The Murders of Cozy Hollow

Chapter 4 - The First Night

The movers finished up around six in the evening. They packed up their dollies and drove away. Ed closed the front door and stood in the foyer. He looked around while having a tranquil moment. He'd never owned anything as expansive as his new house before. He'd grown up in San Diego in a small stucco home with his folks and older sister, Jenny. He'd met Olivia Grimes in college at San Diego State. Neither one of them came from wealthy families. Ed joined the LAPD after college because he wanted to serve. Olivia wanted to be closer to her ailing father and help her overwhelmed mother in the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance. The policeman's salary was nothing great but the benefits were excellent. He worked his way up to detective and joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office. Olivia loved two things, kids and the beach, so they lived near the beach and had four children. Olivia never got her little girl but she loved her boys with all her heart. Her death was truly a tragedy. Ed was lost without her.

Ed headed for the kitchen and noticed the door to the basement had been unbolted. In fact, it was slightly ajar. He figured one of the movers must have opened it even though they had strict instructions not to put anything down there. He'd told his boys not to play in the basement either. When he looked down the stairs, he was surprised to see the light on. He walked down the steep set of fifteen or so stairs and looked around the completely empty space. As it did the day before, the basement felt ten degrees cooler. The second he clicked the light off, he heard the distinct giggles of young girls as loud as day. He immediately switched the light back on. The space was still empty. He knew what he'd heard. After circling the cellar floor and finding nothing, he stood on the red X for a moment. What had he really heard?

Dismissing the incident, he shut off the light again and waited. No giggles that time. Maybe there had been some neighborhood girls playing outside. He shrugged, walked up the stairs and bolted the door.

***

Amy Small surprised Ed and his sons by bringing over homemade lasagna for dinner. She also brought over her eight-year-old daughter, Sophia, who proved to be super shy around the pack of rowdy boys. As they sat and ate, Ed found himself unwittingly attracted to Amy. He had not gone on a single date since Olivia passed away over a year ago. Amy projected a vibe that made Ed think she was interested in him as well but he simply didn't know if he was ready. He decided to start by working on developing a friendship instead. He figured he could use a friend in Cozy Hollow.

"Your dad told me Willow Arnold brought over that welcome basket on the counter," said Amy to the boys. "That was nice of her."

"Yes, she's really cool," said Rex. "But she kinda freaked us out."

"How?"

"She told us about this dude, Skullman," said Kurt.

"Who?" asked Ed.

"Skullman," said Amy.

"I think she was just messing with us," said Kurt.

"She sounded pretty serious to me," said Rex.

"I don't want to scare the little ones," said Amy. "He's just the town spook. No one knows if he's real. Kinda like Bigfoot."

"All the kids at school talk about him," said Sophia. "They draw pictures too."

"Willow said he literally has a skull for a head," said Rex.

"That's right," said Amy.

"And he's never been caught?" asked Ed.

"Nope. Stories of Skullman have been around since I was a little girl."

"Sounds like a hoax."

"Willow said to stay out of the woods," said Rex.