Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy

Part 2

Defeated, cold, and tired Nancy slowly turns to leave on her heel. After taking a few steps, movement caught her eye from up above. Looking up on the second floor a light flicked in a tall window. "There's someone up there. I bet it's Kyler." she mused. She shown her flash light around trying to find something useful. Under run, she finds some small round peddles and beans to pick them up.

"Hope my aim is not too bad." She throws two but misses. The trim hit the wooden window trim. "Come on. I can do this." Nancy took great care with the last pebble and threw it will and her might. "Oh my Lord!" Nancy exclaimed as it went through the glass leaving a small hole. "Hopefully she will not notice, a" Nancy said with troubles expression.

A moment later the curtain was pulled aside revealing Kyler. She stood there with an amused smile. The women started to wave then pointed down towards the gate. Not too eagerly Nancy headed back over there, took a deep breath, and knocked two more times.

The same man one again came to the door then stood there with it half open guarding the way. "Deaf are you now? I told ya, you can't be staying here."

"Donal, what're you doing? That's Nancy Drew, my maid of honor. Let her in." Kyler said from inside. Without a fuss the man opens the door wide and steps a side.

Once inside it was dimly lit. Kyler appeared down the hall and waved Nancy over. "Let's go talk in my office. It's more private there."

The office was small but homey. The walls were covered in old wallpaper and book shelf everywhere. Kyler posited herself behind the large hard wood desk, where she turned on a bright lamp. She was a young women only a year or two older then Nancy. Through she had a plain face her bright jade eyes, slight skinny frame, and long curly ash brown hair more than made up for it. "So I guess you heard Matt disappeared?"

Nancy sat down and made herself conferrable in an leather chair before saying anything. Her feet were so sore from walking the rocky grounds. "Matt is gone? But he came all the way from Britten just to marry you."

"On well he hasn't disappeared for good. You have to understand, Matt is a bit of a prankster. The wedding is still and few days away no need to worry. "Replied the women while she nervously played with her hair, endless twisting soft curls around her ring finger. She avoided eye contact as well.

"You mean the wedding hasn't been canceled after all?" Nancy exclaimed watching her friend's strange body language.

"Absolutely not! Matt will show up. It is just like him to show up when I'm walking down the aisle. He will say something silly like he just wanted a wedding no one will ever forget."

"Then way did the man at the door tell me it was called off? "Nancy asked shifting her weight trying to keep her leg from going a sleep.

"Oh that is out caretaker, Donal Delary. Not Donald, mind you. Make sure you never call him that. We pernouce it the ishish way."

"Pound of his heritage huh?" Said the girl detective trying to act interested.

"Indeed. He likes me enough, due to my rich Irish heritage. But can't stand my British fiancé. That is why he was so quick to tell you the wedding was canceled. Believe it or not he wants it to be called off. He has even came out and said it. He claims of I marry a fororner it would upset the "fairy people".

"But Kyler are you sure that you don't want to at least postpone the wedding until Matt shows back up." Nancy urge trying to talk some since into her friend.

"I'm telling you he will show up. However, I do remember your interest in solving mysteries, so if you want to help, by all means, do. You should start in the nursery. It's down the hall. That is where Matt set up his cot and spent most of his time here. "She got up and started pacing the room lost in thought. " Go find him, Nancy. Having you ruin this silly vanishing act of his would teach Matt a much needed lesson."

Nancy cleared her throat. "Someone ran out in front of my car causing it to end up in a ditch."

"Oh, my. Are you all right?" Kyler asked as she said beside Nancy touched the young girls arm gently.

"Oh, I'm fine. Keep in mind, Nancy Drew is way tougher than she looks. My car, on the other hand, is another story. I'm pretty sure the women dropped this on the road." Nancy said as she pulled the strange doll from her duffel and handed it to Kyler.

"The clothes... It looks like Matt, and it also has his ring around the doll's neck. What did the person who dropped this look like?" The women questioned with her hands shaking with eyes trained on the doll.

"Well, I couldn't really get a good look. It was very dark out there and I was distracted. Quite frankly I'm not even sure it was human..."

"When Matt went missing the grounds keeper wore it was fairies that took him. Crazy right? MY best guess is it was Matt himself you saw, dressed in some sort of outlandish costume. He loves to frighten people almost as much as pulling pranks. I do sure hope he was been enjoying himself, because when we are married this will end. That is that no more pranks ever!" exclaimed the women balled up her small fist.

"Does it bother you being here all by yourself?" Nancy asked while shifting her weight in the chair.

"Actually Matt's friend, Kit Foley, is here. He has set up a cot in the great hall downstairs."

"When did he arrive?" Nancy questioned intrigued by this.

"The case same day we did."

"Has any one tried to search for Matt?"

Kyler sighed deeply and stared at the floor boards. "When Matt went missing we were frantic. We searched castle, grounds, and town with no sightings of him. When I got home that night, I heard him call to me."

"Where has this happened and what do you mean?"

"In this room the nursery, sometimes outside. His voice always sounds far away sort of muffled. I've tried but have been about to find the source of it. It is Matt. I'm sure of it. That is why I believe he is just playing a prank like always." She replied facing Nancy and looking into her blue eyes.

"Thanks, Kyler, I will let you get back to reading and explore a while." Nancy as she got up to leave the room her bag still in hand. Kyler smiled weakly in response then turned back to her book.