Read Online Stillwell: A Haunting on Long Island by Michael Phillip Cash - Free Book Online
Authors: Michael Phillip Cash
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purse.
“You should see a doctor about that .” Molly nodded to his stomach.
“It’s nothing . Tell me more.”
“It gets even worse . He forbid their courtship, so Hannah disappeared. They couldn’t find her for months and hung her American lover as her murderer. They claimed he was a spy for the colonists. They found her remains years later at the bottom of the well. Her ghost and her lover’s ghost have haunted the place for over two hundred years.”
“I don’t think I want this listing.”
“Oh Paul, you don’t believe in ghosts, do you? Hey, it’s almost ten. Don’t you have to meet Melissa Andrews?”
He pulled out of the office, his mind on the horrible story of that house. It would be a massive commission, the house should sell in the multimillions, and the hit would bring him back, but the whole thing made him uncomfortable. “Ally, Ally,” he called to his wife, wishing he could hear her advice. “What should I do?”
====
The landscaping company was already working on the long drive when he pulled in. A crew of ten or twelve guys were taming the wild bushes and trimming trees. The place looked much more inviting. That was fast, he thought, feeling better about the listing. Melissa and Craig waited for him by the front door. He noticed that Craig had ripped off the last of the police tape and had wound it around his hand. They looked miserable. If body language was an indicator, he would guess theirs was not a marriage made in heaven.
He got out of his BMW and met them on the top step outside of the massive stone entry. “Who first?” Craig held out his hand. “Sorry about Allison. She was a nice girl.” He was tall, with white blonde hair and dark eyes. Dressed in a golf shirt, he guessed this meeting pulled them out of their country club. Craig was preppy handsome and Paul never quite understood why they became friends. He was everything Craig Andrews was not. Brought up in a Waspy household, Andrews had nothing in common with the very Italian Paul. Where Paul’s house was all warmth and friendliness, the Andrews home was proper and cold. Melissa was wearing a tennis outfit, her skirt just skimming her tight butt. She stood close to Craig, but her eyes drank Paul in.
“I really liked your parents . Terrible shame.” Paul avoided her gaze, feeling a bit like a sheep in a lioness’s den.
“Unbelievable . Selfish and just reprehensible to leave us with this scandal. I don’t understand my father.”
“Do you know what happened?” Paul asked.
“No, it’s unexplainable. I thought they were happy. He was so proud. Always took the high road, even when he fought over money with his brothers. Nobody can believe this.”
“Yes .” Melissa shook her head. “He was such a quiet man. Never liked attention of any sort. It’s so strange.”
“He snapped, Melissa .” Craig turned to his wife.
She responded, “We thought they were so in love. The police haven’t ruled out an intruder.”
Craig raised his eyebrows. “There was no intruder.”
“How about we go inside and discuss a strategy?” Melissa held out a huge round ring with an antique skeleton key on it. Paul took it and felt the heavy weight of it in the palm of his hand commenting, “Is this original?”
Craig shrugged and said, “My father always held on to tradition and never wanted to change anything in the house.”
Paul gestured to the painted black door with a huge brass knocker imported from England close to three hundred years ago. He stared at it noticing a gargoyle etched into its surface. It was worn but distinguishable.
“Are you married to this knocker?” He pointed to it.
“ Its as old as the house,” Melissa said. “Why? Oh, eww, what is that? A dragon?”
“A demon,” Craig answered . “The family demon. You don’t know about it? Geoffrey Andrews had it made for the house when he built it. According to the legend, it guards against evil.”
Both Melissa and Paul answered in unison,
“You should see a doctor about that .” Molly nodded to his stomach.
“It’s nothing . Tell me more.”
“It gets even worse . He forbid their courtship, so Hannah disappeared. They couldn’t find her for months and hung her American lover as her murderer. They claimed he was a spy for the colonists. They found her remains years later at the bottom of the well. Her ghost and her lover’s ghost have haunted the place for over two hundred years.”
“I don’t think I want this listing.”
“Oh Paul, you don’t believe in ghosts, do you? Hey, it’s almost ten. Don’t you have to meet Melissa Andrews?”
He pulled out of the office, his mind on the horrible story of that house. It would be a massive commission, the house should sell in the multimillions, and the hit would bring him back, but the whole thing made him uncomfortable. “Ally, Ally,” he called to his wife, wishing he could hear her advice. “What should I do?”
====
The landscaping company was already working on the long drive when he pulled in. A crew of ten or twelve guys were taming the wild bushes and trimming trees. The place looked much more inviting. That was fast, he thought, feeling better about the listing. Melissa and Craig waited for him by the front door. He noticed that Craig had ripped off the last of the police tape and had wound it around his hand. They looked miserable. If body language was an indicator, he would guess theirs was not a marriage made in heaven.
He got out of his BMW and met them on the top step outside of the massive stone entry. “Who first?” Craig held out his hand. “Sorry about Allison. She was a nice girl.” He was tall, with white blonde hair and dark eyes. Dressed in a golf shirt, he guessed this meeting pulled them out of their country club. Craig was preppy handsome and Paul never quite understood why they became friends. He was everything Craig Andrews was not. Brought up in a Waspy household, Andrews had nothing in common with the very Italian Paul. Where Paul’s house was all warmth and friendliness, the Andrews home was proper and cold. Melissa was wearing a tennis outfit, her skirt just skimming her tight butt. She stood close to Craig, but her eyes drank Paul in.
“I really liked your parents . Terrible shame.” Paul avoided her gaze, feeling a bit like a sheep in a lioness’s den.
“Unbelievable . Selfish and just reprehensible to leave us with this scandal. I don’t understand my father.”
“Do you know what happened?” Paul asked.
“No, it’s unexplainable. I thought they were happy. He was so proud. Always took the high road, even when he fought over money with his brothers. Nobody can believe this.”
“Yes .” Melissa shook her head. “He was such a quiet man. Never liked attention of any sort. It’s so strange.”
“He snapped, Melissa .” Craig turned to his wife.
She responded, “We thought they were so in love. The police haven’t ruled out an intruder.”
Craig raised his eyebrows. “There was no intruder.”
“How about we go inside and discuss a strategy?” Melissa held out a huge round ring with an antique skeleton key on it. Paul took it and felt the heavy weight of it in the palm of his hand commenting, “Is this original?”
Craig shrugged and said, “My father always held on to tradition and never wanted to change anything in the house.”
Paul gestured to the painted black door with a huge brass knocker imported from England close to three hundred years ago. He stared at it noticing a gargoyle etched into its surface. It was worn but distinguishable.
“Are you married to this knocker?” He pointed to it.
“ Its as old as the house,” Melissa said. “Why? Oh, eww, what is that? A dragon?”
“A demon,” Craig answered . “The family demon. You don’t know about it? Geoffrey Andrews had it made for the house when he built it. According to the legend, it guards against evil.”
Both Melissa and Paul answered in unison,
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