Free Irene Brand_Yuletide_01 by Yuletide Peril Page B

their hostess chatted about the town of Stanton.
    “Coal and oil money built this town, but the industries ain’t as thriving as they used to be. Business just about dried up during the Great Depression, then everything perked up during World War Two. Many of our businesses have closed now because they can’t compete with the big shopping centers. I can see why—I like to shop at malls, too.”
    “The town of Willow Creek, where we used to live, has the same problems. I guess all small towns do.”
    “Stanton is still a great place to live though. Our churches and schools are good, and we don’t have much crime.”
    Apparently Henrietta hadn’t heard about the vandalism to Janice’s car.
    “No drug problems among the teens?” Janice asked, with a quick glance at Brooke.
    “Well, we hear rumors about drugs being bought and sold around here, but nobody’s been arrested.”
    When they finished eating, Henrietta said to Brooke, “Missy, do you want to watch television while your sis helps me clean up? I’ll show you the best channels. I have cable, so there are lots of good shows to choose from.”
    Janice had already rinsed and stacked the dishes when Henrietta returned. After she arranged the utensils in the dishwasher and put the leftovers in the refrigerator, Henrietta motioned to the table.
    “Let’s sit in here. You said you wanted advice, and I thought you might not want to talk in front of your sister.”
    “That’s true. I don’t know where to start.”
    “I’ve got all day. Just say what pops in your head.”
    “I don’t remember ever seeing my uncle. I was amazed when he named me in his will. Tell me about him.”
    “What do you know about the Reids?”
    “Not much, but more than I want to know.”
    “I hope you don’t mind some plain speaking about your kin.”
    “I could probably tell you things you don’t even know,” Janice said wryly.
    “John was the best of the three brothers. Your dad, and the younger brother, Albert, who’s still living in this county, received money when their parents died, same as John did. They frittered it away and John was determined they weren’t going to get any of his. He intended to give his money to thechurch until he heard that you and your sister had been taken away from your parents. He did a lot of investigating before he finally decided that you needed and deserved his property, and that you’d take care of it.”
    “He must have done his investigating secretly. I didn’t know anything about it.”
    “John was a closemouthed man. He didn’t tell everything he knew. Now that you’ve got his property, what are you going to do with it?”
    Briefly, Janice explained what she’d been doing since she’d left VOH, stating that she wanted to make a new start in Stanton.
    “I didn’t have any idea the house was such a mess until I got here. I envisioned the house like it had been in its heyday. Lance Gordon took me to see the house yesterday, and I think it could still be a nice home. But it will take a long time and a lot of money to restore the house to what it used to be. Just to get a few rooms ready so Brooke and I can live there will take weeks. And I can’t afford to live in a motel while I renovate the place. Lance suggested an apartment, but usually they have to be leased for a year, and I’d hoped to move into the house before then.”
    With a wise look, Henrietta said, “Not all apartments are like that.”
    “I don’t intend to use all of Uncle John’s money to fix up the house, so I’ll have to find a job. If I’m working, it will take that much longer to finish the house.”
    “I have an idea about where you can live. Anything else bothering you?”
    “Yes.” Janice explained about the warning note and her tires. “I wonder if it’s safe for me to take Brooke to that house. Lance told me yesterday that Uncle John had committed suicide in the house and that a lot of people think the house is haunted. I didn’t sleep