need her in the attic.” I looked at the ground. “I’m afraid.”
Mrs. Parker sighed. “Well, with the to-do of Christmas behind us, I don’t think Shelly will have much work at Pastor’s house. I’ll let her come for a couple of hours this afternoon. For some crazy reason I’m trusting you, but I don’t want her around Hobbs.”
“He ain’t coming home.”
She laughed. “He’ll be back before you know it. Bad folks always come back looking for more trouble.”
Her words gave me a shiver.
Shelly knocked on my door right as I was fixing my noonday meal.
“Come on in!” I yelled. My heart gave a little lurch of joy.
The door opened with a puff of wind. Cold air was the only visitor.
“What you doing, Shelly?” My laugh sounded hollow.
Shelly didn’t answer. It wasn’t like her to play tricks. I put down my knife and went to look outside. No one was on the porch. Was I crazy? Someone opened that door. I searched around. When I went back in the kitchen, it was ice-cold, a deep-in-my-bones cold.
In the corner of the kitchen, near the door to the hall, a shadow was forming.
“He’s going to tell you what he be wanting soon.”
I jumped. The shadow disappeared. “You scared me! Did you knock on my door?”
Shelly only smiled. “You know what they say? If you welcome a ghost into your house …”
The room was growing warmer. “What?”
“It won’t leave until it gets what it wants.”
“Are you telling me a ghost knocked on my door?” I laughed.
She shrugged. “Laugh if you want. You told him to come in, right?”
“I thought it was you!” I was getting mad.
Shelly shook her head and clicked her tongue. “Your mama didn’t teach you a thing about spirits.”
“She doesn’t believe in ghosts, haints, or spirits.”
“You just being silly, ma’am. You believe. You have to.”
I took in a big breath.
“I seen that ghost with my own eyes standing in that corner. Ain’t no telling how long he’s been trying to get in Hobbs Pritchard’s house.” She nodded to the place where the shadow had been. “You seen him too.”
“Who is he?”
“It’s the man we seen in the woods. The one you seen so much of.”
Fingers of cold walked up my neck. “We’re going to work in the attic today.” I couldn’t look at her.
She laughed. “Yes ma’am.” She followed me up to the attic.
“I figured we’d start here and work our way back.” The room was so big I couldn’t see the other end.
Shelly was quiet.
“The newest stuff should be here in the front.”
“Yes ma’am.” Shelly walked over to a big wooden barrel full of all kinds of books. “Did you hear that?”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
The books were a real disappointment. They was all abouthorses. Then I spied a small wooden box stuck in the bottom of the barrel. When I bent to touch it, Shelly drew in a breath.
“I wouldn’t.”
“Why?”
Her lips were a thin line. “Cause it’s personal.”
“How do you know?”
She took three steps back. “Never mess with private things.”
I picked the box up and opened it. A sigh let go in the room. I looked at Shelly, who looked like she was going to run. Inside was a velvet pouch with a necklace covered in red stones.
“Rubies,” Shelly said. “Lordy be.”
“Maybe.” I twisted the necklace in front of me.
“That be her stuff.” Shelly took another step back.
“Whose?”
She nodded. “You know. You seen her with your own eyes. She came to visit you.”
“It’s beautiful.” Could this belong to Jack’s mama?
“Yep.”
“What are you afraid of?” I put the necklace back in the pouch.
“This spirit is hard to figure. I don’t know if she be here to help you or him. But I know she can’t stop the bad from coming. It’s here. It walked in your door today.”
A stillness settled in the room. In the box was a lock of steel-gray hair. I ran my finger along its silky softness.
Shelly nearly screamed. “Oh Lord, it be her
Mrs. Parker sighed. “Well, with the to-do of Christmas behind us, I don’t think Shelly will have much work at Pastor’s house. I’ll let her come for a couple of hours this afternoon. For some crazy reason I’m trusting you, but I don’t want her around Hobbs.”
“He ain’t coming home.”
She laughed. “He’ll be back before you know it. Bad folks always come back looking for more trouble.”
Her words gave me a shiver.
Shelly knocked on my door right as I was fixing my noonday meal.
“Come on in!” I yelled. My heart gave a little lurch of joy.
The door opened with a puff of wind. Cold air was the only visitor.
“What you doing, Shelly?” My laugh sounded hollow.
Shelly didn’t answer. It wasn’t like her to play tricks. I put down my knife and went to look outside. No one was on the porch. Was I crazy? Someone opened that door. I searched around. When I went back in the kitchen, it was ice-cold, a deep-in-my-bones cold.
In the corner of the kitchen, near the door to the hall, a shadow was forming.
“He’s going to tell you what he be wanting soon.”
I jumped. The shadow disappeared. “You scared me! Did you knock on my door?”
Shelly only smiled. “You know what they say? If you welcome a ghost into your house …”
The room was growing warmer. “What?”
“It won’t leave until it gets what it wants.”
“Are you telling me a ghost knocked on my door?” I laughed.
She shrugged. “Laugh if you want. You told him to come in, right?”
“I thought it was you!” I was getting mad.
Shelly shook her head and clicked her tongue. “Your mama didn’t teach you a thing about spirits.”
“She doesn’t believe in ghosts, haints, or spirits.”
“You just being silly, ma’am. You believe. You have to.”
I took in a big breath.
“I seen that ghost with my own eyes standing in that corner. Ain’t no telling how long he’s been trying to get in Hobbs Pritchard’s house.” She nodded to the place where the shadow had been. “You seen him too.”
“Who is he?”
“It’s the man we seen in the woods. The one you seen so much of.”
Fingers of cold walked up my neck. “We’re going to work in the attic today.” I couldn’t look at her.
She laughed. “Yes ma’am.” She followed me up to the attic.
“I figured we’d start here and work our way back.” The room was so big I couldn’t see the other end.
Shelly was quiet.
“The newest stuff should be here in the front.”
“Yes ma’am.” Shelly walked over to a big wooden barrel full of all kinds of books. “Did you hear that?”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
The books were a real disappointment. They was all abouthorses. Then I spied a small wooden box stuck in the bottom of the barrel. When I bent to touch it, Shelly drew in a breath.
“I wouldn’t.”
“Why?”
Her lips were a thin line. “Cause it’s personal.”
“How do you know?”
She took three steps back. “Never mess with private things.”
I picked the box up and opened it. A sigh let go in the room. I looked at Shelly, who looked like she was going to run. Inside was a velvet pouch with a necklace covered in red stones.
“Rubies,” Shelly said. “Lordy be.”
“Maybe.” I twisted the necklace in front of me.
“That be her stuff.” Shelly took another step back.
“Whose?”
She nodded. “You know. You seen her with your own eyes. She came to visit you.”
“It’s beautiful.” Could this belong to Jack’s mama?
“Yep.”
“What are you afraid of?” I put the necklace back in the pouch.
“This spirit is hard to figure. I don’t know if she be here to help you or him. But I know she can’t stop the bad from coming. It’s here. It walked in your door today.”
A stillness settled in the room. In the box was a lock of steel-gray hair. I ran my finger along its silky softness.
Shelly nearly screamed. “Oh Lord, it be her
Similar Books
