Read Online Harrison Investigations 1 Haunted by Heather Graham - Free Book Online
Authors: Heather Graham
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clicking on the floor, manicured nails expressive in the air
as she spoke, her face that of a sophisticated angel-or siren, one
or the other.
Redheads were always trouble.
"I'm just irritated, I guess. Maybe I do owe her an apol-
ogy."
The phone rang stridently from the bar. He felt a surge of
anger. She was already calling. Mae picked up the phone.
"Hello...yes, Penny, he's here. He's got his cell phone turned
off again, huh? Well, he's sitting here, sure as can be. Shouldn't
have that cell phone turned off, Matt, you know that," she said,
her hand over the receiver.
"Shirley at the station knows where I am, and that's all that
matters," Matt said.
"Penny knows you're here now, come on over and talk to her!
Please!" Mae insisted, seeing the stubborn set to his jaw.
Matt cast Mae an evil eye, then rose to accept the
receiver from behind the bar. Penny came on the line.
"Yes?"
"Matt, I heard you gave that girl from New York an absolutely
wretched time!"
"Penny, I really did no such thing. And how did you hear so
fast?"
Matt looked around. Sure enough, Marty Sawyer- Penny's
nephew-who had been watching Carter's pool game was now nowhere to
be seen. He'd slunk out already.
"Matt Stone! There is so much good to be done here! Principal
Joe from the grade school was telling me how much the
schoolchildren just loved the living history productions we
did last summer, and you know as well as I do that you can't keep
that kind of program going if we don't make sure that the house is
entirely safe. And you've already agreed that we can let the seance
go on."
"Because even though I don't believe in such a thing as a
'medium,' I like Elizabeth!" he said irritably.
"You're going to make a tiny percentage off
Elizabeth-compared to what Adam Harrison is paying to
investigate your property. He usually charges people for his
services. Now you know that I personally think that the ghosts are
wonderful, but even I'm getting nervous here. Think about poor
Clara's face-and don't go telling me she bumped into a wall. We
need our ghost stories, some of them are so great. Passion, spurned
lovers, murders, suicides! But...there's something not at all right
going on as well. Oh, Matt, please! If you really love the house
and our history and want to keep the place open, not to mention in
the family!-please let this girl come and get started on her
investigations, no matter what it is, exactly, that she does."
He gazed back at the bar. Everyone was staring at them. Penny
was speaking loudly. They could all hear. "Penny-you're right.
Murders and suicides. The woman in white who's been seen floating
around the staircase. You know what? It isn't going to matter what
I do-the stories are going to circulate forever."
"I've seen the woman in white," Penny said stubbornly.
"Penny, you drank half the wine cellar that night," he reminded
her.
"Nevertheless, this is important. Yes, we'll have stories, no
matter what. But you said yourself that you were suspicious
that someone was causing some of the 'haunting.' How will you ever
know, or prove anything?"
"Penny, I am the sheriff. I know a few things about
investigating occurrences on my own."
"Matt, where's your patriotism?"
"What?" he said incredulously.
"The house is so important. What if someone really gets
hurt?"
He almost smiled. It was a new line of attack.
From the table, he heard the sound of David Jenner clearing his
throat. "You know, Matt, things haven't been that great. I could
really use the work."
"Right. You know, we're not all rich, kind of famous, and born
with absolutely legitimate names," Clint said, grinning with a
shrug.
"Matt, maybe you could do us all some good," Carter told
him.
"You won't have to do a thing," Penny's voice said from over the
phone wire. ' 'Give Ms. Tremayne my number. And I'll handle
everything. You don't have to come anywhere near the house if you
don't want to while she's in it. But first, you go over right now
and get her out of that
as she spoke, her face that of a sophisticated angel-or siren, one
or the other.
Redheads were always trouble.
"I'm just irritated, I guess. Maybe I do owe her an apol-
ogy."
The phone rang stridently from the bar. He felt a surge of
anger. She was already calling. Mae picked up the phone.
"Hello...yes, Penny, he's here. He's got his cell phone turned
off again, huh? Well, he's sitting here, sure as can be. Shouldn't
have that cell phone turned off, Matt, you know that," she said,
her hand over the receiver.
"Shirley at the station knows where I am, and that's all that
matters," Matt said.
"Penny knows you're here now, come on over and talk to her!
Please!" Mae insisted, seeing the stubborn set to his jaw.
Matt cast Mae an evil eye, then rose to accept the
receiver from behind the bar. Penny came on the line.
"Yes?"
"Matt, I heard you gave that girl from New York an absolutely
wretched time!"
"Penny, I really did no such thing. And how did you hear so
fast?"
Matt looked around. Sure enough, Marty Sawyer- Penny's
nephew-who had been watching Carter's pool game was now nowhere to
be seen. He'd slunk out already.
"Matt Stone! There is so much good to be done here! Principal
Joe from the grade school was telling me how much the
schoolchildren just loved the living history productions we
did last summer, and you know as well as I do that you can't keep
that kind of program going if we don't make sure that the house is
entirely safe. And you've already agreed that we can let the seance
go on."
"Because even though I don't believe in such a thing as a
'medium,' I like Elizabeth!" he said irritably.
"You're going to make a tiny percentage off
Elizabeth-compared to what Adam Harrison is paying to
investigate your property. He usually charges people for his
services. Now you know that I personally think that the ghosts are
wonderful, but even I'm getting nervous here. Think about poor
Clara's face-and don't go telling me she bumped into a wall. We
need our ghost stories, some of them are so great. Passion, spurned
lovers, murders, suicides! But...there's something not at all right
going on as well. Oh, Matt, please! If you really love the house
and our history and want to keep the place open, not to mention in
the family!-please let this girl come and get started on her
investigations, no matter what it is, exactly, that she does."
He gazed back at the bar. Everyone was staring at them. Penny
was speaking loudly. They could all hear. "Penny-you're right.
Murders and suicides. The woman in white who's been seen floating
around the staircase. You know what? It isn't going to matter what
I do-the stories are going to circulate forever."
"I've seen the woman in white," Penny said stubbornly.
"Penny, you drank half the wine cellar that night," he reminded
her.
"Nevertheless, this is important. Yes, we'll have stories, no
matter what. But you said yourself that you were suspicious
that someone was causing some of the 'haunting.' How will you ever
know, or prove anything?"
"Penny, I am the sheriff. I know a few things about
investigating occurrences on my own."
"Matt, where's your patriotism?"
"What?" he said incredulously.
"The house is so important. What if someone really gets
hurt?"
He almost smiled. It was a new line of attack.
From the table, he heard the sound of David Jenner clearing his
throat. "You know, Matt, things haven't been that great. I could
really use the work."
"Right. You know, we're not all rich, kind of famous, and born
with absolutely legitimate names," Clint said, grinning with a
shrug.
"Matt, maybe you could do us all some good," Carter told
him.
"You won't have to do a thing," Penny's voice said from over the
phone wire. ' 'Give Ms. Tremayne my number. And I'll handle
everything. You don't have to come anywhere near the house if you
don't want to while she's in it. But first, you go over right now
and get her out of that
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