Free Hope Callaghan - Garden Girls 06 - Magnolia Mansion Mysteries by Hope Callaghan Page B

wrong…
    Gloria followed Andrea down the basement steps and over to the small locked door.  Her heart pounded as she stuck the key in the lock.  It fit perfectly!  The only problem was, it wouldn’t turn.  Her heart sank.  “It fits but it won’t unlock it.” She pulled the useless key from the lock and turned it over in her hand.
    Andrea almost seemed relieved.  She stood up and brushed the dirt from her pants.  “Well, I guess it’ll just have to stay a mystery,” she concluded.
    The girls headed up the stairs and into the hall. 
    Gloria looked towards the stairs leading up to the second floor.  “What about the attic?”
    Andrea rubbed the sides of her arms and studied her friend’s expression.  “I was hoping you’d forget,” she admitted.
    It was wishful thinking on Andrea’s part. She could tell from the look on Gloria’s face that she had every intention of finding out what was in that attic!
    Andrea’s shoulder drooped.  “Okay.  Let’s go.” She looked down at Brutus.  “You’re going with us for protection.”
    Gloria chuckled.  “Protect us from what? Ghosts?”  The smile left her face when she saw the look Andrea gave her.  It was exactly what Andrea feared.  That some sort of spirit dwelt in her attic.
    Andrea reluctantly started up the steps with Gloria close behind. 
    At the center landing, she turned right and headed toward the guest wing.  “The only way into the attic is through the room my parents are staying in,” Andrea explained.
    She opened the door at the end of the long hall and stepped inside.  Gloria followed her to the closet.  Andrea opened the closet door and flipped on the light.  The closet was long and narrow. 
    Andrea made her way to the back and pushed a row of clothing to the side to reveal another door.  “This is it,” she announced.  She squeezed past Gloria until she was standing behind her. “You go first.”
    Gloria stared at the door.  Now that she was here, she wasn’t 100% convinced she wanted to find out what was in the attic. She took a deep breath and swallowed hard before grabbing the knob. It was now or never. 
    Gloria started to twist the knob and then stopped. “Do you think we’ll need a flashlight?” 
    “Maybe.” Andrea didn’t wait for a reply as she turned on her heel and headed out of the closet. She ran down to the kitchen and grabbed a couple flashlights from under the kitchen sink. 
    She headed back up the steps and into the closet where Gloria was still waiting, her hand still gripping the knob. 
    She stuck a flashlight in Gloria’s outstretched hand. “You have to admit, this is freaking you out,” Andrea said breathlessly.
    Gloria nodded.  Yes.  It was more than a little spooky.  After all, who knew how many years it had been since anyone had stepped foot inside the attic. 
    “I have something to tell you but I’ll wait ‘til later,” Andrea blurted out.
    Gloria sucked in a breath. She turned the knob and the door creaked open.  A sliver of light shined in through a small, round window on the far wall.  The room was long and narrow. 
    Gloria switched the flashlight on and beamed the bright light around the room.  The floor covering was some sort of wooden floorboard.  Thick wooden rafters covered both sides of the a-frame shape. 
    Gloria stepped inside.  The floorboard groaned under her weight, as if in protest. Andrea clutched the bottom of Gloria’s blouse and followed her into the room.
    Gloria ran the light along the rafters in search of a non-existent light bulb.
    Lined along the right hand wall were several boxes.  Except for those few boxes, the room was empty. 
    Andrea shivered.  Her eyes wandered up as she studied the ceiling. They traveled along the center beam before focusing on the round window on the far wall.  “This place is giving me the heebie-jeebies.”
    Brutus wandered into the attic and perched next to Andrea’s feet.  He let out a low growl and his ears