 
Chapter OneKristin Maddow pointed to the white Victorian styled mansion surrounded by massive trees on the left side of the car in White Village, New Hampshire." That's the one, Mr. Grant! I want to buy that house right there!" she declared confidently in her high- pitched voice. Grant stopped his car directly in front of the house. He looked at his clipboard, this was only house twelve, he had another twenty-eight houses on the market that he needed to sell!" Ms. Maddow, you seem so sure of your choice! Don't you want to look at-"?" Here's the money," said Kristin, cutting him off abruptly. Then she handed him a check for 500,000 dollars." Is it enough?" She pulled out her blue checkbook again, just in case. Edward Grant, the town's best realtor, had never met a more determined buyer than Kristin Maddow. Kristin's long blonde hair was wavy around her shoulders, not curly. Her bright green eyes gleamed like emeralds with excitement as she looked at the house again. Grant's brown eyes surveyed her thin, pale face, checking to see if she was playing him. He saw no signs, much to his dismay, but complete happiness as she looked at the house. He took the check and sighed with amusement as he got out of the car. Kristin followed him; her short white skirt, and a black and white rose designed top gleamed in the warm sunlight. Kristin's silver purse clung to her small, but firm wrist. Mr. Grant looked extremely professional in his gray suit. His brown hair was thinning and had some gray spots. But all things considered, he was somewhat attractive for a late sixty- year old. Kristin was as tall as Mr. Grant in her silver two-inch heels; otherwise Mr. Grant would have been taller than her.She was absolutely entranced at the houses' beauty. It had so much detail in the columns that were holding up the wide and gorgeous balcony. Kristin has majored in graphic design in college, and she loved anything that had to do with design. The mansion wasn't that big, but it wasn't too small either. It was just perfect for a thirty-five year old woman who wanted to get away from all of her family problems in New York. Kristin wasn't really paying attention to anything that Edward Grant was saying as they walked up the stone walkway to the house. Her mind was completely focused on the house. " It's so pretty. Mom would just love visiting me here when Dad and her have their fights," thought Kristin, " I wonder if Ben would let me do my work from here instead of driving all the way to Portsmouth?" Kristin was sure that the house could have Internet access, that way she could do her commercial and billboard designs whenever she felt like it. Mr. Grant's voice caught her attention then." Ms. Maddow? Were you listening to me?" he asked, his calming voice had an edge of annoyance in it now." No. I'm sorry. I was so... distracted by the beauty of the house. Could you repeat what you've said?"Mr. Grant sighed, fully annoyed now though he tried not to show it." I was explaining that this house was originally built in 1952, after a fire burned the original house down a couple of months earlier. Mr. and Mrs. William Clark originally owned it. Mrs. Clark was young; actually they both were very young. They both were only seventeen when they got married. As I was saying, Mrs. Clark, Sarah was her name, died in a freak accident after falling from the cliff right there", Mr. Grant pointed through a forest of trees behind the house." You walk two miles north and then there's the cliff. Down below it, is a raging river that empties into the ocean after, oh about twelve miles,"Mr. Grant reached the doorstep at the same time Kristin did. He opened the black and gold door for her. Inside the house was a beautiful black -ironed staircase that curled around itself till it reached the second floor. Then to the left of the staircase was a hallway that had a blood red carpet that contrasted to the black walls. The hallway had about four, five doors on either wall. To the right was a room with red walls. Several big black bookcases lined up on the walls. The room also had matching red loveseats and a mahogany antique desk in the corner. Kristin eagerly ran to the antique desk, her heels clicking on the wooden floor in the room. Mr. Grant followed her with a little less enthusiasm." Do you like it?"" It's so beautiful! How could anyone not love it?" gushed Kristin with a smile." I know someone who couldn't," growled a voice. Kristin and Mr. Grant turned to be face to face with an old man. He had on an old baseball cap, a torn up t-shirt, and jeans. For shoes he had on sneakers. The old man had hypnotic gray eyes and a scowl on his wrinkled face." Bill, I thought I told you that I was coming with a client, and that you should stay out of it until they made their decision about the house," said Mr. Grant, calmly but commandingly." Yeah, well I bet you didn't tell her everything Eddy, did ya?" said the old man, Bill with a knowing look in his eyes. Kristin felt out of place in between this conversation. The two men gave each other glaring looks. Then the old man looked at Kristin for what it seemed like the first time." Well, well, well where are my manners? I'm Bill Beckingfield, at your service if you are going to buy this house that is!"Kristin stepped towards him and put out her delicate, small hand." Kristin Maddow, and yes, I am going to buy this house".Will shook her hand with his somewhat dirty one and then stepped back. He smiled at her, with his remaining teeth." You're going to buy this house even after what Eddy here told you about this house! That takes some mighty fine courage Miss Maddow. But don't worry, I'll protect you from that sicko any day!!"Mr. Grant cleared his throat, warning Bill to stop.Kristin looked back and forth between Bill and Edward, confused. " I evidently missed something important while Ed was talking", she thought to herself, wishing that she had been paying attention now. Edward excused himself, took Kristin by the arm and led her into the foyer with the staircase. Bill laughed softly and left using the front door. The house was quiet with Bill gone now. Kristin had been enjoying looking at the huge crystal chandelier that hung from the high ceiling, when Edward started talking." Now what I was trying to tell you earlier was that when Mrs. Clark died so did her daughter, Jennifer, and her sister, Madeline in a fire that burned down the whole house. The gardener for that time thought that he saw someone throw a match into the house seconds before it caught on fire. But it was never proven that anyone was there. That's why the whole town thinks that there is a serial killer on the loose that's a descendant of whoever killed Sarah Clark in 1936. It has always been thought of as a coincidence whenever someone buys this house-", he sighed, trying to find a way to put this gently without scaring her. Edward fumbled with his briefcase as he tried to form the right words." There have been many... deaths that have happened for women who have bought this house, Miss Maddow. Now whether it's a coincidence or not, I have been asked by the police department to inform anyone about this who is interested in this house."Kristin stared at him, her eyes searching for any sign of a stupid practical joke. None whatsoever." But why just this house? Don't you think that it's strange that these murders are happening at this one house?" asked Kristin logically." I agree it is quite strange Miss Maddow, but I assure you we now have full security around the house. We also have the police number programmed into every phone if you press the number one. We can also program that into your cell phone if you chose to buy the house," said Grant.He had felt nervous about this house from the first time it got put on the market in 1964. William Clark had finally moved from the house after he had rebuilt it. Some say he went to England, others say he went to Rhode Island, where Sarah loved to go when she was alive. But there had been strange murder cases that involved the women that bought this house. Very strange cases. That's why the state asked Bill Beckingfield to be the house's gardener and to be on watch for anyone suspicious. But even with Bill, the murders still kept happening. Granted, most of the people who bought the house were old ladies who had gotten enough retirement money and had lived in White Village all their lives. Some of them even remembered Sarah Clark; they claimed that they needed to live here because it would help them remember anything that happened that night. They were convinced that someone murdered her and that person was at the party that night, but it was never proven. Grant truly believed that they all were crazy, but even he felt bad when he found out that they had died under mysterious circumstances.Bill really was trying his best, but he was 80 and he wasn't that fast or strong anymore. When they first hired him, he was a fit forty-seven year old, with a remarkable resemblance to William Clark. But he denied any family relation, and some guys at work had even checked it out for themselves. But he was right; there was no relation between them. Kristin cleared her throat now, to get Grant's attention." I'm sorry Ms. Maddow, I was the one who was distracted this time," he apologized. Kristin flashed him a white set of teeth." It's fine, Edward. I just have one question for you,"" Certainly, what is it?" asked Grant, praying for it not to be how many people have died in this house. He did not want to answer that question. He; himself had lost count at twenty." Was the 500,000 enough for the first payment?"Grant looked up, taken by complete surprise." Yes, it was enough," he half whispered. Kristin Maddow smiled at him again, completely unaware or ignorant to the consequences of the choice she just made. As Grant and Kristin got in the car, Grant felt an overwhelming sick feeling pass through him as he put the lease forms in his suitcase. He knew he shouldn't have let her signed the papers without telling her the last part of the story. The part about the skeletons the others had found in the walls of the mansion. And that the others had also been put in the walls and had been gruesomely discovered one day by Bill. And he should have told her that the killer was real, not some phony kid trying to play jokes.Grant knew he should have told her that, but for some terrible reason he decided against it. Edward Grant then started up the car, dropped off Kristin at her hotel, and prayed that she would stay alive while living in that horribly messed up house....Kristin moved into her new home the following Tuesday. She brought all of her stuff from her apartment in New York and loaded it all up into her Toyota Explorer. It took her a while to drive from New York to New Hampshire, but she managed to make it. Kristin's mother, Jane had wanted to come and help her, but she had gotten sick the day before Kristin had left, so she didn't come. Edward Grant had told Kristin that he would send some moving company's men to come help her unload everything. And when Kristin pulled up to the driveway that Tuesday afternoon, there were 8 men standing outside of 3 big moving trucks talking. As soon as Kristin stopped the car, grabbed her Vera Bradley tote bag, her box of books, and got out, she formally introduced herself." Well, hi! Um, I'm Kristin and are you the guys who are supposed to help me unpack everything?"One of the men winked at her and said;" Yessiree!! Well aren't you pretty? But why in God's name did you buy this house lady?" His brown hair was cut short, and he had muddy brown eyes, and a mustache." I liked this house," replied Kristin uneasily." I didn't realize that so many people have lived in this house and never... left? "The man smiled at her." Don't worry Miss. We'll all make sure that your furniture is in the perfect position so you can beat up any intruders that come by,"Kristin smiled warily at him as she made her way up the stone walkway.She then pointed back to her car, which she had left unlocked." Okay boys, all my stuff is in there. I would like my sofa in the room with red walls, and my mirror can go in the hallway with the red carpet," she said as she ascended up the porch steps. She opened the door with her key. " My key to my own home", she thought as she walked inside. " I haven't lived by myself since Alex walked out on me". Alex had been Kristin's fiancé. Until the day of their wedding he left her standing at the altar. She had been crushed when he had said that he only wanted to get up on her and that he really had never loved her, in front of her whole family. That had happened four weeks ago. That was why she had been looking for a house that was far, far away from boyfriends who are jerks. Kristin inhaled deeply the smell of the house. It smelled like pine trees. She dropped the box right next to the door, and took everything in. The chandelier's crystals looked like they held some sort of secrets deep within the cuts of the crystal. The ironed staircase beckoned her with a warning. The circular, tall windows in the back, looking out into the forest of trees and the cliff, opened up the room, and let in the warm sun. Kristin, oddly, felt right at home in this place. She felt a connection between her and this house ever since she saw it from a distance, in Mr. Grant's car. Something in here called to her, whether for the better or worse she'll never truly know until it happens. Kristin checked her cell phone when it suddenly vibrated in the pocket of her skinny jeans." Hello?"" Kristin? Honey, you have horrible reception up there in those mountains!!! Can you hear me??? Is this darn thing even working?" yelled Jane, her mother.Kristin sighed. Her mother hated any technology; it had been such a hassle to even convince her that she should have a cell phone, never-mind buy one." Mom? I can hear you fine. Why are you calling me? No offense, but I'm kinda busy unpacking and rearranging my stuff, Mom,"There was a long pause. Kristin could just picture her Mom's long, curly blonde hair shaking as she thought of something to say. Her deep ocean blue eyes in thought. Her red lips trying to form happy words to hide her disappointment." Mom? Mom, listen I'm sorry. It's just I really love this house and I really want to go explore it,"Kristin wasn't sure that explore was the right word, but it was the first word that popped into her head that fit." Oh. I see, Kristin. I guess I was feeling a bit lonely honey, you know what I'm talking about. Don't you, sweetie?" Jane's voice broke a little at the end. Kristin gave a long sigh. They were fighting again. And this time Mom didn't have Kristin's sister, Heidi, to talk to because she had died in a car crash 7 months ago. Mom was still getting over it. But so was everyone in the family." Mom I'm sorry. Really I am. You know what, I'll call you tonight after the movers have left. How does that sound Mom?" Kristin tried to sound enthusiastic. Her mom sniffled slightly on the other end." Alright."Kristin smiled, even though her mom couldn't see it." Okay then. See you later!"" Kristin! Wait!" called Mom." What?"" I love you sweetie,"Kristin felt a pang of guilt in her heart. She paused before answering." I love you too, Mom."With that Jane ended the call, satisfied and brave enough to face her always-angry husband. Kristin on the other hand, felt worse than ever.She ascended up the staircase, her tote in one hand, and the box in the other. Upstairs the staircase extended up one more level, but on the second floor, there was a corridor on the left side, and on the right was Kristin's bedroom. The doors were gold with black roses for handles. She gently turned the rose, and the door opened, revealing a rose pink colored canopy bed. The canopy was light pink, but the sheets were white and rose pink. The pillows were a stark white color. There was a rectangular gold-framed window facing the cliff's direction. To the right of the bed, there was an ornate make-up desk and mirror, and a bathroom. Kristin set the box of books down on the nightstand next to the bed and looked around, shocked. Then she flopped down on the bed with glee. " I have got to be in a movie or some prank reality TV. Show!" she thought with disbelief. " No, Kristin, this is real, get a grip," she told herself with some mental force. She could hear the movers downstairs carrying her couch to the room with red walls and the books. She told herself to get up of her ass and get down there and help them. " Who knows Kristin," she told herself as she got up. "Maybe one of them is single?"Chapter TwoJane Maddow was thinking about her daughter, Kristin, when her husband, Kevin came barging in to the kitchen. In his rage, he knocked over Jane's purse on the granite countertop. Jane looked up, startled and calmly put her things back in her purse without talking to Kevin." JANE!!!" he yelled as he slammed an envelope on the table." Where's the damn money to pay for all this crap??"Jane looked at her husband sharply. His hair was fully gray, his green eyes filled with anger and alcohol. His prickly mustache used to comfort her, but now it didn't comfort her at all. Nothing Kevin ever did ever comforted her anymore. In his old age, Kevin Maddow had lost his unique charm and smile that had made Jane like him in the first place in college. Now Kevin had a scowl on his face at all times, and a beer bottle in one of his hands. Jane Maddow was only 52, but Kevin was now 61 and it was starting to take a toll on their marriage. It all started 7 months ago when their eldest daughter, Heidi went to Las Vegas and came back married. She swore that it was legal and that she was moving in with this alleged husband. But on the day she was supposed to meet him, he bailed on her. Heidi had been crushed. And one night she went out drinking and got into a fatal car crash, whether it was on purpose or not, they didn't know. That sparked some tension between Kevin and Jane. Then four weeks ago, Kristin had her fiancé bail on her at her wedding. Jane was somewhat surprised when Kristin had called her and said that she had found a house in New Hampshire she was buying. Jane didn't really like the thought of Kristin being a few states away from her, especially now. She didn't mind it when Heidi was in a different state, but she had always bonded a little more with Kristin than Heidi....Kevin's scream of outrage brought her back to the present situation at hand." I don't know what you want me to do about this, Kevin?" said Jane annoyed. " I didn't think we were behind on our bills,"Kevin mumbled something under his breath." I'm sure not! You never think about anything, Jane! I'm the only one with brains around here," he declared in his husky voice. Jane thought of several good comebacks for that statement, but resisted saying any out loud." I'm sure you are, Kevin," replied Jane with as much sarcasm as she could speak with without Kevin even noticing." You can bet to hell I am!" said Kevin proudly.Jane suppressed a snicker. Kevin then pointed to the envelope." You can pay for that one, and the next one too!!"" Fine," said Jane evenly. Kevin left the kitchen with a grunt of pain as he slipped on the wet tiled floor. He waved Jane away when she tried to help him to his feet." Geesh, Jane I may be old, but I'm not that old. Now get off me!!"He then left, and all was quiet. Jane was glad that this hadn't ended up in a huge escalated fight, and that she didn't end up getting scared of Kevin and calling her daughter for comfort. She was very relieved that a fight was avoided. Then Jane picked up the morning paper that was on the wooden kitchen table and began to read it, waiting anxiously until nightfall when Kristin would call her from that hellhole called New Hampshire. She came across an article that readWhite Village Murders- New Owner Moves into The Clark Mansion- How Long Will She Have?Jane almost dropped the paper. She quickly scanned the article, and to her fears found her daughters name next to the words- owner of Clark Mansion. She read the rest of the article, in horror. The article told Jane about everything, the old ladies, the skeletons, and worse of all, the serial killer that was in White Village, New Hampshire.Chapter ThreeAt six o'clock Kristin was lying down on her couch in her new home, completely exhausted. She had helped the workers place her things among the spacious mansion. She had also gotten one of their phone numbers in the process. Kristin had changed out of her short sleeved green top and had put a light blue long sleeved top. Kristin had almost drifted off to sleep, until she realized that she had to call her mother. She had nearly jumped off the couch, when Bill had stepped into the room." Hello Ms. Maddow! Wide awake are we now?" said Bill with a light-hearted chuckle. Kristin tried hard to smile at the old man, but in truth he kind of freaked her out. Bill smiled suspiciously at her." I was just going to call my Mom, and I almost forgot."" Is she worried about you? Is she one of those overprotective mothers? No offense if she is, but I can't stand mothers who are like that."" Oh," Kristin laughed in spite of herself, " Not really. I mean, she kind of is overprotective, but in a good way."Kristin's mind ventured back to the time that she had left for college and her mom had made a checklist of all things she should have packed. It was a bit overboard, but Kristin appreciated it. Somewhat...Bill had now begun to dust the bookshelves and the antique desk. Kristin sat silently while he worked, trying to think of something to say." So, Bill, how long have you worked here for?" she asked simply.Bill turned around to face her." Too long to remember clearly, Ms. Maddow," he said with a funny look on his face. He had a far-away look in his eyes, like he was remembering something tragic, or upsetting that had happened." I have lived in this town for a while, Miss. I've seen things that you couldn't possibly imagine in your dizziest daydreams. Terrible things have happened in this town!"Kristin leaned forward, interested." Like what Mr. Beckingfield?"Bill sat down on the couch, his dirt-incrusted boots leaving dirt on her nice black carpet. His gray eyes seemed to change into a lighter shade of gray while he spoke." There were grisly murders that happened in this house. It was very frightening. And, I thought I- I mean I didn't know that-, and I don't really want to talk about it now, if you don't mind Ms. Maddow," he said suddenly. He looked out into the darkness of the night through the window, a strange expression on his face. " Poor man," thought Kristin, "He must have had some gruesome encounters with those corpses that had been murdered here."" It's alright, Bill. Is it alright if I call you, Bill?"The old man smiled."Absolutely, Ms. Maddow," he said with a nod as he got up off the couch, and left the room. Kristin was then, left to her thoughts and the peace and quiet of her new home. Kristin reluctantly picked up her cell phone, that she had left on the antique table, and turned it on. She was surprised to find that she had 5 missed calls. There were all from her mother. " Oh, crap," said Kristin out-loud as she dialed her mother's phone number. A number of possibilities ran through her head. She could have fallen down the stairs, or had been shot. She ran her hand through her thin hair, a nervous habit by now. She waited, anxiously as the phone rang, and rang. Finally her mother picked up." Kristin!!!! Why weren't you answering your phone???? I read this article in the paper and- honey you're in danger!" Her mom stopped talking then." Mom, what are you talking about?" Kristin was slightly annoyed at her for calling her five times just because a news-article said she was in some sort of danger. " Didn't you read the paper today? Oh, honey there was this article about your house and- did you know that murders were committed in your house?" Her mom's voice was on the urge of absolute panic." Yes, mom. I did," said Kristin with an exasperated sigh." Now, honey I know you like living in the middle of nowhere, but if that killer comes for you-"Kristin cut her off abruptly." Mom what are you talking about? What killer?"Her mom paused for a few seconds on the other end of the line." Uh- well I, honey your father's home and, well you know how he can be when he comes home from work. I'll call you later tonight to explain since you obviously have no idea what you've gotten yourself into".Kristin heard a click, and the line went dead....Kristin had been exceedingly on edge since her Mom's phone call last night. Her Mom had called, like she said she would and had told Kristin the appalling news. She had been shocked of course. A serial killer here up in the mountains? And who was after her, maybe not Kristin specifically, but was after someone! Kristin had been scared straight. She hadn't left the house; she just stayed up in her room thinking. Why would someone try and kill her?Kristin had been pondering over that for a whole day now. Bill had gone out on a vacation, he was required to have one every month. So Kristin was alone in her big mansion. She had to admit that her house was a bit scary at night now that she knew the truth. Murders? She had really thought that Mr. Grant had been joking with her. She thought that that had been some folk legend that everyone in the town talked about to newcomers. You know like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster. Kristin had thought that he was just playing a fun, friendly joke on her. But she was wrong. This was no joke. There really had been murders committed in this house.Kristin sat upright on her bed. Murders? The feeling of dread sank in, and she lowered herself back down onto the bed. The rose pink sheets felt soft to her touch, relaxing almost. Her mind wandered to Heidi.Her sister.Her dead sister.Kristin had been distraught when she had got the phone call from her Mother saying that Heidi had died. Kristin could remember exactly where she was when she got the news. That happened a lot when something bad happened; most people remember where they were when it happened.Kristin remembered that she was baking in her kitchen at her old apartment. The wood panels of the walls, the old stove that wouldn't work, and the many disorganized cabinets filled with various things came back to with perfect clarity. Then she had gotten the phone call. Kristin remembered that she had dropped the pan; spilling its contents everywhere and then she had started to sob.Just remembering Heidi's death brought tears to Kristin's eyes. She started to cry when suddenly her door sprang open. Kristin jumped back in fright. She had become so jumpy since her mom's phone call. The person who had opened her door wasEdward Grant.Kristin, startled, tried to smile at Edward Grant, but she was too disheveled." I'm sorry, did I scare you?" asked Grant as he admired her room.Kristin nodded, and then slowly got up from her bed to greet him." Well, Kristin I'd say you're doing just fine here aren't you?" said Grant as he gave her a friendly smile. She weakly smiled back, thinking about the newspaper article that had said how long she had to live." Mr. Grant, something has come up that I must ask you about," replied Kristin as she fixed her hair with her hands. The warm sun filled the room, but it did not make Kristin feel any better. Edward Grant faced her, his brown eyes gleaming with suspicion. He looked around the room nervously." Yes, Ms. Maddow?"Kristin sighed." Well, it's this house. You see, my mom called last night and she told me some frightening news," said Kristin.Edward Grant nodded slowly; he had read yesterday's paper with a sick feeling in stomach that Kristin would find out about the corpses and the murders. Grant waved her thoughts away with a sweeping gesture towards outside." Ms. Maddow I think we should continue this discussion outside, if you don't mind," he said with false innocence.Kristin bit her lip, knowing that he was hiding something. Kristin didn't meet Edward's eyes, she was thinking. Instead she quickly glanced at herself in the make up mirror beside her desk. Her hair was, perfect, flowing down her back without any frizz. Her green eyes shone brightly in the sunlight. Her white dress captured her beauty and framed her thin silhouette. Her black heels added a touch of sexiness. She looked perfect, beautiful even.The only thing wrong was her expression.It was filled with fear.Kristin tried to get her expression to be happy, but she couldn't. She rearranged her flawless face to be smooth and expressionless. But she could still feel that the fear was still on her face." Sure, Mr. Grant," replied Kristin as she leaded the way out of bedroom. She felt an odd presence as she left the room, like someone or something was watching her.Grant closed the door after her, not wanting to tell her about the corpse that was buried in the wall of her bedroom. The one that he had just seen that was buried into the wall. The one with the incredibly scarred face, with cuts and scars all over her.The one that had been the pervious owner of the Clark Mansion.Chapter FourKristin was officially creeped out. Mr. Grant had brought her into the woods without any explanation whatsoever. They were now standing by a river, which was right below a looming, and dangerously high cliff. The cliff was beautiful, but high and rocky. The forest that was back a ways was scary, even though it was day-time, it still freaked Kristin out. The looming, tall trees casted shadows all around, and the dark green grass went on for miles and seemed to go on forever.Kristin's short, white dress kept the breeze from getting her chilled. The white ruffled top of the dress with a black jacket was comfortable. Kristin looked out at the trees and hoped that they would not be walking anymore, if she had known that she would have worn flats instead of her heels.Kristin turned her attention away from the forest and concentrated on Mr. Grant. He was staring at the river's waters with a unusual expression on his face.Fear.Kristin could not think of one thing that would cause Mr. Grant to have fear on his face, except for one thing.The killer.A million thoughts rushed through Kristin's head about the killer. He could be here right now, or he could have killed Mom or Dad, or worse. Maybe the killer in White Village was the man that bailed on Heidi. But Kristin's judgement quickly took over, and she calmly thought about the rational possibilities." Maybe Mr. Grant wants me to move, so that I won't get hurt," thought Kristin as she gazed at the river. The water was, without a doubt, pretty and eye-catching. The water was flowing rapidly around the rocks that were embedded into the shore. But there was something more to it. Kristin just couldn't place her finger on it, but there was something more to that river than what met the eye. Kristin was still staring at the clear, blue waters until Edward Grant spoke." Ms. Maddow, it has come to my attention that you now know about the killer. And that the person is very much alive and here," he started nervously.Kristin's eyes left the water to bore into Mr. Grant's soul.He could have told her that the killer was ALIVE or better yet, in White Village? Kristin's opinion of Mr. Grant changed drastically right then and there. He was a threat to her, even if he had been the one to sell her the house. He was still a threat." Yes, I have found that out, Mr. Grant. I would have appreciated it if you could have told me that it was not a folk legend and that the killer was real!" Kristin's voice seemed to be shriller than normal. It was filled with dislike and a bit of fear. She immediately wondered if Bill would have told her about the killer, or would he had kept a vow of silence until her death.Mr. Grant's eyes seemed apologetic, but Kristin knew that she could not trust him anymore. He lied to her about a murderer, how could she trust him ever again!Mr. Grant cleared his throat, and fixed his red tie. His black suit made him look like someone from White Collar, Kristin observed. Kristin looked at the water again, puzzled by it's mysteries." Mr. Grant, didn't you say that someone got killed here?" said Kristin desperate to change the subject. She didn't want to argue with him today, she was still shaken from the truth.Mr. Grant looked surprised at the question.He never got asked that by anyone, but that's because most of the townspeople already know what happened to Sarah Clark. And most of them would rather not bring it up. Folklorees and ghost stories have filled their minds over the last few years due to some kids pranks that have involved the ghost of Sarah Clark. And now everyone in the town had been obsessed with the murder, and the news of the killer and Kristin Maddow had only brought more attention to the case. Edward Grant and his son, Michael Grant, who partially owns Grant Realtors with him, have been getting phone calls about the Clark Mansion everyday wondering if the new owner had died yet. Most of the people who called had been crazy, lonely people who swore that they were there when Sarah died. But Michael and Edward didn't believe a word any one said about the murder.Mr. Grant got his head out of his thoughts and focused on the question. He turned his gaze back to the water." Yes, I told Mrs. Clark was supposedly murdered here, remember in that story,' reminded Grant with a shaky laugh. "Remember when I told you that the killer might have been looking for revenge, no wait, I never said that!" Grant reminded himself that. He didn't tell her about the killer. He hadn't wanted to." Mr. Grant, I remember the story. I was just wondering if there was like, some sort of memorial for her. You know like a statue or something?" said Kristin, her eyes still glued to the water. She looked up at him, a smile forming on her face for some odd reason.Mr. Grant fidgeted with his coat, it was getting quite chilly. It was almost four o'clock, and the sun would be setting in about an hour. Grant only had an hour to warn her about the killer." Yes, actually. It's right over there," said Mr. Grant as he walked over to a magnificent willow tree. The tree seemed old, but in a good way. It's branches swayed gently in the wind, and the trunk stood tall and proud. Kristin walked over, mesmerized by the exotic tree." I thought that willows didn't grow in New Hampshire," whispered Kristin softly as she touched the leaves. She was strangely fascinated with the old tree.Mr. Grant shook his head. " They don't. Mr. Clark had it specifically planted here in memory of his wife,"Mr. Grant was still talking, but Kristin wasn't paying attention. She was too caught up in something peculiar that she had seen carved into the tree's trunk. Kristin moved some branches out of her way, and peered down to get a closer look at the strange carvings, when Mr. Grant grabbed her arm, causing her to jump.Kristin whirled around, mostly scared by Mr, Grant's strong hand that gripped her shoulder just so." Mr. Grant, I'm sorry I jumped. You scared me!" said Kristin as she adjusted her skirt and fixed her hair. She looked up at him, smiling.But Mr. Grant was not smiling.In fact he looked quite, serious and scary.Kristin gulped. She casually glanced back at the forest, wondering that if the need be, she could run away from him. It was about a two mile run, and Kristin wasn't used to that. In New York, she took a cab everywhere except when she had to walk to work. Kristin looked back at Mr. Grant, his expression had changed just so.Kristin could feel the panic settle in her face. Why was it that she always attracted the weirdos or the runaways?" Now, Kristin," started Mr. Grant as he stepped towards her. He was already very close to her, but now there was just enough space in between them that she would have no choice to pay attention to him. And that's how Edward Grant wanted it." I need to tell you something very serious about this killer," said Mr. Grant.Kristin didn't want to hear what he wanted to say, all she wanted to do was leave.Now....Kristin had been left alone by herself in the woods. And she was still shaking. Mr. Grant's speech to her about the killer had been... terrifying. She couldn't have imagined a worse fate than being killed by the killer. The things that Mr. Grant had said! And it didn't help that he just left her there in the woods. Kristin was annoyed the most at that. He could have taken her home.But now Kristin was alone in the dark, and eerie woods near her house. The once comforting and intriguing river was now freaking her out. The trees seemed to taunt her that something bad was going to happen. Kristine didn't feel to good about being alone.So, she took out her cell phone and shone the light in front of her path.She was still near the willow tree. Kristin shone the light on the tree, hoping to figure out which way to go.But instead she found something rather curious.Carved into the tree were words that had NOT been there when she was talking with Mr., Grant earlier. Kristin could feel her stomach drop as she read the words.K.M. YOU'RE NEXTA branch suddenly snapped.Kristin automatically twirled around to see if anyone was there. The light from her phone was dimming, and Kristin knew she had to get out of there. But still nothing was out there.Except for a book that was lying on the ground.Kristin, curious, picked it up.The cover was black and had a name carved into it in beautiful calligraphy:Sarah Clark.On the book's cover was a post it that said:READ THIS AND YOU'LL FIND OUT WHOM THE REAL KILLER IS.Kristin was stunned. Was the killer trying to help her, or was this someone else?Unsure of who sent her the book, Kristin ran through the trees with the book and her phone, hoping to make it before someone saw her.When Kristin got to the house, the lights were on. The lights, Kristin remembered, were not on when she left the house. She had made sure to turn them off. Kristin slowly made her way to the front door.She opened it, expecting a psycho man to stab her with a knife.But to her surprise, her friend, Annie, greeted her. Kristin blinked a few times before she registered what was happening." SURPRISE Kristin!" shouted Annie as she smiled at her best friend.Kristin smiled meekly." Hi, Annie. What are you, uh, what are you doing here?" asked Kristin as she stepped into her house. Annie's brown hair was wavy around her shoulders, and her brown eyes glimmered with excitement." I came to see you, of course! What kind of a friend would I be if I didn't see you in your new house?" trilled Annie as she helped Kristin with her coat." What were you doing outside at this time of night anyways, Kristin?' asked Annie as she fixed her red blouse and black skirt.Kristin knew that she would have to lie to Annie. Annie could not know about this serial killer. She would blab it to everyone in Kristin's office at work.Kristin loved Annie as a friend, but stopped telling her things after she had told Kristin's Mother that Kristin was hooking up with guys in New York when she was twenty-five. Kristin and Annie were partners at work, they both designed billboards and posters for different companies. Kristin and Annie got along really well, even though Annie was slightly younger than her. Annie was thirty-two and Kristin was thirty-five.Kristin was glad to be in her own home, safe and sound. But something was bugging her about that message on the tree. Annie was talking rapidly about something.Kristin tuned in to listen." And we could have a decorating party, or we could have a party to celebrate your new home? What do you think of that?"Annie turned her head to look at Kristin.Kristin looked at her, completely out of it." Hm? Sorry Ann, wasn't listening?" she said as she sat down on the sofa. She put the book down under some scrap newspapers. Kristin found her home very comfortable, except now. She couldn't stop picturing someone creeping into her house and hurting her. And with Bill on his vacation, no one was here to protect her. That brought a thought into Kristin's mind." Annie," started Kristin before Annie could even get a word out. " How did you get in here?"Annie's face went animated and excited. With absolutely no lines or wrinkles or anything on her face, Annie was a looker. She always looked stunning, even if she didn't mean to." Well that's the other surprise I was trying to tell you about that you weren't listening about, Your caretaker, Bill, let me in. I didn't realize that you got pampered on!"" Bill's back?" exclaimed Kristin. Annie nodded. Kristin realized that her statement had sounded harsh, but she was only surprised.As if on cue, Bill appeared in the living room. His baseball cap was on, and his dirty sneakers. His blue shirt and jeans looked new." Ms. Maddow, Ms. Rutherford," he said politely. Annie blushed, no one had ever called her Ms, Rutherford so nicely before." Bill? You're back so soon! I mean not that I'm not glad to see you, I was just surprised that you were here," rambled Kristin foolishly. Bill smiled at her." Ah, well there's something about a blizzard in Boston so my vacation was cut short. But from what I'm hearing, I'd figure you'd want me back here. Isn't that right, Ms. Maddow?" Bill gave her an " I know" look that bore into her soul and made her feel uncomfortable.Kristin swallowed her nervousness, and stared straight back at him." Yes. That's right, Bill. I do need you around," she said truthfully.Annie was now sitting on the couch next to Kristin, completely oblivious, whether it was intentional or not. Bill then gave her one last look, and then left.Kristin's eyes wandered around the room, seeing shadows that she knew were parts of her imagination. Her fear of the killer was slowly creeping into her mind. But Kristin willed herself to make the shadows disappear. Finally Kristin's eyes landed back on Annie.Annie had picked up the black book and was now flipping through it.Kristin practically jumped up, and snatched it from her.Annie looked up, startled." Was that yours? I'm sorry; it looked like a book that I had checked out a couple of weeks ago in the library. I thought it was the same one. But it's not."Kristin mumbled something unintelligibly." Yes it's mine. Sorry Ann, it's just... fragile. I don't want you to damage it," lied Kristin as she tucked it under the pillow of the couch. Annie looked at Kristin with a weird look on her face, but she let whatever thought crossed her mind go. Then they started a conversation about the new house. Annie said that they should have a party, and Kristin rolled her eyes in dread...." So, it's getting late. I should be getting back to my hotel before the crazy drunks all come out," said Annie after a heated conversion about work." Hm. Guess so," said Kristin as she looked at the clock. It was now midnight. They had managed to talk for four hours without getting bored. Kristin was glad that Annie had not brought up the book in any of the conversations. But Kristin knew that she had wanted to.Annie got up from the couch to grab her Coach handbag. Kristin sat up straight on the couch, fumbling quietly with the strange book. Kristin was glad that Annie had come to see her, but wished that she had come another day. And why she came in the middle of the night was a mystery to Kristin as well.They had successfully bitched about everyone who works at their office. It had been relieving. Then they had talked about their parents, friends, the both currently single status that they both had, and the house. Annie told Kristin that there was this cute college kid that was now working in their office, but he had a girlfriend. And Kristin didn't really agree with the thought of running around with a college kid. She'd prefer someone close to her age, that's single.Annie finally found her Coach handbag and her coat. Kristin got up from the couch, and straightened out her already straight, slimming dress. Annie smiled as she put on her bright red coat." Oh, Kris! I'll miss you so much in New York! But this gives me an excuse to come visit you more often," said Annie as she hugged Kristin.Kristin warmly hugged her back. Lately she felt like she had been cut off from civilization and she was glad that she got some social time with Annie. For a little while anyways.After their hug, Annie opened the door and disappeared into the night.Finally, Kristin was alone. As soon as she saw Annie's Sudan leave, she grabbed the book and made her way up the black-ironed staircase to her room.The soft pink color of her room greeted her with familiarity and comfort. She quickly threw her heels onto the floor, and sat down on her bed. She looked over the book again. It seemed very old, but interesting. Kristin, annoyed with the Post It, threw it away in her white trash bin.She opened the book.The first page was a note:This diary belongs to Mrs. Sarah Clark or Ms. Sarah Teller, 1936.Hm, thought Kristin, this was the year she died. That brought on loads of suggestions to mind. Was the killer's identity really in here?Suddenly, as if on cue, the lights went off in the house. Kristin screamed and dropped the book.Then Kristin heard slow, steady footsteps coming closer and closer to her door.Chapter FiveKristin didn't move, actually she couldn't move. Her whole body had literally gone numb from shock. So, she sat there on her bed, as the footsteps grew louder.Kristin was shaking with fear. Her instincts were screaming at her to run for her life.But then, the lights came back on.The person in the room was Bill.Kristin couldn't have been more embarrassed. Here was Bill, and she thought that it was the killer. She should have known that Bill would have been the one to be in the house. After all, he was the caretaker. Kristin breathed a sigh of relief as Bill gave her a curious look." Did I scare ya, Ms. Maddow?" he asked as he checked the lights.Kristin nodded several times. Bill chuckled." You ever had anyone live with ya before Ms. Maddow" asked Bill. Kristin thought about that for a while. She really hadn't. Alex had mostly been at work, and so had Kristin." Not really, Bill," said Kristin as she sat up, and got up from the covers of her bed.Bill gave her a, I figured, look." Well it seems it's alright now. Bloody storm came by surprise. I bet half the town is out of power," muttered Bill to himself." Bill?' called out Kristin after a thought crossed her mind.He turned."Yes."Suddenly Kristin felt nervous, she had no idea why but she did." What do you know about Sarah Clark?"The question obviously threw Bill. His expression was one of complete shock, and regret?" Well, uh, Ms. Maddow, I know that she was a very fine lady who committed suicide in 1936."Suicide? Kristin had been told that it was murder." Bill, I thought Mr. Grant said it was murder? Not suicide," said Kristin. She felt confused." Ha, Grant said that! He would. That scoundrel will tell you anything to keep you from knowing the truth," laughed Bill darkly.Kristin was even more confused." The truth?" she repeated with interest.Bill nodded slowly." Edward Grant comes from a dark family. They have been known to be involved in some serious crimes, and he's a realtor! But anyway, it was a suicide. From what I know she jumped off of that cliff because she was desperately in love with that gardener that they had. But she knew that she could never fully love him, so she jumped. I also heard another version that her husband found about their relationship, and threatened to kill the gardener, but Sarah took her own life for his."Kristin thought that that was incredibly sad. To die for love.Kristin nodded thoughtfully." Thank you, Bill," she said implying that she wanted to be left alone.Bill took the hint and left.Then Kristin eagerly opened up Sarah's diary:The second page read:Dear Diary, November 4th 1936I remembered when Mother told me that William Clark would make a fine husband for me, and not to worry today. But still, I did worry. What if he was grotesque or unloving? What would I do with my life then? But I am happy now. William is a handsome and generous man. I am very lucky. I must go, my daughter, Jennifer is calling.The next entry was three months after that.Dear Diary, January 21st 1936William took me to the cliff today. I must say, it really is beautiful. But the beauty was short-lived because William immediately started pestering me about my parent's money again. Ever since they had died, he had been pestering me for the money. Since I am the first born heir, I get all of their money. And I must say, it is so much. But William wants it more than he will tell me. But I know that he will understand that this is my money, and I'm to do with it as I please. Jennifer is such a beautiful six year old. I'm so blessed to have her as my child. She is exactly like me, in looks. We both have golden hair, and blue eyes. My sister, Madeline has the same blue eyes but she has our Father's brown hair. She is staying with us, my sister. She is such a pleasure company to keep. I am so glad that she is here. The light is dimming, so I must put this down.That was all that Kristin read before her eyes started to flutter closed. She put the book down on the floor, and tried to fall asleep.But she was haunted by what Bill had said to her. " Bad family?' All Kristin could think of was homicides and murders. But what did bad family mean?Kristin's thoughts traveled to the possibilities of what Bill had said. He had said that Mr. Grant was obviously dangerous, but what else?Then Kristin thought of something in absolute dread.Was Bill suggesting that Mr. Edward Grant is the killer?...Kristin had at all cost been avoiding Mr. Grant for the whole weekend. She had managed to avoid his phone calls, which was pretty hard since he had called her everyday. Kristin knew that it wasn't polite, but she needed time to think. Bill's message had sunk into her head, and now she couldn't stop cringing every time someone mentioned Mr. Grant's name.It was now Tuesday, March 10th. Kristin had been living in her house for a week now, and she still hadn't looked around the town. So that was Kristin's plan for the whole day.Kristin drove all around town, searching for a Star Bucks, or a Vera Bradley Store. But, strangely, there was none of either in sight.Disappointed, Kristin walked into a shop that said: Rudy's Coffee Shop, and prayed to God that they had a cappuccino. Kristin touched the old wooden door lightly, as if it would break. It opened, and the sweet smell of coffee swirled around her nose. Kristin smiled as she found an empty seat next to the window. She stared, bored, out of the window watching the cars pass by." This is very disappointing," thought Kristin as she looked around the streets. " Not a mall in sight in this town."Kristin turned her attention back to the shop. The shop's wooden walls, red curtains, and crowded tables, made Kristin feel uncomfortable. The shop was tiny, and that did not comfort her displeasure. The shop reminded Kristin of a log cabin, and Kristin was not one for the outdoors. Kristin didn't care that she was living in New Hampshire now; it was a law to have a Star Bucks in your town right?Impatient, and running low on energy, Kristin resumed staring out the window. Suddenly a waiter came over to her, and tapped her on the shoulder. Kristin jumped, and turned to look at him. He was about twenty, brown hair, brown eyes, tall as well. He was without a doubt cute, but out of her league. Something about him was compelling and interesting. She smiled at him, wishing that she were twenty again." Hi," he said. " What can I get you today?"Not even thinking about it, Kristin replied, " A cappuccino, please."The guy gave her a look, and fiddled with his paper." We don't have that," he said, obviously confused. Kristin groaned, annoyed that outdoors people had never had a cappuccino." Then a coffee," snapped Kristin. The guy mumbled something and then left.Kristin then pulled out her purse, and set it on the table. She reached in it, and pulled out the diary. Kristin had been too jittery from Bill's accusation to read the diary, so she hadn't since. Kristin opened it and began reading.Dear Diary, January 30th 1936Madeline has become increasingly useful to me. She has watched Jennifer countless times over the few days she has been here, which I am grateful of. William wants to go to Rhode Island, just him and I. But I do not agree with that. I do not want to be near him at all now. He has gotten, how do I word this, Scary. He has said unimaginable things that have shaken me to my very core. I honestly do not know what to do. I have spoken to Madeline about this several times, but she says it is because of the alcohol. I am beginning to believe that it really is. What else would explain his behavior? So that seems to be the most reasonable answer at this point. Oh Diary, why must I endure such trifles? Am I cursed? No, even I know I am not cursed. But something about Will is scaring me. Today we were in the garden, and the gardener had the nerve to call me Sarah, instead of Mrs. Clark. William was outraged that he had such nerve, but I thought it was sweet.He is a sweet boy, with that brown hair with eyes to match. He is strong too, but he is vulnerable as all children are. Jennifer gets along fine with him. Diary, I have such a bad feeling about William. Tomorrow I will visit Doctor Henry Grant, and see if he can help me.Kristin was annoyed when the waiter almost tripped over her Coach bag; which was on the floor. She was even more annoyed when the waiter put her coffee right next to her book, spilling some of it on the fragile pages. Kristin snatched the diary, and tried to get the coffee off of it with her jean jacket." I'm so sorry, Miss," sputtered the waiter. Kristin didn't feel like being nice today, so she just glared at him. She was pretty sure that he cringed at her stare.After he cleaned up the mess, he left Kristin to herself, after much glaring on her part. " Doctor Henry Grant," mused Kristin as she sipped on her coffee. " I'll look him up as soon as I get home." Kristin looked at her mug, which was steaming hot. It was white, but it had a familiar saying on it.The mug's inscription was;White Village, New Hampshire. Home of the Infamous and Deadly Clark Mansion.Enter it if you dare!Kristin thought that the inscription was cute, but it was the picture that intrigued her the most. The picture was of the Clark Mansion, but the willow tree that was near the river was in front of the house. The willow had something engraved in it; Sarah's death wasn't an accident. Come find out what happened.Kristin mulled over the two different opinions she had gotten about Sarah's death. One said that it was murder, the other suicide. Well, which one was right? Kristin could only think of one way to answer that question, go to the local library and find out herself. But first, Kristin wanted to finish her coffee. Kristin stared out the window, and sipped on her coffee.The town itself was small; only 300 people lived there. But they had lots of those homemade, self-sufficient stores that Kristin and her friends used to call, Consignment Shops, back in New York. Here in White Village, everyone knew everyone. It was quite creepy, at least Kristin thought it was. Back in New York, no one on the streets even knew who she was, nevertheless knew that she had just moved here. No one in New York had time to know who his or her neighbors were, Kristin didn't even know who her neighbor was in New York. She didn't really like the thought of knowing her neighbors, what if they were weird?Finally Kristin finished her coffee, and got ready to leave for the library when a voice startled her." Sarah Clark huh?"Kristin whirled around, and shut the diary closed. The voice belonged to her waiter. Kristin tried to keep the annoyance out of her face." Yes, " she replied testy." You know she's famous around here. Her house isn't that far from here. Some chick bought it a week ago. My Dad sold her the house. He says she's real pretty, but real stupid to buy that house," said the kid with a laugh.Kristin wasn't amused. She bit her lip, and rearranged her face to look composed." Yes well, that stupid chick would be me, actually," said Kristin with a sharp edge to her voice.The kid's face dropped." Really?" he asked with shock. Kristin nodded. The kid ran his hands through his tousled brown hair." Oh man, you must think I'm such an ass," he said, as he looked her over. Kristin felt self-conscious, and fidgeted with her jean jacket. Her white heels were bothering her feet, and her black skirt was an appropriate length. Lastly she had thrown on a white top with ruffles. Kristin could tell that he thought she looked like some sort of zebra." What's your name?" asked Kristin as she put the diary into her Coach bag." Michael, Michael Grant," he stuttered.Kristin nodded." I'm Kristin," she said as she got up to leave. She was halfway to the door when Michael stopped her." Hey wait. Um, I'm really sorry for that stupid comment about you. I was just trying to be social."" Social? You call insulting people being social?" snapped Kristin.Michael nodded sheepishly." I don't get out much. My dad has been home-schooling me since kindergarten, and I work for his business. This is my first real job actually," he said, beaming with pride.Kristin rolled her eyes." You really think I'm stupid don't you?" she said as she pushed by him to get to the door." Actually I'm serious," replied Michael.Kristin whirled around again." You poor thing," she said pitifully. " Where's the library in this town?" she asked as she looked around the crowded streets. She couldn't see any building that would resemble a library." Actually it's right next to my house. If you can wait five minutes I can lead the way in my car," offered Michael. Kristin chewed on her bottom lip, thinking about it." Fine, but no funny business! And no more insulting comments!"Michael laughed at her, and she sat back down.He leaned towards her." How about another coffee?" he asked sweetly.Kristin couldn't help but smile." Just don't spill it again, and maybe I'll tip you," she said with a laugh." Fine, but you have to tell me all about your book on Sarah Clark, and your house. I heard that there are ghosts, and strange things in that house."Kristin felt her stomach drop, but she hid her fear with a smile." Oh yes," she said." Strange things happen in my house."Chapter SixMichael was almost done cleaning up the shop, and Kristin was getting a bit impatient. She had wanted to leave ten minutes ago, but had been persuaded to stay since she didn't know where the library was. The shop was now almost empty, except for Kristin, Michael, and the manager who's name was Rudy.Rudy had gone out of his way to greet Kristin, and had happily told her the whole history of the town, starting from 1647. It would have been more fun to watch paint dry. It had taken up only six minutes, but that was enough. Then Rudy had left Kristin alone, and she began to second think taking up on Michael's offer. " Is it really safe to have him lead the way to the library," thought Kristin. " He could take me to an old abandoned warehouse for all I could know!"Finally Michael was done with cleaning." You ready?" he asked, chipper.Kristin groaned a bit." Always was," she replied tartly. Kristin had woken up in a bad mood and it had lingered in her. She hated being sour and mean, but she needed to be. She was too irritated to be happy.Michael led the way to his car, and Kristin followed.She looked around at the streets filled with happy, carefree people and immediately was envious. She had a serial killer to worry about that might just be her realtor! Kristin felt chilled by the blast of cold, and crisp wind that went through her jean jacket, and she shivered. Michael noticed." You cold?" he said as he walked along the sidewalk, close to the edge. Kristin could barely see him because of the sun's glare, but she put her hand over her face to help." Freezing," she replied as she shivered again. " How do you people live with all of this...cold?"Michael smiled. " You need to like it here to really appreciate living here, and that includes the weather."Kristin wasn't impressed, event though she thought that Michael Grant was sweet, she still had her doubts. She still had her doubts about Edward Grant as well." Okay so here's my car, and you can just follow me," said Michael as he opened the door to his red truck.Kristin's car, a blue Toyota Explorer, was conveniently parked right next to his truck. She got into the car, and blasted any radio station she had on to try and distract herself. Then she followed Michael along a winding long road that looked deserted. Kristin had to admit she had a bad feeling about this, but she needed to get to the library.After about seven minutes on the road, they stopped at a granite building with Roman columns in the front and a huge archway that was covered with vines." Now this," thought Kristin as she got out of the car, " This is a library."The building was moderately big, with arched glass windows along each wall and everything was beautiful. Kristin couldn't help but be in awe." Pretty cool, huh?" said Michael as he snuck up on her, causing her to jump back in fright. He laughed and made his way past her to the wooden doorway. Kristin followed after a moment with her Coach bag in her hand.The inside of the library was gorgeous, and not to mention warm. The carousel lamps were placed along the walls, along with regular lights. The silver granite brought a sense of comfort, and the wooden shelves were packed with an array of books.Michael came over to her after she had stood there in awe for a moment." Hey," he said, " I'm going to go look at some files for my Dad. Nyila's over there, and she'll help you." He pointed to a slim, young woman that was working at the front desk. Then he just disappeared without another word." Okay," said Kristin, more to herself than to Michael, as she sauntered over to Nyila. Kristin felt a bit intimidated by her looks, but she knew that this was the library, what players would go looking here? Nyila looked up from her massive stack of papers scattered all over her granite desk." Hello, how can I help you?" she asked confidently. Her gray eyes glanced at Kristin's face, and seemed to take something into account." Hi, I'm looking for any books on Sarah Clark or the Clark family," Kristin answered. Nyila bit her lip, obviously thinking. Kristin gave her the once over glance, and assessed that she had to be at least twenty-nine or less. Her thick mane of black hair was un-frizzed, and was shiny. Kristin envied Nyila's small lips, and her cute white laced top with a black skirt.Finally Nyila's face lit up." I have just the book," she exclaimed as she made her way from behind the desk and started walking to the Non-Fiction section of the library. Kristin trudged along, still feeling annoyed. Nyila led her to the back section of the Non-Fiction area near a corner.While Nyila was looking for the book, Kristin looked around the huge library. The wooden shelves were filled to the brim with books. " Geesh, even thought this is a small town, they still have lots of books," thought Kristin as she peered at the shelves. The library was so huge, and it smelled like books, which had an indescribable smell but everyone knew what books smelled like. In a word, the library was...cozy. If a library could be cozy..." Aha!" exclaimed Nyila, " I found it!"Kristin's eyes flickered back to Nyila's face. Nyila held in her hands a black book that looked just like Sarah's diary.Kristin could feel the blood drain from her face as she looked at the book.Nyila handed it to her, unaware of her frightened expression." So this book is a copy of Sarah Clark's diary which was made by her husband, William. He said that he made it to keep her memory alive, even though some speculate that he wanted everyone to believe that nothing bad was going on between them. But nevertheless it got published, and sold over 20 million copies. It's kinda of what she wrote but with input from her husband claiming what is false or true. It's very different from most memorial books, but then again the Clarks were very unusual," she said with an edge to her voice.Kristin could feel herself relax, so her diary was the real thing." Okay then, thank you very much,' she said as she turned back to start walking to the front desk." Wait," called out Nyila. Kristin turned and Nyila motioned for her to come closer. Kristin walked back towards her, and glanced at herself in the huge glass window that was behind Nyila, and was bringing in streams of sunlight to the dark library. She breathed a sigh of relief; she didn't look frightened at all." If you want to know more about Sarah Clark, well, my grandfather was the gardener that attended to the Clark's mansion when Sarah died," said Nyila quietly. Kristin could tell that Nyila was anxious and nervous about telling her this." Actually," started Kristin before Nyila could get another word out, " That would be fantastic if you could."Nyila seemed a bit startled and surprised at her reaction." Really?" she inquired.K

ristin nodded eagerly." Yes, it would be very helpful for me to know what really happened in my house," Kristin said in a somber tone.Nyila nodded. " I thought you were the new owner, I saw your picture in the paper, and immediately recognized you at the front desk."" So... you're his granddaughter then," said Kristin slowly, trying to process all of this.Nyila smiled, " Yup, the only grandchild of Anthony Lopez," she replied.Kristin could feel herself getting excited." Alright then, could I have your phone number so I could call you?" Kristin asked as she pulled out her phone. Nyila nodded." 555-218-7745," she said. Kristin typed it in, and saved it under Nyila Lopez. After that Kristin shut her phone and went back to the front desk with Nyila. Nyila got her a new library card, since she was new here, and rang up the book. Kristin put the book in her Coach bag, thanked Nyila and waited for Michael, who was looking at DVDs in the Video section. Finally he came back over to her." Movies?" she asked with a bit of sarcasm in her voice.Michael half-smiled and half-laughed." Yeah well, it's for a project I'm doing."" What project?"Michael gave her a curious look."Um well, it's kind of about your house. You see, my Dad is having me do a project on historical places in this town, and I picked your house. I hope you don't mind, but do you think I could you know, look around just to get a feel for the place," asked Michael.Kristin really didn't know what to say, she had to admit it was a bit weird." Oh, okay. I guess so," she said, only half-heartedly.Michael gave her a huge grin, and hugged her. Kristin was squished between his masculine arms. Then he let go, and Kristin could breathe again. Then they made their way back to their cars, and Kristin followed Michael back to the main road. She hopefully could remember her way back to her house from there.While driving Kristin felt an odd feeling in her stomach, but couldn't figure out what it was. She had a bad feeling about going back home, but then she tried to ignore it. She focused on what she had accomplished today. She had gotten a replica of the diary, which she could pull the facts and the lies from, and she would get to talk with the gardener to find out what really happened that night. Kristin could help but smile when she thought of how much she had gotten out of today.This was just perfect; it was like everyone had been placed here to help her! But then Kristin second thought that, what if this was all intentional? What if the killer planned all of this?And the last thought crept into her mind, what if they all were behind the killings?...Kristin was surprised when Michael pulled up to a house that was right next to the library instead of returning to the highway. Since she had no idea where she was, she followed him. The house casted an unwelcome presence with it's huge irons gate and its gray brick structure. The house had many windows and had a simple rectangle shape to it.It was not at all homey or cozy.As Kristin stepped out of her car she saw Michael walking up the brick walkway to the front door." Who lives here?" called out Kristin.Michael turned around and smiled at her." Me," he answered.Kristin could feel her face go numb with the shock and the cold winds. She was pretty sure that her smile faltered on her face and was replaced with a confused, and scared frown.She bravely walked up the pathway to where Michael stood, and went inside the house when he opened the door for her.The inside of the house smelled like printer paper, and old books. It was darkly lit with a huge, crystal chandelier hanging down from the roof. The walls were lined with sliver wallpaper and the entrance was huge. The floors had intricate rugs woven out of the finest cloth, and the house was beautiful. But the house had a strange feeling to it; it was like you were invading in on it.And that's exactly how Kristin felt as she walked along the halls with Michael.Invading and intrusive.Michael was talking all the while, but Kristin wasn't really listening to him. She was more focused on the fact that the librarian was the gardener's granddaughter. That had been especially interesting, since Sarah had mentioned him in her diary. She wanted to know more about him, but Sarah hadn't mentioned anything extensive about him yet. Kristin wanted to know why he was still in White Village if he was accused of the murders. Maybe he had something he was hiding?Just then, they came to a wooden door with a plague that had the name Michael on it. Kristin lost her train of thought, and stared at the door." Your room?" asked Kristin, getting out of her thoughts.Michael nodded." Yup, got the plague when I became business partners with hhDad," he said with a shake of his head." Wish I hadn't," he admitted with a bitter look in his eyes.That sparked curiosity in Kristin." Why?" she asked rudely.Then realizing her rudeness she said:" You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."Michael gazed at her." Well I owe you something for spilling your coffee," he said with a smirk.Kristin laughed." Yes you do!"Michael then opened the door for her, and then let himself in and shut the door.The room was a nice shade of red, with black furniture and black windows. It looked more like an office than a bedroom. Papers were neatly spread out along his desk, his bed was in the corner, and his swivel chair was behind his looming, large desk." Take a seat," said Michael motioning to his swivel chair.Kristin took up on his offer and sat in the huge, leather chair, while Michael sat on his bed." So what's up with your Dad's business?' she asked, trying to be polite." Dad just thinks that I want to be a real estate agent, and I don't. I'd rather be a photographer," he said.Kristin raised her eyebrows." What kind of photos?"" Well, I'd like to take some pictures of your house and the cliff behind it. I think those would make great pictures," he said with a smile.Kristin smiled condescendingly. She could definitely picture that being a great photograph.Michael suddenly got up from his bed, and excused himself to go put something upstairs.So Kristin was left alone.And she made full use of it. Kristin did not trust Michael or Edward Grant and she quickly decided to " check up on them" in her own way.First she looked at the things on his desk. Most of them were papers about land, grants and whatnot. After seeing nothing important, she moved to the drawers.She opened up the first drawer and froze.Inside were pages of paper, diary pages.The pages that were missing from the Sarah Clark diary.Kristin grabbed them and started to look at them, but was quickly filled with fear when she heard footsteps approaching the door.The door opened slowly, and Kristin stuffed the pages in her purse, and waited for the person to reveal himself or herself.Edward Grant appeared in the doorway and Kristin tensed. He was the last person she wanted to talk to. He looked up, surprised at her." Kristin, what are you doing in my son's room?" he asked.Kristin could feel an ashamed smile on her face starting to form." I met him at the coffee shop and he took me to the library since I had no idea how to get there."Edward nodded, still looking suspicious. Kristin pushed back a lock of hair from her face and placed it behind her ear, a nervous habit from her childhood." I should be going now," said Kristin as she got up, and grabbed her bag. She pretended she was looking for her cell phone, but she was making sure that the papers were in there.They were.Edward moved aside as she made her way out of Michael's room and into the hallway." Kristin," interjected Edward.She turned."Yes?"" Don't come in our house again. I have done a lot to keep Michael away from silly things like girls. Do not mess with what I have established," he warned.Kristin bit her lip.She wanted to tell Edward that Michael and her were not interested in each other. Besides she was way older than he was. That would be just too weird. But Edward obviously did not want to hear anything." Why do you keep him so sheltered?" she asked, knowing that she might not get an answer.He didn't answer her: he just turned around and walked into a room.Kristin didn't even want to follow him. All she wanted to do was get home.So she made her way down the hall and was headed towards the door when a hand stopped her on her shoulder.Kristin frightened, turned.It was only Michael." Why are you leaving? Did my Dad say something to you?" he asked.Kristin just smiled at him." No," she lied, " I just have to go."Michael nodded. He was so clueless!For once Kristin was glad that she was smart." So when can I come over your house to take the pictures?" he asked.Kristin thought about it." Why don't you just give me a call? Your Dad has the number I presume, right?" she said with a smile.Michael nodded, smiling ever so slowly." Yeah, he does. Alright I'll give you a call."Kristin said goodbye, got into her car, and then realized she had no idea how to get back to her house from her." Screw it," thought Kristin as she put the car into gear, " I'll figure it out on my own."Kristin drove for an hour, and then she found the coffee shop. She was glad that she found the coffee shop after only an hour. Any longer and she would have given up. Kristin could find her way home from the coffee shop.She arrived home at four, after being out for six hours. It hadn't seemed like a long time, but it had been. Kristin had been on the couch ever since she had come home. Kristin had reflected on the day's accomplishments. She had gotten rare pieces of evidence that could be very useful in the future. The visit at Edward's house had been... interesting. But she still considered them as main suspects. Kristin had a very distinct view of the Grants now.Dangerous and clueless.Separate they were not that harmful, but together what were they like?...Kristin flopped down on the couch in her living room. She was exhausted. But then she remembered the papers that she stole, and she ran upstairs to grab her purse. She went flying through her purse searching for the papers.The papers were gone. And so were the diary, the real one, and the library one.Kristin couldn't believe it. She had been home for four hours alone, working on a project for work. She had heard nothing. Bill was out gardening, and he had gone home two hours ago.Nobody could have been in the house.Kristin was perplexed. There was no explanation for this, unless she had lost them earlier. Maybe she left them at Mr. Grant's house."That could be a possibility," thought Kristin as she searched through the house.She searched everywhere, under the bed, in closets, and even in the yard with a flashlight.They were gone.Kristin, exhausted and frustrated, decided to call her Mom.She grabbed her phone and dialed the number." Mom," she said as soon as the rings stopped." Honey? Oh, Kristin I miss you so much," choked out Jane.Kristin smiled." I miss you too Mom. How are things?"Jane sighed." Not too good, sweetie. Money's tight, and I can't afford to buy anymore alcohol."Kristin tensed. She hated it when her Dad spent all the money on alcohol instead of real things." Mom, why don't you just come live with me? Please, it would make me feel better," pleaded Kristin.Jane thought about it." How about I visit you? You know how picky I can be about houses," she joked.Kristin felt the fear behind her voice, and knew that her Mom was never going to leave. She was too scared. Not that Kristin blamed her; Dad could be scary. It's just that she didn't have the courage that Heidi or Kristin had to get away from it.Jane Maddow just didn't have it.But Kristin was sick of worrying over her, so she needed to get away." Mom, you need to get away from him," said Kristin, her voice sharp and distraught at the same time. She twirled her blonde hair around her fingers absent-mindedly.She always twirled her hair when she got nervous." Honey I know I do," replied Jane." Then why don't you?" shot back Kristin. It turned out harsher than she intended, but the point was made.Jane looked around her house, which was filled of alcohol bottles and shots. Did she really want to live here?" Your Father's home now, I'll come visit you in two weeks," said Jane as she spied Kevin trudging through the door. She accented the word visit; the real meaning meant that she would move in there with her." By visit you mean live with, right Mom?" asked Kristin practically crying because she was so proud of her Mom.Jane sighed, looking at the house. She never really liked it anyways." Yes, honey I mean it," she said as Kevin grabbed another bottle and chugged it down.Jane was sick of it, and now she would finally get away from him.Kristin was so bubbly the next day that Bill thought she had a fever." Ms. Maddow, why in blazes are you so bubbly today? Are you sick?" he asked her at breakfast. Kristin looked up from her regular bowl of cereal, Raisin Bran, and smiled at the old man." No, Bill. My Mom's coming to live here!" she trilled, falling off her seat and hugging him.Bill chuckled to himself and let go of her." Why is she coming here? I already have enough trouble with you!" he joked.Kristin gave him a look, and washed out her cereal bowl in the sink." She's coming here to get away from my Dad. He's an alcoholic, and she needs to get away," she explained, shutting off the water.Bill nodded thoughtfully." You really want her here after all the complaints and legends about this place?" he asked, finishing his apple.Kristin stopped dead in her tracks.She hadn't thought about that.Was it really a good idea to have her Mom here when someone might be trying to kill her?Kristin paused a moment." I'd rather have her here than anywhere else," she stated.Bill smiled at her, and then left to go do his chores.Kristin went up into her room to work on her project.Her project was to design a poster for a movie that was coming out about a haunted place. Kristin hadn't gotten all the details, like what the place was, but she started it anyways.She turned on her computer and went straight to paint.After painting for two hours, she had a product.Kristin hadn't even thought about what she was doing, she had just painted and went with her gut.The picture looked like the cliff outside of her house.It was an exact replica of it.Except Kristin had put a new message on the tree:Leave me alone!Chapter SevenJane Maddow arrived at the Clark Mansion the following Tuesday. She at first, had been skeptical about moving in with her daughter, but she knew it was for the best. Kristin had been right when she had said that Jane needed to get away. Living with a drunk for about forty years was not how Jane planned to live her life. Kristin knew that, and that's why Jane had listened to her.Jane stared at the huge mansion that her daughter had bought with awe. The only word that came to her mind was fairytale.The house was like a fairytale. It was whimsical, and eye-catching at the same time. The windows, and the balcony reminded her of the castle at DisneyLand.Jane was proud of Kristin, not just because the house was beautiful, but because she had done what Jane hadn't.Lived.Jane then noticed curtains moving along the windows, and guessed that it was Kristin." Mom!" cried Kristin as she ran out of her door, and onto the grass.Kristin felt like a child doing that, but it felt right. She hugged her Mom tightly for a while. Kristin assessed her while hugging her. She looked good. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and her small figure looked healthy. Her Mom's purple dress was a bit young for her, but Kristin didn't say a word.Jane pulled back to look at Kristin.She was the picture of youth, except with just a few laugh lines. Her blonde hair that was the exact same texture and color as Jane's shone in the sunlight. Her green eyes stared into Jane's blue ones with utter excitement. Her red shirt with ruffles, and black pants seemed rock-ish to Jane, but she said nothing. Kristin and Jane didn't see eye to eye about clothes.Jane didn't know why, but she felt like she was looking into Heidi's face for a moment. Sadness filled her for about a second, but then she pushed it away." So," said Kristin smiling, " What do you think?"Jane smiled back at her." It's wonderful, dear."Kristin then realized that her Mom had bags, and she quickly grabbed them with one arm." Kristin I can-" started Jane." No, I got it," called Kristin as she walked away from her Mom with a smile forming on her face.Jane followed her, and was even more in awe when she saw the inside of the mansion.The first thing that she saw was the black iron staircase, and after she saw that, that was pretty much what she stared at. It had caught her full attention." Oh, wow. This is-" Jane trailed off, unable to express her feelings." Yeah, I know, replied Kristin squeezing her Mom's shoulder just a bit.Kristin then proceeded into the room with the red walls and black bookcases. Jane fell in love with the antique desk just like Kristin had.After Jane and Kristin had successfully toured the whole house, they sat down on the couch to relax for a bit. It was about mid-afternoon, and Kristin had delayed working on her project as much as she could today. The whole thing that it had been changed had scared her, and she really didn't want to work on it anymore. They were watching a rerun of Golden Girls. Jane just loved Betty White and so did Kristin." Mom," said Kristin putting down the bowl of popcorn she had made for them, " What did you tell Dad?"Jane paused before answering. She really didn't want to go back to what had happened when she had told Kevin she was leaving." Well, sweetie... I just told him that... I just... told him that I was leaving...for good."Kristin didn't know whether to cry or smile." Mom... that's great!" she choked out, hugging her.Jane leaned in for the hug, and enjoyed Kristin's praise." Thank you sweetie. I'm glad I did it."" I'm so proud of you," whispered Kristin.Jane felt a bit of pride swell up in her, and that caused her to laugh nervously.Kristin joined in, and soon both of them were in hysterics over nothing.Kristin was glad to have spent some time with her Mom. It felt like the good old days. But Kristin was getting bombarded with emails from her boss to finish that poster." Mom. I have to go work for a bit, do you mind if I leave you alone for an hour or so. I kinda need some peace and quiet to work," she asked, feeling like a four year old again.Jane looked at her." Yeah, you can. Kristin just because I'm here doesn't mean you have to ask for everything."Kristin laughed at herself, and went upstairs to go work.She had finished the cliff and the river by the time two o'clock came around.The only thing that stopped her from finishing was hearing her Mom scream...Kristin ran down the stairs to find her Mom talking eagerly with Bill." Mom! What happened? Are you hurt? Where is the burglar?"Jane turned to face her daughter who looked like she was ready to pounce on her." Honey," she said sipping on her coffee, " Your handyman here just surprised me, that's all!"Kristin frowned, and relaxed her posture." Oh, well I just thought-" she trailed off when her Mom gave her an apprehensive look.Jane set down her coffee cup, and moved closer to her daughter, looking at her face. Kristin seemed tense, and fidgety." Darling," Jane said slowly, " Are you alright?"Kristin bit her lip, and suddenly noticed that Bill was nowhere to be found. He had just left.Kristin stared at her Mom. She didn't even have to think about the question, she knew the answer.It was a no, but her Mom couldn't know that. Kristin hadn't been all right since Mr. Grant had threatened her a few days ago. Just the thought of a serial killer scared her. Nevertheless trying to figure out who it was. The picture, and the diaries had been a warning that Kristin should've had listened to.Kristin had been on the edge ever since the diaries had been stolen." Yeah, Mom. I'm fine," she lied as she made herself some coffee.Jane let the matter go, and she picked up her coffee." So, Bill is a nice man, Kristin. I'm glad you're not alone here up in the mountains by yourself," Jane's voice had a tone to it, and that made Kristin feel like she was a kid all over again." Mom, please don't start that again. I am thirty-six, I don't need a babysitter."" But you need a man!"Kristin groaned at the thought of her ex-fiance that she always thought of when people mentioned men to her." I'm sorry, honey, I didn't mean to crash into those waves," apologized Jane, setting down her coffee cup for the twentieth time.Kristin turned around, coffee cup in hand, and looked at her Mom." What waves?" she asked pushing by her to get to the couch.Kristin smiled when she heard her Mom mumbled unintelligent words as she came into the living room and sat next to her." All right don't talk about it," she snapped, knowing her daughter's stubborn ways.Kristin almost choked on her coffee." Okay, I won't," she said.There was an awkward silence between them, and it lasted for quite a while.Finally, about 7 o'clock, they started speaking again." Why did you move up here in the mountains?" asked Jane as she turned on Golden Girls again. Kristin sat besides her in the dark; the TV screen was the only light." I needed to get away, Mom. You know that. It was Alex, and.... Heidi."Kristin knew that she was entering the snake pit for mentioning Heidi. Her Mom was still sensitive about her death." Oh," said Jane looking down at her lap.A few moments passed before she said anything else." I can understand that," said Jane softly.Kristin looked over at her Mom." Mom, do you want to talk about it?"By it she meant Heidi's death.Jane looked over at Kristin." I haven't talked about it since it happened," she whispered.Kristin felt that guilt well up in her, and she wrapped one arm around her Mom." It's okay, Mom. It's hard, hard for all of us."" She was such a pretty girl, so smart, and she had such a future. I curse that damn place, LA or AL for getting her hooked on that man. That's what got her killed."Kristin couldn't have agreed more. La had changed her sister; it had gotten her in love with love." I know, Mom."Jane looked at Kristin with teary eyes. She wiped them, and then she sat back on the couch." I kinda like it here, you know. It's cozy," said Jane after a while as another commercial came on, " How much did you have to pay to get this?"Kristin, glad for a change of topic, smiled." A lot, Mom."Jane smiled at Kristin." Why do you want to know?" she asked.Jane shrugged, " Just trying to make conversation, Kris."Kristin smiled again, and looked out of the dark window. Lightning flashed, and Jane and she both jumped at the thunder." Oh, I hate storms, " complained Jane with a teasing smile when suddenly all of the lights went out.Kristin wasn't worried though, she knew that Bill would come soon and fix it. So, Jane and she sat on the couch in the dark and waited for Bill.Five minutes passed by, and nothing.Ten minutes and there was still no sign of Bill. The thunder got louder, and the repeated booming cut off all noises.Thirty minutes, and there was no sign of him. Jane had finally fell silent, after much fussing about how Kristin should know how to fix the lights. So it was silent between them.Then after about forty-five minutes the lights came back on.Kristin blinked at the harsh light, and gasped in horror at what laid before her.Corpses, dead rotting corpses laid on the floor.Their skin was rotted and reeked, their bodies mangled and twisted.Kristin didn't remember hearing anything, and she looked about to find her Mom.She found her, dead on the floor next to the other corpses.Kristin couldn't breathe. She was just shocked to her core. Her Mom was dead, just like Heidi. Her Mom had no injuries on her; maybe it was something in her coffee? Poison in her coffee. But that didn't seem likely since Kristin had drunk the same coffee.Bill came running in, his sneakers wet, and his baseball cap soaked." Ms. Maddow are-" his words were cut off when his eyes traveled to the gruesome sight before him. He didn't move, he just stood there, all the while saying how unfortunate it was while Kristin held a blank, and unchanging stare.Kristin didn't move off of the couch for a long time. She felt like her whole world had spun out of control." Mom," she whispered even though she knew that she wouldn't get an answer.Kristin wrung her hands, and paced back and forth wondering how someone could have killed her Mother without her knowledge. They were the only ones in here.How was it that someone could-?Kristin stopped dead in her tracks and called the police station immediately after a sudden revelation. She had people in mind that could have killed her Mom and she had a feeling she knew who it was.Finally the police came, and asked Kristin to explain what happened.She did and then she told them about her three main suspects that she had come up with since the beginning.Number One, Edward GrantNumber Two, Michael GrantAnd,Number Three, Bill Beckingfield....Kristin had still been in shock throughout the next week about her Mom's death and the rotting corpses. The image of her Mom had been permanently burned into her memory.It was all she could think about.All she could dream about.All she could talk about.The doctors had said that she had died from toxic fumes that had been pressed onto her mouth by a cloth. It had been murder, not an accident.Her death had caused Kristin to mull things over in her head about that night in her bedroom all alone.What had happened that night?It had seemed to Kristin that they had been all alone, but they apparently weren't.Who had been there?There was a possibility that it could have been Bill seeing as he is the caretaker of the household. But no murderer would have enough time to change into other clothes without causing a disturbance.Then there was Edward. The creepy realtor who had something up his sleeve, and had no intentions of telling Kristin what it was.And last but not least, there was Michael. He could be clueless, but maybe even deceptive if he was working with his father on some old family grudge against the Clarks?Michael was the only one that didn't have the motive to do it. The other two had motive, at least that's what Kristin thought.But who was the real killer? And was this killer connected to Sarah Clark?...It was a Tuesday night when the most unexpected thing happened to Kristin.Kristin was upstairs in her room, grieving in her black dress, when the doorbell rang.In no mood to hurry, Kristin slowly descended down the stairs, and opened the door.In the doorway standing with a beer bottle in his hands, was her father.His mustache, fully grayed hair, and green eyes were unmistakable to Kristin and she blinked in surprise." Dad?" she said, her voice wavering on disbelief.He glanced at her, dropped the beer bottle, and embraced her hard. Kristin, stuck between his crushing arms, had no emotion in her whatsoever and just wanted to crawl back into bed and grieve. Her whole body just felt numb, it was like she wasn't even living her own life.When Kevin let go, Kristin stepped back and just stared at him." I hate you," she said, her eyes glaring at him with intensity.Kevin looked sheepish at his youngest daughter." Krissy, now you know you don't-"" I said I hate you!" shot Kristin, too angry with him to act like an adult.Kevin looked affronted. " What do you mean, you hate me?"Kristin let out a cross between a squeal, and a shriek, and walked away from him.Kevin, to her surprise, followed her to the living room." Kristin, now will you just stop this!" he yelled as she sat down on the couch with her back turned to him. He sat down next to her, and fumbled with something.Kevin mumbled under his breath as he sat there." Well, are we going to talk about this or not?" he roared.Kristin slowly turned her head around and looked at her father." Talk about what?" she said, her voice lifeless.Kevin mumbled again." You know damn well what we need to talk about! I want to get this over with as much as you do, so let's talk," he yelled, turning purple in the face.Kristin shook her head. " Mom was sick of you, I was sick of you, hell- we all were sick of you, Dad! You turned into a monster!" shouted Kristin.She took a deep breath, and then dissolved into tears."And now Mom's dead, and so is Heidi, and I'm stuck here with you!" she cried, her voice thick. Her words had come out harsh, but Kristin had no remorse. She was grieving, and her father had no right to disrupt her.Kevin sat there, silent while Kristin sobbed. Finally she stopped, and he said something." You do know that I loved her, right?" he said quietly.Kristin wiped the smudged mascara off of her face with her fingers, and looked up at him." I guess so."Kevin's face almost grew into a smile." Then why are you so angry at me?"Kristin chewed on her lip, thinking of ways to put this gently without losing her temper or sanity." It's just," she took a breath, " because you and Mom never got along. You were always fighting, and always drinking. It made a big impact on Mom. I just... didn't like that she was so skittish and so afraid of you. I didn't like the way you treated her, Dad. You treated her like shit. Now she's dead because she wanted to get away from all that."Kevin sat back in the couch, whistling all the while." I never realized-" he started, " I- I never realized that I scared her. I never meant to do that, Krissy; I never meant to harm her. I just got so stressed, I felt good when I was drunk, I thought I was being a great father, and a great husband."" Well, you were wrong on both accounts," snapped Kristin, loosing her cool for a moment.Kevin looked at her, his green eyes matching hers." I know that now, thanks to you," he said softly.Kristin felt that awkward feeling that she had felt whenever she confronted an adult about something. She felt invaded in some ways." Why don't you stay here, Dad? Just stay here until you're sober enough to drive. I don't want any more accidents," suggested Kristin, getting up off of the couch, and walking into the kitchen.Kevin stayed where he was for a moment." Just like her Mother," he mused, and then he got up and followed her.Kristin turned on a single light in the kitchen, and sat down on the chairs next to the table. Kevin sat next to her, his slightly overweight body covered by his red shirt, and jeans." Kristin," said Kevin as he glanced around the room, " You've made quite a life for yourself haven't you?"Kristin smiled just a bit." Well, I was always the one who wanted the huge house with the big trees," she said remembering her childhood.Kevin's face was manifested with a smile immediately." Ah, yes, your princess days. The castles, and the knights."" Don't forget the fights, and the crocodiles in my lake," laughed Kristin.They both looked at each other. At that moment, they both saw the younger versions of each other. Kristin, as a six year old, posing for her pictures, and smiling all the time. Kevin in his youth, working on inventions and whatnot.They both sat there for a while, just mulling that over." So, do you want to talk about it?" asked Kevin after a while.Kristin gripped the tiled countertop gently, and bit her lip hard."No."" Do you know who did it?" asked Kevin gently.Kristin shook her head."No."Kristin felt that word slip out of her mouth before she could realize it. No. No, that had always been a word that had been captivating to her. It could be so powerful, and yet so weak in some situations.They sat in silence again.It was now about 11'o clock, and they both had no intentions of sleeping.Suddenly in the middle of a conversation about the house, the phone rang.Kristin leaped up, and answered it." Hey, Kristin, uh it's Michael! I think you should come outside of your house and see this!" he said with panic in his voice.Kristin was immediately confused and disturbed that he was right outside of her house.She dropped the phone, and ran to the window, furiously pulling back the shades.There he was, standing a few feet back from the house, staring at.... Something.Kristin cursed under her breath, ran outside, with no shoes on, and looked at the horrible sight that was to be seen....Chapter EightKristin ran outside, and stood in horror at the scene above her.On the windowsills of her house were the rotted corpses from her Mom's death, and the corpses were just hanging on the sills by ropes tied around their necks.It was a gruesome and terrifying sight.Kristin stood next to Michael with the same scared expression on her face." Who did this?" she whispered.Michael shook his head." Don't know. I just came over here to return to you those papers that I saw you take, they were in my father's desk by the way, and I saw... this."Kristin's gaze turned to the papers that were in Michael's hands." Here," said Michael as he gave them to her, " I know you want to read these, so here."She took them from him, and looked them over.They were the papers that Kristin had tried to steal." Thanks, Michael," she said still staring at the bodies.Michael shrugged, " No problem."They both then stared at the corpses swaying in the breeze on the windowsills." Kristin, what in the blazes-" yelled Kevin as he ran out of the house, and looked at the corpses. He stood still, as if frozen in time.Then he looked from Kristin to Michael with utter confusion on is face." Is this some type of wilderness joke? Who the bloody hell did this?" he screamed, gesturing towards the rotted bodies.Kristin glanced at them, and then turned to her father." I don't know, Dad," she said, worried.Kevin gave her a harsh look and stared at the sight." Well, I'm going to find out who did this!" he called as he started to walk away.Kristin followed him and grabbed his arm." Oh, no you're not! You are going home, Dad. I'll take care of this. You are too drunk, and you need to go home!" she persisted.Kevin stared at her for a long time before mumbling to himself, and getting into his car." Dad!" called Kristin, running towards him, " Let me drive you home."Kevin grimaced, " Fine," as she got into the car, and started up the engine.Then they drove to the local train station, got Kevin a ticket to Albany, New York, and sent him off on his way. He had persisted to stay, not wanting to leave Kristin to fend for herself, but Kristin hadn't listened, and had him put on the train.Kristin returned back to her house in thirty minutes after a much-heated argument with her father about her safety at the train station.When she returned, Kristin found the corpses burning in her front lawn, and Bill and Michael standing there, just watching." What in the world?" exclaimed Kristin, getting out of her car, and walking towards them.Bill turned to look at her, and so did Michael. Their faces were covered with soot and dirt, and black smoke billowed from the fire's flames.Kristin could feel the heat of the fire, and got a bit closer. Soon enough, she was standing in between Bill and Michael." What's all this about?" she asked, looking at the burning corpses with fear.Bill smiled darkly." A warning, Ms. Maddow," he said as he lugged another log into the fire, " A warning to the S.O.B that put those corpses up on your windows."Kristin shivered." So, you know who did it then?" she assumed.She looked to Michael, hoping that he would tell her. Michael's face remained dark, and he just stared at the fire.Kristin then turned to Bill." So who is it?"Bill pulled his old baseball cap down on his head." Ms. Maddow, you already know who it is."Kristin felt confused, and she stared at Bill waiting for an explanation." I tried to catch him, Ms. Maddow, I really did. But he's just too clever. Well, at least we know now whom we can trust, and who we can't, can't we Michael?" said Bill with an apologetic tone to his voice. Michael's face remained impassive, and Kristin wondered what could be wrong." I still have no clue who it is," she admitted.With that, Michael started walking away from the fire, mumbling under his breath that he had to leave.So, Kristin was left alone with Bill, and the burning corpses.The darkness of the night filled Kristin with dark thoughts, and made her feel drowsy. The smoke, and the fire felt surreal to her, and she just wanted this all to be a bad nightmare. But she knew that this was no nightmare, this was her life. And as much as she hated it, it was hers.Bill poked the fire a bit more, and the last remains of any corpse disappeared as smoke into the night sky. Kristin looked up at the sky with loathing. The sky didn't have a serial killer after it, now did it?Kristin sighed, and looked back at Bill." Will you just tell me who it is?" she snapped, annoyed.Bill's face turned dark, and Kristin was momentarily scared of the old man." Ms. Maddow, " he paused, "The killer is your realtor. A Mr. Edward Grant, I believe that is his name..."Kristin stared at Bill with utter shock on her face." What?" she exclaimed, hoping that he was just kidding.He nodded, and glanced at the fire." I saw him, running away near the forest after the bodies were put up. I ran after him, yelling all the while, and he just got away from me. I'm so sorry, Ms. Maddow. I'd rather have him in jail than running around here, just waiting to get you."Kristin swallowed uneasily." Thanks, Bill. That's make me feel real better," she said sarcastically.He smiled just a bit." Anytime, miss."She glanced at his face with a little bit of compassion. She felt bad for the old man; he was only trying to help her." So, is that why Michael ran off?" she asked." Yup, poor kid," mused Bill sadly.Kristin could relate, and her hear lurched for Michael. He may not have been the smartest person, but he had been caring." So how did Edward do all of this?" questioned Kristin, still hoping that he was kidding.Bill gave her a sharp look."He knows the house inside and out, knows every corner, crook, and nanny in the place. He has the house under surveillance, and he has a key. Ms. Maddow, the real question is; how could he not do this and not get caught?"Kristin understood his logic, but for some reason still didn't believe him." Also," continued Bill, " Michael told me that his Dad has been missing since this morning, and he hasn't seen him since."" But, it just doesn't add up!" interrupted Kristin, throwing up her hands into the night sky.Bill frowned." Ms. Maddow, on the contrary it does all add up. He is the realtor; he knows everything about you and the home. He knows your work hours, and your schedule. It's the perfect plan."Kristin thought about that for a while, and stared at the extinguishing fire. The flames seemed to taunt her that that was not the right answer. She suspected that Bill was trying to hide something, and she felt a surge of fear take over her.Finally she thought of something to say without giving too much away." Bill, have you ever watched those crime shows on TV?" she asked.Bill looked wary but he answered her question." Yes, loads of times."" Then you would know that sometimes the killer is not the one who has the perfect plan in place. Sometimes it's the person you'd least expect it to be."With that, she walked away with Michael's papers in her hands, and locked herself in her room. Not even the light pink paint of the walls could comfort her; she was too scared.Quickly, as if someone was watching her, Kristin whipped out her phone and dialed Nyila's number." 555-218-7745," she said out loud as she punched in the numbers.It rang three times before someone answered." Hello, this is Nyila Lopez, who is this?" said a sweet voice on the other end." Oh, Nyila, how glad I am to hear from you!" gushed Kristin without telling Nyila her name." Oh, hi... Kristin! How are you, it's kind of late at night for a phone call from you," she yawned.Kristin yawned as well." Well, I had to speak to you as soon as I could, and I'm sorry if I disturbed you. It's just everything is getting so... out of hand with the house and the murders, and I don't know if I can take much more of this!" cried out Kristin fearfully.Nyila sighed frustrated." Can you stick it out one more night, and then why don't you come over and talk to my Grandfather?" suggested Nyila.Kristin thought about that, biting on her lip for a while." Alright, I will. Where does he live?"" 22nd Heart Street in the Bouland Nursing House, Apartment 4B," answered Nyila.Kristin wrote it down on a piece of paper, and tucked it into her purse." Okay, thank you Nyila," she said, relieved." No problem, I'll see you tomorrow!"Then she hung up, and Kristin was left in the darkness and silence.Kristin was not going to lie to herself. She was scared straight. Everything she thought she knew would be turned upside down in a few hours.In a few hours Kristin would know the truth.Kristin lay down on her bed with her black dress still on, and tried to sleep.But it was to no prevail. She just couldn't sleep. So, she took out the diary pages that Michael had gave her and started to read them.Dear Diary, November 21 1936I went to go see Dr. Henry Grant yesterday, and he informed with the most terrifying news I could ever hear. William is becoming an alcoholic, and he was a disease that most people don't know about. But I cannot remember what the name of it is.... Anyway, he told me that the reason for William's strange behavior is because of this disease. He becomes abusive and violent whenever he is angry. William told me that tomorrow he and I are going to talk. I don't know if that is such a good idea. We are having a party for our dear old friend, the Dr. Henry Grant. He has been such a help to us whenever Jennifer was sick or anything like that. He said that he would keep a close eye on Will for me. I am relieved to hear that. Will keeps talking about my parent's money and he keeps threatening me that he'll kill me if he doesn't get the money soon. But I stood my ground, and told him no.We haven't spoken since, and that was two days ago.Oh, Diary I am so fearful of tomorrow.Kristin realized that this was the last diary entry Sarah ever made, and she cringed. Kristin put the diary down, and fell into a deep sleep.Just then, a shadow of a figure appeared in Kristin's window.Kristin didn't notice; she was too tired and sleepy. The figure stared at her, figuring out the best time to get rid of her before she knew too much and went to the police. The figure reached out its hands and slowly and carefully opened the window to Kristin's room, and climbed in.Kristin never woke up.Chapter NineKristin awoke from a hard night's sleep to her window being open. Being as paranoid as she was, she immediately jumped out of bed and ran to the window to investigate. Nothing she saw could be connected to a burglary.Darn she thought, I thought I caught him.Kristin moved sluggishly back to her bed, and stared at her room with suspicion. She could have sworn that someone had been in here last night.But as no evidence showed up, she dismissed the idea and went about on her daily routine. She got dressed in her navy blue skirt, and navy blue top and her white heels.Then she went downstairs with her purse around her wrist, and the diary clutched in her hand. She walked straight out of the house, and got into her car.She drove all the way to the nursing home in about five minutes.She got out of the car, and started to walk up the brick pathway to the building when she noticed something in her car.She peered into the back window and saw a horrible sight.It was Mr. Edward Grant's body stuffed in the back of her car. At the sight, Kristin screamed and ran into the nursing home in a dash.The gold walls and carpet could not comfort her at all. She ran up to the front desk, panting.The receptionist glanced at her over her rimmed glasses. Her red hair cascaded down her shoulders. Her green eyes bore into Kristin's with a sense of loathing." Can I help you, Miss?"" Yes, there is a dead body in the back of my car, and I did not put it there," gasped Kristin.The receptionist's face turned alarmed." Excuse me, Miss?"Kristin groaned." THERE IS A DEAD BODY IN MY CAR!" she shouted, annoyed at her.The whole place went silent, and everyone turned to stare at Kristin.Kristin could feel herself blush with embarrassment. She knew that what she was saying was ridiculous, but there really was a dead body in the back of her car.The receptionist gave Kristin a small smile." Okay, Miss. Why don't you just calm down, and I'll go check your car. But remember, you need to use your indoor voice when you're inside, okay?" she said with a cheesy smile.Kristin stopped for a moment. This woman thought that she was crazy. Maybe she was crazy, but she knew that there was a dead body in the back of her car.Kristin decided to shut up as the lady got out from behind her desk, and proceeded outside." Which one, Madam?" she asked rudely.Kristin pointed to her car, and the receptionist walked over to it.As soon as she looked inside, she screamed and ran back into the building.Kristin didn't move from her spot. She stood there, silent and still.Then the receptionist came back out with a funny look on her face." I called the police," she said stuttering," They're coming to take you in."Kristin gaped at her, and looked around the empty parking lot." Me? Why me?" she asked.The receptionist gave her a baleful glare." The dead body is in your car, Madam."Kristin understood what she meant. If the dead body was in her car that meant that she killed him. But that was completely opposite of what was true.Kristin wondered, as she waited for the police, who put the dead body in her car. Suspects rolled around in her head like an impossible question.Who could have done this?Just as the police cars pulled up, Kristin spotted Nyila and immediately grabbed her before she could go inside." Nyila, you need to take your Grandfather to the jail and meet me there, please?" she asked, begging.Nyila nodded, unsure of what she was talking about. That was when the police came and took Kristin away.A figure stood near Kristin Maddow's car who was glad that everything was going according to plan. The next step was to get rid of the bubbly New York girl who had ended up in so much more than she had ever anticipated....Kristin sat in the jail cell anxiously awaiting Nyila's and her Grandfather's arrival. She needed to know the truth, now more than ever.She sat in the gray-celled box tapping her feet lightly on the cold, hard floor. People of all ages surrounded her, most of them dirty and staring at her with a creepy expression on their faces.Then Nyila's face came into view, and Kristin sighed with relief. Nyila pushed a man in a wheelchair; who had a wrinkly face with puffs of white on the top of his head." Grandpa, this is my friend Kristin. She wants to talk to you about The Clarks," half-yelled Nyila in her Grandpa's ear. The old man nodded, and looked at Kristin.Nyila came close to Kristin's ear." He's a bit deaf, but he does hear you. I'm going to talk to the police about getting you out on bail, okay?"" Thank you so much," said Kristin, hoping that this would never happen again.Then Nyila turned the corner, and disappeared.Kristin moved closer to the old man, he was about 75, maybe even 78." Mr. Lopez, can you tell me what happened the night that Mrs. Clark died?" she said in a loud clear voice.Mr. Anthony Lopez stared right at her." You mean, Sarah right?" he yelled.Kristin nodded, and took out the diary." This was hers," she said passing it to the old man.Lopez gently turned it over and over looking at it carefully." Yes, this was Sarah's."" Mr. Lopez," she said catching his attention, " Can you tell me what happened that night?"Anthony got this pained look on his face, like he was being confronted by the ghosts of his past." That night, that horrific night, is that what you want me to talk about?" he asked. His face turned harsh, and his brown eyes glared with hate." Yes... please."Anthony sighed." I was at the mansion, of course, I was always at the mansion. The party had already started, and everything seemed to be going smoothly. Sarah looked beautiful in her whit satin dress. She was socializing with the other women in a corner. My job was to watch Jennifer, Sarah's daughter, but my God that little girl could run faster than I ever could. The party went along as it did usually. And then Will walks by with another whiskey in his filthy hands, and he trudges over to Sarah during the party, and grabs her by the arm.' Come on, Sarah,' he said, his voice angry. Sarah looked back at me, and only me. And once they left the party, I followed them out there. They were fighting and there was no mistaking that. You could've heard them yelling at the party if you were paying good enough attention," said Anthony, pausing for a moment.Kristin could clearly picture it in her mind exactly what happened. So they had been hosting a party when William took Sarah outside to talk or to argue for that matter." Do you remember what they were arguing about?" encouraged Kristin." Yes. I remember exactly what they were arguing about. You see, Sarah's parents were enormously rich, and they died in a tragic car accident. Sarah, being their first-born received all of the money that her parents had had, and her entire inheritance. That was a lot of money back in those days, Ms. Kristin. So they were arguing about her parent's money. William thought that the money should be his, since he was the man in the house. Sarah, she didn't like that. She thought that if it was her money, that she should get it. Will didn't like that, thought that it was too independent for a woman to be thinking like that. So, he brought her out to the cliff, and tried to reason with her.I followed them and hid behind a bush near the cliff. They were really yelling at each other now. I could see that Sarah was scared of him; Will had a temper when he drank. They yelled some more, and Sarah tried to grab the bottle from William's hands. He didn't like that and then he pushed her. I heard her scream, and then there was a sickening crack, and William left the scene. I peered out of the bush, and saw her mangled body sprawled along the rocks, blood flowing out of her into the river.I immediately felt anger and I ran back to the house. Everyone from the party was gone, and I searched the house trying to find William. I figured that if I couldn't prove that he killed her that I shouldn't say anything to anyone in the house. After running around the house for a while, I ran outside. I didn't see him, and went around back to get back in. The doors were locked, all of them. It was then that I saw William with a match in his hands. I tried to stop him, but it was no use. He put the burning match to the wooden house, and it burst into flames with a help of a few more matches. I watched in horror as the smoke billowed into the dark night, and the screams of the servants. The worst part was the screams of Jennifer and Madeline. I couldn't bear to listen to that."Kristin stayed quiet for a while." So, who is this person who's trying to kill me?" she asked.Anthony's lips pressed together tightly." Let me finish telling the story," he snapped with a glare.Kristin nodded, and shut up." Now, William had caught the attention of everyone in the neighborhood, and he grabbed me and gagged me with his hands. I tried to get off of him while the neighbors gathered around. ' I don't know what happened,' lied William. 'Sarah's dead, and the gardener killed her. I saw him, that's why I have him trapped. He murdered my wife and set fire to my house.'"Kristin stared at Anthony with her mouth wide open." So, he blamed you for the deaths," she whispered.Lopez nodded." Then after the fire, I got put into jail, and he changed his name and left this town for a while."Kristin's ears pricked up." What do you mean he changed his name and left this town for a while?" she asked, staring at him knowing that he knew something." Kristin, the person who wants you dead is someone you know very well. What is another name for William, sort of a nickname?" he asked.Kristin thought and thought." I don't know," she answered looking at him." Bill, Ms. Kristin. Bill is another name for William. Now, do you know anyone who's name is Bill?" he asked.Kristin stared horror-stricken at him." You don't mean? It couldn't possibly-"" I'm afraid it's true," sighed Anthony Lopez."The killer is no other than Bill Beckingfield."Chapter TenKristin stared at the old man who had just told her that her caretaker for the house was a murderer." Explain," choked out Kristin, numb with shock.The old man ran a veined hand through the tuffs of his white hair." Do you need an explanation, Ms. Maddow? Or do you just want to hear one to get confirmation, because something tells me that you knew this a long time ago."Kristin, baffled for a moment, sat down farther away from the man, and thought about that. She had suspected him of course, but never would have tied him to the murder.Just then, Nyila came striding through the door with a smile on her face. Kristin could only give her a meek smile back." Did you guys get everything sorted out?" she asked, pushing Anthony away from the cell.Anthony looked at Kristin with a secret buried in his eyes." Course," answered Kristin falsely.Nyila gave her a dazzling smile." Okay, well we're gonna go now! You do know you can come out of there now. I got you out! You owe me 15,000 for it though!"Kristin smiled falsely as she got out of the cell and headed out with them.Nyila turned to Kristin while in the parking lot." Do you want us to drive you home?"Kristin then realized that her car was gone, still in the parking lot at the Home." Thanks so much. I really appreciate this, Nyila!"She got into the front with Nyila, and Anthony was in the back. The car ride home was awkward. Anthony kept staring at Kristin with this sad look on his face, and Kristin desperately avoided his eyes, and tried to talk to Nyila." Were the police officers nice to you?" she asked.Nyila smiled." Yes, well as it happens, I happened to know the jailer so I told him that you were a friend of mine and he said no problem about letting you out."Kristin faked a smile at her, and then stayed quiet the rest of the trip. Soon enough, they rounded the corner and pulled into the driveway.She felt an overwhelming sense of fear well up inside of her as she saw the mansion.Suddenly Kristin didn't want to go inside." Will you be alright here?" asked Nyila.Kristin blinked, and nodded.Before she left, she saw Anthony give her a mysterious look." Ms. Maddow, I have some advice for you," he said looking at the house.Kristin turned around and looked at him, while Nyila rolled her eyes at his statement." Oh, Grandpa, leave her alone. No more of your ridiculous stories about your cat!"Anthony ignored her, and stared at Kristin." Just don't get caught near the boiler or the cliff, will you?" he said stone-faced.Kristin nodded slowly and opened her door.Then she got out of the car slowly and walked up to the front door. She watched with fear as the car left the driveway and disappeared.Kristin waited a few moments before taking out her keys and opening the door.Then she slowly walked inside and shut the door behind her. She lingered leaning up against the door, thinking about what was to come. She really should have called the police, but with no proof they would never believe her. And there was no proof at all.There was nothing that could connect Bill to being William Clark, except for the fact that Bill is a nickname for William.Kristin's thoughts were going at a mile a minute. This seemed all surreal to her. It was like she was in a bad horror movie. Sometimes she really felt like she was in one.She clutched the diary that was tucked in her purse tightly. With the other hand, she pulled out her cell phone.She dialed Michael's number quickly.He didn't pick up so she left a message." Hey, Michael it's me, Kristin. Um I was just wondering if you could stop by the house as soon as you can, I just don't' want to be alone right now. I have a bad feeling... well never mind just come as soon as you-"A hand tore away her cell phone and it landed on the floor. Kristin watched as a foot stomped on it, crushing it.Shaking with fear, she looked up to see who it was.It was Bill.Kristin wasted no time trying to run away, but in a second Bill had her pinned down.She struggled furiously all the while screaming, cursing herself for stupidly not having Nyila come into the house just in case.Bill put a gag over her mouth and roughly tied up her hands.Kristin soon realized that this was the fate of many of the skeletons buried in the walls of her house. Bill must have killed them all too.Bill directed her across the lawn, and onto the cliff where Sarah had died. Once there, he uncovered her gag, and she screamed. After that he put the gag back on her, and tied her up to the tree near the rushing river.Then he pulled out a knife.Kristin nearly cried in fright, and tried to get her hands free but it was no use.Bill stalked towards her, and kept his eyes on her face." I guess little boy Anthony told you all about me, didn't he? Yeah, that's what I thought... Well, I just have to confirm it all now don't I? Well, Ms. Maddow. It's true.I am William Clark. Yes, yes I know, a bit old and wrinkled, but still the same on the inside. I bet you want to know why I brought you here... well, I need to have you killed. You just know too much about me to live. And I'm very, very sorry about doing this, I really am. You were actually one of my favorite owners of this house. But you just know too much," he paused, " If only you hadn't gone looking for answers to a mystery that was not yours to solve! "He raised the knife, and she shut her eyes tightly and waited.He pulled her up onto her feet, the ropes on her arms and her gag cut loose, and dragged her to the edge of the cliff. Kristin tried to keep her balance, but she was slipping.She now knew what had happened in this house. She knew what horrors it contained, and what more horrors will come if she couldn't stop Bill.This would go on forever if Bill was never stopped. There would be more killings, and no one would ever know the truth.Kristin stared at the fatal waters down below, and took a breath." I really am sorry, Ms. Maddow. But if Sarah died this way, so do you," said Bill as he pushed her down into the rocky waters. She fell with a scream, and Bill heard no more from her.Just then a force pushed Bill into the water, and he fell into the rocks with a sickening crack. He died in an instant.Michael Grant franticly looked for Kristin in the crashing waves below. He saw a spot of blonde hair, and he called out her name. No answer.Kristin sputtered water from her mouth as she swam upwards for air.She couldn't believe that Bill had tried to kill her.She finally reached the surface and gasped for air.Kristin looked at the brown, high rocks that felt like they were closing on either side of her. She spied a man's build on the cliff, and she tried to call out for help, but she stopped abruptly when she saw Bill's mangled body float past her, and down the river bend.She felt like she couldn't breathe.Suddenly strong hands grabbed her and pulled her to the shore.She looked up at her savior, and started to pour out the whole story.Kristin blurted out the whole story to Michael, all the while sobbing hysterically because she had almost been killed. Michael had listened with understanding eyes, and had comforted her until they got back to the mansion.Once there Kristin curled up on the couch, and Michael sat down next to her." Once you called me," he said with a sigh, " I knew, I just knew it was him, and I ran to find you."Kristin was too touched to say anything so she kept quiet as Michael kept talking." Want to know how I knew it was him?" he asked, not waiting for an answer, " My Dad kept these files in his desk, and right after he disappeared I found them. They were all of the testaments against Bill from years ago, and my Dad was going to try and help you out. But he didn't know if you knew or if you were too scared to do anything. But when Bill murdered him, I just had to be sure that you were safe. So as soon as you called me, I got the police and drove like crazy to get here."Kristin smiled, " So what are the papers about?"Michael's face turned serious." Here, you look," he said giving them to her. He turned away and stared at the trees while Kristin looked.All of the testaments said the same thing about each of the things that William Clark, or Bill had been accused of.GUILTY of:Manslaughter, disorderly conduct, abuse, alcohol charges, and last but not least: murder.But why no one had ever brought these up, or even had them in their possession was a question that Kristin had to know the answer to." Who had these documents before your Dad?" she asked, shuffling them neatly into the cover." My ancestor, Henry Grant, the doctor that Sarah Clark had gone to see. Apparently she had hid these documents from Will, saying that she had gotten rid of them, but she gave them to my ancestor instead."" That's so interesting," she said lifelessly.Michael gave her a concerned look." You look a bit shaken up, do you want to go back into the house?"Kristin froze at the thought of going back into the house, but then she agreed and headed back inside.When inside, she got bombarded with questions from the police. After an hour of asking stupid and pointless questions, they left with Bill in a body bag being carried away to his grave.Kristin shuddered as she looked back at the cliff. It seemed to almost be a ghost of her past now. Like it had faded away and it's memory was left in it's place.She mulled over what had happened today. Lies. That's all it took for Bill to get away with all of this. Just one little white lie at a time helped him cover up his murders.It was sickening to think about, but that's all.Kristin pulled her knees closer to her chest, and put her chin up on her knees in an attempt to relax.She couldn't stop saying it over and over again in her head.Bill had tried to kill her.She never would have guessed it. Not in a million years.Suddenly the doorbell rang, and she froze, thinking that it could be Bill at the door. Michael, after realizing that she wouldn't move from the couch, got up and walked towards the door." Are you crazy?" cried out Kristin. He whirled around, giving her a strange look." I'm going to open the door, is that now considered crazy?"Kristin shifted her weight on the couch, " No. But it may be... Bill," she said looking at her lap in embarrassment.Michael sighed, and approached the door once more.He opened it, and he gasped in shock. Kristin peered around, and over him trying to see what had frightened him.All of a sudden, a whirl of white passed by Michael and came near her.The smoke appeared as a woman. A woman with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a pale, pale white dress on.Kristin knew who she was in a matter of seconds.She was Sarah Clark, the ghost of Sarah Clark.She only appeared for a moment, and then she disappeared. Evaporated into white smoke, and was never seen again.Kristin and Michael were both baffled by this for the rest of the night, and Kristin went to sleep upstairs in her room while Michael had the couch.In the morning, Kristin awoke to her father and Alex, her old fiance, staring at her." Alex, Dad? What- what are you doing here?" she asked, rubbing her head, and eyes in confusion." We came here as soon as Michael called us to make sure that you were okay. I knew that damn gardener was up to something!" cursed Kevin as he patted Kristin's hand. Kristin moved slowly, hoping that she was dreaming. She glanced at Alex, her ex- fiance with his black hair, and dark brown eyes." I'm just here to apologize," he said in his calm voice.She frowned; clearly annoyed that he had came. Kevin noticed his daughter's lightening bolt looks at Alex, and he coughed to get her attention." Kristin. Stop it," he said glaring at her. She glared back; annoyed that she was irritated this early in the morning. She looked at the clock; it was 6am.She looked at both her father, and fiance." I have to get dressed now," she hissed. They both looked at each other, grinned, and left the room. Alex stayed behind just to say one thing." Kristin," he called out. She looked up at him, lightening bolts shooting from her eyes." What?"He smiled, and her heart unexpectedly melted." I missed you, and... I still love you." She scoffed, and he moved closer to her." Listen, while we were apart, I spent every dollar I had trying to find you. I realized that I was stupid, and made a mistake of not going to our wedding. I hope that you can forgive me."Kristin softened up a bit after that. Alex leaned in, and kissed her softly and only for a moment." I guess... I can forgive you," she mumbled, blushing. He smiled, and she couldn't help but smile back. Then he left the room, and shut the door.Slowly Kristin got out from under the sheets, and started to get dressed when she noticed something odd.She smelled smoke. Fire-like smoke, like something was burning to the ground. Then she heard screams, and shrieks. She quickly got dressed and ran down the stairs.Halfway down the stairs, she stopped short and gasped.The w

hole mansion was going up into flames. Kristin realized that the boiler downstairs had leaked, and now the whole house was in flames.Kristin looked around for Alex, Michael, and her Dad, but she couldn't find them in the pillar of smoke and fire.She coughed, and coughed as the smoke choked her throat. Finally she found a small door, and she climbed through it.The forest air had never felt so good in her lungs. She gasped as she tried to catch her breath. A burst of laughs caught her attention, and she looked up to find words etched on the ground in what it appeared to be red paint.-See what happens when you try and get rid of me?-Then a snap was heard, and Kristin whirled around to see Bill, as a ghost, holding a lighted match in his hand. He floated there for a while, and then he disappeared.Kristin was left with nothing, no family, no fiance, no friends.Nothing but a burning house and some ancient lies that laid there.
