The Four - Chapter One (Version 2)

I've always thought my life would have turned out differently, like maybe I would have continued college or been an actor like my mother. I recently got a call from the people organising my grandmother’s will and told me that I inherited her manor and also a large sum of money. They told me that if I didn’t move in to the manor they would knock it down so I was left with no option but to move. I didn’t really leave anything behind I never felt close to anything and recently been noticing it a lot more.
   “Hello?” I said pulling in to answer my phone.
   “Hey honey, are you almost there?” My mam replied. “Stop I’m talking to my darling son.”
   “Yeah should be there in a few minutes where are you?” I paused for a minute.
   “Sorry sweetie I have to go. Call me later.” My mam replied as she hung up.
   My mam, she was a very well-known actress but she never really had time for me. She was always busy going off to parties and premiers. She asked me one time because her date couldn’t but I turned it down, that life isn’t for me. I grew up with my grandmother, she raised me since I was young, after my father died. I was young I don’t remember him that much.
   I was about to turn into the manor, my manor, when I was surprised at what I saw. Police tape everywhere, covering the giant front door. I drove up the long driveway and got out.
   “Excuse me! What happened?” I asked one of the police officers.
   “Talk to the detective. She’s over there.” The officer pointed to a middle aged woman with shoulder length brown hair and what looked like an old hairpin.
   “Are you the detective?” I asked her.
   “Yes I’m Amelia. Amelia Harper.” The detective replied. “And you must be Lucas Holloway? Am I right?”
   “Yes I’m Lucas. What happened here?”
   “I don’t know how to tell you this but there has been a murder. A young girl about your age, we’ve identified her as Gwen Fahey. Do you know her?”
   “No never heard of her.” I paused as I took in the news.
   “I’m sorry but I have to ask you some questions.” I nodded as she took out her notepad. “So you said you don’t know the victim. What can you tell me about the house?”
   “My grandmother, Cecelia Holloway, grew up in this house. I used to stay here when I was young during the Summer. The house is really old. I think it belong to my grandmothers grandmother.
   “Ok thank you. I’m sorry to hear about Cecelia she was a great woman did a lot for the community. Were you two close?
   “Yeah she basically raised me. You know about my mother don’t you?”
   “Yes we all know about your mother, she’s the most famous person to come out of Steam Falls. I don’t think I need any further questions. Do you have a place to stay? You will probably need one for a few days.”
   “Yeah I’ll get a room in the hotel near here.”
   “Be seeing you.” The detective replied as she headed back to her car.
   As I got back into my car I looked at the giant house. How could something so horrible happen in a place I’ve cherished all my life. I headed towards the Steam Falls 4 star Hotel.
   “Here’s your room key Mr. Holloway.” The receptionist said with a hint of excitement in her voice. Damn she knew who I was related to.
   “So what is the famous Helen Holloway like?”
   “When I find out I’ll let you know.” I replied as I headed to my room.
   After having a much needed shower I ordered some room service.
“Hello is this room service?” I asked.
   “Yes what can I get for you?”
   “Can I get a ham and cheese sandwich and some tea please?”
   “Certainly someone will be up to you in a few minutes.”
To my surprise it was the receptionist who brought up my sandwich and tea.
   “Aren’t you the receptionist?” I asked.
   “Yes. I assumed you wouldn’t like all the hassle from the others when they figure out who you are.” She said as she put the tray on the table.
   “Oh. Thank you. Please sit, have a cup of tea with me.”
   “I won’t say no.” She said as she sat down.
   “I’m sorry I never got your name.” I asked.
   “Sorry where are my manners I’m Lois. Lois Lake.” She replied.
   “What a beautiful name.” I said as I gave her some tea and half of my sandwich. “So miss Lake are you a fan of my mother’s?”
   “Yes! I love all her movies. If you don’t mind me asking, why you didn’t become an actor you certainly got the looks for it.” She blushed as she said it.
   “I never really liked that whole lifestyle. But thank you for the complement.” I said as we began to laugh.
   “Did you hear about the murder? Oh course you do it was on your grandmother’s property.”
   “It’s horrible isn’t it? I’m actually moving into her manor that’s why I’m here.”
   “So I’m going being seeing more of you then?” She giggled.
   “Maybe?” I said.
   “So tell me about the real Lucas Holloway, the inside story.”
   “Not much to tell really. My mother is Helen Holloway. I’ve lived with my grandmother most of my life. I missed her funeral you know. The one person that cared for me more than my own mother, she was a brilliant woman, my grandmother” I paused.
   “I’m sorry I didn’t mean too.”
   “I never even got the chance to say goodbye.” A tear ran down my face. All of a sudden Lois put her hands on top of mine.
   “If you need to cry I’ll leave if that’s what you want.”
   “No please stay.”
Lois stayed in my room with me until she looked at her watch and needed to get back to reception. She said goodnight. I went to bed.
   “Will you be staying again?” Lois said handing me a cup of coffee.
   “I’m on my break so I figured I’d bring you your coffee.”
   “Thanks and no I got a call the other day from the detective that I could move back in today.”
   “Oh… ok.” She looked down.
   “Hey I’ll see you around.”
I packed up, said goodbye to the receptionist and left the hotel. The driveway was long and slightly narrow. A few trees sheltered either side of the road creating a canopy. The manor was left with some scraps of police tape. First thing I did was get some trash bags to clean up that … that event. My grandmother’s manor was a huge building many rooms, hallways and the one thing a giant house like this always has a pool plus a creepy attic. The manor’s phone rang it was the detective.
   “Hello detective how can I help you?”
   “I’m ringing to ask you a couple of more questions? Can I come over?”
   “Of course if I can help in anyway.”
   “Thank you for seeing me.” The detective said taking a seat in the huge empty dining room. “I’m sorry for calling I know you’ve just moved in after a week of waiting but I need to tell you something.”
   “What is it?”
   “You know that we haven’t any solid proof of who it was so I’m sorry to say that you’re still a suspect.”
   “Are you serious?”
   “Yes but if it’s not you someone else is still out there. I shouldn’t be saying this but I know it’s not you. I’ve known your grandmother ever since I started on the force I can’t imagine someone she brought up could do anything that vile.”
   “Thank you detective.”
   “Now I have some more questions. Did you know of anyone that your grandmother considered an enemy?”
   “Not that I know of I spent a lot of time in this manor but I haven’t been here as of late. I thought they were looking for someone who had a grudge on the victim … I mean girl.”
   “Yes but we have to go through every situation.” She continued writing on her pad. “As you know the time between your grandmothers passing, the girl being murdered and now is only three months.”
   “And in those three months anyone could have here.” I added looking directly at her.
   “Exactly and as you know there have been at least two festivals in town. The Harvest Festival and the Winter Equinox both seem to be quiet but as you know teenagers tend to drink during these festivals.”
   “You think a teenager did this?”
   “I can’t say for sure but we estimate time of date around the time of the Winter Equinox.”
   “Have you alerted the family?” I asked bringing in a pot full of tea. “Here.”
   “Thank you and yes we have the funeral was today. A simple funeral everyone in town was there. She had a lot of friends Gwen I mean, the victim. She was loved by her family very much.” She wiped a few tears from her eyes. “I know I shouldn’t get too attached but there hasn’t been a murder in this town for years. She never got to experience everything you know fall in love, get married, get her dream job … nothing … oh I’m sorry I don’t know why I’m saying this to you.”
   “Don’t worry about it people seem to open up around me.”
   “Well I should get going if I have any more questions.”
Amelia gave me her card before she left the manor through the tree covered canopy and just like that it hit me. What if the killer was still around the town or even nearby waiting for another victim to fall in their path?
   “What was that?” I said turning around. I was facing the staircase. “Who’s here?” Carefully I walked up the stairs making sure not to make noise on each step I took. “Hello?” The noise was now at the front door. “I’m calling the police!”
   The phone was in the kitchen. I ran towards it and I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I slipped on the worn rug in the hall. I heard light footsteps approach me from behind.
   “Hey are you alright?” A voice said behind me.
   “Wait … what?” I said standing up and turning around. “Who are you?”
   “I’ve been thinking about that for quite some time you know. I liked what that detective said. I just never thought about until … well you know.”
   “What who are you?”
   “I’m Gwen Fahey.”
   “No … you’re not … Gwen Fahey died where you are standing right now. How dare you say something disgusting like that!”
   “Then why don’t you throw me out?”
   “Fine!” I grabbed the girl’s arm and pushed her out the door. “Get out of my house!”
  “Wait how’s that possible?” The girl gasped looking quickly into my eyes. “How can you touch a ghost?”
   “You’re not a ghost now leave me alone!”
   “No I’m telling the truth I’m Gwen Fahey I was killed here. When I saw my body I quickly realised what had happened. Please just let me explain.”
   “You have thirty seconds.” I crossed my arms.
   “Ok where do I start as I’ve said before I’m Gwen Melody Fahey born to Melody Fahey and Jack Fahey. I went to Steam Falls High graduating top of my class.” She began to tear up. “I was the one who does that lame ass speech about how we’re all gonna be friends but that never happens. I have a little brother Jack Jr. He loved me, my family loved me. I miss them.”
   “You … it’s … no that can’t be … wait if you’re a ghost how can I touch you?”
   “I don’t know I haven’t been a ghost long enough to know!” She sighed as I let her back in we sat in the living room. “When you know it happened I tried to talk to everyone but no one could see me. I tried everything I could but nothing, so why you what makes you so special?”
   “This can’t be happening you can’t be here. This doesn’t make any sense.”
   “You’re telling me.” She sighed. “So what do we do? Oh by the way I can’t leave this place. I tried going home to see my family but I can’t seem to leave the manor. Maybe a little bit to the driveway but that’s it.”
   “What do you want to do?”
   “I want to find who killed me?” She stood up. “But I’m gonna need your help.”
   “What can I do to help?”
   “Everything.” She looked directly into my eyes she seemed full of life given the circumstances. “You can leave the house.”
   “Where do we start?”
   “No idea but I was thinking of the detective, Amelia, obviously we can’t tell her you can see me she’ll think you’re the murderer and we’ll never find the right guy or girl.”
   “How far back can you remember?”
   “The last thing I can remember is in my parent’s car driving to the Winter Equinox Festival.”
   We stayed up all night talking until I saw the sun creeping in. Gwen and I had a lot in common. We we’re the same age me being a little bit older. Gwen could remember everything up till the car drive.
   “So if you’re a ghost how can I touch you?”
   “Well you must be a weirdo or a freak!” Gwen said laughing before thinking of a proper response. “Maybe you’re not I don’t know what the word is but not human but still human. Have you ever done something or seen something you can’t explain?”
   “Actually my whole life has been like that.” I said never saying this to anyone not besides my grandmother. “I’ve been able to notice things more than other people have.”
   “There you said it you’ve been able to see things others couldn’t maybe that also means ghosts.”