Chapter 7: Spearitt Manor
After their meal, Mark took them to the motel where he was staying so they could get some sleep. Since they were so tired from the trip, they decided they would sleep through the day. It was decided they would begin their snooping around Spearitt Manor around six p.m., to see if there were any clues the police might have missed, that way they would have a starting point for the investigation.
"So it's settled…we'll go there tonight." Fred said.
"Yeah… If we're going to do some investigating tonight, we'd better take a nice nap." Zack added.
"Thank God for that! My skin really needs its beauty sleep." Daphne sighed, as she looked at herself in a pocket mirror she was holding in her left hand.
"I agree with Daphne! We vampire-girls really need our beauty sleep too, you know." Luna said around a very big yawn.
"Like, I just don't get one thing. Why do we have to do our snooping around at night when it's the spookiest?" Shaggy whined.
"It's simple, Shaggy. Because the ghost only appears at night and if want to have a chance in confronting him, then logically, we will have to do our investigation at night." Velma said bluntly.
"I'm starting to think I should have stayed in Coolsville, Scooby." Shaggy muttered to his canine companion.
"Reah, I rink I rould rave stayed rere." Scooby growled unhappily, sharing Shaggy's aversion to going into a haunted mansion at night.
As the sun rose over the hills, the gang prepared for a few deserved hours of sleep. As they all got into bed, each thought about what kind of clues they would find, and more importantly, what kind of dangers they would face.
Shaggy and Scooby shivered just thinking about it. Fred's only thought was what kind of traps he would need for this mission. Zack and Sebastian didn't give the mission a thought as they flopped onto their bed and were quickly out like a light. After doing her night time routine, Daphne sighed in relief as she sank into her bed and fell asleep. Velma had a little more difficult time sleeping as her mind played over how much she enjoyed being in Sebastian's company on the trip here. She'd never dreamed she would have so much fun riding a motorcycle. A smile graced her lips as she drifted off to sleep some time later.
As the sun was setting, they all woke. Dressing, they joined up and headed for the dining room for a meal to fortify them. Now full and rested, they left the motel and headed for Spearitt Manor.
Mark was their guide. He lead the way in his Jeep, the rest followed in the same caravan as the night before except Velma had decided to ride in the Mystery Machine leaving Sebastian to ride alone on the Creepy Crawler. The road they took was smooth through the town until they reached the outskirts. There, the road was rougher as they passed through some spooky old woods.
As they road along, Scooby and Shaggy were getting a really bad feeling about the road they were taking. One of the reasons was how quiet it was out here. The only sound that was heard in the air was the sound of their vehicles and the occasional chirp from an owl, which only made the atmosphere even spookier.
"Like, is it me or is the deeper we go into this spooky wood, the spookier it gets?" Shaggy asked nervously, looking quite frightened, even more frightened than Scooby.
"Oh, Shaggy, there's nothing to be afraid of. It's just a very large and dark wood, nothing more, nothing less." Velma pointed it out.
"I'm not afraid of the woods… I'm afraid of what's hiding in them!" Shaggy retorted. "For all we know, there could be a scary monster hiding in there that's just waiting to jump on the road and attack us, right, Scooby-Doo?"
"Reah, a rpooky ronster!" Scooby exclaimed, as he curled himself right next to Shaggy, putting his paws in front of his eyes, in an attempt to not see what might happen in case Shaggy was right.
"You two chickens…" Velma sighed in disgust, as she turned her attention back to the road ahead.
On the Creepy Crawler, Sebastian had turned his lights on at full power, because the woods blocked any light. Even the moon couldn't pierce the gloom.
In the Riddle Rider, Thorn and the girls marvelled at the atmosphere that surrounded them and were already developing ideas for new songs.
"This is really the perfect place for us to gather mystical energies and inspiration for our songs." Luna commented.
"You're so right. These dark and spooky woods are really a cool place. It almost feels like they could talk to us while transmitting a sense of danger and solitude at the same time." Thorn observed.
"They actually remind me of our hometown, girls. Especially the way the trees move with the wind." Dusk noted, as she peered through her window. "The wind seems to be whispering a message to us."
"Probably telling us to get the heck out of here… I don't like the looks of this place. It really gives me the creeps, you know?" Zack said shakily, body trembling.
"Stop being such a scaredy-cat, Zack. This place is actually kind of romantic." Thorn scolded him mildly.
"Only if you're a Marilyn Manson fan." Zack scoffed at them.
Finally they reached the end of the woods and were able to see by moonlight once more. In the distance one could see Spearitt Manor. As they got closer, they could see the manor was magnificent and huge done in Victorian style with traces of Gothic and Baroque here and there.
Mark had told them the manor had eight floors. They could believe it as they stared at the tall brick walls darkened by time, the greenish covered roof with countless chimneys, and the finishing touch were the scary looking black marble gargoyles adorning the roof edge, staring down at them lending an even creepier look to the place.
It was probably the biggest mansion anyone of them had ever seen in their lives. It was surrounded by a tall wall of bushes interrupted by a, now open, large black, wrought-iron gate. As they passed through the gate and went up the long drive they passed a sumptuous fountain adorned with bronze mermaids. Surrounding the road in the courtyard, there were emerald green lawns and a few leafless trees, lending the place a more sinister look.
Parking before the ornate front door, Mark climbed out of his jeep and waited for the rest to join him. When they had he made a grand gesture, "Welcome to Spearitt Manor."
"It's a lot bigger than I remembered it." Zack said in awe.
"Wow! Quite a place you've got here, Mark." Fred enthused, staring upward at the gargoyles.
"It reminds me of some of the mansions we saw on our trips to England, but this is much bigger." Velma commented.
"If you ask me, it looks more like Count Dracula's Summer House." Shaggy whispered to Scooby-Doo.
"Reah, Rount Rracula Rummer Rouse, Raggy." Scooby agreed with him.
"I actually I think it's cute and creepy at the same time, like a haunted fairy-tale castle, you know?" Dusk commented standing near her chicken-hearted companions, who were already shaking slightly.
Mark merely smiled at them all and led the way up the marble steps to the huge carved oak door then waited for someone to answer. The others stared at him in surprise since they had been led to believe the place was empty. Moments later, they heard the door opening. Standing in the doorway was a tall, skinny, pale and bold figure, dressed in a white shirt, black suit and matching shoes who eyed the group with curiosity. As soon as Scooby saw the creepy figure, he leaped into Shaggy's arms, shaking like a leaf.
"Rikes, the rhost!" He stuttered in fright.
"Take it easy, Scooby-Doo, it's not a ghost…" –Mark said – "This is James, our butler."
"Good evening, Master Mark," the old man greeted Mark in a low and uncanny voice. "I see you have brought guests with you. I presume they are going to stay for the night?" He asked politely.
"That's correct, James." Mark said cheerfully. James nodded and stepped to the side so the group could pass through and into the foyer. "Tell Mrs. Whisper and the rest of the staff to prepare rooms for them and start dinner. Also, inform them my cousins Sebastian and Zack are here as well so they need to them fix up their usual rooms." He instructed the butler.
"Very good, sir." James acknowledged the orders as he closed the door then departed through a door to their right.
The foyer looked quite ordinary which was surprising since the outside led them to believe it would be just as fancy inside. Noting their looks, Mark just smiled broadly and walked to a set of double doors.
Opening it, Mark gestured for them to step in and look around. As they did so they were floored by this room's appearance. It was a colossal round hall, marvellously decorated. It had an eerie likeness to the interior of the Opera House of Paris in the Phantom of the Opera's movie.
The ceiling over head was a beautifully adorned glass dome with a huge crystal candelabrum. A huge staircase to the right of them, gave access to the upper floors. There were huge golden and silver statues adorning all the floors, but these were not statues of angels or archangels, but rather statues of demons and other creepy creatures. The walls were all black and the floor was black and white. The furniture matched the rest of the decor, rich and opulent as were the paintings adorning the walls. The only jarring thing was the images on those paintings. They were morbid, done in monochromatic colours of grey and dark blue, mixed with some shades of black.
"Deadly vu! Talk about your average spooky neo-gothic mansion." Luna said, looking around and contemplating all details in the room's embellishment.
"What a creepy looking place…" Shaggy said, while trying not to faint.
"This mystery just keeps getting better and better by the minute!" Velma exclaimed, excitedly. "Solving a mystery in a house like this has got to be the coolest thing we have ever done, folks! A house like this is the perfect place for a mystery to happen."
"Whoa, Velma, try to slow down for a second," Daphne admonished her.
"Sorry… but this mansion really is an otherworldly beauty, don't you think? Can you imagine the history hidden in these walls?" Velma said, eyes shining as she walked nearer to one of the statues and examined it more closely.
"Well, history surely left its mark around here… I think this place is covered with more dust and spider-webs than the attic in my parent's house," Daphne remarked, as she ran her fingers through the dust layer that covered the statue.
"Yeah, the house is huge alright and the maid has a hard job keeping it clean." Mark agreed. "But, hey! You've got to admit, all of these spider-webs give the house a cool look… Spooky and creepy, but cool nonetheless." Mark chuckled.
"So, where do we start?" Dusk asked.
"Well, first why not take a look in the library and see the place where Mark's father disappeared?" Fred suggested.
"Great idea, Fred." Mark enthused. "Come on, I'll give you all the tour."
As the group followed Mark, they noticed that Shaggy and Scooby were not moving. They stared back at the pair questioningly.
"What are you two waiting for?" Velma asked in annoyance.
"This place is giving us the creeps." Shaggy said flatly.
"Is there any place that does not give you two the creeps?" Sebastian asked them, sarcastically.
"Reah… the ritchen!" –Scooby answered promptly, licking his lips.
"Scoob's right! A kitchen is never a creepy place. "
"Then, maybe what you guys need is a little snack. Take that corridor over there and walk until you reach the end of it, then turn left. Walk a few more meters and go through the double-doors on your right, you can't miss it. Our cook is probably there cooking dinner, so ask her for whatever you want." Mark told them.
"After you've finished, there's a staircase at the back of the kitchen that will lead you directly to the third floor, where the library is. When you get out of the staircase, look around for a door that has the word "Library" carved on it. We'll be there waiting for you."
"Sounds like a good plan, right Scooby-Doo?" Shaggy said excitedly.
"Reah, a really rood plan!"
"Okay, then don't forget we will be waiting for you upstairs, you two. Enjoy your snack." Sebastian said, as they started to climb up the staircase.
Following Mark's directions, the cowardly duo walked through the corridor, heading towards the kitchen, where they thought they would find something that would fill up their stomachs, and possibly, although very unlikely, give them enough courage to start looking for clues to solve that mystery.
As soon as they opened the double-doors to the kitchen, they were surrounded by a sweet aroma. The scent was of cinnamon, vanilla and strawberries… no doubt the cook was probably fixing something special for desert. The kitchen had an old fashioned style, but it was equipped with the most modern appliances. The floor was white while the walls were covered with shelves and they could see a pantry cupboard filled with all kinds of spices and ingredients. Right next to the oven was a small bookshelf that had countless cookbooks. On the stove there were: a pan and a pressure cooker, both emanating a delicious smell.
Scooby's nose detected that whatever was cooking in that pan, had peppers, tomatoes, and Edam cheese. They both looked around, searching for the cook, but there was no sign of her.
"Like, there's no one here, Scoob." Shaggy pointed out unnecessarily.
"Ri'll say…"
"Well, since she's not here, might as well help ourselves with what is in the pantries and in the fridge." Shaggy decided, putting thought to action.
Following Shaggy, Scooby went to the fridge and when he opened it, saw it was packed full of food. Using his paws and his tail, he started taking out everything that would be perfect for a delicious sandwich. Shaggy, on the other hand, opened all the pantries looking for bread, and was amazed to see that besides bread, they were all filled with jars of cookies and other delicious treats. In fact, there was enough food in that kitchen for a banquet. After getting everything he could carry, he went to where Scooby was, and started preparing two huge sandwiches.
"You know, maybe coming here wasn't such a bad idea, you know, Scoob, old friend, old buddy, old pal… If we had stayed in Coolsville, we would not be here enjoying this small feast," Shaggy declared, as he sliced the salami and the ham, and threw them to Scooby, who was busy spreading butter and mustard on a couple of bread slices.
"Reah… Raybe it was a rood idea."
After a few minutes, both of them had accomplished what most people thought it would be impossible, two giant sandwiches as tall as them. They had put everything on them, from bacon to chocolate syrup, something only the two of them would be able to eat without seeing it as disgusting. They had been so entertained confectioning them that they did not even notice someone or something had entered the kitchen and was staring at them from the shadows.
"Well, I think this should do it, Scoob. We better eat them fast and get going because the others are already wondering where we are. Down the hatch!" He said, as he prepared himself to take the first bite out of his sandwich, when he stopped. "Man, I almost forgot the anchovies! A good sandwich always needs anchovies. They are probably in the fridge."
"Ri'll get them!" Scooby said, as he put down his sandwich and went to the fridge to grab the anchovies.
After a few seconds of searching, Scooby looked back at his friend. "I ran't find them, Raggy!" He said unhappily but was interrupted by a voice that said, "Try on the top shelf of the blue pantry."
Not thinking, Scooby did as he was told and quickly found four cans of cans of anchovies. He grabbed one and opened it then hurried back to Shaggy so it could be added to the sandwiches.
"Ranks for relling me where the ranchovies were, Raggy." Scooby said, as he put the anchovies on top of the sandwiches.
"But, like, I didn't tell you anything, Scooby…"
"You ridn't?!" Scooby asked, freezing suddenly, fear crawling up his spine.
"No, I didn't say anything to you, old buddy." Shaggy said carefully, feeling goose pimples riding his skin.
"Rell, if you ridn't tell me where the ranchovies were, rhen, who rid it?"
"I did…" The voice in the shadows answered.
From out of the shadows, a white Persian cat came striding out, tail held high as it walked up to the cowardly duo. Its fur was white as snow and incredibly fluffy, and its eyes were as blue as sapphires. As she moved closer to Shaggy and Scooby, the duo could not help but feel something didn't feel right about her.
"No need to thank me," The cat said haughtily as she stopped and sat down before them, giving a small meow.
Shocked and terrified, the pair dropped their sandwiches and Scooby leaped into Shaggy's arms, trembling in fear as they stood rooted to the floor and gaped at the strange cat.
"Zoinks! A talking ghost cat!" Shaggy screamed loudly. "Let's get out of here, Scoob!"
Running with the Great Dane still in his arms, Shaggy nearly flew up the staircase they had been told led to the library.
The cat watched the pair flee in amusement, laughing to herself the whole while.
Meanwhile, up in the library, Fred and the rest of the group were being given a tour by Mark. The entire library looked like the ones that were seen in movies of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century.
In fact, Sebastian thought this one was quite similar to the one seen in the movie "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen", which belonged to the character of Dorian Gray, only larger.
The room had two floors and the bookcases were filled with books of all sorts, some of them were quite old and fragile, while others looked brand new. The imposing fireplace from where the spectre was supposed to have appeared was filled with nothing but ashes now. There was an enormous Arabian carpet, like the ones people usually saw on the city of Istanbul, Turkey, lying before the fireplace and placed on it were four majestic chairs of red Corinthian leather, a red sofa and a table where a black and white ivory chess board rested without anyone to play it.
Behind the sofa there was a desk that had numerous objects on it; a golden metallic globe, a box of ancient pens, and a couple of research books piled high and a little dusty, probably because no one had picked them up and read them for quite a while. And finally, right next to the Earth's globe (a magnificent piece of wood and black iron that had the continents sculpted in a manner that looked almost real), there was a mini-bar with three crystal bottles filled with various beverages. Since the place was tided up, Mark and the rest assumed the house staff had cleaned up after the police concluded their investigation.
"Awesome library!" Fred exclaimed.
"This library is huge… There must be books of all kinds of subjects inside this room." Velma said, awestruck as her eyes gazed upon the huge collection.
"It's a possibility." Mark said with a shrug. "I've never actually decided to check them all… and even if I wanted to, it would take me years."
"Tell us, was it from here your dad disappeared?" Daphne asked Mark.
"That is correct, Daphne. It was right there, where Luna is standing," Mark answered then suddenly the library door flew open with a bang as Scooby and Shaggy raced in, terror still on their faces and panting frantically from their run.
"What happened?" Velma asked them, as they tried to catch their breath.
"What did you two scaredy-cats see this time? A giant velociraptor?" Dusk asked them with a sarcastic smile on her lips.
"Me and Scoob saw a talking cat!"
"Reah! A ralking rat!" Scooby-Doo exclaimed.
"A talking cat?!" The others chorused, in disbelief and shock.