CHAPTER 1

Marsha Winthrop Dies

Dorothy, an attractive woman in her late fifties, carefully replacesthe soup pot back on the gas stove in her home so as not to spill anythingon her long sleeved, collared shirt that could probably pass for a man's shirtif it wasn't a light peach color. She also wears loose fitting denim pantsthat vaguely resemble the bell bottom disco jeans she wore during thenineteen-seventies when she was a teenager and considerably thinner.

Then, after removing a black leather doctor's bag from the adjoiningpantry, she places it on the kitchen table next to where her slender son issitting. She wished he were stouter like his father so she could imaginehow his plaid woolen shirt makes him look like a lumberjack beforethinking, My son is too delicate for such things.

Taking a glass mercury thermometer from the bag, she inserts itinto her son's mouth. She hears Steve sniffling as he reluctantly holds thethermometer under his tongue while idly stirring his chicken soup.

Pulling her dark brown hair behind her ears to get it out of theway, Dorothy inventories the contents of the doctor's bag as she waitsfor the thermometer to register Steve's temperature. When Dorothyremoves the thermometer from his mouth, she sees him slouch overhis soup looking at the bowl like he has no appetite. As she reads thethermometer, she taps Steve's boney shoulder with her fingertips to makehim self-consciously sit up straight.

Dorothy sighs, "A little warm, but you'll be all right."

She notices he absently listens while cooling his soup by raising onespoonful after another with his long thin gentle fingers before tippingthe liquid back into the bowl.

After cleaning the thermometer and replacing it in the doctor's bag,Dorothy walks to the pantry. Returning with some expendable medicalsupplies, she starts restocking the bag as Steve involuntarily overseeswith his inquisitive eyes.

While organizing the medical supplies, Dorothy says, "A good nursekeeps everything in its place." Interrupted by the ringing of a cheapplastic phone that hangs on the wall by the kitchen doorway, she answersit as Steve returns to cooling his soup.

Listening to his mom speaking on the phone, Steve watches her twirlthe extension cord with her fingers as he realizes she is volunteering himfor something.

Returning, she says, "Old Mrs. Winthrop didn't make herappointment and she's not answering her phone, so I said you'd go andcheck on her."

Slouching again, Steve answers, "Mom, it's snowing, and I got acold."

Turning to the hall closet, Dorothy pulls out Steve's big down wintercoat before holding it up for him to put on. After Steve reluctantly standsand slides into his red jacket that is accented with white, light reflectivestripes, Dorothy walks around him approvingly before picking up themedical bag, handing it to him, and saying, "Mrs. Winthrop is ninetyyears old, and after we practically lived with her in that mansion for thefirst twenty years of your life, that makes her family."

Taking the bag, Steve answers reluctantly, "I'll go. Don't remind mehow `she treats me like one of her own grandchildren.'"

Stopping him at the door, Dorothy looks him over before straighteninghis coat. She runs her hand from shoulder to shoulder across the wordRescue emblazoned in big black letters on his back while saying, "Nowbe a good nurse like your mother and go and find out what's the matterwith Mrs. Winthrop."

"OK, Mom," Steve sighs while kissing her on the cheek beforeopening the door.

Dorothy lovingly watches her son crunch down three inches of freshsnow under his black leather boots with each step as she shivers from thecold blast of air while slowly closing the door.

Steve reluctantly walks to his converted SUV as his closely cut blackhair catches numerous snowflakes floating in the crisp air. He brushes afew of the frosty hitchhikers from his nose before opening the door andclimbing into his brightly painted red and gold response vehicle.

* * *

On the way to Mrs. Winthrop's house, Steve drives carefully on thepowdered snow and feels happy to be observing the beauty of nature whilethinking, Everything is covered with a fresh dusting of undisturbed snow andwonderful, soft, puffy flakes are drifting down in the silent air. Suddenly, hisattention is diverted by radio traffic coming from his emergency radiobolted to the dashboard as the police report a spin out.

Once they are finished talking about the accident, Steve reaches forhis handset hanging on the radio and broadcasts, "Snow Plow. SnowPlow."

A strong male voice answers, "Yeah, Steve."

"Momma sent me to check on Mrs. Winthrop."

"Alright, I'll meet you at the turnoff."

"Thanks, dad."

"Roger."

* * *

Approaching the turnoff, Steve sees the big yellow snowplow waitingfor him and honks his horn. The big truck, burdened by a bin filled withsand, belches black smoke from its exhaust stacks in reply. Once thebattered and beleaguered truck begins moving, Steve watches the snowflying off of the blade and piling up alongside the road. While followingalong behind, he notices how the sand is flung out the back of the truckby a rotor as his father's voice comes from the radio.

"Weatherman reports it's going to snow all night."

"Roger."

"Are you going to stay with Old Lady Winthrop until it stopssnowing?"

Slouching again while shaking his head, Steve answers, "Roger. I'llcall mom." Pulling out his cell phone, Steve dials while driving. He beginsspeaking once Dorothy answers, "Mom ... I'll probably be spending thenight at the mansion with Mrs. Winthrop OK."

"You be careful and take care of yourself."

Nodding, he answers, "Yes, Mom," before hanging up. Whileattempting to put the phone away, his wheels hit a slippery section ofthe road, and Steve drops the phone during his struggle to regain controlof his truck.

* * *

Steve watches the tire chains on all eight rear wheels of his dad's truckbeat the road into submission for several miles. When the snowplowrumbles to a stop, just past the driveway of the Winthrop mansion, Stevestops his ambulance, gets out, and meets his father halfway between thevehicles.

Bob who feels even more bulky and awkward than usual because he isall bundled up in his extreme cold weather gear sees his son's questioningexpression and quickly apologizes, "I'd take you all the way son—."

Pulling on his gloves, Steve interrupts by asking obliquely for help,"With my four-wheel-drive chained up, I can go anywhere."

Bob enthusiastically lurches toward the SUV and offers, "Good, I'llhelp you."

After Steve opens the back doors of his truck and removes a set of tirechains, he kneels down next to one wheel with his father. While layingthe chain out in front of the tire, Steve listens to his father complain.

"Why don't they save everybody a lot of trouble and put her in anold folks home?"

Steve says defensively, "I don't mind looking in on Marsha as long asshe can still take care of herself."

While moving to another wheel with quick muscular movements,Bob grumbles, "Why would anyone want to live in a haunted houseanyway?"

"That's where her memories are. Those ghosts are all that's left ofher family."

"I suppose we'll all end up living with our own ghosts."

Laughing, they move to another wheel with well-practiced movementsthat made them both feel like they were a pit crew at the stock carraces.

* * *

Once Bob returns to grinding on the pavement with the blade of hisbehemoth, Steve starts down the long driveway to the Winthropmansion. Steve navigates down the middle of the open winding whiteribbon between the trees while thinking, With the trees frosted and ablanket of fresh white powder covering everything in sight, this scene is evenmore beautiful than what I saw in town. Steve admires the wonders ofnature as the chained tires vibrate the truck while pawing through thesnow covering the road.

Approaching the ancient mansion complete with garrets and a steeplysloped slate tiled roof with cast iron fleur-d-lis all along ridge line, Stevenotices the wall around the Winthrop estate is topped with snow andall of the roughhewn edges and corners of the wall have tufts of snowpiled up on them.

Unfortunately, he doesn't see that the wrought-iron gate is closed asall of the iron bars and the ornate "W" decorating the center are dustedwith snow. So Steve is unable see the danger and drives towards theopening in the wall obstructed by the camouflaged gate.

Suddenly, he is surprised when he feels the vehicle being mauled bythe wrought-iron bars as the truck bashes its way through. In shock, hewatches the gate being pulled from its hinges as iron pieces are thrownin all directions.

He sees the large ornate "W" bending over the hood of the SUVas a flying piece of metal penetrates the windshield and hits him in theside of his head. In extreme pain, he holds his hands to his face as theambulance comes to a stop.

Noticing some smoke floating in the cab, he thinks there is a fire,so he leaps out of his truck and rolls in the snow. After noticing someblood on his hand, he smells the air and realizes that the smoke is fromthe airbags, so he crawls back to his truck and grabs his medical bag.Unfortunately, he can't find his phone, and the emergency radio won'ttransmit.

After slipping out of the truck and falling into the snow stillclutching his bag, he crawls through the snow towards the front door ofthe Winthrop mansion. After noticing the cold, blank, and dead lookingplate glass windows staring back at him, he thinks, How frightening thehouse looks. It's the perfect set for a horror movie.

After struggling for a few minutes, Steve takes a break from crawlingright next to the fountain surrounded by a small frozen pond in thefront yard and bandages his head with the supplies from the medicalbag. Suddenly, he sees the fountain in all its summer glory. The watergurgles as Koi carp swim in and around some water plants in the pond,and a young Mr. Winthrop in his World War II uniform is lookingdown at Steve.

Mr. Winthrop asks, "Can I help you?"

Amazed, Steve thinks, This isn't possible. Grabbing his bag, Stevecontinues toward the house leaving the snow covered fountain behindhim.

Stopping at the foot of the stairs to rest, he sees his mother, in hertwenties wearing her white nursing uniform, starting up the stairs. Hewatches her lead him by the hand when he was six years old as Mr. andMrs. Winthrop, in their sixties, walk out the front doors dressed invery fashionable clothing. The two groups pass as Steve remembers theWinthrop's were going out and Dorothy is looking after their elderlyparents.

While wiping his face with a handful of snow, he returns from theflashback and sees the wizened and white haired Old Lady Winthropwatching him from the partially-opened front doors. He imagines sheis holding on to the bronzed door handle with her shriveled fingers tokeep from falling over.

Steve struggles up the steps on all fours and in through the antiqueoak doors before collapsing in front of the stone fireplace. Mrs. Winthropeventually totters to him, straightens her ancient knitted shawl, and asks,"Are you all right?"

"Let me catch my breath, and then I'll make a fire."

As he lies on the planked wooden floor that is partially coveredbetween the chairs by an ornately decorated wool rug, he notices thelights are out and immediately understands why there wasn't an answerwhen Mrs. Winthrop was called. The snow has brought all the lines down.I'm stuck here until someone comes for me.

* * *

Recovering, Steve places kindling in the fireplace before using a matchto start the fire. Instantly, he feels better with the fire. As he kneelsbefore the fireplace adding more wood, he notices Mrs. Winthrop sittingbehind him in her high-backed chair watching with dark eyes that lookout at him from a withered face. Resting near the fire, he enjoys itswarmth and listens to Mrs. Winthrop's raspy voice talking about herdead ancestors.

As she prattles on about the familiar family stories, he watches herbony finger pointing out the pictures on the mantel. Steve notices thelight from the fireplace is flickering across the pictures. The people seemto be moving around inside the photos.

After climbing up into a chair opposite Mrs. Winthrop, he usessupplies from his medical bag to fix the bandage on his head. Oncefinished, Steve notices Mrs. Winthrop is silently watching him with aproud grandmotherly smile on her face.

* * *

Suddenly, waking with a start, Steve sees the fire is dying out. Findingthe ratty chair opposite him empty, he kneels down to put more woodon the fire. Returning to his dusty chair, he finds Mrs. Winthrop in herusual place observing him and talking about the good old days.

"On nights like these, my parents-in-law would sit and play cards atthat table by the mirror."

Looking to the ornate table, Steve sees Marsha's parents-in-law likethey were when he was six. Elderly but dignified the married couple,still deeply in love, play cards in the flickering light of the fire. In theirreflection, the two at the age of twenty, when they were first married, playcards dressed in their elaborate nineteenth-century clothing.

Pulling his eyes away, he thinks, This isn't happening. Looking back,the vision is gone, and Mrs. Winthrop's chair is empty.

Feeling like he is falling asleep again, he is eleven and sitting in thesame chair as Winthrop grandchildren play in the room. A girl namedTeresa wearing a private girl's school uniform comes to him and says, "Ilearned a new song. Do you want to hear me play it on the piano?"

After walking to a shiny black grand piano, Steve admires her as sheplays a beautiful piece of music. Suddenly, Dorothy enters the room withMrs. Winthrop both dressed in black, and Steve remembers that theyare going to the funeral of Mrs. Winthrop's father-in-law.

In a flash, Steve is alone at the neglected and out of tune pianoplaying the same melody as Teresa. He stands, and, while returningto his chair by the fire, he notices Old Mrs. Winthrop watching him.Suddenly, the fire flares up, and he can see Teresa at the little table whereher great grandparents played cards. Transformed into a teenager, helooks at Teresa in the way he remembered when he was frequently sentto sit with Mrs. Winthrop to keep her company.

A teenaged Teresa with long silky black hair looks towards him witha smile on her perfect lips holding a deck of cards in her hands. Afterwalking to the table, they play a game until he sees his reflection in themirror with a bandage on his head.

Mrs. Winthrop watches him approvingly from her chair by the fireas Steve makes his way painfully back to the hearth to build up the fire.Once the new light floods out from the fireplace, he is all alone in a dustyroom.

* * *

In the morning, Bob pushes his way through the tall oak doors ofWinthrop mansion and brings a flood of morning light into the room.Rushing to Steve, whom he finds sleeping in the chair, Bob speaks whiletaking Steve's face in his weathered hands.

"Are you alive, son?"

Focusing his eyes, Steve answers, "Barely, I had a terrible night."

"There is a funny smell coming from upstairs."

After watching his father bolt out of the room, Steve struggles to stayawake while waiting for his dad.

* * *

Steve wakes up again when he is pulled up out of the chair by his anxiousfather who states, "She's dead."

Steve wants to say something, but his father interrupts, "Looks likeshe's been dead for a week."

Steve attempts to point at the chair by the fireplace, but Bob pullsSteve's arm over his broad muscular shoulders, places his stout armaround Steve's waist, and practically carries Steve out the front doors asSteve staggers along trying to keep up.

A few moments later as Bob is lifting him up into the cab of thesnowplow, Steve notices Mrs. Winthrop sadly watching him frombetween the creaking front doors like it is their last farewell.

* * *

After the rough drive back to town, Steve feels relieved when they finallystop in front of his mother's house. Attempting to climb down from thecab, he becomes dizzy, so he waits for his father to come around andhelp him.

* * *

Answering the front door, Dorothy sees Steve is injured and stands backin shock so Steve and her husband can come in. Pointing up the stairs,she says, "Put him in bed!"

Dorothy watches Bob help Steve up the stairs as she evaluates theseriousness of Steve's wounds before stepping into the pantry to get somemedical supplies. She catches up with the two men as Bob is placing hisson carefully on the bed while saying, "There he is."

Looking at her son's bandaged head, she asks, "What happened?"

"Crashed his truck through Old Lady Winthrop's big iron gate."

Irritated by Bob's interference, she hints that Bob should leave themalone by suggesting, "Some hot soup is on the stove," before quicklyremoving the bandage while wondering how badly her son is injured.

* * *

Returning with a bowl of soup, Bob quietly watches Dorothy applying anew bandage to Steve's head.

Over her shoulder, Dorothy asks, "Did you bandage his wound?"

"He's your son."

Quickly countering, Dorothy replies, "If he were my son, he wouldn'thave crashed the ambulance in the first place."

Steve starts to laugh but winces in pain when Dorothy continueswrapping the new bandage tightly around his head.

Bob idly comments, "If he were my son, he'd have picked a manlyprofession."

Answering for his mother, Steve says, "You didn't say that last monthwhen I delivered a baby in the back of the ambulance."

Winking at Steve, Dorothy continues bandaging the wound.