Page 16 of Castle

“No, you’re staying here! I’m going to check first.”

Chandler threw the ball onto the grass in exaggeration. “I hate everyone in this house!”

The barn was locked tight, and I had to use all my strength to open the door. It was pitch black inside, so I pulled my phone out and switched on the flashlight.

There was no one inside, just haystacks everywhere.

The barking stopped at once and turned into whimpering. She took a few steps back, leaving me standing alone inside the barn.

“What is it, Trixie?”

She continued to whimper.

“Anyone in here?” I called out and hoped to god I didn’t get an answer. “Hello.”

I shrieked loudly when I saw a white figure swinging towards me until I realized it wasn’t a ghost.

The body swung in different directions.

My entire body was shaking, and I screamed when I saw the face.

Barbara was hanging from a noose in the center of the barn’s ceiling.

SIX

The maid’sarms and legs had cuts on them; huge, ghastly, and definitely not self-inflicted. I watched her in horror as her body continued to swing from side to side. I needed to compose myself before I walked out of the barn. Chandler and Castle were waiting outside for me, and I needed to report this to Devin.

When I backed out of the barn, my body collided against Castle, who stood at the entrance, staring at the lifeless body stoically as if the scene before him didn’t bother him much.

“Castle, come with me,” I told him.

He didn’t react to what I’d said, so I had to reach out for his hand and pull him out of there. I felt chills all over my arms as the scene kept playing in front of my eyes. I shut the door of the barn behind me and called Devin immediately.

Chandler tried to run inside the barn, but I blocked his way.

“What’s in there?” His curious green eyes reminded me so much of Devin. Chandler was like a miniature version of him, and Theo looked like a younger version of Castle.Both the older brothers had their miniatures.

“Nothing,” I answered carefully.

I didn’t need the child’s curiosity to be piqued when he would only see nightmares for the rest of his childhood and adult life.

“I want to see too!” He argued.

“Chandler, I really need you to go inside the mansion and call your brother. Please.”

“Well, you can’t order me around.” He said, and his tone surprised me. “This is my house. And you’re just another maid.”

“I’m a caregiver, not a maid. There’s a difference. And even if I was a maid, that’s not the way to speak to someone much older than you.”

“I can speak however I want with anybody I want, and what I want right now is to see what’s inside that barn!” He screeched like a bratty kid that he was.

I was thankful to be recruited as a caregiver for Castle and not a nanny for Chandler, as I’d mistaken initially. It was no wonder the boy didn’t have one. He probably insulted them left, right and center.

“Chandler, apologize.” Castle said softly.

Chandler’s lips were pursed, but there was something in Castle’s tone that subdued the ultra-bratty mouth of his.

“Sorry.” He mumbled and ran towards the lawn. Trixie followed her little master.

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