That was most concerning of all to Clara. It made her worry about Ezra, who had started to believe in ghosts lately. What if those rumors and fears worked their way into his mind? What if it made his mental health shaky?
After the incident that morning, she had an even deeper fear. What if those worries were working their way into her mind? What if they distorted her perception? What if she was the next person to snap?
She opened the file in hopes of finding answers that could prevent all of that.
29
Maggie’s family had been worried about her for quite some time now. When she first met William, they were all so impressed by him. He was a hard worker, a gentleman, polite, and kind. Most importantly, he made her happy. They loved to see the way she glowed when she talked about him. Their wedding was lovely, and everyone thought they’d live out that happily ever after they all coveted.
They were excited for her when the couple was able to save up enough money to buy a gorgeous property and build a bed and breakfast on it. The pair worked building it together, hammering away into the night. They used up the last of their savings to finish it up.
Unbeknownst to their loved ones, the project cost more than intended so they took out a loan to complete it. They took out another loan to get the business started. They still had good credit, and banks were eager to get people to start investing in this tiny town. So, they had a discussion.
Running a business like this was going to take a lot of time and hard work to make it successful. They were starting from scratch, taking a risk. They both wanted this more than anything else. They were willing to do anything it took to make this business a success.
So, after some thought, they took out a third loan to ensure William could quit his job and join his wife in putting their all into this new business. It’d give them enough money to live off while they waited for the income to come in.
Opening day was more successful than they even hoped for. Everyone in town came out to celebrate with them, and after seeing what impressive work Maggie and William had done, guests were eager to book rooms. They were the only bed and breakfast in town. Visitors who couldn’t stay with family had to stay with them. The future was bright, and they were sure they were going to succeed.
Then, Maggie got pregnant. It wasn’t great timing, but they always wanted children someday, so the couple was still happy about it. They were certain they could make it work. They’d just have to work harder, spend less. They had good intentions. It seemed impossible that their dream could ever go wrong.
They had their baby boy and from an outsider’s perspective, the little family was happy and flourishing. And for a while, they were. Until the bills started piling up. The economy took a turn for the worse. People had to focus on the essentials, they didn’t have enough extra money to travel, let alone stay at a bed and breakfast. William started drinking heavily.
On the fateful day of the murder, William started drinking at 10am. Maggie took Billy to the park with her best friend. As the children were playing, she confessed to the troubles in her marriage and home life. Her husband was drinking too much, getting angry all the time, and they were behind on all their payments. They couldn’t take out any more loans.
As she cried, her friend asked her to come stay with them for a while. She was worried about Maggie being alone in the house with a man who was clearly struggling. She didn’t want to see anyone get hurt. She promised they could work through this together, she’d help her get back on her feet. But she thought some breathing room might be best. It might even encourage William to get help for his addiction.
As Maggie watched her son playing in the carefree way he no longer could in their home, she seriously considered this offer. She told her friend that she’d think about it and get back to her the next day. That night, her friend went home and got a room ready for Maggie and Billy. She’d seen the look in Maggie’s eyes. She was ready for a change and her friend was thankful for it.
Meanwhile, William continued drinking. He paused just long enough to get the mail and open the envelope he’d been dreading. He hadn’t quite been honest with Maggie about how behind they were. He hadn’t quite been honest about how much money he spent on the endless amount of alcohol he was consuming.
Now, the bank was going to foreclose on their house. They were going to steal the bed and breakfast the couple worked so hard to build. William was angry, disappointed in himself. He had never felt so hopeless in his life. Mostly, he was ashamed.
He always wanted to be a good husband to Maggie. He loved her and Billy more than anything else in the world. When they first got married, he thought they were going to live the perfect life. He was willing to give his all to make her dreams come true. He really thought they were going to be happy, successful.
Somewhere along the way though, he let her down. He hated himself for it. And for a moment, this gave him the motivation to try to sober up. He was going to do better. He was going to be a better husband, a better father. He’d fix this.
He went into the office and researched different jobs he might be able to get, and
