Cluttered Attic Secrets (Tina Tales) Read online

  “I know.” Leslie sighed.

  “Where did you see the ghost?” Hank asked.

  Leslie pointed to the corner with a shaky finger. And gasped. Something shimmered, seemed to move back and forth. “There it is,” Leslie whispered.

  “A cloud just went past the moon,” Tina said.

  Both men walked as swiftly as they could around all the cutter to the corner. By the time they got there, the illusion had disappeared.

  Leslie was shaking, so Tina led her to the chairs they’d sat in before and eased her into one of them. “It’s all right. Just a play of light.”

  “I know that now,” Leslie said. “But my body has to calm down.”

  Hank and Brandon came back, looking anxiously at Leslie.

  “This whole place is a mess,” Brandon said. Tina knew it bothered his orderly sensibilities.

  “That’s why I asked Tina to help. It’s not like we have to hurry. Now I’ve caught my breath, let me show you the trunk where we found some jewelry.”

  No one moved for a few moments. They stayed still, listening, but there was only an eerie silence. Tina shivered, and Hank, standing beside her, put his arm around her.

  Brandon was the first to move. “You could practically live up here—there’s enough furniture to furnish a small house. I have dibs on that chaise lounge.” He pointed to a tufted red velvet lounger toward the center of the room.

  Hank laughed. “Suits you perfectly, Brandon. I’ll take the old chair that’s big enough for two and has that nifty ottoman.”

  Tina giggled. The chair and footstool Hank pointed to had flowery upholstery with a big rip in the seat.

  Leslie walked over to the wardrobe trunk and opened it. The two men came to look at it.

  “That’s some clever engineering,” Brandon said. “An ironing board?” He turned to Tina. “I bet you love this.”

  Tina smiled.

  A groan, then a bang made them all stand perfectly still.

  “Where’d that come from?” Leslie finally asked.

  Hank cocked his head. “Can’t tell exactly. Shhh.”

  They waited. And waited. Nothing more happened.

  “I want out of here.” Leslie walked toward the stairs. “You boys have fun. I’ll make coffee and put a thermos at the bottom of the stairs. I’m not coming up here again until we find out what’s making those noises.”

  Tina rushed to follow Leslie, then looked back at the two men standing by the trunk, looking dumbfounded.

  “I guess they believe us now,” Leslie muttered as they descended the stairs. “I don’t know what I’m going to do, Tina, if we don’t find out what’s going on.”

  Tina didn’t blame her for wondering about her future in this house.

  Leslie appeared to calm down as she made coffee to take to the men. Tina didn’t offer to help, deciding it was better if Leslie had something to occupy her hands and mind. Instead she sat at the table, replaying the noises she’d heard over and over in her head. It sounded to her as if someone had been in pain. But where were they? And were they alive or dead? In physical or mental pain? Or were they playing with Leslie, maybe trying to get her to give up the house? What reason would they have for that? Maybe they just wanted her to stay out of the attic.

  Tina’s phone rang, startling her. She looked at the display and grinned when she saw Hank’s name. “It’s Hank,” she told Leslie. “What’s happening up there? You see a ghost?”

  “No, nothing more has happened. We just wanted to check on you two.”

  “We’re fine. Any word from the police about the body?”

  “Not yet. And we can’t see what’s going on in the side yard since the only two windows up hear face front and rear.”

  “Let me go see.” Tina hadn’t thought to look out the window at the other end of the kitchen. She was aware of the flood lights still being lit, so guessed the police were continuing their investigation. When she looked out, she saw that they were packing up everything. “They must be done,” she told Hank. “I think they’re leaving.”

  “All right. I’ll give them an hour, then call Lisbeth. I’m sure she’s pulling an all-nighter.”

  “Good. That’s good. You think there’s a connection between the noises and the body?”

  “Possibly. Big coincidence if there’s not. And if there is, you realize Leslie shouldn’t stay in the house alone.”

  “No, you’re right. And now with the police gone… What do you suggest?”

  “Not sure right now.”

  “You think we’re all safe for the night?”

  “Pretty much. But I think it would be better if we rearranged ourselves. I know Leslie doesn’t want to spend the night in the attic, but would you be okay doing that with me? Then Brandon could stay downstairs with Leslie.”

  Oh, great, spend the night in a spooky old attic with Hank. The first night she’d ever spent with Hank. Her mind spun with the possibilities.

  “Tina?”

  “Yes.” She glanced at Leslie, who stood listening to her half of the conversation at the other end of the kitchen. “That will be fine. Coffee’s ready, so we’ll bring it to the stairs. I’ll explain to Leslie.”

  When she told her friend the plan, Leslie nodded. “I think that’s a good idea.” Then she smiled at Tina. “But you and Hank better stay alert. No fooling around up there.”

  “You’re absolutely right. It would be embarrassing to be caught by a ghost in a compromising position.” Or by a real person, a stranger. But she wasn’t going to say that to Leslie.

  Leslie picked up the tray with mugs, coffee pot, and fixings, and headed toward the back stairs. When they reached the attic door, Tina opened it and called up, “We’re here.”

  Hank descended to take the tray. After he got back upstairs, Brandon came down carrying a book.

  “Look what I found. A bible. With a family genealogy. Maybe with the names, we can figure out more of the house’s history.”

  Tina and Leslie stared at the huge black-leather book with gold trim at the corners.

  “Oh, my.” Leslie’s voice was so faint, Tina hardly heard her. But she realized that Leslie was suddenly overwhelmed by the whole situation. She waited for her to say more.

  CHAPTER 16

  Leslie walked toward the stairs. “I’m not sure anyone should stay in the attic until we know more about the history of this house.”

  Tina and Hank exchanged glances, and then they followed Leslie and Brandon down to the first floor.

  Leslie stopped in the hallway. “At least at night. That’s the only time I’ve heard any noises. None of you has wanted to bring up the idea that there’s a real person behind this. But I know that’s a possibility. More probable than a ghost. I think we all believe that. Someone was murdered tonight, right outside this house.” Leslie’s voice trembled.

  “Leslie.” Hank hugged her. “We have to find out what’s going on. You can’t stay here by yourself until we do.”

  Leslie shuddered and pulled away from his embrace. “I can’t… ”

  “We understand.” Hank looked at Brandon and Tina, then back at Leslie. “How about you go stay with your parents until we figure this out? I suggest you find out all you can about the family history from your father.”

  Leslie stood still for a moment, then nodded.

  “We’ll stay together until you leave. First, let’s copy the genealogy from the Bible. Make some extras for all of us and one for your father.”

  Tina noticed that Brandon was no longer scoffing. He looked worried and thoughtful. He took the Bible over to the printer in the library and opened it carefully to the page with the genealogy. When he finished, he handed copies to Tina and Hank, kept one for himself, and gave the rest to Leslie. She put all but three on the desk. “I guess I should go pack a few things. Tina, what are you going to do?”

  Tina looked at Hank. “That depends on what the guys have planned.”

  Hank stuck his hands in his pockets. “I’m willing
to spend the night in the attic. Brandon?”

  “Sure. We need to get to the bottom of this.”

  “I want to stay, too, then.” Tina expected loud objections, but no one said anything for a few moments.

  Hank nodded. “The more ears and eyes the better. So, let’s all go to Leslie’s room while she packs. Brandon, you follow her to your parent’s, then come back here. Tina and I will stay downstairs until you arrive.”

  After Leslie packed, she hugged everyone and went out to her car, Brandon following.

  “What do you think is really going on?” Tina asked Hank.

  “I’ve pretty much ruled out old-house noises. Especially after what went down in the yard. That means something supernatural, or a real person or persons.”

  “You think it could be supernatural?” Tina’s jaw dropped. She closed it quickly so she wouldn’t look like an idiot.

  “Doubtful. But I don’t rule it out entirely. There is so much we humans don’t know. We have opinions, but no real facts about what happens to the spirit after we die, do we?”

  “True. But I would have never guessed you yourself didn’t have firm beliefs.”

  “We’ve never talked about this, have we?”

  “No, we haven’t. I see you in church sometimes.”

  “I like church.”

  Tina laughed. “That’s good.”

  “You’ve heard of purgatory, I suppose.”

  “Yes. Ah, so, a soul caught between heaven and hell could stay near where they died until—until what?”

  “Until they accepted their death. Or, as some people believe, if they were murdered, found out who and why.”

  “Or the person who did it is brought to justice. But if this is one of Leslie’s and Brandon’s ancestors, the person who murdered them is probably already dead, too.”

  “But would the murderee know that?”

  Tina shivered. “Now you’re spooking me.”

  Hank stepped over to hug her. “Sorry.”

  When they heard the key turn in the front door, they broke apart. Brandon yelled hello, and Hank answered, “In the library.”

  “Leslie get home okay?” Tina asked.

  “Yes. We had to do some fast talking to the parents.”

  Tina looked at the gold clock on the desk. “It’s way after midnight. They were still up?”

  Brandon laughed. “Mom was watching ‘Ghost’ on the big screen. Dad was asleep on the couch.”

  “What did you tell them?”

  “Basically, everything. We want Dad to search his memory for what he knows about anything strange going on in this house. I asked him to write down all he can remember. They seemed more puzzled and surprised than alarmed. So far. We didn’t tell them about what happened in the yard. One thing at a time.”

  “They’ll find out if they watch the news before going to bed,” Hank pointed out. “Or first thing in the morning.”

  “I know.” Brandon ran his hand through his hair. “As I said, one thing at a time.”

  “I agree.” Hank said.

  “I’ve been thinking.” Brandon sat down on one of the brown leather club chairs and stretched out his legs. “Some of these old houses have hidden passageways or even rooms. We should probably try to figure out if this one does.”

  CHAPTER 17

  Tina’s stared at Brandon. “Why didn’t we think of that before?”

  “I don’t know. The main problem would be how someone would get into a secret room without being seen coming and going. They were built for the home owner to use, and I don’t know of any that are accessed from outside. I suppose that is a possibility, though.”

  “That’s a good point.” Hank said. “We’re hearing noises in the attic. Surely your Aunt Margaret would have seen someone coming and going at some point during all the years she lived here.”

  “Unless the person didn’t show up until after she died.” Tina said. “Or only used the space when they knew she was traveling.”

  “Or,” Brandon said, “she knew who it was and let them use the secret room or space, whatever it might be.”

  “Or,” Tina said, “it’s Aunt Margaret’s ghost.”

  Everyone stayed motionless for a several minutes, thinking about the possibilities. Finally, Tina asked, “How do you find these secret places?”

  “Locate old blueprints, or knock on the walls to listen for hollowness.” Brandon stood up. “Press your fingers against places where you think there might be a secret latch to an opening.”

  “How do you know about all this?” Tina looked at Brandon with interest.

  “Reading murder mysteries, mainly.”

  Tina and Hank laughed. “I read mysteries, too,” Hank said. “Mostly suspense and thrillers. They don’t usually have old houses with secret rooms in them.”

  “I guess not.” Brandon began to pace. “The older classics do, though. Easiest way to find out in this big house would be by finding the blueprints.”

  “They’d probably be right here in the library,” Tina said and began opening the desk drawers. “Or in the basement.”

  “Why in the basement?” Hank asked. He started on the credenza.

  “I don’t know, but that’s where Uncle Bob found the ones for our house.”

  Brandon went to stand by the bookshelf closest to the side window. “If we have to remove all these books, it will take a long time to search.”

  “That’s true.” Tina pulled out the bottom drawer of the desk. She was surprised to find it empty. “Nothing here. I think we should check the basement. I have a feeling.”

  Brandon laughed. “Woman’s intuition? Then we definitely need to go downstairs.”

  “Nothing in the credenza, either.” Hank closed the cabinet door. “Probably Tina’s feeling comes from the fact that there’s a precedent. Uncle Bob found blueprints in the basement. Ergo, same thing could happen in other older homes.”

  Tina gave him a sweet smile. “They shouldn’t be too hard to find. They’re large, in a roll. Well, if they’re like what Uncle Bob found. Let’s check out the basement.”

  Brandon looked dubious. “You sure you want to go down there tonight?”

  “Why not? We haven’t heard any noises from there. And we should check out access, too.”

  Hank nodded. “That’s a good idea. Let’s go. If we stick together, we’ll be fine.”

  Tina’s heartbeat ticked up a little. She didn’t feel exactly scared, but…

  CHAPTER 18

  “You know where the stairs to the basement are?” Brandon asked Tina. “I just realized I don’t know. I was hardly ever anywhere in this house except the living room and dining room.”

  “I’m not sure, but they’re probably in the kitchen or near the back door.”

  “Let’s go.” Hank led the way to the kitchen, Tina behind him and Brandon bringing up the rear.

  When they arrived, Tina looked around. “Over here.” She found a door, but it was to the pantry.

  “Here’s another one.” Hank pulled open a second door, found the light switch and flipped it on. They saw the stairway. Again, Hank went first, and they climbed down the open, creaking wooden stairs to the unfinished cellar.

  “It’s a bit chilly down here.” Tina shivered. She looked around. The area was not partitioned off. She noticed the wide walkout stairway at the back. Aunt Margaret had obviously updated the heating system because the unit looked similar to what the Shaws had replaced their old, original oil burner with. A sump pump was positioned near a rear window, and a washer and dryer took up part of one wall. A nearly empty workbench sat next to the walkout. No old garden tools, lawnmowers, lawn chairs scattered about. A vivid contrast to the attic.

  “Not many places to look for some blueprints,” Brandon said. He walked over to the washer and opened one of the cabinets above it. Laundry detergent, bleach, and fabric softener. A roll of paper towels. The rest was empty, and so was the cupboard above the dryer.

  “Well,” Tina said, “except f
or the attic, Aunt Margaret certainly had no need of a professional organizer.”

  “That’s for sure.” Hank walked up the cement cellar stairs and checked out the fold-out doors. He studied the long, sliding bolt that held the two doors together, then slid it open. “That was easy.” He slid it back and forth a couple of times, then turned to Tina and Brandon, looking thoughtful. “Got to wonder how often Aunt Margaret went in and out of this door. Wouldn’t think she’d do it that much, would you? If ever. Might have become rusty over the years. But it’s well oiled. Interesting.”

  “Still,” Tina said. “No one could easily get inside, right?”

  “Not from that. But they could get out in a hurry if they weren’t worried about anyone noticing the bolt was drawn. Let’s take a look at the windows.”

  The windows were in wells near the ceiling. Tina thought they were medium sized, not large, but not as tiny as some she’d seen, either. She considered one. Could a person climb in and out easily? How would they get to them? A ladder. And she saw one near the inside cellar door. Not an old rickety wooden one, but a new, aluminum one.

  “One of you guys want to use that ladder to check the locks on the windows, if they even open?”

  “I will.” Hank grabbed the ladder. “I expect they open.” He placed the ladder under the window closest to the walkout and climbed up. He raised the window with ease. “Again, interesting. Unlocked. The well is free of debris, too.”

  He climbed down and chose another window. “This one won’t budge. It’s locked, and there are leaves, some trash and sticks in the well.”

  “Well,” Tina said, grinning. “This is becoming suspicious, isn’t it?”

  “Sure is.” Hank climbed back down and checked all the other windows. Some opened with effort, but others didn’t.

  When he finished, Tina asked, “Do you think you could climb out of that window that was unlocked? Or is it too small?”

  Hank stood looking at the window a moment. He studied the wall underneath it, and then put the ladder back where he’d found it. He walked to the window, reached up, grabbed something Tina couldn’t see, and climbed up the wall with ease. Then he opened the window and wiggled himself outside.