Read Online McCann's Manor by Charlotte Holley - Free Book Online
Authors: Charlotte Holley
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was just like all the others, a figment of her imagination. Betty and her doctor, Hiram Winter, decided the house was a bad influence on Missy. They tried sending her to stay at her grandparents’ farm in Iowa, but she continued to rave about the monsters. So in December of seventy, they sent her to a private institution in New York. She jumped out a window the following April."
Liz looked at Kim, who stared back at her in disbelief. Winter was the name Missy had used when she thought of the man who had ordered her death. There had been a farm in Iowa. Should she tell John about the dream? Kim shook her head, as if in answer to Liz's unspoken question. Not yet. Liz would wait and see what she could turn up on her own, for a while, but then she wanted to talk to Betty, and to learn more about this Hiram Winter. What had been going on that brought about the deaths of Leonard and Missy Tatum? Who was Hiram Winter?
"Where is this Dr. Winter now?” Liz asked.
"Winter? Why do you ask?"
"I would like to talk to him about Missy,” she said.
"He was older than Betty, died a few years ago, I think,” John said.
"Oh. I don't suppose he spent time in New York while Missy was there, did he?"
"No, not as far as I know, but his brother Lucas was at the institute. As a matter of fact, he was the head of the facility. That was the reason they decided to send Missy there; he was supposedly the best in his field. May I ask why all this interest in Melissa?"
Liz paused. What to say without telling him the entire story? “I had a dream about her. She thought about a man named Dr. Winter and the farm in Iowa. This was before I met you or ever heard of McCann's mansion. When I saw her portrait in the library, it piqued my curiosity about Missy,” Liz said.
John frowned and asked, “You dreamed about Missy? You are psychic, aren't you? What do you think it means?"
"Well, I'm not sure yet. Guess that is why I'm curious,” she skirted the issue.
"I guess ! Does this sort of thing happen to you often?” John looked at her with genuine curiosity.
"No, but it does happen sometimes. Kim and I both have these kinds of dreams from time to time. It usually means something significant, to be sure.” Liz chewed on her lower lip in thought.
John pulled in behind Kim's white Jaguar in front of the restaurant where they had met for lunch. “Sounds like it might be significant,” he mused. “Okay, well, I will see you Saturday morning and we will get this thing started, right?"
"I can hardly wait!” Liz smiled at John. “Thanks for the lunch, the tour and the conversation. It was great."
"For me, too, girls. See you Saturday."
Liz and Kim got out of John's blue Mercedes SUV and waved before getting into the Jag and driving away. The day had yielded puzzling information and they needed time to ponder it.
* * * *
"So?” Kim asked at length.
Liz looked at Kim, puzzled, “So, what?"
"I saw you making eyes at John Carter. Are you interested in him or just leading him on?” She leaned back on the small sofa in their travel trailer and kicked off her shoes.
"Leading him on?” Liz protested, “I was not!"
"Yeah, uh-huh. I see that little grin on your face. You're smitten by him, admit it."
Liz frowned. “Smitten? Me?"
"Well, who else?"
Liz shook her head, cocked it to the side and asked, “What gave you an idea like that?"
"I wonder!” Kim retorted. “Do you deny it?"
Liz opened her mouth, shut it again. She hadn't thought about it. Was she smitten by John Carter? “I like John, Kim, but I don't think I'm smitten by him. I do find him attractive and charming, don't you?"
"Well, okay, maybe. At the same time, he bugs me. There is something not ... not quite honest about him."
"What do you mean?"
"Come on, Liz! Surely you noticed it. You even mentioned it yourself. He couldn't wait to get us out there to see the place and as soon as he saw we liked it he started trying to talk us out of staying there. Does that seem
Liz looked at Kim, who stared back at her in disbelief. Winter was the name Missy had used when she thought of the man who had ordered her death. There had been a farm in Iowa. Should she tell John about the dream? Kim shook her head, as if in answer to Liz's unspoken question. Not yet. Liz would wait and see what she could turn up on her own, for a while, but then she wanted to talk to Betty, and to learn more about this Hiram Winter. What had been going on that brought about the deaths of Leonard and Missy Tatum? Who was Hiram Winter?
"Where is this Dr. Winter now?” Liz asked.
"Winter? Why do you ask?"
"I would like to talk to him about Missy,” she said.
"He was older than Betty, died a few years ago, I think,” John said.
"Oh. I don't suppose he spent time in New York while Missy was there, did he?"
"No, not as far as I know, but his brother Lucas was at the institute. As a matter of fact, he was the head of the facility. That was the reason they decided to send Missy there; he was supposedly the best in his field. May I ask why all this interest in Melissa?"
Liz paused. What to say without telling him the entire story? “I had a dream about her. She thought about a man named Dr. Winter and the farm in Iowa. This was before I met you or ever heard of McCann's mansion. When I saw her portrait in the library, it piqued my curiosity about Missy,” Liz said.
John frowned and asked, “You dreamed about Missy? You are psychic, aren't you? What do you think it means?"
"Well, I'm not sure yet. Guess that is why I'm curious,” she skirted the issue.
"I guess ! Does this sort of thing happen to you often?” John looked at her with genuine curiosity.
"No, but it does happen sometimes. Kim and I both have these kinds of dreams from time to time. It usually means something significant, to be sure.” Liz chewed on her lower lip in thought.
John pulled in behind Kim's white Jaguar in front of the restaurant where they had met for lunch. “Sounds like it might be significant,” he mused. “Okay, well, I will see you Saturday morning and we will get this thing started, right?"
"I can hardly wait!” Liz smiled at John. “Thanks for the lunch, the tour and the conversation. It was great."
"For me, too, girls. See you Saturday."
Liz and Kim got out of John's blue Mercedes SUV and waved before getting into the Jag and driving away. The day had yielded puzzling information and they needed time to ponder it.
* * * *
"So?” Kim asked at length.
Liz looked at Kim, puzzled, “So, what?"
"I saw you making eyes at John Carter. Are you interested in him or just leading him on?” She leaned back on the small sofa in their travel trailer and kicked off her shoes.
"Leading him on?” Liz protested, “I was not!"
"Yeah, uh-huh. I see that little grin on your face. You're smitten by him, admit it."
Liz frowned. “Smitten? Me?"
"Well, who else?"
Liz shook her head, cocked it to the side and asked, “What gave you an idea like that?"
"I wonder!” Kim retorted. “Do you deny it?"
Liz opened her mouth, shut it again. She hadn't thought about it. Was she smitten by John Carter? “I like John, Kim, but I don't think I'm smitten by him. I do find him attractive and charming, don't you?"
"Well, okay, maybe. At the same time, he bugs me. There is something not ... not quite honest about him."
"What do you mean?"
"Come on, Liz! Surely you noticed it. You even mentioned it yourself. He couldn't wait to get us out there to see the place and as soon as he saw we liked it he started trying to talk us out of staying there. Does that seem
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