Devil's Mountain notes

Please note this is a work in progress

It was a hot Fourth of July as people gathered for a party in Walnut Creek. They were looking forward to relaxing and enjoying a day off from work.

The party was at the house of Dan Williams. His back yard was on Lakewood Lake, so people could enjoy swimming or taking a boat out onto the water. The lake was surrounded by willow trees and houses, with limited access by the public.

After being at the party for awhile, Stacy received a page from the Sheriff's Department concerning a search. She was a volunteer with the department, and occasionally would get calls to help out with something. Evidentially, there was a suspect the department believed was hiding at the Black Diamond mines in Antioch.

They met at the parking lot of the Black Diamond Regional Preserve before beginning the search. They were teamed off in pairs and went off in different directions to look for the bad guy.

Stacy's dog lead her towards one of the abandoned mine tunnels. At one time this particular tunnel had been sealed off, but the cover had been removed.

Turning on her flash light, she entered the tunnel. It felt good to get out of the hot summer sun. Year round, the tunnels remained in the 50's while outside temps could reach the 90's or higher in the summer.

The hound kept his nose to the ground as they continued deeper into the tunnels. Eventually, he stopped and sat down.

"Come on boy," said Stacy. "We have to keep going!"

The dog didn't want to move. Normally he would just sit down when he found his target, but this time the suspect was nowhere to be seen. Stacy continued to coax him on, but he just howled which echoed through the tunnels.

Stacy moved her flash light about the tunnel until something reflected back at her.

As she looked more closely at the object, she found a small box against the wall. Stacy stooped down to look at it.

The box seemed a bit heavy. Curious, she opened it and found it had been filled with coin and jewelry made from precious stones! Inscribed on the inside of the box were the initials J E D.

Stacy wondered if the box was taken from a safe deposit box during the bank robbery. Moving the flash light about the tunnel, she didn't see any signs of anyone else being there. When she tried to coax the dog further on, he didn't want to move. Refusal to move on was an indication that the dog found it's subject or that the trail had grown cold.

She continued a little further into the tunnel alone, then turned around. She didn't find anything else.

As each group finished, they returned to the meeting place in the parking lot. One of the other teams had found the suspects they were looking for. Stacy handed over the box that she had found in hopes that the department would be able to find the appropriate owner.

Doug later called Stacy into his office about the box.

"Where did you say that the box was found?" he asked.

"At the Black Diamond Mines," Stacy answered. "You know that. The dog stopped in front of it and would not go any further."

"It had been traced to a cold case file from years ago," said Doug. "It had been stolen from stolen from someone years ago, and it was never located. Does the name James Edward Delaney mean anything to you?"

"It was my grandfathers name. There have been several people in the family tree named that. James was a very common name then," Stacy answered. "Why?"

"Because it belonged to your grandparents," Doug answered. "It had been taken from their home years ago, and it had never been located. Ironic that you found it."

"Strange that it was found here. My grandparents lived in St. Louis!" Stacy exclaimed. "You know, I have never heard of this before."

"People don't always tell their family every little detail of their lives. And if something gets stolen or lost, they figure what's the point of bringing it up if they don't think they will ever see it again?" said Doug. "But now that it will be back in family possession, I suggest that you have it appraised for either insurance purposes or for selling purposes."

"Let's just hope that it doesn't cause any infighting with the family if it ends up being worth a fortune!"

"You could always use 'finders keepers' since the statute of limitations ran out years ago for the theft."

"But what about the government wanting to claim it since it was found on public land and has historic value?"

"Either get a good attorney or keep your mouth shut!"

After Stacy returned home, Dan Williams swung by, curious to see how the search went.

"One of the other teams found the suspect in one of the tunnels," Stacy answered. "They got lucky since there are hundreds of miles of tunnels, and some of them are still unmapped."

"Wonder why he ended up there?"

"Probably thought it was as good a place to hide as any," said Stacy. "I've seen criminals do really stupid things. And yes, some do return to the scene of the crime!"

"Do you know if there has been anyone living at the mansion?" Dan asked. "Recently there has been a lot of noise coming from there."

"Not that I know of. But then, people have always thought the place was haunted!"

"I don't think it's that," said Dan. "Just concerned that vagrants have decided to take up residence."

"Lets go take a look," said Stacy.

Since Stacy lived just a few doors down from the mansion, they walked there. The mansion was one of the oldest homes in Walnut Creek, dating back to about 1860. It appeared that no one had been living there for some time.

The white mansion was two stories plus an attic and basement. It had over twenty rooms including an redwood paneled library and a large room that could be used as a ballroom or a tearoom, and had four fireplaces.

The yard was overgrown, and the house was in need of a paint job.

They climbed the front steps and rang the wind up door bell. When no one answered, they tried the front door which opened.

"You know, we shouldn't be here," Said Stacy. "Ever hear of trespassing?"

"Ever hear of probable cause?" asked Dan. "I told you that there has been noise coming from the place even though it's supposed to be empty."

"All I have is your word for it," Stacy said. "If someone lived here and it sounded like a domestic dispute going on, that would be probable cause!"

The house was quiet, unfurnished. Dust and cobwebs had formed about the house giving the appearance that no one had been there for some time.

Suddenly a black cat burst into the room, startling them. It was a black fluffy cat with webs and dust hanging off his whiskers.

"Where did he come from?" asked Dan.

"There's probably an open window or a pet door somewhere in the house," Stacy answered. "He's a cute little guy."

The cat looked up at Stacy with a little grin causing his fangs to show slightly. It gave him the appearance of being a little vampire who'd just come out the crypt.

"Aren't black cats supposed to be bad luck?" asked Dan.

"Does he really look like he's bad luck?" Stacy asked. The cat rubbed up against her legs, purring loudly.

The cat followed them while they continued looking about the house. In a utility room, they found a doggie door that the cat might have used to get into the house.

"I don't think that anything is here," said Stacy. "There doesn't seem to be anyone here except the cat."

"I tell you, there has been a lot of noise coming from here," said Dan.

"Could be anything. You live at the top of the hill," said Stacy. "Sound bounces around and carries. You can even hear BART here, and the tracks are on the other side of town!"

The cat meowed at them as if trying to get their attention. "ME--OW!" He walked about in circles and continued to talk.

Stacy and Dan decided to follow the cat, who took them upstairs to the attic. The cat began to scratch at the wall. There appeared to be a hidden door on the wall, which Dan tried to open.

After several minutes of trying, the door finally opened, and a skeleton fell out!

"I knew there was a reason to like cats!" Stacy exclaimed, bending down to get a closer look at the skeleton. "It looks like this guy has been dead for a while"

"It isn't real is it?" asked Dan.

"It looks like it is," Stacy answered. "Whoever he was has been dead for quite awhile. Wonder who he was?"

The cat was a bit skittish about the skeleton. He seemed to want to look at it, but didn't want to get too close. "Reow!"

"I guess he is your vagrant, though," said Stacy.

"Talk about skeletons in the closet!"

Stacy took a cell phone out of her pocket and called the police, then went to wait out front for a squad car to come. Instead of a regular officer, Doug Feldman, the chief of police, showed up.

"What are you doing here?" asked Doug.

"Dan lives up the hill and said that there had been some unusual noises coming from the property," Stacy answered. "We came to investigate, see if there was anyone here recently."

"This is private property!"

"Ever hear of probable cause?" asked Stacy. "If the place is supposed to be empty, then why the noise? It has been known that people find empty houses for parties. In the course of investigating the house, we found the skeleton in the attic."

"While I am here, I may as well take a look at it," said Doug. "This had better be good!"

"You don't think that I know the difference between a real skeleton and a real one?" asked Stacy, as they entered the house.

Doug studied the skeleton, then carefully went over the rest of the attic. They could not find any immediate evidence as to how the person died, or of anything else related to it. The whole house was empty, and appeared have been for some time. Doug called a forensics team in to pick up the body and catalogue it before taking it in.

Doug arranged for patrols to come through the area more frequently, but the sounds that Dan complained about had died down. He figured it might have been teenagers from any of the many other houses in the area partying.

After forensics autopsied the skeleton, they were unable to determine cause of death, that it was male and had been dead for years.

"We haven't been able to come up with anything locally concerning missing persons, but not everything from the old days has been put onto computer system," Doug told Stacy and Dan. "We haven't been able to locate the current owner so we're doing a check into previous owners about the place."

"Weren't there rumors about the place while you were growing up?" Dan asked Stacy.

"They were just rumors that kids told to scare ourselves silly," answered Stacy. "We always thought the place was haunted since it was old and overgrown. I remember as a kid, that taxi's would often come to pick up the lady of the house. Supposedly, she had her license taken away due to a drunk driving incident. Later, the neighborhood kids said she died under mysterious circumstances. Never checked into it, but it could have been natural causes for all I know. I never followed up on it."

"And why not?"

Stacy just rolled her eyes. "It was just a rumor. People give up driving for other reasons, too."

"If this gets out, people will now have a 'real' reason to say the place is haunted!" said Dan.

"Probably too late," said Stacy. "I am sure that the neighbors saw the squad cars show up."

She gazed out the window. It was one of the coldest Decembers in years and snow was falling. How much will come down?

Stacy Delaney cut through the grounds of the old mansion to make her way to a nearby lake hoping to enjoy a swim. It was a warm summer's day, and she didn't want to drive up and park on the other side of the lake, so she cut through the estate that backed up against it. Lakewood lake wasn't that well known, but the residential area was. The lake itself was formed nearly a hundred years before when someone dammed up a valley and it was filled by local springs.

As Stacy passed the old mansion, something caught her eye. Something appeared to be moving about the house even though it had been empty for some time. She had heard stories that the house was haunted, but Stacy never believed them.

The mansion old - old by California standards anyways. When the house was originally built, homes and cities were few and far between. While there were some cities built in the mid 1800's during the gold rush, most of California had not been settled until much later. The original structure of the mansion was a farm house built about 1860. The house was added onto until the 1920's or 1930's when the ballroom and library were added.

She walked up the front steps to look in the windows and thought she saw something moving in and out of the rooms, but whatever it was it wasn't clear. Stacy rang the doorbell, but no one answered it, so she tried opening the door. It opened easily.

"Hello?" Stacy called as she walked through the door. "Anyone here?"

The front room was what could be used as a parlor or sitting room. It had a fire place and doors going to other rooms on three sides. She didn't see any furnishings in the rooms surrounding the parlor.

A fluffy black cat with bright green eyes wandered into the room and looked up at Stacy as if to ask "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same thing, you know!" Stacy commented.

The cat sat down and started cleaning itself. It didn't really seem to care who was there or not.

Stacy moved through the house again, looking around. She felt like that there was someone else watching her, following her. As she went from room to room, she found no evidence that anyone else besides the cat had been there.

As she moved back through the house, Stacy found a dress laying on the stairs that she hadn't seen before. It was an antique wedding dress. She held it up, and it looked like it would fit her. The dress was made of silk and lace, and looked like it was from the Edwardian era.

With the dress there was a note addressed to her.

"This is bizarre!" Stacy said to herself picking up the note.

The note said, "Stacy, you will be needing this soon!" The note was unsigned and she didn't recognize the handwriting.

She was starting to feel a bit shaky. No one knew she was at the house, and she hadn't been dating anyone since her last boyfriend seemed to drop of the face of the earth months before. One day things were fine, and the next he was gone. No one knew what happened.

"Meow!" said the cat as it sat down on the stairs. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Who are you?" Stacy asked the cat. He just blinked back at her and yawned.

The cat then turned, sauntered off and disappeared into the house.

Stacy looked at the dress again, wondering who left it there. And why?

Suddenly, Stacy noticed the scent of freshly cut flowers. It became stronger, and smelled of roses. She followed the scent, and found that a number of old fashioned roses had been placed throughout the parlor. There were a number of bouquets of different colors spread around.

Where did the flowers come from? Stacy wondered. There hadn't been any signs that someone else had actually been there, no noise from footsteps, doors opening and closing. And there were enough to make Stacy wonder. There hadn't been enough time for someone to come, put the flowers out in the room then leave.

Stacy loved old roses and other old fashioned flowers. They were more fragrant, and at times more interesting then flowers currently used.

Was someone trying to scare her or make fun of her, Stacy wondered. And why? The whole event was making her nervous, so she took the note and dress and left the place all together.

He stood against the door frame watching Stacy leave. He wondered what she would do if he just walked into her back life? He had to step out of the picture for awhile. But now he was back.

The cat walked up and sat down beside him. "I don't think you should have done that!" said the cat.

"She won't be mad," the handsome man said. "Curiosity will eventually get to her and she'll be back."

"Don't mention curiosity to a cat, boy! It'll kill me!" the cat told him.

"Cats never die. She'll be back. She might have been startled this time, but she'll be back wanting to know the answers."

"You're a freak, you know that?" said the cat. "You're screwing up big time, boy! You should just tell her that you're back!"

"Then why don't you go tell her while she was here?" asked the man. "All you did was meow and pick at your toes! You want to say something to her, then say it!" he told the cat. "I dare ya!"

"Na. Don't feel like it. Besides, while I may have a lot to say, you are the one who should tell her. Don't let her pull it out you!"

"You think you know everything!

"I'm a cat. Of course I know everything!" said the cat. The man gave a sarcastic look. "Then why is it that humans are always screwing up? Do you ever see cats making stupid mistakes that humans do? Heck no! It's pretty much accepted that we do what we like, when we like. There is no expectation."

"I told you the place was haunted!" Terry said later when Stacy told her about the experience at the mansion. "But did you listen? Heck no!"

Stacy and Terry had been friends for years, and both had grown up in the neighborhood. Terry hated going anywhere near the mansion, thinking it was haunted.

"What were you doing there, anyways?" Terry asked.

"Doing what I always do there," said Stacy. "Cutting through to go to the lake. You did it too when we were kids!"

"Until I found out that the place was haunted!" Terry answered. "Now I won't go near the place and you know it!"

"Someone had to be pulling my leg," said Stacy. "But what I can't figure out was how whoever it was was able to put so many flowers into the entrance hall in such a short period of time."

"It was the cat. It had to be the cat!"

"Ok. You think that a domestic house cat without opposable thumbs would put hundreds of flowers in a room in the matter of minutes?" asked Stacy.

"Stranger things have been known to happen. You do know that cats were considered gods in ancient Egypt, don't you?"

"Cats just act like they are better then everyone else," said Stacy. "They are just very independent, and decide on their own if they want you to grace their presence. But when it comes to being fed or a nice place to sleep, they are more then happy to see you!"

"So, do you think that the cat is a shape shifter or something?" asked Terry. "He could have been some kind of spirit for all you know!"

"It was just a cat! There is a kitty door in the utility room. It probably came in through there. But why would someone want to freak me out?"

"Duh! You entered someone else's house and you don't expect them to let you get away with it?" said Terry. "And it's a very old house. You know that old houses are haunted! You never did say whether you actually saw the ghost."

"There are no ghosts!"

"Then why were you so freaked out by the experience?" asked Terry.

"You had to be there!" said Stacy. "I am curious as to who might own the place. It hasn't been lived in in some time, yet someone had to be there to leave the dress and put out all those flowers!

"Whoever it was, he might have just been trying to scare you off! It is private property you know!

"I know it is private property, but why not call the police if they don't want anyone there?" asked Stacy. "Why put on a show?"

"You're up to something, aren't you?"

"I don't know. Wonder who owns the place?" Stacy asked. "It looks like someone has been fixing it up, but I never see anyone there. Wonder if the county will spill the beans?"

"What would the county have to do with it?"

"They keep track of land transfers," Stacy answered.

"You know what they said about curiosity killing the cat!" said Terry. "Don't get yourself into trouble!"

"All I am doing is looking into who owns a piece of land. Nothing else," said Stacy. "It's all perfectly harmless! Want to come with me to find out who owns the place?"

Stacy and Terry drove to the county offices in Martinez to look up who owned the property. Martinez was the home of John Muir, and were county offices and court houses are located. There are also a number of antique stores through out the town. Martinez also has a town crier.

"Doubt you will find anything interesting," said Terry as they parked.

"Why do you have to be so pessimistic?" Stacy asked. "It's not like we're doing anything wrong!"

"You're like a pit bull, you know," said Terry.

They went into the office, and Stacy explained what she was looking for. The clerk looked up the information on the computer.

"What address did you say again?" asked the clerk.

"1056 Hacienda Drive, in Walnut Creek," Stacy answered.

"It probably doesn't exist," said Terry.

"It's one of the oldest homes in Walnut Creek. Of course it exists!" said Stacy.

"Here it is," said the clerk. "Someone by the name of Dan Williams. Says here that he has owned the place for a couple of years."

"Really?" Terry asked. "But he's--"

"He's what?" asked the clerk.

Stacy became pale. Dan couldn't own the mansion. Why would his name be on the records?

"Are you all right?" asked the clerk.

"Stacy, there is probably a mistake on the records," said Terry, taking her friend to a near by chair. "You know he is long gone!"

"What is his name doing on the records?" Stacy asked.

"It's just what the system says," said the clerk.

"Is there any way that we could see the actual hard copies of the records?" Terry asked. She took the clerk aside. "She was dating a guy by the name of Dan Williams, who has been missing in action for some time and is presumed -- well, it's not good. Hearing that his name is on the records shocked her pretty bad."

The clerk went back to the computer and looked up where the actual file was. He told them where to go to look it up.

"According to what I am looking at, he's owned the place for several years, and everything is up to date on it. Even he is no longer around, someone has been keeping the taxes up to date."

"You would think that he would have the decency to tell me he was back!" Stacy stormed when she and Terry got back to her house. "If he no longer wanted to see me, he should have said so!"

"Don't get so riled up, Stacy," said Terry. "We don't know for sure if it really is Dan keeping the place up."

"I don't think so," said Stacy, pacing about the family room. "There is more to it then that. If Dan were really dead, why wasn't the name changed on the deed? Even if he left no estate, why hasn't the state started taking care of things?"

"You know that the police don't always tell everything when they are investigating missing persons," said Terry. "Unless they have evidence that says otherwise, he is just a missing person. And missing people can't be declared dead for seven years unless the courts say otherwise. He's been gone for only a few months. His estate may not be able to change the name on the title unless he either shows up dead or the courts decide otherwise."

Terry shuttered. "I can't believe that I am even vaguely saying there is an explanation!"

The second floor window pushed opened, and the cat jumped through before sitting on the roof of the lower floor. He wasn't happy.

He started pacing like a panther, occasionally glancing out over the grounds.

Why is it that humans are so stupid? he wondered. They tend to do stupid things that get in the way of perfectly good relationships.

Ok, the man took time away after the accident, but why didn't he just tell the ones he loved he was ok? Cats didn't get too attached except in extreme circumstances, but cats let humans know that it is an honor to be in their presence, not a punishment. Cats took care of themselves, but only graced homes on occasion for a warm bed and a meal.

Cat did not understand humans. He tried to give them guidance, but do humans listen? Heck no! They don't listen and see what happens? The man seriously needed to be whapped upside the head.

Cat finally stopped pacing to watch Stacy walk through the gates. Maybe the man will get whapped upside the head after all! He certainly deserved it!

Seeing the woman enter the gates and ascend the front steps, the cat turned and climbed back through the window.

"She's back, boy!" the cat told Dan. "And I don't think she is happy."

"You need to get a life!" Dan answered.

"Oh shuddyup! And yes, I dohave a life unlike some people I know! You better treat her nice or you will find yourself in the dog house!"

"Where have you been, Dan?" Stacy asked. No, she wasn't happy.

"I told him to tell you!" said the cat excitedly. "But he didn't listen. I told him! I did I did I did!"

"Who's your friend?" asked Stacy as the cat sat down smugly looking at Dan.

"Did you hear about the accident?" asked Dan.

"You better spill the beans, and it better be good," said Stacy, tapping her foot. "And knock off the flare for the dramatic! I won't deal with it right now."

The cat sat swatting his tail back and forth as if to say "are you going to say it or am I?"

"Don't mind the cat," said Dan. "He is from outer space. Ok, I was in that car accident. I was just waiting to get better before coming back."

"That's it?" asked Stacy. "Didn't it occur to you that there were people who were worried about you, care about you? Who would have been there for you given the chance? Why were you in hiding for so long?"

"Humans!" The cat huffed. "Men are the worst of the species!"

"Ever hear of the witness protection program?" asked Dan. When Stacy didn't respond, he said, "I didn't think that you would go for that."

"Then why did you do it?" asked Stacy.

"He thinks he is a cat," said the cat. "He thinks if he leaves for a while and then comes back. . . . All is forgiven. He should have learned from dogs about 'the look' if he really wants forgiveness. Cats could care less!"

"Knock it off, cat!" said Dan.

"I can live off of the fruit of the land, boy! Can you?" asked the cat. "I've done it before. I don't have to like it but I can do it again!"

"He's got a point," Stacy said. "You just can't walk out without upsetting people."

"Ok, I left things about the house just to pique your interest," said Dan. "I knew that if things happened without explanation, then you'd have to try and figure out what happened."

"Not good enough. There are times when you should just have the decency to come forward and not play games!"

"Ok, I figured that since you've always liked the place, I'd fix it up. As a surprise."

"Oh sure. And live happily ever after. Yeah, right!"

"See?" the cat said to Dan. "You made her mad!"

The cat jumped up into Stacy's arms for protection. He knew that the man wouldn't do anything to him as long as he were in hiding.

"Not going to work, cat" said Dan. "One of these days I will get you!"

"Cat hater! And after all I've done! Think of the guidance I've given you! Which you have ignored by the way."

"Back off Dan," said Stacy. "He is a nice cat!"

The cat purred loudly as Dan rolled his eyes.

"You better give her time and be nice to her!" said the cat. "Do something stupid and you have to earn your way back into her heart! Oh wait! You already did something stupid!!"

"Go ahead, say it," Dan said to the cat.

"I am more then happy to say 'I told you so!'" I was right!" said the cat. "But give her a cat that purrs and she is more then happy!"

"Happy about you, maybe," said Stacy. "He still is in hot water!"

She put the cat down, and turned to leave. The cat followed her out in a huff.

"Oh, come on, Stacy!" Dan exclaimed.