Page 151 of Once Upon A Haunted Castle
“The boy wasn’t a fighter and I had the upper hand. I could win, but I knew he would tell the others. Evan had to die. I waited for an opening and when it came, I killed him. There was blood everywhere. He covered the wound with his hand as if that would stop the bleeding. Then he grabbed at me with his bloody hands. He finally fell. I didn’t want to be caught with them so I stabbed the girl to make it look like Evan killed her. I heard someone coming. I had to get rid of the shirt. When I pulled it off, the jewel must have gotten caught. I hid and pretended I followed Mary in.”
“You didn’t try to retrieve the pin?” Laura asked.
“I didn’t know it was missing until I left the castle. By the time I went back the pantry was locked.”
“And the poison?” Jamie asked. He said nothing.
Laura’s fingers worked another bigger knot.
“The innkeeper at Canonbie paid me to poison the grain and light fires to the granaries. Make it look like The Maxwell did it, he told me.”
Jamie nodded to Laura. She flicked her fingers and the string around Holger’s neck loosened. Jamie shoved him toward the storage room door. “Sir Herbert will deal with you.”
When they got to the door, Holger pushed Jamie back into Laura, swung the door shut and ran.
“Laura,” Jamie called.
“Go after him. I’m not hurt.”
Jamie scrambled to his feet, shouldered the door and ran after Holger toward the stairs with Laura close behind. They raced out of the passageway toward the stairs. Half way to the stairs they heard a blood curdling scream.
Moments later, Holger’s body tumbled down the steps and landed at their feet. His neck broken, he stared at them with frightened eyes.
“I’ll stay here. Go upstairs and tell Oliver to bring some men. Then go to Herbert’s desk and get the pin. Holger was adamant about its value.” He pulled the pouch off Holger’s neck. “Perhaps your ghost is looking for this. We’ll give it back to its rightful owner.”
Laura smiled at his conclusion then rushed up the stairs.
Oliver jumped out of his chair and sent it flying behind him when Laura rushed into the Great Hall.
“Quickly, to the well. Jamie needs you.” Oliver left with several of his men. She moved on to retrieve the pin.
“Lady Laura. I worried about you,” Sonia said outside Herbert’s room. “I was afraid he wouldn’t reach you in time.”
“You sent Jamie. How did you know?”
“I saw the tinker go down the stairs.”
“You were right. Evan didn’t kill Angel. Holger killed them both.” Laura opened Herbert’s desk and retrieved the pin.
Laura walked into the Great Hall as Jamie and the men brought in Holger’s body. Everyone gathered around.
“Here’s your murderer,” Jamie said, pointing to Holger. “He thought to lift Angel’s skirt. That’s when Evan walked in. He was valiant to the end trying to protect her.”
He held up Angel’s leather pouch. “I found this around Holger’s neck.”
“Maybe that will satisfy Evan’s ghost,” shouted someone in the crowd.
“Give it to me,” Angel’s father said. “I’ll take care of my girl. As for him,” he pointed to Holger, “he can rot.”
“He will. On the battlements,” Oliver said and had his men take the murderer’s body away.
Jamie and Laurawalked with the families to the graveyard gate.
“That’s…” Jamie said, dumbstruck, looking at a woman kneeling by a grave outside the cemetery wall.
“Sonia. She’s the person who told me we had it all wrong. Whose grave is she sitting by and why is it outside the wall?”
“She’s been helping you? Interesting. She’s at Evan’s resting place. They wouldn’t bury him inside the graveyard.” He turned to Laura. “Sonia is the woman’s given name. Her father called her his Angel,” Jamie said.
