"I know that you are suffering so, Jerome," remarked William to his butler as Jerome slowed the boat before the lighthouse island, "but I am grateful you were able to bring us over here. I'm afraid none of us know how to operate a boat motor."

Jerome said nothing in reply, just solemnly nodded. His wife Jane had been found murdered the night before; he hardly was in the mood for conversation.

William, under the impression that his daughter Sophia had committed suicide, was likewise pained; however, when he had just been caught up to speed on the theories of Dr. Gramheist that perhaps Sophia's actions had not been her own at all. This at least gave the man a glimmer of hope that his daughter's tarnished reputation could be restored; it may not bring her back from the dead, but there would be a sort of peace for him in knowing she had been a victim of a series of cruel deceptions instead of the crazed responsible party.

"Are you sure this is the same Menelaus Winslow Groat serving as lighthouse keeper as we knew back at Medicus University?" asked Dr. Fossey, leading to the frustrated groans of Albert and Augusta.

"Yes, I had the same question," replied Dr. Gramheist, "but they swear it must be him."

"Where's the dock?" Augusta questioned, "it looks like the lighthouse is just situated on a pile of rocks!"

"Yes, it does not appear that there is much here," nodded Dr. Gramheist, "perhaps we will have to get out and wade up to the island."

"Menelaus did have a small row boat if I recall correctly, mother," added Albert, "perhaps that's because that is the only boat that can easily be kept on this limited space."

William looked over the side of the boat. "Well, the water is not deep here. I am not opposed to getting my trousers wet if you believe there may be answers here concerning my poor daughter's demise."

"If he is the same Menelaus Winslow Groat who tormented a young woman years ago by pulling similar shenanigans, I certainly think we need to have a talk with him," Dr. Gramheist said with an air of authority.

With that the party (short of Jerome, who remained on the boat) waded their way up to the rocky shore and, with little to no struggling, began to scale the rocks towards the lighthouse at the top.

"Madam, can I help you?" Dr. Gramheist asked Augusta, offering his hand.

"You best focus on helping yourself first," she replied, showing no difficulty climbing the terrain.

They were nearly to the lighthouse when suddenly, before them, stood a familiar figure. It was Menelaus; he appeared to be slightly out of breath as if he had just done something physically strenuous.

"Well, well, well," he exclaimed, "I was not expecting visitors! I do apologize for the humbleness of my island compared to the splendor of yours!"

"Is that him?" asked Dr. Fossey to the Dilly family members, "is THAT Menelaus Winslow Groat?"

Hearing his name spoken by one of the unknown strangers caught the lighthouse keeper off-guard. "Er, that would be me, yes?" he stared back at the fellow, still certain he knew him from somewhere but not able to place him.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"Good God, Menelaus," remarked Dr. Gramheist, "what have you done to yourself? Do you ever trim that beard? Do you even wash it?"

Though it took him a moment, the realization of who the new guests were suddenly occured to Menelaus.

"Thurmank?! Reginald?!" he cried out, though not with joy. "How...how unexpected! My, it's been years!" He paused a moment. "You...you know the Dilly family?"

"Mr. Groat," William said, standing tall, "these doctors indicated you may have some important information to share with our family."

Menelaus crossed his arms. "Oh? I haven't seen either of these men for decades, so I'm not sure what they think I could possibly know."

William continued, though his voice wavered : "Sophia, she is believed to have jumped to her death last night from the cliffs facing your lighthouse."

Menelaus was quiet a moment. Should he feign horror? Surprise? Apathy? Of course, he knew full well Sophia was fine- she was being held prisoner in his lighthouse just beyond where the group now stood. He decided, in light of the mood, to go with surprise.

"What? Lovely Sophia? Dead?" he did his best to sound caught unawares. "I am so sorry to hear this. How terrible."

To his confusion, however, everyone before him merely stared back with blank expressions.

"I mean..." the lighthouse keeper now wavered, "that's...that's a bad thing, isn't it?"

"You know, Menelaus," Dr. Gramheist stepped forward, "I've gone on to become one of the premier psychologists in the country..."

Augusta rolled her eyes; she couldn't help herself.

"Good for you," Menelaus replied, "so glad you could complete your medical degree and put it to use." He glanced to Dr. Fossey. "You too, Reginald. I assume you've gone on to do great things for your profession."

"I bring up my qualifications," Dr. Gramheist continued, "to note that I was temporarily fooled by your trickery. I commend your efforts."

Menelaus cocked his head. "My trickery? I am not sure I follow, Thurmank."

"Your plans went awry, though, didn't they?"

"Still not following you, Thurmank."

"You know, I still remember well what you did to Miss Veronica Voorhees."

Menelaus blinked. "There's a name I've not heard in some time. Yes, so I behaved inappropriately years ago trying to win over a woman I was infatuated with. I was adequently punished for that at the time. It was foolish and immature behavior on my part, but I've since grown as a man to certainly know that I was in the wrong there. Besides, Veronica, in hindsight, was not that good-looking. It's for the best she married Dr. Botkins. He and her no doubt had many ugly children-"

"-You would say, however, that Miss Sophia was quite good-looking in comparison?"

Menelaus paused, still unclear of his former classmate's angle. "I would. Miss Sophia is a very lovely girl. Or rather, was. As she's jumped to her death and all."

"So you mean to suggest," Dr. Gramheist waved his hands around, "after living here on this desolate, cold rock of an island, that when you saw the lovely Miss Sophia Dilly you did not, perhaps, feel you'd try out some familiar tricks to get the poor girl all for yourself, even if it meant the destruction of her mental health and reputation? Even if it meant murdering a poor, innocent cook?"

"...no," came back Menelaus's reply.

"You were always a warped romantic, Menelaus," interjected Dr. Fossey, "it wouldn't be hard for any of us who knew you in your younger days to believe you capable of such things even now."

"I'm sorry to hear you have such a low opinion of me after all this time, Reginald. "

"The plan went wrong, though, didn't it?" Dr. Gramheist inquired, "You hadn't intended for her to kill herself, did you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I was unaware the pretty young lady was dead until now."

The doctors looked to each other. It was clear from their glances neither believed their former classmate but what evidence did they have other than strong theories?

Suddenly, Augusta curled up her nose. "What is that?" she asked, looking about.

"What is what, mother?" asked Albert, but he too then smelled it.

Almost simultaneously, the eyes of everyone present fell on a large, brown mound not far from where they stood. It was a mass of excrement; a sizable mass at that. But it was also nearly identical to the one that had been found on Sharpy Island and explained away as Sophia's doing a couple nights earlier. At that time, it seemed only likely it could have come from Sophia as no one else was spotted in the area, short of Sophia's claims that a sealman had been passing through. But here? How could such a pile be here now that Sophia was dead?

The Dilly family and doctors all returned their gaze to the creepy lighthouse keeper.