Read C.F. Fowler - Marion Rogers 01 - A Ghost's Vengeance for Free Online Page B

Goodmans. Charlotte headed for the door and turned to Marion, saying, “Follow me and I’ll show you the rest of the house.”
      Marion followed Charlotte into a dining area large enough for family dining but not entertaining. As they moved from room to room, Charlotte gave her a summary of the design changes they made upon purchasing the house. As they entered the living room, Charlotte continued with her description but Marion’s eyes were transfixed on the stairway. She saw Peter Goodman fall down the stairs, disappear, then fall down the stairs again. The image was clear enough to see the drunken look on his face. It didn’t appear he was even aware he was falling to his death. Each cycle took about a minute. Charlotte noticed Marion’s attention drawn to the stairs.
      “You’ve noticed the creaking noises, haven’t you?” she asked matter-of-factly.
      Marion was startled by the question and responded, “Yes, what is it?”
      Charlotte smiled. “At first,” she said rather excitedly, “I hoped the house was haunted. Those are the stairs Peter fell down. But Bobby said the house has some defects and the creaking is normal.” She was clearly disappointed by her husband’s explanation.
      “So you would rather your house be haunted?” Marion found this young woman to be quite personable.
      “Oh yes! Wouldn’t that be great! I’ve always wanted to live in a haunted house.”  Charlotte continued up the stairs, past the tumbling drunk on the stairs, and Marion followed. She knew there was no talking to this spirit. He was just repeating the circumstance of his death, over and over and over again. It was like seeing a video on a loop. The spirit wasn’t aware of them and she was happy to leave it that way. The one answer she got from this tour was that Catherine’s husband tripped and fell at the top of the stairs. That was evident once she saw the scene from above. She saw the man’s foot catch on something, something that was no longer there.
      “Was the carpet replaced here?” she asked Charlotte. “Was there something that poor man might have actually tripped on?”
      Charlotte reflected on that and then said, “As a matter of fact, the carpet was loose around the top of the stairs. We had it all torn out anyway because the color wouldn’t work for us. I guess in his inebriated state, the poor man forgot about the carpet bunched at the top of the stairs.” Charlotte looked sad and shook her head. “Poor man.”
      “Yes, that poor man,” Marion responded feeling a little sick as she said the words.
      When the tour was complete, Charlotte invited Marion to enjoy some coffee and freshly-baked cookies. Marion found this woman to be an absolute delight. Charlotte loved to talk about her life in Hartsdale. She was so proud of her husband and very involved in the activities at her church. Marion knew she would make an excellent mother if blessed with children.
      As the conversation turned back to the Goodmans, Marion asked, “Do you know where Catherine’s mother lives?”
      “Let me think,” Charlotte said as she looked down and considered the question. “She used to live in Scarsdale but I think they said she moved to Rye after her daughter died.” Marion thought, this woman is a treasure !
      When they had finished, Marion stood. “Well, thank you so much, Charlotte. I can’t tell you how helpful you’ve been. I’m going to try to find Catherine’s mother if I can. Pay my respects.” She held out her hand, “And tell Bobby good luck getting that doctorate, I’m sure he’ll do great things.”
      Charlotte rose and shook Marion’s hand. Beaming, she said, “Oh I know he will. He’s very smart and driven.”
      As Marion drove away she wondered what effect Peter Goodman might have on the happy couple. If they haven’t felt his melancholy by now, they probably never will , she thought.

      Marion drove the 20 minutes to Rye. Traffic moved smoothly and