joseph engraver
08-16-2025, 12:17 PM
A MAN OF LEISURE
Philip Drew had never known laborious hard work. He was fortunate to have been born into a very wealthy family, educated in private schools and finished his education at Yale University. It was there that he developed a passion for fine art and a profound interest in restoring rare furniture. On his 24th birthday his father provided him with a trust fund that allowed him to never want for money. He always dressed in the finest clothing and footwear, had his hair styled and nails manicured once a week and liked to wear expensive cologne, and wore a gold Pataki Philippe wrist watch. He owns a gated house located in New Haven Connecticut, but he spends little time there as he was interested in travelling, exploring and enjoying his carefree life in privately chartered planes and automobiles. And though he enjoys the company of elegant and sophisticated women, the thought of ever marrying one never once entered his mind.
However, one would never know this by his appearance when he was looking to buy something at any auction house .He had developed the habit of becoming underestimated, and today he was unshaven, wearing old bib overalls and a worn sweater stained with paint ,wood dust and varnish as he was looking to buy a rare piece of furniture.
It was this passion for furniture made by the Chippendale and other master crafts’ men of the late seventeen and eighteen hundreds that had brought him to the Empire Auction House in Bridgeport Connecticut one warm fall afternoon in 2015.
It was there when he looked up from the catalog in his hand, to find a slim, auburn haired woman at the other end of the show room also looking the same brochure. Their eyes met and she smiled at him. It was a cool, but friendly welcoming smile and he decided to walk across the room and introduce his self, and to find out if she was also interested in antique furniture. As he walked across the showroom, Philip noticed how well the woman was dressed. She had on a pearl grey silk business suit and a cream colored silk blouse that was open at the throat exposing a necklace of green jade. She was wearing a pair of low cut, green Italian sandals and a simple gold bracelet. He estimated her age to be close to forty and wondered if she was single or attached to someone.
Vivian Lee first looked at the hands of the man as he approached her, His fingers were long, strong, and he had a warm and charming smile. She saw no wedding ring as she noticed the very expensive and rare watch on his wrist. His faded clothing looked unimpressive, but he walked with the confidence of someone that knew exactly what he wanted and how to get it. She briefly regretted that she was wearing her wedding ring when he grinned at her and asked “Are you thinking about bidding on the two Chippendale rocking chairs?
My name is Philip Drew and I came here to look at them, as that type of early Americana is what I collect and restore. But, now that I have had the chance to closely inspect them I am not interested...In my opinion they a recent copies and belong in a secondhand shop priced at about two hundred dollars each, and certainly not in this catalogue with a starting bid of forty=thousand each.”
As she answered him he could not help to notice that even though her smile was friendly her hazel eyes were not. “No, I am not here to buy old furniture. I am here to see that the antique English porcelain china I have consigned to this sale has arrived safely and that it brings a fair price. Then after the sale I will return home...My name is Vivian Lee and I have a small shop in Boston that I am closing.
My husband and business partner have bought a very old house on the coast in Maine that we are restoring, and it is full of old furniture that we want to liquidate
That was when Philip noticed that she did not have a Bostonian accent and asked where she was from. “My husband and I are both from Lake Geneva Wisconsin, and may I ask how do you know that the Chippendale chairs are copies?”
Philip Drew answered with a serious look on his unshaven face. “Mrs. Lee I have twenty years of experience with this type of furniture and it is literally easy to smell a fake. The originals were hand scraped and finished with a mix of alkanet root stain and linseed oil then thin coats of shellac bring out the luster and grain of the wood...All I had to do was smell the finish to know they are modern copies.
These days reproduction are everywhere, do you think that the Remington bronze in this catalogue is original? Not on your life, it is a copy likely made in China.
Lady, you have however aroused my curiosity. Can you tell me more about the furniture you wish to sell?
I wish I could ,Mr. Drew but my knowledge of old furniture is very limited .If you were free I would invite you up to look at it .As a matter of fact I would even pay you to appraise and repair some of it that is broken for me, and please call me Vivian.” Philip held out his hand and said, “In that case you must call me Philip. When they clasped hands he found hers to be ice cold but very strong and her French perfume lingered with the fragrance of Jasmine. “Philip, are you are a very serious collector?”
Yes, yes indeed I am Vivian, I would also be willing to come up to Maine to look at what you have for sale and take as much time as required to examine and estimate your furniture, but first I need to return home and take care of business matters, and then I will be free to fly up to Maine examine and estimate the value of your the furniture you have and wish to sell?”
“What kind of airplane do you own? My husband Doctor Charles Lee has a Cessna amphibian that he keeps moored nearby our home; I am sure you two will have a nice conversation about airplanes?”
“Oh no Vivian, you misunderstand, I do not own a plane. As a matter of fact I don’t even own a car. I do own an old pickup truck that I have for transporting furniture, when I wish to go somewhere I tell my secretary Gina to hire them, or to drive me .It is much more convenient for me. There are no parking problems and no maintenance, and it is all tax deductable .It makes life uncomplicated for me. What interests me here won´t be auctioned till late this afternoon, I am famished, shall we find something to eat and discuss your furniture, that is what interests me? "
“I will do that Philip on one condition, if you will conspire with me for this sale of mine and help me to get a very good price for my porcelain by opening the bidding. Then you can dropout once the next bidder raises the price. If you do that, not only will I pay for lunch I will have you as our guest for as long as you need to appraise the furniture. Can you spare as much as a week off?
As they were drinking tea Vivian took Phillips hand to admire his wristwatch As she examined it she said, it is beautiful, is it a original antique?, Philip undid its clasp and handed her the watch,
Yes, it was gifted to me by my Grandfather for my twentieth birthday The Swiss company made only ten in gold like this ,You can see its serial number is five engraved on the back I have never had it appraised because if I knew its worth then I would be afraid to wear it
At that moment his sister Gina arrived and Philip introduced her as his secretary, then turned and asked what his schedule was for the next week.”You have to be at the opening ceremony of the Antique Furniture Society in Manhattan on Wednesday and then you’re free Phil”, Gina said.
“In that case .Yes I can,
I will start the bidding for you once the Auction starts-.Now please tell me about the home and the porcelain that you and your partner have purchased while we have a nice lunch.”
It is a very, sad story Philip. But I will tell you all that we have learned. “The mansion we acquired was built in1799 by Manfred Knox. He was engaged to a young Boston socialite named Francis Bell. He was the wealthy owner of an East Indiaman sailing ship named the Boston Swan and made his fortune trading in tobacco, cotton, petroleum, wheat and timber. Every time he was in London, he would buy fine porcelain china and hand crafted furniture, sculptures in ceramic, and marble for his personal collection. Then when he returned to Boston he would sell or trade some for the furniture in his home where he planned to eventually marry Miss Bell, settle down and have many children .He had the home built in the gothic style that he admired from his many trips to the continent.
Manfred was a child at heart, so instead of gargoyles and sea monsters it was decorated with unicorns guarding the iron gates and winged marble fairies playing along the winding garden paths of oleander and roses that led to the ornate entrance and a large stained glass window depicting pink flamingos and peacocks that Manfred had found so fascinating as a child. The ten room three story stone house was built on a large elongated piece of property located near the town of Friendly, Maine it has a steep slope looking down onto the rocky shores of the North Atlantic Ocean.
From there he could see the entire coastline; including his 800 tons merchant ship anchored in a protected bay below him...There is still a painting of him hanging in the hall. He was a big boned, heavy set man and had a wild bush of a red beard that compensated for his stern features, baldness of his sun weathered head and the strange color of his green eyes barely visible beneath large thick black eyebrows. During the construction he had had workmen add a secret room into the back of the mansions wall. It was hidden behind the flying buttress that provided support for the arched dome exposed inside the mansion... A large mosaic of colored glass that depicted Noah being swallowed by a blue sperm whale was framed with blocks of glass shaped like the moon, the stars, and planets that disguised the room´s entrance, and that let light and fresh into it. He had a set of stairs cut into the granite cliffs side so every morning so he could walk down to the bell vista and watch the sun burn off the morning mist as he breathed the salted air that he loved .When he returned, he would press the ingenious lever hidden in the mosaics wall, and then the mosaic would slide open revealing the hidden room and the treasures of colorful ceramic porcelain, the paintings, and sculpture that were carefully stored there.
He was like the magpie that brought to his nest every bright, shining object he saw, and really had no interest in their value, just their beauty .He loved to touch the porcelain plates and spent hours dusting and cleaning them. And then according to his fancy, rearrange them along the shelves and tables in the room. Once he was pleased with the new arrangement he would close the room and return to his library to eat his morning meal.
It is said that on Christmas day he would invite the children of the town to his house. He loved to look at the amazement on their faces when he gave each child a colorful porcelain plate as a present.
In spite of his stern looks I am told he was a kind and generous man, his employees were well treated and lived in the small nearby town of Friendly,
He retired from his Shipping enterprise on his fortieth birthday and married Miss Francis Bell from Boston .It was a loving marriage and she soon became pregnant...They were planning a banquet with friends for their first weddings anniversary and had set a large dining table with beautiful English china once belonging to Queen Elisabeth, silver table wear, Irish linens and crystal. That is the very same china I have put up for sale and it has been authenticated by the Knox county historical Society.
Then on that very tragic day they went for their usual morning walk, even though it was cold and foggy. No one knows what or how it happened but they both were killed in a horrible accidental fall down the steep wet stone steps that led to the rocky Atlantics shore that he loved so much, and with their deaths the secret of the room, and all its treasures went with them to the grave, my husband Doctor Lee bought the place in 2011 and he began major restoration and that is when the room was rediscovered. Now you know everything that I have learned about my new home and I think it is time we have lunch as the auction starts in thirty minutes. As he had promised Philip opened the bidding for Vivian Lee and quickly dropped out when the bidding became very competitive. He did find one small piece of antique terracotta relief of a carpenter making a foot stool and it reminded him of other works he had seen done by Leonardo while touring the Da Vinci museum in Italy. He found this piece interesting and bought it to take home with him.
When the auction finished, Philip found Vivian in a furious state, she complained that the sale had not brought nearly as much as she had hoped for and now she would have to wait two weeks for the Auction house to clear the proceeds, and deduct their commission before paying her.
Philip did not enjoy listening to her complaints. He asked her for her business card .phone number, and the address of the property in Maine. Then he said. “If, you have the right furnishings I am interested in. I can assure you I will pay for them with a bank draft on the spot. Here is my card and email address, It has been interesting meeting you Vivian, now I must go, I will be in touch... She took the card and was surprised to see that it read. “Philip Drew A Man of Leisure” On the obverse, only a telephone number.
On his return trip home, Philip thought about the auction and the fact that Vivian Lee was so upset with the results of the sale, and he wondered why. “Gina, he asked. What do you make of that woman’s reaction?”
“I can´t tell you why I feel this way Philip, but my intuition tells me that there is a dark and greedy side to her, and you need to do some serious looking into her and her husband´s past, before you buy anything ”
After dinner, Philip went to his library, turned on the computer and began researching the history of Manfred Knox´s strange and most interesting Mansion. As he read he realized the Vivian Lee had omitted a greater part of its history, including the fact that it was where the gruesome axe killing´s of innocent children by one of the nurses that shocked the nation had taken place and it became locally known as the Mansion haunted by the ghosts of those children, and, Francis and Alfred Knox. As he read he learned the entrance to the secret room soon became a forgotten part of the legend of ghosts that roamed the halls and rooms of Knox´s Mansion, eventually it had ended up as property of the Township of New Bedford, and was used as a hospital, and then later it was turned into a home for the elderly.
At the start of world war one it had been converted into a hospital and had remained that way till the end of world war two, but it was not until electricity was being up graded that the secret room was discovered by workmen in 1944 and a good part of the collection of porcelain was stolen by the workmen, fortunately most of it was recovered and placed under the care of the Knox County Historical Society. Later the strange, mist bound and remote home became property of the town of Friendly. In the following years it served as a guest home for the wealthy escaping the plague of consumption and oppressive summer heat of Boston, and New York until the financial depression drove its clients into bankruptcy. It was then turned into a treatment center for Alcoholism by the state of Maine. And finally an orphanage and was the place where the bloody and gruesome axe killings of fourteen young children took place.
In 1963 and the town had it closed. Over the years the house fell into disrepair and in 1972 it was finally boarded up and became locally known as the haunted Mansion. And so the entrance to the secret room once again became a forgotten part of the legend of ghosts that roamed the halls of Manfred Knox´s Mansion. Amazingly, no one ever rediscovered the entrance to Manfred Knox secret room and the antique treasures he had collected until it was purchased by Doctor Lee and his wife.
Philip shut down his computer, rested his eyes, poured a glass of scotch for a nightcap and retired for the night to think over what his research had found. Sleep that night was disturbed by a strange dream of the Knox mansion and a tormented woman and children.
So vivid was the dream that he awoke, went downstairs and turned on the compute again and searched for Doctor Charles Lee, Lake Geneva. As he read the results Philip, had a difficult time believing what was on the screen in front of him, yet there it was in black and white. Dr. Charles Lee had been the director involved in a Planned Parenthood scandal and was accused of selling fetal material and body parts to a biotechnology research company in Chicago Illinois. Although he was not convicted, his medical license had been revoked and his position at Planned Parenthood terminated.
Before retiring Philip .wrote his sister Gina a note telling her he would be sleeping late and asked her to find out what she could about Vivian Lee.
It was after ten when he finally awoke and realized he had fallen asleep fully dressed, He came down stairs to the kitchen, fixed espresso coffee, ate a brioche and found the note Gina had left. It said, “Phil gone shopping. Be back in three or four days. I will have a lot to tell you about Charles and Vivian Lee. This is what I have found {The Chicago Institute of Modern Biotechnology Science
Established in 2011 and the director was listed as Doctor Charles Lee., This is their Internet ad which I find disturbing.
“At the Chicago Institute of Modern Biotechnology Science we offer specialized education in sexual and reproductive health to primarily health professionals.
We are a registered private training establishment and a recognized provider of clinical training. At our clinics we can help with contraception, STI testing and treatment, cervical screening, pregnancy testing, abortion advice, PMS, menopause, HPV vaccinations, and advice for other sexual and reproductive health issues including what to do if you've had unprotected sex.
Our services are confidential and non-judgmental and for people of any age, gender, sexual orientation or nationality. If you are under 21 your visit is for free. Our health promoters deliver courses and workshops, in person and on-line, on all aspects of sexual and reproductive health and relationships”].
Happy reading will be back with an old convertible, if I can make a good deal .See you in about four days “Gina.
Gina Drew was born 14monhs before her brother and as they grew had always considered it her responsibility to take care of Philip. She was quite different in many ways and never wore expensive clothing, did not mind if she got dirt or grease under the nails of her strong hands. She was very content wearing tennis, loafers, loose men´s shirts, denim jeans. Loved fishing, and even owned and shot an old forty five automatic Colt pistol.
Her passions consisted of cooking, a large vegetable garden, supervising the landscaping and restoring antique racing cars. Unlike her brother she did own an automobile; in fact she owned six of them, all expensive and rare. She was always happy to chauffer Philip to and from Auction Houses and antique shops in his quest for restorable rare furniture.
Philip Drew found this new information along with what he had discovered in his research about Doctor Charles Lee and his nightmare last night also disturbing, and he considered putting the idea of a trip to Maine completely out of his mind.
However, there is something that every passionate treasure hunter cannot resist. And that is finding the elusive pot of gold. And Vivian Lee’s story was enough to tempt him,
The idea that sitting in some remote Mansion, complete with tales of murder and ghosts was a collection of rare English Rococo or perhaps neoclassical style furniture made by Thomas Chippendale or God knows what other cabinetmakers from the eighteenth century was more temptation than Philip could possibly resist.
He decided that when his sister returned home to tell her of his decision to go and visit the town of Friendly Maine. Investigate the Lees and then take Vivian Lee up on her offer to see what she had for sale, even though he doubted that there could be anything of value after all these years, .Still he had to find out.
As soon as she heard Phil’s decision Gina she stopped and stared at him in amazement and shouted in anger.
Philip, do you have any idea what you are going to do in Friendly Maine?
I don’t think you do. The town is almost empty, the nearest decent hotel, if, it is open is located twenty miles away from the Knox Mansion and you will be lucky to find a room and food.
How do you plan to get around there? I can’t see you strolling along the Maine coast to visit the good doctor Lee and his wife. Take the advice of your sister who loves you and put this idea out of your mind. And, I will not go with you...
Philip expected this to be her reaction and answered her firmly, Gina, there are times when you are too motherly for my own good. I did not ask for your company, and do not need to be coddled, I am perfectly able to survive a short trip in my pickup to a remote haunted mansion in Maine without you It is only a trip to look at some furniture, thank you for your concern sister dear, but isn’t needed .Besides I intend to enjoy Maine’s fresh seafood wonderful fried oysters, clams, lobsters and haddock.
You may think so Philip, but my instincts tell me differently, and I can tell by the tone of your voice you have made up your mind and nothing I say is going to change it.
I will fix you some lunch so you don’t starve and it is cold up there. I will pack your travel bag with cloths so you don’t freeze.
Also I want you to take my pistol with you just in case you are wrong and I am right
Have you even looked at my new car?
“Yes Gina, I can see that is a canary yellow convertible made by Cord Motors probably in minty thirty seven and I hope you paid less than sixty thousand.
Now, do you have any idea how strict the possession of a firearm laws are in Massachusetts? If I were found with a pistol in my possession neither heaven nor hell could keep my *** out of jail
No thank you. I think that you are over reacting; I can take care of myself.
And will you please call the Lees and arrange an appointment for late next week. I intend to drive up, it is only a four hours from here...then I will spend some time chatting about the Lees with the local folk. Now I have a lot of tools and stuff to pack. You are the sweetest sister, so please don’t worry about me .I will call and tell you how I am doing. If I am m in some sort of trouble and need your help, come as fast as you can and bring your gun just in case.
It was only four days later when her phone started to beep ,Gina was in the middle of tearing the mouse eaten fabric out of her newest toy. When she answered she heard her brother laugh as he said, Today, lobster and baby clams and corn chowder for lunch, I think I will have fried oyster and shrimp tomorrow. Also I have found a nice room in a small lodging called The Horizons Inn The owner is a long time resident and very informative and knows a lot about the Lees and the Knox Mansion, it is all very suspicious. I am going to have a long chat with him hopefully this evening. How are you and your new toy doing? I will call you when I find out more .So, you see sister dear I can take care of myself.
Before he could hang up she yelled,
Phillip, it is not a toy. It is a marvel in engineering and was years ahead of other car makers and I paid much less than you think, thanks to a family of destructive mice. Don’t make a pig out of yourself or you will develop gout. He laughed at her as he said.
Tonight fried haddock, chips, and beer,
Talk to you tomorrow, sister dear, and then he was gone-
When Phillip drove into Friendly Maine the time was three PM and there was no traffic on the main street. He drove slowly checking all the store fronts looking for Gasoline, food, and a rest room. He was getting desperate when he found The Blue Lobster Antique and rare treasures open
Inside the stone building there were several rows of painted plywood shelves displaying old household, farm and kitchen tools. Holding his breath he asked the grey haired man next to the warm wood stove for use of the toilet
It is in the corner over there he answered and pointed to a red door at the end of the room, then he added with a knowing grin, .It gets worse as you age. Finally relieved, Philip washed his hands and started back to thank the shop keeper. Then he saw the wrought iron gate with the Unicorn in its center leaning against the wall. Did this belong to the Knox Mansion? The shop keeper nodded and replied; yes they are remodeling and putting in a security fence. Seems like they don’t trust the neighbors, and now the neighbors do not trust them. Do you want to buy the gate?
What is their asking price Philip asked out of curiosity? When the shop keeper told him, Philip shook his head explaining that his interests were in old furniture...
In that case I have a three legged milking stool you may like, but it needs a leg repaired. This peaked Phillips interest and he asked to see it. The Shop keeper shuffled off to another room and soon returned with the broken stool-The instant Philip saw it he could not hide his delight For on its front leg was delicately carved a tiny mouse.snd he knew it was the signature of Robert Thompson a renowned furniture maker in eighteen seventy six.
It is interesting Phillip said, too bad about the leg...held together with wire wrapped around it .Now how much do you want for this Philip asked? I got it at a flea market and I don’t know too much about it but I think it is worth at least seventy five dollars? The shop keeper said.
Phillip took out his wallet and extracted a Fifty and a Twenty dollar bill
Will this do he smiled? And a sale was made. Now he asked, I was wondering if you tell me where I can find accommodations for tonight.
‘You might try The Horizons, it is just down the street; it’s a very big white house with apple trees in the front yard. The owners name is Bob Hawkins and you can usually find him in his backyard, and if you need gasoline you need to go down to Port Clyde .It is about ten miles from here.
Before finding the Horizons and hoping that they would have a room for him Philip needed to fill his gas tank and also his stomach. According to his wrist watch it was three forty PM and he had last eaten in New Haven at six AM. And he also wanted to take the time to really examine his new purchase,
The stool had at one time been painted over with white wash and had been clumsily repaired by wrapping the splintered leg with copper wire.
Phillip used his pocket knife to scrape away some of the paint and was overjoyed to discover the paint was covering magnificent burled walnut and a delicate running border of acanthus leaves around the edge of its seat
He ate the boast beef and brie sandwich his all knowing sister had prepared as he watched the fishing dory’s skim across the Atlantic below him. He wished she was here to feel the excitement he had over his discovery and purchase of the milking stool.
Happy and sated he drove back to the small town of Friendly and stopped in front of a large white house, killed the engine, and walked up to the front door and rang the bell. He read the engraved plaque next to it {Robert Hawkins. Doctor of Veterinarian Practice} after a long wait he took the shop keepers advice and went to the back. There he found the Doctor holding a small,
white rabbit in his arms. This surprised Phillip and for a moment was at a loss for word .Once he recovered from the surprised meeting he asked if the doctor there were accommodations for three or four nights?
At this time of the year’ the doctor smiled as he answered, You can stay until mid May The rent eighty dollars a night and includes fruit, coffee or tea and toast in the morning, and I fix a shared evening meal abound eight for fifteen dollars..I find that dining alone very unpleasant since my wife died. So we will share dinner together if you are agreeable...Otherwise you will need to go to Port Clyde to find a restaurant.
This pleased Philip and he laughed loudly,
Doctor the idea of having a bit of conversation with my meal sounds wonderful, That is nice and please call me Bob not doctor .I have wine or cold beer to accompany the meal, I personally n enjoy wine.
The two men instantly took a honest like for each other as they shook hands
I am Phillip Drew and I am pleased to meet you .what will we be having for dinner
Roast rabbit, baked potatoes .a salad of spinach and artichoke hearts,
Rabbit? Not the one you were holding when we met??
Oh No, that one is the Chief of polices daughters pet, and I am treating it for an infection in its paw ‘
I have had some killed and then put in the freezer to sell to the locals who want a change from sea food. , but if I want peace in my life that one I was holding is sacred
That sounds like a wise and perfectly understandable reason. Doctor do you have a red wine? A red wine will go quite well I am sure.
Philip, I can’t help from wondering why you are in Friendly Maine at this bad time of the year. It is my nature to want to know about any guest that stays in my home. You are not a tourist or a salesman and I do not think you are a travel writer as the tags on your truck are from Connecticut- , Please pardon me for the curiosity.
It is not a problem Bob I understand.
I have been asked to look and appraise furniture belonging to a Doctor Charles Lee and Vivian Lee located here in the Knox mansion. And can you give me directions to it. I want to see where it is.
The Knox mansion is down to the end of this street. Then you take a left turn and go until you come to the driveway that will take you to its front entrance. Haven’t been there in a long while, but I know that they own a black male Mastiff named Titian that is very aggressive and dangerous to strangers
I had a bad experience with it and the Lees when they first moved in to Friendly. It will make interesting conversation at tonight’s dinner-..
Then Bob led his new guest up to his room, pointed, out the heating system ,bath room ,toilet and television .gave Phil a room key, told him that he did not lock up the house at night, then excused himself leaving Phillip alone,
As Philip could feel the cold Maine wind on his neck he pulled up the hood of the fur lined parker, and thought for a second about his decision to explore the Knox mansion. Then he said out loud¡ I hope it doesn’t rain, as he stepped off the porch into the deserted street and began walking toward the large three storied stone mansion that now was the private property of Doctor Charles and Virginia lee.
While he was walking Philip had this nagging thought running through his mind .He could not understand why the Lees had moved to such a small and isolated rural town like Friendly –He hoped the this walk and a good look at the Knox mansion would clear up some of the odd questions that puzzled him. - It was obvious that the Lees were after money and needed money .He was an antiques collector not a detective and he suspected that he might be getting into something way over his head...
He had reached the place where the road divided and instead of turning left to the mansion he decided to continue following the road in front of him down to the rocky shore -when he was suddenly forced to step out of the way of a black van...As it passed him he had a brief look of the woman in the passenger’s side, Phillip was not sure, but she looked like Vivian Lee,
Then the van disappeared behind the wall of shrubbery as the gates closed. Phillip was left staring at the gate as he read a small metal sign
It said [Responsible Senior Health Care ]No telephone number or E mail address, leaving him all the more confused .Shaking his head trying to understand why he was sure that Virginia Lee was in that black van
He continued walking down the road to the rocky shoreline of the cold Atlantic ocean-Not far ahead of him he could see Doctor Lee*s Cessna moored to a new concrete dock At the entrance there was a large square concrete septic looking building with no windows, only a metal door with a Private Property, Keep Out sign painted in red on it.
Phillip wanted to look into the Cessna and as he saw no keep off sign on it .Ha repeated his father’s favorite saying ¡It is easier to get results if you say excuse me instead of can I? Then he climbed on to the pontoon so he could look into the cockpit He was not surprised to find it completely equipped for emergency service with everything neatly stored and secured-
As he stepped back on to the dock a small service van pulled up to the concrete building, the driver got out, unlocked the steel door, then he began carrying clean folded linens in to it. He took all the blood stained towels, and sheets, put them into his van, locked the door, waved at Phillip got into the van and drove away.
All of this activity meant nothing to Phillip, so he ignored it and continued his inspection of the dock and stairs leading up to the back of the Manson .What he never saw was the remote camera that was following and photographing his every move and replaying them up to Doctor Charles Lee´s office, the doctor swore loudly, called for his wife to come and watch this nosey intruder and explain if she knew who it was.
The doctor and his wife stared at the monitor in silence, and then she said.
I do know him .He is the antique appraiser I asked to come here and look at the furniture we want to sell , he said that he had money and may be interested in buying it himself.
The Doctor got out of his chair, stared at his wife in amazement .and angrily shouted at her, Vivian, I sold all that furniture while you were prancing around in your knickknack shop in Boston
Where in the hell do you think I got the money to buy the plane and build the dock??And now we have someone snooping into our affair, which is brilliant, just ****ing brilliant. And know we are going to have to do something serious about it
What do you about this man anyway? Who knows he is here .and how do we get rid of him. You brought him into our affairs; now tell me what you think we should do?
Vivian said to Charles, I am so sorry I have caused you so much trouble. .I think that he needs to have a deadly accident. We can’t poison, nor drug, strangle, or run him over, Perhaps a fall off the slippery stairs onto the rocks is the best solution, it has happened before. And as far as I know he is single and depends on his secretary for everything and she is right now far away in Connecticut.
Philip turned his parker hood up to keep the wind driven rain from entering his eyes. He was standing in front of the locked gate looking at a new sign that read, Private, Keep Out. And wondering why the one that was there before that read RESPONSIBLE ADULT HEALTH CARE had been removed. It was now very obvious something was not right.
What it was he had absolutely no clue, but he thought perhaps Doctor Hawkins would helpful and he would bring the subject up tonight at dinner. He now felt the cold inside of the Parker, and hurried on to look at the Knox Mansion.
It looked much different than Vivian Lee’s description, all of the upper floor windows were boarded over, the gardens not uncared for. There were no sculptures and all plants and flowers were withered or dead
As he was standing in front of the newly replaced front gate the Mastiff dog suddenly and quietly appeared on the other side of the cyclone fencing,
He showed his fangs and raised the hackles on his neck and growled, This was all the warning Phillip Drew needed, He slowly turned to leave and said as he did, Nice Doggy, big Puppy, be a good boy,
By the time he arrived at the Horizons the wind had picked up force and he was soaking wet He stripped of the parked hung it on to a hook beside the door and hurried up to his room to put on some warm dry pants and a sweater. Doctor Hawkins came to the top of the stairs and asked how your walk was, did you meet Titian?
I can say that the walk was very wet and interesting. I did meet Titian and I discovered hr has a nasty temper and I am sure he doesn’t care to be friends
That is not surprising Philip. Wait until you meet his master. By the way your secretary called .She wants you to call her, she, didn’t say why. Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes See you then.
Gina answered on the first ring, Are you having problems there?
Philip shook his head and answered. No sister dear, not yet, but things are very strange here and I think I am somewhat over my head
Do you mind coming up tomorrow and babysitting me. And why did you call me¡?
I called because Mrs. Lee telephoned to say that they needed to cancel your appointment for a day. But you could visit the mansion and begin your appraisal alone, and she said the dog would be secured in his kennel
Gina, this is all too weird .I spoke with her not more than one hour ago and she never said that my appointment for tomorrow was canceled.
What time is this appointment for Phillip? I am taking a private flight and can’t get there until at least eleven.
It is for ten in the morning but I can be a bit tardy so that will work out fine. Going to have a rabbit for dinner with the owner tonight, he is your age, a very nice guy and, I think you will like him.
So I will see you tomorrow, sister dear.
Philip and his landlord were eating at a small table in the kitchen, neither spoke while there was food on their plates, Then Philip asked his host the question that had puzzled him, He wanted to know why he had decided to become a vet, Bob said, It is really easy to explain .All my family has made their living from the sea for several generations. I was born here in this house ,graduated from school here, and married my sweetheart who lived in this town, Everyone assumed I would follow in the family’s footsteps until we found out that I became violently sick the moment I sat in a boat. I tried the medical profession but I could not make myself cut into human flesh
I love animals and so did my wife. We studied and passed the veterinary exams together, I was a happy man until she suddenly died from heart failure almost three years ago. Now can you tell me what you and Doctor Lee have a common interest in, because my arguments with him are still unresolved
They were caused when his unleashed dog came on my property and killed two New Zealand rabbits that I had just purchased to improve mu colony’s health. First we had arguments. Then threats. finally a law suit. and, lastly a judgment in my favor for six hundred dollars. This all took place over a year ago and he has still not settled with me. Needless to say, I do not like the man. And I warn you not to trust him in any financial dealings.
He is a big muscular, balled headed bully, with a very bad abusive temper,
Philip took a long breath and told the story of his walk earlier that day.
I went down to the moorage of Lees amphibian out of curiosity, on the way I was passed by a black van –It turned into a drive with a sign on the gate that read Responsible Adult Health Care and I think Vivian Lee was in that van. Later I was standing on the dock admiring the Cessna plane when a delivery van arrived there. It unloaded clean linens and took away used and bloody ones
On my way back to look at the mansion i noticed the entry way that the van had used was locked and the sign changed. , It now read Private Property Keep Out-Then at the Mansion, I saw that everything that Mrs. Lee described to me had been removed and it all was uncared for. Then I met the dog, said hello to him and made a hasty good by when he looked ready to kill me.
Philip I have to say that you should stay the hell away from that place... There is something very wrong going on there and I suspect it has to involve organ transplants, most likely kidneys, because kidneys are very resistant and have a longer time span for a successful operation People who need this done are on deaths door and cannot take the pressure of a donor waiting list and will pay any price for the chance to live a longer life.
If I am right Doctor Lee is bringing patients who are desperate to
His property, illegally operating on them and flying them out the next day I hope you will think this over very seriously .Your life might be in danger.
After a long silence Philip said I will think this over, sleep on it and make my decision in the morning.
Good night, it was a fine meal and an enlightening conversation.
Philip had made his decision before coffee and getting his shower-He knew that it would impossible to pass up this once in a lifetime opportunity even if it turned out to be just a red herring and nothing came of it
He found Bob in the back yard tending to his colony of rabbits, told him of his decision, and asked him to inform his sister when she arrived.
Then, as the weather was still unsettled he decided to drive to his appointment
He called Mrs. Lee and told her that he would be there in ten minutes. That he did not trust her dog, and would she please put him in his kennel.
Vivian Lee was standing next to the open gate, the dog sitting next to her when Philip drove up
She smiled and took his hand the moment he stepped out of his truck. Saying as she did, I am so glad to see you again, please don’t be bothered by my dog. I am going to put him away now. She took Titian by his collar led him kennel, said to him. You stay here.
And shut his gate, and then said, please Phillip follow me into my home and meet my husband Charles. Did you have a nice trip? Inside the mansion the first thing Philip noticed was a large eight compartmented oak dresser
Soon after his mistress disappeared from sight Titian pushed his gate open and went back to his favorite observation spot so he could watch the suspicious green pickup truck Until he had finally made his mind that it poses no threat. Then another one arrived. This one was red taxi and a woman was sitting in it He was quickly on his feet, fangs bared, and started barking loudly. Gina instantly saw that this dog was a bluffing bully and decided to treat him as she had done with other bullies she had met before. She could see that the gate was closed and knew there was not a chance that the menace before her could do her harm she checked to be sure the pistol was loaded and the safety was of, took a deep breath and stepped out of the taxi, in her Meanest voice yelled at the dog.
WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU BARKING AT? I WILL TURN YOU INTO A SQUEEKING Pile OF DOG POOP. NOW GO AWAY, .SHOO, SHOO, SHOO,
Titian had never seen a human react like this and in confused silence he lowered his head, stopped his barking and no longer growled at her Then Gina opened the gate stepped onto his turf, pointed the pistol at him and loudly said, YOU, GO BACK TO YOUR KENNEL RIGHT NOW: The dog turned, took a few steps back and stopped, Looked at Gina until she again shouted SHOO
Then he went reluctantly into his kennel and laid down.
Once he was inside the entry of the mansion .The very first thing that Philip noticed was a large eight compartment oak dresser. He estimated that it was made about eighteen hundred and once was a proud possession for this home. As he looked it over he was shocked to see how much damage it had taken and could not imagine why or who could destroyed such a beautiful piece?
What happened to it’, he asked Doctor Lee,
It was used by a mentally insane man as his butchers block when he decapitated several children about a century ago. I find its history fascinating- So I have kept it as a conversation piece .If you look closely you can still see the marks made by the axe. When Phillip leaned over to look, the doctor hit him with his closed fist .And the blow to his temple knocked Phillip unconscious .He was regaining his senses as he felt he was being dragged across the cold tile floor by the Doctor and his wife and he thought he was having a nightmare, Then he heard the voice of Vivian Lee say, We have to do this Charles. He has seen too much and he will talk. Then all of our plans will become known and we will be destroyed. Now let’s lift him over the guard rail and have done with this whole affair. At that moment Vivian saw the watch on Philips wrist and said,
Wait Charles, first–let me remove his watch, it is very valuable, as she tried to undo its buckle. The voice of Gina rang out. That is my baby brother. Then with no other warning she shot Dr, Lee
The slug entered his knee tearing apart bone, tendon, shattering the tibia and knee cap, instantly turning the Doctor into a cripple for the rest of his life. The sharp report of the pistol terrified all the seabirds that lived in the cracks and crevasses of the cliff and they all flew in unison into the air shrieking and crying loudly
Philip lay still on the stairway platform watching them as they circled in the air above, looking like black and white bits of paper blown about by violent storms
He heard Gina ask if he was hurt and he answered back ., I will be alright once I recover from this headache.
She came down to where he lay and gave him her telephone .Pointed at the Doctor; and told him. Call the police and an ambulance for him.
I am going to try to find some bandages and gauze to stop the bleeding Then she said to Vivian Lee, You come with me and show me where to find them if you want your husband to live.
When the two women came to the entrance of the room where the Doctor held his experiments Mrs. Lee opened the door You can find everything you need to save my husband in there pointing at long white cabinet.
Arranged above the cabinet were glass and plastic jars of human embryos’ and body parts in all stages of development, This discovery gave Gina the answer to the question of why they had wanted to kill her brother.
Titian was so terrified of the report from the pistol that he urinated in his kennel. Then the sky over him suddenly filled with shrieking birds and he barked at them until he became hoarse, exhausted, he lay down. Suddenly, three speeding vehicles with bright lights flashing came to a sliding stop in front of his gate
He knew his job was to defend that gate, but it was impossible from inside the kennel, Then a half dozen men ran past him and entered the house. Titian attacked the closed gate, still it remained shut. In hopeless frustration he began to howl sadly, he was still howling when the intruders led the Doctor and his wife out of the mansion and into one of the waiting vehicles and then drove them away-
Suddenly he smelled the perfume of the woman from the red taxi, and then he heard her calming voice say, as she unlocked his gate, Phillip if he rides in the truck can he come to Connecticut? Do you want to come home with us Titian?
Philip Drew had never known laborious hard work. He was fortunate to have been born into a very wealthy family, educated in private schools and finished his education at Yale University. It was there that he developed a passion for fine art and a profound interest in restoring rare furniture. On his 24th birthday his father provided him with a trust fund that allowed him to never want for money. He always dressed in the finest clothing and footwear, had his hair styled and nails manicured once a week and liked to wear expensive cologne, and wore a gold Pataki Philippe wrist watch. He owns a gated house located in New Haven Connecticut, but he spends little time there as he was interested in travelling, exploring and enjoying his carefree life in privately chartered planes and automobiles. And though he enjoys the company of elegant and sophisticated women, the thought of ever marrying one never once entered his mind.
However, one would never know this by his appearance when he was looking to buy something at any auction house .He had developed the habit of becoming underestimated, and today he was unshaven, wearing old bib overalls and a worn sweater stained with paint ,wood dust and varnish as he was looking to buy a rare piece of furniture.
It was this passion for furniture made by the Chippendale and other master crafts’ men of the late seventeen and eighteen hundreds that had brought him to the Empire Auction House in Bridgeport Connecticut one warm fall afternoon in 2015.
It was there when he looked up from the catalog in his hand, to find a slim, auburn haired woman at the other end of the show room also looking the same brochure. Their eyes met and she smiled at him. It was a cool, but friendly welcoming smile and he decided to walk across the room and introduce his self, and to find out if she was also interested in antique furniture. As he walked across the showroom, Philip noticed how well the woman was dressed. She had on a pearl grey silk business suit and a cream colored silk blouse that was open at the throat exposing a necklace of green jade. She was wearing a pair of low cut, green Italian sandals and a simple gold bracelet. He estimated her age to be close to forty and wondered if she was single or attached to someone.
Vivian Lee first looked at the hands of the man as he approached her, His fingers were long, strong, and he had a warm and charming smile. She saw no wedding ring as she noticed the very expensive and rare watch on his wrist. His faded clothing looked unimpressive, but he walked with the confidence of someone that knew exactly what he wanted and how to get it. She briefly regretted that she was wearing her wedding ring when he grinned at her and asked “Are you thinking about bidding on the two Chippendale rocking chairs?
My name is Philip Drew and I came here to look at them, as that type of early Americana is what I collect and restore. But, now that I have had the chance to closely inspect them I am not interested...In my opinion they a recent copies and belong in a secondhand shop priced at about two hundred dollars each, and certainly not in this catalogue with a starting bid of forty=thousand each.”
As she answered him he could not help to notice that even though her smile was friendly her hazel eyes were not. “No, I am not here to buy old furniture. I am here to see that the antique English porcelain china I have consigned to this sale has arrived safely and that it brings a fair price. Then after the sale I will return home...My name is Vivian Lee and I have a small shop in Boston that I am closing.
My husband and business partner have bought a very old house on the coast in Maine that we are restoring, and it is full of old furniture that we want to liquidate
That was when Philip noticed that she did not have a Bostonian accent and asked where she was from. “My husband and I are both from Lake Geneva Wisconsin, and may I ask how do you know that the Chippendale chairs are copies?”
Philip Drew answered with a serious look on his unshaven face. “Mrs. Lee I have twenty years of experience with this type of furniture and it is literally easy to smell a fake. The originals were hand scraped and finished with a mix of alkanet root stain and linseed oil then thin coats of shellac bring out the luster and grain of the wood...All I had to do was smell the finish to know they are modern copies.
These days reproduction are everywhere, do you think that the Remington bronze in this catalogue is original? Not on your life, it is a copy likely made in China.
Lady, you have however aroused my curiosity. Can you tell me more about the furniture you wish to sell?
I wish I could ,Mr. Drew but my knowledge of old furniture is very limited .If you were free I would invite you up to look at it .As a matter of fact I would even pay you to appraise and repair some of it that is broken for me, and please call me Vivian.” Philip held out his hand and said, “In that case you must call me Philip. When they clasped hands he found hers to be ice cold but very strong and her French perfume lingered with the fragrance of Jasmine. “Philip, are you are a very serious collector?”
Yes, yes indeed I am Vivian, I would also be willing to come up to Maine to look at what you have for sale and take as much time as required to examine and estimate your furniture, but first I need to return home and take care of business matters, and then I will be free to fly up to Maine examine and estimate the value of your the furniture you have and wish to sell?”
“What kind of airplane do you own? My husband Doctor Charles Lee has a Cessna amphibian that he keeps moored nearby our home; I am sure you two will have a nice conversation about airplanes?”
“Oh no Vivian, you misunderstand, I do not own a plane. As a matter of fact I don’t even own a car. I do own an old pickup truck that I have for transporting furniture, when I wish to go somewhere I tell my secretary Gina to hire them, or to drive me .It is much more convenient for me. There are no parking problems and no maintenance, and it is all tax deductable .It makes life uncomplicated for me. What interests me here won´t be auctioned till late this afternoon, I am famished, shall we find something to eat and discuss your furniture, that is what interests me? "
“I will do that Philip on one condition, if you will conspire with me for this sale of mine and help me to get a very good price for my porcelain by opening the bidding. Then you can dropout once the next bidder raises the price. If you do that, not only will I pay for lunch I will have you as our guest for as long as you need to appraise the furniture. Can you spare as much as a week off?
As they were drinking tea Vivian took Phillips hand to admire his wristwatch As she examined it she said, it is beautiful, is it a original antique?, Philip undid its clasp and handed her the watch,
Yes, it was gifted to me by my Grandfather for my twentieth birthday The Swiss company made only ten in gold like this ,You can see its serial number is five engraved on the back I have never had it appraised because if I knew its worth then I would be afraid to wear it
At that moment his sister Gina arrived and Philip introduced her as his secretary, then turned and asked what his schedule was for the next week.”You have to be at the opening ceremony of the Antique Furniture Society in Manhattan on Wednesday and then you’re free Phil”, Gina said.
“In that case .Yes I can,
I will start the bidding for you once the Auction starts-.Now please tell me about the home and the porcelain that you and your partner have purchased while we have a nice lunch.”
It is a very, sad story Philip. But I will tell you all that we have learned. “The mansion we acquired was built in1799 by Manfred Knox. He was engaged to a young Boston socialite named Francis Bell. He was the wealthy owner of an East Indiaman sailing ship named the Boston Swan and made his fortune trading in tobacco, cotton, petroleum, wheat and timber. Every time he was in London, he would buy fine porcelain china and hand crafted furniture, sculptures in ceramic, and marble for his personal collection. Then when he returned to Boston he would sell or trade some for the furniture in his home where he planned to eventually marry Miss Bell, settle down and have many children .He had the home built in the gothic style that he admired from his many trips to the continent.
Manfred was a child at heart, so instead of gargoyles and sea monsters it was decorated with unicorns guarding the iron gates and winged marble fairies playing along the winding garden paths of oleander and roses that led to the ornate entrance and a large stained glass window depicting pink flamingos and peacocks that Manfred had found so fascinating as a child. The ten room three story stone house was built on a large elongated piece of property located near the town of Friendly, Maine it has a steep slope looking down onto the rocky shores of the North Atlantic Ocean.
From there he could see the entire coastline; including his 800 tons merchant ship anchored in a protected bay below him...There is still a painting of him hanging in the hall. He was a big boned, heavy set man and had a wild bush of a red beard that compensated for his stern features, baldness of his sun weathered head and the strange color of his green eyes barely visible beneath large thick black eyebrows. During the construction he had had workmen add a secret room into the back of the mansions wall. It was hidden behind the flying buttress that provided support for the arched dome exposed inside the mansion... A large mosaic of colored glass that depicted Noah being swallowed by a blue sperm whale was framed with blocks of glass shaped like the moon, the stars, and planets that disguised the room´s entrance, and that let light and fresh into it. He had a set of stairs cut into the granite cliffs side so every morning so he could walk down to the bell vista and watch the sun burn off the morning mist as he breathed the salted air that he loved .When he returned, he would press the ingenious lever hidden in the mosaics wall, and then the mosaic would slide open revealing the hidden room and the treasures of colorful ceramic porcelain, the paintings, and sculpture that were carefully stored there.
He was like the magpie that brought to his nest every bright, shining object he saw, and really had no interest in their value, just their beauty .He loved to touch the porcelain plates and spent hours dusting and cleaning them. And then according to his fancy, rearrange them along the shelves and tables in the room. Once he was pleased with the new arrangement he would close the room and return to his library to eat his morning meal.
It is said that on Christmas day he would invite the children of the town to his house. He loved to look at the amazement on their faces when he gave each child a colorful porcelain plate as a present.
In spite of his stern looks I am told he was a kind and generous man, his employees were well treated and lived in the small nearby town of Friendly,
He retired from his Shipping enterprise on his fortieth birthday and married Miss Francis Bell from Boston .It was a loving marriage and she soon became pregnant...They were planning a banquet with friends for their first weddings anniversary and had set a large dining table with beautiful English china once belonging to Queen Elisabeth, silver table wear, Irish linens and crystal. That is the very same china I have put up for sale and it has been authenticated by the Knox county historical Society.
Then on that very tragic day they went for their usual morning walk, even though it was cold and foggy. No one knows what or how it happened but they both were killed in a horrible accidental fall down the steep wet stone steps that led to the rocky Atlantics shore that he loved so much, and with their deaths the secret of the room, and all its treasures went with them to the grave, my husband Doctor Lee bought the place in 2011 and he began major restoration and that is when the room was rediscovered. Now you know everything that I have learned about my new home and I think it is time we have lunch as the auction starts in thirty minutes. As he had promised Philip opened the bidding for Vivian Lee and quickly dropped out when the bidding became very competitive. He did find one small piece of antique terracotta relief of a carpenter making a foot stool and it reminded him of other works he had seen done by Leonardo while touring the Da Vinci museum in Italy. He found this piece interesting and bought it to take home with him.
When the auction finished, Philip found Vivian in a furious state, she complained that the sale had not brought nearly as much as she had hoped for and now she would have to wait two weeks for the Auction house to clear the proceeds, and deduct their commission before paying her.
Philip did not enjoy listening to her complaints. He asked her for her business card .phone number, and the address of the property in Maine. Then he said. “If, you have the right furnishings I am interested in. I can assure you I will pay for them with a bank draft on the spot. Here is my card and email address, It has been interesting meeting you Vivian, now I must go, I will be in touch... She took the card and was surprised to see that it read. “Philip Drew A Man of Leisure” On the obverse, only a telephone number.
On his return trip home, Philip thought about the auction and the fact that Vivian Lee was so upset with the results of the sale, and he wondered why. “Gina, he asked. What do you make of that woman’s reaction?”
“I can´t tell you why I feel this way Philip, but my intuition tells me that there is a dark and greedy side to her, and you need to do some serious looking into her and her husband´s past, before you buy anything ”
After dinner, Philip went to his library, turned on the computer and began researching the history of Manfred Knox´s strange and most interesting Mansion. As he read he realized the Vivian Lee had omitted a greater part of its history, including the fact that it was where the gruesome axe killing´s of innocent children by one of the nurses that shocked the nation had taken place and it became locally known as the Mansion haunted by the ghosts of those children, and, Francis and Alfred Knox. As he read he learned the entrance to the secret room soon became a forgotten part of the legend of ghosts that roamed the halls and rooms of Knox´s Mansion, eventually it had ended up as property of the Township of New Bedford, and was used as a hospital, and then later it was turned into a home for the elderly.
At the start of world war one it had been converted into a hospital and had remained that way till the end of world war two, but it was not until electricity was being up graded that the secret room was discovered by workmen in 1944 and a good part of the collection of porcelain was stolen by the workmen, fortunately most of it was recovered and placed under the care of the Knox County Historical Society. Later the strange, mist bound and remote home became property of the town of Friendly. In the following years it served as a guest home for the wealthy escaping the plague of consumption and oppressive summer heat of Boston, and New York until the financial depression drove its clients into bankruptcy. It was then turned into a treatment center for Alcoholism by the state of Maine. And finally an orphanage and was the place where the bloody and gruesome axe killings of fourteen young children took place.
In 1963 and the town had it closed. Over the years the house fell into disrepair and in 1972 it was finally boarded up and became locally known as the haunted Mansion. And so the entrance to the secret room once again became a forgotten part of the legend of ghosts that roamed the halls of Manfred Knox´s Mansion. Amazingly, no one ever rediscovered the entrance to Manfred Knox secret room and the antique treasures he had collected until it was purchased by Doctor Lee and his wife.
Philip shut down his computer, rested his eyes, poured a glass of scotch for a nightcap and retired for the night to think over what his research had found. Sleep that night was disturbed by a strange dream of the Knox mansion and a tormented woman and children.
So vivid was the dream that he awoke, went downstairs and turned on the compute again and searched for Doctor Charles Lee, Lake Geneva. As he read the results Philip, had a difficult time believing what was on the screen in front of him, yet there it was in black and white. Dr. Charles Lee had been the director involved in a Planned Parenthood scandal and was accused of selling fetal material and body parts to a biotechnology research company in Chicago Illinois. Although he was not convicted, his medical license had been revoked and his position at Planned Parenthood terminated.
Before retiring Philip .wrote his sister Gina a note telling her he would be sleeping late and asked her to find out what she could about Vivian Lee.
It was after ten when he finally awoke and realized he had fallen asleep fully dressed, He came down stairs to the kitchen, fixed espresso coffee, ate a brioche and found the note Gina had left. It said, “Phil gone shopping. Be back in three or four days. I will have a lot to tell you about Charles and Vivian Lee. This is what I have found {The Chicago Institute of Modern Biotechnology Science
Established in 2011 and the director was listed as Doctor Charles Lee., This is their Internet ad which I find disturbing.
“At the Chicago Institute of Modern Biotechnology Science we offer specialized education in sexual and reproductive health to primarily health professionals.
We are a registered private training establishment and a recognized provider of clinical training. At our clinics we can help with contraception, STI testing and treatment, cervical screening, pregnancy testing, abortion advice, PMS, menopause, HPV vaccinations, and advice for other sexual and reproductive health issues including what to do if you've had unprotected sex.
Our services are confidential and non-judgmental and for people of any age, gender, sexual orientation or nationality. If you are under 21 your visit is for free. Our health promoters deliver courses and workshops, in person and on-line, on all aspects of sexual and reproductive health and relationships”].
Happy reading will be back with an old convertible, if I can make a good deal .See you in about four days “Gina.
Gina Drew was born 14monhs before her brother and as they grew had always considered it her responsibility to take care of Philip. She was quite different in many ways and never wore expensive clothing, did not mind if she got dirt or grease under the nails of her strong hands. She was very content wearing tennis, loafers, loose men´s shirts, denim jeans. Loved fishing, and even owned and shot an old forty five automatic Colt pistol.
Her passions consisted of cooking, a large vegetable garden, supervising the landscaping and restoring antique racing cars. Unlike her brother she did own an automobile; in fact she owned six of them, all expensive and rare. She was always happy to chauffer Philip to and from Auction Houses and antique shops in his quest for restorable rare furniture.
Philip Drew found this new information along with what he had discovered in his research about Doctor Charles Lee and his nightmare last night also disturbing, and he considered putting the idea of a trip to Maine completely out of his mind.
However, there is something that every passionate treasure hunter cannot resist. And that is finding the elusive pot of gold. And Vivian Lee’s story was enough to tempt him,
The idea that sitting in some remote Mansion, complete with tales of murder and ghosts was a collection of rare English Rococo or perhaps neoclassical style furniture made by Thomas Chippendale or God knows what other cabinetmakers from the eighteenth century was more temptation than Philip could possibly resist.
He decided that when his sister returned home to tell her of his decision to go and visit the town of Friendly Maine. Investigate the Lees and then take Vivian Lee up on her offer to see what she had for sale, even though he doubted that there could be anything of value after all these years, .Still he had to find out.
As soon as she heard Phil’s decision Gina she stopped and stared at him in amazement and shouted in anger.
Philip, do you have any idea what you are going to do in Friendly Maine?
I don’t think you do. The town is almost empty, the nearest decent hotel, if, it is open is located twenty miles away from the Knox Mansion and you will be lucky to find a room and food.
How do you plan to get around there? I can’t see you strolling along the Maine coast to visit the good doctor Lee and his wife. Take the advice of your sister who loves you and put this idea out of your mind. And, I will not go with you...
Philip expected this to be her reaction and answered her firmly, Gina, there are times when you are too motherly for my own good. I did not ask for your company, and do not need to be coddled, I am perfectly able to survive a short trip in my pickup to a remote haunted mansion in Maine without you It is only a trip to look at some furniture, thank you for your concern sister dear, but isn’t needed .Besides I intend to enjoy Maine’s fresh seafood wonderful fried oysters, clams, lobsters and haddock.
You may think so Philip, but my instincts tell me differently, and I can tell by the tone of your voice you have made up your mind and nothing I say is going to change it.
I will fix you some lunch so you don’t starve and it is cold up there. I will pack your travel bag with cloths so you don’t freeze.
Also I want you to take my pistol with you just in case you are wrong and I am right
Have you even looked at my new car?
“Yes Gina, I can see that is a canary yellow convertible made by Cord Motors probably in minty thirty seven and I hope you paid less than sixty thousand.
Now, do you have any idea how strict the possession of a firearm laws are in Massachusetts? If I were found with a pistol in my possession neither heaven nor hell could keep my *** out of jail
No thank you. I think that you are over reacting; I can take care of myself.
And will you please call the Lees and arrange an appointment for late next week. I intend to drive up, it is only a four hours from here...then I will spend some time chatting about the Lees with the local folk. Now I have a lot of tools and stuff to pack. You are the sweetest sister, so please don’t worry about me .I will call and tell you how I am doing. If I am m in some sort of trouble and need your help, come as fast as you can and bring your gun just in case.
It was only four days later when her phone started to beep ,Gina was in the middle of tearing the mouse eaten fabric out of her newest toy. When she answered she heard her brother laugh as he said, Today, lobster and baby clams and corn chowder for lunch, I think I will have fried oyster and shrimp tomorrow. Also I have found a nice room in a small lodging called The Horizons Inn The owner is a long time resident and very informative and knows a lot about the Lees and the Knox Mansion, it is all very suspicious. I am going to have a long chat with him hopefully this evening. How are you and your new toy doing? I will call you when I find out more .So, you see sister dear I can take care of myself.
Before he could hang up she yelled,
Phillip, it is not a toy. It is a marvel in engineering and was years ahead of other car makers and I paid much less than you think, thanks to a family of destructive mice. Don’t make a pig out of yourself or you will develop gout. He laughed at her as he said.
Tonight fried haddock, chips, and beer,
Talk to you tomorrow, sister dear, and then he was gone-
When Phillip drove into Friendly Maine the time was three PM and there was no traffic on the main street. He drove slowly checking all the store fronts looking for Gasoline, food, and a rest room. He was getting desperate when he found The Blue Lobster Antique and rare treasures open
Inside the stone building there were several rows of painted plywood shelves displaying old household, farm and kitchen tools. Holding his breath he asked the grey haired man next to the warm wood stove for use of the toilet
It is in the corner over there he answered and pointed to a red door at the end of the room, then he added with a knowing grin, .It gets worse as you age. Finally relieved, Philip washed his hands and started back to thank the shop keeper. Then he saw the wrought iron gate with the Unicorn in its center leaning against the wall. Did this belong to the Knox Mansion? The shop keeper nodded and replied; yes they are remodeling and putting in a security fence. Seems like they don’t trust the neighbors, and now the neighbors do not trust them. Do you want to buy the gate?
What is their asking price Philip asked out of curiosity? When the shop keeper told him, Philip shook his head explaining that his interests were in old furniture...
In that case I have a three legged milking stool you may like, but it needs a leg repaired. This peaked Phillips interest and he asked to see it. The Shop keeper shuffled off to another room and soon returned with the broken stool-The instant Philip saw it he could not hide his delight For on its front leg was delicately carved a tiny mouse.snd he knew it was the signature of Robert Thompson a renowned furniture maker in eighteen seventy six.
It is interesting Phillip said, too bad about the leg...held together with wire wrapped around it .Now how much do you want for this Philip asked? I got it at a flea market and I don’t know too much about it but I think it is worth at least seventy five dollars? The shop keeper said.
Phillip took out his wallet and extracted a Fifty and a Twenty dollar bill
Will this do he smiled? And a sale was made. Now he asked, I was wondering if you tell me where I can find accommodations for tonight.
‘You might try The Horizons, it is just down the street; it’s a very big white house with apple trees in the front yard. The owners name is Bob Hawkins and you can usually find him in his backyard, and if you need gasoline you need to go down to Port Clyde .It is about ten miles from here.
Before finding the Horizons and hoping that they would have a room for him Philip needed to fill his gas tank and also his stomach. According to his wrist watch it was three forty PM and he had last eaten in New Haven at six AM. And he also wanted to take the time to really examine his new purchase,
The stool had at one time been painted over with white wash and had been clumsily repaired by wrapping the splintered leg with copper wire.
Phillip used his pocket knife to scrape away some of the paint and was overjoyed to discover the paint was covering magnificent burled walnut and a delicate running border of acanthus leaves around the edge of its seat
He ate the boast beef and brie sandwich his all knowing sister had prepared as he watched the fishing dory’s skim across the Atlantic below him. He wished she was here to feel the excitement he had over his discovery and purchase of the milking stool.
Happy and sated he drove back to the small town of Friendly and stopped in front of a large white house, killed the engine, and walked up to the front door and rang the bell. He read the engraved plaque next to it {Robert Hawkins. Doctor of Veterinarian Practice} after a long wait he took the shop keepers advice and went to the back. There he found the Doctor holding a small,
white rabbit in his arms. This surprised Phillip and for a moment was at a loss for word .Once he recovered from the surprised meeting he asked if the doctor there were accommodations for three or four nights?
At this time of the year’ the doctor smiled as he answered, You can stay until mid May The rent eighty dollars a night and includes fruit, coffee or tea and toast in the morning, and I fix a shared evening meal abound eight for fifteen dollars..I find that dining alone very unpleasant since my wife died. So we will share dinner together if you are agreeable...Otherwise you will need to go to Port Clyde to find a restaurant.
This pleased Philip and he laughed loudly,
Doctor the idea of having a bit of conversation with my meal sounds wonderful, That is nice and please call me Bob not doctor .I have wine or cold beer to accompany the meal, I personally n enjoy wine.
The two men instantly took a honest like for each other as they shook hands
I am Phillip Drew and I am pleased to meet you .what will we be having for dinner
Roast rabbit, baked potatoes .a salad of spinach and artichoke hearts,
Rabbit? Not the one you were holding when we met??
Oh No, that one is the Chief of polices daughters pet, and I am treating it for an infection in its paw ‘
I have had some killed and then put in the freezer to sell to the locals who want a change from sea food. , but if I want peace in my life that one I was holding is sacred
That sounds like a wise and perfectly understandable reason. Doctor do you have a red wine? A red wine will go quite well I am sure.
Philip, I can’t help from wondering why you are in Friendly Maine at this bad time of the year. It is my nature to want to know about any guest that stays in my home. You are not a tourist or a salesman and I do not think you are a travel writer as the tags on your truck are from Connecticut- , Please pardon me for the curiosity.
It is not a problem Bob I understand.
I have been asked to look and appraise furniture belonging to a Doctor Charles Lee and Vivian Lee located here in the Knox mansion. And can you give me directions to it. I want to see where it is.
The Knox mansion is down to the end of this street. Then you take a left turn and go until you come to the driveway that will take you to its front entrance. Haven’t been there in a long while, but I know that they own a black male Mastiff named Titian that is very aggressive and dangerous to strangers
I had a bad experience with it and the Lees when they first moved in to Friendly. It will make interesting conversation at tonight’s dinner-..
Then Bob led his new guest up to his room, pointed, out the heating system ,bath room ,toilet and television .gave Phil a room key, told him that he did not lock up the house at night, then excused himself leaving Phillip alone,
As Philip could feel the cold Maine wind on his neck he pulled up the hood of the fur lined parker, and thought for a second about his decision to explore the Knox mansion. Then he said out loud¡ I hope it doesn’t rain, as he stepped off the porch into the deserted street and began walking toward the large three storied stone mansion that now was the private property of Doctor Charles and Virginia lee.
While he was walking Philip had this nagging thought running through his mind .He could not understand why the Lees had moved to such a small and isolated rural town like Friendly –He hoped the this walk and a good look at the Knox mansion would clear up some of the odd questions that puzzled him. - It was obvious that the Lees were after money and needed money .He was an antiques collector not a detective and he suspected that he might be getting into something way over his head...
He had reached the place where the road divided and instead of turning left to the mansion he decided to continue following the road in front of him down to the rocky shore -when he was suddenly forced to step out of the way of a black van...As it passed him he had a brief look of the woman in the passenger’s side, Phillip was not sure, but she looked like Vivian Lee,
Then the van disappeared behind the wall of shrubbery as the gates closed. Phillip was left staring at the gate as he read a small metal sign
It said [Responsible Senior Health Care ]No telephone number or E mail address, leaving him all the more confused .Shaking his head trying to understand why he was sure that Virginia Lee was in that black van
He continued walking down the road to the rocky shoreline of the cold Atlantic ocean-Not far ahead of him he could see Doctor Lee*s Cessna moored to a new concrete dock At the entrance there was a large square concrete septic looking building with no windows, only a metal door with a Private Property, Keep Out sign painted in red on it.
Phillip wanted to look into the Cessna and as he saw no keep off sign on it .Ha repeated his father’s favorite saying ¡It is easier to get results if you say excuse me instead of can I? Then he climbed on to the pontoon so he could look into the cockpit He was not surprised to find it completely equipped for emergency service with everything neatly stored and secured-
As he stepped back on to the dock a small service van pulled up to the concrete building, the driver got out, unlocked the steel door, then he began carrying clean folded linens in to it. He took all the blood stained towels, and sheets, put them into his van, locked the door, waved at Phillip got into the van and drove away.
All of this activity meant nothing to Phillip, so he ignored it and continued his inspection of the dock and stairs leading up to the back of the Manson .What he never saw was the remote camera that was following and photographing his every move and replaying them up to Doctor Charles Lee´s office, the doctor swore loudly, called for his wife to come and watch this nosey intruder and explain if she knew who it was.
The doctor and his wife stared at the monitor in silence, and then she said.
I do know him .He is the antique appraiser I asked to come here and look at the furniture we want to sell , he said that he had money and may be interested in buying it himself.
The Doctor got out of his chair, stared at his wife in amazement .and angrily shouted at her, Vivian, I sold all that furniture while you were prancing around in your knickknack shop in Boston
Where in the hell do you think I got the money to buy the plane and build the dock??And now we have someone snooping into our affair, which is brilliant, just ****ing brilliant. And know we are going to have to do something serious about it
What do you about this man anyway? Who knows he is here .and how do we get rid of him. You brought him into our affairs; now tell me what you think we should do?
Vivian said to Charles, I am so sorry I have caused you so much trouble. .I think that he needs to have a deadly accident. We can’t poison, nor drug, strangle, or run him over, Perhaps a fall off the slippery stairs onto the rocks is the best solution, it has happened before. And as far as I know he is single and depends on his secretary for everything and she is right now far away in Connecticut.
Philip turned his parker hood up to keep the wind driven rain from entering his eyes. He was standing in front of the locked gate looking at a new sign that read, Private, Keep Out. And wondering why the one that was there before that read RESPONSIBLE ADULT HEALTH CARE had been removed. It was now very obvious something was not right.
What it was he had absolutely no clue, but he thought perhaps Doctor Hawkins would helpful and he would bring the subject up tonight at dinner. He now felt the cold inside of the Parker, and hurried on to look at the Knox Mansion.
It looked much different than Vivian Lee’s description, all of the upper floor windows were boarded over, the gardens not uncared for. There were no sculptures and all plants and flowers were withered or dead
As he was standing in front of the newly replaced front gate the Mastiff dog suddenly and quietly appeared on the other side of the cyclone fencing,
He showed his fangs and raised the hackles on his neck and growled, This was all the warning Phillip Drew needed, He slowly turned to leave and said as he did, Nice Doggy, big Puppy, be a good boy,
By the time he arrived at the Horizons the wind had picked up force and he was soaking wet He stripped of the parked hung it on to a hook beside the door and hurried up to his room to put on some warm dry pants and a sweater. Doctor Hawkins came to the top of the stairs and asked how your walk was, did you meet Titian?
I can say that the walk was very wet and interesting. I did meet Titian and I discovered hr has a nasty temper and I am sure he doesn’t care to be friends
That is not surprising Philip. Wait until you meet his master. By the way your secretary called .She wants you to call her, she, didn’t say why. Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes See you then.
Gina answered on the first ring, Are you having problems there?
Philip shook his head and answered. No sister dear, not yet, but things are very strange here and I think I am somewhat over my head
Do you mind coming up tomorrow and babysitting me. And why did you call me¡?
I called because Mrs. Lee telephoned to say that they needed to cancel your appointment for a day. But you could visit the mansion and begin your appraisal alone, and she said the dog would be secured in his kennel
Gina, this is all too weird .I spoke with her not more than one hour ago and she never said that my appointment for tomorrow was canceled.
What time is this appointment for Phillip? I am taking a private flight and can’t get there until at least eleven.
It is for ten in the morning but I can be a bit tardy so that will work out fine. Going to have a rabbit for dinner with the owner tonight, he is your age, a very nice guy and, I think you will like him.
So I will see you tomorrow, sister dear.
Philip and his landlord were eating at a small table in the kitchen, neither spoke while there was food on their plates, Then Philip asked his host the question that had puzzled him, He wanted to know why he had decided to become a vet, Bob said, It is really easy to explain .All my family has made their living from the sea for several generations. I was born here in this house ,graduated from school here, and married my sweetheart who lived in this town, Everyone assumed I would follow in the family’s footsteps until we found out that I became violently sick the moment I sat in a boat. I tried the medical profession but I could not make myself cut into human flesh
I love animals and so did my wife. We studied and passed the veterinary exams together, I was a happy man until she suddenly died from heart failure almost three years ago. Now can you tell me what you and Doctor Lee have a common interest in, because my arguments with him are still unresolved
They were caused when his unleashed dog came on my property and killed two New Zealand rabbits that I had just purchased to improve mu colony’s health. First we had arguments. Then threats. finally a law suit. and, lastly a judgment in my favor for six hundred dollars. This all took place over a year ago and he has still not settled with me. Needless to say, I do not like the man. And I warn you not to trust him in any financial dealings.
He is a big muscular, balled headed bully, with a very bad abusive temper,
Philip took a long breath and told the story of his walk earlier that day.
I went down to the moorage of Lees amphibian out of curiosity, on the way I was passed by a black van –It turned into a drive with a sign on the gate that read Responsible Adult Health Care and I think Vivian Lee was in that van. Later I was standing on the dock admiring the Cessna plane when a delivery van arrived there. It unloaded clean linens and took away used and bloody ones
On my way back to look at the mansion i noticed the entry way that the van had used was locked and the sign changed. , It now read Private Property Keep Out-Then at the Mansion, I saw that everything that Mrs. Lee described to me had been removed and it all was uncared for. Then I met the dog, said hello to him and made a hasty good by when he looked ready to kill me.
Philip I have to say that you should stay the hell away from that place... There is something very wrong going on there and I suspect it has to involve organ transplants, most likely kidneys, because kidneys are very resistant and have a longer time span for a successful operation People who need this done are on deaths door and cannot take the pressure of a donor waiting list and will pay any price for the chance to live a longer life.
If I am right Doctor Lee is bringing patients who are desperate to
His property, illegally operating on them and flying them out the next day I hope you will think this over very seriously .Your life might be in danger.
After a long silence Philip said I will think this over, sleep on it and make my decision in the morning.
Good night, it was a fine meal and an enlightening conversation.
Philip had made his decision before coffee and getting his shower-He knew that it would impossible to pass up this once in a lifetime opportunity even if it turned out to be just a red herring and nothing came of it
He found Bob in the back yard tending to his colony of rabbits, told him of his decision, and asked him to inform his sister when she arrived.
Then, as the weather was still unsettled he decided to drive to his appointment
He called Mrs. Lee and told her that he would be there in ten minutes. That he did not trust her dog, and would she please put him in his kennel.
Vivian Lee was standing next to the open gate, the dog sitting next to her when Philip drove up
She smiled and took his hand the moment he stepped out of his truck. Saying as she did, I am so glad to see you again, please don’t be bothered by my dog. I am going to put him away now. She took Titian by his collar led him kennel, said to him. You stay here.
And shut his gate, and then said, please Phillip follow me into my home and meet my husband Charles. Did you have a nice trip? Inside the mansion the first thing Philip noticed was a large eight compartmented oak dresser
Soon after his mistress disappeared from sight Titian pushed his gate open and went back to his favorite observation spot so he could watch the suspicious green pickup truck Until he had finally made his mind that it poses no threat. Then another one arrived. This one was red taxi and a woman was sitting in it He was quickly on his feet, fangs bared, and started barking loudly. Gina instantly saw that this dog was a bluffing bully and decided to treat him as she had done with other bullies she had met before. She could see that the gate was closed and knew there was not a chance that the menace before her could do her harm she checked to be sure the pistol was loaded and the safety was of, took a deep breath and stepped out of the taxi, in her Meanest voice yelled at the dog.
WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU BARKING AT? I WILL TURN YOU INTO A SQUEEKING Pile OF DOG POOP. NOW GO AWAY, .SHOO, SHOO, SHOO,
Titian had never seen a human react like this and in confused silence he lowered his head, stopped his barking and no longer growled at her Then Gina opened the gate stepped onto his turf, pointed the pistol at him and loudly said, YOU, GO BACK TO YOUR KENNEL RIGHT NOW: The dog turned, took a few steps back and stopped, Looked at Gina until she again shouted SHOO
Then he went reluctantly into his kennel and laid down.
Once he was inside the entry of the mansion .The very first thing that Philip noticed was a large eight compartment oak dresser. He estimated that it was made about eighteen hundred and once was a proud possession for this home. As he looked it over he was shocked to see how much damage it had taken and could not imagine why or who could destroyed such a beautiful piece?
What happened to it’, he asked Doctor Lee,
It was used by a mentally insane man as his butchers block when he decapitated several children about a century ago. I find its history fascinating- So I have kept it as a conversation piece .If you look closely you can still see the marks made by the axe. When Phillip leaned over to look, the doctor hit him with his closed fist .And the blow to his temple knocked Phillip unconscious .He was regaining his senses as he felt he was being dragged across the cold tile floor by the Doctor and his wife and he thought he was having a nightmare, Then he heard the voice of Vivian Lee say, We have to do this Charles. He has seen too much and he will talk. Then all of our plans will become known and we will be destroyed. Now let’s lift him over the guard rail and have done with this whole affair. At that moment Vivian saw the watch on Philips wrist and said,
Wait Charles, first–let me remove his watch, it is very valuable, as she tried to undo its buckle. The voice of Gina rang out. That is my baby brother. Then with no other warning she shot Dr, Lee
The slug entered his knee tearing apart bone, tendon, shattering the tibia and knee cap, instantly turning the Doctor into a cripple for the rest of his life. The sharp report of the pistol terrified all the seabirds that lived in the cracks and crevasses of the cliff and they all flew in unison into the air shrieking and crying loudly
Philip lay still on the stairway platform watching them as they circled in the air above, looking like black and white bits of paper blown about by violent storms
He heard Gina ask if he was hurt and he answered back ., I will be alright once I recover from this headache.
She came down to where he lay and gave him her telephone .Pointed at the Doctor; and told him. Call the police and an ambulance for him.
I am going to try to find some bandages and gauze to stop the bleeding Then she said to Vivian Lee, You come with me and show me where to find them if you want your husband to live.
When the two women came to the entrance of the room where the Doctor held his experiments Mrs. Lee opened the door You can find everything you need to save my husband in there pointing at long white cabinet.
Arranged above the cabinet were glass and plastic jars of human embryos’ and body parts in all stages of development, This discovery gave Gina the answer to the question of why they had wanted to kill her brother.
Titian was so terrified of the report from the pistol that he urinated in his kennel. Then the sky over him suddenly filled with shrieking birds and he barked at them until he became hoarse, exhausted, he lay down. Suddenly, three speeding vehicles with bright lights flashing came to a sliding stop in front of his gate
He knew his job was to defend that gate, but it was impossible from inside the kennel, Then a half dozen men ran past him and entered the house. Titian attacked the closed gate, still it remained shut. In hopeless frustration he began to howl sadly, he was still howling when the intruders led the Doctor and his wife out of the mansion and into one of the waiting vehicles and then drove them away-
Suddenly he smelled the perfume of the woman from the red taxi, and then he heard her calming voice say, as she unlocked his gate, Phillip if he rides in the truck can he come to Connecticut? Do you want to come home with us Titian?