Mystified, Julia stepped back from the oval window in disbelief. Her left foot broke through a loosened plank in the floor. She saw a large, green, leather bound photo album tied with a worn string peeking through the new opening. It stopped her foot from going through the second set of boards holding up the ceiling below. She thought, “Who would hide a photo album in the floor?” She untied the string which seemed to disintegrate in her fingers. The book let out a cracking sound from its bindings as she opened it. Inside she expected to see someone’s family photos, but instead there were pages of perfectly cut newspaper clippings. Each page bore a different headline and had the dates handwritten in the margin.
March 6, 1968
Vice President of U.S. Bank found Murdered at Incline Motel
On the night of March 4 the body of a Centre County banker, Lukas Grant, was found in room 213 of the Incline Motel in Johnstown. Mr. Grant was not a registered guest of the motel. No one knows why he was there. Cause of death is suspicious and still unknown. Autopsy will follow.
March 9, 1968
Police seek Two Suspects in Poisoning Death
Police want to speak with two possible suspects in the poisoning death of Lukas Grant at the Incline Motel. A couple from Bellefonte, PA staying in room 211 stated that on March 4 at 7:25 p.m. they heard an argument ensue through the adjoining wall. “I could hear two men shouting at each other, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying,” the man said. “My wife Ava, heard a woman’s voice say ‘Grab the papers and let’s go already.’” An employee of the motel saw the victim enter the lobby at approximately 7:03 p.m. He was alone.
September 30, 1968
Police Arrest Two Suspects for Grant Murder
Mr. Christian Mansfield, a Johnstown deli owner and Ms. Isabelle Redding, a librarian at the Johnstown Library were arrested for the murder of Lukas Grant in March 1968. They were positively identified by two witnesses. Trials will be held at Cambria County Courthouse. Dates are to be announced.
May 28, 1969
Two found Guilty of First Degree Murder of Lukas Grant
Mr. Christian Mansfield and Ms. Isabelle Redding were both found guilty of first degree murder in separate trials held days apart. Both received life without parole.
August 24, 1969
Cambria County Woman serving Life Sentence Commits Suicide
Ms. Isabelle Redding, serving a life sentence for the murder of Lukas Grant, was found hanging in her cell yesterday morning by a guard. She left a suicide note proclaiming her innocence. She wrote, “I was nowhere near the Incline Motel that night. That couple lied on the stand. PLEASE FIND RALPH WALTERS! HE KNOWS THE TRUTH!”
Julia closed the book, tucked it under her arm and opened the tiny door. She found herself not in the empty farmhouse, but a fully decorated hallway that looked off into a living room. Everything was quiet except the ticking grandfather clock that stood high against wall. There was an orange, polyester reclining chair and a matching sofa in the room. Through the large window she could see it snowing heavily outside. No one seemed to be home. In the hallway, there were pictures hanging in every empty space. Unfamiliar faces stared intently at her through elaborate frames.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of a key in a lock. The front door
opened and someone entered the house. She ran back to the small door hoping to return to the dusty room of the farmhouse. To her horror, she found only a tiny storage cupboard with two moth eaten coats, a worn down broom and a pair of old slippers. There was barely enough space for her to fit. She heard a man and woman conversing. The woman said, “I’m going to make some coffee.” The man replied, “I’ll take your coat. Feels just like the winters we had in Bellefonte, eh Ava?” Then he headed in the direction of the tiny closet where Julia was hiding. With his hand on the knob, he started to open the door.
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