Once again, thanks for the reviews.

Chp 26 The Mystery of the Murder.

Everyone in the room was in shock as Arthur stepped forward. Cody was trying to pull Adam's arm from around his neck as the man was distracted, but he was strong. Chance had turned around and was looking at the old man.

"Did I miss something?" London asked.

"No London, we all did." Woody said.

"Excuse us." Zack said as he stood near Arthur. The old man was looking at Chance.

"Cassandra, it is me Ed." He said. Chance glided over to him and looked at him.

"Ed?" She asked.

"Yeah. It's me."

"Oh my god, you are so different." Chance said.

"Old!" London said. Bailey looked at her.

"Its nice to see a reunion but can we do something about the freak with the gun on my brother." Zack said. Ed looked from Chance to Adam.

"Hey brother, long time." Ed said.

"It can't be you." Adam said.

"It is. I couldn't leave this place. I have been working here for many years."

"You must be like 80 odd now?" Bailey asked.

"89."

"Wow, you look good for it." London said.

"David, its time to end this. You are mad at me. Not the boy. Let him go."

"Why did you do it Ed? You killed me." Adam asked.

"I was angry. I found Cassandra's diary and read about the baby and everything. I thought I could forgive you for sleeping with her. But finding out about the baby. I was angry, so angry. I just wanted to scare you." Ed said. Adam looked at Ed with love and anger.

"To scare me?? You killed me."

"I was angry. But that is in the past. This is the present. This boy is not part of this and neither is the poor lad you are inhabiting. Leave him and move on."

"But how can I? You ruined everything. I finally get a chance to be with Chance and you show up again."

"You need to move on." Ed said.

"How? How can I?" Adam asked as he loosed his grip slightly on Cody. Zack noticed that Adam was flagging and he gently stepped a bit closer to Cody.

"Chance has to decide who she really loved." Bailey said stepping forward. "I felt it when she was inside of me. She has that decision to make and it's hurting her until she does. Chance, you have to. It could help you both move on and end this all." Bailey said looking at the ghost. Chance looked from Ed to Adam.

"I loved them both." She said.

"I know you did. But David has to hear it and so do you. " Bailey said. Chance looked at Adam and glided closer to him and Cody.

"David. I love David. I always did. I was going to see him that night and tell him about the baby and that I was going to leave Ed for him. Ed knew I was waiting for someone and we got into an argument. I told him I was going to leave him. That was why we were arguing." She said.

"I was in shock and rage. I stormed off and left her there." Ed said.

"And that was when I came up and............." Adam said.

"Ed, I am sorry but it was David I loved." She said looking at the old man.

"I know and I understand, that's all in the past now." He said. Chance turned to Adam.

"David, I loved you. You need to forgive your brother and be with me." She said. Adam looked at her. All of a sudden Adam began to shake. Cody used this as his chance and he ducked down. The group watched in awe as a glowing spirit ascended from Adam. As it did, Adam crumpled to the ground beside Cody. Zack rushed forward and knelt down hugging Cody. Moseby rushed forward and retrieved the gun. Above them the spirits of David and Chance floated together.

"Oh my god. He does look like Zack and Cody." Woody said. Zack and Cody looked up to the spirits. David looked down to Cody.

"I am sorry." He said. "I hope I didn't hurt you."

"Not really." Cody replied. David turned to his much older brother.

"I have been so mad for so long. I forgive you." David said. "I am with Chance now, the one thing I always wanted."

"And I finally got to see you both one more time. I am sorry David. It hurt me so much to leave you there that night, I was sick. I just ran. But I needed to be close to you both. I heard of the ghost sightings here and had to come back, to see you."

"I did love you Ed, so much but............." Chance said.

"You loved David too. I understand that now." Ed said. "It's okay. Go be with each other." The group looked to the spirits above them. David and Chance looked at each other with immense love in their eyes.

"You ready?" David asked. Chance looked to Bailey.

"Thank you Bailey. I hope you understand why I did what I did."

"I do." She said. Chance looked at the others and then back to David. All of a sudden the spirits floated high above the group and disappeared through the ceiling. The shocked others glanced around the room. It was over. Zack looked to his brother and pulled him closer.

"Ah Zack, you are squeezing me to death here." Cody said.

The group along with Miss Tuttweiler and Ed headed back to the lounge. Zack refused to let go of Cody and Cody insisted on helping his brother to hobble to the lounge.

"So is everyone okay?" Emma asked.

"Bumps, bruises and exhausted. But okay." Moseby said.

"The police and ambulance is on its way." Emma said.

"Guess I need to face up to what I have done." Ed said.

"Why? You saved my life. What happened is in the past. I sure won't tell anyone." Cody said.

"I need to pay for what I have done, after all these years." Ed said.

"I am sure you have paid for it all these years." Cody said. "You saved my life."

"He did indeed but he committed a crime.........." Moseby said.

"Come on Mr Moseby, Ed is 89 and has been living with this guilt for all these years. Telling the police is pointless now. He saved Cody." Zack said.

"It's okay boys. I need to face up to it." Ed said.

"But it's not fair." Bailey said.

"I have lived my life, David didn't get a chance and that was all my fault." Ed said.

"What made you come back here?" Adam asked.

"I needed to come back, I heard of the ghost sightings many years ago and knew it was them. I just had to see them so I offered my services as a handyman around here."

"I never knew, all these years of you being here and I never knew." Adam said.

"I wanted to tell you but I couldn't."

"Were you the one that donated the diary?" Bailey asked.

"No, I did take it with me when I left the night of her murder. I wanted something of hers. I didn't look at it until a few months later. That is where I read she was pregnant with David's baby. I went into a rage and that is when.............."

"You arranged to meet David and killed him?" Cody asked.

"Yeah. After that I sent it to her family. They must have donated it back." Ed said.

"I am sorry Cody, I didn't mean to hurt you." Adam said looking at the youngster.

"I know you didn't. It was David. What is the last thing you remember before David inhabited you?" Cody asked.

"I had just said tonight to you all and headed to bed. My room was freezing. Then I felt like I was dreaming, confused and scared."

"Exactly like me when Chance inhabited me." Bailey said.

"I do remember watching a tv monitor and David forcing me to grab that gun. I really am sorry Cody."

"From what I saw with Bailey, I knew you couldn't control yourself." Cody said.

"Well even if we did tell the police I am not sure they will believe our story anyway, so your secret is safe with me Ed." Mr Moseby said.

The police and paramedics arrived and the group were being seen too. They decided not to tell the truth, knowing no one would believe the story. They explained that they had just stayed in the castle for safety and lost track of time. Even though the police noticed the broken window and broken ornaments all over the place, Adam explained it away by blaming the weather. Ed had remained quiet throughout the whole time. Cody and Zack were looked at by the paramedics and declared almost fit. They redressed Zack's ankle and insisted he rest for a few days. Adam offered to cook a meal for them as they waited for transport to the ship. For the first time in days the group were finally able to relax. They sat around talking and eating.

"Man that was a cool night." Woody said.

"Cool? Bailey possessed by a ghost, me and Cody attacked, Mr Moseby thrown across the hall, Cody almost drowning. Yeah cool." Zack said.

"But we got to see real ghosts. Next time we have to write a project for history, I am going to write about this place." Woody replied.

"So, are you going to use any of this for the tours of the castle Adam?" Bailey asked.

"No, the groups love the mystery of the murder. I think I will let the ghosts rest. Maybe Ed can help with..............hey where did he go?" Adam said as he noticed the older man was missing from the room.

"And what a surprise, Cody is gone too. When we get back to the boat I am going to by a bell to put around his neck." Zack said. As the group were talking Cody had headed out the door as he saw Ed creep away. He followed him down the hallway.

"You okay Ed?" Cody asked him. Ed turned around.

"I am not sure." He said. He stepped closer to Cody. "I don't believe how much you look like me and David when we were that age."

"Guess that is why Chance went after us, we looked like you two and she thought we were."

"I am sorry you got mixed up in all this." Ed said as he sat on a bench in the hallway. Cody sat beside him.

"Well trouble seems to follow me and my brother around so I am not surprised." Cody said.

"After all these years of living with the pain, now I feel relieved, happy." Ed said.

"Living with the burden of what you done must have been so hard."

"I thought about them every day. And now it's all over."

"What will you do now? Stay and work here?" Cody asked.

"Maybe. And maybe I can return home to my family."

"You have a family?"

"My wife died many years ago but I have a son and he has a large family."

"They would be happy to see you again, I am sure."

"I am sure. Coming back in the castle has reminded me of so much. Stuff I blocked out."

"What like?"

"The music room. Cassandra spent many hours in there. She was a great flute player, could have been a professional."

"Why didn't she?" Cody asked.

"Her family were rich and didn't want her to have to work. She played for hours on end."

"Would explain why I kept hearing the flute."

"Did you see the library?" Ed asked.

"A bit too much."

"Big isn't it? Her family were deep into books and learning. That was where me and Cassandra met."

"Really?"

"Yeah, the family were holding a dinner party and I snuck off to check out their library. She was sitting in a big chair reading. She was beautiful. The night she died I found her in the library again. We started to argue right there and then into the hallways."

"And then it happened?"

"Yeah."

"Where did you leave her body? Do you remember?" Cody asked. Ed stood up.

"I didn't at first but its all coming back to me." He walked a few feet and stood at the basement door. Cody turned and noticed the others heading towards them.

"Cody, you okay?" Zack asked.

"Sure. Just chatting with Ed here." Cody replied. He followed Ed as he entered the basement. The group, puzzled at the move, followed too. The group once again headed down the stairs of the basement. They stopped behind Ed and Cody.

"What are we doing down here, again?" London asked.

"I left him there." Ed said pointing to a section on the floor.

"What happened?" Moseby asked.

"I came to see him that night, I had found out about the baby and was so mad. We had an argument and came down here. I threatened to dig out the body and tell the police what David had done. We argued so much and I pulled out the gun. I had it on me and I don't know why. I just shot him."

"The police said it was a suicide." Cody said.

"I panicked when I realised he was dead. I made it look like a suicide. I am so ashamed." Ed said.

"Where is Chance's body Ed?" Bailey asked. Ed turned and faced a wall. It had a big metal shelf unit against it, full of paint pots and tools.

"Here." Ed said.

"What?" Zack asked.

"That unit moves. Someone give me a hand." Ed said. Adam, Moseby and Woody stepped forward and helped Ed and Cody to move the unit. It was heavy and refused to move at first. The group worked hard and pushed the unit away from the wall. Behind the unit was a small dirty old door.

"Woah, a secret door." Zack said.

"The last time we came across a secret door we unleashed Arwinstein. Why do I not like this one?" Cody wondered.

"Because you are a chicken. Stand aside, let me check this one out." Zack said.

"I don't think so mister. You are going nowhere." Cody said.

"It's locked." Moseby said.

"Don't look at me, I had no idea it was here." Adam said. Ed pulled a key from his pocket and handed it to Adam.

"You kept the key all this time?" Cody asked.

"I knew I might need it one day." Ed replied. Adam moved forward and unlocked the door. Ed stepped back.

"You okay Ed?" Bailey asked.

"Yeah, afraid of what is there I guess." Ed replied. Adam opened the door. Dust flew around and the group coughed. The dust cleared and Adam peered into the darkness. A wall could be seen 4 foot from the door, it was a small section between the door and wall. Adam looked to the objects in the dust and debris on the floor.

"Guess we found Chance." He said as he pulled out a small bone.