8. The Witching Hour

The Grand Clock struck four as the latest guest arrived at the Mansion, carrying garden produce, a painting and a card. It wasn’t quite midnight, but the Clock didn’t know that. Neither did the visitor for that matter, but she had been caught up in terrible roadworks just outside the Mansion. Well, the Grinds, and miles away from the Mansion, for that matter.

Anyway, she was here now, and Miss Duncan showed her to the Sitting Room.

The Cloaked Figure sat back.

“Come in… come in…”

“Sue Dreamwalker.” Miss Duncan boomed.

“Sue…?” The Cloaked Figure was trying to trick this final guest.

“This evening, I’m a traveller with a message, that is all I can say.”

“Curses!” Sue Dreamwalker heard the Cloaked Figure say, inwardly.

“This card will reveal my message… and with it my alibi?” She smiled as she gave the card to Miss Duncan to pass to the Cloaked Figure. Instead, Miss Duncan read the card aloud:

By day I am the Dreamwalker who pens her poems of light
Yet could I be the one who nailed Maribel at night?
I often roam the outer veils of ether mist and stars
Yet could I be the one who creeps to look in Jars?
I maybe peeped inside from the window with a view
The Mansion doors were open could this now be a clue?
A Dreamwalker it has to be said knows a thing or two
Yet could I be the one….. Well I’ll leave that up to YOU!

Once again, the Cloaked Figure hummed.

Not one visitor revealed who they really were. As was asked.

Not one visitor said for definite that it was or wasn’t them.

Not one visitor expected to actually visit the Mansion this evening, but they did… and it must be asked did they actually leave? One would think so.

The Cloaked Figure and Miss Duncan looked around the Sitting Room. They knew that Sue Dreamwalker had been there for they were still looking at her card… but she was no longer in the room.

Had everything been a dream? The Full Moon? The visits? Maribel?

Oh, I doubt that, and I hope not. All of October a dream? Nah.

Somebody has visited the Mansion and ‘altered’ things slightly. I can’t say for definite that it wasn’t one of the fine visitors this evening, but something deep within me says it seems unlikely. They all have alibis, after all.

Next week, you’ll be able to vote for your favourite Unlikely Alibi when I post a poll. Just for fun, but that’s what this place is all about. You never know, we may even find out who was behind the strange goings on. There are some clues hidden. Somewhere.

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I’d like to thank all of tonight’s contributors, without whose help tonight’s posts wouldn’t have been possible. Links are included to their respective sites on their relevant part of this Halloween Special… I recommend you check out their sites if you don’t already. Apologies that not all submitted alibis have been used, but time constraints, mainly there not being enough of it, meant I had to write on the fly. It could have been a spider, but it’s hard to tell when everything’s covered in cobwebs and in shadow.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!