“A woman’s voice was constantly heard coming from the castle.
It sounded like moaning.
Sometimes, there were hysterical screams like a person was being tortured.
Other times, there was weeping.
Then there was the creepy laughing, like a female ghost,” the police explained.
Benjamin Levis’ assistant shivered and said, “Stop it, please. I wasn’t afraid then, I am now.”
“Did this happen before the youths disappeared?” Stella asked calmly.
“It happened at about the same time. They went there out of curiosity. Who knew curiosity really killed the cat. Only one survived and he went mad.” The police sighed.
Stella followed up with another question. “How many of them went in there?”
“Three. Two went missing. The police searched all over the castle, but couldn’t find anyone.”
“Did you see any blood on the floor?” Benjamin asked suspiciously.
The policeman shook his head. “No, that’s why it became a ghost castle. No one dare to go near it, let alone go in.”
“Why has it not been taken down then?” the assistant complained.
“That castle is a heritage landmark,” the police explained .
The assistant was puzzled. “How is that even possible? I’ve seen the castle. It seems to have been built in the European style. How did it become a heritage landmark?”
“There was a legend about this castle. There was a King who hired a foreign painter named Larry Loyds. He was also an architect.
There was a servant in the palace who was very rich. When he was about to retire, he spent a lot of money to buy an architectural design from Larry.
The servant was from Riverside City so he built a castle here after he returned.
It is said that there are many treasures from the palace in this castle, but all attempts to find them failed,” the police explained.
“Well, it’s been such a long time. It should have collapsed long ago. How is it still intact?” the assistant continued.
“The owners of the castle have been maintaining it. It’s strange that most of the owners died all of a sudden. The government then took over the castle as a heritage and it’s still preserved to this day.”
After listening to the police, the assistant understood. She turned her head back and asked Benjamin in fear, “Is there really a ghost in this castle?”
Benjamin smirked and said coldly, “If you’re afraid, you can stay in the hotel.”
When he said this, he looked at Stella.
“Really?” the assistant asked. She really didn’t have the courage to tag along.
“Sure,” Benjamin replied calmly.
“I shall excuse myself then,” the assistant said with a forced smile.
“Inspector Grace, if you’re scared, you can leave too,” Benjamin said provocatively.
Stella didn’t want him to look down on her. “I didn’t say I was afraid.”
The car stopped in front of a hotel to let Benjamin’s assistant out.
After that, they had finally arrived at the gate of the castle.
It was pitch black all around, and there was not even a street lamp around the castle.
“Is there any light in the castle?” Stella asked the police.
“There are lights, but the electricity was cut because it has been abandoned for quite some time. I think there’s a generator in it, but I’m not sure if it’s still working,” the police explained.
Stella frowned.
Would that mean that they would be in the dark once they enter?
Her heart was filled with indescribable fear.
Stella didn’t realize it when Jasper stood behind her. He wrapped his arms around Stella’s waist and said in a deep voice, “It’s okay, everything will be fine.”
Stella turned around and looked at Jasper.
Jasper had already looked away and let go of her waist. He said to Benjamin, “You can wait in the car first. We’ll go in and turn on the generator.”
With that, he went in with his men.
Benjamin stood in front of Stella and looked at Jasper’s figure. He said, “People in the military are really efficient.”
“It’s their responsibility,” Stella added.
Benjamin turned around and asked suspiciously, “Do you admire soldiers?”
“Well, they deserve my admiration,” Stella said.
“Is it them or him? You knew Mr. Milton before this, didn’t you?” Benjamin guessed.
Benjamin was really smart. He was indeed worthy of his reputation. He was very observant and had good reasoning skills.
Stella avoided his question. “Let’s see who will find the murderer first.”
Benjamin turned around with disdain.
The castle lit up.
It had probably been abandoned for quite some time, and the lighting was not strong. The light bulbs looked like they were from the 80s.
Benjamin led the rest of them in.
As soon as Stella stepped into the castle, a cool wind blew. She could smell the mildew.
There was another bad smell but she couldn’t tell what it was.
“Everyone, choose a room to stay in,” Benjamin said, looking at Stella provocatively.
Stella ignored him. She glanced around the hall and turned to Tommy Wills who was standing beside her. “Which room was the deceased found in?”
“The first floor, the one next to the stairs,” Tommy answered.
Stella looked at the room next to the stairs.
It looked like there were shadows floating in the room.
She held her breath, stared at the door of the room and slowly walked over.
“Hey,” Benjamin shouted, his voice echoing throughout the castle.
Stella’s heart leaped out of her throat. She screamed, her hands on her chest.
Jasper rushed out of the room next to the stairs and ran to Stella. “Are you okay?”
Stella picked herself up and realized who was the one who shouted.
She looked at Benjamin angrily and said, “Are you insane? Why did you scare me?”
“I thought you were very bold. Looks like I was wrong. I want the room next to the stairs. Don’t you dare take it from me,” Benjamin said arrogantly.
Stella was too tired to argue with him, so she simply ignored him. She looked at Jasper and asked, “Did you find anything in it?”
Jasper shook his head. “There’s no secret door or anything strange with it. There’s only an ordinary bed, a table, and three walls. No window.”
“I want to have a look at the other rooms. Can you come with me?” Stella asked.
Jasper saw that her face was turning pale. He couldn’t bear seeing her getting scared again so he simply nodded.
“Do you actually need someone to look around with you? Such a coward. It’d be better if you didn’t come along. Unless, you have some hidden intentions,” Benjamin said in a suggestive tone.
Stella couldn’t figure out why he was getting offended by every single thing she did or said.
Jasper glared at Benjamin. He put his arms around Stella’s waist and pulled her to his side. “You’re right. I do have hidden intentions.”
Stella : “…”