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Previous chapters of the River Road story:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
How should the story continue? Voting is open on the current chapter!
Last time, after finding a piece of beaded fabric similar to the gown worn by the Woman in Gray, the group watched as Miss Whiteside struggled with an unseen force. Suddenly, Miss Whiteside disappeared. Neither Mrs. DeLorca nor Eben could figure out where the curator and the supposed ghost had gone since there was no clear exit in the shrubbery. In searching for some kind of trap door that might have led to the tunnels beneath Cascades Park, Eben spotted a diamond brooch on the ground. The brooch was in the shape of an initial which Eben thought was a “W,” however, his mother concluded that the letter was actually an “M” since she had seen the diamond brooch pinned to Mia Duomo’s purse when Mia was talking to Miss Whiteside. Was Mia involved in the ghost hoax? How could she have gotten away from Uriah and Annie so quickly? Before those questions could be answered, the group was startled by a commotion coming from the town square. What happened next? Here’s what you decided.
Chapter 15:
Dome Doom
However, before anyone could answer, they heard a commotion in the distance.
“What’s all that noise? It sounds like a crowd screaming!” Eben opened his eyes wide.
“It’s coming from the center of the square!” Mrs. Conn said. “Near the old courthouse.”
“Maybe they’re just cheering for Chief Colbert or something.” Isaac shrugged.
“Mother, we need to talk to Mia Duomo.” Eben said definitely. “She’s involved in this.”
“I agree.” Mrs. DeLorca answered her son. “But, how did she get away from Annie and Uriah? And, why would she do this?” She squinted as the noise in the distance grew louder. “Even though we have a lot of questions, you know, I think we might see what’s going on over there first.”
“But, if we hurry, we can possibly catch Mia in the act.” Eben urged.
Mrs. Conn listened to the hubbub in the distance. “Something is certainly very wrong.”
“We’d better go see.” Sarah added.
“Ridiculous riot! Reasonless ruckus raising!” Miss Trotter snorted.
“There’s got to be a reason for it,” Mrs. Conn said as they all began to walk toward the square.
Soon, they all saw what the reason was.
There, standing in a bright light atop the old, abandoned courthouse was the Woman in Gray. Her gown sparkled eerily in the spotlight that usually illuminated the old building’s golden dome. Against the shining metal of the dome, the “ghost” cast a dark shadow.
“Ghosts don’t cast shadows.” Eben shook his head at his mother.
Mrs. DeLorca nodded.
“People of Vista Falls!” The Woman in Gray shouted. “Hear me! Know me!”
“It’s the ghost of Theodosia Westwick!” Someone in the crowd screamed.
“She’s come back—just like the legend.” Another person shouted.
“Silence!” The Woman in Gray bellowed. “Hear me! You are all punished! Punished! You have disturbed my home, my heritage, my land, my memory! Now, you shall pay!”
“Please!” An older man in crowd screamed, “Tell us what we need to do to save ourselves.”
“It is too late!” The Woman in Gray argued. “Nightmares will plague you whilst you sleep in hotel beds! You will know the torment that I have suffered! Only until what is rightfully mine is restored to me will the people of Vista Falls rest!”
“Don’t hurt us!” Someone else pleaded.
“One by one,” The Woman in Gray laughed cruelly, “I will hurt those that have stolen from me! If you don’t believe me, go to your precious museum tomorrow. Ask to see the curator!”
Suddenly, there was a bright flash like fireworks and a puff of smoke.
When the smoke cleared, The Woman in Gray was gone.
“That settles it,” Kathy croaked, clinging to Mrs. Conn, “she really did take Miss Whiteside somewhere.”
“She thinks Miss Whiteside stole from her.” Isaac gulped.
“Miss Whiteside did no such thing.” Mrs. Conn shook her head. “Those items in the museum that had once been in the Westwick Mansion were donated by Theodosia Westwick herself. It was stipulated in her will after she died.”
“I’m sure all of that is spelled out in the donation documents that the museum has on record.” Mrs. DeLorca agreed.
“But, we can’t see those documents without Miss Whiteside.” Kathy argued.
“Why now?” Isaac wondered. “Why would Theodosia Westwick come back now?”
“Isaac, that isn’t the ghost of Theodosia Westwick.” Mrs. DeLorca said gently. “That isn’t a ghost at all. That’s someone pretending to be a ghost—someone who wants to cause trouble.”
“But who could it be?” Nancy asked.
“I think it’s Mia Duomo.” Eben nodded. “That diamond pin is a good clue.”
“It couldn’t be Mia Duomo.” A voice said from behind them. They turned to see Uriah and Annie approaching. They were followed by the Trotter’s guest, Eugenia Victoria.
“We just left her at the hotel.” Annie said.
“When?” Mrs. DeLorca asked.
“Right before we went back to the mansion to pick up Eugenia Victoria.” Uriah explained.
“I hope I haven’t been any trouble.” Eugenia said meekly.
“Of course you haven’t.” Annie patted Eugenia on the shoulder.
“So, you dropped Mia off at the hotel some time ago?” Mrs. DeLorca asked.
“Not too long.” Annie shook her head.
“Was it long enough for her to change into the costume of ‘The Woman in Gray,’ get back here, abduct Bonnie Whiteside, climb to the roof of the courthouse and cause a scene?” Mrs. DeLorca asked.
“I don’t think so.” Uriah smiled.
“Mia Duomo has never moved that quickly in her life.” Annie chuckled. “She’d be afraid of failing and chipping a tooth.”
“Mmmmm…chips.” Mr. DeLorca sighed.
“What if someone was working with her?” Eben asked, ignoring his father’s outburst.
“Who would work with Mia Duomo?” Uriah shook his head.
“Duomo’s devious, demented daughter?” Violet Trotter suggested.
“Lily?” Mrs. Conn shook her head. “But, Lily is still in an institution.”
“I say,” Mr. DeLorca began. “Not that I’m much of a fan of Mia Duomo. After all, the woman wouldn’t know good quality pie from a bucket of gravel, and I do agree that she’s as unpleasant as a hungry pelican.” Shakuntala flapped her wings. “Sorry, old girl, but it’s true.” He continued, “But, really, aren’t we assuming a lot? Just because someone is rather difficult, it doesn’t mean that they’re a criminal.”
“But, she does have a history of doing strange things here.” Annie said.
“People change.” Eugenia Victoria spoke up. “After all, I used to be a ruthless realtor, but after I was conned and tricked, I changed. Now, I just enjoy watching my spiders and spending quiet time in the dark.”
“The spider lady speaks the truth,” Mr. DeLorca nodded. “People do change. People change as often as I have to change the laces on my sweet potato shoes—which is often considering that sweet potato laces don’t last long when they get wet. Raises quite a bit of a stink, too. But, still, that’s a separate issue. As I was saying, what reason would this Mia Duomo have to dress up like a dead woman and shout things from the roof of an old building?”
“She could be trying to scare you and mother away so she could be the one to buy the building on the corner.” Eben suggested.
“Interesting theory, son.” Mr. DeLorca nodded. “But, why, then, would she make the museum curator disappear like a pot pie in my belly?”
Eben shrugged. “I suppose we need to investigate this more.”
“Yes, yes, we do.” Mrs. DeLorca nodded.
“So, where do we start?” Eben asked.
“Well, we were headed to the museum when we lost Miss Whiteside. Shouldn’t we start there?” Mrs. Conn asked.
“But, will we be able to get in without Miss Whiteside?” Nancy asked.
“Good question that.” Mr. DeLorca nodded.
“On the other hand, if we all feel strongly that Mia Duomo is involved—especially given the brooch we found—maybe we should go to the hotel and question her.” Eben suggested.
“We might have some luck looking for clues on the roof of the old courthouse.” Sarah said. “That’s the most recent place the ‘ghost’ was seen.”
“What will it b, then?” Uriah asked.
What should they do?
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