MYSTERY IN THE MANOR

I sat in the living room of our family home, my parents, brother Simon, younger sister May are all spread out on the couches listening quietly to aunt Cassie's lawyer. But I couldn't listen,I didn't want to, I didn't want to believe that aunt Cassie would leave us like that, leave me. Listening to her lawyer read off her will would just confirm my aunt poisoned herself and I didn't want to believe that.

This can't be happening, just a couple weeks back she was happy and cheerful, chatting with me, she was so young, had so much to live for, WHY?why would - I broke away from my thoughts hearing my name "sorry could you read that again please?"
Mr. Kennedy nodded.

"If I die I give possession of my manor and what comes with it to my dear niece Dawn Chester", he read again.

"No that can't be wouldn't she have mentioned it!"l exclaimed.

"She did, she ran it by me and we didn't disagree", my father Nicholas Chester said with a shrug , while my mother, Emily Chester was smiling, like it was no big deal! Well it is, that manor is like a family heirloom.

"How can I take care of such a big house?"I asked exasperated.

Then my parents went on to explain there will be people there to help out all the time. Sighing I turned to mr.Kennedy "so how do I go about this" I asked the older man who was now smiling.

Now he is fishing through his brief case pulling out some papers and handing them to me, explaining what they are for. "So read these over, sign and the manor is yours Miss. Chester".

Reading and signing was easy enough but the hardest part is going to be living there in the manor the same as my Aunty. Who I loved dearly.😔

Parking in the drive way of the manor, I stepped out of the car and my father followed. Staring up at the towering building, the manor had at least 10 rooms not including the kitchen. 2 living rooms, garage that's been built onto the manor these past years , bathrooms also an old barn and an out house, that Mr and Mrs.butt live in as they've always done.

I'm drawn out of my thoughts as I hear Mr. Butts loud laughing as my dad tells a joke. Walking towards them I notice Mrs. Butts glare on me, me being the polite person that I am, I smiled and waved at her, and Olivia.

"Hey Olivia how've you been?"I ask with enthusiasm, Olivia grins.

"Great! Though it was really sad what happened to Miss. Chester"she said frowning now.

"Yes it was she was an awesome aunt and we all loved her and we will all miss her". I said now frowning too, then I brightened my mood and turned to Mrs.Butt " and how've you been Mrs. Butt?"

She smiled a smile that seemed some what fake and answered my question." I've been great dear and please call me, Elma". I smiled at her.

"Okay how about we all help out and lug Dawns bags in side, yeah". Dad suggested to the small group.

As we were lugging the last of my bags towards the big door of the manor a blue B.M.W pulled up beside my dads Land Rover, stepping out of it was a young man that looks at least '25' at the most, his sandy blonde hair moving in the cool breeze of the afternoon." Ahh there's my nephew Jasper now the one I have been telling you about Nick". Mr. Butt announced as Jasper started towards us.

A MONTH LATER

It's been a month now since I moved into the manor everything's going well with me , Jasper and Olivia have become great friends, they are the only ones around my age group, so seeing them has become a daily thing. Elma still is a bit frosty towards me, Mr. Butt is still as secretive as I remember him from when my Aunt was alive.

I've had suspicions about my Aunts death they say she killed herself, when I know for a fact that she was at my house hours before they they said it happened planning a trip for the weekend with me. So I did some snooping asking Olivia what she knew of the day, she only knew that Elma found her in the kitchen. I also asked Jasper he only knows what everybody's told him, I spoke to Elma asking if my Aunt was happy around home, she said she was and left it at that, I I didn't bother with Mr. Butt I knew he wouldn't tell anything.

So I followed through with my last tactic searching Aunt Cassie's room of course with the help of Jasper and Olivia so it wouldn't take so long. We searched every where then I found a creaky floor board with a hole under it, it was there we found files on lost items and family heir looms, and some notes that she had jotted down like a time line between when they were taken and where from, there was mostly valuable paintings and items missing , also some portraits of the late Chester's, if my thinking is correct there all worth millions.

"But what does this all have to do with your Aunts death, that's what I don't understand," Jasper asked puzzled about how this all matches up, something I'm having trouble with as well." Maybe she did actually poison herself I mean they actually did find evidence after the incident.

"No she wouldn't do it to herself I knew her my whole life she loved life too much".

"Well then what do you suggest happened" Jasper said exasperated now.

"Well I think she was close to finishing this case maybe even found these things," I say pointing at the list of pictures. "So she was in the way of whoever took these items, so they saw killing her as getting rid of a hazard".

"How could that be, that makes no sense no one was here that day no visitors only Aunt Elma, Uncle Brewster and Olivia but they were all doing something and if she found something don't you think think she would Have at least wrote a address or place down were she found the items" . He said in one sentence.

"Yes knowing Aunty she would have wrote it down but we checked everything , there was people here that day like you said ,Brewster, Elma and Olivia, they didn't have to be there when my Aunt was poisoned , it could be." I paused mid word something clicking into place. " do you think you can catch a mouse from the old barn for me Jasper?" I asked rushing out of our hiding spot around the side of the old barn.

" Okay but why Dawn?" He asked going towards the barn.
" Explain later,". I called out entering the back door to the kitchen minutes later Jasper walked in with a mouse in a blue bucket. " Your Aunt and Uncle are out aren't they?" I ask jasper heading towards the pantry.

" Yes and what are you doing?" He followed me in.

" Well remember how my Aunt was supposedly drinking tea at the time of her death poisoning her self." He nodded "and I was saying it could've been anything she had eaten our drunk".

Yeah and someone poisoned her right." Nodding my head I continued to speak.

" Right and you know how I don't like white sugar and if I put in the white sugar away and change it." He nodded again but looked confused.

"Yeah buts what's that got to do with it and the mouse why do I have a mouse?"

"Let me try something" I say taking the bucket with the mouse and a teaspoon of the white sugar, sprinkled it on the mouse and waited, after a while the mouse stopped scratching and scurrying about which confirmed my thoughts, I looked at Jasper and he was staring wide eyed back at me.

"You think it was my Aunt Elma don't you?"

To Be Continued......
By booksrmylife2 😏

Thank you Cronies