LITMIR.BIZ

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downstairs, Mary Ann brought the flashlight.

      They went out in the garden. Houg led the way, Roni and Ernest followed him. Once outside, Houg pointed at the chapel with the flashlight. Ernest immediately noticed the stairs and tried to imagine the exact point where the ghost could have appeared. When he got in front of the chapel he turned to the house and asked Houg: “Where's your son’s bedroom?”

      “ Second floor, the third room from the right,” Houg answered.

      Ernest localized the room, and then he took the flashlight and headed towards the stairs of the chapel like he was looking for something.

      “ Nothing at all,” he said after a while.

      “ What were you hoping to find?” Roni asked.

      “ Something, anything.” Ernest replied mysteriously, and then he climbed the stairs and entered the chapel.

      Houg and Roni followed him without saying a word. Ernest turned the light several times trying to lighten up the various parts of the chapel, but it seemed as he didn't find anything. Then, suddenly, the flashlight lit up a door.

      “ And this?” Ernest asked.

      “ It's the access door to the family cemetery,” Houg answered.

      “ Can I go in?” Ernest asked.

      Before Houg could answer, Roni intervened: “Don't you think it's a bit too much going in a cemetery at this time of the night?”

      “ What's up Roni? Are you scared, maybe? You can wait here, if you want. Me, instead, with Mr. Houg's permission, I would like to take a look at the family cemetery,” Ernest replied in a mocking tone.

      “ But of course you can go, even though I frankly don't really understand what you hope to find,” Houg said.

      Ernest approached the door and opened it. A breath of cold air hit his face in the instant when he went out. He made light with the torch to read the names written on the graves. He stopped when he read ‘Margaret Houg’. He got closer to see better and he noticed that on the grave there was a red rose and underneath it there was something. He took the object with his hands to understand better what it was and he noticed that it was a tarot. Taking a better look at the card, he read: “The death.”

      There was something strange; he heard a weird breathing, it seemed like a tired breathing, maybe of someone scared. He then decided to put the card in his pocket, took the rose and turned around. It was a huge surprise and he almost started screaming. Houg was right behind him and Ernest didn't hear him arrive, so he wasn't expecting to see him. He had a labored breathing. He was scared.

      “ What's up?” Houg said.

      Ernest didn't answer right after, he waited about ten seconds and then asked: “Did you put the rose here?”

      “ No,” Houg answered.

      “ We should probably go inside, now,” Ernest said and headed towards the exit.

      They walked all the chapel down and just before getting out, the flashlight turned off.

      “ Maybe the batteries are dead,” Roni said coming down the stairs with Houg.

      Ernest stayed behind for a moment and he felt observed. He lifted his head to Houg’s son’s bedroom, but he didn't see anything.

      The three men went back inside the house and took a seat in Houg’s study.

      “ So, you didn't put the rose,” Ernest commented as soon as they sat down.

      “ Absolutely not, maybe it was my daughter, even though I have high doubts on this.”

      “ Why?”

      “ Because, knowing my daughter, I don't think she could do a thing like this. Since her mother died she has never gone to visit her grave. Barbara is a hostile and stubborn girl, and, between us, we don't really get along. To be honest she didn't get along with my wife as well. That’s why I highly doubt that she could've placed that flower…” Houg said.

      “ Maybe your son, then?”

      “ Oh no, he doesn't get out of the house. The only time was when we admitted him, a month ago. It’s been over a year since he went outside.”

      “ How old is your son?”

      “ Twelve years old.”

      “ And doesn't he go to school?”

      “ Three times a week he gets private lessons,” Houg answered promptly.

      While the banker got up to light up a cigar, Ernest got the tarot out of his pocket and placed it on the desk.

      Houg took it in his hand, looked at it and then asked: “What is it?”

      “ I found it together with the rose on your wife's grave,” Ernest said.

      Houg held the card in his hands, he looked surprised.

      “ What does it mean?” Houg asked again.

      “ Only one thing, Mr. Houg. Who put that on it knows very well the meaning of that card. Someone here in the house knows how to read tarots?” Ernest asked.

      “ No, no, no one,” Houg said and then continued: “All this is ridiculous. Someone put a card with a death symbol on my wife's grave? Do you think this means that I and my family are in danger?”

      “ I don't exclude it, Mr. Houg.” Ernest replied.

      “ This is a nightmare, and I’d like to get out of it as soon as possible. I’m not afraid for myself, but for my children,” Houg said.

      Ernest took a look at the clock and said: “It's pretty late, Mr. Houg. Roni and I really have to go. Tomorrow morning I'll be here again and we'll talk about this again.”

      “ Okay, I’ll lead you to the door,” Houg said.

      They went down the stairs and headed towards the living room.

      Ernest turned around and his gaze stopped on the portrait of Margaret Houg. For a while he felt shivers down his back.

      “ See you tomorrow, then,” Houg said to Ernest when he got to the door.

      “ Yes, Mr. Houg, I'll be here as soon as possible,” Ernest answered.

      Houg said goodbye to Roni, then he turned around again to Ernest like he wanted to tell him something, but then he changed his mind and got back inside the house.

      The two friends left in silence and only after a few kilometers Roni commented: “It's a great mystery, don't you think?”

      “ Looks like it,” Ernest replied.

      “ I was left with no words. It’s a good mess. It won't be that easy.”

      “ Yes, I know that it's not going to be easy, but who plays these little games will make a mistake in the end and I'll be ready to put him with his back on the wall,” Ernest answered and then added:“At least I hope so.”

      “ Let's wish that all of this ends as soon as possible and mostly that nobody gets hurt,” Roni said.

      “ If it’s like I think, it's very probable that this entire story will finish very soon.”

      “ Don't tell me you already have a suspect?” Roni asked.

      “ Maybe.”

      “ Come on, don't play the mysterious, speak!” Roni encouraged him.

      “ Houg’s daughter.”

      “ What does she have to do with this?” Roni asked surprised.

      “ Well… first of all, did you hear what his father said of her? That she's a hostile girl and they don't really get along; secondly, nobody has seen the ghost except her; thirdly: did you also notice the resemblance to her mother, or not? Possible conclusion: she wants to make a despite to her

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