CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“We desperately need a body to examine,” said Marc. “I know his bones are in that tower but if we could just get something to send to the labs we might be able to figure out what this man had that he was trying to cure.” Luke, Hex, and Eric nodded at him.
“Is there any possibility of getting up there and stealing it? I mean, I know he’s strong enough to push someone or hit someone but if you’re all up there he can’t possibly fight off all of you.”
“I don’t know, Luke,” said Fitz. “Whatever attacked me was damn strong and the fact that you can’t see it coming only makes it all the worse. The time period is wrong for the Russian priest to be Rasputin but maybe it was someone like him.”
“That’s a good thought,” nodded Eric. “Rasputin believed he could cure the prince’s hemophilia and he was known for unusual and often violent tactics. But it doesn’t mean that he was the first. We’ll ask the team to look into it and see if we can find someone in the right dates.”
“I almost hate to ask this,” said Dom, “but is there anything our own ghosts can tell us? Maybe Matthew and Irene especially?”
“We did ask,” said Luke. “All Grandpa said was that the spirit you’re dealing with is strong, evil, and very real.”
“We already knew that,” frowned Wes. “The knot on Fitz’s head tells us he’s real.”
“Conor? Sean? We appreciate all the help you’re giving the team but if this entity is as strong as Grandpa believes, you might be in danger,” said Luke.
“Wiest! You insult me, Luke. Yer friends and we’ll be with you until the very end. Besides, it was about time someone dealt with whatever is there. I know it’s hard for Americans to believe but we are worried that it is surrounded by all the wee creatures we’re told to avoid.”
“It’s not hard to believe,” said Hex. “You forget we have more than a dozen ghosts traipsing our property daily. We know it’s real. But I’ve never heard stories of the fae, selkies, or ghosts being evil for no reason. As we know it, none of the victims intentionally disturbed them.”
“That’s true,” frowned Joseph. “I haven’t read of one person stealing anything, disturbing the fairy mounds, or anything.
If they’re in that location maybe they’re trying to protect, not harm.
After all, Sherilyn McKamey survived. I know she was the right age, but she had leukemia.
He obviously could have killed her and did not. ”
“Were there other cases of survival?” asked Hex.
“That’s a good question,” frowned Joseph. “We’ve been so busy finding the dead, we didn’t focus on the living other than Sherilyn. We’ll start searching the records for that today.” Eric stared at the screen and nodded to them.
“If I were you, I’d start with the mental hospital Sherilyn was placed in. If there was one, there are more.”
The screen went black and the men all stared at one another. Julia and Rose entered the room staring at all the men.
“Have you found something else?” asked Liffey.
“Yes and it’s something we didn’t think to investigate before. We went back through the journals that were in the library and there are three stories of people who got away,” said Julia.
“That’s timely,” smirked Wes. “Eric just asked us to check into that.”
“We didn’t see it because we just thought they were lucky. But as we read further we don’t think it was luck at all. In the mid-1800’s a rich Englishman wanted to buy the property and turn it into his summer home.”
“Okay. An Englishman probably wasn’t welcomed at all,” said Rory.
“That’s just it. He didn’t tour the castle at all.
He sent his right-hand man, an artist, to go in draw all the details.
The man returned and said he wasn’t bothered at all.
No one touched him. He didn’t have any strange experiences, and he drew all of the rooms that the Englishman was interested in. ”
“So, he wasn’t touched. I don’t get it,” said Joseph.
“He was from India,” said Rose. “The two other cases were similar. One man was a Spaniard and one was Moroccan. Their skin was dark.”
“Wait a minute,” said Chief. “What about the drawings the Indian did? Did they show the skeleton and treasure?”
“They did not and yet he claimed he drew those rooms,” said Rose. “When the Englishman returned alone to the site to inspect it, he left with scratches, claw marks on his arm, and a sizeable lump on his head. But he lived.”
“That means of all of us, I’m the safest,” said Joseph staring at his wife. “I can get into the tower and hopefully get a piece of bone to be examined.”
“Joseph,” she said with tears in her eyes, “I’m not sure that’s wise. He could still harm you.”
“He might but based on what we’re hearing and seeing, he won’t kill me. We have to try and figure out what was so important about killing these people and why, even in death, he’s still doing it.”
“I think he’s right, Julia,” said Rory. “I don’t like it but I think he’s right.
If he gets into trouble, we’ll be there to help him get out.
However, I do think that you and Rose should be off the property itself.
You can be in the car or waiting outside the property line but you cannot be in the castle itself. ”
“I’m afraid I’ll insist on that,” said Conor, “and Sean and I will be joinin’ you.”
“Conor, you’re most likely not high on his list of friends,” said Rory. “You had the priest that wrote about him, saw the room for himself, and your family has escaped his touch for generations. You being there could anger him.”
“I could, but then again, I could be a distraction for Joseph. Either way, we’ll be there.”