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man?”
    “How the hell should I know? I just used ‘guy’ to mean person,” Kyle shot back.
    “Humph,” sh e said.
    “Now you sound just like the sheriff.”
    “Yeah? Well, if you find any usable evidence, let me know,” she s napped . “I’ll be in touch.” She nodded at Jan and Laura , then strode back to her car and left.
    Shaking himself, he got back in his car and drove on. Why was whoever was doing this stuff now expanding it to include Jan? What could he do about it? Success wasn’t worth anyone getting hurt.
    Think positive, m an. And take one problem at a time. That ’ s the only way to do it.
    There was little Kyle could do in the rain at the farm, so he drove back to his office to set the details of his project in motion. He had a lot of details to iron out before h e could turn e arth at the site. But first on the list, he’d get the utilities working at the house to speed progress there.

 
     
    Chapter 3
     
    First, Jan and her mother did another quick walk through the farmhouse, looking for any pieces of furniture they wished to keep. Jan found an antique chest of drawers and a lovely wooden carved jewelry box she wanted . Laura turned up her nose at everything she s a w .
    “Okay,” Jan said. “Then except for my two pieces, let’s leave all the furniture where it is and just let the lady from the Historical Society choose what she wants and then donate the rest. I’m quite sure they’ll be happy to send a truck to pick it up.”
    “Sounds good to me. And that will save us a lot of work, too,” Laura agreed.
    “How about using the dining room down here to sort the smaller items ?” Jan asked . “These big windows let in plenty of light. And we should have water and electricity by tomorrow.”
    “ Okay ,” Laura agreed. They began by removing the dust from the dining room table and chairs.
    Laura swep t the floor while Jan began bringing items to the table. It was slow, dusty work, but had to be done.
    Jan took a box to the family room and brought several loads of books down to the table where her mother began sorting them into piles. “Be sure to label the boxes, Mom,” she said. “Do you want their family Bible ?”
    Laura shook her head. “No. I’ve got too much junk already.”
    “ Their Bible isn’t junk, Mom. It has their family records in it.”
    Laura shrugged, not swayed by that argument.
    “ Then put it in my box to be saved, okay?” Jan said. “And I’d like some of these crocheted doilies, too.”
    “Really?” Laura said, turning up her nose. “They’re so old-fashioned.”
    “I know. But Aunt Esther and Grandma made them, so I’d like them for a keepsake , okay?”
    “Suit yourself, dear.” Laura wrote, ‘Jan’ on a box and put the Bible and doilies in it.
    As Jan went back to the living room with another empty box, she heard crying. She glanced at the easy chair beside the fireplace and froze. Aunt Esther sat in the chair, crying. This time, she looked up at Jan, sending her a beseeching look, as though asking for hel p. But she didn’t say anything.
    “Mom!” Jan yelled.
    “What is it?” Laura peered in the door. “What’s wrong?”
    Jan pointed at her aunt. “A-Aunt Esther! See?”
    Laura looked at the chair, then back at Jan. “I mpossible. Esther is dead. I don’t see anything, Jan.”
    Jan took a step closer, then another, reaching out to touch her aunt. But as Jan’s hand reached her, she disappeared. The chair was empty. Feeling weak and woozy , Jan reached behind her for the sofa.
    Laura quickly took her arm and eased her down o nto the upholstered seat. “Here, sit down. I’ll get you some water.” She went back to the dining room and got a bottle of water from the ice chest they’d brought. “Drink this.”
    Jan sipped the water, then insisted, “I saw her, Mom. Esther was crying just like the last time . She looked right at me, as though begging me for help.”
    “I’m sure you thought you saw her, dear,” Laura said,