Page 38 of The Silence of Hell

The next morning, I was tired. I hadn’t slept well because the image in the mirror had scared the hell out of me, and I kept hearing shuffling noises upstairs. The final bedroom for the students would be cleared today. Which meant we’d be back on the ground floor clearing the rooms here. The priority was the library. I needed to reach the journal’s secret place. There were too many stacks of boxes, and it currently was unsafe.

“Morning, Lavender,” Emory said.

I stared at her and held my hand out. She placed a mug of coffee in it, and I inhaled. The elixir of life!

The students discussed the day ahead, and it was Dan’s room we were finishing.

“Once it’s done, we are coming back down and starting on the library. We’re going to clear the downstairs before heading up. Once everything is packed, we’ll start valuing and verifying the dolls,” I explained.

A strangled cry came from the kitchen door, and I twisted and spotted Chatter.

“Sorry, didn’t know you were there,” I said.

Chatter looked like he was going to pass out, and I lifted an eyebrow.

“I’ll wait for Tatum at the front,” Chatter finally mumbled and walked past us.

“Okay,” I replied, returning my focus to my coffee.

Two hours later, the room was cleared, and the cleaners had arrived and were doing the five bedrooms. We were in the library and beginning to clear the dolls. It wasn’t just dolls in here; there were cribs, prams, baby pushchairs, and other accoutrements for dolls—and all certainly antiques.

“Do you know an architect?” I asked as the candidate helped carry some boxes to a cart we were using.

“Yes, I thought Chatter was going to refer you to Blackrock Construction. They’re run by two of the Rage MC brothers, and a lot of people in the surrounding towns use them,” Jinx said.

“Could you get me their number, please?”

“Sure, Lavender. Is everything alright with you and Chatter? I thought you were becoming friends,” Jinx asked in a low voice.

“So did I,” I replied and changed the subject. By six that evening, I could actually spot my target and knew I would have my hand on it soon.

If there were any stories around ghosts or whatnot, I’d discover them in the Bloodsworth Journal. Much like the vault combination, I knew exactly how to open the secret panel it was hidden in. The journal would give me some answers to my questions.

It was with regret that I left the library and locked it to join the others. As I passed the entrance hall on the way to the kitchen, Chatter and Tatum came from upstairs.

“How’s it going?” I asked.

“Some very valuable coins up there, Lavender. I finished Spain and have moved on to Italy. This report will explain the valuations on the Spanish ones and the reasons why they are valued high or low. I’ll do one for each country’s set of coins,” Tatum said.

“Thank you.” I took the report he offered me.

“Are you busy tomorrow night?” Tatum asked, and I blinked in surprise.

“No?”

“There’s an open-air movie night at the local park. They’re playing Carrie, and I wondered if you’d like to join me,” Tatum said.

“I love that film, is it the original?”

“Yes, it’s why I suggested it.”

“Thanks, Tatum, I’d love to go. Can I bring anything?” I asked, ignoring Chatter’s scowl.

“Just yourself, and I will pick you up at six?”

“Perfect. Enjoy your Saturday off, and I’ll see you tomorrow,” I replied as Tatum smiled.

He walked outside, and Chatter sent me a dark look before leaving.

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