” I said. She took her phone out…”Now.”

To Be Continued.

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

©2021 Steve McLeod.