Janet McNulty - Mellow Summers 07 - Two Ghosts Haunt a Grove Read Online Free PDF

back in our vehicles and drove the last mile to the property. This time I parked outside the gate near the bushes hoping they would conceal it. I grabbed the flashlight I always kept in my car. Jack had a couple in his truck.
    “Okay, we’ll go in pairs,” said Greg. “Jackie, you’ll go with Jack. But let’s not get too far away from each other. Stay within yelling distance.”
    Greg and I headed over to the old stable while Jackie and Jack explored the grassy area around it. The door hung awkwardly on its hinges which didn’t surprise me. Carefully, Greg pulled it back making as little noise as possible. I slipped inside with him right behind. I focused the beam of my light on the rafters. Cobwebs hung everywhere which one would expect from an abandoned place. I noticed a second level accessible by a ladder.
    “Look there,” I said to Greg pointing it out.
    He walked over to it and inspected the rungs. “Seems to be in good condition. I’ll climb up.”
    “No,” I said, “I will. I’m lighter and less likely to fall through the floor boards.”
    “What if you do?”
    “Then you can catch me.”
    Grasping the surprisingly smooth wood, I hiked up the ladder making my way to the top. The floor creaked as I stepped on it.
    “Be careful,” Greg called from below.
    “Toss me the light.”
    He threw it up to me and I caught it. The place appeared to be a storage area. A saddle harness hung on the wall next to me. I moved slowly among the spurs, rotted hay, crates, and piles of rope. Most of this stuff appeared to date back a few centuries. They weren’t kidding when they said that no one came here after Joseph Bourtonson died. Were people really that scared?
    Glass shattered as I accidentally knocked over an oil lamp. So much for being quiet.
    “You okay up there?”
    “Yeah,” I said, “Just knocked over a lamp.”
    I scanned the loft. A small window at the far end caught my eye. I made my way to it weaving around piles of junk and an old trunk. The trunk was not locked. I opened it. Instantly, dust and moths flew everywhere causing me to cough.
    Once the dust cleared, I unfolded the wrapped linen inside revealing piles of clothes; but these were not just any clothes. I picked up a pair of breeches. If these were old, they were in good condition. Carefully, I pulled out a shirt. This looked a lot like one of those shirts that people wore in the eighteenth century. Hat, boots, even a dress was in these; I mean the kind with a poofy skirt and petticoats. These were genuine seventeenth or eighteenth century clothing, yet no one knew they were up here.
    I heard a noise. Quickly, I looked out the window. Outside I saw three figures. Two were dark and difficult to make out. Their animated motions indicated that they were having an argument. I knew they weren’t Jackie or Jack. The third figure glowed slightly and seemed to be watching the other two; who remained unaware of his presence.
    I flicked off the light. Despite straining my ears, I was unable to make out the nature of the argument.
    “Mel?”
    I ignored Greg. Who were these people?
    “Mel?”
    “There’s a couple of guys out here,” I whispered.
    “What?”
    I rushed back to the ladder not caring if I knocked anything over. The floor creaked with each step until—
    The floorboards fell away beneath my feet and I dropped to the level below. Before I had time to fully realize what had happened, I felt Greg’s arms around me as we both hit the floor. “Oomph,” said Greg.
    “Sorry,” I replied. “The boards must have been more rotted than I thought.”
    “Lucky I was here to catch you.”
    “Come on,” I said jumping to my feet. “Those guys! We need to know who they are!”
    I ran out of the stable with Greg right behind me. “Mel!”
    I stopped when I reached the outside corner of the building. Cautiously, I peeked around it spotting the two figures. The clomping of horse’s hooves caught my attention. “Do you hear that?”
    Greg