The Haunting of Lockwood Estates | Nancy Drew x Supernatural Crossover 01

Chapter 23 - Sam

Freedom Motel

Blackridge, New Hampshire

Tuesday 11 March 2008

We pull into the motel parking lot, and I park right next to the Impala. Nancy still seems uncertain about the importance of what she told me. But my mind is racing at a hundred miles an hour. I toss her keys back to her and jump out of the car.

"Dean, Dean," I say with a huge grin, running over to my brother. He seems extremely apprehensive at my excitement. I grab his shoulders. "Dean. I found out who the daughter is."

Nancy appears behind me, arms crossed. She has a confused look on her face.

"You did?" Dean asks, his interest now piqued. "How? Who is she?"

"Nancy figured it out," I say breathlessly, gesturing to her. Her look of confusion intensifies. "She figured out the legend."

"The...legend of the maid and Sherman...?" she asks. "Did you guys not know about it?"

"What's the legend, Nancy?" Dean asks.

"Well, the first part is known historical fact," Nancy says uncertainly, "I learned it from the author writing about the house."

"Author? What author?" Dean takes a step forward.

How did neither of us find out this information, but she did? It boggles the mind.

"Edward Velasquez. He came into town just a few days before the first murder of the month." Nancy gestures with one hand, her other arm wrapped around her torso. She is looking at the ground as she speaks. "He was... uh..." she snaps her fingers, "writing about notable households up and down the coast. The first person who died went to the house to get information for him. Edward didn't know they were going, and was extremely upset. He's still in town because he feels responsible. I think he's the one who called you guys here, by the way. He said your uncle recommended you two?"

Dean and I share a look. Dean is flabbergasted.

"Tell us more," my brother prods.

"Well, no one seems to agree on the legend," Nancy says, rubbing her arms and shrugging slightly, "But evidence points to Sherman Lockwood and the maid, Caroline Walker, were having an affair. Caroline was going to go public. Sherman killed her, then himself. Murder-suicide."

"So first off," I say, picking up the story, "Caroline and Sherman weren't having an affair. But there was a secret. Remember what Sherman said when we first saw him? Remember who we've been looking for?"

"The illegitimate daughter," Dean answers, comprehension dawning on his features.

"What?" Nancy looks lost.

I turn to her. "Sherman was having an affair, but with the priest's daughter, Abitha Woodbury. The two of them had a child, who seems to be the key to all of this. When we ran into Sherman's ghost upstairs, he said 'where's my daughter.'"

Her eyes widen. "Caroline was the daughter." She shakes her head and touches the gash on her temple. She winces in either pain or disgust. "Well, that changes things."

"But why would Sherman kill her?" Dean asks, "He left money to the wait staff as well as family members. Doesn't seem the type to go killing people."

"He must have already known who she was," I say, "To leave money for her and her fellow employees."

"That doesn't answer my question though. Why would Sherman kill her?"

Nancy blinks. "He didn't," she says softly. She looks up at us. "There must have been someone who knew about Sherman and the priest's daughter, and about Caroline, and would kill to keep the secret. The wait staff said that Sherman did it, but Edward gave me another possible answer. In those days, the witnesses would have to tell whatever story their boss--or someone else in a position of power--said. But the wife was in town with the priest's daughter on the night of the killings, which is why I guess they both had a rock-solid alibi."