Zoe Donovan Mystery: Haunted Hamlet Part 11

"This is your last day? I didn't realize."

I felt bad for the guy. On one hand, the man should have retired years ago. On the other, the post office was his life. I hated to think of him home alone with no purpose. Of course, now that he had Trick and Treat to keep him company, his days would be filled with kitty shenanigans.

"I have your letter right here." Mr. Hanover handed it to me.

"Do you still need to see that ID?"

"Naw. Guess I never really did. I just wanted an excuse to sit for a spell. Can I come back for the kittens after my s.h.i.+ft?"

"Certainly. I'll get some supplies together for you. I should be here most of the day, now that the Haunted Hamlet is over, but if I'm not here for some reason, either Jeremy or Tiffany can help you get loaded up."

"I took a spin on that hayride that was subst.i.tuted for the haunted barn. It was a lot more fun than I expected, though I'm not sure it will work as a permanent option due to our finicky weather."

"Yes, the committee thought of that. We knew the weather was supposed to hold through the weekend, but I hear we have a storm coming in later today. I'm sure we'll look for another indoor venue next year. We've had to cancel the haunted maze several times in the past, so we can't risk having a second outdoor event. We got lucky with the hayride after what happened."

"I heard about the man who died in the house," Mr. Hanover commented. "I've been in that house, you know."

"You have?"

"Yup. When I was younger. A couple of friends and I snuck in to check out the secret room when that spooky old owner was away for a few days."

"Secret room?"

"There's a panel leading to a room at the back of the attic. Most folks don't even know it's there. You really don't notice it unless you're looking for it, and then you can't open it unless you know the secret."

"The secret?"

When Zak showed up with Charlie and Bella, I filled him in on everything Mr. Hanover had told me about the secret room. I had to admit I was intrigued. I wondered if the room somehow played into the mysterious deaths thirteen years earlier. After a bit of a discussion, Zak agreed to accompany me to check it out. At least this time, I figured, it would still be totally light, and we had two brave guard dogs with us.

The problem with that scenario, I quickly realized, was that the storm had already blown in, bringing not only a heavy darkness but rain, thunder, and lightning as well.

"If I was watching a movie where a couple and their dogs were on their way to a haunted house in a lightning storm four days before Halloween, I'd think they were nuts," I commented as Zak swerved to avoid a large tree branch in the road.

"Are you sure you want to do this now?" Zak asked as he slowly maneuvered his truck through the obstacle course created by the heavy wind and pounding rain.

Was I? It made more sense to wait until the storm pa.s.sed. "We're almost there. We might as well go in and check it out. If we don't find anything, we'll still have a funny story to tell our grandchildren."

Zak glanced at me. "Grandchildren?"

Saying that we'd have a story for our grandchildren was a commonly used phrase. I didn't mean that we'd necessarily have grandchildren together. Did I? If we married, then having children would be the natural progression of things, and children more often than not led to grandchildren, but I didn't think I was quite ready to have this particular discussion with Zak.

"Metaphorical grandchildren," I answered. "Look out for that dog."

Zak swerved to avoid a small dog that had run in front of us and then cowered behind a large evergreen shrub.

"Pull over," I directed.

Zak pulled the truck to the side of the road.

"I'm pretty sure we missed him. I think he ran into those bushes." I started to open my door.

"Stay here," Zak directed. "I'll get him."

Zak pulled the hood of his sweats.h.i.+rt over his head as he dashed into the rain. It really was coming down. The poor guy was going to be drenched by the time he convinced the frightened dog to come back to the truck with him.

Bella whined as she looked out the window at Zak. It was sweet that she had already bonded with him to the point where she was concerned about him. Of course, what I took for concern might just have been discontent that he'd gotten out of the truck and hadn't taken her with him. In spite of the fact that she was a big dog and not all that young, she followed Zak around like a puppy.

I was just about to get out and a.s.sist Zak when he started back toward the truck with the pup in his arms. At first glance, I thought the dog was older, of a small breed, but upon closer examination, I could see he was clearly a puppy.

"Poor baby," I cooed as Zak placed the puppy in my arms and Bella greeted Zak with wet doggie kisses.

A large lightning strike flashed through the sky. "Maybe we should just come back tomorrow," I suggested. "This poor little guy seems to be scared to death. I'd like to get him home, fed, and settled in for the night."

"Yeah, maybe that's a good idea," Zak agreed. "The secret pa.s.sage isn't going anywhere. If there are clues there now, they should still be there tomorrow."

The drive back to the house was tricky; Zak had to swerve to avoid pinecones and small branches that had broken away from the trees that lined the road. Lightning streaked through the dark sky, followed by claps of thunder that echoed off the surrounding mountains. Then, as we approached the highway, the sky opened up, making driving impossible.

Zak pulled the truck over to the side of the road until the downpour let up. The puppy in my arms was shaking in fear as lightning streaked around us. Charlie climbed over the seat and snuggled up next to me. Bella was too big to fit in the front, so Zak scratched her head where she rested it on his shoulder and spoke softly to her as we waited out the worst of the storm.

After we arrived at the house, I dried and fed the dogs while Zak built a fire in the large stone fireplace in his cozy kitchen. Once the puppy realized he was safe with us, he began to explore. When the dogs were settled in front of the fire, Zak and I changed into warm, dry clothes.

Although it wasn't all that late, neither of us felt much like making dinner, so Zak heated up some leftover soup while I called Gunnar, who was on duty at the Zoo that night, to see if anyone had called to report a missing puppy. Chances were the thunder had scared the little guy, who had taken off running and ended up lost.

"No one has called to report a missing puppy, but Gunnar said he'd call if someone does," I informed Zak, who set a bowl of broccoli cheese soup in front of me, along with a biscuit from the batch he'd whipped up while the soup heated.

The rain continued to fall in sheets, but the lightning seemed to have pa.s.sed, allowing Bella, Charlie, and our temporary houseguest to drift off into a dreamless sleep in front of the fire. At least I guessed it was dreamless. I don't suppose I actually knew if they were dreaming or not, but they seemed content and restful, and dreamless seemed a poetic way to describe it. Marlow and Spade were both curled up in the window seat next to the fire, enjoying the warmth while creating a bit of distance between themselves and the new puppy in the house.

"I guess it's a good thing we decided to check out the Henderson house or this poor little guy might have had to spend the night out in the storm," I commented.

"There aren't any houses in the area where we found him," Zak said. "I wonder where he came from."

"I wish I knew. Hopefully, he was simply lost, not abandoned. He does feel pretty skinny, like he hasn't eaten for a while, and I'm afraid this wouldn't be the first time I found a dog or cat that had simply been abandoned by their owner."

The lights flickered as a gust of wind hit the side of the house. Although the lake outside the large picture window in Zak's kitchen was usually calm, waves at least five feet high had been created by the wind and sent cras.h.i.+ng onto the sandy beach. It felt like we were at the ocean rather than the lake.

"Maybe we should gather some candles and a couple of flashlights," I suggested. "If the storm doesn't let up, I'd be willing to bet we'll lose power by the end of the evening."

"Good idea. I have a couple of flashlights in that drawer by the door, and there's a bunch of candles in the storage closet upstairs."

"It's really cozy in here with the storm and the fire." I placed my hand over Zak's, which was resting on the dining table where we'd been eating.

Zak squeezed my hand. "It is cozy. After we eat, I think I'll start a fire in both the living room and the bedroom. I have wood stacked on the enclosed service porch, so it'll be easy to keep them going, and they'll provide warmth in case the heat goes out."

"Plus it's romantic."

"Yeah," Zak grinned, "there's that as well."

Zak got up to clear the table, waking the puppy, who wandered over to sit at my feet. If I had to guess, I'd say he was a lab mix of some sort. He was a beautiful charcoal gray not commonly found in labs, but his short hair, big eyes, and floppy ears gave him a lablike quality. It was hard to tell his exact age, but I thought he was three or four months old. I picked him up and walked into the living room, where Zak was working on the fire. I put him down on the sofa next to me and then covered him with the afghan I'd tossed to one side that morning.

"Do you think we should give him a name?" I asked Zak, who was fanning the flame as the pup settled in and laid his head on my leg.

"Honestly, I think giving him a name is a bad idea. He probably has a human who's looking for him, so it's best not to get too attached."

I sighed. "You're right. It really is a miracle I don't have fifty dogs and fifty cats with all the sweet things that pa.s.s through the Zoo. There were two black kittens at the Zoo that had latched onto my heart before Mr. Hanover saved me by adopting them."

"I heard today was his last day at the post office," Zak commented as Bella and Charlie wandered in from the kitchen and lay down at our feet.

"Yeah, that's what he said. It seemed odd that his last day would be on a Monday, but apparently he negotiated an extra day to make the rounds and say his good-byes. It seems they sprang it on him last Friday, when he came in from his route."

"You'd think they would have given him notice."

I agreed. "I suppose they thought doing it quickly would be less painful. Mr. Hanover said he'll be well taken care of financially."

"I'm glad Mr. Hanover got hooked up with the kittens," Zak commented. "Not that they wouldn't have been welcome here if you'd decided to adopt them, but perhaps having their company will help him with the transition."

"That's what I thought as well. Have you heard how long this storm is supposed to hang around?"

"I think it's supposed to blow through by morning," Zak answered.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to spend a good part of tomorrow redecorating after the wind finishes undoing everything you've done."

"I figured as much." Zak got up to stir the fire. "We can go out to the Henderson house in the morning and then I'll come back to start on the cleanup. I'm sure the beach will be a mess too. It seems like we always get a lot of garbage was.h.i.+ng up after a storm."

A clap of thunder shook the house, and the lights flickered and then went out. Both Bella and Charlie jumped on the sofa with us.

"It looks like we're going to have a full bed tonight," I said as I cuddled with the frightened dogs.

Chapter 11.

Tuesday, October 28

Zak and I headed back to the Henderson house first thing the next morning. The rain had stopped sometime during the night, but the roads were flooded in many low-lying areas, and the debris left by the strong winds created an obstacle course worthy of a race-car driver. Zak drove carefully as he maneuvered around tree branches and large boulders that had washed down the gully.

"I'm glad I wore my work boots," I commented as we parked in front of the house and I stepped down out of the truck and into the mud.

Zak and I walked hand in hand across the dirt drive, up the rotted steps, and into the musty entry. Unlike my other visits, this time I knew exactly where I was headed. We quickly made our way through the downstairs living area and up the stairs to the second floor. I paused as we pa.s.sed the spot where we had found Davenport's body. Hopefully, he was the only victim of the spooky old house. We headed toward the steps leading to the attic. With each step, I felt the knot in my stomach tense just a little bit tighter.

The door to the attic was firmly shut. I supposed the hinges must have rusted with age because it took all of Zak's might to create a pa.s.sageway large enough for us to squeeze through. The attic was dark and stuffy and filled with boxes of a.s.sorted sizes.

"There must be a hundred years' worth of dust up here," Zak said as we began to search the far wall for the hidden lever Mr. Hanover had told me about.

"I know. It's creepy to think that all of this stuff has been up here for so long. I wonder what's in all these boxes."

"Probably junk. If there was anything of value, I imagine someone would have made off with it before now."

"Maybe. Although with all the weird stuff that's happened in this house, I doubt there've been that many prowlers lurking about. I think I found something," I said as my hand encountered a board that had a small amount of give to it. As instructed by Mr. Hanover, I pushed firmly on the board and then held it down until a small door popped open.

"It's really dark," Zak commented as he poked his head into the windowless room.

I turned on my flashlight and slowly inched into the narrow pa.s.sage. The room was really a long, narrow hallway that seemed to border the outline of the house. I couldn't imagine why anyone would have built such a room, but I suddenly realized how someone could have rigged lamps and furniture to fly through the air thirteen years ago. It would probably be easy to control objects from above with the right technology.

"I see something ahead," I whispered as I stopped walking.

"What is it?" Zak asked from behind me. He had to walk stooped over due to the combination of his extreme height and the low ceiling of the pa.s.sage.

"It looks like a body. A real one. We'd better call Salinger."

I know I've said this before, but I think it warrants saying again: sometimes I really do hate being right. The skeleton in the secret room had been there for quite some time. Based on the Star Lake Camp Counselor dog tag around the neck, I was willing to bet that our victim was none other than missing counselor Bart Coleman. Lying next to him was an old video camera. It had been damaged, and I wasn't certain the film would be any good after sitting in the attic all these years.

"Maybe the camera can tell us something," I suggested.

"Guess I can send it down to the county offices." Salinger sighed. "We don't really have anyone on staff who knows much about this sort of thing."

"I can try to see what I can do with it," Zak offered.

Salinger hesitated. I knew he hated to get us involved. He always resisted, yet Zak and I always seemed to end up in the thick of things.

"Okay, if you think you can get a look at the film, that will be helpful. Let me know what you find."

"So what are we going to do about our little hitchhiker from last night?" Zak asked as we drove back toward the house. "Do you want to take him to the Zoo?"

"I'd like to keep him at the house for now. He's been through enough, and he seems to have latched onto Bella. I think I'll have Scott check him over to make sure he's totally healthy, and then I'll let Jeremy know to keep his eye out for the right human for the little guy."

"What about Ethan? You mentioned that you were keeping an eye out for a dog for him."

"I don't think Ethan has the energy a young dog would need. I'd like to find him an adult dog, or perhaps a smaller dog with lower exercise needs. I know this pup has been really mellow since we've had him, but I think that's the result of being a bit insecure with his situation. Once he gets settled in, I'd be willing to bet he'll be h.e.l.l on wheels. I need a loving and caring human who has both the patience and energy to raise a young lab."

All three dogs greeted us at the door when we arrived home. You'd think we'd been gone for days rather than just a few hours. We let the dogs run around on the beach for a bit before bringing them back inside. The worst thing about the sand-and-dog combination is that vacuuming becomes a full-time activity.

"Whoever killed Bart Coleman-a.s.suming the victim turns out to be Bart Coleman-has to have known about the secret room," I theorized as Zak put away the dog food we had stopped to pick up. "I'm not a hundred percent certain of this, but it seems that there are probably very few people who know about the room. It's not like it stands out. You pretty much need to know it's there to find it."

"Mr. Hanover said that when he broke into the house to check out the room, he went with a couple of buddies, so there were at least two other people who knew about the room. The way boys trend to brag, I'd say they filled in others after their trip into the spooky house."

"True. I guess I should have thought about the gossip factor. This whole thing is giving me a headache. I think I'm going to head into town. Do you want to come?"

"Actually, I think I'll stay here and work on the film. Why don't you bring home some Chinese food and we can watch another one of those cheesy horror movies you like? It's only three days until Halloween."