Chasing Henry Marshall

Chapter Seven

    I was totally stunned. The manor was extremely gorgeous on the inside as well. It had long hallways with an array of rooms on two different floors, the biggest rooms being the library and the ballroom. Everything was so old though, and I always felt that if I touched it in the wrong place, it would fall apart. Mr. Kelley had a wife and three grown kids. The youngest two were staying with their father until the place was cleaned up. The youngest was a female named Lillian and the middle child was Christopher.
   I had followed Mr. Marshall through the entire building, taking notes and formulating the layout of the article. It was definitely going to be a long article, just based on what the client had experienced. There was things happening across the board. Anything from knocking to objects being thrown. But there was also more scary things happening. Lillian and her mother were having their hair pulled and Christopher was receiving slaps to the face. Sometimes they only left red marks while other times, it was hard enough to leave hand prints.
   But the scariest of all was what was happening to Mr. Kelley. He had been scratched in several places and each time in a group of three. This had been particularly concerning to both Alice and Mr. Marshall when brought up.
   "How often does it happen?" Alice asked, also taking notes of everything that was happening.
   "Well..." He seemed to calculate in his head, "At least every other day maybe."
   Henry folded his arms, "Do you have any we can document?"
   Mr. Kelley hesitated and then slid his jacket off. As his arms were exposed, we all became shocked. There was three long gashes, not scratches, down the inside of his left arm. They seemed pretty fresh and already looked like they were getting infected. "These happened this morning..." He said slowly, detecting our unspoken question.
   "Mr. Kelley this isn't a scratch!" I yelled in astonishment. Alice took a picture with a camera and wrote down something. I looked at Henry, "This is serious! He needs a doctor!"
   "Sir, you're sure that you didn't scratch yourself while you were sleeping?"
   Kelley and I stared at him.
   "Do you think I could do this amount of damage to myself and not remember?" He hissed. I looked at him, noticing the instability of his voice. He seemed upset about the accusation but also seemed afraid. His voice was trembling and he had this pleading look in his eyes. I knew the look all to well. My father wore it often when he caught me talking to the air as a child. I flinched at the memory and shook my head.
   "Is it always three?" Mr. Marshall asked, grabbing his wrist and looking closer at it. They were thick lines, like claws. "And are they always this big?"
   "They use to be razor thing... and small but lately, they have gotten thicker. They always come in threes and in places not usually exposed, like my back or my stomach. They leave light scars, although, I don't believe this one will be the same."
   Alice shook her head and looked at him, "Mr. Kelley. Because of this, I think we need to take a step we don't usually advise."
   I looked at her and then Mr. Marshall. His blue eyes were staring quietly, but there was so much judgment behind them. Alice also seemed to notice his absence in speech.
   "Henry," she said bluntly. The blond blinked once and then stood up, eyes lingering on the marks. He then looked at Alice. They seemed to have a silent conversation before Henry sighed.
   "Mr. Kelley, I am going to ask you and your family to stay off site. These marks are something that me and my crew take very seriously and we can't afford to have to worry about your health."
   "What do they mean?" I asked and got a look from Alice. I gave her a look that read clearly 'well excuse me'. Kelley looked at me and then Mr. Marshall.
   "I was wondering the same thing."
   "I don't wish to make you worry," Henry said, emotionless as usual. He then walked own the hall, "Alice. Lets get going. If I remember correctly, dinner will be soon."
   I blinked and looked at the client. He seemed to struggle with accepting the answer he was given. He looked at me and slid his jacket back on. I nodded my head once in a silent good bye and ran after my temporary boss. Mr. Kelley turned and walked down the hall in the opposite direction.

   "Mr. Marshall!" I called, catching up to them. He ignored me, carrying on a hushed conversation with Alice. That woman was getting on my nerves. As they began to descend the large staircase, I grabbed his shoulder and gave it a soft pull. He stopped abruptly and I nearly ran into him. He stood a few steps below me, making us nearly the same height. Alice paused beside him and then continued downstairs without prompting. Henry waited till Miss Pippenger was out of ear shot, and then he turned to me.
   "Isabella. Your ignorance is not my problem and I will not let it handicap my investigation."
   I stared down at him, arms folded across my chest. "Well ouch. Thank you Mister I-Don't-Candy-Coat. What is your problem?"
   He pinched the bridge of his nose, closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. My eyes slowly lowed to watch his chest rise and fall slowly. I momentarily wondered what it would look like for him to breath without so much covering his chest. I blinked and tore my eyes away as he opened his again.
   "Isabella. You know nothing of our field, and that I can not blame you for. You're in my class for a reason," he said slowly, making eye contact with me, "But there are some things you need to learn now or I won't be able to tolerate you for the next several days."
   I huffed and mumbled under my breath, "You barely tolerate me now..."
   "What was that?"
   I looked away, "Nothing..."
   "Then let me tell you the three rules you need to remember." He held up a closed fist and then raised one finger for each rule, "I am always right until proven wrong. The safety of the client is everything, both mentally and physically. And lastly, there are just some things the client doesn't need to know."
   "Like what the scratches mean?"
   He sighed heavily, "Yes. Like the scratches." And then he turned away from me, walking down the steps. I memorized the lessons and then followed him, sliding my hand along the polished wooden rail.
   "Can you tell me now?"
   He gave me a sideways glance and frowned, "What?"
   I twisted a lock of hair around a finger of my free hand, "Y'know... What the scratches mean?"
   Henry groaned and stepped off the stairs, crossing the large foyer to the doors of the dining room. The clicking of our steps echoed off the old walls, and a question came to mind. What all had these walls seen, or worse yet, heard? I shuddered at the thought. I realized that Mr. Marshall was nearly to the doors. I rushed after him.
   "Please Mr. Marshall? I want to know why you are so concerned!" I flinched as my voice harshly ricocheted off the walls. Henry stopped again, his shoes squeaking on the marble floors. He turned sharply, administering yet another squeak. I looked up and into his eyes. I'm sure I sounded pitiful.
   "If I tell you, you must not repeat it to Mr. Kelley or any of the Kelley family. Do you understand?"
   I didn't even smile. He seemed so serious, so scary. I nodded once.
   He looked around the foyer to see if we were alone and then he stepped closer to me. I wanted to step back, suddenly feeling threatened. He laid a hand on my shoulder and I held his gaze, frozen in place. He leaned down and I felt my stomach flop. I felt the warmth of his breath on my neck and ear before he spoke, making a shiver roll up my spine.
   "Three scratches... means a demon."
   The chill took a sharp turn and drove right through my chest. I paled as Henry stood. He gave my shoulder a squeeze and then turned, walking into the dining room. Through the opening, I could see everyone had gathered and was seated, including Mr. Kelley. It took what felt like hours to get my feet to move and even then, everything felt stiff. How could he not tell Mr. Kelley? His family was being haunted by a demon? Was this even considered a haunting anymore? I slowly walked into the spacious dining area and went to the open seat between Nathaniel and Conner. They both smiled at me and I felt an automatic smile curve my lips, but there was no happiness inside me.
   What is going to happen now?