The Murders of Cozy Hollow

Chapter 19 - Dinner with Ghosts

Ed pulled an all-nighter after the discovery of Chrissy Swanson's body. Cozy Hollow was rattled to its core. It was a fresh kill, which the community had not seen since the Beaumont murders in 1971. Many girls had gone missing over the years but until recent days, never found. The media descended on the small town like vultures. Frank gave the noon press conference with Ed by his side. Ed had arranged for Chrissy's body to be transferred from the local coroner to CSI Boston for the autopsy. He wanted the best of the best to determine her cause of death. A blanket of sadness fell upon the town. The Swanson family wallowed in emotional ruin despite the outpouring of support from the community. There would be a service at Saint Mary's Church a week later that hundreds would attend. Many rumors of families leaving town for good started to spread.

Ed and Frank instructed the deputies who saw Skullman in the street the night before to stay quiet for now. He was their number one person of interest for sure. The Sheriff's Office had a surveillance camera that faced Main Street and captured the image of Skullman from less than 100 feet away. Ed and Frank dissected the video over and over. While the street and parked cars on camera were clear as day, the images of Skullman were blurry and out of focus. When he walked off camera towards the cemetery, his image faded with each step. It was obvious there was something unnatural about the man in the video. For now, the footage remained confidential and would not be released to the public. It was by far the most decisive evidence ever captured that went towards proving Skullman's existence.

***

Ed finally made it home by dinner time. His old colonial house never looked better to his weary eyes as he drove up to the end of Main Street. He arrived to an odd but welcoming sight. All four of his boys, along with Tank, sat on the front steps seemingly awaiting his arrival. Ed had texted he was on his way but since when did his sons feel the need to greet him? He immediately thought something was wrong. When he walked up to the porch, he braced for bad news.

"Everything okay, boys?" asked Ed.

"Depends on what you mean by okay," said Kurt.

"Was Chrissy murdered?" asked Rex.

"We think so," said Ed. "I'm sorry, son."

"Do you know who did it?" asked Joe.

"No."

"Everyone thinks it was Skullman," added Will.

"Is that why you boys are all sitting out here?"

"No," said Kurt. "We kinda have a surprise for you."

"Is it a good surprise or bad surprise?"

"We think it's good," said Joe.

"But you might think it's bad," said Rex.

"They cooked dinner for us," said Will, innocent.

"Who's they?" asked Ed.

"Come see," said Joe.

Ed scratched Tank's slobbery chin and followed his sons inside. Kurt led them towards the formal dining room. As it was an old home built centuries ago, the floor plan was not an open one. Walls separated each room so Ed could not see what he was walking into. He expected to walk into the large furniture-less room as he left it. Instead, he walked into a marvelous but unnerving sight. The smell of a freshly cooked meal hit his senses. There was an enormous ornate table and chairs, set with someone's best china and silverware. Formal dining room decor and furnishings filled the room. It was like walking back in time. But all of that was not the biggest surprise of the setting.

There standing at the opposite end of the table were the five most heavenly creatures Ed had ever set eyes on. A mother and her four daughters all in pretty white dresses. It was a sight to behold. The luminescent mother standing in the center was none other than the lady of the house from his bedroom. It was without a doubt, Charlotte Beaumont.