Return to Autumn House - A Halloween Serial - Chapter Nine - Cate Nolan

    “Out of the car, both of you,” Cris barked as he turned off the ignition. “And don’t try any funny business. I’m the best shot on the Marshmallow Force. You don’t want to give me a reason to prove it.”

    Hallie inched her way across the seat. She could feel Kane close beside her. His breath was warm on her neck as he leaned in to whisper. “Remember, trust me. I won’t let you down this time.”

    This time. Was he admitting he’d let her down before? Was that regret she heard in his voice?

    Distracted, Hallie slid faster across the seat. She wanted to be out of this car. Her sweater snagged the phone and sent it skittering off the seat and along the stone driveway.

    No! Their only link to help and she’d lost it.

    Kane’s arm rested on her shoulder. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “I’ve got a plan.”

    He stumbled out of the car after her and fell to his knees on the crushed shell drive.

    “Help him walk,” Cris ordered Hallie. “We need to get inside and out of sight. Not that anyone is likely to see you in this fog.”

    Hallie’s hopes sagged. He was right. She could barely see the house through the dense fog. How  could help possibly find them? They were doomed.

    She helped Kane to his feet. He leaned heavily against her, as if for support, but… wait a minute… something felt off. Was he faking it? Was he in better shape than Cris realized?

    “Give me the key,” Cris demanded.

    The key. Who had it? Hallie wondered.  She’d only been reaching for it when Kane had grabbed her arm. Was it still under one of the rocks?

     “I don’t have a key.” Hallie looked from Kane to Cris and back again. Didn’t one of them have it?

    “Never mind,” Cris muttered. He grabbed a pumpkin from the stoop and smashed it through the stained glass window. Hallie felt the break as shards through her own heart. Her dear grandfather had crafted each of these windows, a talent he’d learned from his friend, Tiffany. And now this one lay in glittering shards.

    Cris didn't know it, but he had just given her a weapon.

    Kane sagged to his knees again and Hallie realized he’d had the same thought.  As she bent to help him to his feet, she saw him slide a long glass shard up his sleeve. He winked as she did the same. They’d always had such an understanding of each other - except when it had mattered most.

    Well, they were united now. Maybe this was a chance to start fresh, build a new life together. All they had to do was escape Cris.

“Move it.” Cris brandished his gun waving them through the grand entrance to Autumn House.

Emotion overwhelmed Hallie as she stepped through the doorway. It had been so long since she’d been here. Why hadn’t she come back to see Great Uncle Mac?  She hung her head in shame. She knew why. The dog wasn’t the only cowardly creature here. She hadn’t had the heart to come back and risk seeing Kane again. So instead, she’d abandoned the only member of her family who’d ever really cared for her. She didn’t deserve Autumn House.

“Quit the daydreaming and get on in there.” Cris pointed toward the cavernous living room.  

Hallie helped Kane into the room. Her gaze was drawn to the wall of windows overlooking the rocky cliffs.

    Her great uncle’s desk sat beside it and in his chair - the chair where he’d always sat to write his stories - was an urn clearly labeled Macintosh Appleton. 

    Was this someone’s sick idea of a joke?

    “Where is it?”

    Crispin’s demand brought her back to the present. Right. He and Kane were up to something. How could she have let old memories distract her?

    “In the desk,” Kane muttered.  “Come here. You’re going to have to help me.”

    Cris followed Kane over to the desk. His eyes were glowing with greed like an evil jack-o-lantern.

    Kane bent over the desk, but slowly stood up. “You’re going to have to do it. I’m too dizzy.”

    “Do what?”

    “Unlock the combination. Down there. The bottom drawer. It’s a safe.”

    Kane eased back against the chair and let Cris kneel before the safe. “20 - 35 -left to 16…

    Whack!

    Kane had brought the urn down across Crispin’s shoulders knocking him unconscious. The urn burst open and ashes flew everywhere.

    Hallie screamed. “Great Uncle Mac!”

    The ashes mixed with tears running down her cheeks. One rivulet ran along her mouth and she swiped at it with her sleeve, but not before tasting the liquid. It was like hot chocolate that had been left to sit too long.

    The urn had been filled with … cocoa powder?

     Horror etched Hallie’s face as she tried to make sense of it all. If this was cocoa powder and not Mac’s ashes, where was Mac?

    Just then she heard a creak upstairs and a long, low moan. “Is Mac really alive?”

    She hadn’t even realized she’d whispered the words until Kane nodded. He lowered his voice to a whisper.  

“That’s what—

   
    His words cut off as he noted the look of betrayal in her eyes.

    “You knew? You let me think Great Uncle Mac was dead? What kind of horrible man are you, Kane Cornelison?

Return to Autumn House - A Halloween Serial - Chapter Eight - Jill Kemerer

by Jill Kemerer

CHAPTER EIGHT

          As Cris loaded his gun, Hallie fought the panic choking her. He was going to kill them! Thunder boomed, followed by a jagged bolt of lightning. She instinctively grabbed Kane’s arm. He’d hidden his cell phone between them and was typing something.

          Thank You, Lord! Kane had always been smart—a step ahead of everyone—including Crispin. She’d better distract Cris before he could see what Kane was doing.

          “Remember how your senior prank got you suspended from high school, Cris? This will land you in prison. Did you put two seconds of thought into kidnapping us?” She infused as much steel into her voice as she could muster. “If you kill us out here, it will take all of three seconds for the cops to figure out you murdered us.”

          “Nice try, cousin.” Cris waved the gun and glared at her. “But you’re forgetting. I am a cop.”

          “You won’t be able to cover this up. Investigators aren’t stupid. And for crying out loud, stop calling me cousin.” She wasn’t getting out of the car, and she wasn’t going to die. Not tonight. Not like this. She wasn’t the same wimpy Hallie who had caved to her parents’ every demand. “You never considered me family before.”

          “But we are family according to dear old Granddad.” His teeth gleamed, menacing in the dim light.      

          “Are you in the will? Is that it? If you get rid of me, you’ll get your hands on the money?”

          Lightning ripped again, and Cris rubbed his chin, the gun still raised in his other hand.

          Kane leaned close and whispered, “Trust me.”

          Trust the man who had given her the most amazing kiss of her life only to walk away? The one who’d fallen for Ivy’s charms?

          Not this time, buddy.

          Was she being fair? Kane never cheated on Hallie. He’d dumped her to date Ivy, yes, but they only lasted a few weeks, and now Ivy was married to some hockey player.

          Hallie closed her eyes a moment. Kane wasn’t Superman. But if she could channel her inner Lois Lane and figure this mystery out, maybe she’d give Clark Kent another chance. Find out if his kiss still held superpowers for her.

          “Hallie’s right, Apple.” Kane sounded weak, like he was going to pass out. She searched his face, but he didn’t look pale. The blood smeared across his cheek reminded her he needed to see the doctor. He groaned and held his head in his hands. “Take us back to Autumn House, and I’ll tell you where it is. I know how to draw up the documents so you won’t be implicated. We’ll work out a deal.”

          Cris glanced back over his shoulder. His creepy grin and dead eyes sent a shiver over Hallie’s skin. That was one apple who had fallen far from the family tree.

          “I knew you weren’t as spotless as you want everyone to think. After all, you are a lawyer.” Cris started the cruiser, backed up and made a U-turn on the road. “If you even think about double-crossing me, I’ll shoot her in the head and dump her body over the cliff before you can say trick or treat.”

          Hallie gasped. Ruthless. Was money the reason Cris wanted her dead or was there more to it?

          Kane drew Hallie to him, and she leaned against his chest. She could feel his heartbeat thumping under his wet cotton shirt. He kissed the top of her head. He whispered, “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

          Maybe she was wrong. Maybe Clark Kent really was Superman.

          Or both of these men could be after something she didn’t understand. What was it about Autumn House that had brought the three of them together?

          “What is at Autumn House?” She straightened, tired of being the only one without the facts. “What are you two hiding?”

          “It’s not like that…” Kane touched her arm.

          Cris tightened his grip on the wheel and floored it. The tires skidded on the wet pavement but stayed on the road. A few more miles and they’d be back at the house. “Hallie brings up an interesting point, Kane. What are you hiding?”

***

Stop in tomorrow for chapter nine!

Return to Autumn House Halloween Serial Chapter Five by Deb Kastner

Kane groaned and opened his eyes, but everything was dark and blurry, and his stomach lurched with the sensation that he was moving. Hallie’s long blond hair swished against his face, bringing him to instant alertness.

Hallie.

She’d come back to him, as he’d hoped she would. He had so much to share with her, so many things left unsaid. Like why he’d disappeared after their special Halloween kiss so many years ago—how her controlling parents had threatened his less well-to-do family if he didn’t leave her alone.

He hadn’t had the courage to follow his convictions then, but he did now. That was why it was so important that he beat Cris to the punch.

He smothered another groan. The punch.

Kane had been waiting for Hallee at Autumn House, her grandfather’s will in hand, when Cris had snuck up on him and swung a heavy limb at his head. Kane’s nemesis didn’t want Hallie to see what was inside the old house, the reason lights had been seen so many nights, flickering from its gloomy windows.

No—Cris wanted to ruin the very thing that could change Hallie’s life for the good. She already had money. Kane had once thought money would buy happiness, but it hadn’t. And it wouldn’t now. No conglomerate could ever offer what Kane could—if he had the opportunity to explain.

He reached up to brush his fingers across Hallie’s soft cheek and she jumped, startled.

“Kane!”

“Hallie, I--”

She pulled him to her, practically strangling him in her embrace.

“It’s Cris,” she breathed raggedly in his ear. “He’s not taking us to see Dr. Snick. I don’t know where—Kane, I’m frightened.”

He sat up. His head was still spinning, but there was no time to worry about that now. “I’ve got you, babe.” Just like all those years ago, she melted into his arms.

He looked around the back of the police cruiser, but there was little he could do from here. There were no handles on the door, nor could he reach Cris through the screen separating them. He’d have to wait—but for what?

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Per the terms of the will, there was a way to get around the big conglomerate, and the threat of an amusement park being built on Hallie’s land. He had proof of that in his pocket.

Should he? Was now--?

“I see you’ve come to,” Cris said with a wicked chuckle. “Just in time for the party, it seems.”

“What are you talking about?” Hallie demanded. “What party?”

Cris snorted. “Figure of speech, doll. You’ll see in a moment.”

Hallie screamed and launched for the screen separating her from the dirty cop. “You let us out of here right now.”

Kane reached for her shoulders, trying to sooth her. It wouldn’t help either one of them to lose their heads right now. They needed to think, to figure their way out of this mess.

Cris stomped on the brakes, sending Hallie flying backward. Kane couched her in his arms, taking the brunt of the fall. His head exploded in fragments of pain, but he shook it off. For Hallie’s sake, he had to stay alert.

“You wanted out?” Cris asked with a leer. “Then get out.”

“You know good and well that we can’t.” Kane gestured to the handle-less doors. “And anyway, we’re out in the middle of nowhere.”

Cris cut the engine and lifted his right hand, brandishing his Marshmallow, Maine police-furnished pistol. He laughed as he loaded the barrel. “Exactly.”