Steve`s Country
For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
The Investigators, Inc. Mountain Cabin Murder Mystery. Chapter 8. Rescue.
This is not a good day for us, we have a whole team trapped in the cellar of that old mansion and if we try to rescue them, the whole mansion will be destroyed. Angel is with the team, but can she protect 20 other girls? That’s asking a lot of one ghost. Right now our computer girls are trying to connect that female voice to one of the fake mothers of the “adventure girls”, but Cristy just told me it wasn’t any of them. Now they will try to match the voice with other women we know who hate us, perhaps it is one of them. I know our girls in that room, if Angel can’t protect all of them, then none will accept protection.
I can understand that. How do you decide who gets saved and who doesn’t? I communicated with Angel to have Misty send us pictures of that new smaller room. After all, those fake ghosts got in there a different way, so we need to find that way out. Unfortunately, Angel just got back to me and said none of the phones are working, which means they have a way of blocking their signals. Good thing they don’t know we can still communicate, but without phones there is no way to send us pictures. I asked Sky to bring Cynthia back home.
Steffie is our best puzzle solver, though Cynthia is good too. But Cynthia is our best problem solver, along with Celestine. Perhaps with those three working together they can think of a way to get our team safely out of there. Carolyn, one of our best inventors, next to Kat, volunteered to help the other three as well. Now there is four, and I certainly don’t mind the extra help. Angel is trying to describe the room, naming every detail she can see, and she is fantastic at seeing things that others don’t.
Angel is sending the information to Jennifer who then tells Celestine and she puts it in the room on her computer program that she developed for this purpose. The one big problem is the stone wall in that room, the other three walls are wood. But all Celestine could do is make a stone wall, without making it an exact replica. That’s a problem. There might be something on that stone wall, like a special stone, that would help to find a hidden door. But for now we will concentrate on the furniture in the room. Or, at least, the girls will concentrate on it.
I am not even going to look at it, otherwise I will mess up their concentration. I would like to get everyone else out of the mansion, but then these people would know we can still communicate with our girls, and I don’t want that information getting out just yet. “Kat, can Angel possibly protect all of the girls?” I asked her. “It’s possible,” she said, “but there is no guarantee. That is a lot of people to protect, I think you asked that before.” “Yes, I did,” I said, “but I thought maybe you would have thought of a way it could be done. Sorry, I’m stressed.”
“That’s okay,” she said, “you’re allowed.” The girls were looking at their computer simulation of that room and Carolyn asked about the lighting so they had to make their room darker, but not much. Steffie asked if there were any pretty stones in the wall. “Pretty stones?” asked Angel, “What constitutes a pretty stone?” “Pretty colors, you know, something different than typical grays,” said Celestine, “or even different shapes than the others, maybe an odd size.”
“Oh, well, there’s a pink one over there, a yellowish one here, a white one there and there and there. There’s a nice black, smooth one here, even a couple of blue ones.” “Oooo, nice, can you bring a blue one back for me?” asked Celestine. Jennifer was communicating all of this back and forth and she just finished Celestine’s request for a blue stone when she stopped and rolled her eyes. “Um, keep on topic please,” said Jennifer sternly. “That was on topic,” said Celestine, “I love blue stones!” “She has a point Jennifer,” I said, “that does make it on topic.”
In retrospect I should probably have kept my mouth shut. Jennifer grabbed me and “AAAAAAAAA!!!!” I went flying through the air and landed on the bed! “Tickle fight!” yelled Steffie and she jumped on the bed tickling Jennifer who was tickling me. Friskie tried to grab Steffie but Cynthia jumped in and started tickling Friskie! Celestine and Carolyn looked at each other and sighed, then they jumped in and started tickling everyone! Finally Jennifer got up and pulled me through everyone, kind of handy being able to do that. “Hey, where did they go?” asked Carolyn.
That stopped everyone and they just laid on the bed, worn out. Jennifer and I sat on the big chair and relaxed for a bit. Angel was a bit worried though, she wasn’t getting any answer from Jennifer. “Okay everyone, back to work,” I said. “It’s bedtime for Steffie,” said Friskie, “past actually.” “But Auntie Misty and Sneakers not safe yet,” pouted Steffie. “Okay, just a little longer,” said Friskie, “if you get too tired then you won’t be able to help anyway.”
“Hey, that’s it!” I exclaimed, “Jennifer, you could bring those girls out, just like you just pulled me through everyone, couldn’t you? You can go through the door, or wall.” “Yes, if I can get through that door or wall, then I can bring them out two at a time,” she said, “but I would have to do it invisibly.” “Right, then Sky could take them, invisibly, upstairs to the others again,” I said, “since they likely have a camera in that room at the bottom of the stairs too.” I then called Sky and asked her to take Carine and Jennifer back and I explained what they were going to do.
Kristina and Kitty would help with this too so we can get the girls out of there and upstairs quickly. Kat would have to look after the “adventure girls” by herself for a while, although the Bad Girls would also be there to help her. The ghost went down to the cellar room and Jennifer went through the wall to get the girls, taking them by twos out through the wall to the other ghosts who took them upstairs. While back, Sky finally noticed the hidden camera in the cellar room and shot some electricity at it which destroyed it and the cameras in the other rooms too, since they were all connected.
Meanwhile, “What happened to the cameras?” “I don’t know sir, there was a blinding light and they all went off, just like the ones upstairs.” “That’s just great, now we can’t see what they are doing. What about the emergency camera?” “I’m trying to get it connected now sir. Aha, there it is!” “Hey, all those women are gone! How did they get out of there?” “No idea sir, the door is still shut, there is no way to get out except the other hidden door and it hasn’t been opened either.” “I don’t like this, I don’t like it at all.”
Back to us, “We got them all out safely Steve,” said Jennifer after Sky brought her and Carine back home. Carine had some other information for me too…
To Be Continued. ©2026 Steve McLeod.
The Investigators, Inc. Mountain Cabin Murder Mystery. Chapter 7. Death Room.
Sky communicated her conversation with Kerry, Darlene and Krissy to me. I asked her what Galyna thought of the girls reactions and plea for help. Apparently Galyna is quite satisfied that the girls are telling the truth and really do want out of their present life and change completely. That sounded good to me, but right now I had a thought, and sort of a plan. It could be dangerous though and I told Sky and Angel they would have to be with the girls at all times to protect them. I also asked Sky to send me photos of their room right away since it’s nearly bedtime, at least for our little puzzle solver.
I then called Friskie to bring Steffie up to my office right away, and she was here in just a few seconds. “Mommy runs super fast!” said Steffie. “I run super slow,” I said chuckling. Steffie jumped onto my lap. “But you the bestest superhero in all vestigators Daddy!” she said while hugging me. “I agree with Steffie,” said Friskie, trying to get in a hug too. “Forget the hug,” said Jennifer, “just give him a kiss.” So she gave me a quick kiss and turned red. Jennifer just shook her head. “Steffie gives Steve a better kiss,” she said. “Okay honey,” I said, and all 3 of them looked at me, “um, I meant Steffie.”
Friskie blushed again. “Anyway, Steffie I have some more pictures for you to look at,” I said, “there might be another hidden door in this bedroom too and we need to find out.” She looked at all the pictures carefully including turning her head sideways a couple of times. “Ask Auntie Sky if round mirror hang on wall or is perlyment,” she said. I communicated this with Sky. I didn’t want us to talk openly about this in case someone was listening. “It’s perlyment, I mean, permanently attached to the wall,” she said sighing.
“Oooo, that good,” said Steffie, “maybe find door now. Tell Auntie Sky to pull out bottom drawer in dresser, kinda slow till stops, listen to click. Then do same with top drawer, remember listen to click. Then turn mirror backward to clock so top is at bottom, listen to click. Then turn mirror forward with clock so top looking left, listen to click. Then turn lamp on wall on left so it look at mirror, listen to click. Do same with mirror on right, listen to click. Now can open dresser like door.”
Sky was doing all of this as Steffie was giving instructions and I communicated them to her. She then tried to push the dresser out of the way, but it wouldn’t move. I told this to Steffie. “No, no, not push, open like door,” she said. I told this to Sky and she just looked at the dresser then pulled it open like a door and there was the opening in the wall. There was a short hallway, then stairs going down. I told Angel to get Misty and her Sneakers, plus a couple cats and check it out. Soon they were heading downstairs and a dead end.
Misty sent pictures back and Steffie sighed. “This one too easy Daddy,” she said, “see small x at bottom of wall? Press that spot.” Misty did so and a door swung open towards her, hitting her on the head causing her to groan. “Who makes a door that opens towards a person?” she asked, “That’s just stupid.” On the other side of the door was more stairs going down until they were in a cellar, except nothing was there, just an empty room. The room was very dirty too and obviously hadn’t been used in a long time.
That actually made me feel better since no one is likely going to come sneaking into the girl’s bedroom. However, I told them to check that room thoroughly, just in case they were missing something. Then I had an idea and told Misty to get her phone out and let us see around that room so Steffie can look at it too. Misty sighed, but she did it. “Auntie Misty is the bestest!” said Steffie, “After Auntie Jennifer!” Then she jumped over to Jennifer who was sitting on the bed and the tickle fight was on! “Okay you little rascal,” said Jennifer, “you’re supposed to be working right now.”
“Needed break to think more,” she said, then she added, “that it!!” Then she jumped back onto my lap. “Auntie Misty, aim phone camera at wall again,” said Steffie. “Um Steffie, there are 4 walls,” replied Misty. “No, no,” said Steffie, “only one wall with small stones, other walls have big stones.” Misty just said “oh” and turned her phone around to that wall. “There, up at ceiling!” said Steffie excitedly, “there is pretty stone up there. Push stone and maybe should open door.” Steffie was all smiles right now.
“How am I supposed to push that stone?” she asked, “It’s like 10 feet high, and I’m not!” “You need Courage to do it Auntie Misty,” said Steffie giggling. “I’m going to tickle you when we get home,” said Misty. Then she felt someone pushing her from behind. “Who’s doing that?” she said and turned around. She was now face to face with Courage. “Oh, that’s what she meant,” said Misty. She then climbed up onto the head of Courage, who then lifted her up to the stone which she then pushed easily, but nothing happened. Nothing except a stone at the floor level came out and Steffie said to push it back in.
Misty was about to push the stone when she remembered the other door, so she stood off to the side then bent over and pushed the stone back into the wall. That stone door opened amazingly fast, outward, hitting Misty on the head and knocking her over! “The door is on the wrong side,” she said, rubbing her head, “who makes a door like that? That’s just stupid.” Steffie was rolling on the bed laughing which I told to Misty. “Double tickle,” was all Misty said. Angel went first with the cats, followed by Misty and her team. Just then iron bars dropped down from above and sealed off the door.
“Welcome to my dungeon humans,” said a deep voice. Then someone walked out from a doorway in another wall, someone draped in a white gown with white hair and beard, plus white eyes. “I am the ghost of this mansion and you are trespassing,” said the ghost, “for that you must stay in my dungeon and die.” Angel was communicating this with Kat, Sky, Kristina and Kitty, plus with Jennifer and I. Angel then went over to this ghost to touch him. “Do not touch me or you will die immediately,” he exclaimed. “You are no ghost,” she said, “you are just a mortal.”
She then reached over and he swung his arm at her, knocking her against the other wall. Then he laughed in an echoing tone. “That wasn’t nice,” said Angel. Then 3 more such ghosts came into the room and stood beside the first one. Angel laughed at them. “You people look ridiculous in those white gowns,” she said giggling. Then she went into action! She began kicking and hitting these ghost imposters until the first man pulled out a gun and shot at Angel and she caught the three bullets in her hand. Misty then shot him and he fell to the floor dead. The others had been knocked out by Angel.
The girls handcuffed these men together, then they went into the other room where these men had come from. As some arrived in the room they heard another voice, this time it was female. “Welcome Investigators, it is quite amazing you made it this far, too bad you will not be able to leave though. The stone door has closed and is now sealed shut. If it is forced open the entire mansion will be destroyed, and soon your oxygen will be gone and you will all die. A terrible way to die I must admit. It is too bad you cannot warn your friends to not force open that door, but, that’s life. Or in this case, death!” Then there was silence…
To Be Continued. ©2026 Steve McLeod.
