The Gloucester Dagger

At 5 pm, Dotty Castellano, better known to her fans as Dotty C, arrived at the Historical Society. She had flown into Logan Airport that morning from JFK. She drove herself in a rented Ford Mustang GT 5.0. Growing up, her father always told her mother that she had a lead foot. Dotty C had clearly inherited that trait from her mom.

Ghost Chasers production camera 2 had begun shooting as she drove into the parking lot. When she got out of the car, she looked around at the main building. It was stunning. The cameraman followed her as she took in the splendor of the beautiful old mansion.

The Queen Anne-style Victorian house had been built between 1889 and 1890. The owner was Nathaniel Young. Young and his brother were ship builders. They owned arguably the finest and clearly the largest shipyard on Cape Anne.

He and his wife and two sons moved into the newly constructed house in late 1890. The quality of the millwork inside the home was the envy of all who entered. Stenciled wall decorations were present throughout the rooms, while the parquet floors remained unblemished. It was a grand showcase that brought great joy to Juliette Young, Nathaniel’s wife. She helped to choose the birds-eye maple and mahogany that was so prevalent throughout the entrance and stairway. The oak and red birch wall panels on the first floor of the mansion were oiled regularly. Today, one hundred years later, their luster still prompted comments from visitors.

Behind the mansion was the Carriage House. It had originally been Jeremiah Constable’s blacksmith shop. Two hundred years earlier, it was one story and the only building on the lot. Over the years, it had grown to a state of advanced decay. But Young had it reconstructed and a second floor added. The first floor was then made into a stable. Years later, some of the space had been converted into guest rooms.

Today, the first floor of the Carriage House was sided in clapboard and painted canary yellow. The second floor was shingled and painted a muted maroon. Together, the two buildings complimented one another aesthetically.

The rich history of Jeremiah Constable and his role during the vampire panic of the nineteenth century made for good conversation. To celebrate the blacksmith’s celebrity, a large bronze plaque was attached to a stone pillar that was erected in front of the Carriage House.

Many years later, during Prohibition, the Youngs employed their fastest schooners to ferry whiskey from the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, located just south of Newfoundland, to New England.

The residence remained in the Young family until its last owner, Emily Skyler Young, bequeathed her estate to the Gloucester Historical Society in 1980.

Dotty C entered the building through the front door. As she walked past the showcase where the Dagger was kept, she stopped. She stood there, silent for several moments. Unbeknown to her, Simon had stepped out from Patricia Langston’s office when he heard the front door close. He watched Dotty C as she stopped by the case. It appeared to him as though she was momentarily in a trance.

As he took a step forward, Dotty’s eyes met his. But she said nothing. Simon felt as if he couldn’t move. He remained still. The look on Dotty C’s face told him she was otherwise involved. Specifically with the spirit world. Simon quickly returned to the office, certain that Dotty C would join him when she could.

It was nearly two minutes later that Dotty C peeked around the corner of the door to Patricia’s office, smiled her big beautiful smile, and said, “Hello everyone. I’m Dotty Castellano.”

After the basic introductions were complete, Dotty C’s face changed to a more serious look, and focused on Patricia Langston. Then she asked, “Tell me Patricia, who is Sarah, and why is she so fixated on the knife in that large case out front?”

Camera 2 was in the perfect position to capture Patricia’s face as she was asked the question by Dotty C. Her mouth hung open for too long, she later thought. Ugh, here she was, a Yale trained attorney, on national TV, with her mouth agape, looking entirely dumbfounded. Perfect! At least she was retired and not looking for new clients.

When she regained her composure, Patricia responded, “By Sarah, I guess you’re referring to Sarah Ames, the daughter of Colonel John Ames, the original owner of the Gloucester Dagger, which is displayed in the main exhibit room. Sarah’s step-mother, Amanda Ames, killed young Sarah with that Dagger.”

The room was eerily quiet.

Dotty C nodded her understanding, then asked one final question, “Is the Dagger secure?”

Patricia answered emphatically, “Yes, it is. It is very secure. The case it resides in was specifically built to hold the Dagger. The glass is one-inch thick and bullet proof. The steel is also one-inch thick and bolted solidly to the floor, with special bracing in the basement below. There are only two keys to the hardened steel lock, and they are kept off-premises in two different locations, both inside safes. Why do you ask?”

Dotty C simply responded, “I wasn’t asking for me.” She then turned and walked out, stopping once again, momentarily in front of the Dagger case.

Patricia Langston’s face remained frozen. She glanced at Simon Cobalt and asked, “What did she mean by that? Who was she asking for?” There was an urgency in her second question that was unmistakable. The uncertainty left by Dotty C’s statement turned to fear, and everyone heard it in Patricia’s voice.

He began, “Patricia, Dotty C is a world-renowned medium. Her gift is prophetic. It sounded like she was channeling that question from the spirit world. If I had to guess, I would say she was likely communicating with Sarah Ames.”