Why Not Murder

70. Reaping

70. Reaping

Another day, Maya and Winnie joined Hilda and Gwen outside in the beautiful sunshine. Winnie still needed someone beside her when she walked, only as a precaution because she didn't hold on to them for support. Cook was busy making bread. Harriet was doing the bookkeeping and computer work. Most of Cook's bread business customers were local and had daily orders. Conrad and Jim were working the expanding vegetable garden and looking after the dogs, chickens, the cow and two sheep. Hilda was reading from a stack of children's books to Gwen who was already starting to learn how. Gwen held Dolly on her lap so that Dolly could also see the words that Hilda was running her finger under while she read. Gwen could talk, but she preferred not to. She would answer a question when directly asked, but otherwise was silent, though she did laugh frequently. Gwen had told Hilda that she and Dolly talked to each other all the time they were awake, but not aloud. Gwen heard Dolly in her mind and would answer her that way too. Hilda, on the other hand, was constantly chattering happily about all sorts of things to Gwen. Gwen loved Hilda more than anyone else and Hilda loved and cared for Gwen more than the vast majority of mothers could love their own children. Hilda often thought that she must have been Gwen's mother in a past life, or maybe vice versa. One way or another, it was just what Gwen needed and she thrived. It was also just what Hilda needed and she thrived too. Gwen always wore a blue toque with a pompom on top which was canary's preferred perch. Canary was always singing.

Winnie placed a small computer on the blanket, flipped open the screen and called up the news. In-Depth was starting. The reporter announced, "Further to an anonymous disclosure of video evidence, the fate of missing reporter, Mitchell Waters, has been revealed. He was shot to death by a police officer, Whittaker Purcell, who is now in custody facing murder charges. Mitchell Waters was investigating the terrorist slayings of XX Fuel executives at the time of his disappearance." Video of the shootout, minus the verbal exchange was aired.

Then the reporter proceeded to the next item. A photo of what was left after Amanda's cabin was burnt down appeared and the reporter said, "A woman's body has been found in the vicinity of this location where there was a fire recently. She was training to join the police force and according to the medical examiner, was strangled." Maya had a sinking feeling that the victim was Harmony and felt so sorry for her. The reporter went on to say, "The name of the victim is being withheld until family are notified."

Then photos of Crawford Mills were shown on screen that had been on the website about Canadian ghost towns. The reporter said, "Many sightings of ghosts have been reported to have occurred in the abandoned town of Crawford Mills. Once a booming economic centre from bygone days, the town was abandoned when its predominant industry failed. Ghosts of prior residents have been allegedly seen by many. The town's buildings and roads were left to decay and forest has grown over much of it. It is no longer included on the map. Crawford Mills has been associated with the terrorist group responsible for the executive murders, though the connection has not been clear. A recent group of tourists in search of the paranormal visited the town and recorded in their online travel log that the town is more difficult than ever to locate. Eventually they did find it and saw it had changed from their last tour there. The weather has improved. Previously it was notorious for persistent dense fog. Much to the tourists' dismay they saw no ghosts at all. There is almost no sign left of the buildings that were left to rot away. There may be an entirely logical reason for the ghosts. One of the tourists found holographic equipment in the only building with some preservation of its original state left, the central tower. The tower is dangerous and crumbling away. The tourist who prefers not to give his name said one explanation could be that after the town went bankrupt, a holographic film was projected in order to falsely create the illusion of a ghost town, but for what motive there seems to be no clue as no profit from the town's reputation has been made."