A. Renee Art

Lydia was right about Janet and the twins being back at the inn first. As Janet revealed Derrick’s psychological papers to Lydia’s group over lunch, Merc was going through the box he, Maddie, and Lydia found.

“Derrick mentioned a baby,” Janet said. “Given the time period, I think this was about Sofia and her baby.”

“This might be the origin of her grudge,” Lydia said.

“Perhaps. How did the cemetery go?”

“We might have found some treasure, right Merc?”

“We did,” he said, “but not from two little girls. It’s from Scott, Trisha, and Derrick.”

Merc handed Lydia a crayon drawing from the box by “Future Detective Scott,” titled Secret of Painscreek. On it were drawings of the hospital, the Roberts’ mansion, and the church with underground passageways connecting the three places, plus hidden rooms pointed out in the study room of the mansion and above Father Matthew’s room in the church. Also in the box was a small stuffed bear—a graduation gift for Trisha from her mother, a hand-drawn picture of the three former “Best Friends Forever” by Derrick, some assorted toys, a book, and a letter, which Merc read.

It was written by Derrick in 1996. He laments his falling out with Scott and mentions his stabbing and running away from Painscreek and that Trisha and her dad moved away. He mentions that he will soon leave, as his mother has died, like the older generation that chose to stay in town over the years.

He wrote about the night Vivian died, saying he saw Scott meeting with her and arguing about something, but that he didn’t know what. Afterwards, Derrick followed Scott back to his cabin where he watched him through the window until the next morning, again wondering how they drifted apart. He still thinks Trisha prefers Scott to him.

Derrick was questioned after Scott was let go, but everyone continued to view Scott as a strong suspect regardless. Derrick said he decided not to tell them about Scott being somewhere else because he thought he could have a chance to be with Trisha, but his plan didn’t really work out and now he’s alone and no longer friends with either of them. He feels that Scott was stabbed because of him since he lied about his alibi. He lastly hopes that wherever he and Trisha are, that the two of them could forgive him.

“Well, I wouldn’t forgive you,” Merc whispered. “You prick.”

“So Scott really is innocent,” Lydia said. “I’m surprised they didn’t arrest him, given he was the last person Vivian saw.”

“Sheriff Howard said Scott being shocked about hearing of Vivian’s death, coupled with his demeanor led him to be skeptical. When the autopsy report came in and there was little evidence against him, that’s when he was certain. Presumably, Scott is right-handed. Now let’s see if Wanda wrote anything about Sofia.”

Wanda’s diaries began in the early ‘70s.

Derrick turned four and Wanda appreciated a small party Vivian threw for him. Little Derrick wished to see his father when he blew the candles. Apparently, she never told them his father left them.

She writes about Trisha’s birth and Vivian’s hospitalization for instability. She feels sorry for Vivian that she can’t have any more children, that it would risk her health and that her mother-in-law had been breathing down her neck about having a boy to continue the Roberts’ name.

About Sofia, she writes that she hates her and that she’s allegedly taking advantage of the Roberts. She wished that she was gone.

“Someone was jealous,” Lydia said.

Janet noted the date of that entry, October 1974. Almost nine months before Sofia had her son, which meant, chances were, she was barely pregnant already with Charles’ kid. The next few pages appeared torn out, like in Wanda’s other diary. The next official entry was in the late 70s, of how she was thinking of sending Derrick to see a psychologist. They had also moved into their own house a few years before.

In the early ‘80s, Derrick was having trouble at school, being called a bastard child. He kept asking about his father. Wanda kept receiving calls from school. This time he was suspended for poking a bird’s nest and stoning the chicks to death. She was told to send her son to see a psychologist, like she had considered, and was asked about any traumatic events he had suffered.

What Janet read next made everyone sit up with alarm.

“I could not tell him that Derrick witnessed Sofia being killed. He was only five when that happened.”

“WHAT,” Lydia exclaimed. Everyone else either gasped or had their mouth open agape in shock, except for Maddie, who kept her lips pressed together. They waited for the rest of the reading in stunned silence.

Wanda regretted telling Derrick to keep quiet about Sofia’s death and started homeschooling him. More pages were torn out.

The time cut to the ‘90s. She writes about how Derrick hangs out with Trisha and Scott. She’s glad that he finally has some friends but secretly wishes that Scott wasn’t one of them for some reason. One time he arrived home upset, saying that Scott hurt himself while they were riding bikes. He said Trisha took care of him but seemed upset about that. Wanda thought that Derrick wished Trisha was taking care of him instead. Unfortunately for him, she writes, given their status, it wouldn’t be a good idea for him to have any feelings for the mayor’s daughter.

Derrick told his mother that he accepted a new position as Mr. Roberts’ chauffeur. She told him that it was a wonderful opportunity. To celebrate, he went out with his friends to bury a time capsule, the same one Trisha mentioned in her diary.

Merc held up the letter Derrick wrote. “He must have dug it up later and added this letter after everything happened.”

Derrick returned from one of his earliest trips to New York with Mr. Roberts. Wanda notes that they stayed in a nice hotel and he walked around the city for a bit. Charles treated him well and gave him additional allowances, which Derrick spent on a gift for her. He also got a notebook as a gift for Trisha’s birthday.

Charles and Vivian haven’t been on speaking terms and the newest maid, Mary Martinez, has been asking about Charles Roberts obsessing over a painting. Wanda told her to forget about it.

Wanda’s battle with cancer was next. She is thankful for her boss, Charles, for helping with the bills and that Mary took over her duties. At the same time, her son Derrick has been unable to sleep, saying he has nightmares, but he can’t remember them. She claims to know what the dreams are about but says nothing to him. He mentions avoiding driving Vivian around, mentioning his lack of sleep. He also complains that since Scott started working at the mansion, he always sees him with Trisha.

Next, she mentions that Scott has been going around asking weird questions. Questions about Father Calvin, the previous pastor and someone named Vincent. Scott also seemed to be avoiding his dad, Father Brooks, along with Trisha. Wanda said she always knew that Scott was a strange kid and that she felt something off about him as if she should hate him for some reason.

“The diary we found earlier at the hospital picks up from there,” Janet said.

“But there was nothing in the later diary about Vivian’s death or that Derrick was even questioned for it,” Merc said.

“Either she didn’t want to write about it, Derrick never told her about being questioned, given her condition, or maybe she did know and tore those later pages out.”

“My theory,” Lydia sighed mournfully. “And Sofia…is dead. She was dead all along.”

That’s when it hit Merc and Connor, that what they saw, who they saw, was likely…

“’SHE IS COMING FOR US’,” Caylix stood and blurted out.

“What,” the two boys yelled out.

When Caylix repeated the message she, Madeline, and Lydia saw behind Andrew Reed’s bedroom door, Lydia recalled the figure she saw on the hospital roof.

That wasn’t a man in a hoodie, she realized. Remembering more clearly, that figure’s shape appeared more feminine. And their “hoodie” might have been long dark hair.

Madeline continued to sit silently, pretending to read one of the other journals, but instead, read the article on ghosts she saw at the hospital.

“Are you all serious,” Janet asked. “You think you saw Sofia Miller’s ghost?”

Caylix sat down, causing her to knock one of the diaries off the table and said, “Well…” Merc and Connor waited with bated breath as she finished. “No I didn’t.”

“Yeah, we didn’t either,” both boys said at the same time, shaking their heads and trying to laugh their fear away.

“Good,” Janet said. “Glad you kids have your heads on straight.”

“Yeah,” Lydia said, picking up Trisha’s diary that fell onto the floor. “Good thing.” She was relieved in a way. If it were a guy in a hoodie, chances are it would have been the killer, if not a looter. Then she would have to say something and then they would be forced to leave the investigation for their safety.

It still didn’t explain the fresh flowers she saw on that unmarked grave though. A likely explanation was that a former resident came by to visit Painscreek in the last week before her group and Janet arrived. That reasoning helped her to lower her heartrate, and she was able to focus on what she was reading.

Thumbing through Trisha’s diary, Lydia noticed a loose page and removed it. It was a letter tucked in the deteriorated back binding.

“Did we see this earlier,” she asked. She read the letter as follows:

February 9, 1996

Dear Trisha,

If you’re reading this, then you must also have my cabin key.

I feel as if a great veil was lifted from my eyes.

Last year, I came to realize why Father Matthew and your mother were against us seeing each other. They were right. Under no circumstances can we be together.

Please believe me when I say I did not kill your mother. I honestly don’t know who did. Hopefully, the truth will come to light someday.

I’m afraid I can’t stay in Painscreek anymore. I hope to tell you everything, but not now. I pray the day will arrive when I can say everything to you. All I can say is I’m sorry for all the pain that I’ve caused you. Please forgive me.

Until the day arrives, make sure you hang on to the cross I’m leaving for you. If you happen to discover the truth while I’m gone, I hope it sets you free, although it has only agonized me.

Goodbye,

Scott

Caylix picked up the cabin key and cross Trisha left behind and showed them to everyone. As she looked at the cross, Lydia remembered something.

“That shape,” she said. “I’ve seen it before. It was in a picture.”

“Was it a picture you took,” Connor asked.

“No wait, I remember too,” Janet said, finding Steve Moss’s briefcase and pulling out the photos he took. In one of the photos was a cross-indentation on what appeared to be a cabinet-closet. She showed it to the group.

“Where is that,” Caylix asked.

“There’s something in the corner,” Merc said. “It’s blurry, but it looks like a water heater. That means it’s a basement.”

“The Roberts’ mansion or the church?”

“That cross was Scott’s and he wasn’t living in the church anymore,” Janet said. “I’m thinking it’s a place we haven’t been before—his cabin.”

“What’s the point,” Merc sighed, tapping the unearthed shoebox. “Scott didn’t kill Vivian. Derrick’s letter proves it.”

“And neither did Derrick,” Lydia sighed, crossing off his name on her suspect list. “I’m starting to think my Dorothy connection isn’t right either.” She put a line through her name too.

“Here’s my theory then,” Janet began. “When he was five and still living in the mansion, Derrick witnessed Sofia’s death. Her baby was with her at the time. According to what Derrick wrote, three other people were present. Given that she found out about the affair, one of those people had to be Vivian.”

Lydia began frantically writing the new theory in her notebook. “And the other two?”

“The message you saw on Andrew’s door and the fact that he was hallucinating and receiving medication for his mental ills tells me that he was having visions of Sofia, who thought her ghost was appearing to him for revenge. His letter to his son spoke about how he hoped that his past sins ‘don’t pass on’ to him. He worked at the mansion at the same time Sofia was there, so he was there too when she died. As for the third…huh. Had to have been Dr. Johnson.”

“You think they were all killed by the same person? In retaliation for Sofia’s death?”

“It explains why Steve Moss had autopsy reports on the two men as well as Vivian. He must have made a similar connection. Now that I think about it, Andrew and Dr. Johnson’s deaths were made to look like accidents, but Vivian’s was a blatant murder, and the killer wanted to make sure everyone knew that by leaving her body in front of her house. Given how Vivian felt about Sofia, the killer wanted to make sure that Vivian suffered the most and that by killing a killer, if Vivian did such a thing to Sofia, Vivian deserved it. It was personal, more than with Andrew Reed and Dr. Johnson, her accomplices. So the best guess of who killed Vivian would be whoever had the closest personal connection to Sofia. They also would have to have been in town at the time, be left-handed, and strong enough to wield an axe.”

“Find the closest personal connection to Sofia, find the killer,” Merc concluded. “That’s our motive!”

“Even with that,” Lydia spoke, “that eliminates everyone, including Dorothy. A head maid and nanny most likely wouldn’t have the strength to wield an axe.”

“Also, of all the servants who used the mansion gym, Bernard and Derrick were the only ones, so it’s definitely not her. Hmm.”

“I’m still confused about something,” Caylix said, her arms crossed in thought. “Why would Scott be so obsessed with a dead maid from the seventies and go around asking questions about her and other strange things?”

“Probably to antagonize Vivian since she forbade him from seeing Trisha.” Lydia said, subconsciously flipping through one of Vivian’s diary books.

“Then…how did Scott know about her in the first place? Sofia all but vanished without a trace. Only Wanda says Derrick witnessed her death and told her son to say nothing about it. Vivian, Andrew, and Dr. Johnson definitely knew, since it was a big, horrible secret between them. The only proof of her existence is from a bunch of old diaries and an unlabeled photo that we’re all assuming is her. We didn’t even find a trace of Sofia’s medical records from when she gave birth, didn’t you, Janet?”

“No,” Janet said. “But someone had to have tended to her when she gave birth. Probably Dr. Johnson by Charles’ secret request at Dorothy’s place, but there were no records at the hospital that we could find. Nothing at all. Nothing…”

“Strange,” Merc said.

The group sat around silently as a minute went by. Janet and Lydia were the two in deepest contemplation. Then, suddenly, they looked at each other as they both came to a sudden earth-shattering realization at the same time.

“I got it,” they exclaimed simultaneously.

“Father Matthew told Vivian something about Scott,” Lydia said. “Janet, you don’t think…no, it sounds crazier than my old theory.”

“Scott was avoiding Trisha and finally agreed with her mother and Father Matthew that they couldn’t be together,” Janet said, nodding. “It’s the only explanation left.”

Caylix and the boys were intrigued on the edge of their seats asking, “What?” and “What is it?” Maddie sat silently waiting. “We need to get to Scott’s cabin,” the top two investigators blurted out together.