The Ghost of Marlow House (Haunting Danielle Book 1) Read Free

letting out a bone chilling scream.
     

Chapter Two
     
    Lily rushed into the small powder room.
Grabbing Danielle by the forearm, she jerked her friend around to face her.
    “What was it? Is there a mouse or
something?” Lily asked in a panic, frantically glancing around the room,
prepared to jump on top of the commode if necessary.
    Danielle stopped screaming and looked
from Lily to the mirror. The man was gone. Her heart pounding, Danielle took a
deep breath and closed her eyes briefly before looking back at Lily.
    “It’s nothing,” Danielle said at last,
sounding calmer than she felt.
    “Nothing? You scared the crap out of me!
What made you scream?”
    “I thought I saw something that wasn’t
there. It’s been a long day. I think I’m just tired, over excited.”
     “Don’t do that again!” Lily scolded. “I
think I about wet my pants!”
    “Sorry.” Danielle smiled weakly.
    “I’ll let you use the bathroom.”
    “I think I left my cellphone in the
car,” Danielle lied, touching the back pocket of her jeans where she’d tucked
her phone. “Would you mind running down to the car and getting it while I use
the bathroom?”
    “Sure, no problem.”
    Danielle dug her car keys from her jeans’
front pocket and tossed them to Lily. Standing at the powder room door, she
watched her friend dash from the house. After Lily closed the front door,
Danielle walked to the table where she’d placed her purse and house keys. Removing
the cellphone from the back pocket of her pants, she tucked it into her purse.
    Taking a deep breath, Danielle glanced
around the entry hall and called out, “Who are you?” There was no response. Why
does this stuff happen to me? Danielle asked herself. 
    Prepared to call out again she turned
around, and came face to face with the man who just moments before had been
standing in front of the pedestal sink in the small half bath. This time she
didn’t scream.
    “I’m the one who should be asking the
questions. Who are you, madam?” Walt demanded.
    “Oh crap,” Danielle muttered, looking
into Walt’s face. For a ghost—spirit—whatever the hell he was, he was good
looking, in spite of his angry scowl. If he was a living man, she would guess
he was in his late twenties or early thirties, and by his manner of dress, he
was on his way to a costume party dressed as a character from The Great
Gatsby , considering his vintage suit.
    “We’ll have to talk later. Lily will be
back in just a few minutes and she can’t see you.” Danielle walked toward a
window by the front door.
    “What are you talking about?”  Walt
followed her to the window.
    Danielle stopped walking and turned to
face Walt. “Who are you anyway?”
    “I’m Walt Marlow. This is my house. The
more important question is, who are you and why have you broken into my home?”
    “Your home? Yeah right…just my luck…”
Danielle grumbled. She turned back to the window and glanced outside to see
where Lily was. “I knew inheriting this place was too good to be true.”
    “Unless you give me satisfactory
answers, I shall ring for the police.” Walt threatened.
    “Sure. Tell me how that works out for
you.”  Danielle turned from the window and faced Walt, her arms folded below
her chest.
    “What did you mean inheriting this
place was too good to be true ? Young woman, if someone has told you you’ve
inherited this property you’re being swindled. My grandfather built this house,
it has been passed down to me and I’ve lived here all my life. As you can see I’m
alive and well, which means you’ve been hoodwinked.”
    “Oh my, is that how it is?” Danielle sighed
wearily. “Still alive, hey?”
    Danielle hadn’t screamed minutes earlier
because she had seen a ghost. She screamed because she thought a man was hiding
in the house. The fact Walt Marlow was not a living man changed everything;
Danielle Boatman knew a few things about ghosts.
    “Why are you looking at me like that?”