Ghost River Jon Coon (free reads TXT) 📖

“It was bad,” he said as he became more coherent.

“I’m right here,” she answered and hugged him.

“Emily was trapped,” he whispered. “I couldn’t reach her.”

“It’s the dream I had,” she whispered back. “Is it Cas?”

“Mom,” Emily asked from the bedroom door, “is Gabe all right?”

“I’m okay, honey. Sorry to wake you,” he answered. “Don’t worry. It was only a dream.”

“Go back to bed, honey. I’ll be there in a minute,” she said. Carol waited a moment and then kissed Gabe tenderly. “You okay?” she asked softly.

“Now I am. Thanks.”

“Anytime. You know you don’t have to wake the neighbors to get a goodnight kiss,” she smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

Emily was back in bed when Carol got in beside her. “Mom, that was a real kiss, wasn’t it?”

“You were supposed to be in bed.”

“I was going; you didn’t wait long enough. That was real, wasn’t it?”

Yes, honey, that was real.”

“About time. Night, Mom. Love you.” She rolled on her side with her back to her mom.

“Love you too, honey. Good night.”

Carol was making coffee when Gabe awoke. He groaned as he sat up, and she turned to him and smiled. Emily was still asleep, and Carol had put the dogs out in their pen underneath the Montana. She brought two cups and sat on the edge of the couch.

She kissed him and asked, “Are you going in? It’s Saturday. Paul will be there.”

“No, let’s give him some space. I’m meeting Bob. We’ve got a warrant to search Peterson’s house. You can come with us if you want. That old mansion is something. Then I want to go to the camp and see how the clean-up crew is doing. The dogs need a good run. After that, I’m going to call Alethea. If Cas sent me that present last night, Alethea has to stop it.”

“Do we need to talk about last night?” she asked.

“Sorry about waking you. But it ended pretty well if that’s what you mean. Maybe I’m not so sorry after all.”

“You surprised me a little, that’s all. Does this mean you’ve made up your mind? Can we start making our plans now?”

“Yes, I’m all in, but we’re still going to wait a respectable amount of time. I don’t want to ruin our reputation, especially with the kids. We’ve got a lot to do. Like finding out who set that fire.”

“Do you have a plan?” She asked.

“Bob says there weren’t prints on the gas cans. So that’s a dead end. But I won’t give up until we have this solved. Did I tell you there were bullet holes in your car?”

Before Carol could answer, Emily came down the three steps from the bedroom, still in pajamas, and waved as she went to the refrigerator for orange juice. She drank a little, put it on the counter, and plopped beside her mom on the couch. Behind her Carol got up and went to the coffee pot. She caught Gabe’s eye and mouthed, “Later.” Gabe nodded in agreement.

“Let’s do something fun,” Emily exclaimed.

“Would staking out the plot for your new log house be fun?” Gabe asked.

“You bet. Can I stake out my room? That would be cool.”

“Sure. You hold down the fort with the dogs while your mom and I go check out a spooky old house, and then you can stake to your heart’s content.”

CHAPTER 37

0900

Peterson Mansion

Bob and a forensics team were at the plantation when Gabe and Carol arrived. Bob had asked Peterson’s housekeeper, Harriet, to help. Zack and Mickey were sitting in the porch swing drinking ice tea and talking when Gabe awkwardly came up the marble steps, still on crutches. Harriet frowned at Gabe and said nothing.

“Morning all, it’s good to see you,” Gabe said.

Harriet looked away and remained silent. Zack and Mickey were holding hands. “Morning,” Mickey answered with a smile. “We have news.” She held up her left hand, and the sunlight caught a beautiful pear-shaped diamond engagement ring twice as big as even wealthy college students could afford.

“Wow,” Carol said and hugged her. “That’s spectacular. Congratulations.”

“We had to promise my folks we’ll wait at least two years,” Mickey explained.

“The ring was my grandmother’s,” Zack said. “After everything that’s happened, I wanted Mickey to have it now. Once the estate is settled, we’ll go back to school, and I’ll finish my engineering degree.”

“What about you, Mickey?” Carol asked.

“I still want to be a nurse. I like the idea of being able to help people. So it’s back to school for me too.”

“Good for you. Just ask Carol, that’s a wonderful career,” Gabe said. “Now, Zack, what do you know about this old house? Your grandfather said it was hiding the secrets we need to tidy up this adventure.”

“It’s been years since I was here with my mom, but Miss Harriet knows every cobweb.”

“Ain’t no cobwebs in this house,” the stout old woman rebutted. “But there is some doors, secret doors. Doors my mama said we was never to unlock.”

“Your mother was here?” Mickey was the first to ask.

Harriet nodded. “And her mama and her mama’s mama. I guess we been here since we were slaves.” She got up from the wicker chair and led them into the house. “Let’s go see what them old buzzards been hidin’ all these years.”

Harriet led them through the great hall past the family portraits. Gabe noticed only men hung on the walls and wondered where the wives were.

In the library, bookshelves stacked with leather-bound sets of law books and almanacs were part of collection that included literature, art, and a large number of wildlife editions. Gabe stopped and pulled a signed first edition Audubon, one of six in the set. “Do you know what these are worth?” Carol asked them. “These could pay for a house and your tuition.” Gabe gently replaced the volume, and they moved on.

In front of the bookshelves was a walnut desk and antique studded leather chair. Behind the desk Harriet found