FORESTVALE MANOR

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE: ON THE SEARCH

Mia was wandering through the streets, still stunned by what had transpired. Felix kept appearing in her thoughts. Mia almost bumped into someone.

Mia yelled, 

"You should be careful!"

"Mia, what's wrong with you?" Xena inquired.

She looked down at Mia's bloodstained hands.

"Mia, are you hurt?"

"No, no, I'm not hurt!" Mia yelled. "I am perfectly fine! Xena, leave me alone!"

Mia started to cry. At first, tears simply flowed down her face, but then the crying intensified. She hugged Xena passionately.

"Mia..." Xena spoke hesitantly. "You're worrying me."

"Felix was murdered."

"What are you saying?"

"I found him lying on the ground. They stabbed him multiple times in a fit of rage and violence."

"It was Ryan, for sure," Xena said.

"No, he was not."

Xena stared at Mia, wide-eyed and incredulous.

"You continue to defend him. I do not comprehend."

"Well, you need to understand. I need to go home and wash my hands."

"Mia, I'm going with you."

"No, please leave me alone. You don't get anything. Forestvale Manor requested that I help Ryan redeem himself."

Xena could not believe her ears.

"That house is cursed, and it should be burned to the ground."

"Please let me go, Xena. See you."

Xena thought that this might be her chance to explore Forestvale Manor and find the hidden Liber pages. The chaos could help her sneak in unnoticed.

Xena entered Forestvale Manor Gardens cautiously. There were two police officers at the front door, but Xena was aware of another rear entry that was not guarded. Xena moved around the mansion's back, hopping over the stone wall. She strolled cautiously across the backyard, which had been meticulously maintained by Ryan. Xena could not deny that her father had done a great job with the house. When she arrived at the rear door, which she discovered was unlocked, she entered and began searching the house. She wished she knew the spell her mother used to find lost items, but since she didn't, she had to search the traditional way.

Xena pondered, 'Where could my mother have hidden the papers? They must be in a hard-to-reach spot. With the recent building work in the house and no discoveries, where on earth could they be?'

After much contemplation, she came up with an idea.

'Perhaps no work was done in the basement.'

Xena entered the basement. This was almost completely untouched. It was just cleaner.

'There may be a hidden passageway or room. There were always secret rooms in old buildings in fiction.'

Xena started tapping the wooden walls in search of hidden compartments, but her efforts yielded no results. She stomped her foot hard on the ground and heard a distinctive sound. She was on an old rug that was partially obscured by a chest. Xena pulled the huge chest away since she was in form. She moved the rug, and there was a ring that lifted a piece of flooring, revealing a secret room within. She was seeking something to bring her down. Upon opening the chest, she found a rope ladder, which she suspected her mother had used to conceal the papers. She descended the rope ladder.

The room was small and dirty, which accentuated the weak lighting provided by the outdated fluorescent bulbs. The walls were lined with bookcases carrying long-forgotten volumes of who knows what. In the corner of the room was a desk with a single chair, most likely belonging to the room's original occupant. A small bed was tucked away in the far corner, and the mattress had weathered from years of neglect. Xena was in awe, wondering why Frank Richardson needed this room. At one end, there was a small door. Xena unlocked it and entered a hallway with vents in the ceiling heading out onto the garden, which was most likely covered by decorations. The room was habitable because it had a window that opened into the hallway.

Xena wpuld like to read these books with strange titles. Is it possible that Ryan was ignorant that the chamber existed?

Xena stopped spinning in her thoughts and decided to focus on her findings. She may go back to that chamber later and explore.

She started her search, and after more than an hour of searching in a hole in the wall behind a stack of books, she found the pages.

Xena grinned as she exited Forestvale Manor.

Mia went to Xena's home. Laura opened the door for her.

"Mia, nice to see you here."

"I'm here to talk to Felix's killer."