CHAPTER ONE<\/p>\n

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My cousins Sarah and Benjamin stood with me on the front porch of our Great-grandfather Aaron Clayburg\u2019s two story, white clapboard home. Snow flurries were blowing in what was an unseasonably cold March wind. This was some more first day of spring.<\/p>\n
Shivering, we watched children playing in the park which was across the narrow street from us. Some of the children were trying to build snowmen. Other children had kites flying among the snowflakes. As we watched the children dance across the icy ground, joyfully fighting to control their kites in the wind, we listened to their laughter. We also listened to the weeping coming from inside of great-grandfather\u2019s house. This day was a sad day. Great-grandfather Aaron Clayburg was dead.<\/p>\n
Sarah stared at the green rocking chair next to her and solemnly reflected, \u201cGreat-grandfather use to sit out here for hours on end. When the kids over in the park would get rowdy, he\u2019d fuss, but I know that he secretly loved watching them play.\u201d<\/p>\n
Benjamin peeled at the grey paint on the banister which had begun to flake with age. \u201cGramps was a card. He\u2019d start all sorts of rumors among the neighborhood kids. Once, he had some of them believing old Widow Hannery\u2019s husband was a bank robber. He told them he had heard rumors that a small fortune was hidden in her flower garden. As always, some of the children believed him. They dug her entire garden up. I asked gramps why he told them such a thing. He said he couldn\u2019t stand to get near enough to Hannery\u2019s stinking gardenias to dig them up himself. So he gave the children a little incentive to do the job for him.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was hard to believe great-grandfather was dead. He was 90 years old, but he had been in good health.<\/p>\n
Sarah said, \u201cLast Saturday I visited with great-grandfather. He fussed at me because I didn\u2019t call before popping in on him. After he got over being angry, he apologized and invited me to stay for lunch. All during lunch he seemed awfully anxious about something. I got the feeling someone was there, hiding somewhere in the house, that gramps wasn\u2019t telling me about. Before I left, father showed up, and he acted even more weird than gramps.\u201d<\/p>\n
Benjamin shook his head. \u201cYou and your imagination.\u201d<\/p>\n
I asked, \u201cWhere is your father? I thought he would be with the two of you. I swear your father purposely avoids me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Benjamin said, \u201cAfter mother disappeared, father pawned Sarah and me off on your mother. When your mother\u2019s health failed her, he did nothing to help. Maybe father avoids you because he feels guilty.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sarah said, \u201cHe should feel guilty. When Aunt Millicent died, father didn\u2019t even attend her funeral. He is not going to attend great-grandfather\u2019s funeral either. I called him. He said he has got some kind of business that he has to take care of. I am thoroughly pissed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Benjamin cocked his head. \u201cFather use to never come about.\u201d Benjamin stared at me like he was considering something. \u201cThe only time Sarah and I would see him was when we visited him abroad. Even though you and I are the same age, you\u2019ve always been more of a father to me than he was.\u201d<\/p>\n
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I said, \u201cAfter mother died, I don\u2019t know what we would have done without great-grandfather.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sarah said, \u201cI\u2019m going to really miss him. He was a cuss, but I loved him.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Sarah and Benjamin. \u201cWe need to go on inside.\u201d<\/p>\n
Benjamin looked away. \u201cI don\u2019t think I can.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sarah burst out crying.<\/p>\n
I told them, \u201cGreat-grandfather had a long life. He had a good life. Don\u2019t cry. Let\u2019s go say good-bye.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reluctantly, I opened the door. I stepped through the doorway and stopped. Right beside me, I saw Great-grandfather Clayburg\u2019s open coffin. I stared into the coffin at his rigid face. It was covered with thick, white make-up. I noticed his once bushy white hair had been shortened and greased down. Suddenly, I caught a whiff of putrid smelling gardenias. I was furious. Great-grandfather hated gardenias. Then I saw the Widow Hannery sitting in the corner and crying. I no longer felt angry; just sad.<\/p>\n
All of a sudden, a wasp flew into my hair and stuck its stinger deep down into my scalp. It stung like hell. I moaned, \u201cI\u2019ve been stung in the head.\u201d Three seconds later, I fell against great-grandfather\u2019s coffin and then hit the floor. I passed out.<\/p>\n
Shortly afterwards, I thought I woke up in great-grandfather\u2019s favorite black leather armchair. Great-grandfather was standing over me. I felt like a little child again. Old man Hannery was sitting on a stool beside me and was cleaning where my arms and face were cut. I saw Mrs. Hannery standing on the other side of me, holding a bottle of iodine. She told me that I was lucky; I wasn\u2019t going to need stitches. I asked great-grandfather what happened. He answered me with a question. \u201cYou don\u2019t remember?\u201d<\/p>\n
Without warning, a smell of ammonia burned my nose. My scalp hurt with a tingling, biting pain. Great-grandfather vanished and I saw some strange man standing with the Widow Hannery. They were looking down at me slumped in great-grandfather\u2019s favorite armchair.<\/p>\n
Benjamin put his hand on my shoulder, \u201cYou okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll live.\u201d<\/p>\n
The man standing with the Widow Hannery said, \u201cWell, if you don\u2019t, I\u2019ll do you up nice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Frowning, Mrs. Hannery said, \u201cThis is Myles Morton. He\u2019s the mortician who prepared Aaron for burial.\u201d<\/p>\n
I gave Myles Morton sort of a dirty look. I started to tell him that I didn\u2019t like the way his people made great-grandfather look. But I didn\u2019t say anything.<\/p>\n
Sarah said, \u201cYou sure are lucky you have been getting those bee serum allergy shots. Remember the last time you were stung by a bee. We had to rush you to the hospital. For a minute I thought we were going to have to rush you to the hospital again, but you don\u2019t seem to be having any trouble breathing. You\u2019re not swelling up.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll be okay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Hannery sniffled into her white handkerchief. \u201cI am so sorry Matthew. When I saw that first wasp fly out of the covering which had been placed over the gardenia\u2019s, I should have taken them outside. I don\u2019t know who is responsible for those damn gardenias being here. Aaron hated gardenias.\u201d<\/p>\n
Surprised, I said, \u201cYou mean you are not responsible for the gardenias being here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course not. I know Aaron hated gardenias. Besides, I have better sense than to send gardenias in this cold. Gardenias wilt especially bad in this kind of weather. Just between the greenhouse and here, the leaves have started to yellow. I\u2019m sure the reason they were covered in damp burlap was to keep them moist and to protect them from the cold, but it didn\u2019t work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Myles Morton said, \u201cDon\u2019t fuss at Mrs. Hannery. She has been real upset at Mr. Aaron Clayburg\u2019s death. But that didn\u2019t stop her from keeping herself together long enough to make the funeral arrangements; arrangements which apparently your family was unable to handle. You should thank her.\u201d<\/p>\n
I said, \u201cI\u2019m not fussing at Mrs. Hannery. Ma\u2019am, I do thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sarah said, \u201cYou made the arrangements.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes. A friend helped. The three of you were so upset. I called Kenneth and volunteered to make the arrangements. He thanked me. I\u2019m sorry if I\u2019ve made a mess of things.\u201d<\/p>\n
I said, \u201cOf course you haven\u2019t, and we thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sarah said, \u201cFather should of taken care of the arrangements. It was wrong of him to put all of this off on you. When he told me that he had someone taking care of the funeral details, I thought he meant one of the people who works for him. I\u2019m sorry we didn\u2019t help you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought the world of Aaron. I can\u2019t believe he is gone. If I knew who was responsible, I. . . .\u201d<\/p>\n
We all stared at Mrs. Hannery. I asked, \u201cWhat do you mean; responsible?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKenneth didn\u2019t tell you about the parchment found next to Aaron\u2019s body?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cKenneth is like that Officer Carlson. Officer Carlson thinks the parchment being there was just a coincidence. They think Aaron just happened to be looking at the parchment when he died. But I don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
A friend, Officer Robins stepped up. \u201cAda Hannery, now don\u2019t you start again. There is not any telling how long Aaron had that parchment. He just happened to be looking at it when he had the heart attack.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t believe Aaron just happened to be looking at the parchment when he died. I don\u2019t believe it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Officer Robins said, \u201cOkay. Maybe Aaron didn\u2019t just happen to be looking at the parchment. Maybe Aaron realized he was dying and pulled it out to create one last mystery and to pull one last joke on you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Hannery halfway smiled. \u201cThat would be Aaron.<\/p>\n
But. . . .\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNow no buts about it. Don\u2019t get yourself all worked up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Myles Morton said, \u201cThe autopsy that was performed showed Mr. Clayburg died of a massive coronary. There was no sign that the heart attack had been induced with drugs. He was an old man. He died of natural causes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Hannery stated, \u201cFear, stress, can induce a heart attack.\u201d<\/p>\n
I asked, \u201cWhat kind of parchment was found? Do you remember what was written on it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Myles Morton interrupted. \u201cI\u2019ll be back in the morning to take the body to the cemetery for burial.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Hannery said, \u201cPreacher Smith will be at the cemetery at about 9:00 AM for the grave side service.\u201d<\/p>\n
Myles Morton solemnly shook his head. \u201cThat will be fine.\u201d Then Myles Morton and Officer Robins left together.<\/p>\n
As soon as they left, Mrs. Hannery said, \u201cThe yellowed piece of parchment read, \u2018In the end, all debts shall be accounted for. But until final determination of proper disposition, the account of what happened in and beyond the Halls of Lockstock shall remain in suspense. The charges of murder shall be marked with red ink in a ledger as UNPAID. The ledger shall be closed and titled, THE SUSPENSE ACCOUNT.\u201d<\/p>\n
Benjamin said, \u201cHalls of Lockstock? Halls of this county?\u201d<\/p>\n
A woman walked up. \u201cLockstock is also the name of a mansion which stands on a pier partially over the ocean. My estranged husband lives there. Now Ada, stop upsetting Matthew, Benjamin, and Sarah. There is nothing to that parchment.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at the woman. She looked familiar, but I didn\u2019t know her.<\/p>\n
Sarah asked, \u201cYou know us?\u201d<\/p>\n
The woman pointed to the photograph hanging over the mantel piece. The photograph was of Sarah, Benjamin, and myself. The woman said, \u201cAaron use to speak very fondly of you. He loved you very much.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Hannery said, \u201cThis is Mrs. Claudius Urbane. Her husband is a very famous movie producer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Benjamin asked, \u201cWhat movies has he. . . .\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Urbane stopped Benjamin. She said, \u201cMy husband and I are separated. If you don\u2019t mind, I really do not wish to talk about him or his movies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sarah quickly looked away from Mrs. Urbane. Sarah asked Mrs. Hannery, \u201cWhat do you think the parchment means? Exactly how do you think it is connected to great-grandfather\u2019s death?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Hannery said, \u201cThe parchment is obviously in reference to a murder which took place at Lockstock. I keep thinking about that night. . . .\u201d Mrs. Hannery didn\u2019t finish what she had been about to say. \u201cI\u2019m just upsetting you. The parchment probably means nothing. Aaron was probably getting ready to start another rumor among the neighborhood kids. He use to love to stir them up and give them an adventure. He use to love telling them all sorts of wild things, almost as much as he use to love making me angry.\u201d Mrs. Hannery burst into tears. Crying loudly, she ran into the kitchen.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Urbane said, \u201cDon\u2019t press her on this. She has taken Aaron\u2019s death awfully hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Urbane then followed after Mrs. Hannery.<\/p>\n
Sarah asked, \u201cSo what do the two of you think?\u201d<\/p>\n
I said, \u201cGreat-grandfather died of natural causes. Except for the parchment, there is no reason to suspect otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sarah said, \u201cAll and all, Mrs. Hannery is a level headed person. She is convinced the parchment being found next to great-grandfather\u2019s body was not a coincidence. I keep thinking back to last Saturday. You weren\u2019t here. Greatgrandfather was hiding something or someone. He was acting weird.\u201d<\/p>\n
Benjamin said, \u201cI don\u2019t know. What can we do? The police aren\u2019t going to investigate.\u201d<\/p>\n
I said, \u201cThere is nothing we can do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sarah said, \u201cI\u2019m not going to ask Mrs. Hannery to talk any more about the parchment now. But I for one am not going to ignore the fact that she obviously suspects something. When enough time has passed so that she won\u2019t get so upset, I intend to talk with her about this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>
The next morning, we buried Great-grandfather Aaron Clayburg in the Lockstock Cemetery.<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>
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