The Ghost in the Big Brass Bed Read Free Page A

before I change my mind. And if you see anything weird, don’t tell me!”
    We nodded and began to walk up the path.
    I was frightened, but not terrified. After all, the ghosts we had met so far had actually been pretty nice.
    The porch echoed hollowly under our feet.
    Norma rang the doorbell. Phoebe took so long answering that I began to think that maybe she had died and the ghost we had sensed was hers. It wasn’t until she opened the door and we started to follow her into the parlor that I remembered how slowly she moved.
    The parlor was almost pretty. It had a high ceiling, dark blue wallpaper covered with little flowers, and an Oriental rug. The October light streamed in through three tall windows. Clearly the room had once been beautiful. But it looked slightly shabby now, and somehow empty, as if it should have had more furniture than it did. The only decorations were a painting that hung above the fireplace and a large Oriental vase.
    The one thing in the room that didn’t look worn out was the person sitting in the blue armchair. He was probably about sixty years old, but he had a full head of thick, silvery-white hair. He was dressed in business clothes and looked very formal except for his tie, which was bright red and covered with images of large, fan-tailed goldfish. He stood as we entered the room. Crossing toward us, he said, “You must be Norma Bliss! I’m so pleased to meet you!”
    Norma looked surprised. “I didn’t know I was so famous,” she said with a slight laugh.
    â€œPhoebe has told me all about you.”
    â€œThis is Stephen Bassett, Norma,” Phoebe said. “He’s a very dear friend of mine. Now, why don’t you introduce the girls, while I go get some tea things.”
    â€œMake mine coffee,” said Norma.
    As Phoebe left the room, Norma began to introduce us.
    Mr. Bassett raised a hand to stop her. “No need for an introduction. I know who they are.”
    â€œYou do?” I asked in surprise.
    â€œYou are Nina Tanleven, aren’t you?”
    Judging from the way he laughed, I must have appeared even more surprised than Norma had. “Don’t be so worried. You live up the street from me. I know your father. And I assume you’re Chris Gurley,” he continued, turning to Chris.
    â€œHow do you know that?” asked Chris.
    â€œYou two did gain a certain notoriety after your adventure in the Grand Theater this past summer,” Mr. Bassett said. “The newspapers covered the story, in case you forgot.”
    I was starting to like this guy. I figured I might learn something from him.
    â€œYou have the advantage on us, Stephen,” said Norma. “Why not tell us what brings you here?”
    â€œBusiness,” he said, and shrugged.
    Norma frowned. “Don’t tell me you’re an antique dealer, too. My business is tough enough as it is.”
    â€œI’m Phoebe’s lawyer,” he said. I could hear a hint of steel in his voice. “If you want to know anything beyond that, you’ll have to ask Phoebe herself.”
    I had a feeling tht Norma wanted to give him a big “Well, excu-u-u-use me!” But she held it in and said something polite, and pretty soon the two of them were involved in a conversation that I thought was totally boring.
    It didn’t seem like the kind of situation where we were going to learn anything. So when Chris made a gesture with her head, I was glad to follow her over to look at the painting that hung above the fireplace.
    At first I thought it was just a pretty picture of a forest. Then I realized there were dead bodies scattered among the fallen leaves. After I spotted the first few, I couldn’t miss them. My eyes began picking out more and more, almost as if I were staring at one of those find-the-hidden-object pictures.
    Some of the bodies were marked with terrible wounds.
    My head began to whirl. For a moment the painting seemed to take