Spyglass Mysteries: #1 Death At The Merryworth Manor

Chapter 16: It's Late!

Friday, May 23rd

6:43 pm. Dusk

The drive way was silent as we drove back into the garage at the bottom of the hill. Two patrol cars were parked on the front steps of the mansion. The ambulance men wheeled a man covered in a blue sheet from the top of his head. Mrs. Grace stood on the front doorstep, crying. Detective Shayne and Keith were standing at the corner of the house. They waved us over to follow them. We stood on the edge of the creek-bed at the edge of the property. The wet grasses were flatten by something. A small pool of blood sat in the center. Detective Shayne keeled down in the grass.

"So now it's real," said Detective Shayne.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Mrs. Grace called us after hearing a gunshot outside. When we responded, Stephen was found dead. He was holding a letter in his hands, it's still wet, but it should dry before tomorrow."

I looked away from the creek bed to the mansions' back walkway. Then, glazing over the side of the Manor.

"Mike, what's wrong?" asked Jeremy.

"I couldn't see this coming," I said.

"None of us did," said Logan.

"Do you think we could have saved him?" I asked.

"No, I fear that whatever is happening, has already been planned out," said Jeremy.

"We were just talking to this guy, what did he say?" asked Logan.

"He asked for protection. But, even that didn't help," said Detective Shayne.

"Detective, We found a gun!" shouted an officer by the shed.

We raced over to where the gun was. The shed door was cracked opened and the lights were left on. Detective Shayne was looking over the bushes where the gun was dropped. I crept inside the work shed. The place was trashed. Shelves were kicked over onto the floor and clay pots were smashed on the shelves. Jeremy walked in behind me along with the Detective.

"They were looking for something," I said.

"Keith, get two suits in here to look this place over," said Detective Shayne.

We walked back over to the bushes. The gun laid neatly in the center of them. The handle shining with a sort of clear sparkle. Detective Shayne picks up the gun by the trigger with a pair of gloves. Keith opens an evidence baggy and the gun slides in as Keith zipped it shut.

"I want prints off that gun pronto," said Detective Shayne.

"Yes, sir!" said Keith, walking back to the car.

"Should we talk to the family," asked Jeremy.

"Might as well, Let me know if you get anything then. This son of gun has put away two people already. Don't mess this up," said Detective Shayne, walking over to the creek-bed. We walk over to the back terrace.

"Mike, can you talk to Mrs. Grace for me, I want to check on something," said Jeremy.

"Sure, anything I should focus on?" I asked.

"Just stick to what happened tonight."

"I'll go find the staff on duty, they might have seen something," said Logan, pulling the notepad out of his pocket.

Jeremy and Logan walk inside the house before me. I walked around the house to where Mrs. Grace was before. She had already went back inside. I walked past the officers outside the front door and into the sitting room. Mrs. Grace sat next to a box of tissues, trying to dry her fountain of tears. I sat on the couch opposite her.