Tosh MiGosh And The Mystery At The End Of Cul De Sac Place

1

It didn’t look like the day was going to be any different than any other day but by noon the whole frikken world had been turned upside down for everyone who lived on Cul De Sac Place. The real problem stood out that they all expected me to sort it out.

I guess that’s reasonable, or everyone here thinks it is because for thirty years they knew me as Patrolman Tosh MiGosh, the cop who walked a beat down in the part of town most sane people avoided. The Slums, to put it mildly.

I had a few incidents while I was still patrolling but then I retired and any little thing that went a miss around there became my problem. Which is ok. It’s nice to be needed and trusted.

2

Mostly it was shadowy intruders in the neighbourhood, stolen bikes and cats stuck in trees but one night, a stormy night before Halloween something of a most macabre nature occurred that left the good folk of Cul De Sac Place scared skinny.

At the end of the street, set back from the road some two hundred or so feet was an ancient Victorian Manor mostly lost in among a grove of oak, elm, and hemlock trees. Though the residents, Shaverna and Carlson Overhaven were seldom seen outside they went and came in their old, immaculately kept 1926 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow en-route to places unknown. It was usually after dark and the car was driven by a man in a grey uniform with a peaked hat whose face no one ever saw. They would return just before sunrise.

3

On that night, often referred to as mad night two teenage boys decided to go to the old place and get, ‘A Story’ for the high school Newspaper.

As I said there was a terrorific storm that night and the Overhavens were entertaining, as they did every year. Their guests all arrived just after sunset in very old cars driven by chauffeurs with grey suits and peaked caps.

The boys left on their fact-finding mission at about 8:30 pm and that was the last anyone saw of them. When the families of Richard Lompkin and Simon Walston realized their boys were missing, at about 2 am, they came to my door in a frenzy of panic. It took nearly an hour to settle them down and convince them that though I was once a police officer I was not anymore and that they should call the police immediately, dropping my name if it would help. In the meantime I agreed to go up to the house and make a cursory inspection of the grounds.

4

Unfortunately, I found lots and it startled me. Everyone I found, including the Overhavens, was dead, by means I was not immediately able to determine but judging by the foaming mouths poison would be indicated.

There was no sign of the boys but upon entering the house through the front door which was wide open I found all the drivers sitting about drinking whiskey straight from the bottle. When they saw me they all began to laugh and, by the way, they were all at least 70 years of age and gaunt. They did not seem to care that their employers all appeared to be dead. One actually laughed and said in a broad foreign accent, “Not to worry. It’s only temporary.

5

In my books, dead is dead but at that moment I didn’t feel I was in a position to do much, all by myself. I did however ask if anyone had seen two teenage boys and once again the old driver all laughed boisterously. Then one said. “I believe you will find them in the drawing-room but you better prepare yourself for what you are going to find.”

I took one step toward the door the speaker nodded at but just then the wail of sirens rose over the roar of thunder and lights began flashing in the windows.

I hesitated for a minute then continued on to the door and opened it. I wish I had not because what I saw could never, ever be erased from my memory.

I laughed and laughed and laughed until my sides hurt.

6

I was hysterical when an army of cops burst into the house, guns drawn. I was still laughing until someone slapped my face. Then I guided them back to the drawing-room, but when I opened the door the boys were gone, the scene I witnessed was gone and there was nothing but a well-kept drawing-room. And just at that moment all the dead people scattered across the lawn and driveway followed the police in the door completely confused why they had been invaded.

The Chauffeurs were all outside standing quietly by their cars. Sergeant Little approached me with a critical look in his eye and asked, “Can you explain why you told the people out there to call us?”

“Because there are two boys missing. They came here earlier this evening. I saw them hanging on hooks in the drawing-room not five minutes ago but they are gone.” I tried to explain.

7

“Look, Tosh. We are old friends and I can take a joke as well as the next guy but you really went overboard here and the Overhavens are really upset for this intrusion. It’s a lucky thing I managed to talk them out of laying charges against you and your neighbours.

All I could do is shake my head and offer up a none explanation. “I don’t understand any of this. My neighbours came to me and…”

“Yes, They admit having asked you to come in here and look for the missing boys.” Sergeant Little admitted.

“That’s right and they are still missing,” I replied.

“Sergeant Little nodded then turned to the Overhavens. “Did you see any sign of the boys?”

“Yes. We found them snooping around and sent them off with a warning to keep off our property Mr Overhaven reported.

8

Well. That is most of the story. Everyone went home and the parents of the two boys went to the police station and file missing person reports. Months later the police cold filed the case but I covertly took up the investigation. Six months later I found Richard Lompkin and Simon Walston. They were as dead as dead can be and buried in shallow graves in the woods behind the Overhaven Mansion. Unfortunately, I had no proof at the time that the Overhavens had anything to do with the murders. But I kept pushing until I did have a case against them. But nothing will ever become of my discovery because now, every Halloween’s eve I join the Overhavens for a celebration that would shock any normal person into hysterics.

The boys visit on that night as well.

For future reference, I was put on the list of missing persons and my body was never found, though it’s buried out behind the mansion somewhere.

But this was only the beginning, a beginning that led me to a life I was completely unprepared for but is now ever so pleased that it has come.

You really must meet Bush Blare at your earliest convenience.