Chapter 6 - Lock & Key
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The knock on the Winchester's motel room door came much earlier than either would have liked. Sam, emerging from the bathroom in a cloud of steam, tugged on his shirt even as he reached to the dresser for his gun. Dean glanced at him as he too readied his weapon, then slowly opened the door, only to flick the safety back on as Hoyt came waltzing into the room carrying coffee and a bag of donut holes. Minutes later the cycle was repeated, only to reveal Vic, who had his own offering of cinnamon rolls. For a few minutes there was only the sound of munching and slurping, but finally it seemed everyone was sugared and caffeinated enough and Sam cleared his throat and began. "Vic, you know we found the letters and journal you left. Do you have any idea what lock the necklace opens, or where to find it? We went over the house yesterday with no success."
"I do." Vic took a swallow of coffee to clear the donut powder from his mouth. "Well, I think I have an idea anyway." He paused again, slowly sipping at his coffee.
"Care to share with the class?" Hoyt snapped impatiently, leaning forward in frustration. Sam sent him a pacifying look which had him rolling his eyes but settling back in his seat. Vic just looked at his son steadily, then continued, "I think it has to do with the portrait in the sitting room. There is something off about it, but I can't put my finger on what it is. I need another look."
"Fair enough. Let's get after it then." Dean hopped up and led the way to the Impala. After a moment of hesitation, Vic joined them in the car, and they were off back to the plantation house.
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Staring up at the portrait again, Hoyt simmered with a mixture of frustration, anger, and sorrow. What on earth could be so important to be worth all this frustration and heartbreak? He wondered. I lost my Dad over this. Now I know just how much more frightening the world is. All for what? Ophelia's sad face stared back at him, but no answers seemed to be forthcoming. He turned quickly at Sam's sudden intake of breath, anticipating a return of the ghosts, but saw nothing but the living occupants in the room.
"Dean!" Sam exclaimed, "Look at the fireplace in the portrait." Dean stepped closer to examine the fireplace and mantel in the picture, then quickly glanced at the actual fireplace below. "It's not the same…" Even as he started to speak, Sam was already feeling the façade. He then pulled out his knife and began prying at a corner, eliciting a sharp exclamation from Vic as a panel came away revealing the original brick and etching work depicted in the painting above.
"Well I'll be a monkey's uncle!" exclaimed Hoyt, joining Sam in further removing pieces of the façade. Dean laughed out loud at that, only to have his breath snatched from him as he was flung away across the room. All eyes swiveled to see Grant Walker had joined them, only to quickly dissipate from a shot from Vic's shotgun. Sam whirled, digging through his bag and tossing the salt canister at Hoyt, even as he grabbed his own shotgun and raced over to help his brother.
"Salt ring!" he barked, "include the fireplace!" Hoyt nodded and immediately began drawing the ring, while Vic stood guard. Sam hauled Dean up, but at a look released him to whirl and shoot at Walker, even as Vic fired. Walker dissipated, allowing some of the salt pellets to pass through and catch Sam in the shoulder. He grunted in pain, but did not drop his weapon. Instead, he simply shifted around Dean to prop him with his good shoulder, and helped him back across the room and into the salt circle. Handing his weapon to Dean, he raced back to the fireplace and began pulling at the newer covering with renewed fervor. Hoyt joined him, and the two quickly had most of the original facing uncovered. Staring at it briefly, Sam and Hoyt looked at each other triumphantly as they came to the same realization.
"Now would be good, Sam!" barked Dean, firing again. Sam fished the necklace out of his pocket and pressed it into the indent revealed at the center of the carving on the old brick, and a wall panel to the right of the fireplace swung slightly open. Hoyt's mouth dropped open briefly, even as Vic dashed for the opening.
"Damn it Vic!" hollered Dean, then "Hoyt, no!" as Hoyt went charging after him. Grumbling under his breath, he and Sam both pulled out flashlights as they followed at a slower pace, watching carefully for Walker to re-emerge. Dean nearly knocked Sam over as he stopped abruptly shortly past the doorway. "What the - ?" Twisting around to look, he could see nothing at first but his enormous "little" brother, but as Sam shifted to one side, it was revealed what had stopped him.
The passageway they were in suddenly ended in steps leading downward into darkness. There was no sign of Vic or Hoyt, but about halfway down the staircase was a skeleton. Walking carefully down the steps, Sam crouched beside the bones to examine them. Pointing to a ring on the ground near the left hand, he spoke quietly, "I think this is Jonathan Rawlings. That's his ring."
"Neck's broke." Dean commented, running his flashlight over the body. "Pushed maybe?"
"Maybe. Or fell while fleeing?" Sam rose back to his feet swiftly as the sound of a shotgun echoed up from the dark, and both quickly descended the remaining stairs, finding themselves in a basement of sorts. A quick glance revealed Vic on the ground, bleeding, with Hoyt standing protectively over him aiming the shotgun. Seeing the brothers had joined him, he quickly knelt to check on his Dad. Sam meanwhile roved around the room, looking at what they had uncovered. The space was fairly empty, beyond cobwebs and dust, attesting to the hidden and unused nature of the room. However, moving towards the back of the space, the flashlight revealed what looked to be a destroyed sitting room area. Puzzled, he strode closer, only to be halted by Ophelia's ghost.
"Is this your secret rendezvous spot with Charles?" he questioned quietly. She nodded. "Please let me help you. Show me what is keeping you tethered here." She stared at him briefly, then flickered away. Sam sighed in frustration and turned back towards the others, only to freeze as she reappeared next to the far wall under the stairwell. She stared forcefully at him, then at the wall itself. Suddenly Walker reappeared with a roar, and with simultaneous gun blasts both ghosts vanished once more. Thinking hard, Sam strode up to the wall Ophelia had indicated, then began frantically searching the room.
"What, Sam?" Dean questioned.
"I think…I think Ophelia didn't die in childbirth."
"What!" the others exclaimed as one.
"I need a hammer, or something like one."
"Will this work?" Vic asked, holding up an old fire poker. In response to Sam's questioning look, "I landed on it, among other things, when I fell. And yes, I'll live." Sam strode over and grabbed the poker, even while giving him an appraising look. Vic rolled his eyes, but made no move to get to his feet, acknowledging that he wasn't 100%."
"Sam!" Dean called out, rushing forward, weapon raised, even as Sam whirled around and found himself face-to-face with another apparition, this time Jonathan.
"Find her." Pleaded the ghost. "Find her, and end this." Sam nodded and stepped around the apparition, only to find his way barred by Walker.
"Get out of my house!" roared Walker, charging at Sam. However, even before Dean could fire, a loud yell erupted from Jonathan as he flung himself at Walker. The two disappeared in a tangle of limbs, and Sam rushed to the wall and began bashing the wainscoting. Hoyt ran up beside him as he dropped the poker in favor of pulling at the boards, and the two of them opened up a large section of the wall to reveal another smaller set of bones.
"Dean!" Sam cried, even as he and Hoyt were both thrown back from the opening, sliding across the floor in opposite directions. Dean grabbed the salt canister and lighter fluid and ran to the wall, dumping both in the opening onto the bones. Reaching for his lighter, he felt the air move beside him, and he snatched the dropped poker, desperately hoping it was iron. Even as he swiped at the now extremely irate ghost, he flung the lighter onto the bones and stepped back as the flames flared up. Screaming, Walker's ghost suddenly lit up in flames, as his tether to this world was removed. The silence immediately following his departure was deafening, and no one moved for a minute. Exhaling in relief, Hoyt and Sam slowly climbed to their feet. Hoyt moved back over to check on Vic, while Sam joined Dean by the burning corpse. A glimmer in the space between brought all eyes to focus on Jonathan and Ophelia, now standing side by side and smiling.
"When Grant thought his son had died at birth he killed you, didn't he?" Hoyt questioned Ophelia. She nodded.
"You found out the truth," Dean picked up the story, looking at Jonathan, "confronted Grant, fought, and he died. You must have fallen trying to flee, or maybe trying to find your Mom's corpse, and died on the stairs." Jonathan just looked sadly back at him. "We will care for your body too. You're free now, be at peace." Both ghosts smiled their thanks, then disappeared in a glowing blaze of light.
"So THAT happened." Hoyt stated, looking first at the brothers, then down at his Dad. He suddenly began to laugh uncontrollably, releasing the fear and tension the last hour had accumulated. Sam and Dean just rolled their eyes, and set about the task of taking care of the remains.