Molly looked around the old house in disgust. "This house was a showplace in my youth and now it's
fallin' apart." she thought. "There are rats making nests in the walls and the roof is fallin' in. It's just
not right! Nobody cares about history anymore. My Grandpappy had brandy and cigars with General
Robert E. Lee right here in the parlor."
Bam! Molly was startled out of her thoughts by the sound of the front door slamming open. She heard
muffled giggles and footsteps in the front hall. "Ah, more hooligans invadin' my peace and quiet! Well,
they want to see the haunted house, I'll give them a haunted house! This should be good for a few
years in therapy." she chuckled.
"Jenny, will you stop gigglin', ya'll scare the ghosts away. John will you keep that flashlight low, we
don't wanna git caught."
"David will ya take a chill pill! There ain't nobody here for miles. I even spent the night in that there
cemetery out back. Nobody ever caught me yet." John said with youthful pride.
"Wooooooooooooo, wooooooooooooo."
"What was that?" Jenny whispered, her eyes as big as saucers.
"That was nuthin' but the wind. Don't be such a fraidy cat!" stated David trying to look braver than he
felt.
"Jennnnnnnny, woooooooo, Jennnnnnnny. I want my head, give me my head! You have my head,
David, wooooooooooo."
"Oh shit, that wasn't no wind!" yelped John "What the Hell is that on the stairs!"
All three kids turned to stare at the staircase. Walking down the stairs was the figure of a woman. By
the light of the flashlight, they could tell she was transparent. But the worst part was what they
couldn't see. She had no head!
"Woooooooooooo, give me my head, John, I know you tooooooook my head!"
John screamed and dropped the flashlight. All three ran for the door and were gone in a flash, leaving
behind the slightly pungent odor of urine.
Molly laughed long and hard. Sometimes it can be fun being a ghost!
**********************************************************
Detective Rayne stood over the body of the latest murder victim, his stomach in knots. The young
woman had been stabbed repeatedly and her abdomen had been cut open. He was sure the autopsy
would show that her ovaries and uterus had been removed. Damn, the Davisville Ripper had struck
again. "I've got to catch this Son-of-a-Bitch before he kills more women." he thought.
Sargent Duncan was looking through the young woman's purse. "Her money and credit cards are
untouched, the name on her license is Mary Davison. Jesus, she was just 17 years old."
Detective David Rayne sighed, this was the fourth victim and they had no clues or leads, so far the
forensic evidence had come up empty. This sicko was good. Damn those cop shows that teach
people about forensic evidence and how to avoid leaving any. He turned to Sargent Roy Duncan, "Let
me know if anything is found on the body that would help us in anyway."
Detective Rayne balled his fists in frustration. He had just finished speaking with the pathologist. No
hairs or semen found on the body. Lubricant had been found suggesting the perp had used a
condom. No DNA had been left behind. The pathologist stated that the perp was probably shaving his
body hair as well, one of the suggestions on getawaywithit.com. Ms. Davison had last been seen at
Wild Bill's Saloon and Grill. Her friends were too drunk to notice if she left with anyone. "That would
explain her .18 alcohol level. I will have a chat with Bill about serving underage girls, I don't give a
damn how pretty they are!" Detective Rayne thought to himself.
*************************************************************
Molly was still feeling quite pleased with herself about scaring those silly kids away from her home.
Sometimes she wished some nice family would buy her home and fix it up. "I hate seein' this grand old
home falling apart and it would be nice to have some company." she sighed to herself.
Molly heard the loud bang of the front door slamming open. "What now! More kids invading her
home!" She heard a loud scream followed by a man's voice saying the most vile things she had ever
heard. She rushed out and looked over the railing to the floor below. What she saw below would
have taken her breath away, if she had any.
A woman was lying on the floor covered with blood. Standing over her was a man holding a huge
butcher knife. "Stop that," Molly screeched. The man looked up, saw her, and screamed. He dropped
the knife and ran out the door. "Coward! You think you're a big man because you beat up on women,
you're all cowards!" She yelled as she floated down the stairs. "Oh you poor thing!" Molly thought as
she reached the young girl. "She's just a baby!" Molly realized that the girl was beyond mortal help.
***********************************************************
Detective Rayne was heading toward the old Kingston Mansion at high speed. Some kids partying in
the woods nearby had called in saying they heard horrible screams coming from the mansion. The
police initially thought it to be a bunch of kids scaring each other in the "haunted" house. Sargent
Duncan had called him with the grim news that victim number five had been found there.
"We just caught our first break! The perp left the knife behind. It is covered in blood and may have
his fingerprints on it. Unfortunately, the victim, Susan Miller, is DOA. She was stabbed but not
mutilated. Something must have scared this asshole before he could finish." Sargent Duncan
explained.
"Yes, leaving the knife behind is very sloppy for him. Rush it to the lab, make it top priority! We must
get this guy before there is a victim number six. I don't have to be a FBI profiler to know he will be
very frustrated at not finishing the job. There will be another victim soon if we don't catch him."
Detective Rayne said grimly.
Molly was listening to the police discuss the murder. "How horrible, a serial killer, and he had the
nerve to desecrate my family home." She felt she should try to talk to the police officer and tell him
what that loathsome creature looked like. But, no, it just wasn't a good idea. While many folks can see
ghosts, very few can communicate with them. There was something about that monster that was
bothering Molly. He reminded her of someone she once knew. "I remember now." she thought. He
reminded her of Beauregard Marlow. "That's impossible, he died before I did. I wonder though, if
there are still Marlow's in the area."
********************************************************
Emily stared at her assistant in disbelief. In all her years as a paranormal investigator she thought she
couldn't be shaken.
"Come on Em, the police have finished their investigation at the Kingston Mansion. Someone was
murdered there! It'll be ghost central! I bet we could get some great pictures and what about the
EVP's! Man, I bet we could get some amazing EVP's!" Harry said excitedly. He was practically drooling.
Emily sat back in her chair. Chasing ghosts was one thing. One could be clinical about deaths that
happened years ago. But this was too recent and too close to home. The blood stains were probably
still visible. Emily shuddered.
"Em, they're going to bulldoze the place in two weeks so they can build the new Mega Wally-Mart. The
old Kingston Family graveyard is going to be paved over for a parking lot." Harry pleaded.
"They'll move the graves." Emily replied absently.
"Yeah, sure they will. Just how many homes have we investigated that were built on old cemeteries?
Remember the movie Poltergeist? And don't change the subject." Harry answered sarcastically.
"Listen Harry, I don't think it's a good idea with that maniac on the loose. What if he comes back?"
"Em, that old place will be the safest place on Earth. He's not going to return there, not after the place
was crawling with cops. Besides, the paper said that he was interrupted and didn't finish the job.
Something scared him off. Guess what that could have been? Man, I bet that place is full of ghosts
and now there's one more!" said Harry with gusto.
"Harry, you're one sick puppy. Ok, you're right. We need to get in there before it's torn down." sighed
Emily.
"Besides if that poor girl is still there we need to cross her over to the over side." Emily thought to
herself.
**************************************************************
"Well there's good news and bad news. The good news is we got prints off the knife. The bad news is
that he's not in the system. We even checked military records. So this SOB has never been arrested
or been in the military." Sargent Duncan explained.
"Damn, short of fingerprinting all the men in the county, we're out of luck. But, when we do catch that
SOB, we will have the evidence to send him to death row." said Detective Rayne with more confidence
than he felt.
**********************************************************
It was past midnight when Emily and Harry crept up the steps of the old mansion. Emily was still feeling
ill at ease with the whole operation, but Harry was in his element.
"Em, I'm going to set up the camcorder in the foyer and then I'm going to go room to room taking
pictures and taking EMF readings. Let me know when you're ready to do your John Edwards, 'talking
to the dead' routine. I want to set up the tape recorder to capture some EVP's." Harry said excitedly.
Emily watched Harry remove the EMF meter from his backpack. The meter was used to monitor levels
of electromagnetic energy. High levels of electromagnetic energy can indicate the presence of
ghosts. He set aside the tape recorder used to capture EVP's or electronic voice phenomenon. As
Harry wandered off with his camera and EMF meter, Emily opened her mind to see if she could contact
any spirits.
She felt the presence of a female spirit. "I'm here to help you." Emily said. "You no longer belong
here. Look around for the light. You must pass into the light, your loved ones are waiting for you on
the other side."
Molly rolled her eyes. "What are ya babbling about girl? I lived here all my life and well......... I'm still
here. You're the one who doesn't belong here." Molly smiled impishly. She was actually delighted to
be able to talk to someone even if she was a trespasser.
Emily looked at the spry old lady in front of her. She was dressed in an old fashioned knee length
dress and had her hair up in a bun. Emily had a momentary flash of Grandma Walton from the old TV
series. She opened her mouth. "Harry!" she screamed.
Harry came running back into the foyer. "What is it Em?"
"Harry, set up the tape recorder now!" replied a wide eyed Emily.
Molly watched the two young people with amusement.
Harry was fumbling with the tape recorder. "Have you got a spirit talking to ya? Is it the murder
victim?" He said with a gleam in his eye.
"Uh no Harry, it is definitely not the murder victim." answered Emily.
"Are you two talkin' about that poor child who was stabbed right were you're standing, young lady?"
demanded Molly.
Emily looked down and jumped to one side.
"Well, if you're looking for her, she's not here. She's gone on to be with her Granny. I'm the only one
here and I like it that way!" Molly exclaimed.
"Uh, Uh, Uh, don't you want to, uh, cross over and see your family?" Emily stuttered.
"I'll go when I'm good and ready! As long as this house stands, there will be a Kingston living here."
replied Molly.
"Em, who ya talkin' to? Let me get some pictures before you cross the spirit over." said Harry as he
grabbed his camera.
Molly turned and looked at Harry. "Young man, my name is Molly Kingston and I'm not going anywhere!"
"Uh Harry, she said her name is Molly Kingston and she refuses to leave." Emily stated.
"What's she gonna do when they bulldoze the place for the new Wally-Mart." asked Harry.
"What!" screeched Molly. "Bulldoze my home! What the Hell is a Wally-Mart? The world is goin' to Hell
in a hand basket, hooligans running amuck in my home, girls gettin' murdered right in front of me, and
now they're destroyin' my family home. The name Kingston used to mean something in this town!"
"Harry! What have I told you about blurting out information? You're as diplomatic as a bull in a pasture
of cows." scolded Emily.
"Ma'am, I'm here to help you any way I can. Maybe, uh, we can find you a new place to live?" Emily
blurted out. "Oh great, that sounded totally stupid!" Emily said to herself. Emily suddenly
remembered something Molly had said. She gasped at the implication.
"Ma'am, I hate to bother you after hearing this terrible news, but did you say you saw that poor girl
murdered?" asked Emily.
"Yes, I did! I saw that filthy beast. He deserves to hang or better yet, use that new fangled device
called the electric chair. I remember they used it to execute the animal who killed that wonderful Mr.
Lindbergh's baby." Molly spat.
"Could you tell who it was or at least give me a description?" Emily's mind raced. This was uncharted
territory.
"Well." Molly thought for a moment. "Were you serious about helping me find a new place to live?"
"Yes Ma'am, whatever you decide to do, I will help you." promised Emily.
"Very well, he looked like Beauregard Marlow." answered Molly.
"Who?" Emily blinked.
"Beauregard Marlow. Of course, he lived during my time, but this boy favored him. He was tall, had
black stringy hair, and had the Marlow eyes and nose. If that boy is a Marlow, then the family tree has
certainly withered since my time. Of course, the Great Depression ruined many fine families." Molly
rambled.
Harry sat looking bewildered by the situation. He was only hearing one side of the conversation.
"Emily, does she really know who murdered all those girls?" He asked wide-eyed. "We'll be famous!
We'll tour the country speaking at all the paranormal conventions. We can write a book." He said
dreamy eyed.
"Harry, shut up you nincompoop!" Emily exclaimed.
Emily's mind raced. There was a Marlow family in town. Two brothers and a sister. "Yes, I remember,
Nate Marlow was a year behind me in school. He was sent off to a "special" place after he tortured
and mutilated a neighbor's dog. It was something that was never discussed in polite company." Emily
thought to herself.
"Miss Kingston, Harry, I think I know who the killer might be." stated Emily.
"Now how do I tell the police without being sent off to a "special" place, myself." Emily thought
ruefully.
"That's wonderful dear, now there is something you can do for me." said Molly with a smile.
***********************************************************
Detective Rayne looked up as the attractive young woman sat down across the desk from him. "I hear
that you have a tip for me about the murders?" He said with a smile. It might not pan out but she was
much more attractive than the other tipsters had been.
"Yes sir, my name is Emily Taylor. I have a friend who saw Nate Marlow at the Kingston Mansion on the
night of the last murder." she stated nervously.
Detective Rayne raised an eyebrow. The Marlow brothers had a reputation for hard drinking and
occasional bar fights, but nothing on the scale of these murders. "What's your friend's name?" he
asked.
"My friend wishes to remain anonymous. She's.........a recluse. She does not like people. She would
not be able to testify." Emily stated. "Well, nothing I've said is really a lie." she thought to herself.
Detective Rayne looked at her sternly. "Anonymous, huh. Are you sure you don't have a beef with the
Marlow boy and are just trying to get back at him?"
"No sir! Besides, when we were in Jr. High, he was sent away after he tortured and mutilated a
neighbor's dog." Emily replied.
Detective Rayne sat straight up in his chair. He looked at Sargent Duncan and said, "why didn't I know
about this kid's history until now? He would have been at the top of my list of suspects had I known
that!"
"He was a juvie. The courts must have sealed his records." replied Sargent Duncan.
"Well, who's our friendliest judge? I want that guy's juvie records unsealed and I want warrants to
fingerprint both Marlow brothers just to be on the safe side." snapped Detective Rayne.
"That would be Judge Cox. He's a golfing buddy of the Davison girl's father." smiled Sargent Duncan.
************************************************
"We got him!" Sargent Duncan gleefully exclaimed. "The fingerprints on the knife were a perfect
match for Nate Marlow. He's now singing like a bird. His lawyer can't shut him up. Get this, he claims
an angel appeared to him and told him to stop hurting women. He's saying he'll never drink again and
is going to Bible classes." The sargent rolled his eyes. "His lawyer is talking about having his
confession thrown out 'cause we got our warrant on hearsay evidence. He wants Marlow to have a
psych evaluation. I think we will be looking at a plea deal, life in prison in exchange for taking the
death penalty off the table."
Detective Rayne sat back and sighed. He would have preferred death row for this scumbag, but being
locked away from society for life was almost as good. He looked at Sargent Duncan, "my biggest regret
is not knowing Marlow's history sooner. If we had, then maybe there wouldn't have been five victims."
"We do the best we can and we really lucked out with that tip. Maybe the supernatural was on our side
this time." Sargent Duncan replied wryly as he walked out the door.
Detective Rayne turned to look out the window and mused, "Ms. Taylor is a professional ghost hunter,
according to her website. She said her anonymous friend saw Marlow at the mansion that night. You
don't think?................naw, that's ridiculous!" He shook his head and stood up. "I need a drink!" he
thought as he headed out the door.
*******************************************************
Emily was headed out the door to meet Harry for an investigation of Oak Creek Cemetery. Reports had
been coming in about sightings of a woman in white who appeared to wander the cemetery moaning
about her bad back. Molly said she was quite sure it was Esther Johnston, who had been an annoying
drama queen in life.
"Be sure to cross that one over, dear. Give those folks in the cemetery some peace and quiet." Molly
had said.
"Emily!" came a voice from the living room, startling Emily from her thoughts. "Be sure to be home by
11:30, I want to watch Jay Leno."
"Ok Molly, I won't be late. And don't rearrange the furniture while I'm gone." Emily said sternly.
"Yes dear, don't forget your coat and gloves." Molly called from the living room.
Emily rolled her eyes. "Room-mates!" she muttered under her breath.
The Spectral Witness
By Sarah Harrison
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