Bastet Mysteries book 1

4. Warning

"Now that is a bit strange, don't you think, dear?" Mother said looking at the letter she had taken into her hand. It looked like she was about to open it and Jessie snatched it quickly. It was for her after all.

"I suppose it is. But let's humor the ghost of the old man," she said in an attempt to lighten the mood. Not with very good success if the expression on her mother's face was anything to go by. Mentioning ghosts to someone who was mourning for the loss of her husband was not a wise thing. Jessie swore silently for being so stupid and pushed the letter in the back pocket of her jeans. She lifted the grocery bags from the floor.

"Now, where's the kitchen? " she asked in a way-too-cheerful voice.

"I think it is over here," mother looked through the door at the back of the hallway, with that stiff everything-is-fine-expression that almost broke Jessie's heart. "Yes, here it is."

They both made themselves busy with carrying the bags to the kitchen.

The fridge was on, thankfully, and Jessie left mother to empty the grocery shopping. Hopefully nothing was spoiled in the cool bag. They had done the shopping the evening before, knowing stores around here would not be open in the early hours they would pass them by - no 24/7 stores in this neck of the woods.

They had used their last money on the food and gas for the car, as the first monthly payment from Jessie's fund would come only later in the week. They would have to make do with what they brought with them until that day. Jessie only wished there was enough gas left to drive to the nearest bank in case the net connections would not allow to pay bills online. Also they had no credit card to their name yet, so they would need to get cash from and ATM machine or the bank.

Jessie got up the stairs at the back of the hallway, to see the bedrooms. The upstairs hall was dark. She could see three closed doors and opened the first one to the left. It was the master bedroom, the other two doors to the right led two smaller rooms.

All the shutters were closed. The first room to the right of the stairs was a small bedroom. There were books on the nightstand, and slippers by the bed. The master bedroom to the left of the stairs had no little objects around, like it had not even been used.

"If I should guess, this is the one you used..." Jessie said to the small bedroom.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing Mum," Jessie shouted back. "Just talking to the dead," she added quietly.

The other small room on the right-hand side had been grandfather's study. It had a desk that was way too big for the room, and a comfortable office chair with a high back. The table top was clean of any objects except a little tray for pens and a leather cover to protect the finely polished wood of the table.

Opposite the desk was a big cupboard that brought Narnia to mind. Jessie tried to open its doors but it was locked. Also the doors were so heavy there was no way to open them without breaking the whole piece of furniture. Well, the key to it was probably somewhere in the room. Or maybe the attorney had it but had forgotten to give it.

Jessie opened the shutters of all the windows and pushed the windows open. Light and birdsong flooded inside. She could hear mother in the kitchen downstairs and figured this would be the perfect moment to read the letter from grandfather.

She pulled open the drawers of grandfather's desk and in the topmost one was an old-fashioned paper knife. She sat on the chair, placed the tip of the paper knife to the small opening on the side of the flap of the envelope and cut the envelope open. That was one thing father had taught him - to always open personal letters with a paper knife. Not that Jessie ever got old-fashioned hand-written post - except the Christmas- and birthday cards from Grandfather. They always came in a closed envelope. His handwriting was so beautiful Jessie had not even wanted to tear them open.

The letter had been written on expensive paper with the same strong hand as the envelope.

"To Jesse,

First of all I have to say I am sorry we never got to know each other. At first it was because of your father's choice of wife. You must have heard horror stories how I never excepted your mother. And they were true stories. I didn't. But that was because of my own stupidity. When I realized how stupid I have been it was already too late. Too many years had passed, and I was too proud to reach out to your parents. I knew you had been born. And so I set up a fund for you and started sending those postcards in the vain effort to have some sort of contact with you.

Then something happened. It led to a chain of events that made it impossible for me to even dream of meeting you, as my presence in your lives would have been dangerous to you.

I know this is hard for you to hear, but I did contact your father and our meeting that led to him leave your mother. The reason was not his lack of love for her, but instead it was caused by what I told him. I told him about things that made him understand your mother and you were in danger because of him being my son. I am convinced that your father met his untimely end because of that discussion with me. I'll never believe his death was natural. It was caused by me. Not directly but he was killed because he was my son. Because the ones observing me saw him visit me. I should have been wiser than to meet him in person. I believe he was killed. As I have known for years that I will be too, if they find me. And I have no doubt they will. I came to Black Land to hide from them. I have owned this house for years, renting it to a historian who wanted to do research in silence. After he died in a most unpleasant manner, the house was left empty. I decided to move in here, not telling even my children where I was. Only my lawyer knew.

If only I had known what killed the previous owner. As it was, I was drawn into the same horror that threatened and ultimately killed him. You see the books on the shelves in my study - they were all his.

I've left Black Land to you, because the danger is not over and there are things you need to do here in this house. I am afraid they already know you are my granddaughter, because of my meeting with your father. They will think you have skills they don't appreciate and will come after you too now that you are here. They would have come after you in your old home as well, but here you have a chance of survival.

I have never told anyone I have left you this place. Not even my other children. That is to keep you safe. As far as they know the house is already sold to a new owner. And that is why I ordered that you would have a separate hearing of the will from the rest of my family.

In this house lies a great secret, a dangerous secret. I'm afraid you have to find out yourself what it is and act upon it. Now find the key to the cupboard and read carefully what is inside. Try to stay safe and keep your mother safe as well. There is another letter in the upmost drawer, pressed against the back of the drawer so it won't show if your mother opens the drawer before you do. In it I tell how sorry I am to think badly of her. I apologise to you too in the beginning of the letter and wanted you to read it first. You can say that was the letter that was in this envelope.

Your grandfather,

PS. Trust the cat"

Jessie read the letter three times. Yep, grandfather must've gone gaga in his later years. Danger because Jessie was his grandchild? Dangerous secret in this house? To trust the cat? And what was that about find the key to the cupboard? Why didn't he just say where it was?

xxxx 

(This chapter will continue soon. Sorry, no. I decided to start a new chapter, so go see Chapter 5 / The Cat)