Mysteries of Holt House - A Mystery Read Free Page A

his attention.
    “Not today, young lady.” At thirty-two, it
was kind of nice to hear him call me a young lady.
    “Well, when can we see it?” I persisted.
    “It’ll be shown by appointment next week
from what I understand. Now back to business. When do you want to pick up the
furniture?”
    “Would it be possible to store it inside
the house for the time being?” I asked.
    He looked thoughtful. “Well, I suppose so.
Maybe the house will show better with the furniture in it.”
    “Thanks. I’ll be in touch with you about
it next week.”
    I grabbed Sharon’s arm and dragged her off
before he could change his mind.
    “I just don’t understand what you’re
doing,” Sharon said.
    “I’m not totally sure myself, but I’ll
tell you what I’m thinking, and don’t try to talk me out of it.”
    She rolled her eyes. “Maybe.”
    “I won a lot of money, but it’s not going
to last forever, so I’ve got to make it work for me.”
    I paused, trying to put my thoughts in
order.
    “Now I know that the most common advice I
get is to invest in real estate or mutual funds. I don’t know anything about
mutual funds, so turn around and look at that house. It has a lot of bedrooms,
and it’s also got a lot of character and history. On a small scale, I could
turn it into a boarding house. A lot of people work in the larger cities around
here, but they still want to live in the country. They wouldn’t have to commute
as far since this house is so close to the five points of the Cross Roads.
    “On a larger scale,” I continued, “I could
turn it into a sort of resort or vacation spot, maybe a Bed & Breakfast
type thing – a place to get away from it all. And it’s not that far from skiing
in the winter and lakes in the summer – which, of course, leads to the reason I
wanted the furniture. I’d need a lot of furniture to fill this place, and the
pieces I bought will fit the style of the house.”
    I was on a roll.
    “On top of all that, the house appears to
be in good condition. I probably wouldn’t have to put out a lot of money for
repairs. When I talked to the auctioneer, he said that someone has been keeping
the repairs done on the house for quite some time. No one knows who’s been
doing the work though, or why.”
    “I told you this place was spooky,” Sharon
said, wrapping her arms around herself. “Did I mention I felt like I was being
watched while I was looking at things on the front porch? I’m sure I saw the
drapes move.”
    “Hush. That was your imagination working
overtime. Anyway, the house is being auctioned off for back taxes. It’s been
vacant for years. Apparently, somehow it slipped through the cracks or it would
have been sold a long time ago.”
    “It sounds like a lot to take on,” Sharon
said, “especially for someone with very little business experience. That’s not
an insult, just a fact. Are you sure you really want to do this? I’d think it
over long and hard if I were you.”
    “I will, but I have to tell you I’ve got a
good feeling about it. Somehow it feels like the right thing to do.”
    “There’s a lady bug on your sleeve,”
Sharon said, pointing at my arm.
    “See? Lady bugs are good luck. It must be
a sign.”
    “Sign my foot,” she said. “Lady bugs are
just crawly little bugs.”
    “You know, Sharon, I think it must be fate
that we came out here today and found that portrait. I mean, fate must have led
us here.”
    “Oh, brother,” she said under her breath.
    “I heard that.”
    Glancing over my shoulder in the direction
of the house, I had the strangest feeling I was being watched, too, but I
didn’t see anyone looking our way, and I didn’t see the drapes move. Sharon
didn’t seem to notice and I didn’t dwell on it or call it to her attention. I
didn’t want to spook her or confirm what she’d felt earlier.
    We loaded our purchases into the car and
drove back to town. On the way home I asked Sharon if she wanted to come to my
place for