Read Online Madison Johns - Agnes Barton Paranormal 02 - Ghostly Hijinks by Madison Johns - Free Book Online Page B

this was all I had to go on.
     
     

Chapter Six
    Dust storms rank right up there with the most boring reasons to be stuck indoors, ever. Most of the day, we played cards since there wasn’t much else to do and went to bed early, at eight o’clock, but from the way it looked outside, it could have been midnight.
    I must admit, there was something about seeing a dust storm firsthand that was unnerving. The wind blew so hard that I half expected the roof to blow away. At least with the creaks and groans of the room, any other sort of noise was drowned out.
    Eleanor joined me in the bathroom. “I hafta pee. Are you done in here, yet?”
    “Sure am.”
    Before I had a chance to leave the bathroom, Eleanor popped a squat. “Eleanor!” I gasped, racing out the door. I stood there against the door as Caroline floated up to where I was.
    “Where have you been off to?”
    Caroline fanned her face. “Oh, I met me a fella. He’s rather nice, too.”
    “Are we talking an actual alive human, or spirit?”
    “Spirit, of course. Most people can’t see me and I think I’ll keep it that way. Your man doesn’t like me much.”
    “He’s just taking time to adjust to the fact that I can see a ghost now, or I should say ghosts since I keep seeing new ones all the time.”
    “This hotel has many spirits,” she shuttered. “I keep hearing about this ornery one, called The Cutter.”
    “The Cutter?” That sure didn’t sound good at all.
    “He hangs out in the library. It’s near the main staircase. He attacks whoever enters with a butcher knife, or so crazy Mary says.”
    “Crazy Mary? Is that the name of the ghost in the attic?”
    “That’s her. Mary and Niles were once romantically involved when they were alive, but they had a little misunderstanding, and now she hangs out in the attic.”
    I guess it wasn’t Elizabeth haunting the attic like Redd suggested. “So, your fella is Niles?”
    “He’s not my fella, Agnes. He’s just a spirit to talk to while you’re busy investigating.”
    “I thought you’d be more involved than you are.”
    “I try, but it’s not like you can talk to me around anyone. Not unless you want everyone to think you’re off your rocker.”
    Eleanor surfaced from the bathroom and I explained to Eleanor about the ghosts that haunted the hotel. She rolled her eyes. “Cutter, indeed,” she said as she stomped away.
    “I thought if Eleanor could see me it would be easier, but she’s so stubborn, that one.”
    “I don’t know what to say. She’s really never been like this. She knows perfectly well that ghosts exist, but it seems like she’s gone into denial now.”
    “Maybe that’s her way of dealing with seeing ghosts.”
    “The thing is, she doesn’t seem to see nearly the amount I do and I just don’t understand why.”
    “You have a gift now and you need to come to terms with it.”
    “Sometimes I wish I didn’t have it. I like you and all, but the other spirits are a bit unnerving at times. The big thing is this dream I had. I’m positive that I need follow up on it and find that little girl. She’s lost and it’s up to me to find her.”
    “I’m just not so sure, Agnes, but if that’s what you want to do, you should do it no matter what anyone thinks.”
    Caroline faded away before I could ask her any more questions about Crazy Mary. Why was it that all these people around here in the west had titles to their names? When Andrew said my name, I knew why Caroline vanished.
    “Yes, Andrew.”
    “I’m not sure what you said to Eleanor, but she said something about going to the library to get a book.”
    My eyes widened. “Oh, my. Was that some cause of concern?”
    He pushed his palm through his hair. “Well yes, since she was muttering about Caroline and she’d show her that she wasn’t afraid of ghosts.”
    I strode toward the elevator, and instead of waiting on it, I took to the stairs. By the time I was halfway down the second flight, I wished I had waited