A Murder on Poet's Hill (Ella Daniels Mystery 2)

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A MURDER ON POET’S HILL

AN ELLA DANIELS MYSTERY BOOK 2

J. A. WHITING
Copyright 2019 J.A. Whiting
Cover copyright 2019 Melody Simmons:
www.bookcoverscre8tive.com
Formatting by Signifer Book Design
Proofreading by Donna Rich

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, or incidents are products
of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to locales,
actual events, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from J. A. Whiting.

To hear about new books and book sales, please sign up for my mailing
list at:
www.jawhiting.com

Created with Vellum

For my family with love
 CONTENTS

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24

Thank you for reading!

Also by J. A. Whiting
About the Author
 1

It was late afternoon when Ella Daniels sat at her desk in her
university office correcting papers while her black cat, Raisin,
snoozed on the sofa by the windows in a circle of golden sunlight.
The office door was open to invite in any students who might have a
question to ask and when she heard a knock on the doorframe, Ella
looked up to see her brother, Ben, standing at the threshold.
“Hey. Am I interrupting?”
Ella gave him a smile. “Not at all. Come on in.”
Raisin stood and stretched before jumping down to greet Ben.
“How’s the best black cat in the whole country?” Ben scratched
the feline behind the ears before taking a seat next to his sister’s
desk. He seemed low energy which was out of character for him and
Ella wondered what might be bothering him.
“What are you doing here at the university?” Ella asked.
“You know I applied to teach one of the fire science courses in
the spring semester?” Ben had worked as a firefighter with the city
of Quinsigamond for the past decade. “Well, the department head
called and asked me to come in to speak with him. He seems like a
good guy. We got along well. I think he’s going to hire me.”
“That’s great.” Ella reached over and hugged Ben. “You’re going
to be super busy when the semester starts.”
“I’m looking forward to teaching actually. It’s one more thing to
add to my resume.” Ben grinned. In addition to being with the fire
department, Ella’s brother was also a blacksmith and he had a great
setup in the barn behind his house where he made all kinds of
things out of iron and steel… tools, door handles, lanterns, hinges,
hooks, gates, railings, light fixtures, and helmets and weapons for
historical reenactors.
Ella said, “I hope it works out and they offer you the position.”
“Thanks. Are we still on for tomorrow evening?”
“Kari called me about an hour ago. She’s working on an
interesting case. She didn’t give me any details, but she told me
she’s looking forward to talking with us about it.”
“Is the ghost dangerous?” Ben asked.
“He’s riled up, but I don’t think he’s dangerous.”
Ella and her family were the owners and part-time employees of
Green Hill Investigations, a ghost investigation company. The family
members assisted ghosts with crossing over, coming to terms with
their new forms, and working things out between a ghost inhabiting
a home or a building and the people who currently lived in those
places. Ella likened what they did to being counselors. She, her
siblings, and other family members often met with other spirit
investigators to discuss cases and share ideas. Kari Waltham worked
closer to Boston and the North Shore. She was having some
problems with a ghost and wanted some input from her friends and
colleagues.
“Are you working tonight?” Ella asked.
Ben shook his head. “Ava and I might go see a movie later.” Ben
and Ava had been dating for the past five years and frequently
endured teasing from the family about when they were going to get
married.
Running his hand through his black hair, Ben let out a sigh. “You
remember Joe Bigelow?”
“Yeah.” Ella nodded, and fixed her bluish-green eyes on her
brother. “He’s an historical reenactor. You got to know him after he
asked you to make a sword for him. He owns a restaurant in town,
right?”
“That’s him. He’s been coming by the shop sometimes to talk,
have a beer. I don’t know him very well, but he’s seemed kind of
down lately. I haven’t seen him for a couple of weeks so I went by
the restaurant. The hostess told me Joe called in and would be out
due to illness.”
When Ella cocked her head to the side, her long black hair
shifted over her shoulders. “Are you worried about him?”
“I am.” Ben’s eyes held Ella’s gaze. “I don’t know why. I just have
a funny feeling about it.”
As a jolt of electricity raced through Ella’s body, Raisin let out a
rumbling growl.
“Is Joe married?”
“Divorced.”
“Does he live alone?”
“I’m pretty sure he does. I don’t think he has a girlfriend right
now.”
“Did you text him? Call him?”
Ben nodded. “He doesn’t answer.”
Ella tried to be nonchalant about it. “He might have the flu. It’s
going around. Lots of people are out in different departments.”
“Yeah. That’s probably it.”
Ella studied her brother’s face. “Do you want to go by Joe’s
house?”
“I’d like to, yeah.” Ben hesitated, but then said, “Will you come
with me? When will you be done here?”
“I can be done now.” Ella shut down her laptop, placed some
student papers into a folder, and slipped it into her briefcase. “Have
you been to Joe’s house before?”
“A few times. It’s a nice place over on Poet’s Hill.”
Putting on her jacket, Ella glanced over at her brother. “Should
we ask Livvy to meet us there?” At thirty-five, Livvy was the oldest
of the Daniels siblings. She owned a coffee shop and gift store in
town, was happily married, and had a four-year-old son.
“I don’t want to bother her. She’s probably going to pick up Jack
soon and then head home. My worries are most likely nothing at all.
I’d just like to see if Joe needs anything.”
Despite the heaviness she was feeling, Ella put on a reassuring
smile. “Okay. Let’s go.”
 She, Ben, and Raisin left the office and headed out to the parking
lot.
“Want to ride with me?” Ben asked. “I can drop you back here to
get your car when we’re done.”
The threesome got into Ben’s vehicle and made the short drive to
Poet’s hill, a pretty, affluent neighborhood of Quinsigamond
consisting of tree-lined streets, older, well-maintained homes, a park,
and a central common with a few shops clustered around it.
“Do you know much about Joe?” Ella asked.
“Not a whole lot. He grew up here in the city, owns a few
restaurants, owns some houses he rents out along with a couple of
office buildings.”
“He must do very well,” Ella noted.
“He’s a regular guy though, down-to-earth, easy-going. He’s
close to my age, maybe thirty-five, he was married for about five
years, no kids. He’s big into historical reenacting.”
“What time period?”
“Revolutionary War,” Ben said as he turned the car down a quiet
lane. The sun was setting and long shadows covered the street.
In the backseat, Raisin growled causing Ella and Ben to exchange
looks.
“What’s up, Raisin?” Ella asked.
The black cat let out another low growl.
“I don’t like the sound of that,” Ben admitted. “Here’s Joe’s
house.”
A huge, sprawling Colonial stood back from the road on a well-
landscaped lot of three-quarters of an acre. A tall oak tree stood at
the front of the home. There was a red truck parked in front of the
carriage house to the right of the home.
“This is beautiful.” Ella admired the fine house. “Is that Joe’s
truck?”
“Yeah, it is so he must be home.”
Ella opened the back door of the car to let Raisin out. The cat
stood warily eyeing the Colonial.
“I’m going to text Joe before we go to the door,” Ben told his
sister. He waited for a response, and when one wasn’t forthcoming,
he took in a deep breath. “I hope he isn’t napping. I don’t want to
wake him if he’s sick.”
Lamplights placed near the driveway and along the brick
walkways lit up the darkness as the siblings walked to the front door
where Ben rang the bell. Raisin prowled near the edge of the flower
beds that were full of yellow and red mums.
“Joe keeps the place looking really nice,” Ella pointed out.
Ben pressed on the doorbell again, but no one came to see who
was ringing. He turned to his sister. “Do you sense anything?”
Ella admitted, “I’ve felt uneasy since you started talking about
Joe. You must feel the same way since you wanted to come out and
check on him.”
Ben shoved his hands in his pockets. “I think something’s wrong.”
Raisin hissed from the bottom of the granite steps.
“Raisin seems to agree,” Ben said. “Let’s go around back.”
When they reached the rear of the home, Ben rang at the
backdoor and got the same results. He looked over to the carriage
house. “Why don’t we check Joe’s truck?”
Ben used the flashlight on his phone to light up the interior of the
vehicle. “Nothing inside.”
“Joe could have gone away for a few days,” Ella suggested.
“Maybe he’s out of town with a friend.”
“But Joe told his restaurant workers that he was sick and staying
home.”
“Was he fibbing for some reason?” Ella asked before noticing
Raisin near the door to the carriage house and headed over to
where she was standing under the light of the overhead lantern.
“What are you doing, Cutie Cat?”
The fur on the feline’s back was ruffled up and she had her eyes
glued to the door.
“Ben,” Ella’s voice seemed to tremble a little. “This door is slightly
ajar.”
Hurrying to his sister’s side, Ben could see the door was open.
“I’ll take a look inside.” He put his hand on the door handle and
pulled it wider, and using his flashlight, shined it inside the first floor
of the carriage house.
 When Ben screamed, his sister rushed forward.
Ben wheeled around, placing his hand on Ella’s arm to keep her
from advancing. His words caught in his throat. “Don’t go in there.
Don’t look inside.”
Ben’s face was deathly pale. His breathing was fast and shallow.
“What is it?” Ella held her brother’s arms. “What did you see?”
Ben was nearly hyperventilating.
“Do you need to sit down?” Ella’s heart raced. “Sit on the ground.
Should I call the police?”
Ben coughed several times and he wiped the back of his hand
over his forehead. “Joe. It’s Joe.”
Ella took a quick look at the carriage house door. “Does he need
help?”
Shaking his head, Ben’s expression was a mix of horror and
disbelief. “Joe … he’s … he’s dead. There’s a noose, Ella. Joe’s
hanging from one of the beams.”
 2

Ella made the emergency call and the police showed up within
fifteen minutes, and she and her brother were interviewed by
officers and a Quinsigamond detective.
“Is Detective Damon back to work yet?” Ella asked the man when
his questioning was coming to a close.
“Jonas is working two days a week doing desk work. The docs
won’t let him in the field yet.” The detective eyed Ella and
recognition passed over his face. “You’re the one who saved Jonas,
aren’t you?”
Ella shook her head. “I didn’t save him. I’m just the one who
found him.”
“Same thing,” the detective told her.
Detective Jonas Damon had been investigating the murder of a
young chef and he’d crossed paths with Ella and her sister who were
trying to help the ghost. Initially, Jonas was not receptive to the idea
of spirits, but over the course of the investigation, he became more
open-minded. Ella suspected something was wrong when Jonas
didn’t answer her texts, and she and Raisin found the man in a
lawyer’s office stabbed, unconscious, and bleeding.
Ella, Raisin, and Ben stood at the end of the dark driveway
watching the crime scene professionals process the scene.
Ella put her hand on her brother’s arm. “How are you doing?”
 Ben’s shoulders drooped. “I’m okay. It was a shock finding Joe in
the carriage house, but being a firefighter, I have to admit I’ve seen
worse … unfortunately.”
“You knew something was wrong.”
The medical examiner’s car pulled into the driveway and parked
near the carriage house.
Ben nodded, his eyes pinned on the emergency workers. “I’ve
felt off for days. I didn’t connect my feelings to concern for Joe until
last night. I realized Joe hadn’t been by recently. He really enjoyed
watching me in the blacksmith shop. He asked a ton of questions. I
showed him how to make a simple candleholder.”
Holding a flashlight, an athletic young woman with shoulder-
length, straight, black hair hurried up the sidewalk to Ben and Ella.
“Here you are. Are you okay?” Livvy Daniels Smith zipped up her
jacket and looked at her brother and sister with a worried
expression.
“We’re okay, just very rattled,” Ella said.
“And the Cutie Cat?” Livvy bent down to scratch Raisin’s cheeks.
“Is she okay, too?”
“She’s better than we are,” Ben pointed out. “Raisin knew
something was wrong before we did. I’ve felt concern for Joe since
yesterday, but I’ve been blowing it off as needless worry.”
“I guess it wasn’t needless.” Livvy took a look around at the
people hurrying about the carriage house. “Did you happen to
overhear any of the officers? Do you know how long Joe has been
dead?”
“We don’t know,” Ben explained. “The coroner just arrived. From
my quick look at him, I would guess he hasn’t been gone very long.”
“How well did you know him?” Livvy questioned.
“Not well. Sometimes, he’d come by the shop and watch me
work. He was interested in blacksmithing. He did seem down the last
time I saw him.”
“Did he say why?”
“He didn’t, and I didn’t ask. I didn’t know Joe well enough to ask
him personal questions like that.”
“Are you picking up on anything?” Ella asked her sister.
 Livvy took a deep breath and slowly moved her eyes around the
shadow-covered grounds of Joe’s property. She knelt down and
when she placed her palm on the driveway, her eyes flicked up,
gazed at the front door and then focused like lasers on the carriage
house. “Did you hear any of the personnel say the word suicide?”
Ben stared at his sister.
“We haven’t overheard anything,” Ella told Livvy before taking
another glance at the carriage house. “Oh.”
“Oh, what?” Ben questioned.
“Is Joe’s spirit lurking around here?” Livvy asked.
“Not yet,” Ella said. “But I think we should come back tomorrow.”
Raisin trilled.
“Good idea,” Livvy agreed.
Running his hand over his hair, Ben asked, “What are you two
thinking?”
Livvy looked down at Raisin for a second, and then she made eye
contact with her brother. “I know it seems like he did, but Joe
Bigelow didn’t kill himself.”

Eating chicken pot pie, Ben, Ella, and Aunt Jin gathered around
Livvy’s dining table in front of the fire in the huge hearth of her
antique home located two blocks from Ella’s house. Raisin snoozed
in a comfy chair by the fireplace.
Sixty-five years old with short blond hair and blue eyes, Aunt Jin
was a medical doctor and Ph.D. who studied and researched
learning disabilities at the same university-medical complex where
Ella worked as a professor.
“Mike took Jack to a bowling event sponsored by Jack’s
preschool,” Livvy told the group.
Even though Jack could see ghosts and listened to his family
discuss ghost investigations, they preferred not to talk about crimes
in front of the little boy.
“Liam is going to come by later for dessert,” Ella told the family.
 Liam Turner was a freelance journalist who had recently done a
feature story on the Green Hill ghost investigators and had become
friendly with the family. He enjoyed the central Massachusetts city
and its neighborhoods so much that he’d given up his Boston
apartment and had moved into a place in Green Hill just a few
weeks ago.
“Tell me what happened at the man’s home this evening,” Jin
said. “What did you see? What did you sense? And tell me why you
decided to go out there?”
Ben explained his association with Joe Bigelow and his feelings
that something wasn’t right with the man. “My concerns centered
around the idea Joe needed help, that maybe he was ill. He lived
alone. I sure didn’t think we were going to find him dead.”
Ella reported her feelings of doom and dread when she and Ben
arrived at Joe’s home. “When I spotted Raisin sniffing at the slightly
opened door to the carriage house, I knew it wasn’t going to be
good.” She paused for a moment and then went on. “Ben went
inside, saw Joe’s body, and hurried back out. I called the police. We
were interviewed by a couple of officers and a detective.”
“Not Jonas Damon?” Jin asked.
With a shake of her head, Ella said, “Jonas isn’t well enough to
be working full time, but he’s back working at the station doing
paperwork two days a week.” Ella took a bite of her chicken pie. “I
called Livvy and she came out to Joe’s house to meet us.”
“And what did you pick up on?” Jin asked her niece.
Livvy set her water glass on the table. “Joe didn’t commit
suicide.”
Jin’s eyes widened as her eyebrows raised. “The man was
murdered?”
“That’s what I sensed when I was there. I felt that someone
drove up the driveway, and the person had ill-intentions. I’m not
sure when it happened, but it wasn’t that long ago, maybe
yesterday. It wasn’t yet dark when the person paid the visit to the
house.” Livvy shrugged. “That’s all I could feel riding on the air.”
“Well done,” Jin praised her. “Could you tell if the attack was
random or not?”
 “It was a targeted attack,” Livvy told them.
“The man’s spirit wasn’t lingering?” Jin asked.
“We didn’t see or sense him,” Ella told her aunt. “We want to pay
a visit to the house tomorrow though in case Joe hasn’t crossed over
yet.”
Jin nodded her approval. “You said Joe was a Revolutionary War
reenactor. Where did the reenactments take place?”
“All over the state,” Ben said.
“And the man owned restaurants, rental houses, and office
buildings here in the city?” Jin asked.
“He did. Joe did well for himself,” Ben said.
Jin lifted her napkin to her lips. “It’s clear that someone wasn’t
happy with the man. A disgruntled employee? An angry tenant? A
jealous competitor? An unhappy business partner? A jilted lover? You
told me Joe was divorced. Did his ex-wife live nearby?”
“I don’t know,” Ben shrugged. “He didn’t talk much about her.”
“How about a partner? Was he seeing anyone? Had he recently
broken up with someone?” Ella asked her brother.
“Like I said, I didn’t know much about Joe. We’d talked sports,
reenacting, blacksmithing, our careers. We didn’t get into a lot of
personal stuff. I don’t remember Joe ever saying anything about a
girlfriend or a partner.”
“If the man’s ghost shows up and requests our help, we’ll get
involved,” Jin told them. “Otherwise, the investigation will be left to
the police.”
As the three siblings nodded, the doorbell rang and Ella hurried
to the door.
Livvy chuckled and whispered to Ben and Jin, “Do you think Ella
is eager about Liam coming over for dessert?”
Raisin lifted her head from her cozy spot in the chair by the
hearth and meowed.
“Hi, all.” Thirty-year old Liam was six feet tall, athletic, and had
brown hair and brown eyes. Raisin jumped down from the chair to
greet the man and received some patting behind her ears. “Hi there,
best cat.” When Liam straightened, he said, “Sure smells good in
here.”
 “Have you had dinner?” Livvy asked him. “There’s plenty of pot
pie left.”
“Thanks, but I did eat. I’m looking forward to your Boston cream
pie though.”
“We’ll clear the dinner dishes away and bring out the dessert.”
Once they were settled with coffee, tea, and pie, Liam asked
about their days and got an unexpected earful of information.
The young man’s face held an expression of shock. “I didn’t think
I’d be hearing about a murder, and so soon after Leo was killed at
the inn. It’s only been a month since that happened. Are you going
to investigate?”
“Only if Joe Bigelow’s spirit is seen,” Ella explained. “The violence
of his death may impact his ability to cross. We’ll check tomorrow to
see if his spirit is lingering.”
“That makes sense.” From shadowing the family members for his
article on ghosts and ghost investigations, Liam had learned a few
things about spirits and he’d found it all fascinating. He had the idea
of turning his article into a book and continued to go with Ella, Livvy,
and Ben when there was an issue with a ghost. “Will we still be
going to see the Boston area ghost investigator tomorrow evening?”
“We will,” Livvy said. “We’re meeting her in Lexington.”
Ella made eye contact with Liam. “It might prove to be a very
interesting meeting.”
Liam swallowed hard as a look of worry passed over his face.
 3

The late afternoon showed a sliver of the moon shining in the inky
November sky. A cold breeze had come up and the air felt raw and
damp as if some snow might be in the forecast. The bare limbs of
the oak tree in the front yard looked menacing with the branches
stretched out looking as if they might grab you when you passed by.
When the sisters drove by the house, a few of the investigators
were milling about outside so Ella and Livvy decided to park down by
the Common and walk the few blocks back to Joe’s house. A police
officer was stationed at the end of Joe’s driveway to keep people
from driving up, parking, and gawking.
“Liam walked you home from my house last night,” Livvy said.
“Did you invite him in?”
Ella rolled her eyes at her matchmaking sister. “No, I didn’t. I had
a bunch of papers to grade, and even though I didn’t know the
deceased man, I was worn out and upset about what happened to
Joe Bigelow. I just wanted to sit by the fire, do my work, and go to
bed early.”
“Yeah, I understand. The whole mess went round and round in
my head all night. I barely slept.” Livvy gave her sister a gentle poke
on the arm. “If you invited Liam in, he might have been able to
comfort you.”
“Oh, stop, will you? I like Liam. He’s kind and smart. We’ve gone
hiking and we’ve had dinners together. We’re friends. I enjoy his
company. Let’s leave it at that for now.”
“Being friends can turn into something more,” Livvy pointed out.
“I’m not in a hurry for anything more,” Ella explained. “So don’t
push.”
“You’re thirty already. You’ll be an old maid soon.”
Ella groaned. “Then I’ll be an old maid.”
Raisin let out a hiss and flicked her tail.
Confused, Livvy eyed the feline. “Is the cutie cat siding with me
or you?”
“You’ll have to ask her.”
As they approached Joe’s house, the big Colonial looked lonely
and forlorn in the darkness. A few of the windows were lit up from
the inside and the sisters and Raisin could see silhouettes of people
walking back and forth.
The sisters stood on the other side of the road looking at the
house.
“What in the world happened here?” Ella asked. “Who could have
been so angry at Joe that they did something so terrible to him?”
“And over what?” Livvy’s face clouded. “Couldn’t the killer just
shoot or stab him and get it over with quickly? He had to hang him
from his own carriage house rafters?” She shivered involuntarily at
the thought. “How would someone even do that?”
Ella gave her sister a look.
“I’m asking because it’s important to figure out. Joe would have
fought back. How would the killer get Joe into the carriage house?”
“That’s a good point. Drug him?”
“Or maybe there were two attackers?” Livvy proposed. “Or
maybe Joe was already dead before they hanged him. The hanging
might have been a statement the killer was making.”
“What sort of statement would that be?” Ella asked.
“I have no idea. I’m just shooting out ideas.” Livvy blew on her
freezing hands and then rubbed them together. She looked at her
watch. “Do you think Joe crossed over? How long should we wait to
see if he shows up? We have to get to Lexington to meet Kari.”
“Let’s give him a little more time. He didn’t know us. Maybe he’s
being cautious.”
 Livvy frowned. “The time for caution is past.”
“Are you getting any sense of what happened here?” Ella asked.
“Nothing more than what I felt yesterday.”
A dark SUV pulled up and parked next to the curb. A man got out
and started up the driveway.
Ella recognized him. “Jonas,” she called.
The man turned and glanced to the other side of the street as
Ella, Livvy, and Raisin hurried across.
“Jonas,” Ella smiled. “How are you? You look like you’re doing
well.”
Detective Jonas Damon stepped forward and gave Ella a long
hug. “I haven’t had the chance to thank you properly. When you
came to see me in the hospital, I was pretty drugged up. Thank you
for what you did. Thank you for saving my life.”
Ella smiled shyly, feeling embarrassed by the detective’s kind
words. “I’m just glad I found you in time.”
Jonas shook hands with Livvy. “It’s nice to see you again. How’s
that little boy of yours?”
“He’s doing fine. Are you feeling well?”
Jonas shrugged. “I’m getting there. Some days are better than
others.” The detective leaned down to pat Raisin. “And hello to you,
too, Raisin. I heard you had a hand, or should I say a paw, in saving
me.”
Raisin trilled and rubbed up against Jonas’s legs.
“Are you working this case?” Ella gestured to the Colonial.
“Unofficially. I’m not allowed to actively investigate yet, but the
case is unusual and I wanted to come by to see how the preliminary
work was going.”
“I’m sure they could use your help,” Ella smiled.
Jonas’s expression changed suddenly. “Why are you here?”
“Our brother, Ben, knew Joe Bigelow,” Ella explained. “Ben was
concerned about him so he and I came out late yesterday afternoon
to see if he was okay. Ben heard that Joe had been feeling sick. We
rang the bell, walked around the house, and noticed the carriage
house door was ajar. Ben went in and….” Ella’s voice trailed off.
Jonas’s eyebrows raised. “You’re the ones who found the body?”
 “Ben did. I didn’t go inside.”
Livvy told the detective, “I wasn’t with them until later.”
“How is it that you’ve been at the scene of two unexpected
deaths within a month of each event?” Jonas asked, aghast.
“Just lucky?” Livvy deadpanned.
“We’ve been in the wrong place, at the wrong time.” Ella
shrugged. “It isn’t exactly how I like to spend my free time.”
“What are the odds?” Jonas glanced over his shoulder, and then
stepped closer to the sisters. “Are you here because of a ghost?”
“Possibly,” Ella told him.
“Joe Bigelow?” Jonas voice was almost a whisper.
Livvy shrugged a shoulder. “Maybe.”
“Did Joe not cross over? Or did he stay on this side because of
the violent death he experienced?” Jonas looked from Ella to Livvy.
“We aren’t sure yet about any of it,” Ella said. “We came by to
see if Joe might appear to us. He might need some help.”
Jonas’s head turned from side to side examining the dark
property. “You haven’t seen him yet?”
“Not yet. Maybe he crossed and all is well for him now.”
“You think so?” Jonas asked. “Not all violent deaths result in a
spirit not crossing?”
“No,” Livvy said. “Some cross no matter what the circumstances
were.”
“Good then.” Jonas’s head bobbed up and down.
Ella gave the detective a smile. “You remembered some of the
things we talked about when you visited our office.”
“Yeah.” Jonas rubbed at his face. “All that information, ghosts,
crossing, not crossing over, it kept me up a couple of nights. I
couldn’t shut off my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It’s all so
… unbelievable.”
Ella nodded, and then asked, “Do you know if Joe was dead
before he was hanged?”
The quick change of topic momentarily threw the detective off.
“Before he was hanged?” Jonas tilted his head in question. “He
hanged himself, so I assume he was alive when he did it.”
“Are you sure he committed suicide?” Livvy asked.
 Jonas’s mouth opened and then quickly closed. “What are you
getting at?”
“We think Joe was murdered,” Ella told him.
“Murdered? I haven’t heard this theory yet.”
“No one discussed it back at the station?” Livvy asked.
“I was in Cambridge today. I haven’t heard much of anything,”
Jonas said.
“Well,” Livvy started. “Joe didn’t kill himself. I’m sure of that.”
“How can you know this?” Jonas moved his hand around. “Did
you get a mysterious message on the air?”
“As a matter of fact, I did feel something on the air.”
Jonas’s mouth slammed shut.
Livvy’s voice was forceful. “The man was killed. It’s a fact.
Someone hung him in the carriage house. But we were wondering if
Joe was dead prior to the noose being put around his neck.”
“I don’t know. I need to speak with some of the investigators.”
Jonas looked flustered. “I guess I’ll go inside and talk to them.” The
detective took a few backwards steps.
“I’m glad you’re doing so well,” Ella smiled. “You’ll be as good as
new soon.”
“Thank you again.” Jonas nodded to the sisters and to the cat,
and then he wheeled around and strode up to the house.
“We freaked him out.” Livvy watched him go.
“Yeah, well, that’s par for the course.” Ella checked the time on
her phone. “We should probably head home. Liam is going to meet
us at my house and drive to Lexington with us.” She took a quick
look around the yard, and then turned to leave, but stopped short.
Ella slowly turned back to the front of the house. “He’s here.”
“What? Joe? He’s here? Where?”
“By the front steps. He’s looking over at us.”
Raisin meowed.
Ella gestured to the ghost that he should come closer.
Joe moved a little towards the sisters, then halted, then started
up again. He easily floated over the lawn.
Stopping at the edge of the opposite sidewalk, the ghost’s face
showed fear and anxiety.
 “The police won’t allow us to be on the property.” Ella spoke in a
soft voice. “We’re Ben’s sisters, Joe. We can see you. Do you
understand that you died?”
Joe’s face crumpled and his shoulders shook.
Raisin ran across the street and trilled at the spirit.
“You’ll be okay. It takes time to become accustomed to the
change. Would you like to cross over?”
Joe shook his head hard. He looked back at his house and his
body began to tremble.
“You can stay at the house. It’s okay to do that. The investigators
will leave soon. Just ignore them. Rest. You don’t need to be afraid.
We’ll help you.”
Joe looked into Ella’s eyes.
“Do you want us to stay?” she asked.
Joe gave a slight shake of his head.
“You know where Ben lives. If you need help, go to him. He
understands,” Livvy said.
Ella’s heart ached for the ghost and she had to blink back her
tears. “We’ll come back tomorrow night. You’re not alone, Joe. We’re
here for you.”
 4

Kari Waltham was a self-employed occupational therapist working

near the towns of Concord, Lexington, and Acton outside of Boston.
She was also a ghost investigator in that area as well as on the
North Shore. At thirty-three years old, Kari had shoulder-length
brown hair, brown eyes, and a kind and gentle demeanor.
Ella, Livvy, Liam, and Raisin met her at her office.
“I’m so glad you came.” Kari patted the cat and then invited
everyone to take a seat around the conference table. After a few
minutes of discussion about the murder on Poet’s Hill and Ella and
Livvy’s sighting of the victim’s ghost, they turned their attention to
Kari’s problem.
“After doing some research, I’ve pieced together that my spirit is
a soldier from the Revolutionary War. I believe his name was Henry
and he lived in Lexington. He died during the Battle of Lexington and
Concord,” Kari shared what she’d learned.
“What’s going on with him? Why is there an issue?” Ella
questioned.
Kari sighed. “He’s causing trouble around the historic sites and at
some homes near the battle road. Unlike most spirits, he doesn’t
stay in one place. He moves around Minuteman Park causing
trouble. He’s been seen by some tourists who were frightened by his
antics. They complained to the park rangers and the management
that the reenactor was too real.” Kari couldn’t help but smile. “They
had no idea how unreal Henry was.”
“What does Henry do?” Liam questioned with a hesitant tone.
“He behaves in a threatening manner towards the tourists, he
has caused some damage to the Battle Road, to the Minuteman
statue in Concord, the old North Bridge, some of the historic homes
and the restored tavern on the Battle Road. Sometimes, he can be
heard wailing in the woods. I’ve heard him. It’s a chilling sound.”
“Are you able to communicate with him?” Livvy asked.
“A little. When I ask a question, he’ll sometimes nod, shake his
head, or gesture. He doesn’t say anything to me.”
“Have you tried the flashlights for yes-no questions?” Ella asked.
“I tried. He walks away from them.”
“How long has this been going on?”
“About a month,” Kari told them.
Ella asked, “Have you been able to pick up any auditory or visual
recordings?”
“I’ve tried to capture some sounds or images, but I haven’t had
any luck. It makes me think Henry shies away from any modern
devices.”
“That’s interesting.” Livvy wrote some notes in a small notebook.
“It’s one of the reasons I decided to call you in,” Kari said. “Since
Ella can often hear or see more than the rest of us can, I wanted to
reach out.” Kari looked at Ella. “You don’t need the equipment to
pick up things about the spirit. I thought you might have better luck
gathering information and communicating with him.”
“I’ll try.” Raisin sat in Ella’s lap and the young woman ran her
hand over the cat’s soft fur. “Has the ghost been aggressive towards
you?”
Kari gave a shrug. “Not really. He might throw something now
and then, but he doesn’t really seem to want to hit me.”
“Does Henry hang out more often in one particular place?” Livvy
questioned. “Or do you have to travel around to make contact with
him?”
“He’s often near the river that runs through the woods. I find him
there most of the time.” Kari looked at the three people sitting
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