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Previous chapters of the Vista Falls 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, suspicious that Missy Merrick was somehow involved with the vandalism in the hotel lobby, the teens and Mr. Dinello decided that they would try to find Mina the maid who had acted strangely when Mr. Barrymore, the hotel manager, was discussing the “ghost” of Theodosia Westwick. They thought that Mina might be able to shed some light on the ghostly imposter as well as give them some information about Missy. They found Mina in one of the hotel ballrooms where she was vacuuming. Mina was not impolite, however, she was firm that the ballroom was closed and that they needed to leave her alone. Furthermore, Mina stated that she wasn’t supposed to chat with the hotel guests. What did Mr. Dinello and the teens do? Here’s what you decided.
Chapter 18
Cleaning House
“Now, no more talking. I have to clean,” Mina insisted.
“This isn’t going well.” Rick muttered.
“The ballroom is closed.” Mina said again.
“What should we do?” Vera whispered to Mr. Dinello.
“Come on, now, chatty strangers,” Mina sighed. “You seem like nice teenagers and a nice man, but come on, now, I have things to do. I’m busy. Besides, I don’t want to get in trouble with Barrymore.”
“We don’t want to get you in trouble.” Ward explained.
“Then, leaving now and going away would help.” Mina nodded. “Thank you for visiting the Rosebud Hill Hotel and Convention Center. Come again.”
Mr. Dinello and his young friends did not move.
“Urgh.” Mina sighed. “You said you don’t want to get me in trouble.”
“We don’t.” Mr. Dinello explained. “It’s just that we are trying to solve a mystery. You could help us.”
“I want to help. I do.” Mina smiled. “But, I can’t. I’ll get in trouble. And, as I said, I really have to clean this room. We have a big convention in here tomorrow morning. Barrymore told me it must be perfect. And, he’ll know if it isn’t. Seems he’s in the mood to fire people today, too. And, with him being in an already ill temper and now especially with more of this ghost business, he’s even more temperamental. I can’t afford to lose this job.”
“That’s what we want to talk with you about.” Mr. Dinello spoke up. “We’re trying to figure out who the ‘Woman in Gray’ is and just what happened here tonight.”
“You say, ‘more of this ghost business.’ Have other things happened?” Vera asked.
Mina blushed. “Listen, like I said, you’re nice and I would like to help you, but I have to clean. Now is the time for cleaning.”
“What if we helped you clean?” Mr. Dinello offered. “We could talk while you clean.”
“No. It’ll never do.” Mina shook her head. “Barrymore would be angry if he found out that I had help and especially if he caught me talking to outsiders. I’ve already said too much.”
“So he’s told you not to talk about the Woman in Gray?” Lucy asked.
“I can’t say.” Mina walked over to her cleaning cart. “No.”
“Please,” Kate pleaded, walking over to the cart, too. She picked up an extension pole with a feather duster on the top. “I’ll clean the chandeliers while you talk with us.”
“No.” Mina sighed. “Come on, now. It’s hard enough without you begging. Everything’s been so strange lately. Poor Riley’s gone, now. And, we’ve got that scene in the lobby. Hasn’t the last few week’s been enough? How much can one body stand?”
Mina glanced up at Kate who had begun to dust the chandeliers with the duster on the long pole. “You’re not doing that the right way. You’ve got to get in between the crystal drops. That’s where the cobwebs are.”
“Sorry.” Kate said.
“I’m not mad at you, little stranger, I’m mad at the cobwebs.” Mina sighed. “Besides, put that down. I didn’t say I’d help you.”
“But, we said we’d help you.” Mr. Dinello smiled.
“I didn’t say that could happen either.” Mina started to spray carpet cleaner on the floor. She sighed again. “I don’t know. Maybe I should talk. So what if I lose my job? Who wants to work here anyway? Maybe I could get a job at one of those shops on the square. One that isn’t haunted.”
“So, you think the hotel is haunted?” Mr. Dinello asked.
“Wouldn’t you,” Mina shrugged, “with that Woman in Gray running up and down the halls every night? And, now, painting things on my clean walls! Who’s going to clean that up? I’ll tell you who. Me!”
“So, you’ve seen the Woman in Gray?” Ward asked, taking the bottle of carpet cleaner from Mina and spaying it on the carpet.
“You’ve got to get more on the carpet and less in the air.” Mina clucked her tongue. “You’re making a mess.”
“Sorry.” Ward smiled.
“That’s okay. You’re learning. Listen, you get that brush off my cart and scrub at that spot a little. Someone spilled something there. There’s a spot. Don’t scrub too hard, though.”
Ward did as instructed.
“I shouldn’t be talking to you.” Mina grumbled. “But, it looks like I am. Yes, I’ve seen the ghost-lady.”
“She’s an imposter.” Mr. Dinello said. “That’s not really a ghost.”
“Whatever she is, she makes a mess.” Mina rolled her eyes. “And, what’s worse, she’s got Barrymore all in a dither. One day he’s out in the lobby talking about the ‘ghost’ with that woman, the next day, he’s telling us not to say anything or he’ll fire us. But, he sure talks about it himself a lot!”
“What woman?” Mr. Dinello said. “Was he talking to one of the hotel guests about the Woman in Gray?”
“I know I’ve seen her before.” Mina answered thoughtfully, “I know that…”
“Mina!” Mr. Barrymore shouted as he came bounding into the door of the ballroom. “What is the meaning of this?”
“Mr. Barrymore!” Mina jumped, her face turned pale.
“What’s going on here?” Mr. Barrymore growled.
“We were just talking to Mina.” Kate said, putting down the feather duster.
Ward stood up from the spot on the floor he was scrubbing. “It’s not her fault. We interrupted her.”
“And, I see she put you right to work.” Mr. Barrymore grumbled. “Lazy as always.”
“I am not lazy, sir.” Mina spoke up. “I work hard.”
“Yes, you work hard—telling teenagers what to do.” Mr. Barrymore laughed sarcastically. “And, chit-chatting on the job, too!”
“Please, Mr. Barrymore,” Mr. Dinello began. “We interrupted Mina. None of this is her doing.”
“Thank you for trying to protect Mina.” Mr. Barrymore raised a hand. “But, she knows the rules. Now, sir, you and your teenaged friends had better go meet up with the police people in the lobby. We’re finished and they’re looking for you.” Mr. Barrymore took a deep breath, “Now, Mina, as for you, clean out your locker. You’re fired!”
“Sir?” Mina’s eyes widened.
“Hurry up now, Mina, and do as I say. You don’t want me to become angry and seek revenge!” Mr. Barrymore continued.
What should happen next?
Voting results for how the story continues:
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