Page 24 - 2022-11
P. 24
A SEASON OF STORIES
Mark shuffled in his chair and rubbed his
hands on his pant legs. “I’m not sure what
you want to know. I grew up in Indiana,
went to college at the U of O, and I sell
insurance. I thought Toastmasters might
help me with sales.” His hands relaxed like
a burden had been lifted.
“Are you married? Do you have
children?” blurted Penny.
“No to both questions.” been dead for a while. He broke his neck.”
Laura jumped in to fill the uncomfortable She reached for her cup of tea and took a long
pause. “Do you have any questions for us?” swallow.
Mark cleared his throat. “I was wondering “That is quite the story. It must have caused
about this house. I hear there was a murder a lot of excitement. What do the police think
here.” happened?” Mark asked as he leaned towards
Penny, known as the goddess of local Penny.
history, jumped right in. Her voice took She cleared her throat and wiped her
on an air of authority. “Thirty years ago, mouth with a napkin. “The police never solved
this Halloween, William Peabody and his the crime. No suspect. No reason why he was
parents hosted a lavish costume party.” Penny murdered, if indeed he was murdered. Many
recounted what everyone already knew about think it was an accident. William liked to lord
the Halloween Party. Rich passed the cookies his family’s money over his friends. Cars, fancy
to Terry. He leaned over and whispered, “You clothes, travel, this house, he had it all and he
better take two, you know how long winded didn’t let anyone forget it. The party was just
Penny is once she gets wound up.” another way to show his friends how much
It was William’s senior year of college. He better he was than they were. He belittled
was an only child, and his parents never denied some of them for not spending the money to
him a thing. Guests dressed as movie stars, rent costumes. He embarrassed several guests
TV characters, and monsters. It was quite late that night, including the wait staff.”
when the last guests left. The next morning “How do you know all this?” Mark said with
William didn’t come down for breakfast. He skepticism in his voice.
wasn’t in his room. “I was one of the guests.”
The poor housekeeper found him at the
bottom of the stairs still in his costume. They
called an ambulance right away, but he had
24 ONE COMMUNITY
