The Murders of Cozy Hollow

Chapter 7 - Things Get Strange

Ed beat his sons home that day. His first day as a member of the Cozy Hollow Sheriff's Department proved to be largely uneventful. Sheriff Ross took him to lunch at everyone's favorite restaurant, The Loon Cafe on Main. Frank introduced him to a number of locals with whom Ed struggled to keep all their names straight. He spent a good part of the day filling out paperwork, organizing his office and getting access to all the databases he needed to do his job. The highlight of the day was when Frank gathered everyone at the office and swore Ed in as a Cozy Hollow Detective. It felt good. It was official. He could wear his new Sheriff's badge proudly.

One thing Ed did not get to on day one was the lengthy file on Skullman. Fifty-four boxes in all. He figured he had plenty of time to tackle that unsolved mystery. What Ed did do to satisfy his curiosity was look up some old press on the Beaumont murders. He'd been thinking about Charlotte's apparition all day. As time passed, he thought more and more that she was merely a figment of his imagination. But when he looked at the photos he found, the resemblance was uncanny. The hitch was that he'd never seen or even heard of Charlotte Beaumont before he saw her. When he read her obituary from 1971, he became even more intrigued.

Charlotte Adams was born in 1943 in Cozy Hollow. Her father was a tailor and owned a shop on Main Street until he died of a heart attack in 1957. Her mother raised Charlotte and her two older brothers in a small cottage on the outskirts of town. While still in high school and the reigning Homecoming Queen, her oldest brother introduced her to Thaddeus Beaumont, five years her senior. The two had a whirlwind courtship and Charlotte found herself a bride by the age of nineteen. By the age of twenty, she was pregnant with the first of four daughters. Money was never an issue as Thaddeus came from a wealthy local family. Ed needed to learn more about Charlotte Adams Beaumont. He decided not to tell anyone what he thought he saw the night before until he investigated further.

When Ed walked through his front door after work, he received an enthusiastic greeting from Tank. The big black Newfoundland jumped up and slobbered all over him.

"I missed you too," said Ed. "Where're your brothers? Hello?? Anyone home??"

No response. As Ed loved Tank up, he noticed how soft and shiny his long black coat appeared. He smelt his dog and sure enough, he smelt shampoo or some kind of soap.

"Who gave you a bath? You look so handsome. Boy, you needed a good scrubbing. I'm just shocked one of your brothers actually took the time to wash you."

Ed started to realize that Tank was still somewhat wet all over. Whoever washed him, it was not too long ago. He searched the kitchen but no one was around. Tank lead him upstairs. Ed looked allover but no boys. Tank then walked into the bathroom the younger boys shared and plopped down on the tile floor. The floor was a soaking wet mess. When Ed looked into the freestanding bathtub, it was filled with dirty soapy water and shedded black hair.

***

The kids didn't leave the pool until five-thirty. Everyone had a great time except Rex. After his encounter with Skullman, he'd walked back into the pool complex like a lost zombie. His mind could not process what had happened. He was not sure what to do. Should he be afraid? Should he tell everyone or keep it to himself? Maybe he'd let it all settle in his mind and talk to his father when he got home. The only thing he could discern from the incident was that Skullman was more than a myth. It felt like a warning. He knew in his gut what he saw. He knew what he felt when Skullman pushed him down. He saw the very real skull in place of a living head. It was not a costume. Skullman was no hoax.

Kurt offered to drive the twins home so the Suburban was loaded up with seven kids. Joe and Will sat in the way back while the three girls took up the backseat. Rex did not talk. Kurt noticed his brother seemed preoccupied.