Hidden Secrets from Beyond the Grave

By D.H. REID

Based in 1958, when a crime syndicate decides to move into a small town, crime escalates to the point where the local sheriff will request the aid of a detective agency to find out who is behind it and seek justice. Hiring a young lady named Beth Armstrong, she will enlist the aid of her friends to not only solve the mystery, but see that the criminals are arrested. With the cartel hiring top assassins from around the world to eliminate them, their lives are in danger every step of the way. Will the group succeed in finding the twelve clues from an old letter and solve the mysteries of the past and present, the answer lies in the voices helping them from beyond the grave that others ignored.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Aug 18, 2017
• ISBN: 9781387173549

Book preview

Hidden Secrets from Beyond the Grave

HIDDEN SECRETS FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE

BY: D. H. REID

© 2017 by: D. H. REID

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, or by any means without the prior written permission of the publishers or the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in one of the magazines, newspapers, or in a journal.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, corporations, institutions, organizations, events or locales in this novel are either the product of an author's imagination, or if real, used fictitiously. Any resemblance to an actual person or person's, (living or deceased) is purely coincidental.

The views expressed in this book are based on the author's opinion and is meant as an educational tool only. It is meant to give others a varied perspective that isn't based on fantasy, events, or activities that may have happened and was reported in the media.

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DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to everyone that has touched my life in some way and are now special to me. It is dedicated to my parents, children, those that I love dearly, and friends that have entered my life at various times over the years. Many have an impact on those that they meet and for all the memories created that are reserved for special occasions, we never know when something that can be said or done will touch someone and change their lives.

The glory of God is intelligence and it is our endless pursuit of wisdom or knowledge that helps us rise to new levels of intelligence. Our lives in this world are a never-ending cycle of new thoughts, experiences, and it helps us gain strength to confront future obstacles. May everyone enjoy the story that is presented and writing from actual experiences I would face over the years, allows us to know that we are actually never alone, even if we have to walk down an unknown or foreign path with no one keeping us company.

Chapter One: Terror in the Night

Everyone knew about the old house in the country that was found next to a set of railway tracks. The tracks are separating the small towns from a larger city to the east, but many weren't aware of the actual history of the house. It was surrounded in mystery, intrigue, and the old house had remained empty for many years.

It isn't that the area wasn't capable of supporting life, since the neighboring farmers in the region cared for the livestock and hundreds of acres of land in the proximity of the house. The house wasn't the only building and there are other structures that included the barn, horse stable, sheds, and the silos that contained the grain. The hired hand had his own house near the front fence.

The farmer would assemble the cows in the barn each morning and after it was seen that the cows had given their milk, the truck would arrive each day to pump out the coolers, so it could be transported to the dairies. Sheep and horses were also kept on the property and cared for, which saw the farmers have to plant the fields each spring and then harvest the hay each autumn.

The bales would rise up the escalator from the wagon and the men worked as a team to fill the lofts of the barn and stable with the bales of hay that will be used during the winter months to feed their livestock. The farm continued each day, but families that moved into the old house wouldn't stay very long. It created myths and legends that it was haunted.

Many of the families would only remain inside the house for a short time, which then saw them making other arrangements. There were reports that an unknown force dwelt inside the home on the county line and the events they experienced were more than they could bear. Even the clergy would enter to perform exorcisms and their efforts would end in failure.

The surrounding neighbors would see the house sitting against a darkened sky like a silhouette of peace and serenity, but that was far from what will be taking place inside the house, where the dead weren't silent. For the spirits in the large home, they weren't at rest and many would talk about strange lights that could be seen moving past the clear panes of glass on the upper floors.

That was true when the twilight started to descend on the night-time sky in the region. Without street lights or other artificial forms of light on the quiet street, when darkness descended, total darkness would be seen amongst their forests of trees that grew in abundance in the area. That led to families in the region reporting strange noises echoing through the fields from the house.

Men and women would talk about strange noises that included knocking in the hallways on the walls, footsteps on the stairs and on the upstairs floors, a strange chill that led to their breath being seen, and doors slammed shut with no one in the region of the rooms. The one reality that frightened many was a sense that someone would touch their shoulder, someone would hold their hands while they were sleeping, lights turned on and off on their own, and it was too much when a strange voice was heard with no one there.

No one knew why the strange house presented the idea that it is haunted in the region, but for the citizens that lived there, they would try to discover an excuse. Many believed the past held the key and research would educate the former tenants of a home that was created to bless a prominent family that is living in the region.

The man that built the house in the 1850's was a respected member of their community and he would also help construct hotels, plus other businesses to help others find employment. His hotel would house those that couldn't find accommodations, but they wanted to have a roof over their heads. That was to lead to other hotels being built in the area to bless others. They were very special to the inhabitants of the town and love and respect were always seen.

Each afternoon, his wife would prepare a buffet meal that became famous to many and his hotel would be there for riders to rest and take refuge during the night, as they traveled through the area to other towns that could provide an income or avenues of employment. As everyone watched the tiny hamlet continue to grow, it wasn't long and the proprietor of the hotel would build a train station and another hotel that he called the 'Station House'.

Everyone loved the generosity and large heart of the family that worked to help others in the community prosper, which led to them banding together to build his mansion, barn, stable, and sheds in the country. The generosity and labor of the people wouldn't go unrecognized and the family helped create a new avenue for other families to succeed and prosper.

They helped create a carriage house on the main street of the town and the carriages would become world famous for their workmanship and designs. It was a time when the town continued to grow and prosper in many ways, but things would change with the arrival of the railway.

It would see the second and third paper mills appear next to the new station and also textile mills would be built. Another company appeared that would specialize in porcelain fixtures, and with the influx of many individuals, they would notice that crime also entered the picture.

The railway brought hobos, vagrants, and men that were unscrupulous into their quiet town. It had forced everyone to hire their town sheriff to keep law and order. The sheriff and a deputy would need a building and the people are going to build it in the downtown core.

It would be very distinctive and it contained the new clock tower. The jails would be located in the basement to house the criminals and the circuit judge would have to visit their town on a regular basis. It was his job to hear all the charges against the men that disrupted the serenity of the area.

Everything the people did was to bless the lives of others and they would hold the 'Highland' games each year, to commemorate a strong 'Scottish and English' heritage, the fall fair would be held every September, they would all hold plowing matches each spring, and parades always featured their town's pipe band. Everything was done on a volunteer basis to improve relations.

It was after the people assembled for the celebration of 'Oktoberfest' that it was noticed that the family that had helped their community grow from two small homes in the hollow weren't seen at the opening festivities. It created concern and it isn't normal for a prominent family that is in the area to miss the traditional gatherings at that time of year. Sending out a search party, the owners of the hotel and other businesses in the region couldn't be found.

Questions were asked and the bartender inside the hotel remembered that a group of men had ridden into the town the night before and they sought one of the rooms inside the hotel. The men were accommodated and they would walk down the stairs to the room that contained the bar. It was common for the men to gather after working hard each day to drink beer in the region.

Since it is a tradition for men only to enter their bar, women had their own room to gather to talk over their tea. They could sew, create needlepoint art, or they would talk about various subjects that appealed to them They weren't allowed to drink alcohol with the men and women were highly respected for being ladies. Rumors would spread quickly if they stepped inside the bar.

Since it was now late afternoon, a group of men rode their carriages out to the farm where the family lived and they knocked on the door. Only hearing silence, and since the doors were locked, the men were perplexed to know if the family had perhaps ridden to meet family or friends in another town, or if something sinister had happened to them.

They were sure that the family would appear again, since it is impossible to confirm if the family was inside the house. No one could see through any of the windows, since they were shielded by thick, satin curtains that prevented them from looking into any of the rooms.

Returning to the festivities, nothing more was thought about it until a week had now passed and there was still no sign of the family that had done many wonderful things for the community. Had something happened to the family, or were they on an extended vacation were now questions being asked?

That is when the tenants of the hotel would notice the scent of black smoke rising from the second floor of the hotel and they knew they were in danger. With bells sounding, the men in the community converged on the main street and saw the hotel the man had built lighting the darkness with fire. They had to work desperately to save the hotel and the second floor was destroyed.

No one had ever seen such terror in the night and it left many speechless in their community. The owner was missing and now his business was ruined. An investigation showed that someone had used an accelerant and there are no doubts any longer that it was arson.

Why would someone deliberately try to burn down the hotel that is known for helping the underprivileged, the destitute, and those that needed the roof over their heads? It didn't make sense until the bartender started to remember what had happened the day after 'Oktoberfest'.

Apparently, some of the men that had arrived were engaged in a game that saw money exchanging hands through poker and one of the men would then become hostile when he lost the hand. He accused one of the men that were at the table of cheating and it had led to a fight that would see many chairs or tables broken.

The man accused the hotel for his loss and vowed he would get even for an establishment existing that harbored criminals that cheated others. There was an investigation by the sheriff and a posse was formed to find him, but he is long gone. There was no way to find the man and he was now in the wind. It was questioned where he had received so much money, valuable jewels, and other items he lost in the card game, but their questions didn't have answers.

As the calendar changed into the new year, the family that owned the home in the country were now missing for two months and no word is received by anyone in the small community. The neighboring farmers had taken care of their livestock and it didn't make sense that the man and his family would go away and ignore their responsibilities.

Knowing that they couldn't wait any longer, the sheriff and his deputy rode out to the farmhouse and again knocked on the door. Hearing nothing but the silence of their own breathing, the deputy noticed what appeared to be blood spots on the inside of the window, after he removed some dirt on the pane of glass. He had walked to the front of the home and looked through the glass.

That gave them just cause to enter the home of the prominent citizen and it saw them break the glass on the back porch that was built around the door. It was an experience that the men weren't anticipating and the scent that lingers in the air provided only one explanation. After they cleared the broken glass, the deputy entered and unlocked the door.

They were standing in the kitchen and the sight in front of their eyes would leave them speechless. Lighting candles as they walked through the kitchen to the living room, blood could be seen on the floor, on the furniture, on the walls, and it left no doubts that the family was murdered months earlier. The men didn't have a choice and they would have to continue searching for any clues that could lead to the identity of the person responsible.

The beautiful drapes that framed the windows were now stained in crimson red, the polished hardwood floors were covered with pools of blood, and the sheriff and his deputy would enter the hallway, where the den was located. It was untouched and continuing up the hall, they arrived at the front entrance, where the stained-glass panes of glass surrounded exquisite woodwork.

After opening the door that is next to the stairs that would take them to the second floor, the poster bed was still made, but many of the valuables on the dressers were now missing. The dust showed where they had sat previously and that absence of blood or other disruptions showed that the family wasn't in the room when they were confronted by an intruder.

Carrying one of the candles, the men started ascending the stairs and when they reached the top hallway, they noticed that three bedroom doors are now facing them, which were all closed. They weren't taking chances that anyone could still be inside the home, so their guns were drawn and ready. Someone had locked the entrance doors with deadbolts and it couldn't be done easily.

Opening the first door on the left, they were looking into the bedroom of a daughter and the bed was adorned with a pink comforter, pink curtains, and it was noticed that she loved to paint. An easel was next to the window and a half-finished picture of the surrounding countryside is displayed on canvass. She was very talented, but the painting would never be completed.

After leaving the room and looking in the next door, it is the bathroom and a large bathtub is placed near the window. They saw a mirror and a cupboard that contained a large bowl, but the bowl was stained with blood. That would tell them that someone washed up after they slaughtered the family, but there were no signs of the families remains.

There were still three doors to open and they are now growing anxious that one of the doors would become their worst nightmare. After taking a breath, the first door was pushed open and it was another bedroom. The chimney is in the corner of the room next to the window, and that is logical, since they had the fireplace in the living room for heat. The smoke would rise and then dissipate into the atmosphere above the home.

Once the next door is opened that was located beneath the trap door that is leading into the attic, the men noticed that it is a walk-in closet, which could hold their clothes, shoes, boots, and seasonal coats. There are also some old trunks that contained clothing, but it only left one remaining door. It would be the hardest door for them to open, since they didn't know what they could find once it opened.

After summoning every ounce of courage they could muster in their souls, the door was opened and to their relief, there were no decomposing bodies in the bedroom. The room was neat and tidy and it appeared that someone was using the room, since a pitcher of water was on the nightstand and the scent of cigar smoke was still lingering in the air around them. The ashtray would contain the ashes, but there weren't any ashtrays anywhere else in the home.

As the men searched the room for anything that might give them a clue for them to work with, they noticed the air surrounding them had gone cold and they could see their breath when they exhaled. The door of the room would suddenly slam shut for no reason and they would then hear what sounds like footsteps on the staircase.

Opening the door as quickly as they could and running towards the stairs, it was now obvious that they weren't alone and the men rushed down each step, being careful that they didn't fall and injure themselves. Arriving back at the front door, it was locked, and no one had eluded them that way. That left the back door and it was still standing open like they had left it.

The men could see that it had been snowing since they entered their home and if the mysterious intruder had left the house, they would be able to track his footsteps in the snow. After looking around the outside of the house, the men noticed that there are no visible tracks and it confused them.

That meant one thing and the intruder was still in the house and they aren't going to find him if they don't search the rest of the rooms. After entering to see the house through the back door, the men have turned right and followed the hallway to the laundry room. When they pushed the door in front of them open, they were standing in the doorway of a room they weren't expecting.

The room was apparently used as a guest room, since it had a bed, dresser, and the curtains were plain. Nothing was out of order and the men only had one place left to search. They passed the door that was next to the laundry in the hall and it would lead them into the basement.

It was obvious that no one had used the door, since the dead-bolt is locked and that could only be done if the person was standing in the hallway. As the lock was released, the door opened and wooden steps would take them down and into the basement. The men exercised caution, since they didn't know of unforeseen dangers that could be present.

As they crept cautiously down the stairs, the men noticed that the room at the bottom of the stairs had two-feet-thick walls that were common back in the previous century for barns and farm houses. They also noticed that there was a huge area of the basement that wasn't cleared of dirt on the left of the stairs. Was it an oversight that left the dirt in place or deliberate?

Using the light from the candles to navigate their way through the cellar, it appeared that the room at the bottom of the stairs was empty, but there was a door leading outside in the corner. Shelves were lining the walls and they are probably used for jars that contained various preserves that included fruits or vegetables. There was also a bin for potatoes and onions that would feed the family during the winter months.

The dust on the floor was thick and undisturbed for months, which told the men that no one had entered the basement in a long time. Since they were in the basement anyways, they decided to check it out in depth and they would have to step down to enter a sunken room that was on the other side of a dirt area they had seen next to the stairs.

It appeared that the family was digging out the basement over time, which was obvious from shovels and picks lying next to the stone walls that would separate each room. The dirt was probably transported through the door they saw and it could be disposed of in the large field that was next to the home. It was strange that the family would dig a basement after the house was built.

There was a large coal bin and the coal chute would allow them to dump a shipment of coal into the basement, which would then be carried upstairs for the pot-bellied stove in the kitchen and the fireplace in the living room. They would also see a metal plate in the wall that was three-feet square. They are sure that it probably led to the coal chute, since it was next to the bin.

As the men walked through the hole in the wall and into another room, the room was filled with forgotten relics, trunks, and boxes that contained items that weren't needed any longer. The trunks contained old clothes, bustles, or bonnets that the women wore in earlier years. It was fascinating to see them, but the men weren't there to rummage through their belongings.

When the men walked through the door again that was in the concrete wall, they were startled to hear someone walking on the floors above them. That is going to catch their attention and the men would climb the stairs quickly. If someone is inside the home, they knew that they couldn't escape them again. They were now determined to apprehend them and obtain answers.

Standing in the hall, the men started hearing knocking on the walls and that startled them, since it appeared to be echoing all around them. There is only one thing to do and the men retraced their steps through all the rooms again. Nothing was out of place and the strange knocking had stopped around them, as mysteriously as it had started. Is it their imagination or is someone trying to scare them out of the house for some reason?

The house was getting colder and since they couldn't find anything that is going to help expose the person that had taken many lives months earlier, it was decided that the men would return to the sheriff's office. Reports would have to be written and the next of kin would have to be notified of what had happened. The family never mentioned them, but they may exist.

The men would have to ride the five miles back to town through the open country and the air around them was chilling them. They would have to ride along the road, up and down some hills that would eventually bring them to a tiny hamlet that contained a church, homes, and many covered bridges. It was a treacherous journey in the winter months, but at least the men would arrive back at the office safely.

After parking their buggy and unhitching the horses, they were put inside the stable for the day. Walking around to the front of the building, the men were surprised to see a man waiting inside the office and from the way the man was dressed, it was obvious that he was wealthy. He had waited for the men to return and he introduced himself as the nephew of the family that has gone missing.

He received a letter earlier in November that asked him to travel east from the west coast and help run the business of his uncle. It created confusion for the sheriff and his deputy, because the letter was dated in November, but the family weren't seen from before 'Oktoberfest'. Was it possible that the family had traveled to a surrounding town to send the letter?

Another cause for concern would be shown when the nephew produced the will of his uncle, which left everything to him. Men don't normally carry the will of family members on their travels, since the last will and testament was commonly kept at the courthouse. The man would be questioned in depth for hours, but nothing he said could tie him to their strange disappearance.

The nephew was adamant that he had arrived earlier on the stage and he is arriving from the west coast. That explained why it had taken over a month for him to arrive in their small town. He also explained that his uncle was a huge fan of his and he paid for his education on the west coast.

There was nothing more that could be accomplished, so the man would be given lodgings at one of the other hotels near the train station. His uncle was the owner and it would give him a chance to grow familiar with the holdings of his family.

As they gathered the next morning, the sheriff was surprised to see a judge arriving on the stage and there weren't any cases to be heard, since there are no men inside the jail. When questioned, the judge answered that he would receive a letter to make the journey to the small town that day. It wouldn't be addressed and it came as a telegram.

After the reading of the will, the nephew was happy that he inherited every house, business, and he promised that he would continue the legacy of a man that was loved inside the community. He had the wealth to do it and there is one thing that he wanted to do first. Since he heard the report of the sheriff, a thorough cleaning of the farmhouse is needed to make it inhabitable again.

The nephew would then hire men in the community to rebuild the hotel on the corner of the downtown street and a third floor was added for travelers to find accommodation. There would also be other changes around the area and one of the paper mills would prime the boiler to sound an alarm at 5 pm each afternoon. It was the signal to the wives at home that their husband would be finishing their jobs and they would be hungry.

Once the news is received that the farmhouse is completed and a porch was added to the back of the house, the young man couldn't wait to see what they had done. After arriving, the porch had a counter for plants, many windows would allow for lots of sunlight, and a new carriage house was added with a sliding door. Lightning rods were erected all around the house and grounded, in the event of an electrical storm hitting the area.

Now that the new owner was happy with the construction of the farmhouse, he was eager to move in and since he didn't have a family to worry about, he would be able to enjoy his freedom in any way he chose. That was what they believed, but the house itself had other plans for the new owner.

After moving all of his belongings into the master bedroom, a fire is made in the fireplace, and the pot-belly stove in the kitchen would be used to make dinner. The heat from both would battle the dampness in the spring air. It is going to be a night he would never forget and after lighting his pipe, so he is able to read the town's paper in peace, he noticed that the air around him was now chilling his bones.

Throwing more logs on the fire, the chill around him only intensified and it was unlike anything he had ever seen before in his lifetime. When a strange knocking occurred on the walls, the young man was growing frightened, and when he heard footsteps going up the stairs, that was enough for him.

The young man wasted no time and he ran to the small house where a hired hand for the farm lived. Asking him to accompany him back to the house, he wanted to know if the man noticed anything unusual. Of course, nothing was out of place, the house was warm, and there were no sounds emulating from any of the rooms.

The hired hand believed that he was suffering from hallucinations and if he needed his help again in the future, he would be there for his employer. That appeared to calm the situation for the rest of the night and unfortunately, the same events would take place again in déjà vu the next night. Everything is to intensify and instead of just footsteps going up the stairs, the upstairs door by the bathroom would slam shut for no apparent reason.

That made him jump and it wouldn't take him long to hook up the carriage to his horses, with the intention of moving into the hotel he owned. There is no explanation for what he was experiencing in the farmhouse and he didn't want to know what was haunting the home. Was it the spirit of his uncle, it wasn't known, and he didn't want anything to do with it. It was the first time that he had ever experienced the supernatural and it would be his last.

That is when it was decided he would rent out the house in the country for the benefit of others and the first family that moved in lasted one night. The stories they told circulated through the area like a roaring fire and for many of the citizens, they didn't want to live inside a haunted house. The people in the region that even considered living there would be the vagrants and hobos that arrived in a railway car, destined for parts unknown.

Even the vagrants didn't last long and they were hitching their rides on the old steam engines again out of town. For others, the longest anyone would stay in the home was a week and they wanted a refund on their rent again. It would lead to the price being dropped and since the farm was a lucrative or beneficial enterprise, the farm wouldn't be sold to others.

The old house would remain empty until the turn of the century and there were now many residents moving into the small town. The railway opened up new possibilities and the paper mill that was located on the river would see the creation of their first hydro-electric dynamo to power the mill. They could control the water through the turbines and it was the first of its kind in North America.

When it came to the property in the country, an elderly couple would rent the house to retire and they were excited to live in the country. They would enjoy the sound of nature around them each day. The front veranda allowed them to sit in the atmosphere of peace and contentment and they would have two sofas put in place for them to enjoy the country setting around them.

Lilac bushes filled the air with their scent and the couple couldn't enjoy it more if they asked. They have occupied the home for twenty years and when the great depression hit the region, many suffered and the couple would have the misfortune of catching the 'Spanish' flu that claimed their lives.

With the passing of the elderly couple, the house would remain empty for a few years again and couples would rent the home, but for some reason, it has been like déjà vu again and the couples would move out shortly after moving into the farmhouse. They would describe strange sounds, an unexpected chill that is going to surround them at all hours of the day or night, footsteps, and they would often hear doors slamming during the evening hours.

As time continued to pass, things would take a turn for the worst when the house would be rented by a man that had an unscrupulous past. When he had moved in, it appeared the house felt the sinister presence and the man would be found by one of the farm workers sitting in his chair dead. His face would display fear and the coroner concluded that he had died of a heart attack.

Were the spirits of the house capable of distinguishing between good and a presence of evil? That was a question that no one had an answer for, because the elderly couple that are God-fearing and wouldn't harm anyone had lived in the home for twenty years. The man with a criminal background is found dead after spending only a short time inside the house and that again created questions that didn't have answers.

The history of the house was filled with intrigue, mystery, suspense, and it was obvious that it was capable of seeing inside the hearts of men or women that have decided to enter. Even the owner of the property refused to live on the property under any circumstances, which only escalated the legends. He was adamant that he wouldn't set foot in the mansion ever again, which was seen as unusual, since it was the creation of the original owner.

The businesses would be sold over the course of time to entrepreneurs and the area continued to grow. The farm would be rented to one farmer that has his own farm further up the road, and the small one-room house that is built for the hired hand would also be left vacant. That is what legends and myths create and many would turn down the opportunity to live on the farm.

Many trees now surrounded the home next to the tracks and thick foliage is going to conceal the home from the roadway. All the people would see now is the long laneway leading into the trees and the railway's tracks that would run parallel to the dirt laneway. The silhouette of the barn can be seen when the moon was full and it would present an eerie atmosphere for families that lived in the vicinity.

With the passing of time, repairs were needed, but they would be left up to anyone that had the courage to move into the home. The history of the house wasn't revealed, since the legends and myths surrounding it had frightened a population that wasn't really interested in the supernatural. Many weren't up to hearing ghostly sounds and they would flee in terror.

It is said that all things happen for a reason and did the house reject women and men that wanted to live there for close to a  century, due to their hearts? Were the spirits of the house merely testing the new tenants to see if they are capable of solving the mystery surrounding the home, since the demise of an earlier owner that had vanished without a trace many years earlier?

Chapter Two: Unexplained Disappearances

The area would see major changes during the war years and once the war came to a close, men were returning to their loved ones on the trains. There were many that were injured both mentally and physically, since they would have to fight on the front lines against the enemies they face and that created problems for the citizens that remained behind.

The problems would start when the steam engines rolled into the station on a Sunday afternoon. After filling the compartment with water, refilling their coal bins, the trains would then leave the area again. What everyone couldn't know is the boxcars contain unscrupulous men that wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of others in their quest to obtain wealth at the expense of others.

The police would be called through the new party lines to arrest men that had broken into the homes of the innocent citizens, lining their pockets with many artifacts that could be carried. Assault was reported and prisons would see the arrival of many men that tried to succeed in life through crime.

It was with this new generation of lawlessness that the mystery deepened in the region and it wouldn't only involve the old house in the country now. The problem would be reported for the first time during the event that could bring the community together and it was during the 'highland games' that an older woman would be watching her granddaughter dance.

After sending her husband to the booth to get some refreshments, he would return and his wife was missing. When he asked the other citizens that were sitting around them in the grandstands where they are, they answer that they weren't really paying attention. They would remember the middle-aged man however that was talking to her, but what happened after that was anyone's guess. Their focus is on the dancers that were performing on the grass.

The woman's husband would report his wife missing after he searched their area diligently and couldn't find her. The constable was then approached and a search was made of the whole park, since the community would help when needed to find lost children that wandered away through curiosity.

Announcements were made, the citizen's searched, but it was all in vain for the distraught husband. His wife had simply vanished and it brought back all the memories of the past for the small community. At the turn of the century, another middle-aged woman had vanished without a trace, leaving a husband and children to mourn her loss.

Before the bombing of 'Pearl Harbor' by the Japanese in 1941 occurred, the community would lose one of their prominent citizens that had an impact on many lives. The mayor's wife at the time was very active in helping children that needed special care through learning disabilities. She had a talent that is capable of helping them understand.

She would be returning home after devoting her evening to a small school in the area and she wouldn't make it back to her husband and those that love her. The constable and sheriff would find her carriage in the ravine by an old dynamo that was previously used by the paper mill on the river. The carriage was covered with blood and the police suspected foul play.

The citizens would search the ravine and trestle area for clues, but nothing is found. She had merely vanished and there was nothing anyone could do. It would be reported in the papers of surrounding towns and villages, but it has led to silence. Now that another woman vanished without a trace, there is an element of concern that the two unexplained disappearances could be related.

It has only been ten years and the community would now be aware that the region could have been infiltrated by a silent predator that was targeting the women that were in their forties or older. Everyone was asked to watch for a stranger that wasn't known by the people and report them if they are seen. It made the officer's aware of new visitors to the area and after an interview, it would enable the sheriff to rule them out as suspects.

Everything would return to normal for a few years, but then an incident in the area would catch everyone's attention. After leaving the station with their boxcars filled with cattle for the slaughterhouse, the engineer would hear the wheels strike an object on the tracks and it derailed the train. Boxcars would slide down the embankment near the culvert and river, sending cows flying.

Families that lived in the area of the tracks would see cows landing around them in their back yards and it was a frightening experience. It was fortunate that no one was hurt or killed, but with all the activity taking place, a woman that was waiting for the next passenger train wouldn't be as lucky. She is the next victim and she had now vanished off the station's bench.

With all the commotion that was taking place, no one had even noticed that the woman that is dressed in a satin dress wouldn't be boarding the train now. Her disappearance wouldn't even be reported for a week by her family. With no clues to guide them, the police were just as baffled as before.

At least they were able to discover the cause of the derailment and there is a railway spike on the rails that was put there deliberately. It was the opinion of the railway inspectors that the spike was placed there with the intention of derailing the train on purpose. Once they heard that another woman could be abducted at the same time, it was time to call in the authorities, since there is a serial murderer in their midst.

With the federal authorities on the scene, asking questions and trying their best to find the person responsible, a family would lose their grandfather to old age and after the ceremony, they would transport his casket to one of the old cemeteries that was located in the small glen. The grave was prepared by the Undertaker the previous night and when the service shifted to their grave site, a strange sight would be waiting for them.

The hearse had to travel past the crypt and they noticed something that was out of place immediately. There was a woman's body lying on the top of the grass above the sunken crypt and her arms were folded across her chest. The woman's body was identified as the woman that had vanished from the train station and her family was decimated.

Why would someone abduct the woman, slit her throat with a knife, and it would then see them stretch her body out on top of the crypt in that way? It is known that the authorities were now involved and that removed all doubt that a crime was committed in the area. Was the killer merely taunting them and he wanted them to see that he was aware of their presence?

The authorities aren't miracle workers and they must work with the facts or evidence they collect, but the killer had left nothing that could help them. He was thorough and there were no hair fibers, no skin under her fingertips, and it is obvious that she wasn't sexually abused, which ruled out samples from a degenerate that got high watching others suffer.

When criminals are aware that their crimes can't be solved, they escalate to even bolder crimes and that would see a woman abducted from a store in the area. Her body would be displayed in the same way on the same crypt that is used previously in the Glen, which left everyone shaking their heads. If they had posted someone at the cemetery, they could have obtained something in the area that could help them, which left them frustrated!

With the citizens reading about the deaths and mysterious abductions now in the town's newspaper, it created fear and their small community has never experienced anything like it before. Many were now locking their doors, the women were now traveling in pairs, husbands were armed and watching for anything unusual, but their efforts wouldn't stop what is happening.

The victims shared nothing in common and they had blonde, brunette, and even red hair. They were skinny, overweight, tall, short, long hair, short hair, and it defied logic. Were they merely random women that were alone when a predator decided that he wanted to make them his next victim?

Many criminals will continue to show the same characteristics, which was known as their signature when they commit crimes, but their killer would be defying everything the authorities knew from years of working cases. Police were now brought in from the surrounding towns and records are checked to see if the same thing had happened elsewhere.

With the police canvassing the area, they weren't aware that someone had a new objective in mind. With the children being discharged from their school in the region, someone was watching to see if a student was alone. Picking a new victim from many that are in their early teens, she was abducted when it was appropriate, and the actions wouldn't be seen.

When the young girl failed to return to her home that evening, it is going to terrify her parents that loved her with all their hearts. The authorities would be called and she was reported missing. A check of all her friends revealed it was a dead end, because no one had seen her after she left school that day. If she was abducted, it had to have taken place in the ravine that is next to their high school.

The area had trees, shrubs, and many students would take the short cut that is a trail next to the river. No one was worried about being kidnapped, since it would be extremely difficult to carry someone from the ravine without the person being seen by everyone that lived on the street above the ravine. That was also true at both ends of the ravine and heavy traffic used both roadways.

That created a new mystery and how did the abductor get the girl out of the ravine without being seen? It was like each new victim was a challenge. The police were stumped and they were spinning their wheels in frustration. That wasn't possible and no one could continue their crime spree without making a mistake.

When the young ladies body then appeared a week later on the grass of the same crypt where the other two bodies were found, the security guard that is on duty there reported that he didn't see or hear anything in the vicinity. The area was quiet and there were no cars seen during the time in question.

If the killer put her body on top of the crypt and posed it like the others, he would have to do it when he took his eyes off