5 Murder by Syllabub Read Online Free PDF Page A

main house before, someone alive was carrying it. It seemed reasonable to conclude the same person was in there now. A thought in no way reassuring.
    “I thought you said that house was empty .”
    “It’s supposed to be. No one’s lived there since, well, for ages.”
    Cora Lee appeared beside me, also peering at the dark windows of the main building, and I gave a little start. “Why? Is someone over there? How do you know?”
    “I thought I saw a flicker. Aunt Mary saw it, also.”
    “This is too much,” Elizabeth said. “I’m going to have a look, and when I catch whoever is doing this, they won’t be happy.” She started up the steps toward the porch where Aunt Mary, Cora Lee, and I stood. “The key to that house is in my purse.”
    “What do you mean, ‘too much’? You’ve seen a light over there before? We’ve got an intruder and you haven’t told me?” Cora Lee appeared to be more incensed that she’d been kept in the dark than frightened by the thought of an intruder.
    “You were in Atlanta, remember? I haven’t had time to tell you anything.” Elizabeth brushed by Cora Lee and headed for the door, every step full of purpose. “Besides, when I went to check, no one was there.” She paused, eyes flashing. “Someone had been. Warm candle wax pooled on the dining room buffet. If they think they can scare me with all this ghost stuff, they’ve got another think coming.” She started through the doorway, her skirt swirling around her legs.
    “What ghost? We don’t have ghosts at Smithwood ,” Cora Lee called after her. “As for my being gone, you’ve heard of the telephone, I suppose?”
    Elizabeth hesitated, as if she’d blurted out more than she wanted to say. She hadn’t told Cora Lee. Why? This wasn’t the time for speculation .
    “Someone’s been prowling around,” Elizabeth finally said. “I saw a light over there a couple of weeks ago.”
    “What did you do?” Was the tremor in Cora Lee’s voice purely due to fear, or was there excitement and a little thrill mixed in?
    “I called Noah. We went through the house. No one was there. Someone had been, though. It was about a week later I thought I saw someone in the upstairs hall and then again in the cellar.” Elizabeth eyed Cora Lee with no trace of humor. “Whoever, or whatever, was there tipped the crate over.”
    “The one that almost hit you? But you said …” Cora Lee’s lips tightened as her sentence broke off. So did the hand that rested on her cane. “Go get that key.”
    I almost felt sorry for whoever was in there. Elizabeth had clearly had enough, and Cora Lee just as clearly planned on providing backup. However, considering what Elizabeth had told us on the drive out here, this didn’t seem safe.
    “You two aren’t going in there alone. That’s no ghost over there and it wasn’t a ghost who pushed over that crate. We either call the police or we all go.”
    Aunt Mary gave a little gasp just as I realized what I’d said. There might be safety in numbers, but I didn’t think it applied to us. What I meant was, we needed the police. I was the only one who thought so.
    “Elizabeth, if whoever’s in there is the same person that pushed over the crate, we could be asking for trouble. Let’s think about this.” Aunt Mary glanced over at me.
    I nodded my approval.
    “Ellen and Mary are right. We’re all going.” Cora Lee straight ened her back and brandished her cane.
    I blinked. That wasn’t at all what I’d said. Was it? It wasn’t what I’d meant.
    “I can’t imagine who would have the gall to prowl around my mother’s house.” Core Lee was building up a good case of righteous anger. “Well, they’re not getting away with it. Candle wax on my mother’s buffet! Why, that buffet is over two hundred years old. Candle wax could take the finish right off.” Indignation that the buffet might be damaged seemed to have banished Cora Lee’s fear and, in my opinion, her good sense. She gave her