Read Online 4 Buried Secrets by Leighann Dobbs - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Leighann Dobbs
Ads: Link
was—maybe she could get that information out of him if she kept him talking. On the other hand, he might bring her harm. Celeste wasn’t sure what kind of harm a ghost could bring, since she’d only encountered friendly ones before, but she didn’t want to find out, either. She decided to proceed with caution.
“Get out before you get hurt.” Shorty made shooing motions with his hands.
“Is that a threat?” Celeste narrowed her eyes at him and she imagined he looked hurt … until he took a menacing step toward her, causing her heartbeat to pick up speed.
“Listen girly, you have no business in here.” Shorty glanced behind him.
Was something back there he didn’t want her to see? The treasure?
“Sure I do,” she said boldly. “I need to know what these symbols mean.” She aimed the beam of her flashlight on the wall.
Shorty’s ghost looked at the wall, his face drawn into a frown. “Symbols?”
Just then, another ghost started to materialize next to Shorty. A woman. The same one Celeste had seen in Dead Water—the one who wanted vindication. Celeste felt a chill. She hoped the ghost wasn’t planning to get her revenge right now. The woman looked directly at the symbols illuminated by the flashlight.
“The key is in Dead Water,” she said.
“Key? What key?” Shorty and Celeste asked at the same time.
The female ghost opened her mouth to speak, then her eyes widened and she started to fade away as she looked at something behind Celeste.
Celeste turned and saw the ghost of Deke, the old Sheriff of Dead Water. It was like a ghost party in there, how many more would show up?
Deke ignored her and fixed a ghostly glare on Shorty. His feet were planted shoulder length apart and his hands hung at his sides like he was ready for an old Western gunfight. Which Celeste supposed wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities as the ghosts were both from the old west and Deke had shot Shorty in real life.
“You can’t have her, she’s mine,” Shorty said causing Celeste’s stomach to lurch. Was he talking about her? What was he planning to do to her?
“Not this time, Shorty.” Deke glanced over at Celeste. “You should stay out of this, just like Lily should have.”
Celeste didn’t know who Lily was but she couldn’t agree more. The air in the tunnel was becoming stale with tension and she could hear noises coming from somewhere deep in the mine behind Shorty. It sounded like voices, but distorted with echoes.
More ghosts?
She didn’t want to stick around to find out, so she turned and ran.
***
Celeste burst out into the section of tunnel where the two shafts split off, almost knocking over Jolene who had arrived at their meeting spot only seconds before.
“What the heck?” Jolene turned around and grabbed Celeste’s arm to keep them both from toppling over. Her eyes narrowed when she looked at Celeste’s face. “You look like you just saw a ghost.”
Celeste nodded taking a deep breath. “Three, in fact.”
Jolene peered into the dark tunnel. “Down there?”
“Yeah.” Celeste felt an icy finger run up her spine as she looked back over her shoulder. “This place is giving me the creeps, let’s get out of here.”
Eager to leave the ghosts behind, Celeste moved forward as quickly as the light from her penlight allowed.
“I also found some markings on the tunnel,” Celeste said as they headed toward the mine entrance. “I took pictures of them on my phone.”
She pulled one of the pictures up and showed it to Jolene just as the tunnel dumped them out into the fresh air. The sun was setting and Celeste could see Morgan, Luke, Jake and Fiona just coming out of the tunnels they’d explored.
“Did you find something?” Jake nodded toward the phone.
“Some strange markings on the tunnel,” Celeste said showing him the screen. “I don’t know if they have anything to do with the treasure, but I’m going to send them to Cal and see if he can make
“Get out before you get hurt.” Shorty made shooing motions with his hands.
“Is that a threat?” Celeste narrowed her eyes at him and she imagined he looked hurt … until he took a menacing step toward her, causing her heartbeat to pick up speed.
“Listen girly, you have no business in here.” Shorty glanced behind him.
Was something back there he didn’t want her to see? The treasure?
“Sure I do,” she said boldly. “I need to know what these symbols mean.” She aimed the beam of her flashlight on the wall.
Shorty’s ghost looked at the wall, his face drawn into a frown. “Symbols?”
Just then, another ghost started to materialize next to Shorty. A woman. The same one Celeste had seen in Dead Water—the one who wanted vindication. Celeste felt a chill. She hoped the ghost wasn’t planning to get her revenge right now. The woman looked directly at the symbols illuminated by the flashlight.
“The key is in Dead Water,” she said.
“Key? What key?” Shorty and Celeste asked at the same time.
The female ghost opened her mouth to speak, then her eyes widened and she started to fade away as she looked at something behind Celeste.
Celeste turned and saw the ghost of Deke, the old Sheriff of Dead Water. It was like a ghost party in there, how many more would show up?
Deke ignored her and fixed a ghostly glare on Shorty. His feet were planted shoulder length apart and his hands hung at his sides like he was ready for an old Western gunfight. Which Celeste supposed wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities as the ghosts were both from the old west and Deke had shot Shorty in real life.
“You can’t have her, she’s mine,” Shorty said causing Celeste’s stomach to lurch. Was he talking about her? What was he planning to do to her?
“Not this time, Shorty.” Deke glanced over at Celeste. “You should stay out of this, just like Lily should have.”
Celeste didn’t know who Lily was but she couldn’t agree more. The air in the tunnel was becoming stale with tension and she could hear noises coming from somewhere deep in the mine behind Shorty. It sounded like voices, but distorted with echoes.
More ghosts?
She didn’t want to stick around to find out, so she turned and ran.
***
Celeste burst out into the section of tunnel where the two shafts split off, almost knocking over Jolene who had arrived at their meeting spot only seconds before.
“What the heck?” Jolene turned around and grabbed Celeste’s arm to keep them both from toppling over. Her eyes narrowed when she looked at Celeste’s face. “You look like you just saw a ghost.”
Celeste nodded taking a deep breath. “Three, in fact.”
Jolene peered into the dark tunnel. “Down there?”
“Yeah.” Celeste felt an icy finger run up her spine as she looked back over her shoulder. “This place is giving me the creeps, let’s get out of here.”
Eager to leave the ghosts behind, Celeste moved forward as quickly as the light from her penlight allowed.
“I also found some markings on the tunnel,” Celeste said as they headed toward the mine entrance. “I took pictures of them on my phone.”
She pulled one of the pictures up and showed it to Jolene just as the tunnel dumped them out into the fresh air. The sun was setting and Celeste could see Morgan, Luke, Jake and Fiona just coming out of the tunnels they’d explored.
“Did you find something?” Jake nodded toward the phone.
“Some strange markings on the tunnel,” Celeste said showing him the screen. “I don’t know if they have anything to do with the treasure, but I’m going to send them to Cal and see if he can make
Similar Books
