Ten

Chapter Six

Chapter Six - Suspicions

Gabe tried his best to be helpful, but his technological skills were quite limited. Chloe on the other hand, impressed him with her abilities and seemed to be taking a lead with Robert and Bibi on cracking the video system. Gabe, and the rest of the group mostly stood around watching. There wasn't much else to do.

He looked around the room at the others. Dominic had retrieved a bottle of expensive scotch from the next room and set himself down on a couch in the corner with Madeline sitting next to him and muttered, "I don't know about the rest of you, but I need a drink after that whole experience."

Dominic urged Madeline to try some scotch, but she seemed to dislike it.

Gabe could tell that Carl was likewise very interested in what Robert and Bibi were doing, but lacked the skills to contribute much. He just stood guard with his axe leaned up against one of the walls near the computers.

The strange little man, Enrico, just sat in a chair by the doorway, seemingly disinterested in what was going on. All that had happened that night did not diminish the man's creepiness at all in Gabe's opinion.

The lovely Kelly seemed to be preoccupied with a strange rectangular device with a sort of microphone on a cord that was near Chloe, Bibi, and Robert. It was cute watching her do this, but Gabe figured she was probably smarter than she looked. Bored with what the others were doing, he approached her from the side.

"What do you think this thing is?" asked Gabe, pointing at the object that was the source of Kelly's interest.

"I don't know, but," her voice trailed off as she hit a button turning it on. She then continued saying, "Wow, I'm not sure what I did..."

Then her voice stopped as she realized that everything she was saying was coming out of the device in the same robotic voice that they had heard earlier over the intercom. The voice sounded masculine and alien. He could tell that it was not a pleasant experience for her to hear her own voice sounding that way.

"Oh my God," she whispered, after stepping back.

"The voice on the intercom!" Chloe exclaimed.

Bibi rushed spoke into the device, "Greetings guests, and welcome to my home..." Her impression was enough of a ringer that it gave Gabe a slight chill.

Robert came over started playing with the device and found that it had a digital recording feature on it. He hit one of the buttons and a familiar message began playing:

"Good evening, friends and guests, and welcome to my home. I am Miles DeGeneres. I realize that it is the duty of a good host to greet each of his guests in person, but unfortunately I have been unable to do so due to my condition. In the last year, I have developed esophageal..."

Robert turned the device off and sighed, "So now we know how whoever did his did it. But my question is, who is the one behind all of this? And why? And where is he now?"

"Or she?" added Kelly.

Robert gave her a strange look for a split second, but ignored her comment.

"Could he still be hiding up here somewhere?" Bibi suggested.

"Not likely," replied Robert, "I checked every nook and cranny in the attic space."

"What about another secret room?" asked Gabe.

"If there's one, there could be another?" added Bibi.

"I'm not sure if nosing through the attic is the best idea in the world," replied Robert.

Then Chloe's suggestion made the room fall silent.