Page 62 of The Silence of Hell

“Aunt Aggie loved you,” Chatter said, and I nodded.

“I wish she knew how much I’d loved her too.”

“Lavender, I think she did.”

???

Minutes later, I stared at the place we’d seen Aunt Aggie’s ghost last night. There was a niggle irritating me, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Chatter and I had checked for loose panels or secret doors and did not find anything.

“I don’t get it. Why was Aunt Aggie stood here?”

“Maybe there was no reason,” Chatter suggested.

“No, there had to be. Nothing happening here is random. Someone’s trying to tell me something, but I’m not sure what,” I argued.

“Like what, Lavender?” Chatter challenged.

“I don’t know! If I did, then they’d be no mystery, and I wouldn’t be so confused.”

“Good point,” Chatter agreed.

Why did everything seem like we took one step forward and two back?

Chatter

What Lavender had discovered in the tower had made her withdraw. Callie and the team were all over the place with their cameras and equipment, but Lavender showed little interest. They’d caught a white figure upstairs on the third floor, but it hadn’t been defined enough for identification. The interesting thing they had filmed was a shadow of a tall, broad-shouldered man.

In addition, Callie’s team had discovered several things moving of their own accord, and Callie couldn’t find an explanation for them.

Sin was halfway through the book, and she’d logged all deaths that occurred here and any ghost sightings. So far, there were eight different ghosts the family had seen. As Sin was up to the eighteen twenties, Chatter guessed eight wasn’t bad in two hundred years.

Chatter had left Lavender accessing the programme Sin had used, and she was reading through the Journal herself.

Several times, the Star of Lucia had been mentioned, but they still lacked a description of it. Sin had discovered descriptions of other jewellery the family had owned, though. According to Sin and Lavender, the journal made interesting reading. Chatter was more concerned about the cousin and his claims. What if Lavender had been adopted? She’d lose all this, and he knew that would deeply hurt her.

But she seemed quite content that Rik had been lying. She claimed the birthmark on her arm was one her bloodline shared. Chatter didn’t want to doubt or undermine Lavender’s confidence, but there was the tiniest chance Rik was telling the truth. But then again, if she had been adopted, her own parents would have used that to wrestle the estate from her. No. Rik was incorrect.

So much greed surrounded Lavender. It was surprising she’d turned out the way she had. Chatter had a lot of respect for the strength of her personality. It was hard to stay true to oneself sometimes, but Lavender had managed. Chatter admired her for it and knew it was something he’d cherish over time.

He was heading back to the clubhouse for an hour. A parcel had arrived for him, and Chatter needed to pick it up. It was a gift for Lavender, and he hoped she’d like it. As he rode towards the clubhouse, he saw movement in the trees and slowed. His eyes briefly caught sight of a tall, hulking male before he was past him.

Chatter hit the brakes and turned around, but the figure was long gone. With night falling, Chatter did not want to risk chasing someone in the darkness. It was too dangerous, and he wasn’t sure what traps they’d set out there. He dialled Jinx and told him to keep his eyes opened and, turning, headed back towards Hellfire.

Lavender

Everyone was in bed, including me and Chatter, but my mind wouldn’t shut up. It kept going over everything, and I knew I was missing something. Whatever it was, it was highly important.

Chatter lay beside me, and I was trying to not disturb him, but he shifted and turned onto his side, pulling me closer.

“Switch off,” he murmured.

“Trying,” I replied.

“I can feel your mind churning shit over. What’s bothering you?”

“The dress. I’m convinced it’s a message to me. The lack of dust in the widow’s tower and who the hell is Ronnie, and why do I feel that is the most important part of this?”

“Are you sure Uncle Ronald was dead before you were born?”

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