Letters From Laura

18

Dear Journal,

After getting Nancy to agree with the mission we figured out the logistics of everything.

Victoria had even put in money to buy walkie-talkies. "They'll be useful now and in the future." she had said with a mischievous glint in her eye. So with a list of questions memorized and a walkie talkie hidden in her waist band, Nancy was able to casually find out some information for us while they were in the kitchen earlier.

We had stationed ourselves in the linen closet- fearful that anyone would walk in on us in either of our rooms. This is what we heard through our walkie talkie:

Nancy: "Mornin', Ms. Merwin. Lovely day isn't it?"

Merwin: "I suppose."

N: "Y'know, I took a stroll yesterday, after work o'course, and I spotted the cabin by the lake."

M: "And your point is?"

N: "Oh, nothing, really. Jus' looks old, I though'. I wonder if anyone ever lived there."

M: "Oh, Mr. Ridley and his wife lived there many years ago."

Victoria and I looked at eachother in disbelief. Ms. Merwin's voice had taken on a tone of...sweetness, almost admiration.

N: "Oh. Erm, Mr. Ridley, the tutor? I didn' know he was married."

M: "Well she died...must be going on sixteen years now. Thomas couldn't bear to live there anymore without her, bless him. A year later he moved off the property. Might still be some of his belongings in there.

N: "Tha's terrible. How did she die?"

M: "Heart attack. Hmph, well, she was practically driven to her grave by all of Ophelia's antics. Mary was a good friend of mine. Still can't believe her daughter turned out that way.

N: "Daughter?"

But apparently Ms. Merwin had realized she said too much because she snapped out of whatever world she was in and became awfully sharp.

M: "I shouldn't have said that! I have said too much. Oh dear, why were you asking so many questions anyhow? Get back to work! And Nancy? We never had this discussion."

We shut off the walkie talkie and left the cramped closet and retreated back to my room.

"Well, she wasn't able to ask all of the questions but we got a good bit out of Merwin, didn't we?" Victoria said.

"Yes. Merwin seemed sad about Ridley's wife and she blames my mother, Ophelia, for her death." I said "No wonder Ms. Merwin was so mean to her. The stories I've heard..." I trailed off and went over the conversation in my head.

"Did she say that some of Ridley's belongings might still be in the cabin?"

Must go discuss plans with Victoria now!

-L