Right then there was a huge crashing of thunder, three loud bangs in a row that shook the house terribly! Then there was a horrible shrieking coming from down the hall in the living room. I dropped the book and all of us went running to the living room but there was no one there. Then we went back to the bedroom where the bodies were, but no one was there either. The bodies were still there however. Then it started to hail, about half the size of ping pong balls, pounding on the roof. I hope it doesn’t cause the roof to leak, said Jessica. This is certainly a bad storm, I said, hope it lets up soon. I wonder where that scream came from?, asked Jessica. Perhaps upstairs, I thought. I think someone is just trying to scare us, I said.

Meow, meow?!=What you mean “trying”? It working, I scared! Meow.=I not scared. Meow, meow?=Then why you jump so high when we hear scream? Meow.=I just wanted a better look. Meow, meow!=HA, you scared just like me! Meow.=Maybe only just a little. While the two cats were talking the hail stopped. At least it’s quieter now, said Jessica. Then more crashing of thunder, so loud we all jumped! This is quieter? Then Jessica started to laugh. And I joined in. I love that laugh of yours, I said. About time you started to notice me, said Jessica. That’s what you think, it’s been that way since we first met. But if I think about you too much I won’t be able to concentrate on the case. Good, she said, concentrate on me for a few minutes.

Meow.=Why humans do that? Meow, meow.=It called “kissing”, strange thing that humans do when they in love. Meow.=Oh, strange behavior. Meow, meow.=Stop looking at me like that or I bite tail again. That something humans do, not cats. Mr. Cat moves closer to Muffin and they rub heads. Then a loud voice that said, “no one leaves here alive”! The cats come running over to us. Meow?=Who say that? Meow, meow!=It ghosts talking, we leave now, let’s go pack! We can’t leave Muffin, not in this storm. Meow.=Rats. Say both cats together. That voice sounds kind of familiar, said Jessica. But I can’t quite place it. And why is someone doing this anyway? Because there is something valuable about this place, I said, there were several people in on it at the start, but I think one person wants it for himself, so he’s killing the others. But that scream was from a woman, so there must be at least two of them. Or there is another body lying around somewhere, I said.

I think it’s time for some hot chocolate, said Jessica. So we all go into the kitchen. And there, hanging from that big hook in the ceiling is another woman. She was hanging by her hands, just like Anna was. And she had been stabbed like the others. So we carry her body down to the far bedroom. This is really getting crazy, 4 bodies now, and I had never seen these people before. Back to the kitchen Jessica makes the hot chocolate in silence. I knew something was bothering her besides just seeing another body. Finally she says, that’s the wife of the real estate agent that sold me this house. And the voice we heard was the real estate agent. Hmm, now we are getting somewhere. But he obviously didn’t know anything about the value of this place or he would have bought it himself. Meow, meow.=I say it ghosts and we need to leave before we be ghosts too. Meow.=I agree with Muffin. We’re not leaving until we solve this case.

At least we know who’s behind it now. Anna and Dave must have let him in on the secret and now he wants it all for himself. But he should know that if he kills all of us, the police would track him down anyway. After we finish our hot chocolate Jessica was finally feeling tired so wanted to go to bed. She settled for sleeping on the couch in the living room. I slept, rather uncomfortably, on the loveseat, with both cats on top of me. Meow!=Wake up, wake up, no time for sleep! Mr. Cat was jumping on me. What’s the matter? I then quickly looked over to the couch. Meow!=Jessica gone, can’t find anywhere. I jumped up, it’s morning now so at least we can see properly. Muffin comes running down from upstairs. Meow, meow.=Jessica not upstairs. I just happened to glance into the dining room and, what’s this? Then I heard a voice from behind me. Steve, where are you? I turn and Jessica is sitting on the couch looking around. What is going on here?

To be continued.

Steve and Muffin.

©2020 Steve McLeod.