Caroline and her mom started preparing dinner together. They planned to make a meat sauce with side dishes. For the young woman, it was a pleasant break from recent events, a glimpse of normalcy, and her mom, Laura, also felt more normal and secure, which Caroline could sense through Laura’s reliable comments.
“Leave that alone, we don’t add that!”
“Child, what are you doing?!”
“Step aside and let me handle it.”
“You’d better stand aside and not touch anything…”
“Give it to me. Don’t touch anything anymore.”
Such comments might seem malicious, mean, or even hurtful to a stranger, but Caroline knew it was just her mom’s peculiar sense of humor. Laura wasn’t mean to her daughter; she just teased her. She also tried to teach her daughter how to cook in this unconventional way. Laura was an excellent cook, very proud of the meals she prepared, and she wanted her daughter to be just as good. Unfortunately, Laura had to admit that Caroline inherited her cooking skills from her father. They could cook something, but it was better not to know what.
“As long as she can make herself a sandwich, she won’t starve…” That was Laura’s way of comforting herself.
When the sauce was simmering and the potatoes were cooked, Caroline suggested making coleslaw from white cabbage.
“You’d better leave that to me. You’ll only end up hurting yourself,” Laura said, smiling at her daughter.
“Fine, but then don’t complain that no one helps you,” Caroline retorted just as cheekily.
The women had a good time together. They both knew that everything they said was in jest. While Laura was chopping cabbage, she heard noises coming from the basement. She asked her daughter to check if everything was okay with the men downstairs. Caroline was about to go, but William came into the kitchen.
“Laura, come quickly,” he said hurriedly to his wife before rushing back to the basement.
The older woman was alarmed by her husband’s emotions. She had a feeling that if she followed him, she wouldn’t hear anything good. Nevertheless, she tried to put on a brave face for her daughter, pretending not to be afraid. She wanted Caroline to feel safe.
“Finish making the coleslaw,” she instructed her daughter.
Quickly rinsing her hands in water and wiping them with a towel, she went to the basement. She rarely went there, not even when her sister was alive. She simply had no interest in rummaging through Nicole’s private belongings. Even when she asked Nicole for preserves or juices from the jars her sister made, Nicole would always fetch the jars herself.
As Laura descended the stairs, she heard the priests whispering among themselves. William stood next to them, looking very agitated. The men stood right in the middle of the room, just under the lamp. Laura asked what was going on as she approached them, but received no answer. Instead, William grabbed her hand and led her further into the room. Light no longer reached such corners of the basement, but Laura’s husband took a flashlight from his pocket and shone it on the wall where they stood. Laura saw a large hole in the wall.
“Did you know about this?” William asked.
The woman was surprised and didn’t understand the seriousness of the situation.
“Did I know that my sister had a hole in the basement wall? No, William, and I don’t understand why this is so important,” she replied to her husband, trying to stay calm.
“Laura, this is very important. Did you have anything to do with what was in this hole? Be honest with me!” William yelled.
Laura flinched at her husband’s tone of voice. He rarely, if ever, raised his voice. He only did so when he couldn’t control his emotions. Laura realized that whatever this was and whatever was in that hole, it was extremely important to the matter at hand.
“Honey, I didn’t know anything about this hole, let alone what was in it. Nicole never told me about it. This is the first time I’ve seen that she had a hole in the basement wall!” The woman also raised her voice, not out of anger but out of fear.
William looked his wife in the eyes and sighed with relief. He lowered his gaze and announced that he was going to talk to Caroline about it. Laura watched her husband leave and approached the priests.
“Can you tell me what’s going on?” she asked timidly.
The pastor turned away from her, and Henry, not even looking at her, asked her to leave the basement. Laura began to feel scared, afraid to know the truth, yet she desperately wanted to know what was happening. She went back upstairs and headed to the kitchen. She saw her husband asking Caroline equally strange questions about the hole in the basement.
“Dad, if some hole in this house bothered me, I would have let you know to patch it up earlier. Don’t you think?” Caroline started sniping at her dad.
“Which means he must have bothered her more than me,” Laura thought.
Despondent, William wanted to leave the kitchen and go back to the basement, but Laura blocked his path.
“Honey, please explain to me what’s going on. What’s with this hole?” Laura tried to use the gentlest tone of voice possible, not to further upset her husband.
William looked at the ground with vacant eyes. The situation he found himself in overwhelmed him. He asked his wife for a cup of tea. He sat on the sofa in the living room and buried his face in his hands. After a few minutes, Laura returned with tea and asked again for him to tell her what happened.
“Honey… we need to call the police. Your sister…” William didn’t know how else to break the bad news to his wife, he thought there was no other way to do it, so he had to tell her firmly and directly what they found in her sister’s house.
“Your sister, in the hole I showed you, was holding a baby’s body. A dead body. We also found occult-themed books in there.”
Laura felt like the ground was giving way beneath her, and her heart pounded in her chest.
“What are you talking about to me? Don’t even joke like that!” Laura yelled.
She knew her sister, she remembered well how seriously Nicole took her faith and religion.
“If you think my sister would do such a thing, then you don’t know my family at all!” Laura got up abruptly from the sofa and angrily walked outside.
She felt like she needed fresh air. She went out onto the lawn in front of the house and closed her eyes. Memories flooded back to her of moments when she and her sister prayed for blessings for themselves and for Laura’s family.
“It couldn’t have been her, someone must have set her up,” the woman thought.
Her mind was in chaos, thoughts whirled in her head. On one hand, memories of her sister, who was devoted to religion, returned to her, and on the other hand, doubts attacked her. She opened her eyes when she heard a car pull up onto the driveway. She saw that it was a police car.
“Good day,” said the young policeman.
He had green eyes and blond hair. Despite being in full uniform, it was evident that he was fit and well-built. His voice seemed very kind to Laura. Immediately after him, the older policeman got out of the car. He didn’t greet Laura, but went straight to the house door. Bald and equally well-built as his younger colleague, he had a scar on his left cheek that stretched from his ear to the corner of his mouth.
“Good day,” Laura replied, surprised. “What are you gentlemen doing here?”
“We came in response to a report about a newborn’s body. Are you the homeowner?” the young policeman tried to be polite to Laura.
Hearing the policeman’s statement, Laura felt the full weight of the situation hitting her. She had previously tried not to entertain thoughts about the crime her sister committed, but now she felt as if someone had dropped a huge rock on her. Laura felt weak, a terrible pressure on her chest, and she couldn’t catch her breath. She sat on the grass and began to breathe heavily through her nose.
“What’s wrong, ma’am? What’s happening?” the young policeman quickly knelt beside her and grabbed her hand with his left hand, while placing his right hand on Laura’s head, in case she fainted.
“Mama! Mama, what’s happening to you?” Caroline ran out of the house.
***
She had seen the whole situation through the living room window. Caroline was setting the dining table when the older policeman entered the house. He didn’t even bother to knock first; he simply walked in.
“Good day?” Caroline said, surprised.
“Are you the homeowner?” the older policeman said.
He had a rough voice, as if he had smoked several packs of cigarettes a day for the past 20 years.
“Yes, what’s this about?” Caroline dragged out her speech; she was disoriented.
Suddenly, as if summoned, William entered the living room. He greeted the policeman and invited him to the basement.
“The priests downstairs will tell you everything,” William said, standing by the basement door.
The policeman reached for his left pocket and went downstairs. Through his radio, one could hear some information being given by his colleagues on duty.
“Dad..?” Caroline wanted to ask what the hell was going on here, but her dad put his index finger to his lips.
William wanted his daughter to be spared from this situation as much as possible.
“Boil some water, make coffee for the policemen,” William requested, in a theatrical voice.
In this way, he tried to show that they were a respectable family. He didn’t want the officers to think that they were in any way connected to the dead newborn’s body. The young woman wanted to stop her father and ask about the reason for the police officers’ arrival. She felt frustration building up inside her. First, her father asked about some strange find in the basement, and then he called the police. Additionally, the events of the past few days had already made her very stressed and scared. However, seeing that her father was just as frightened as she was, she felt all her anger toward him dissipate.
She felt sorry for her parents. But she needed their help and support. She wouldn’t be able to handle all of this on her own. When William went into the basement, Caroline turned to go to the kitchen and put on the kettle. Then, through the window, she saw another policeman talking to her mother. She noticed that her mom suddenly sat down on the grass and looked visibly unwell. Without hesitation, she ran out through the door.
***
“Caroline, take me home. I need to lie down,” Laura asked.
The young girl helped her mother to her feet and took her arm. The young policeman secured Laura’s other arm.
“Slowly, Mom, we’ll take you to the bedroom,” Caroline said gently to her mother.
They slowly climbed the stairs and helped Laura lie down on the bed.
“I’ll get you some water, Mom,” the young woman said and quickly ran to the kitchen.
The policeman stayed with Laura.
“I’ll leave you alone. When you feel better, I’d like to talk to you,” the young man politely announced.
He smiled at the woman and left. When he went downstairs, he asked Caroline to point out where the other policeman was. The young woman, with a glass of water in hand, pointed to the basement and quickly went back to her mother. When she rushed into the bedroom, she helped her mother drink, holding the glass for her.
“Mom, what’s going on with the police officers? ” Caroline asked delicately.
She didn’t want to tire her mother, but curiosity and disorientation got the better of her.
“I don’t know, and I don’t want to know. Ask your father. I need to rest,” Laura said weakly.
She lay on her back, her right hand on her forehead.
“Turn on the TV for me; I need to disconnect from this situation,” she requested.
Caroline looked at her mother with fear. She understood that the woman was just as tired of everything that was happening as she was. Obediently, Caroline turned on the TV for her mother and left the room. Slowly descending the stairs, she contemplated their terrible situation. She heard loud conversations coming from the basement, but decided to take a cue from her mother and try to disconnect from the current events.
Going to the kitchen, she put on the kettle, set the table for dinner, and arranged all the plates, glasses, and cutlery. Just as she was about to get the pots for dinner, the older policeman entered the living room
“I would like to talk to you,” he announced in a firm tone of voice.
The water happened to be boiling at that moment, as indicated by the loud whistle of the kettle.
“Please come to the kitchen. I’ll make coffee for you while we talk,” Caroline said, trying to remain calm.
Caroline didn’t wait for a response; she confidently walked to the kitchen, and the policeman followed her.
“Are you aware of the seriousness of the situation?” the man asked directly.
He stood upright, his arms crossed over his chest.
“No, actually, I still don’t know what you guys are doing here,” Caroline said, pouring water into the cups for coffee.
She decided that since the man was direct and didn’t bother with politeness, neither would she. She was tired, and the last thing she had strength for was to be nice to the surly man. The older policeman stared at Caroline. The young woman tried to meet his gaze.
“How long have you been living here?” he asked after a while.
“A few days. After some time, I had to move in with my parents to the rectory,” she said truthfully.
“Your father said that after Nicole’s death, you moved here, inheriting this house. Did you change anything inside the house?” the policeman tried to get to the truth.
Caroline looked at him with undisguised amazement.
“Of course, I did. I had to clean up with my parents and take out my aunt’s things and organize my own,” she said matter-of-factly.
“Did you change anything in the basement?” the policeman took out his notebook and wrote something in it.
“No, we didn’t go down to the basement,” Caroline replied, taking the coffee cups in her hands and walking back to the living room. She placed the cups on the table and invited the policeman to sit next to her.
“And why didn’t you clean up the basement?” the man asked, taking the cup into his hand.
“Well… to be honest, there wasn’t time for that. I wanted to focus on the living area, where I would be spending my days and where I could entertain guests,” Caroline had to think carefully about her answer. The policeman stared at her again. “Were you close to Nicole?” “Yes, I loved my aunt very much,” Caroline smiled at the thought of good childhood memories.
They continued talking for a while. The policeman asked Caroline a lot of questions about Nicole, whether she remembered any strange behaviors of her aunt, and about Caroline’s private matters. The young woman patiently answered the policeman’s every question truthfully. After all, she had nothing to hide.
The man finished his coffee and left without a word when he finished his investigation. He went to the patrol car to call the station. Caroline sighed with exhaustion. She lazily got up from her chair and approached the basement door to call her father and the priests for dinner. She also put some food on a plate for her mother and took it to the bedroom. Laura was fast asleep, so the girl returned to the kitchen with the plate and covered it with a dish to keep it warm.
The priests came out of the basement and sat at the table. As Caroline served them food, the pastor asked her to go to her father in the basement. Caroline’s heart pounded harder because she was aware that when she went there, she would find out what all the fuss was about. She quickly handed the plates to the priests and hurried to the basement. William was already there waiting for her with the policemen. Caroline approached them and asked why she was needed here.
“As you live here, you must allow us to conduct an investigation,” the older policeman said.
Caroline had had enough; he was rude, and she couldn’t stand his terrible voice anymore.
“Before I agree, I want to know why my dad called you here,” the young woman said, looking at her father.
“Sweetheart, your aunt committed a crime, and now the police need to establish a few things,” William said in a gentle voice. He wanted to do everything to protect his daughter from the cruel truth.
“What? What crime?” Caroline was shocked.
Caroline’s gaze shifted from her father’s face to the faces of the policemen. They all stood in the middle of the basement, the gentle light of the lamp and the lack of sunlight made the basement dark. The faint smell of dampness made Caroline feel very uncomfortable.
“Your aunt is suspected of murdering a newborn,” the older policeman blurted out.
Caroline’s legs went weak. She turned pale and stepped back from everyone. William wanted to kill the horrible policeman with his gaze.
“W-what?” Caroline managed to blurt out.
She looked shocked at her father, who looked at her full of compassion. The wrinkles around his eyes became even more pronounced. He was visibly overwhelmed.
“Dad? Is it true?” Caroline asked after a moment.
William was too weak, so he just nodded and looked away. He couldn’t bear to see his daughter’s suffering.
“Do you agree to the investigation? We need to establish the circumstances of the incident and examine the body to determine its origin,” the older policeman had no mercy for the family. He wanted to quickly handle the formalities and get to work.
Caroline looked at her father, and he signaled to her to agree. He winked at her knowingly. The girl wanted to think it all over, but she knew there wasn’t much time. She looked around the basement. Shelves with jams and juices from Nicole stood all dusty. The concrete walls had visible cracks, suggesting the age of the house. Caroline thought she would first ask what such an investigation would look like.
“After we settle the formalities at the station, a few policemen will come here. They’ll take the newborn’s body for examination by specialist doctors, and the policemen will look for motives for the crime here,” the young policeman decided he would answer the woman. He was a polite and composed young man, thinking that his pleasant and warm tone of voice might calm the woman at least a little.
“Have the priests agreed to this?” Caroline approached her father and asked quietly.
William nodded, so Caroline asked the policemen:
“When exactly would this investigation take place?”
The young policeman replied:
“We don’t know yet; first, we need to settle the formalities at the station. But we have your father’s phone number; we’ll call with information.”
The policeman smiled at Caroline and said goodbye to everyone. The older policeman left with his colleague without saying a word. Behind them, William and Caroline left. They went to the table where the priests were waiting for them. Caroline served her father a portion of dinner and sat tired next to him. She hid her face in her hands. Henry looked at her sympathetically. He wanted to help her, but knowing that the situation had taken an unexpected turn, he said:
“I’ll go to the station. I need to talk to them and explain that I’m here because of the haunting. If it works out, they’ll agree to let me accompany them during the investigation. Maybe this will help us figure out why the evil entity started attacking you.”
English 
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