“Can you tell me more?” I asked. “Have you seen the ghost?”
“Well, I haven’t actually seen a ghost. I’ve heard a lot of things though. And I’ve seen dark shadows out of the corner of my eye.” She waved her hand making the flame on her candle flicker. “The home has a dark history.”
Chapter 7
The mere mention of a dark history sent a shiver down my spine.
“Let me tell you the story about this house,” Judy said.
It sounded like there was quite a story to be told.
“I’m listening,” I said.
Judy glanced around again as if this was top secret information. I had a feeling if I researched the history of Longmire Mansion that I’d probably be able to figure out the entire story that she was about to count. Nevertheless, I would humor her. Maybe I was being too confident in my research skills. A bit too cocky just because I was a librarian.
“The house was built in 1842 by Mr. Longmire.” She shook her head. “What a tragic story that is.”
I raised an eyebrow. “How so?”
Now she truly had me intrigued.
“He built the home for his wife. Days after the completion, she died from a tragic fall down the staircase.”
My attention turned to the grand staircase. A vision of a woman tumbling to the bottom flashed in my mind. Her lifeless body wearing a beautiful dress her the time period.
“That’s certainly tragic,” I said.
“That’s not all. Mr. Longmire remarried only a few months later. His second wife died from a horse accident. He remarried a few months later and then she died with a fall in the house too.” Suspicion filled her words.
My eyes widened. “My goodness. That sounds awfully suspicious. I mean, I know mortality was a lot higher back then, but still…”
“Not only that but how did he meet the women so quickly?” Judy asked.
“True, it’s not like they had dating apps back then,” I said with a chuckle.
She shrugged. “I have no idea how he met the women, but nevertheless, it’s a tragic story.”
“Tragic for who? Him or the women?”
In my opinion, the women who married him had paid the ultimate price for marrying the wrong man.
“To be honest, it sounds like he was up to something,” I said.
“I don't know about that she said. “However, what drove him insane and ultimately led to his death was that he told everyone that his wives haunted his home.”
“Well, it makes sense they would haunt him if he murdered them.”
She looked down, avoiding my stare. “I suppose that’s what has me so upset now. Just to know that a wedding was taking place and now someone was murdered. It’s just all kind of spooky. Eerie, don’t you think?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s like the wedding upset the spirits.” Judy looked up and met my gaze. “Do you agree?”
Something about her eyes seemed different but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what.
“Yes, I suppose it’s possible, but haven’t you held weddings here before?” I asked. “What makes this one different?”
She shook her head. “No, this is the first wedding. I’ve been living in the home for a number of years and just decided that it would make a perfect venue for weddings.”
“Oh,” I said. “I had no idea.”
I thought for sure I’d heard of other people being married here, but maybe I had that information incorrect.
“So do you think that the ghosts you’ve seen are Mr. Longmire’s wives?
Judy shrugged. “How should I know? But if I had to guess I’d say yes.”
“Well, what do you think they want?”
Judy’s face scrunched up as if suddenly she was angry. As if she had been wronged by Mr. Longmire too. “They want revenge? Maybe for their death? Maybe they don’t know they’re dead?”
Okay, now I had to find out what had happened and the identity of the ghost.
“Do you have any names?”
“I think I have some of that information,” Judy said. “I can provide to you with what I have.”
“Would you email me that info? I’m at the library in Devil’s Moon. I’m the librarian.”
“Yes, I remember. Your friend Tammy told me. I heard the library’s haunted. I guess you’re used to this type of thing,” Judy said.
“You could say that, yes. I really appreciate any information you can provide.”
“Can I ask why you want to know?”
I didn’t want to tell her about the haunted tour because she might think I wanted to put her house on the tour. Although it was too far of a walk to be on my tour. She might not realize that. I guess I just needed to tell her the truth.
A noise came from somewhere over my shoulder. I spun around with my arms thrust out, expecting to see the ghost. To my surprise, she was nowhere in sight. I looked back at Judy. She stared at the gathering of restless people in the parlor room.
“Did you hear that?” I asked in a lowered voice.
She nodded. “I heard it. But it’s nothing unusual. I’ve heard that noise before.”
“Yet you’ve never seen anything?”
“No, like I said, just the shadows.”
“Interesting. Have you seen something?” she asked.
“I saw a woman’s ghost.”
Judy’s dark eyes widened. “This is disturbing news.”
“I don’t think she means any harm,” I said, trying to sound reassuring.
Of course, I couldn’t guarantee that, but I hoped whatever I said now would make Judy feel better. The last thing I wanted was for her to think a ghost would attack her. Though I’d had that happen to me in the past a time or ten. I certainly wouldn’t share those stories with her right now. Or ever for that matter.
“Do you think the ghost is here with us right now?” Judy asked.
I nodded. “Probably somewhere.”
Watching and waiting for a chance to pop out again.
She rubbed her arm to fend off the chill she’d gotten from thinking of the ghost. “I don’t like this at all. I mean, suspecting that the place was haunted is one thing but having you confirm it is certainly another.”
“Everything will be just fine.” I shone the flashlight around the room, hoping that I wouldn’t see the ghost.
Not so much for my sake, but for Judy’s sake. I saw nothing out of the ordinary. No sign of the ghost, but just then a noise came from the back of the hallway. When I spun around to see if the ghost was there again, I noticed the police officers looking in the same direction. They’d heard it as well.
“To be perfectly honest, I’m getting scared,” Judy said.
“Don’t be worried, Judy.” I touched her arm. “We’ll figure this out.
She pulled away from my touch. “How can I not be worried? We have a ghost haunting the place, there’s a thunderstorm outside, and a dead body upstairs.”
Chapter 8
Okay, I had to admit this was kind of terrifying just like a scene out of a scary movie Would there be another person dead soon? I mean, the killer was likely still here. I’d been calm before but now I was starting to panic. The reality of the situation was finally sinking in. A dead body was upstairs.