Laying Ghosts (Dolly Games) by Murphy Derek

Author:Murphy, Derek [Murphy, Derek]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Derek A. Murphy
Published: 2012-04-10T04:30:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

From the other side of the pantry wall, Carl and Julie studied the little breakfast nook that filled the space nearest the pantry. The pry-bar in Carl’s hand was cool and smooth as he moved to fit the end inside the crevice that ran along the left side.

He said, “According to the file, Webster didn’t have the kitchen, pantry or breakfast nook remodeled when he took possession of the house.”

She asked, “Who owned it before him?”

“Some management company.”

Just before he began applying pressure to the end of the bar, Julie said, “Wait a minute, Carl.”

Removing the bar, he leaned back on his haunches and watched as she slid under the table and began running her fingers along the bottom edge of the seat. As her fingers reached the end of the seat, they stopped and she hooked one finger into a small hole, tentatively pulling out as a lever was revealed. With a slight pop, the entire bottom case below the seat moved forward and she grasped it, pulling it outward into the space under the table.

The dark hole thus revealed was large enough for an adult to crawl into and taking her little, tactical light from her pocket, she flicked it on and began crawling into it.

Carl said, “Once you’re inside, I’ll follow.”

As she crawled, she noted that the sides, top and bottom of the little crawlspace were smoothly finished; as though the builders intended this passage to be used in relative comfort. She saw marks in the thin coating of dust on the floor that made her think of brush strokes. It was evident that someone had made a recent effort to sweep the dust from the floor to avoid getting it all over them. Still, there were scuffmarks where the toes of someone’s shoes had scraped along the floor. Though short, the passage slanted down beneath the seemingly solid floor and led in the direction of the sitting room with its relatively large fireplace on the other side of the breakfast nook.

Wary of spiders and snakes, Julie kept a close eye on the floor and corners of the passage until she reached the end in which the passage became a darkened well leading down. The light she carried showed that the ceiling of the passage rose a couple of feet, making it possible for even a large man to turn himself to get his feet into the well and onto a series of rungs, like a ladder, solidly affixed to the wall of the well. Turning to get her feet into the well, she turned her head and called to Carl.

“I think I found something, Carl. Come on.”

As she descended into the space thus opened to her, she suddenly became uneasy and stopped to twist her body on the ladder to shine her light on the space about her. A small pile of clothing on what appeared to be a card table filled her with a seldom felt sense of foreboding and she found herself standing on the ladder until she heard Carl maneuvering his much larger body at the top of the well.

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