“This holiday season, may you feel the energy of all those you love surround you, on whatever plane they exist.”
In a very special Christmas episode, Detective Gray Cooper travels across "The Pond" to investigate the report of a ghost in a castle in England.
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00;00;05;01 - 00;00;33;16
Gray Cooper
I'm Gray Cooper, private detective. According to the Department of Homeland Security, my business doesn't exist. But according to the blockchain, a government address pays my bills. The following are the recordings of my case log for insurance purposes. You understand? See, I deal in the strange. The place where monsters and conspiracies dance. The kind of strange you're not quite sure is real or unreal.
00;00;34;12 - 00;01;19;11
Gray Cooper
Officially, the following case did not happen. I told you nothing. Welcome to The Strange Chronicles case log 944 December 20th Year 2053 Kent County, England. Spectral Disturbance Reported by Enzo Tinsel. Yes, that would be the Enzo tinsel. Apparently the American rock star purchased himself a castle for some R&R and his experience has been anything but relaxing. He blamed paranormal activity.
00;01;19;20 - 00;01;51;20
Gray Cooper
Somehow he got a hold of my number and spared no expense to fly me in. When the car pulled through the gate. I felt as if I was in a storybook winter wonderland. They had a dusting of snow just enough to make the gas lamps look magical. The warm glow of the lights and the windows were welcoming, and I could hardly believe that this was the site of a supposed haunting.
00;01;53;24 - 00;02;19;01
Gray Cooper
The entrance hall was grand with a huge staircase spiraling up to the next floor. I was promptly greeted by his assistant, Holly, and taken to see Mr. Tinsel. He hung on an armchair by the fireplace, nursing a glass of red wine. His sinewy frame boasted leather pants and an oversize scarf. I complimented his gorgeous home. He told me to call him Enzo and agreed that the place was beautiful.
00;02;19;13 - 00;02;30;04
Gray Cooper
But there was a catch. He hadn't slept in weeks and it had nothing to do with his party lifestyle and everything to do with a ghost.
00;02;33;29 - 00;02;56;18
Gray Cooper
Enzo said it started on the 1st of December and has been escalating every night since. It is to the point now that just when he'd go off to sleep around midnight, it would begin. The lights flicker in the stairwell. Then the voice of a young woman would begin crying. The crying would become wailing, and she would call out Charles.
00;02;56;19 - 00;03;08;16
Gray Cooper
Oh, Charles. In the saddest way. Enzo and his assistant, Holly, did some research on the place and found that it was originally a part of the Pinedale dynasty.
00;03;11;18 - 00;03;36;20
Gray Cooper
The Lord and Lady Pine, well, were killed in a tragic boating accident about 60 years ago. When their children were teens, Noel and Charles were left to undertake their parent's estate, and it was said they were very close. Something must have changed because on her 21st birthday, Noel Pinedale was murdered by her own brother on Christmas Eve. He'd pushed her down the stairs in a bid to take full control of the estate.
00;03;37;00 - 00;04;02;20
Gray Cooper
Blood is thicker than water and money is thicker than blood. Holly showed me a printed photo of the pine wall siblings. Both were young, vital and looked genuinely happy. She also showed me a screengrab of the old web notice from his arrest. So now Enzo believes that Noel's ghost is haunting the castle, crying over the betrayal of her brother Charles.
00;04;03;04 - 00;04;29;16
Gray Cooper
I had agreed to stay overnight in the castle to hear exactly what Enzo was hearing. If I was going to stay up all night ghost hunting, I'd need a nap. And the jetlag was already settling in. Holly brought me to my exquisite dwelling and left me to rest. The room had luxe velvet curtains, lush rugs, a posh Christmas tree next to an already lit fireplace and a large marble kitty cat doorstop.
00;04;29;28 - 00;04;37;01
Gray Cooper
I cozy in my robe, deciding that working through the holidays wasn't the worst choice possible.
00;04;39;07 - 00;04;59;14
Gray Cooper
Later, when Holly brought by a tea cart, I was a little too enthusiastic. When I got up to approach the cart, I slammed my foot into the marble doorstop. It was excruciating. Holly jumped to get me ice and said she'd done that before. Apparently the marble cat doorstops are all over the castle original pieces that came with the place.
00;04;59;24 - 00;05;21;15
Gray Cooper
Holly said that Enzo found them kitschy and wanted to keep them. I used my bruised toes and felt like I had even broken my tiniest one. That night, after icing my foot, just as Enzo said, we heard Noel crying in an ear splitting way and calling out for Charles. I got out the EMF reader I borrowed from Joe Nebraska and headed toward the sound.
00;05;21;25 - 00;05;46;02
Gray Cooper
It was coming from a bedroom Enzo said they avoided. When I arrived outside the door, the sound stopped. I went inside and the door slammed shut behind me. The EMF reader went quiet as I sat on the bed. I said, Noel. Then suddenly, all at once, the lights began to flicker, the chandelier rattled and the IMF reader started beeping like a wake up alarm.
00;05;49;11 - 00;06;19;15
Gray Cooper
I said, Noel, I'm here to help. If you are angry with Charles, might feel glad to know that he's in prison. Everything went silent and I thought, Wow, what an easy case. Maybe Noel Pineal just needed to be validated. Maybe she just needed to know that her murder had been punished. But not 30 seconds had passed when the temperature in the room dropped below zero and the windows crashed open and the room lit up green.
00;06;19;20 - 00;06;23;02
Gray Cooper
A dark, ghoulish sound screamed in my ear.
00;06;23;19 - 00;06;27;13
Charles.
00;06;27;13 - 00;06;42;04
Gray Cooper
I fled the room on instinct as I caught my breath in the warmth of the hallway. I looked down at the IMF reader that now looked like a burnt Christmas roast. Sorry, Joe. Maybe Santa will deliver you a new one in your stocking.
00;06;44;05 - 00;07;03;15
Gray Cooper
Enzo and Holly ran up to see if I was okay, then smirked knowingly at my startled face. I told them I try again later and went to my room, irked. Back in my room, I got out my copy device and started to do some research on Charles Pine. Well, it turned out he was close by at Stockade Park.
00;07;03;22 - 00;07;07;11
Gray Cooper
The prison was only ten miles away.
00;07;11;07 - 00;07;32;14
Gray Cooper
The next morning, I decided to pay Charles a visit. He hadn't had a visitor in almost a decade. The guard told me Charles Pineal was 67 years old. Now his long, wispy white hair framed a broken hearted old man, sunken cheeks that looked nothing like the photos I saw of his arrest. He was guarded when I first began to ask him questions.
00;07;32;23 - 00;07;52;12
Gray Cooper
It seems that the tabloid press had been his last visitor, and he felt that the reporter had misconstrued his words. I assured him that I only wanted to know the truth of what happened to his sister, Noelle. Charles told me on the evening of Noel's death they were about to leave for her birthday celebration. She was a Christmas baby.
00;07;52;28 - 00;08;14;08
Gray Cooper
Noel was getting ready upstairs in her room, and Charles was having a sandwich down in the kitchen. Noel cried out, and then he heard her tumble. He found her at the bottom of the stairs and she was already gone. Charles began to weep quietly before continuing. He said that the police immediately focused in on him and questioned him about the inheritance.
00;08;14;18 - 00;08;37;18
Gray Cooper
He said that he didn't even know about the significance of Noel's birthday legally, since they both lived in the castle and their parents financial consultant paid the bills and oversaw the trust. He didn't have any sort of reason to know details about the finances. The only thing that would change from his knowledge was that the money control would transfer from the consultant to them, and he had assumed they would continue employing the consultant.
00;08;37;21 - 00;09;00;02
Gray Cooper
Since neither Pinwheel Sibling had an interest in accounting, he was so convincing. I asked him why the police were so sure she was pushed rather than foul. The police were more interested in justifying their own involvement and didn't want to entertain any other theory. Plus saying they solved a case like this, gave them lots of positive press coverage which they so desperately needed.
00;09;00;14 - 00;09;19;18
Gray Cooper
I asked him about how he said she cried out before she fell. He was sure about it and thought perhaps she tripped and then realized she was going to fall. The only evidence I left the prison with was a sore spot for Charles because my gut told me he was innocent and unlike the police who investigated the case.
00;09;19;28 - 00;09;24;02
Gray Cooper
My feeling on it did nothing to change his circumstances.
00;09;28;01 - 00;09;50;13
Gray Cooper
After another night of Noel's moaning and door slamming, I could understand Enzo's plight. The castle was gorgeous and opulent and even had a bit of coziness tucked in. However, the nights were painful and the feeling in the morning was migraine mixed with frustration. Enzo and Holly stayed in a local hotel. As he said his nerves could no longer take it.
00;09;50;18 - 00;10;13;00
Gray Cooper
Later that morning, Enzo was having a photoshoot in the garden. He wore a giant black faux fur coat, which was stark against the white dusting of snow. After brunch, I examined the foir and walked slowly up the stairs, imagining Noel's fall. They were unforgiving. Thick, solid steps. Poor Noel. And to be stuck crying out for Charles. Night after night.
00;10;13;09 - 00;10;17;24
Gray Cooper
Was she crying out against him or for him?
00;10;22;22 - 00;10;48;23
Gray Cooper
When I arrived at the top of the staircase, it was an odd mix of Enzo's Goth decor with black glass, animal sculptures and remnants of antique frames and furniture. One of those Marvel kitty cat sat by a plant near the banister. I looked back down, trying to imagine Noel's last moments. I started from the doorway to her room and jogged toward the stairs, even taking a few attempts at a fake falling down the stairs myself.
00;10;49;02 - 00;11;11;05
Gray Cooper
I did it slowly as to not completely follow in her footsteps. The recreations left me with a sore back and a bruised knee, but it gave me an idea. I needed to know more about her injuries. To be sure. I asked Enzo's driver to take me to the local coroner's office and had them find Noel Pinwheels autopsy photos.
00;11;11;15 - 00;11;39;26
Gray Cooper
She had many broken bones, ribs, arm and of course, the break. That was the cause of her death. A cervical fracture. And there it was. The particular injury I was looking for, I made some phone calls and it was off to the office of the Pine Wells barrister. I had it being that it was the holidays. It was difficult to get the ball rolling, but the pine walls must have had some goodwill on their side.
00;11;40;11 - 00;12;11;21
Gray Cooper
The autopsy report that listed the injuries and the crime scene photos showing one of those darn marble cat doorstops by the banister at the top of the stairs showed potential for a new story. An alternative to the original story of a greedy brother pushing his sister down the stairs on the date of their inheritance. Perhaps instead, Noel Pinnacle, excited for her birthday party, dashed too quickly toward the stairs, stubbed her toes on that ridiculous piece of cat marble which caused her to lose balance and fall down the stairs.
00;12;12;01 - 00;12;44;19
Gray Cooper
A tragedy, yes, but not a murder. Reasonable doubt that and a very expensive bottle of whiskey was all that was needed for a little Christmas magic. The magic came in the form of a justice who signed the release papers. Charles Pineapple was to be released on Christmas Eve. Enzo Tinsel decided to stay at the castle one last night before leaving to go back on tour in America that night, Noel Pinwheel did not appear.
00;12;44;29 - 00;13;11;06
Gray Cooper
She did not flicker the lights nor slam any doors. And she certainly did not wail like an off key pop star all night. On December 23rd, 2053, Enzo Tinsel had the best night's sleep of his life. When I returned to Stockade Park on Christmas Eve to see Charles released, he stood outside, looking through the gates at the prison he'd been living in for most of his life.
00;13;11;25 - 00;13;35;19
Gray Cooper
Merry Christmas, Mr. Pyne. Well, I asked him if he needed a ride somewhere. He said he had nowhere to go and no one to go to. I phoned Enzo Tinsel and let him know my dilemma. He immediately offered to have Charles join him at the castle. Enzo had decided to stay in the UK for Christmas. Now that sleep was possible and threw a giant Christmas party with Charles as the honored guest.
00;13;36;00 - 00;14;01;10
Gray Cooper
There was a full dinner of roast beef and all the trimmings. The fireplace ashes were lit and Enzo played a few carols on the grand piano for his guests. Spirits were high and joy was spread. Later, Charles, Enzo, Holly and I took every last marble kitty cat outside of the castle and piled them outside. When we looked up on that cold Christmas night, a shooting star streaked the sky.
00;14;01;19 - 00;14;07;29
Gray Cooper
A tear fell from Charles's eye. And he bid goodbye to his dear sister.
00;14;10;07 - 00;14;45;05
Gray Cooper
Do ghosts really exist? I suppose it depends on where you think our energy goes when we die. Perhaps our souls transform death like ice into water and water into mist. People become the mist. The holidays bring thoughts of those lost and those still here. We all have an energy that exists and can never be destroyed. Whether it's remembered or felt this holiday season, may you feel the energy of all those you love, surround you on whatever plane they exist, and may that love bring you comfort and joy.
00;14;46;12 - 00;14;59;17
Gray Cooper
Stop.
00;15;02;20 - 00;15;31;28
Gray Cooper
This has been an episode of the Strange Chronicles of Fiction podcast. You can follow us on Instagram at the Strange Chronicles podcast or email us at info at the Strange Chronicles. Com. This has been a kings of content production. Thank you for listening.