Read Harrison Investigations 1 Haunted for Free Online

out.
    "Clara, what on earth?" he asked kindly, holding her at
something of a distance from himself and searching out her
eyes.
    "Let me tell you, that bride was not crazy. There's a ghost in
that room!"
    "Oh, Clara, please. We both know the silly stories about this
place! We've both heard them since we were little kids. But come
on, we've also worked in this house, both of us, for years and
years. Clara, I feel like a broken record here, but believe
me-ghosts don't really exist. People want them to exist sometimes.
Penny is dying to have a few authentic ghosts to give the place a
greater reputation. Seems like being an historical masterpiece
doesn't always cut it these days." He smiled, smoothing back her
graying hair.
    "There's a ghost in the Lee room, and it just touched me." Clara
planted her hands on her hips. "How long have you known me?
Forever? Haven't I always agreed with you, saying that it was just
silly airheads who felt they had to make up ghost stories? But you
have to believe me-there's something in that room. It threatened
me. Matt, it wasn't my imagination. It wasn't a memory of ghost
tales told over and over. It was real. I could see it. Come up and
see for yourself!"
    Matt sighed deeply. Still, there was concern for her in the
depths of his dark eyes. "All right, Clara, let's go take a
look."
    Clara edged behind him, then followed as he left the office and
strode with long footsteps through the foyer, up the stairs, and to
the Lee room.
    Naturally, there was nothing there.
    Clara walked over to her broom. "I was standing right here."
    "Clara, maybe you saw the draperies drifting in. The French
doors are open."
    Clara indignantly straightened her five-foot-one frame. She
could see that Matt felt as if he was living a repeat of a silly
performance. He was trying to be patient; he felt like throwing his
hands up as if the whole world had now gone insane. "I know the
difference between drapes and a ghost!"
    Matt ran his fingers through his ink dark hair, shaking his
head. "Clara...I don't know what to say. There's nothing here
at all."
    Clara sniffed. "Matt, it's gone now. But there
was
something here! Why can't you believe me? You should. It wasn't all
that long ago that we rented the room to the Thomases. She came
running out of the room in the middle of the night, stark naked,
and screaming! All right, I wasn't here when it happened, but I
sure heard all about it." Clara paused, biting her lip. "Okay, I
laughed like hell, I'll admit, but...Matt, there's something
going on."
    "Clara, Jeannie Thomas herself said later that she'd had a lot
to drink that night. Her husband didn't see or hear a thing, and
all it did was cause a big argument on the first night of their
marriage. Clara, Jeannie drove me crazy and came here and
specifically asked for this room, having heard that it was haunted.
Don't you see? The bride wanted there to be a ghost, and so there
was. History can be tragic, Clara. And there was some tragic
history associated with the place. But come on, now! You're a
sensible woman. In your heart, you know that you're just letting
your imagination run riot."
    "Matt, I quit."
    "Oh, Clara!"
    She knew that he couldn't afford to lose another maid.
    "How about this, Clara. You don't quit, but you don't clean this
room. How's that?"
    She reflected on his offer. ' 'Who is going to clean it?''
    "We'll let Penny come in here and take care of this room. Penny
thinks it's the greatest thing in the world that the place has a
reputation for being haunted."
    "You know, Matt, I can't help it. I was definitely one of those
to scoff at such absurdity, but I can tell you now- this house is
haunted!"
    "Clara, maybe it's haunted, and maybe...hm."
    "Maybe what?"
    ' 'Maybe Penny is playing tricks, she wants the house to be
haunted so badly. Or maybe someone is. . .I don't know. Breaking in
here. Making things happen."
    "How?" Clara asked incredulously.
    "Who knows," he murmured.
    Clara again planted her hands on her hips, her