Chapter 9: Daylight at last.
Crystal fell out of the embrace, her tears finally stopping, and the group stood up for a moment under the tree together. Birds chirped and the sun came up over the horizon, the group getting into the car and leaving, Crystal and Avery now exchanging tales of their hometowns. Crystal told Avery of her best friends in her old town, Katie and Harry, who went to school with her. They would get into all sorts of mischief, but the two bought her a little bear with pocket money when she left, saving up for a week. Avery smiled slightly, before gazing out the window, her hand gently holding Crystal's own. Florence drove the car this time, Jake smiling to himself. He would miss his grandson dearly, but the chance to see Melanie again was a special moment for them all, and it was because of Christopher that it had ever happened. He doubted the culprit of the murder was the phantom, and decided to get a job in Christopher's place, as butler Raymond Daybreak. He explained this plan to the group and they all agreed, Crystal being very excited to have her great-grandad in the house with her. She knew things would not be the same anymore, now that she knew her family was in the house, and she smiled to herself as they reached Thunder Mesa again. Florence then had an idea, whispering to Jake, who nodded approvingly. The group headed toward the mountain, Crystal excited as she had never been there before. Florence suddenly groaned, remembering something. "Our night off is tonight, Ave! We haven't prepared and we might not get it with our little excursion!" He grumbled, Crystal watching intently. "How about I help you prepare?" She chimed in, already coming up with lists of items to bring with her. Taken aback, the two servants stopped for a moment, before their gazes softened and they nodded. "Of course you can help, sweetheart." Florence spoke, smiling down at her. Crystal grinned, Avery simply gazing off into the distance for a moment. "Mum?" Crystal spoke, her fingers interlocking with her mother's. Avery looked down at her, seeming exhausted and distant but still friendly. "Sorry, I'm just…still processing what happened." She admitted, stroking Crystal's head for a moment. Crystal nodded, before Jake stepped forward, bending down to her level. "Mel, this place is very rocky and can be unsafe, so I want you to stay with me. You two, stay behind us. We don't want any unwanted guests interrupting our tour of the mines, okay?" He commanded, Florence and Avery nodding. Jake took a nearby lantern, which was hanging on the wall, lighting it with a lighter in his pocket. It illuminated the cave perfectly, chasing away shadows of times long past. They walked down through tunnels of orange rock, before finding themselves in a grotto full of crystals. The tip of one had fallen off, Florence picking it up and smiling as it sparkled in the light. He then became tense as a flash of fabric drifted past him, and a hand touched his shoulder. Jake moved Crystal behind him, the adults forming a triangle as they became surrounded by ghosts of miners.
Their clothes were torn, dirty, their hats raggedy, and their boots worn. Momentarily, Jake felt his heart drop, before one of them stepped forward, a small smile on his face. He had apparently lost his hat, for he was the only one without one, but his overalls were cleaner than the others'. His hair was a deep brown, eyes the colour of chestnuts, and a gentle smile was framed by a large moustache. Crystal peeked out from behind Jake to look at him, and the ghost bent down, giving a little wave. She shyly waved back, and the rest of the miners all smiled. Stepping out of the triangle, Crystal approached the head of the miners, and he held out his hand for shaking. It felt solid, and warm, so she accepted, introducing herself as Melanie Ravenswood. "Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time." He chuckled, sitting on the ground in front of her. "I'm William Evans." He spoke, a smile on his face. Jake suddenly gasped. "Were you Jake's father?" he asked, approaching the ghost. Florence and Averys' faces changed too, their eyes wide at this revelation. The ghost nodded, his eyes changing at the mention of his son's name. Jake stepped forward, sitting down too, as Crystal stood silently, watching the exchange. Jake smiled at the ghost, who looked at him quizzically. "Did you know my son?" He asked, but Jake simply shook his head. "He was my grandfather, but he…he died before I could meet him." He admitted, not wanting to mention that Jake Evans had been killed by Henry himself. Crystal spoke suddenly, "How did you die, Mr Evans?" she asked, and William paused for a moment, before sighing, his eyes growing sad. "Well, it was a very long time ago. Mr Ravenswood and I brought along our sons for the day, so my 11-year-old Jake met little 8-year-old Timothy. The two of them were playing together when Tim was called away, so I taught Jake stuff about trains for a bit and then he wandered off since these guys called me away." He smiled, motioning to the rest of the miners, before continuing. "Jake headed down the mines, which he really wasn't allowed to do, but he didn't care. When I realized he was missing, Mr Ravenswood reappeared, telling us he and Tim had found gold in a nearby mine. I wanted to wait until Jake reappeared, but the rest of the group wanted to start preparing, so we all suited up. Then, I saw Jake at the mouth of the Fort Comstock cave, crying his little eyes out. I couldn't ask him what was wrong, and he wasn't telling me, just clinging onto me and a little tin soldier, but he begged me not to leave him. But…I had to. I passed him my old blue hat from my father and ran down the mine with everyone else, ready to make us rich and have enough money to provide for my wife and child. Mr Ravenswood normally led the group, but he was nowhere to be found, so I took charge. We arrived at a dead end, before rocks fell over the cave's entrance and everything went black. I felt the others around me, terrified, but nobody said a word. Then…we heard the hiss of dynamite. And I knew I was a goner. In my last moments, I thought of my son, praying he would be alright, and then I felt myself being ripped out of my body, becoming a ghost." He finished his tale with a sad expression.
Crystal was in shock for a moment. She watched William's eyes grow teary, the memory painful. She looked at Jake, who had a grave expression. "Mr Evans…I do not wish to be disrespectful, but I don't believe your death was accidental. I think Henry killed you." He spoke, Crystal nodding too. The rest of the miners murmured among themselves, all visibly distraught and disgusted at this revelation. William looked up at Jake, pale, before his eyes widened. "It makes sense. The dynamite, the sudden avalanche despite there being no shaking…oh my lord…" he gasped, his mouth agape. "My son…how on earth did he survive? He was within the blast zone!" His hands shook as he spoke, fearful. Jake thought for a moment. "He never spoke about how he survived…but I have a feeling there's something missing here…why would he be crying at the mouth of the cave?" He wondered aloud, the entire group going silent. Crystal thought for a moment, before snapping her fingers. "Mr Evans, did you actually see Timothy when Henry told you they found gold?" She asked, William going silent as he thought. He shook his head. "I only saw Henry, dressed in some sort of cloak or coat, and assumed Tim was nearby…" he admitted, Crystal pondering for a moment. "Grandfather, Melanie got the tin soldier from Timothy's death, correct?" she asked, and Jake nodded, but still looked lost as to where she was going with this. She thought for a moment, remembering the detail that Jake had stood at the mouth of the cave holding a tin soldier, too. "Mel, Timothy was said to have died in a train accident, remember?" Avery chimed in, but Crystal shook her head- it didn't make sense. She addressed the rest of the miners. "Did any of you see Timothy before you were all called away? And were any trains running at the time?" She asked, the men conferring for a moment. They all affirmed that the last time they saw Tim was when he went away with his father, one of them saying he spotted Tim and Henry heading down the Fort Comstock tunnel, and that there were no trains running at the time. Jake turned to her, shocked, and she nodded. "I think…I think Melanie was lied to by her father." She whispered, taking her grandfather's hand. He squeezed it, nodding to continue. "I think that Henry took Tim down the mines to get rid of him…and killed you all to try and make sure he wouldn't be caught murdering his son." She posed, feeling herself grow smaller when surrounded by all the adults. Florence gently patted her shoulder and Avery ruffled her hair- it seemed to all line up. William was in shock. "Wait, what does my son have to do with this?" He asked, and Crystal thought for a second. "I think Jake saw Henry kill Tim…he probably ran away because he was scared, and then I think he tried to tell you what had happened during the gold rush. But, since Jake was in the blast radius, I'm not sure how he survived…" she admitted, and William nodded. It made sense. It was just awful to hear.
Another miner suddenly chimed in. "Wait, why would Henry want to kill his son in the first place?" He asked, a few other miners posing the same question. Crystal didn't really have an answer, but she didn't need one. Avery stepped forward. "Mel, do you remember the diary? The one with all the suitors who died?" She asked, and Jake raised his eyebrows as Crystal nodded. Florence nodded too, understanding Avery's thinking. "I think Henry was very greedy. As we know, he moved from New York to here to pursue gold. But it might not have been enough for him- so I think he killed the four suitors for their money, since all of them had big industries which would have been inherited by Henry after their deaths, due to the connection with Melanie and their lack of descendants." She posed, Florence nodding. "I think the reason he killed Tim was to ensure that he wouldn't have a beneficiary. His daughter would not inherit anything if she was forever alone, and he probably intended to dispose of her and Martha at some point too, by that logic. But, Jake came along both times and messed up his plans…" he trailed off, staring at Jake, who shifted uncomfortably. "William…let me preface this by saying I was trying not to hurt you when I withheld this…but I left out something crucial to this story." He admitted, William nodding and giving a small smile, showing it was okay to tell him. Jake took a deep breath. "so…after the earthquake struck Thunder Mesa and Henry died, he wasn't content to let Jake inherit the family's riches and marry his daughter. He came back as a malevolent spirit known as the Phantom, and lured Jake up to the attic…where he hung him."
The cave was still, not a single soul speaking. William felt the tears run before he had even processed these words. His son…his only son…had been killed by the monstrous man that caused so much pain and suffering. Crystal moved toward him, unsure of how she could touch the ghost, but hugged him tightly, nonetheless. He wrapped an arm around her in response, giving a weak smile. "Thank you…Melanie." He sniffled, wiping his eyes. She patted his back wordlessly, before turning to Avery, who looked on with pride. William stood up, the rest of the miners with him. Then, they all began to walk away, back out into the sunlight, a stream of spectres glistening in the daylight. As the last subordinate left, William turned, half-shrouded still by shadow. "Melanie…", he began, a look of pride on his face. "Search the shadows for stories. You never know what might be there, just out of sight." He winked, taking the final step and dissipating, resting at last. Crystal turned to her mother, who embraced her, Florence and Jake watching on with small smiles. "Mel, we have one more mystery to solve now. What do you think about trying to figure it out tonight at the gathering?" Avery suggested, taking her daughter's hand. Crystal nodded, squeezing it in response. Jake sighed. "Well, we may have had unexpected guests, but they certainly weren't unwanted." He smiled, Crystal grinning in response. The group left the caverns, walking out into the sunlight, where they headed home, ready for whatever punishment awaited them all. Because it was worth it.
Interlude: Cold, rusty night
Climbing the stairs of the attic wasn't easy for two little children, especially not at night without a candle. Their maid told them the dangers of bringing a candle upstairs with all the wood laying around, but the boy wished they had defied her for once, simply due to the warmth and light it would provide, much less the protection against shadows and the secrets they held. The girl turned around, taking his hand, and smiled, leading him up slowly. Despite the storm outside, the two of them were able to hear each other perfectly in the confined space, the girl unlocking an old trunk with a key she had stolen from the butlers. Inside lay a little wrapped package which she brought out, wiping off dust with a frown barely visible in the dim moonlight. She handed it to the boy, who looked at her in surprise. "You already gave me soldiers for my birthday!" he protested, but she simply smiled. "I wanted to give you something else too!" she laughed, before prodding him to open it. He finally relented, moving over to the patch of light from the overhead window in order to see better. Inside was a drawing of the two of them wearing fancy clothes and smiling. "That's me!" the girl said, pointing to a woman dressed in a long dress with jewels all over, the name Melanie written in block capitals. The boy pointed at the one next to her, a man wearing a fancy suit and a top hat. "That's you!" she told him, and he smiled. "I look like father." He giggled, but the girl pouted at this. "No, you look like you! Father wears…well, he wears similar clothes, but I tried to make it different!" she whined, poking the boy. Suddenly, she realized something and gasped. "I forgot to write your name!" She complained, leaning on him and sighing. He giggled, pulling out a pencil. The girl wrote out the name in block capitals, before nodding and passing it back to the boy, who read it out. "Timothy. That's me!" he giggled, and the two laughed, lighting up the cold and dark night with their happiness. "I'll keep this drawing forever!" He promised, and the two hugged each other, neither wanting to be the first to let go.