Chapter Seven
Claire narrowed her eyes at him. “Why did you come back here, Matthew? Why after all these years?”
“I came to get my Tilly. You told me a long time ago that she didn’t want me anymore and that she had run away and for the longest time I believed what you said.”
“But...” She stared at him. “You suddenly don’t believe me anymore? Why not?”
“Because I finally admitted to myself what I should have believed all those years ago. Something happened just before I left, just before the fire. You did something to Tilly and I came back to find out what it was.”
Claire leaned her head back and laughed...an eerie sounding laugh.
The sound made the short hairs on the back of Jillian’s arms stand up. Something was happening right here and right now. No one who wasn’t a witness would ever believe this.
Claire looked at Matthew and a cunning look appeared in her eyes. “I admit it. Tilly never ran away. She wouldn’t have run away from here unless it was with you. She was totally in love with you, even after she caught the two of us together. She was still crazy about you.”
Matthew closed his eyes briefly. “That was a mistake and you know it. I never would have been in your bed to begin with. How did you manage that anyway? Getting me in bed with you at just the right time for Tilly to walk in and catch us?”
Claire chuckled. “It was so easy; any fool could have done it. All it took was a few drops of sedative in your juice to make you feel woozy. I did have a heck of a time getting your clothes off. Then I had to wait until the med wore off a bit so you were almost conscious. The rest was as easy as pie. Tilly walked in and the look on her face said it all.”
Matthew shook his head. “Why Claire? Why would you do something like that to your own sister? All she ever did was love you. We weren’t trying to hurt you.”
Claire’s expression turned angry and her eyes glowed red. “I did it to you. I didn’t want to hurt Tilly but she needed to see you for what you were.”
“And what was I?” Matthew wanted to know. “What was I that you hated me so much that you would destroy what Tilly and I had together?”
“Claire loved you,” Jillian told them. She’d read how much Claire had cared for Matthew. “Claire loved you and you didn’t return her love. You chose Tilly.”
Claire turned to face Jillian and Dino. Tears ran down her face as she nodded.
“He was everything I ever wanted in a husband. Kind and caring, gentle and strong. He should have been mine but my greedy sister stole him away from me. Well, I fixed both of them that night. I got rid of Matthew and I tricked Matilda into thinking he was gone for good. Poor girl, she was inconsolable.”
Matthew struggled to his feet. “What did you do to her, you evil witch? Where is my Tilly?”
Claire turned to Matthew. “You’ll never find her. Her spirit is still here only because her final resting place has never been found. No one will ever find her. I made sure of that.”
“What about the fire?” Jillian asked. “If Matthew was already gone and Tilly was dead, why did you burn the place to the ground? And who else was here that night? The papers said there were two bodies recovered. One man and one woman.”
Claire remembered that night again and the look on her face was one of pure terror.
“The fire was an accident. My little dog Sammy was chasing a squirrel and tipped over a lamp in the hallway. I was trapped in one of the rooms and I couldn’t get out.
The man was another tenant by the name of George Walker.
He tried to get to me and the fire burned him alive.
The Inn burned to the ground before anyone could get here. ”
“What about Tilly? Did the fire kill her as well?” Matthew asked with tears in his eyes.
Claire nodded and turned away. She shimmered for a moment then disappeared altogether.
Her sobs could be heard by everyone. They sounded so forlorn.
“I have a question. If the Inn burned down to the ground that night, who rebuilt it?” Jillian asked. “I mean someone had to rebuild it, right? Otherwise, it wouldn’t be here today.”
Matthew shook his head. “I forgot it’s been so long ago.
The place burned all those years ago but no one ever rebuilt it.
One day there was just ashes and then the next morning the Inn suddenly reappeared.
Everything looked the way it was before the fire.
People stayed away from it as far as I heard. ”
“I can see why they would,” Jillian told him. But how could that happen? The Inn just reappearing out of thin air, just like it was before the fire?”
Matthew nodded. “I don’t know. I stayed around this area for a while after the fire and I couldn’t believe it either.”
“Why do you suppose the Inn came back?” Jillian asked.
“I have a theory about that,” Matthew spoke softly. “You see, I have had many years to think about it. And I believe it was because no one found Tilly. Every year the Inn burns to the ground and every year it comes back. We have to find where Tilly’s body is.”
No one spoke for the longest time.
Dino looked over at Jillian. “So now what?” he asked.
“We have to find Tilly,” Matthew said quietly. “It’s the only way to break this curse.”
“What curse?” Dino asked.
Matthew looked at his grandson and smiled slightly. “The one that’s keeping me alive when I should have been dead a long time ago; the curse that’s keeping Claire from crossing over and the same curse that’s keeping Tilly a prisoner. She has to be in this house somewhere, we just need to find her.”
Dino shook his head. “Grandpa, for the last time, there is no curse.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” Jillian told him.
“Come on, don’t tell me you believe in this ghost tale stuff too?” Dino scoffed.
“Did you ever wonder where people got their tales to tell?” Jillian asked. “In every story there’s just enough of the truth to keep the tale alive.”
“I think it’s just bull. Made up to sell tickets or books...or for some money-making scheme.” Dino rolled his eyes.
“We need to find where Claire hid Tilly,” Jillian told him as she wasn’t in the mood for a debate over this or an argument.
“And we need to damn well hurry,” Matthew said.
“Why?” Jillian and Dino asked together.
Matthew looked at them both. “The anniversary of the night the fire burned the Inn to the ground is four days from now. I have a feeling deep in my bones that Claire is going to start another fire.”
Jillian nodded. “Now that you’ve come back she just might.” She hesitated and said, “Didn’t Claire say her dog started the fire by overturning a lamp in the parlor?”
Matthew shook his head. “When I came back that night, I found Sammy’s body outside the Inn. The poor dog’s neck was broken and it looked like someone had tossed her out the front door. There wasn’t a singed hair on her head.”
“Wow,” Jillian whispered in shock. “That’s just freakin’ cruel.” She glanced around for Poppy. Spotting her in the rug she shook her head. “Who would do that?”
“Maybe we should stay for a few days,” Dino suggested as he looked concerned. “Just to make sure there’s no trouble.”
Jillian nodded. “I think that is a good idea, thank you. I’ll get some rooms ready. Suddenly, I find I’m not all that anxious to be alone out here.” Jillian left to get the rooms ready.
Matthew gave his grandson a concerned look. “I’m glad we’re staying for a while. I feel like there will be more trouble.”
“What do you mean?” Dino asked. “Like whoever did that to the dog can’t still be here.”
“And why not? Claire is still here,” Matthew replied. “Don’t be telling me that you didn’t just see that? But I think there’s more than Claire’s spirit roaming this house. I feel something more like hatred here.”
“Are you forgetting Tilly’s spirit? You said she was here too,” Dino reminded him.
Matthew shook his head. “Tilly would never hurt anyone. She was and always will be a gentle woman; no this is someone else entirely.”
“How do you know this?” Dino asked him.
“I can feel it, deep down in my bones.”
“But Grandpa—” Dino began.
“No, I know it’s true whether you believe it or not. There is something here that is evil.”
Dino studied him and noted he was sweating and he looked pale. The whole trip had been more than he could take right now. He stood and reached for his grandpa’s arm. “Come on, let’s find our room. I think you need to rest.”