Secrets of the Villa

12:34 P.M, Peter Lucrane's room, Lucrane villa

Daniel and Damien finally had access to Peter's room. It may not be the centre of the mystery, but there was no doubt that this was a crucial area to investigate. Both of them knew that Luisa's description of Peter's ghost made it sound like he was really there. Was it really just an apparition? They both knew that they had to leave no stone unturned. They believed that if someone was trying to make them think that Luisa really did see Peter, then they must have used something contained in this room. It was rather unfortunate that Daniel and Damien didn't get a description of what the spectre was wearing; but they believed that whatever it was that the ghost wore, it had to cover features that would have otherwise made the wearer recognisable. Thus, they needed to find a clock and hat!

They also had to take something else into consideration; the mode of entry, how exactly did this ghost enter a room sealed off at its main entry? They would also look for the answer to this question during their search.

Even though the room Daniel and Damien was the same size as the guest room that neighboured it, there was still plenty of ground to cover, which was ironic given that they were upstairs.

Dan and Damien took separate paths during their examination of the room and adjoining bathroom, Damien went to search for the entryway that this mysterious figure had used to enter Peter's room, and Daniel searched for signs that someone had portrayed themselves as said figure. Anything in this area could turn out to be an important piece of evidence. Evidence was something Daniel desperately needed, but alas, it was evading him like a professional dodgeball player dodges the fastest of balls. He needed to find something, anything.

Daniel spotted a wardrobe, coincidently it was right up against the wall that separated the guest quarters from Peter's room. In fact, the gap between the wall and the wardrobe couldn't be narrower even if you pushed a bulldozer against the setup. Daniel thought this to be extremely strange; if someone in fact pretend to be Peter's ghost, then perhaps they entered a panel hidden within this very wardrobe After all, this item was tall enough and about twice as wide as Daniel, someone could easily fit inside it.

Daniel opened the door to the wardrobe without hesitation. There was a slight odour, something he hadn't smelt before. Inside the closet was a clock and hat, and other items of clothing. The closet was only 1/5 full, Peter's suitcase was still in the foyer, it hadn't yet been unpacked completely. Perhaps Peter would have unpacked his belongings at a later time, but unfortunately, he never got the chance. Due to the circumstances, it would seem that the suitcase in question would remain packed indefinitely.

Daniel noted that even though most of the clothes were in neat standings, a brown hat, an even browner coat and a pair of gentleman's shoes had been put away rather haphazardly. They were not as neat as the few articles surrounding them. With a pair of tweezers in his hand, he scoured the hat until he happened upon a single strand of hair that had been left within its confines. He took this strand and placed it gently into a plastic bag. He believed that this small strand of hair just might be the breakthrough he was looking for. He had to make certain that it remained in pristine condition. He gently placed it into one of his coat's pockets. Now with the evidence safely tucked away, he walked towards the bathroom as he witnessed Damien go that way. He wished to reunite with Damien and that's what he was going to do.

"Did you discover anything?" Damien inquired upon seeing Dan.

"I found a strand of hair from quote unquote 'Peter's ghost.'" Daniel replied.

"So, someone was trying to make us believe that Luisa was going crazy; why?"

"I'm not certain of that quite yet. How about you? Have you made any discoveries in here?"

"I think so, I mean look at the floor, its scratched and scuffed, looking at these marks, it appears that something heavy had been dragged or pushed along the tiles. They originate from this tile over here." Damien pointed at a tile. "This one must have been lifted up and moved."

"So, according to what you have noticed, there must be some sort of secret passage, there's probably a trap door."

"Yes, it is possible that there is a trap door hidden below this tile. I suppose Peter's ghost used such a thing to get in here without using the door."

"How odd."

"Is there an issue?"

"I recall the layout of this villa, and it appears that this bathroom is directly over David's room."

"That's rather odd. Do you have a feeling that perhaps David is involved?"

"Yes. It's a definite possibility. But I still have unanswered questions in my mind. Only when I have answered every question may I finally arrest the person responsible for this mayhem."

"So, what is our next move?"

"Well, we will take the strand of hair to get analysed, so we can find out who our 'ghost' really was, or is if he continues to spook Luisa. After that we will go to bed as Lyra, the housemaid, will not be available until tomorrow morning."

Damien nodded in agreement to Daniel's plan. They headed off and dropped off the hair to have it analysed and then they went to a nearby hotel. They had dinner and went to bed at nightfall. Tomorrow was going to be the day they will unravel this mystery once and for all.