Burial Mound: The Maury Mansion Series

By Nancy J. Beatty

Elaina Maury Curtis inherits her familys estate in Maury, Florida, and moves in to the dismay of some local citizens. They know Elaina isnt going anywhere, though. Her uncle founded the town, and shes married to Rob Curtis, the local chief of police. Still, townsfolk want her gone, because murder didnt come to Maury until she arrived.

Fortunately for Elaina, her tearoom and charming bed and breakfast businesses are going well. Unfortunately, she soon comes upon a ghost in her tearoom and finds a burial mound on her familys land just as murder rocks the small town once again. Rob and his sidekick deputy, Jimmy Dougal, take the case, but its clear they arent making any progress.

Elaina makes it her responsibility to sniff out the killer with the help of Irish wolfhound, Chloe, but she uncovers more secrets in her own home than she ever could have expected. Now, suspects are plenty, as are motives, and why is there a ghost in her tearoom? As the suspense grows, its possible Elaina could be the next victim unless she solves this mystery first.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jan 15, 2016
• ISBN: 9781491787540

Nancy J. Beatty

Nancy Beatty is a veteran educator of thirty-five years and holds a master’s degree in counseling. She is a certified ESL instructor and taught school in China and Thailand. She now lives in Florida and is the author of The Mystery of Maury Mansion: Mayan Revenge.

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Copyright © 2016 Nancy J. Beatty.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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ISBN: 978-1-4917-8755-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-8754-0 (e)

iUniverse rev. date: 01/15/2016

Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Epilogue

PROLOGUE

I t was one hell of a sight, even for a veteran cop; a sight that would haunt him for years to come.

The call came at eleven o’clock on New Year’s Eve. Rob Curtis, the new Maury police chief, answered the call and raced down highway Twenty-Seven toward Claymont with his lights flashing. Claymont was known for its low crime rate. It was a quiet family community, nestled in the rolling hills of Lake County. Many residents worked in nearby Orlando and chose to make the drive everyday just to live in such a beautiful area.

It was not normal procedure for Rob to get a call to help outside his jurisdiction, but this night was different. When he arrived, the door to the crime scene was standing wide open with light streaming out and uniforms everywhere. Rob hurried into the house and was immediately taken back by what he saw. A middle-aged man in his underwear was lying on the floor in a pool of blood. His throat had been cut and there were multiple stab wounds.

Over kill, thought Rob.

Crime scene investigators were already hard at work, so he stepped back out of the way. The flash and click of a camera, the dusting for prints, the gathering of blood samples and the whirling movement of forensic professionals gave him a momentary feeling of inadequacy. A door opened abruptly down the hall, and Detective George Anderson came out. He was the one that called him, so Rob moved carefully, not to step on any blood spots, in that direction.

He’s not the only victim, Anderson said. There’s other family members in the bedrooms.

Rob stepped into the doorway and saw the body of a woman, possibly mid-fifties, hands tied behind her back, nightgown pulled up around her neck and a gunshot wound to the back of her head. He looked quizzically at Detective Anderson.

Yep, she was raped.

In another room, he saw a young man in his early twenties. He was kneeling with his head on the bed. He had been shot point blank in the left temple, execution style. The whole scene was gruesome. He had seen homicides when he was on the Jacksonville police force and a couple of times when he was an MP in the military, but not for some time, and never an entire family like this.

There’s a girl. Her name is Kelley Sampson. She’s the eighteen-year old daughter. Her bed covers are messed up, but that doesn’t tell us much with teens these days. We’re looking for her right now. Don’t know if she was here when all this took place. That’s where I need your help, Rob.

Sure George, anything.

The Aunt lives in Maury. She doesn’t know yet. Go talk to her in person and relay our condolences. See what you can find out. Maybe she knows where the girl is? I don’t need to tell you how critical it is we find her.

Rob headed back toward Maury, trying to get his thoughts together before making that dreaded house call. He heaved, thinking about the crime scene. Cautiously, maneuvering the police cruiser to the side of the road, he jumped out and upped his supper. He stood breathing in the familiar scents of the countryside. All his hopes of a peaceful New Year’s Eve had been dashed with that one phone call. It was too late to save her family, but maybe there was still a chance to save Kelley.

CHAPTER ONE

T he week after Christmas was balmy, but then a cold front descended on central Florida and the weather turned brisk. Elaina Curtis, wanted to stay in bed, but that was no longer an option for her. She had a bed and breakfast to run and a tea room to open for lunch. Christmas brought a full house. Every room was booked for three weeks solid and the tea room was packed with locals and tourists. Even her homemade natural soap sales were finally making a profit for her. People were dropping in for tea and buying her soaps and body creams on the way out the door.

She sat quietly at her desk in the library, soaking in a brief peaceful moment before the tea room opened at eleven thirty for lunch. A wave of auburn hair brushed against her rosy cheek and she pushed it back, as she gazed out the window. Thoughts went racing through her head, as she reminisced about other times she had looked out that window. The wind picked up and the trees bordering the stucco wall began to sway. Although she had only been in the mansion a year, her life had changed dramatically. For one thing, she was married now. She married Rob Curtis, the Maury police chief. Although his title sounded impressive, there were only two other people on the force, not including, Cindy Mallory, his office assistant. Crime in this sleepy little community was almost nonexistent until Elaina showed up and changed all that. The town still talked about all the excitement that happened after she inherited the mansion from her deceased uncle, the founder of the town, and started her own business there. It didn’t come easy for her. Other people wanted the mansion for their own gain and hated the fact she came to claim it.

She looked at the lawn and wondered when Tom Myers would get around to mowing again. He used to come every Monday, but then she noticed he would come a day later and another day later, until now he’s back to Mondays again and only mows every two weeks. Isn’t she paying him the same amount she had been paying him to mow for four times a month?

Just then, a flash of gray flew by the window, bringing her quickly back to the present. It was Chloe, her Irish wolfhound that she rescued from the animal shelter.

Okay, I’m coming Chloe. It’s time for your midmorning snack.

She and Rob had discussed getting a dog, especially after experiencing intruders at the mansion over the past year. A dog might be good for security, Rob had told her. Start checking out the animal shelters in the area for a big one that we can save. So, when Cindy called her and told her about an ad in a local newspaper, Elaina went to the shelter immediately. There she was, smaller than she had expected for a one-year old. The ad described her as a giant schnauzer-black lab mix. It wasn’t until she took her to the veterinarian that she discovered she was a full-blooded Irish wolfhound. She still had her baby teeth and couldn’t have been more than five months old. That was back in October, and she had doubled her size since then.

Chloe was waiting at the back door with a plant hanging out of her mouth when Elaina got there. The roots were still attached.

Come in girl.

Chloe ducked down on her forelegs, daring Elaina to take the leafy branch from her mouth.

What’s in your mouth? Come here! Give it to me!

Taking the cue for fun and games, Chloe dashed off, first running in a circle, then around the front of the house with Elaina trailing after her. A black Volvo came racing up the driveway, barely missing the dog, and a short, stalky man with a round, pinkish face jumped out of the car. His tight, gray suit gave him the appearance of a caterpillar breaking out of its cocoon.

That g … damn dog of yours was digging up plants from my garden again. She’s run off with my prize Jacobinia. Get back here you damn son of a …

Mr. Lewis! You’re going to scare her. You’re only making it worse. If we stand still and ignore her, she’ll come to us.

Ralph looked into Elaina’s glaring green eyes and toned down his approach.

Well, I’m telling you, Elaina, that dog is a menace. You need to tie her up.

Lately, she’s been jumping the wall. I’m going to start discipline lessons this week, she fibbed.

Elaina bent down and patted Chloe on the head. Slowly, she slipped the plant from between her slightly yielding teeth and handed it to Ralph. He snatched it from her and with his free hand, he took out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead, as he made his way back to the open car door.

I can see talking to you is useless. I’m gonna stop by the police station and talk to Rob right now.

You do that, Mr. Lewis, she said as she slipped her fingers under Chloe’s collar and led her back around the house.

Ralph Lewis had been a thorn in her side ever since she arrived in Maury. She had other things to tend to now then worry about what he would say to Rob. It was almost nine o’clock and she still needed to clean the guest rooms.

Rob came home for lunch and slipped his jacket on the coat rack by the back door.

You let that dog rule you, he said, leaning against the counter and watching Elaina cut up liver for Chloe.

I know, she muttered regretfully, but she’s still a baby, regardless of her size, and she needs good stuff to help her grow. Who knows what she ate before we got her.

She dumped the chopped pieces into a pan of boiling water, then turned to face him.

This is about Ralph Lewis coming to see you this morning isn’t it?

Well as it happened, I did see him, right after he left here.

Elaina handed Rob the mustard and a plate of cold cuts, then pointed to the door that led to their private dining area, originally, the family breakfast room. Rob liked to come home for lunch before the tea room opened, so he could to try the day’s special. Today he was getting cold cuts on rye. He quickly decided on the cold cuts when he saw Elaina remove a spinach quiche from the top oven, then place the bowl of liver on the floor for Chloe.

Dressed in her ivory laced serving dress and old fashion bib apron, she poured herself a cup of her special house tea and joined him before the first customers arrived. Sara, her new helper was running late.

Probably has a class this morning at the college, she thought.

Sara Mills was a part-time college student at Lake-Sumter College. A petite girl in her mid-twenties, she had grown up in the area and attended the same high school Rob had graduated from. Rob knew the family and persuaded Elaina to hire the brown eyed girl with the signature, yellow-streaked ponytail. The family had come on hard times after the citrus plant suffered cutbacks and couldn’t afford to help their daughter with her college education.

Chloe jumped the wall again, Rob.

The dog was lying at Rob’s feet and he glanced down just in time to see her tuck her tail between her hind legs and roll her ears back.

Is that right girl? Did you do that?

Chloe slowly raised her head and gave him a woeful look, which meant, I’m sorry.

We’ll have to raise the height another foot. I’ll call someone. In the meantime, she can’t be running free around the estate. I saw some fresh holes around your uncle’s mausoleum yesterday. Since the mausoleum is just this side of the wall that separates the estate from Lewis’s backyard, she probably got bored and went looking for new ground. We’ll have to walk her on a leash or go out with her every time.

She only brought back what Lewis stole from our garden when the house was sitting here abandoned, said Elaina. From what I hear, he came over and dug up some of the most exotic plants my uncle had installed and replanted them in his own garden.

Yeah, I heard that too. But we can’t prove it. So let’s just not make things worse. Surely, he wouldn’t continue doing that with me here now.

John Daughtery, a thickset man with a New York accent, entered the dining hall with his wife, Dorothy, following behind. She was a tall lady, at least two inches taller than her bold mouth husband. Her shoulder length hair was newly bleached and cut in a trendy style. She wore slim jeans that accented her long legs and a purple knit pullover. He had on one of those bright floral shirts that tourist wear when they come to visit.

Anyone home? he called loudly.

Elaina cracked the door leading to the dining room and peeked out. They chose a table by the front window and seated themselves without waiting for assistance.

It’s that odd couple, the Daughterys, that checked in two days ago from up north.

She shucked down the rest of her tea and grabbed the menus from on top of the side bar. Still no sign of Sara, she said. I better go ahead and serve them.

How long are they staying and where are they from? asked Rob.

They paid for the month and they said they were from New York. Are you going to interrogate every customer we get? she whispered.

He glanced up and saw the determined look on her face. No, he whispered back.

Two more tables filled up, while she waited on the Daughterys. Out the corner of her eye she saw Sara slip in, put her bag behind the front counter and pick up her order book. Elaina nodded toward the new customers and Sara immediately went to wait on them.

Lunch was busy, but afternoon tea became a bit overwhelming when an unannounced shuttle showed up with thirty elderly women from a local nursing home.

I do wish they would phone ahead to book reservations, Elaina said, pulling out a fresh batch of blueberry scones from the oven. After all there’s only two of us.

Feeling guilty for coming late, she replied, sorry, I didn’t get here on time. Truth is, I want to talk to you about something after we finish up here.

Oh no! thought Elaina. I hope she’s not going to quit.

Sara was seated next to Elaina in the breakfast room. She was sipping the last of the lavender tea and picking at a left over blueberry scone. Dishes were in the dish washer, tables cleaned and new tablecloths replaced the dirty ones.

Well, that was a hectic afternoon. What did you want to talk to me about?

I don’t know how to go about this, Sara replied, but I met this guy in one of my classes and when I told him I was working here, he got interested. He asked if there was a job for him, part-time, of course. He is trying to get his associate degree and help his father in their family business.

How well do you know him?

Oh no, it’s not like that! I mean, I like him and we went for coffee after class a few times, but nothing serious. There’s no sudden tug of attraction. I don’t think he’s my type.

Biting back asking her what was her type, Elaina said, Where does he live right now?

He’s from Claymont, but I don’t actually know where he stays during the week. He could be driving back and forth.

I don’t know what exactly he could do here. Let me talk to Rob and see if he has any ideas. I’ll get back with you. Oh, what’s his name, in case he should call?

His name is Colin McIvery.

Sara slipped out the side door and headed across the foyer to the front entrance. She was pleased with herself, but she had lied, because there was an attraction growing and if he could get hired at Maury Mansion, she could see more of him.

Hmm. that’s why she was late today, thought Elaina.

She walked over to the door leading to the tea room and was about to flip off the lights when She noticed a young woman sitting at the table in front of the window. The same table that the Daughtery’s had been sitting at earlier. Her long dark hair was tousled and she stared out the window with her back to Elaina.

Hello, Can I help you? I’m sorry we’re closed now. We open tomorrow at eleven thirty for lunch and high tea, but if you want to buy some bath and body products or tea from the gift counter, I’ll be happy to …

Suddenly, the girl turned and looked at Elaina. Her face was sunken and gray. Her eyes were dark and deeply set in their sockets. She stood. She was wearing a torn night gown that clung to her slender body. It was then that Elaina noticed she could see the outline of the table and the window frame through her. A sense of disturbing sadness penetrated the room, bringing tears to Elaina’s eyes. The girl seemed to glide, not walk, toward the exit. She disappeared through the dining room entrance and Elaina strained to hear a bang from the heavy front door out in the foyer, but there was only silence.

Elaina stood in the doorway disoriented and unable to move her limbs. She felt momentarily paralyzed. She knew what she had just witnessed, because her uncle’s spirit had roamed the old mansion for years, waiting for his only living relative to come