23. Attic

I was walking in the garden toward the rear of the house shortly before two in the morning when I heard a moan--surely a female voice moaning --from somewhere very high in the building.

The ghost!

I raced into the mansion thru the kitchen entrance and blew three loud blasts on my police whistle--a signal to Starry that he was needed at the highest level of the house--the attic.

Angela had shown us the attic--a maze of dusty rooms filled with a collection of old furniture and boxes of useless junk from bygone days. 

The way to the attic was up a circular staircase in a stone tower at a corner of the building. To get to the tower one had to thread a series of disused hallways in the highest part of the building--something not easily done for someone not familiar with the place. 

I could hear  a faint police whistle sound from below and knew Starry had heard me and was on his way to help and I could also hear muffled moaning  coming from somewhere above me in the attic.   

My own crashing progress up the stairs and through the hallways was noisy too so the "ghost"  would either have to disappear quickly or be caught haunting.

I raced around the last corner of the hallway leading to the entry of the tower and almost ran into the housekeeper, Hettie.

"I heard moaning from the attic." she said. "And since my room is nearby, I arrived before you, Constable. I am scared, but maybe I should go up with you. I have never seen a ghost!"

At this moment Starry arrived, panting from exertion.

"I heard your whistle, Constable! What's going on?" he managed to gasp.

"There were moaning sounds from the attic." I said, "but it is quiet now.  Hettie arrived here before me. I think we may have frightened our ghost away, but perhaps we will find some clues so lets go on up and walk through the attic rooms together." 

 But the attic was empty.

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