RR - Murder in Schooner Bay

Title: Murder in Schooner Bay

Authors: Susan G.- Kathy - Anne

Ratings: K+

Summary: A stranger female was murdered in the sleepy town of Schooner Bay.
Carolyn and the spirit of Captain Daniel Gregg did help the FBI by finding
her murderer. A Round Robin Event!

Disclaimer: The characters of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir belongs to 20th Century
Fox and the David Gerber Productions. And the character of Agent Dana Scully
(the X-Files), who is involved in this story, belongs to CC, 1013 and Fox
Network. No infrigment is intended, no profit made and they will be returned
from whence they came. This story is for enjoyment only.

All other characters, plots, story lines and development of GAMM characters
belongs to the authors and may not be used or changed without the express
written permission of the authors.

1.
Martha hurried up the stairs and arrived at the door of Carolyn's room,
panting. Carolyn looked up in surprise.
"Martha, what is it?"
"Just ... just heard ... there was a murder ... found a body by the pier ...
a MURDER! Here ... in Schooner Bay!"
The Captain materialized. "Did I hear you right, Martha? Did you say
someone was murdered?"
Martha nodded, and finally caught her breath. "It's a woman ... Ed told me
that much, although he said he wasn't supposed to tell me even that! One of
the fishermen found her body this morning, wedged under the pier ..."
"How do they know she was murdered?" Carolyn asked.
"The rope that strangled her is still around her neck."
"You seem to have quite a bit of information already, Martha." the Captain
commented.
"There are investigators from away, all over Schooner Bay. Ed isn't going
to be allowed to handle this himself. Just as well, I suppose. Imagine! A
murder! Here! In this little backwater!" Martha shook her head. "Now, if
we still lived in Philly, I could see it ..."
"Surely no one here did it, though." Carolyn shivered. "It just doesn't
seem possible."
"Ed said that of course everyone is suspect ... but you know, the Seafarer's
Games were last weekend, so the place was packed. It could have been anybody."
"She's been dead that long?" Carolyn suddenly turned to the Captain, "Did
you know anything about this?"
"Madam, by what possible means can you imagine that *I* would know about a
murder?"
"Well ... you're dead. Can't you find the woman's ghost and ask her who
killed her?"
Carolyn received a disdainful look for her efforts. She shrugged. Martha
sighed. "I was hoping maybe you COULD have helped, Captain. Ah, well, poor
Sarah ..."
"Sarah?"
"Hmm. Ed told me her name was Sarah Bateman."
The Captain stiffened imperceptibly. Carolyn's face went white. "Sarah
Bateman!" she gasped.
Martha looked at her in surprise. "You KNOW her?" she questioned.
"If you will excuse me ..." the Captain spoke hurriedly, and vanished.
"Now where did HE go? Why do I get the feeling that you two know more about
this than *I* do, now?" Martha lamented.

2.
Carolyn didn't gave Martha an answer to her questions. Instead, she got up
from her chair, passed Martha and went to the door. Just before leaving the
room, she turned around, gave Martha a puzzled look, said, "Don't worry,
Martha." and left the room.
Martha was left standing alone in the room, worrying about what Mrs. Muir
and the Captain could have to do with the murder.
Meanwhile, back in town, everybody was busy down by the pier. The body of
the woman was lying on the planks. Ed Peevey came with Agent Scully to the
pier. Scully was not very happy to see so many people standing by the body,
and said to Ed, "It's not good for my work to have so many people here! I can't
work here with them around. They must get out of here."
Understanding Scully, Ed called to everyone loudly. "Please, you all must
get out of here! The police can't work!"
Slowly, everyone obeyed Ed and left. Meanwhile, Scully was by the dead woman
along with the coroner she had brought with her. "How long was she lying under
the pier, Coroner?" asked Scully.
The coroner looked up. "I can't say exactly right now, Agent Scully, maybe
two or three days."
"But can you say anything about that rope around her neck and where it could
have come from?"
"No, only that it's a very old rope, possibly from an old sailing ship." the
coroner said.
"That's very interesting." mused Agent Scully. "I had the same problem six
weeks ago. We couldn't find the murderer. Maybe it's the same murderer here?
We must find him or her!"

3.
Captain Gregg paced the widow walk, his thoughts whirling. Sarah. Sarah
Bateman. He remembered her from 10 years before, when she had broken into Gull
Cottage late one night. Although furious as usual at having his ship boarded
by an uninvited stranger, and a woman at that, he had relented when he had found
that she was only about sixteen, alone and crying.
Gruffly the Captain had asked her to state her business, since she was
trespassing. Seeing the kindness in his blue eyes despite his brusque manner,
Sarah had told him that she was a runaway and she wouldn't go home because no
one appreciated her there. Claymore had just installed a phone in the house,
despite the Captain's grumblings, so the seaman advised the girl to call her
father. He told her that as she certainly could not remain at Gull Cottage,
and that since appearances were not always what they seemed, perhaps she should
give her former life another chance. Sarah had wailed that her father was
Senator Bateman and an appointee to the President's cabinet, and she didn't
WANT to go home. Armed with the knowledge of her identity, the Captain managed
to alert the Senator as to his daughter's whereabouts.
In no time, the man had stormed in to Schooner Bay and had arrived at Gull
Cottage late that night to reclaim Sarah. The Captain talked her into going
home. When the senator demanded to know the name of this eccentric man who had
kidnapped his daughter, the Captain had exploded. Terrified, Senator Bateman
had left, dragging his daughter behind him. She had looked back all the way to
the car, her eyes pleading with the Captain to help her. And he had not. He
had assumed she was too young to know her own mind, and that she would settle
down eventually. What could have gone so horribly wrong with her life?

4.
Carolyn couldn't believe that Sarah was dead. She had just met the young
woman at the Seafarer's Games weekend, and had been hoping to visit more with
her. Candy and Jonathan had been talking with Sarah, then introduced her to
Carolyn, saying that Sarah had actually been in Gull Cottage a long time ago!
Knowing she was going to have to speak with both her son and her daughter again,
and do some investigation on her own to try to help solve this murder case,
Carolyn decided she should run down to Schooner Bay herself. She had been
hoping to hear more about Sarah's time in Gull Cottage, and now it was too late.
Unless she could persuade the Captain to reveal what he knew ...

5.
Meanwhile the killer had been standing for a long time by the pier and had
seen what people were doing. Spotting Agent Scully, this person knew now that
she was the one who would try in vain to find the murderer. After all, she
hadn't been able to find out who had killed someone else six weeks ago in the
same way. Hearing the talk, the murderer decided to visit Gull Cottage to find
out what the people of this cottage knew about Sarah Bateman and her murder.
The killer drove to the cottage, got out of the car and went to the door.
A knock brought Martha out of the living room, where she had been cleaning.
She opened the door and a stranger was standing before her.
"What do you want?" she asked.
The stranger answered, "I want to speak with Mrs. Muir".
"Mrs. Muir isn't home now. She went into town and I don't know when she will
be back. What do you want from her and who are you?"
Suddenly Captain Gregg heard voices downstairs and decided to take a closer
look. He went down, invisible to the person at the door, and listened in on
the conversation that Martha was having with the stranger standing outside the
door.
"I think that's not your business." the stranger answered. "I said, I want
to speak with Mrs. Muir."
"And I said, she isn't here now."
The Captain couldn't believe what he was hearing. That stranger wanted to
speak with Carolyn Muir, about what and why? Suddenly he knew he had seen this
person before but he couldn't remember where and when.

6.
"Mrs. Muir, WHY did this have to happen NOW? If it had been later, my term
on the Town Council would have been up, and I wouldn't have to spearhead an
investigation! The extra work and the extra cost of this! Oh, I can't bear
it!"
"Claymore, I'm sure she didn't CHOOSE to be killed now!" Carolyn frowned at
him. "And what do you mean, your term would be up? Are you actually leaving
politics?"
He glared at her. "Why would you ask that? Do I look like a quitter? The
town NEEDS me." His chest puffed out, and he took a deep breath. "No, I will
remain here at my post. A Gregg never gives up! I will fight to my last
breath ...!"
In spite of the seriousness of the matter, Carolyn had to smile, remembering
the Captain giving Claymore this very pep talk. "And to your last penny?"
"Mrs. Muir! Bite your tongue! This is a town matter, not a personal one!"
"Yes, of course. Forgive me, Claymore." she murmured.
"And it's not the money, which is considerable. It's the workload that has
me worried."
"But Claymore, I thought Agent Scully was taking charge?"
"Mrs. Muir, no offense, but she's a woman, and from away. How could she
know how to investigate a murder HERE?"
"I think you should proceed by keeping your eyes open and your mouth shut
for a while, Claymore." Carolyn said wryly. "Or offense WILL be taken!"

7.
Five hours after speaking with the coroner and Ed Peevey, from whom she had
gotten the woman's name, Agent Scully decided to speak with the other person
who could be involved in this case. But before she left her hotel room, the
coroner called her.
"What happened, Coroner?"
"Agent Scully, I find I must tell you first something about that rope that
was around the woman's neck. I found out where it's from."
"And where DID it come from?"
Scully listened to the voice of the coroner who told her where the rope had
come from. Suddenly she said, "That could be possible, but are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure." came the answer.
"Thanks, Coroner, for calling me. Maybe later we could talk about this more.
I am rather busy now. I have to speak with the person here in town who could be
involved." and she hung up.
Scully decided to speak first with Carolyn Muir, the writer lady here in
Schooner Bay, the one who had leased Gull Cottage many years ago. Scully mused
that the case must have something to do with that cottage. She left her room
and went to her car that was parked on the other side of the road.

8.
At the same time, at Gull Cottage, Carolyn arrived home from her
talk with Claymore. The stranger, who had planned to come five hours
ago, was nowhere in sight. Martha greeted Carolyn at the door, but
before she could saying anything about the visitor they had had while
Carolyn was in town, the Captain materialized and gave Carolyn the news.
"We had a visitor here at Gull Cottage while you were in town, my
dear."
"A visitor, you say?" Carolyn asked in surprise. "Who was it, and
what did he want?"
"She wants to speak with you, but didn't tell Martha why."
"She?!"
"Yes, she, Mrs. Muir." now Martha gave her answer. "Captain, how did
you know that? Sorry, I forgot."
"It's alright, Martha."
"Captain, did you know who she was?" Carolyn asked.
"No, my dear, but I know that I have seen her before. I just cannot
remember at this time where I have seen her."
Martha gave both a puzzled look. "I think you both should find out
where she is." and she left the kitchen.
Carolyn and Daniel were alone now.
"Daniel, we must speak about Sarah Bateman, while Martha's gone."
Carolyn said suddenly.
Daniel decided that he should tell Carolyn the whole story about that
girl and the truth about what had happened and who Sarah was. "You are
right, Carolyn, we should speak about Sarah. And I will tell you the
truth about what happened before you came into my life."
Captain Gregg told his story. He said, "Carolyn, she was a senator's
daughter and she had broken into Gull Collage ten years ago. We met,
you could say, late at night. She knows about me, as you do. I talked
to her, telling her that she should call her father to come here and
pick her up. Sarah was not very happy about going home. Her father was
harsh."
After he finished, neither spoke a word at first. Then Daniel spoke
first. "What do you think, Carolyn?"
"Oh, Daniel, I am sorry, I had no idea what was on her mind when I
met her. It's tragic that I couldn't talk with her anymore."
"Yes, my dear, and that is why we should find her murderer
immediately."
As Daniel mentioned that, Carolyn's thoughts were suddenly on the
woman who had wanted to talk with her earlier in town.
Daniel saw that Carolyn's thoughts were elsewhere yet again and
asked. "What are you thinking now, my dear? You are not yourself at
this moment."
"Sorry, Captain. I was trying to figure out who that woman was who
wants to talk with me." answered Carolyn.
"Oh, yes, my dear." The Captain was worried. Why was Carolyn
thinking about that woman now and what was on her mind?
"Will you excuse me, Captain? I'm going to my room to work on that
article that I have got in my mind. And don't worry about me, Daniel, I
will be fine." With that, she went out the kitchen door.
Daniel was standing alone. Why was he so worried about Carolyn, he
wondered? He wanted to keep an eye on her. With that thought, he
dematerialized.
But Carolyn hadn't even thought to work. She left Gull Cottage
silently, a fact of which Captain Gregg was unaware. Carolyn wanted to
search for the woman who wanted to speak with her, to find who she was
and what she wanted from her.

9.
"Martha! Where has Mrs. Muir gone? She told me she was going to
work in our room!" the Captain bellowed outside of Martha's room after
finding an empty cabin upstairs.
Martha poked her head out the door. "Really, Captain, she doesn't
tell me everything, you know. Maybe she went back to Schooner Bay?"
"Why?"
"I may be many things, but I'm not clairvoyant, Captain."
"I can't find her anywhere!" the frustrated seaman paced the floor.
Martha realized instantly that he was very concerned.
But before she could say any more, a knock came at the door of Gull
Cottage again. "This is like Grand Central Station!" she grumbled. "I
knew we should put up a No Vacancy sign." She brushed past the Captain
and hurried to the door, not willing to be polite at all when she viewed
another stranger standing before her.
"Now what do YOU want?" Martha demanded.
"I'd like to speak with Mrs. Muir." Agent Scully introduced herself.
"Are you her, by any chance?"
"No, I'm Miss Grant. Mrs. Muir's not here. She went in to Schooner
Bay." Martha didn't mention that she had gone a while ago, returned,
THEN disappeared, according to the Captain, who should be the expert on
disappearances!
"But I just came from there, and was told by a Mr. Gregg that she had
come home an hour ago!"
Martha looked surprised, then a little concerned. "Well, I've been
expecting her, as has the Cap... I mean, well, I've been expecting her."
"Is there anyone else who would know where to find her? It's rather
urgent ..."
"I'm afraid not. If Mr. Gregg doesn't know ..."
"I understand Mrs. Muir rents this house from Mr. Gregg. Someone
made a comment about a Captain Gregg that I overheard, in connection
with Gull Cottage, which I believe is the name of this house. Could you
tell me if he lives here?"
Looking a little disconcerted, Martha nevertheless replied firmly,
"No one by the name of Gregg ‘lives' here, Agent Scully."
At that point, the Captain appeared beside Martha, smiling and saying
approvingly, "You said that rather well, Martha. I'm proud of you!"
Knowing the other woman couldn't see him, Martha acknowledged his
praise with a quick look, then she returned her gaze to Agent Scully.
"I really do expect she should be coming soon. Would you like to come
in and wait for her?" The Captain glared at Martha.
Agent Scully looked at her watch, then sighed. "No. I've got some
other things to do. I'll be back. Please, just tell Mrs. Muir that I
must speak with her."
After closing the door, Martha looked at the Captain, with a worried
expression on her face. "Now, Captain, where do you think she could
be? I know she was home earlier — we both talked with her! I can't
imagine what has happened. She's not usually absentminded, unless she's
upstairs writing! Would she have gone back to Schooner Bay to search
for something or someone? What are we going to do?"
"I'm at your service, Martha." the Captain bowed slightly. "Never
fear. I will find her, if she is in Schooner Bay." and he vanished.
"And if she's not?" Martha muttered. Then she scolded herself
roundly. "Of course she will be. Where else would she be!"
But the Captain could not find Carolyn anywhere.

10.
Dana Scully ran her hands through her hair, trying to keep her mind focused
on what was at hand. But that seemed to be the problem, what exactly was going
on here? What with people disappearing and reappearing and the same m.o. used
for the murder that she had stumbled across before, she just wasn't sure what
to think.
A murder in a small town such as Schooner Bay wasn't exactly her cup of tea,
but when the phone call had come "requesting" that she head towards the tiny
Maine town, she had packed her bags and hopped a plane. On the way, she had
made a quick study of the victim -- at least they had known it was Sarah Bateman
who had been killed before they had called her. Which was why they had called
her, she was assured. Senator Bateman had a bid in for the Republican
presidential race and he didn't want anything to hinder his chance. Not even
the murder of his daughter.
But this didn't make any sense. Sarah Bateman had no known enemies or bad
habits. She was a school teacher at a private school in Washington D.C. She
had been a stranger to Schooner Bay. As far as Scully could deduce, Sarah knew
no one and had no reason to be in the town. Like many other people in town
over the weekend, she had come to participate in the Seafarer's Games. The
whole event actually sounded like fun, Scully thought. If you had time for
such pleasantries.
Picking up the phone, she dialed the number that she had been given to Gull
Cottage, asking the girl who answered if Mrs. Muir were now available. "No,
she's not here." the child answered. Where could that woman be? She was the
last one to speak to Sarah as far as Dana could ascertain.
Thanking the girl, Scully hung up the phone. Walking out on the balcony off
her room, she took in the view below. The sea was a short distance away, the
waves rolling in, chasing the sand as it hit the shore. Smiling at the thought
of sun-filled days, playing in the water and collecting seashells, Scully leaned
over to get a closer look.
What was that? It looked like a person for half a second, but then it
quickly disappeared. There it was again. Yes, it was a person searching for
something. She blinked and the man once again vanished. Now if Mulder were
here, he would tell her with his crooked smile that it was an alien and she had
nothing to fear except perhaps for meeting an untimely end. Scully rubbed her
head in agitation. There had been plenty of talk of ghosts here in this
backwater. Give her aliens any day, she thought. Of course, she'd take a
ghost if he could help her figure out who had killed Sarah Bateman. Well, one
thing at a time. First find Carolyn Muir and then go from there.

11.
Neither Daniel Gregg nor Martha nor even Agent Scully had an idea that
Carolyn had meanwhile found the woman who had asked for her, and that both
weren't far behind Gull Cottage. As she met the woman, Carolyn suddenly knew
where she had seen her and what her name was. She had spoken with her in
Schooner Bay at the Seafarer's Games. She had asked her about Sarah Bateman and
Gull Cottage.
As the killer became aware of Mrs. Muir's thoughts and the expression on her
face -- that Carolyn now knew who she was -- she decided to kidnap her.

12.
"I could not find her anywhere, Martha." the Captain's voice sounded
hopeless.
"We'll just sit tight for a while. She might suddenly have remembered
something she needed in Boston." Martha pretended not to be too worried. "I
was just sitting here thinking about ME, rubbing elbows with a ghost! I never
thought I had it in me. You know, it reminds me of that British TV show, My
Partner the Ghost."
The Captain looked blank.
"Oh, sorry, Captain. I forget sometimes. Jeff Randall and Marty Hopkirk
were private investigators. Jeff was a swinging bachelor, and Marty was
married to Jeannie, the Agency secretary. The first show, Marty was killed in
a hit and run accident. He came back as a ghost to help his partner solve the
crime of his own murder ... and continued to hang around and help. Jeff was
the only one who could see him. Marty kept hoping Jeannie would be able to
communicate with him and vice versa, but that never happened. You know, I
thought I liked mysteries, they're so romantic, but I guess I only like reading
them and watching them on TV. Living it is too much for me. You're good for
the mystery part, but your romance leaves something to be desired."
Now Captain Gregg looked indignant. "I will have you know, Miss Martha
Grant, that in my present state, romance is not really an option! Now if I
were still alive ..."
Martha interrupted him, "You know, Captain, I had a dream about that once.
You WERE alive ... and we were living here in Gull Cottage, and you were going
to marry Mrs. Muir! I had forgotten all about that! Mighty strange things
come out in dreams, you know."
"Hmm." was all the Captain could say in reply.

13.
The smells of tar and rotting fish were the first senses that Carolyn noticed
when she woke up. Her arms were tied behind her back and she had a burning
feeling in the pit of her stomach. Gingerly she tried to get up from the
surface she was lying on, and that's when she noticed that her ankles were tied
together as well.
It had all happened so fast. She had left Claymore's office and was heading
towards her car, when a woman she did not recognize approached her. She was
tall for a woman, her dark hair falling past her shoulders, a woman you had to
consider beautiful and -- maybe she was being silly -- dangerous.
"Excuse me Mrs. Muir." the woman's voice had been deep and commanding. "I
think perhaps that you should come with me."
"No, I'm sorry, I don't think so." she tried to sound casual. "I really
need to get on home, they are expecting me. Now if you will excuse me..."
"I'm sure they will get used to the delay," was the last thing Carolyn
remembered hearing before she felt like she was falling into a dark hole. And
now she had woken up here in this dark, dank place. The coolness made her
think that it might be a cave, a cave near the ocean. Or maybe a ship's hold,
but she didn't know of any ships currently docked in Schooner Bay.
'The important thing is not to panic, Carolyn' she reminded herself. 'Just
lie still and don't panic. Everything will be okay.' As a little girl she had
been particularly fond of those Errol Flynn movies, where the heroine was an
inch from death and suddenly the handsome Captain Blood would swoop into the
room, cut her ropes, fight off five or six pirates while he held her, defeat
them all and swoop out with the girl. They would land conveniently on the deck,
where they would kiss and pledge eternal love to one another.
Her thoughts went to her Captain and she felt tears build in her eyes. Did
they realize that she was missing yet? With all the police and FBI roaming
the shores of Schooner Bay, she should feel more confident she would be found,
but somehow assurance was not what she was feeling.
"Mrs. Muir?" a man's voice startled her. She scolded herself for having
not seen him, only then realizing that her eyes were scrunched closed. Carolyn
didn't acknowledge that she heard him, hoping he would just go away. Blinking
into the darkness, she could only see the outline of the man, standing much too
close to where she was lying. "Mrs. Muir, I hope you enjoyed your little nap.
It's time for you to get up now. Cassandra has a few things she needs to ask
you." his English was clipped and precise.
"And if I refuse to talk with her?" she was trying not to scream.
He leaned down so close to her, she could feel his breath on her face. "I
don't think that will be an option."

14.
As Carolyn pondered this, that woman appeared by her side.
"What I am doing here and where I am?" demanded Carolyn.
But the person gave her no answer.
"Very well," Carolyn continued, "I know who you are, but I don't know what
you want from me or why I am here!"
Suddenly the other woman spoke. "You are not in the position to ask the
questions here. I want answers from you. You know who I am and where we have
met. And now I want to know from you, what do you know about me?"
"I don't understand."
"But I think you understand very well!" the woman spoke loudly. "What did
Sarah tell you about me? You have spoken with her. I have seen it."
"Nothing, we had just a small talk." insisted Carolyn.
"I think that's not the truth."
"Why do you think she told me anything about YOU? On the other hand, why do
you ask me about Sarah Bateman? You must be connected." mused Carolyn.

15.
His hands might as well be tied, he thought. For all the good he could do,
he might as well be the one who was missing. Carolyn had been gone for several
hours now and no one seemed to know anything about where she might be. Claymore
kept insisting that she had left him to return home and that was all he knew
about it. "For goodness sake, *I* didn't kidnap her." he told the frustrated
Captain, with his whiny voice. For once Captain Gregg didn't fault him, he
could tell he was just as worried about Carolyn as he, himself was.
"Any news, Martha?" he inquired of the housekeeper.
"Nothing. I'm just willing that phone to ring, but it doesn't. I can
understand about the fuss about a murder and the police and the FBI and the
reporters. But why would anyone kidnap Mrs. Muir?" her voice was close to
tears.
"Of course, she may just be on an errand or something," the Captain said,
not believing it. It wasn't like Carolyn to disappear and not tell anyone.
Looking at the clock, it would soon be getting dark. Wherever she was, he
hoped she was at least indoors and not hurting too much.
He paced back and forth on the widow's walk trying to figure out if there
was anything he could do. If he were a mortal man...well, what could he do in
that case? Rush in with a sword to save the day? He didn't even know for sure
if she were in danger, but his sixth sense was telling him she was. Well, he
couldn't stand around here and wait any longer.
Materializing in downtown Schooner Bay, he located Carolyn's car. At least
he could see if there were any clues. 'Now I think I'm blasted Sherlock Holmes',
he thought with an ironic smile. After making a careful search of the vehicle
and coming up with nothing, he decided there had to be a way to contact the
agent who had been to the house earlier in the day. Wasn't she staying at the
Inn? If she wasn't the weepy kind of woman who would faint dead away at the
sight of a spirit, maybe he could find out from her exactly what was going on
here. He needed to know the significance of this murder and why Carolyn was
missing. What was the connection?
He saw something shiny on the pavement, and bent to pick it up. Turning it
over in his hands, he saw it was a pen. Not the typical ball point, but a real
fountain pen, silver with initials engraved into it? Was this perhaps a clue
as to who had taken Carolyn? No, that would be too easy, too simple. It was
what was called a red herring, wasn't it? Still, not wanting to leave any
stone unturned, he put the pen in his pocket and went in search of Agent Scully.

16.
As he searched for Agent Scully, he saw suddenly a woman coming up the road.
When he saw her, suddenly he was reminded where he had seen her before. It was
at the Seafarer's Games, and he had seen her speaking with his beloved Carolyn.
But who was she and why had she spoken with Mrs. Muir?
He decided to find Agent Scully in a hurry. He needed to inform her in any
way possible what he had found out.

17.
Carolyn blinked her eyes as she groggily became aware of her surroundings
again. When she had refused to answer any questions, she had been slapped and
kicked. Cassandra obviously had a vicious temper. So did her henchman. A
blow to the side of her head had knocked Carolyn out completely. Now she was
alone, still in the dark, dank prison, and aching all over. In anguish, she
called out in her mind, "Daniel! Oh, Daniel, I need you! Please help me!"
Captain Gregg stiffened mid stride and paused as he caught the faint thought.
Carolyn! It was Carolyn! Bending all his considerable powers, he concentrated
on sending a message of love, concern and assurance. "Carolyn! Where ARE you,
my dear? Guide me to you ..."
But there was no answer. Only a forlorn silence. Had she heard him? Again
he cursed his impotence in this situation. Clutching the pen in his hand, he
resumed his search for the woman agent he hoped desperately could aid him.

18.
But then the Captain decided to follow the woman he had seen before and he
spotted her again. And he was right, she had taken him to place where Carolyn
was. Daniel saw three people standing on the deck of an old fishing boat. None of
the three had a idea that Captain Greg had followed Cassandra. He was invisible to
all of them.
But his beloved Carolyn was nowhere in sight.
'Where is she?' he wondered. ‘Maybe she would be below deck?' He vanished
and appeared by her side. Aha, there she was, lying tied with ropes on the
ground.
In that moment Carolyn became aware of Daniel's presence. "I'm so happy you
found me, Daniel." said Carolyn, with tears in her eyes.
"Of course, my dear." came the answer. "But we must be very quiet. Those bad
people are standing on deck. Why have they kidnapped you and who are those
people?"
"I don't know who they are or why they knocked me out. I know only this,
Cassandra is the woman I talked with and she is the one who asked me about
Sarah. And now she wanted to hear from me what Sarah had told me at the
Games."
"Why should they think Sarah had told you anything? What was she supposed to
tell you?"
"No idea. Daniel!"
"Yes?"
"You must find Agent Scully and tell her where I am and that there are three
people. Please bring her here! Daniel, you have to leave now."
"But, Carolyn..."
"Sssh, I will be safe and fine. Please, go and bring her here." begged
Carolyn.
"Very well, my dear. I'll be back in an instant." and with that he vanished.

19.
Things were not going according to the plan. What seemed like such a simple
thing was now one big mess. Something had to be done and it must be done now.
Unfortunately, killing the Muir woman wouldn't be of any use. She was worth
more to Cassandra alive than dead. She was the last person who had talked to
Sarah Bateman and it was imperative that she, Cassandra, know what was said.
Stubborn woman! She refused to tell them anything. Miguel had not been able
to sweet talk her, nor George to beat it out of her. The woman still insisted
that she knew nothing. They had only exchanged chit-chat at their brief meeting.
Cassandra let out a curse, hitting her hand against the smooth finish of the
yacht's wheel. If only Sarah Bateman had not witnessed the murder of Joanna
Clay, there wouldn't be a problem. Joanna, like Sarah, had been young and
ambitious. When Senator Bateman had promised the lovely intern great rewards
for "borrowing" information from his rival, he had never thought that she was
playing both sides. Joanna had been so clever in her scheme that neither man
had known that she was trading their information back and forth. And then she
had dared to blackmail them.
Cassandra had taken the job willingly when Senators Bateman and Troy had
offered a payoff worth several lifetimes to rid them of their problem. She had
thought the rope used for the job was an appropriate ending to Miss Clay, as
she had been fond of sailing ships. If only Sarah Bateman had not gotten in
the way. They had tried to take her out that same night, but she had slipped
through their hands. Finding her in Schooner Bay had been sheer luck, killing
her with part of the same rope had been justice.
It wasn't just the fact that Sarah had witnessed Joanna's murder but that she
had stumbled across Cassandra's secret as well. That was why Cassandra had
wanted her dead. She had to find out if Sarah had told this Muir woman what
the secret was. But how? How could they make her cooperate? Digging into
the stack of papers she had on a nearby desk, Cassandra found the article she
had read earlier, that Carolyn Muir had written. The article had attracted her
attention because it was about sailing ships. The Schooner Bay Beacon, what a
small paper. But then she saw something she hadn't noticed before. It gave
the woman's residence as Gull Cottage. Strange, but those had been Sarah's
last words.

20.
Before Captain Gregg had completely left the area, he had overheard the talk
those people had had. He knew now that this bad woman, Cassandra, was the one
who had killed the other woman six weeks ago. Also that it all had to do with
Senator Bateman. He knew also that Sarah was the one who had seen her do the
killing. That had Cassandra thinking that Sarah had told his beloved Carolyn
that she, Sarah, had seen Cassandra in the act of killing and that she knew
about Gull Cottage.
He was now on his way to Agent Scully to tell her that he had found Mrs.
Muir, where she was, and that there were people still close by on the yacht.
He found Scully at the hotel. She was standing outside on the balcony, lost
in her thoughts. Suddenly Agent Scully became aware that someone was in her
room and this person wasn't alive. Then she saw Captain Gregg was standing
before her. For a moment she couldn't say anything, then Scully found her
voice.
"You must be Captain Gregg, the man who haunts Gull Cottage. The one the
people here talk about. I don't know why I can see you now and what do you
want?"
"Because I wished it." shouted Captain Gregg. "Stop talking and follow me."
"Why?" shouted Scully back.
"Why? I have found Mrs. Muir and her kidnappers." yelled Daniel.
"So, you have found her! How, and where is she?" asked Scully.
"Of course I have found her, because I am a ghost, remember?"
"Oh, yes, sorry." Scully answered. "Would you please tell me now how you
found her and then we can go?"
"I searched for Mrs. Muir here in town. I found her empty car that was
parked off the road and this pen near by on the ground. I decided to search
for you, then I saw a woman coming up the road. At that moment, I remembered
where I seen her before, so I decided to follow her. And I was right. She took
me to that place where they are holding Mrs. Muir."
"You said you saw a woman! Where is she?" Scully interrupted the Captain.
"Stop interrupting me, and I will tell you what I have found out." shouted
Captain Gregg.
"Okay!"

21.
"May I continue now?" asked the Captain.
"Alright, please do." came the answer.
"I found three people standing on deck of an old fishing boat, two men and a
woman, but Mrs. Muir was nowhere in sight. I decided to go below and there I
found her, tied with ropes, lying on the deck. I was talking with her about
the strangers and she told me that the woman's name is Cassandra. She was the
one who had kidnapped her. Cassandra thought that Sarah had told Mrs. Muir
about seeing Cassandra as she had killed another woman six weeks ago."
"The woman's first name is Cassandra, you say?" Scully interrupted Captain
Gregg again.
"Of course!" shouted the Captain back. "You interrupted me again!"
"Sorry, please continue." said Scully, subdued.
"I did not want to leave Mrs. Muir, but she said I should find you and bring
you to her. Before I left the area, I heard those three people talking about
Senator Bateman and that this all had to do with him. Agent Scully, Cassandra
knows about Gull Cottage. She was there and asked for Mrs. Muir, five hours
before you came. I think we have talked enough. We should not waste more time,
but rescue her now." said Daniel.

22.
"Oh, additionally, Agent Scully, before we go, there is something I forgot
to tell you. There is a yacht far behind." said Captain Gregg.
Before he could disappear, Scully stopped him in the middle of his vanish.
"Wait a moment, Captain, we need a plan, we can't just pop in." the Agent told
him.
"Why not?" asked Daniel astonished. "And what's the plan?"
"Because, murderers don't always react just like one expects it." came the
answer. "You must help me. For that, I need your cooperation."
"Blast it, you have it!" replied Daniel. "And now, what can I do in this
case?"
"You can supervise those three persons. They can't see you, can they?" said
Scully.
"Of course, they can't see me." shouted Captain Gregg back.
"Alright, alright!" answered Scully. "Now, you also could tell me where
everyone is. I will be near by."
"And what will you do then?" asked the Captain.
"*I* will take care of those men and woman and you could rescue Mrs. Muir."
came Scully's quick answer.
"Very well." With that, Daniel vanished from the scene.

23.
Carolyn tried to ease her aching muscles by stretching as much as she could
while bound so tightly. She tried to be unobtrusive, not sure whether or not
she was being monitored by Cassandra and her two henchmen. In spite of trying
hard to prevent it, a hot tear forced its way down her cheek. How had she
gotten into this mess? She hoped the others in Gull Cottage were safe. Knowing
that Daniel knew where she was and was coming to save her DID warm her slightly.
If only he would hurry. She had heard Cassandra say they had to leave quickly,
and probably had no need of their ‘excess baggage' any more. Carolyn fervently
hoped that did not mean what she was afraid it might!

24.
What Carolyn didn't know was that her beloved Daniel and Agent Scully were
not far away. The Captain spotted the two men and Cassandra on the deck of
her yacht. He was invisible to them. The hectic activity on board told him
that they were planning to leave town in a hurry. He hoped that Carolyn was
still okay. He decided, before he talked with Agent Scully, to look for Carolyn
and tell her that Agent Scully was here with him. He vanished and materialized
by Carolyn's side. Oh, good, she was still here, right where he had left her.
Carolyn looked up and saw Daniel standing before her. "Oh, Daniel, I am so
happy you came back in such a hurry." came Carolyn's tiny voice.
"Of course, my dear, I did promise it." said Daniel. "I will have you free
from these ropes in an instant." and with that he waved his hands and she was
free.
Feeling the freedom, she came slowly to her feet. "Have you seen Cassandra
and the men?" asked Carolyn. "And where is Agent Scully? Did she come with
you?"
"Wait a minute, Carolyn." replied Daniel. "First, what about you? You are
alright? You were tied for a while!"
"Yes, so far, Daniel, but I'm aching all over and I am so tired." came her
voice. "How can I get out of here? And you didn't answer my question about
Agent Scully."
"Oh yes, she is near by and waiting for my return." Daniel answered.
"Then you shouldn't let her wait any longer, Daniel. You can leave me alone
for the moment. I am okay." replied Carolyn.
"Very well, my dear, I will leave you now, but I'll be back in an instant."
and with that, he vanished.
Agent Scully, meanwhile, was on the pier and waiting for the Captain's return.
In a moment, Captain Gregg materialized by her side. "Oh, Captain, what have
you found out?" whispered Scully. "Where are the people now?"
"I saw all three standing on the deck of the yacht. I think they are planning
to leave immediately." came the Captain's answer.
"Then I must work quickly. Have you seen Mrs. Muir?" asked Scully.
"Oh, yes, I have seen her. She is okay, I think." came the Captain's voice.

25.
Despite the fact that she had alerted back up to the vicinity, Scully was
nervous about what she was about to do. Taking stock of the situation, she
began to count the points off on her fingers. 1) She had Cassandra and her
accomplices where she wanted them. 2) They still had Carolyn Muir. 3) The
Captain would be of some help, but really, what could a ghost do? Scare them to
death? Well, that was a start.
"Captain Gregg, may I ask for your assistance?" she turned to face the spirit.
"Do you know anything about yachts?" her face reddening at the question she had
just asked an experienced seaman.
He let her comment go, she noticed thankfully, and just replied, "What do you
need me to do?"
***************
Cassandra had sent Miguel down to take care of their little problem, not
wanting any evidence of their time in Schooner Bay. She wasn't worried about
Agent Scully knowing where she was. That would only make this game of good guy/
bad guy more fun. Looking at her watch, Cassandra wondered what was taking
Miguel so long. How long did it take to kill a woman anyway? Especially one
that had been beaten like the Muir woman had. "George," she called out to her
lieutenant, "I think we might have to leave Miguel behind. We can't wait much
longer."
George muttered a curse, heading off in the direction of the hatchway. He'd
kill both of them, that would be less of a hassle all around. He was getting
tired of Miguel anyway. Starting down the steps, he ran into something so solid
that it threw him backwards. "What the ...?" he tried to get up. Feeling icy
fingers in his shirt collar, he was soon suspended in mid air, his legs going
every which way. A gun shot ran out somewhere and sirens were in the distance.
George felt himself drop and then everything went still.

26.
At the same time as George dropped down, Cassandra was trying to jump over board to escape.
But she was cut off midway by the ghost of Sarah Bateman. "No!" Cassandra cried. "Not you, it
couldn't be! You are dead."
"Oh, yes, Cassandra, I am." came Sarah's answer. "You killed me. Now you won't escape your
punishment."
"No! No!" cried Cassandra again. In this moment, another shot was fired and Cassandra was hit.
She felt a pain in her chest, went backwards overboard and drowned.
Meanwhile, Carolyn and Captain Gregg were on board the yacht. Sarah saw them and thanked
them both for the help in finding her murderer. Then she vanished.
"What do you think, Carolyn?" asked Daniel.
"I think she's happy now, Daniel." whispered Carolyn.
"Of course, my dear. And we should go home now, you need to rest."
"Let's go, Daniel, and thank you for rescuing me." Carolyn said. And they went home.

27.
The Captain and Carolyn made their way down the pier to Carolyn's car. Agent Scully
saw both coming, but decided not to speak with them on the pier, amongst so many
people. She would speak with them later in Gull Cottage. All was done here, so she also
got into her car.
Martha was waiting in the living room. It had been two hours since she had heard
anything from the Captain. What could have happened? In this moment, she heard a car
coming and looked out the window. To her joy, she saw that it was Mrs Muir's car.
'Captain Gregg must found her!' Martha thought and so it was.
She hurried to the front door and opened it for them both, ready to greet them. Carolyn
and the Captain reached the door. "Oh, Mrs. Muir, I am so glad the Captain found you!
Where were you?" came Martha's happy voice.
Before Carolyn could say anything, Daniel answered for her. "Yes, I found her. But I
think we should let Mrs. Muir rest. You can talk with her tomorrow."
"Of course, Captain, I forgot. Let's talk about later. Mrs Muir, I wish you a good night."
"Thanks, Martha." came Carolyn's tiny answer and she went upstairs to her room.
Captain Gregg and Martha were alone now. "Please, Captain, could you tell me where
Mrs. Muir was? I was very worried."
But before the Captain could give Martha an answer, a knock came to the door. Martha
mused. "Who could that be at this time of night?" and with that, she opened the door.
Before her was standing Agent Scully. Martha was perplexed and asked, "What do you
want now, at this time of night, Agent Scully?"
"Sorry, I know it's late, Miss Grant, but I must speak with Mrs. Muir and maybe with
Captain Gregg." came Scully's answwer.
Martha was baffled. Agent Scully knew about the Captain? But how?
Before she could answer, Captain Gregg materialized by her side. "It's okay Martha, I'll
talk with Agent Scully."
"As you wish, Captain." with that, she went to her room.
"What do you want now, Agent? It's all done, I believe."
"Oh, yes, Captain, but I am here to thank you for your help. I wonder what happened on
board the yacht, but I think I can guess. And I thought once that maybe I could speak with
Mrs. Muir, but I suppose it is very late, so I will leave you now. I'm driving home since I
have another case. Goodbye, Captain Gregg." And with that, she got into her car and drove
away.
"Goodbye, Agent Scully." called the Captain afterwards. With that, he closed the door
and vanished. He materialized in their room, thinking Carolyn was sleeping, but he saw her
standing outside on the balcony. He vanished and materialized an second later by her side.
Carolyn saw him standing before her. "Oh, Daniel. What a nightmare, but I know it
really happened."
"Yes, my dear Carolyn." came Daniel's voice. "But what are you doing outside here? You
should be resting!"
"I know, but I needed some fresh air after all." came Carolyn's answer. "And I will go to
bed."
"Oh yes, of course, my dear." and with that he swept her in his arms and gave her a
long-lasting kiss.

THE END!!
(Diana -- by proxy!)

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