You asked a little while ago if my adventures ever brought me to a haunted house since we visited a few long ago. You'd better believe they have more times than I care to count. Here is an account of one of my more notable haunted house experiences, occurring about a month after the summoning incident I told you about.
Signed, Colin Renaud
I entered the Demalgo house one morning to find Scarlon sitting at his desk, where he is often found. There has always been a chair in front of the desk since I showed up, but I spotted an extra one.
"Are we expecting visitors, Scarlon?" I asked.
He nodded. "I received an email about an hour ago announcing a visit from a potential client."
"Ah. Who is it this time?"
"From what I can tell, he's a police officer from Emswich, a city east of here." Scarlon said.
This surprised me since law enforcement workers rarely show up at the Demalgo house, let alone from outside of town. "Really? And this guy is coming to see us...why?"
"I'm curious myself since he didn't say." Scarlon looked up as the doorbell rang a few moments later. "Ah. That's probably him. Can you show him in, Colin?"
"Of course." I gave a light bow before leaving the room.
I opened the front door and saw a man in his mid thirties towering over me.
"Good morning, young man. Is this the Demalgo residence?" the man asked.
I nodded. "It is, sir. You must be the officer my teacher is expecting."
"That would be me. So his student, eh?"
I nodded "I was told to take you to him."
The officer grinned. "Then lead the way."
I led him to the living room, where my teacher was patiently waiting.
Scarlon looked up as we arrived. "Good morning. You must be Officer Nielson."
The man looked at my teacher and nodded. "At your service."
"Then please sit down. I'm sure we have lots to discuss."
Officer Nielson nodded as he took a seat in the extra chair. "Thank you, though I'd rather discuss this with the head investigator here. A Scarlon Demalgo. Is he available this morning?
"You have the pleasure of speaking to him."
The officer stared at him for a good minute. "Seriously?! The world famous supernatural expert is just a kid little older than your student here?!"
"Officer, if you ever intend to deal with this area in the future I would advise you to never go by appearances alone." Scarlon said. "I may look young in the eyes of a human, but I've lived on this planet since the rebuilding period. Now down to business. What's troubling enough to bring you all the way from Emswich to consult me in person, rather than via email?"
"I'll remember what you said about appearances." Officer Nielson said. "Given your line of work, am I correct in assuming you have heard of the Elswin House?"
Scarlon nodded. "The name sounds familiar, but I need a refresher."
"So do I. I remember reading about it once some years ago." I replied.
"It's an old house in Emswich. As the name suggests, the place has been the home of the Elswin family for a few generations." Officer Nielson explained. "There have been reports of hauntings there for over forty years now after the mysterious death of Katherine Elswin. They say her ghost has been haunting the house since her death and can be heard at night. Some claim to have even seen her on occasion."
"Ah. I think I remember hearing those reports." Scarlon said. "Now when you say mysterious, I take it you mean mysterious by way of murder?"
The officer nodded. "An investigation at the time proved she was murdered by strangulation, though we never had enough evidence to convict our main suspect. However, I'm here to consult you on a different murder."
Scarlon raised an eyebrow. "Oh? There's another one?"
"Yes." Officer Nielson said. "We received a few calls regarding screams coming from the house last night, and not the usual ones from the ghost reports. We found the body of seventy-four-year-old Ezekiel Elswin near the basement entrance when we got there this morning."
"Ah. And the cause of death?"
"A knife wound to the gut."
"Sounds like a clear cut case of murder to me, but where do I come in?" Scarlon asked.
"Some think that the murder was committed by the ghost of Katherine." Officer Nielson replied.
Scarlon sighed. "Really? What reason would the ghost have for killing this man?"
"Ezekiel was her father, along with the prime suspect in her murder."
"Ah. And she killed him for revenge. Is that where we're going with this?" Scarlon asked, sounding irritated.
"Pretty much. A few people in the office think so, though I have my doubts."
"On what? The original crime, or the idea of a ghost being responsible for this?"
"The latter, and I want the idea ruled out." Officer Nielson said.
"I see." Scarlon remained silent for a moment in meditation. "I won't know for certain until I see both the sight and the body, but I want to make this clear from the start. The chances of a ghost directly murdering someone is low. If a murder was committed in a haunted place, the culprit is among the living ninety-nine percent of the time."
"And the remaining one percent?"
"Rare exceptions when we're dealing with fake ghosts or other forms of undead mistaken for them." Scarlon explained. "Something my pupil should be quite familiar with." He remarked , casting a quick glance at me. "Though I can't recall a case were such a spirit with an axe to grind waited over thirty years to kill their target, unless Ezekiel only recently came home."
"He was a traveler known to disappear for a few years at a time, but he hadn't left his house in a some time and those past trips were spread about by some years." Officer Nielson replied.
"Ah." Scarlon said. "If the ghost could've killed him, then she would've done so decades ago. Can you bring us to both the house and the body?"
"Of course. That was the idea."
"Then lead the way. My pupil will accompany me." Scarlon said.
"I am?" I asked, surprised by this since I never liked dealing with the undead.
"Consider this a learning experience." Scarlon said. "Besides, ghosts are a huge part of our trade."
"I guess you have a point there." I sighed.
"Then come with me." Officer Nielson said.
Officer Nielson helped us into the back of the car before getting in and driving off.
"I want a few things cleared up." Scarlon said once we had driven out of our neighborhood. "This house has been haunted for decades, yet Ezekiel still lived there the whole time when he was probably the target of the haunting?"
"I thought it was strange too, but maybe all of those trips were to get away from her?" Officer Nielson asked.
Scarlon nodded. "It's possible. But why come back, and why is he believed to have killed her in the first place?"
Officer Nielson shrugged. "He probably had a strong attachment to the house, or didn't want to move. As for the murder, I'm sure the locals can tell you more, but from what I've gathered, Katherine and her father didn't get along and I think I heard something about abuse a few times." Officer Nielson said.
Scarlon looked away in disgust. "Charming. Just what a case like this needs."
"From my understanding, she tried at many points to get away from him and was always successful at first, but she would end up broke a short time later and would have to move back in with him." Officer Nielson said.
"Let me guess. One day she tried to leave again when she had a better chance of succeeding and turned up dead?" Scarlon asked.
"Yes, and in the same spot Ezekiel's body was found."
"I see." Scarlon said. "Either the murder was committed there, or the body was moved after the fact. Are there any living relatives?"
"Katherine had one son, but I don't know of any others. You'll have to ask the locals." Officer Nielson replied.
"Then I'll be sure to do so." Scarlon said
"Well, here we are." Officer Nielson said a few minutes later as the car pulled up to a large house. He helped us out of the car and and led us up the path to the front door, going up a short flight of stairs along the way. Looking at the house, it was clear the place had seen better days. It was around a century old, considerably younger than many houses I had lived in along with the Demalgo mansion, but the building before me was nowhere near as well maintained. The roof was littered with patches, paint had chipped off in many places, and altogether gave off the impression of being a house most people would never want to go anywhere near, let alone live in. I could sense something in the house as we entered, and I was sure Scarlon did as well.
Officer Nielson led us down a hallway to a doorway with a staircase behind it leading down, probably to the basement. The body of an old man in his seventies lay in front of the door, and I guessed this was Ezekiel Elswin.
Scarlon knelt in front of the body and put a hand on it, something he always does when he's checking for signs of supernatural activity. He turned the body over a moment later. "About the cause of death. He was stabbed, nothing more. There's nothing supernatural in the slightest since a knife wasn't used the few times a ghost was responsible for the crime."
"Good to know, but any idea who did kill him?" Officer Nielson asked.
Scarlon shook his head. "I can't even begin form a guess yet, but I'll try to find out once I have more information. While the ghost didn't kill him, I'd be surprised if this wasn't connected to her death in some way."
"You think so?" I asked.
My teacher glared at me. "Don't you? Someone who knew Katherine Elswin in life probably did this, but the question is who."
"Good point." I replied, seeing the logic in his statement.
"It's a good place to start." Officer Nielson said. "We just need someone who knows the area and the Elswin family well enough to answer the question, and the best are people in the neighborhood."
We put out a call asking for any information that could help and while we got many hits, none of them went anywhere since the Elswin family kept to themselves for the most part. Officer Nielson left around sundown and helped some of the officers take the body away about an hour before nightfall, leaving Scarlon and I alone in the house.
"Scarlon, why are we still here?" I asked, glancing around the house and wanting to leave for more than a few reasons.
He smirked. "I'm sure you know. I'd like to talk to the ghost herself and see what she has to say."
I sighed. "Why did I know you were going to say something like that?"
He chuckled. "Because you know me too well, my student?"
I groaned. "Let's go with that and get this over with. You know I don't like being around ghosts!"
"They aren't my first choice either, but we have to deal with them." Scarlon sighed. "It comes with the territory."
"I guess." I said.
"Now tell me. Can you sense her?"
I nodded. Any building with a ghost in it always has an aura anyone attuned to such things can sense a mile away, and I picked up such an aura in the Elswin house as soon as we turned onto its street. Being in the house, I could pick up some of the ghost's movements. "I think I can sense her moving upstairs."
Scarlon grinned. "Your senses are getting better, my student. You're spot on, and I think she's heading in the direction of the basement. Why don't we meet her down there?"
I shrugged as we went down the steps to the basement, hearing the staircase shake with every step.
"I'm amazed this building is still intact!" Scarlon shouted as we arrived in a small room with boxes and crates thrown about, somehow considered a basement. "I know the owner was known to travel for years at a time, but how could he have let his house get in this state?! Especially since he hadn't traveled for years!"
I shrugged as he dragged me behind a stack of crates. "Some people are just like this, I guess."
Loud wails were heard some minutes later as a transparent figure floated down the stairs. The figure was a woman in her early thirties with dark brown hair, green eyes, and wearing a long light blue dress made in a popular style from a few decades ago. I guessed this was the ghost of Katherine Elswin. Her gaze focused on us as we slowly emerged from the stack of crates, though she paid little attention to us and floated about the room. We kept our sights on her for a few minutes before she headed back and hovered in the air before us.
"It's clear you can see me. Who are you?!" the ghost shouted.
My teacher stepped forward. "I am Scarlon Demalgo, an investigator of the supernatural. The boy with me is my student, Colin Renaud. I regret our paths have not crossed before since this house isn't all that far from where I live, but I rarely get involved with haunted houses unless the lives of the living are directly involved."
"Or if you're contacted about it." I remarked.
"That too, but those reasons are often connected." He replied.
"Fair enough."
"I see, but what brings you here?" the ghost asked. "I've never harmed anyone in life or death."
"A few reasons." Scarlon began. "First, am I addressing Katherine Elswin?"
"You are."
"Good." Scarlon said. "Reports indicate you've been, well, stuck in this place for decades, and your appearance confirms it. Do you know what goes on in this house?"
"To an extent, but there's a limit to what ghosts can see or do. Surely someone of your field knows that." Katherine replied.
Scarlon nodded. "Indeed. Are you aware of your father's murder last night?"
"More like justice being served if it's the same to you, but yes. I'm aware of it and no doubt he is now being judged by the gods of the underworld for his crimes!" she shouted.
"Forgive me for asking, but do those crimes include, well, this?" I asked, motioning toward Katherine.
The ghost nodded. "You're free to say the word murder in my presence, young man. My father, and I loath to describe him as such, strangled me one night as I was coming down here to make some preparations so I could leave this damned place for good."
"From what I understand so far, you left your father many times and came back. Would it be okay if I ask why?" Scarlon asked. "It might help us figure out who killed him."
"I don't know if it would help, but it would help you understand why he deserved to die!!" Katherine replied.
"In my experience there are only a few beings I've met who deserved such a fate before their time, not counting people who made foolish actions, but go ahead." Scarlon said.
"My father was a manipulator who felt his family belonged to him simply because they wouldn't exist without him." Katherine said.
"Seriously?" Scarlon asked. "That's a weak justification."
"Everyone knows that, even you who appear to be an elf from the looks of things. Your pupil as well."
"Colin is of elf descent and I guess I could be considered one, but go on." Scarlon said.
"I did indeed leave this house many times and tried to make a life of my own so I could get as far away from my father as possible." Katherine began. "I never knew how he did it, but he had ways of getting me back under his control. Often in the form of sabotaging all of the jobs I worked at or ensuring I got deep enough in debt so I'd have to come crawling back to him."
"Wow. What a creep!" I said. "But surely his influence could only go so far?"
She nodded. "Everyone has limits and I tried to find his, but he had ways of keeping me just below them. Then I discovered he had little to know influence outside of the country."
"And the time you tried to get out of his influence for good resulted in murder?" Scarlon asked.
Katherine sighed. "Yes. I was in a long-term relationship with a traveling businessman and when our son Carl was born, I made arrangements with him to leave for good and all since a better opportunity could not have presented itself. Then..."
"Yes. This happened." Scarlon said. "What a vile excuse for a human being, and I've dealt with some of the worst out there! But if you don't mind me asking, what binds you to this world? I'm sure it's more than just your father's actions."
"I wish to discover the whereabouts of my son." Katherine said.
Scarlon was silent for a few moments, which I thought was odd for him. "I suppose that's fair given your situation, but do you have any idea where he is?"
"I often heard Ezekiel yell about how he had no luck in finding him, and how Carl got out of his grasp every time he came close, so I know he's alive and was always out of the old man's grasp. That is all I know, though I suspect my boy's father helped."
"I see. What was his father's name?" Scarlon asked.
"Xavier." Katherine said. "Outside of those names, my memory is more than a little hazy."
"I can't say I'm surprised after all this time." Scarlon replied. "So your son lives, and he probably would have had motive enough for this..."
"Are you thinking the son did this?" I asked.
"It's possible." Scarlon said. "Who else would've had a motive to come here and kill the old man?"
"I don't know if even Carl would've wanted to kill him. Then again, I didn't get a good enough look at my father's killer." Katherine said.
"Wait. You saw who killed your father?" Scarlon asked.
Katherine nodded. "It was just a glimpse. The killer was a man in his early forties." She paused for a moment. "When I think about it now, It's not out of the question to suggest it could've been my son. If my timing is accurate, he would be around forty-two or so now.
Scarlon nodded. "Then I'll look into this and try to find your son. If your son was the man you saw, It means he passed through here recently. it would make tracking him down easier."
"Thank you. But if I may ask, most of the people who hear me simply run, and I've never had a conversation with the living. Why can I talk to you like this?" Katherine asked.
"My pupil and I are more attuned to the supernatural than most. We can do stuff like this, which turns up in my line of work often." Scarlon explained.
Katherine nodded. "I see. Sort of like those investigators from that one family. The De---wait. You said your last name was Demalgo?"
"I did." Scarlon said.
"So you are from that family of investigators!" she shouted. "Your family is well-known to most in the area. When I was alive, anyway."
Scarlon nodded. "We've certainly made a reputation for ourselves. Between us, there's only ever been two Demalgos who are active supernatural investigators, and I'm one of them. Anyway, I'm afraid we must take our leave." He gave a light bow. "I hope we'll be successful in our investigations and can help you pass on."
"Thank you." Katherine said. "If you're successful, you know where to find me."
"That was...rather enlightening." I remarked after we left the Elswin House.
"It was." Scarlon replied in all seriousness. "I can't remember the last time I had such a conversation with a ghost, and rest assured I will do what I can to help her."
"Do you think that her son killed Ezekiel?" I asked, though the idea was starting to cross my mind.
"It stands to reason, especially since she said that the man who came to the house was around the age her son would be." Scarlon said.
"True, and I doubt it's a coincidence." I said.
He chuckled. "You and me both. Such a coincidence is unlikely to me. Now let's go. We'll mention this to Officer Nielson in the morning and go from there."
"Sounds good. But if I may ask, why did you freeze up when Katherine told us she was stuck here because she wanted to know her son's whereabouts?" I asked.
Scarlon hesitated before answering. "Let's just say I know all too well what can happen to similar ghosts trapped in the realm of the living."
I tried to push the matter further, but it was clear this was a subject Scarlon did not want to discuss at all. Nobody another word for the rest of of the night, which consisted of visiting a nearby hotel to rest up for the day to come.
Officer Nielson came by our hotel room the next morning after Scarlon told him where we were staying.
"Have you gotten anywhere with this?" he asked.
Scarlon nodded. "I think we have, though we'll have to verify much of what we learned given the source of this information."
"That source being..."
"We talked with the ghost of Katherine Elswin." I said.
"Ah. She was the reason I brought you into the case in the first place, but I get what you're saying about verifying whatever she said." Officer Nielson replied.
"Indeed, since ghosts aren't always reliable eyewitnesses." Scarlon remarked. "However, we might have something here. She says she is stuck in this world because she wants to know the whereabouts of her son, and saw a man about the age her son would be come in the night before last to kill her father, who she did not have any kind words about. I know this is early in the investigation, but I can't rule out such a coincidence."
The officer smiled. "Ah. I'll admit her son was one of the first suspects we thought of, though the trouble is finding him. Even without being a suspect, we've been trying to track the guy down since yesterday morning since he inherited his grandfather's estate according to Ezekiel's will. I'd want to sell or burn it to the ground if I was in his place, but that's his choice."
"Indeed it is, though I wouldn't blame him in the slightest for either option." Scarlon said.
"Neither can I, though it sounds like this Ezekiel was a real piece of work!" I replied.
"He was. But anyway, let's focus on what we know of Katherine's family." Officer Nielson said. "According to local records, she had a son named Carl Gorlesh about five years before she died. Ezekiel tried to get custody of him after her death and lost to the boy's father, who took him out of the region almost as soon as the case was settled. Off the record, I would've too in their position."
"So would I." Scarlon said. "I take it searching under the name Carl Gorlesh didn't go anywhere?"
Officer Nielson chuckled. "You read my mind."
"I didn't." Scarlon replied. "For one, mind reading doesn't work the way you'd expect, and I assumed Carl had changed his name at some point. Otherwise we'd probably be on our way to talk to him, or he'd be under his grandfather's control."
"You're an observant kid, aren't you?"
"Yes, but look at how long he's been doing this." I said.
"True. Experience has its benefits, though you've become quite observant despite being so young." Scarlon said before looking at the officer. "Are there any leads for Carl Gorlesh, or at least the name he is using?"
Officer Nielson shook his head. "None so far, though we found Ezekiel's travel logs in the house and it looks like all of his trips were specifically to find Carl. Looks like he even found him a few times, though do you have any idea how many Carls live in each of the areas he visited?"
"Probably hundreds around his age, though I remember meeting and selling an overseas property to a successful businessman named Gorlesh a few decades ago." Scarlon said. "Katherine did mention her lover's name was Xavier. Was he the one I met?"
"Yes. Xavier Gorlesh was a prominent businessman some years ago." Officer Nielson replied. "He's Carl's father. As you probably guessed, he changed his name as well."
"Then our only option is to look through some court records for the name change. Even my own records can't help with this." Scarlon looked at me. "Think you can help, my student?" He smirked. Research is one of your strongest areas, after all."
I nodded. "You know my strengths too well. Though I would need to get to those records first."
"I'll show them to you. We talked to a few judges and got access to some name change records from the time. But, as you might imagine, there are quite a few to go through and we have to be careful with them. If both of you are willing to help, things will go by faster." Officer Nielson said.
"Fine with me." Scarlon said. "Come on, Colin." We followed Officer Nielson out, stopping only for a moment so Scarlon could check us out of the hotel.
Officer Nielson took us to a nearby office. "We have all of the records we need loaded up on these." He said as we entered a room with a few computers. "Now all we need to do is search through them."
"Yes. A task that isn't anywhere near as easy as it sounds, especially given the nature of these records." Scarlon said.
"Quite right. Now let's get to work."
All three of us focused on searching the records for the next few hours with little success. I focused on people around forty and compared their names with successful businessmen. As you might imagine, I came across many with the name of Carl. None of them were of interest to this matter until I came across a name that stood out. "Carl Vandors, That's an unusual name." I remarked as I looked the name up.
"Yes it is." Officer Nielson said before pausing for a moment. "Come to think of it, A friend in another region told me about a harassment report he got from a guy named Vandors involving an old man."
"Harassment report, huh?" Scarlon asked. "It could be our guy."
I took this into account while I looked up Carl Vandors and found both a name and picture on a company website. There were several pictures of Carl with his kids at various events, including one of a daughter who could have passed for Katherine's double. I looked up Xavier Vandors as well and got a few results related to an older businessman, with one source mentioning he was Carl's father. "Got him! Carl Vandors is a project director for Bouldermore Electronics, a mid-sized electronics company. His father's an older businessman named Xavier Vandors, he's married with three kids and, well, take a look at these pictures, Scarlon."
Scarlon hurried over to the computer I was using and stood about a foot behind my shoulder. "Yes. His daughter's resemblance to Katherine is unmistakable. He must be Katherine's son, but is he in town right now?"
I nodded. "There's a tech conference in the area this week and Bouldermore Electronics was listed as one of the companies attending it." I said.
"Then we might have something." Scarlon smirked as he looked at Officer Nielson. "Officer, do you happen to have access to airline records? It would be worth looking at everyone who came into the area in the past week."
"Of course." He replied as he searched through the airline records on his computer. "Here we are. There was a listing a few days ago for a Carl Vandors and one of his kids."
Scarlon grinned. "Then it's time to pay Carl a little visit."
I nodded. "Definitely. And one more thing. I know we shouldn't take random things on the net at face value, but Carl's had a few supernatural encounters before if some of it is to be believed."
"Interesting." Scarlon said. "Well, any idea where he is at right now?"
I nodded. "His company booked a few rooms at a hotel in our city near the conference hall."
"Then let's go!" Officer Nielson said as he led the way out of the office.
Officer Nielson drove us to the hotel near the conference hall and ask the receptionist if a Carl Vandors was staying there as soon as we were in.
"Yes. I believe so, but why, if you don't mind me asking---" The receptionist looked up and spotted Officer Nielson. "Ah. You're an officer?"
"Yes." Officer Nielson said. "Mr. Vandors' name came up in an investigation, and we'd like to talk with him."
"I see." The receptionist said as she looked at me and Scarlon. "Are the kids with you?" Officer Nielson nodded. "Then I'll send you up to him. He's in room number 531 on the fifth floor."
"Thanks you." Officer Nielson replied as we headed toward the elevators.
We went up to the fifth floor and soon found ourselves in front of room 531. Officer Nielson gave the door a light knock.
"Who it is?" A voice from within asked, sounding like it belonged to a man in his forties who I assumed was Carl.
"I am Officer Nielson of the Emswich police, and I would like it if we could come in and talk with you."
There was no response for about a minute, and then the man inside let out as sigh as the door unlocked. "Come in."
Officer Nielson pushed the door open and we entered the room.
We saw a man in his early forties standing next to a table and looking at us as we came in.
"Are you Carl Vandors?" Officer Nielson asked.
The man looked down. "I am. Given your presence here, I'm guessing you know who I am?"
The officer nodded. "Yes. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you were once called Carl Gorlesh, weren't you? Son of Katherine Elswin and Xavier Gorlesh?"
"Yes, officer."
"I thought so. We'd like to discuss a few things that happened at the Elswin house the other night." Scarlon said.
"Very well, but who are the kids?" Carl asked.
"A supernatural investigator and his student who I consulted for this case." Officer Nielson replied.
Carl sighed once more. "Then take a seat." He sat at the table and we followed. "Since you're here, I'm guessing it's about the death of Ezekiel Elswin and you discovered he was my mother's father?"
Scarlon nodded. "We figured out who you were, namely through a process of elimination, and my pupil found some pictures of your family at some company event. What clued him in to it was your daughter's striking resemblance to your mother."
Carl chuckled. "She does, doesn't she? Wait. You said you're supernatural investigators, correct?"
"Indeed we are. Scarlon Demalgo at your service."
Carl nodded. "Ah. I knew our paths would cross sooner or later, but related to this matter? Though given what you've said, I assume you met the ghost of my mother?"
"Yes, and we got some details about her father's murder. She spotted a man entering the house who was roughly her son's age, and here we are." Scarlon remarked.
Carl was silent for a moment. "You're as observant as they say, Scarlon Demalgo. As you may or may not know, I too have had some interactions with the supernatural and I did see my mother's ghost the other night, but I never guessed she had seen me. I was surprised to see her at first since I didn't believe the stories of the Elswin house being haunted until I saw her with my own eyes."
"So you won't deny you were in the house?" Officer Nielson asked.
"Not at all." Carl said. "I fully admit I was there after having enough of dealing with that insufferable, vile old man! What I did was out of defense for myself and my family."
"Can you tell us what he did?" Officer Nielson asked. "Granted, we did find many reports of harassment against him along with his travel records, but we're missing some details."
"Ah yes. His travels, better known as multiple failed attempts to get me under his control!" Carl shouted. "I don't know how, but despite my many moves and a few name changes, he always managed to track me down and demand I submit to him and give him all I've ever earned simply because he was unfortunately my grandfather."
"Oh. He was one of those?" Officer Nielson asked.
"Yes, from what we heard from Katherine." I said. "Sounds like he did the same thing to her."
Carl nodded. "You'd better believe it, kid. I've met others with a similar mindset to him, but none of them ever went to the lengths he did!"
"Are you referring to your mother's death?" I asked.
"Yes. My mother's murder and this endless search for me. I've never seen others like him resort to such measures, but where do I begin with what that man did? For one, there was the harassment and reigning in my mother long before I was born, and that time we had to move in with him when I was a toddler. He was beyond awful to her and saw her a little more than a money source and slave to do his bidding. He saw me in the same way. Eventually my mom had enough and when my father started doing well in his business, he made arrangements for my mom and I to live with him abroad and never see Ezekiel again. You can imagine what old Ezekiel thought of that."
"Indeed. According to your mom, that's when he killed her." Scarlon said.
Carl looked down. "Oh yes. Though I wasn't in the house at the time, I saw the body near the basement when I got home and knew he was responsible. I got out before he even knew I was there. Ezekiel lost me in a custody battle with my father a short time later, and there starts his years of turning up everywhere we went to get me back and later, he tried to claim my earnings when I became part of some successful ventures. Then this conference came up, and I was the only person in the company suitable to attend. Believe me. Coming this close to my hometown wasn't my first choice. It had been years since I'd last run into that man and it would be irresponsible to change my name again due to both my position, and being married with a family.
"Yes. I'm guessing he came here since a colleague sent a harassment report on the way here, and it was filed by you a few days before Ezekiel's murder." Officer Nielson said.
Carl groaned. "I've sent many such reports over the years, all of which went nowhere. The one you speak of was filed a day after I checked in. I wasn't surprised when Ezekiel showed up here and tried to get my earnings and family. The report went nowhere like the others, and I had enough. I took a knife, went to his house, dragged the old bastard over to the basement entrance where he killed my mother, and ran him through! You don't know what it's like to finally be free of a man who's wanted to control you since the day you were born! If moving away and reporting the guy half a million times all over the planet wouldn't do, what choice did I have?"
Officer Nielson nodded. "I do understand where you were coming from, though the delays in those reports is more than a little suspicious."
I looked up, recalling something I had looked at for a moment when the case was first brought to us. "If it helps, I think I read that for a time, Ezekiel had some police involvement and had contacts all over the place until he died. I wouldn't be surprised if blackmail was involved, and I'm sure he had ways of leaving an area quickly. The creep really did think of everything!"
"You don't know the half of it, kid. Anyway, that's what I have to say." Carl looked at Officer Nielson. "Are you going to bring me in for this?"
Officer Nielson shrugged. "I have to, but I don't expect this to go anywhere. Given what you've told me, I think we can have this ruled as self defense after an investigation, and The fact you tried everything else should help your case. By the way. We found Ezekiel's will during our investigation and in it, you were listed as his next of kin."
Carl stared at Officer Nielson in astonishment. "Was I now? He had the decency to do that? Then again, I was his closest living relative. Still doesn't change what he did. I'm guessing he left the house to me?" The officer nodded. "For all I care, that place can burn to the ground! But then I'd still have the land." He glanced at Scarlon. "Don't you own a real estate company? I think you once sold an overseas property to my father."
My teacher nodded. "Yes I do. One, it's a nice cover. Two, it's a good source of income that's lasted for centuries, and three, having properties all over the planet has more than a few benefits. If I'm thinking of the right man, I did indeed sell him one of my few business properties to your father a few decades ago. A nice one, too." He paused for a second. "I think I know where you're going with this, Mr. Vandors. I'll happily buy the land off of you if that's what you're aiming for, but not while there's a ghost present. I tend to avoid purchasing haunted properties."
"I must've missed that rule for any house but yours!" I shouted since I live on one of his properties, and a harmless ghost stays there. Long story.
"You're an exception, Colin." Scarlon replied. "I do break that rule on occasion to give my students some practice dealing with hauntings, but I won't do such a thing here. The house's sorry condition and the ghost is a combination I won't touch."
Carl chuckled. "Selling the property was the rough idea, but you do have a point about the state the place is in along the ghost thing. Why is my mother stuck in this world, anyway?"
Scarlon glanced at Carl. "She said she wanted to know about her son's whereabouts."
Carl looked down. "I see. She deserves an apology since I ignored her in my rage the other night, so I'll stop by on my way out." He looked at Officer Nielson. "If that's acceptable."
"Go ahead. I'll just ensure all possible evidence has been collected before I let you near the house." Officer Nielson said as he got up. "I have to file a report about this, so take care. All of you." He gave a light bow as he left.
"Should we get going as well?" I asked.
"Probably." Scarlon said, getting up and facing Carl. "I'll meet you at your house as soon as your ready, both for meeting the ghost of your mother and to examine the property."
Carl smirked. "Sounds like a plan. If it works out, I want to take care of it as soon as the conference is over."
"That should be fine." Scarlon said. "By the way, we looked at some airline records and saw you came here with one of your kids, yet I don't see anyone else here."
Carl chuckled. "That would be my daughter Eve, the one who's my mother's splitting image. She's out looking at some places connected to the supernatural nearby. She's crazy about that stuff!"
"Ah." Scarlon said. "I don't detect anything around here, nothing major, anyway, so she should be safe."
"That's a relief." Carl replied. "I'll see you boys again soon, and I'll bring Eve with me. For one, I'm sure part of her interest in this trip was to meet you."
Scarlon chuckled. "If she's really into the supernatural, then I'm not surprised. Take care, Mr. Vandors. I look forward to doing business with you, and I'll send my contact info your way later so we can arrange the matter. May the gods always favor you." He bowed as we headed out.
We returned to the Elswin house a few night later after receiving an email from Carl saying he was ready. Scarlon examined the property, focusing on the land as Carl came in with a young girl behind him who I recognized right away as the girl from the picture I saw, though she was a few years older than she was then. In fact, she was only a little younger than me. I was even more amazed by her resemblance to her grandmother in person. The only major difference was her brown eyes since Katherine's green ones.
"I see you're already here." Carl said.
"Yeah. Scarlon wanted to see if there were more ghosts around the area and inspect the house." I said.
Carl nodded. "Ah. I assume he's quite good at that."
Scarlon glanced over from the living room. "You'd better believe it since I've done this for a long time."
"If half the stuff on the net about you is true, you've been at it for around three hundred years." Eve commented.
"Double that and you'll be close." Scarlon said. "So you're into the supernatural?"
Carl nodded. "Oh yes. I deal with it out of necessity, but Eve deliberately seeks the supernatural out."
"Is that so?" Scarlon asked as he looked at Eve.
She grinned. "Yep. When I hear about ghost and UFO stuff nearby, I go to the source."
"Then it was only a matter of time before our paths crossed since most like you do sooner or later, either through having to use my services because of their actions or simply because we're looking into the same incident." Scarlon grinned. "Since you guessed how long I've been doing this, I assume you know who I am?"
"Yes. You're Scarlon Demalgo." She held out a hand. "I'm Eve Vandors."
Scarlon shook her hand. "A pleasure."
Eve shook my hand as well. "And you are?"
"Colin Renaud, Scarlon's student."
"Oh? That really is a rare honor." She said. "So Renaud, huh? I think I've heard of that family."
"I'm not surprised." I replied. "My ancestors were in charge of a few regions in past centuries, after all."
"True. But to be trained by one of the best must be something! Too bad I can't do magic." She sighed.
"Depends on who you ask!" Carl shouted as he turned to Scarlon. "Is the ghost here?"
Scarlon looked up at the ceiling and I did as well, detecting the presence from the other day above us.
"Yes." He said. "I sense her in a room on the second floor, not in the basement like last time."
"A room on...she couldn't possibly be in our old room, could she?" Carl ran off.
"Dad, wait!" Eve shouted as she went after him, and we did the same.
We found ourselves in a bedroom on the second floor and saw the ghost of Katherine hovering above a bed. A smaller one sat next to it, and it was clear neither bed had been used for years. She looked up, focusing her gaze on Scarlon and I.
"I see you two have returned, but who do you have with you?" Katherine's gaze shifted to Carl and Eve, focusing on the latter. "Oh my. I almost mistook you for a reflection of my younger self!"
"Why I'll be. Eve gasped,looking at her father. "When you said I was your mom's splitting image, you weren't kidding!"
Katherine looked at Carl. "You're the man I saw the other night! Then...you're Carl?
Carl nodded as he took a few steps toward the ghost. "It's been a long time, hasn't it, mom?"
"It has, not counting the other night!" She shouted.
He looked down. "Yes. I apologize for ignoring you. My anger and desire to be rid of that old man overwhelmed me."
"A desire I would restrain at all costs in the future." Scarlon remarked. "I'm the last person who'll ever condone murder, but this house's last owner backed you into a corner."
"He did." Carl said as he faced his mother.
Katherine tried to put a hand on him only for it it to go through him. "Oh. Right. I'm a ghost, but how you've grown. You're older than I was, and with a kid of your own! She looked at Eve once more. "What name did he give you?
Eve gave a light curtsy and the rest of us chuckled. "I'm Eve Vandors. It's a pleasure to finally meet a ghost like this, and my grandmother to boot!"
"Vandors?" Katherine asked, glancing at Carl.
"Thanks to that old man's constant hunt for us, dad and I had to change our names a few times."
Katherine sighed. "Why am I not surprised? But that's over now, and it looks like you've done quite well for yourself."
"You can say that again, mom. Though since this is over, we'll probably go back to our original name." Carl said.
"Fine with me." Eve said. "I've always liked your original name."
Katherine smiled. "I'm just glad to have this meeting to know you're alright.!" She looked at Eve. "Is there more to the family, or just you two?"
Eve shook her head. "We live with my mom and my two brothers when we're home."
"Before you ask, one of my boys resemble dad's family and the other takes after my wife's family. Nobody gets their appearance or personality from this side." Carl said.
"That's a relief, but why aren't they here?" Katherine asked.
"I'm in the area on business and was only allowed to take one guest with me. This area's a hotbed for supernatural occurrences and Eve's always liked those more than the others, so bringing her along was the obvious choice." Carl replied.
"Yep, and I've got my fill." Eve said.
Katherine grinned. "Then there's no need for me to remain here. I think it's time to make my departure from this world, but I must ask you a few more questions."
"Ask away." Carl said.
"How's Xavier doing?"
"Dad's doing well. He lives on the other side of the country and his business ventures are still going strong, even with the problems Ezekiel caused. He's still starting new ventures every few years, though he plans on retiring within the next decade." Carl replied.
"I'm glad to hear he's doing well. Did he ever remarry after...the incident?" Katherine asked.
Carl shook his head. "I was enough of a handful for him growing up, and then between all the moving and changing names, he says there was never time."
Katherine sighed. "Same as always, then. Barely time for anything outside of business, even himself."
"Yep."
"Now for my last question. What will become of this house?" Katherine asked. "Though I have a few guesses."
"I'll take anything of value out, check if everything's in order, and sell it to Demalgo Real Estate. I'm sure he could put this place to good use." Carl remarked as he looked at my teacher, who smirked.
"Oh, I can and will. No offense, but I try to limit the properties I own with ghosts in them."
"What about other supernatural elements, such as aliens?" Eve asked.
Scarlon glared at her. "I may or may not have a bunch of those staying on my property, including the one I live in. Besides, there's nothing supernatural about living creatures."
"Oh. I guess that makes sense coming from one." Eve remarked. "Yes, I figured that bit out awhile ago, even if other experts haven't."
"You're a smart one, Eve." He said.
"Seems that way. I do understand wanting to sell this place." Katherine said as she she looked at Carl and Eve. "It was a pleasure to have this meeting. I'll never see you again in this world, but I'll be sure to greet you when you cross over to the next."
"Uh...thanks? Though that's a long time away." Eve said. "At least it should be."
"True. I hope the two of you, along with the rest of your family, have a nice long life. I can't wait to hear all about it." Katherine looked at Scarlon and I as she started fading away. "I can't thank you enough for your help. Will I ever see either of you again in the next world?"
"You might see me, but not for many centuries. I'm part elf, so I have their lifespan." I said.
"Centuries? Try millennia!" Eve shouted.
Katherine laughed and focused her gaze on my teacher. "And you, Scarlon Demalgo?"
Scarlon shook his head. "I've been around awhile, but I'm still considered a kid by my people. We also have a different afterlife, So this is the last time we'll meet. If you're worried about running into Ezekiel in the next world, don't. Given what he did, he's either in a place you'll never go or is on the fast track to reincarnation."
"Thank you. May all of you have long and excellent lives. Farewell." Katherine smiled as she faded away, finally at peace.
There isn't much left to say about this adventure. While Carl was charged with the murder of his grandfather, the case was dropped as self defense given Ezekiel's actions, and more information has come to light since then. According to the reports I read, his daughter was far from his only victim. Good thing we'll never have to deal with him in any capacity. True to Carl's word, he took everything of value out of the house, family heirlooms and belongings from his youth for the most part, and Scarlon had the place condemned and torn down following a safety inspection a few weeks after our visit. The house had a multitude of problems and was not fit for anyone to live in, a result of years of neglect. Scarlon and Vanessa visited the remnants of the property a few days later to survey the land and see what it was worth. They bought the land from Carl, who uses his birth name now, for a little more than fair market value and had a nice house built on it where, according to the twins, a nice human family now lives. Scarlon has assured me there's not a chance of any of them turning out like Ezekiel did after some digging.
