Free The Portrait of Doreene Gray by Esri Allbritten Page A

followed.
    â€œThis used to be the drawing room,” Lupita said, going through another doorway.
    â€œI wonder why they call it a drawing room,” Suki said.
    Lupita looked around. “All I know is, it’s the only guest room with its own bathroom.”
    Suki put her bags down. “I’ll take it.”
    Michael cleared his throat. “ Drawing room is short for withdrawing room. Members of the household entertained guests in it.”
    â€œI thought that’s what the parlor was for,” Suki said.
    â€œIt is,” Michael said, looking uncertain.
    â€œDoes Maureene have any say in whether the house is sold?” Angus asked Lupita. “Someone told us their stepfather left everything to her.”
    Lupita shrugged. “I don’t know about that. All I know is that Maureene has always protected her sister, always done everything for her, even above her own daughter.”
    â€œHow so?” Michael asked.
    Lupita went to the door, looked into the hallway outside, then closed the door and spoke quietly. “Lyndsay is Maureene’s daughter. She was mostly a good girl until high school, and then it was lots of yelling about wanting a car, wanting to go to a fancy college. The last thing they argued about was her wedding, and that was the worst.” She shook her head. “Screaming and crying about how Maureene wouldn’t pay for her to have it in Tahiti and must not like the man she was marrying.”
    â€œWhat did you think of the guy?” Suki asked.
    Lupita shrugged. “He seemed okay. Anyway, it got so bad in the house that Doreene decided to go on one of her trips, and that was the last straw.”
    â€œHow so?” Angus asked.
    â€œDoreene went on a round-the-world cruise, starting in Tahiti.”
    The others groaned.
    Lupita nodded. “Lyndsay went back to England and got married with only her boyfriend’s family there. Maureene has only seen her daughter a few times since then.” She shook her head sadly. “I never saw someone get old so fast. It broke her heart.”
    â€œAnd Doreene?” Michael asked.
    Lupita’s sorrowful expression hardened. “She came back two months later, looking younger than ever, with some Italian boy who wouldn’t drink anything but wine and fizzy water.” She snickered. “Every time I brought him a glass of water, I put a little bit of sleeping pill in it. Finally Miss Doreene got rid of him, he was so drowsy all the time. He said it was the weather.” She bit her lip. “Please don’t tell anyone. That’s the only time I ever did anything like that, but she made me so mad.”
    Suki nodded. “Next time, try laxatives.”
    Lupita smiled slightly. Then her smile disappeared, and she rubbed her arms. “Last night, I went to close my bedroom window and I saw lights in the woods. Maybe el Diablo is finally coming to take her away.”
    â€œWhat kind of lights?” Angus asked eagerly.
    Lupita turned her head and rubbed her chin on one shoulder. “Spirits of the dead, crawling across the ground.”
    Angus and Michael both whipped out notebooks.
    â€œActual crawling figures?” Angus asked. “Did they have ragged clothing? Long, straggly hair?”
    â€œAngus!” Michael said. “Quit leading the witness.”
    â€œMore like glowing bones,” Lupita said. “I closed the curtains and prayed half the night, I was so afraid.”
    â€œGlowing bones,” Angus murmured, writing furiously. “Brilliant.”
    â€œI assume you live here,” Michael said. “Where’s your bedroom?”
    Lupita pointed at the ceiling. “I have a suite, upstairs. It’s just me on the third floor.”
    Angus nodded. “And where is Doreene’s room, so we know not to go in there?”
    Lupita pointed. “Master suite, at the very end of the hall.”

 
    Nine
    The staff of Tripping spent the rest of