Free Lost And Found: A Cozy Ghost Mystery (Storage Ghost Mysteries Book 2) by Gillian Larkin

Storage Ghosts
     
    Lost And Found
     
     
    Chapter 1
     
    “I
still don’t understand, why would that man with the funny beard want a unit
full of women’s underwear?”
    Frankie
didn’t take his eyes away from the television screen. He said, “I’ve told you
this before, he’s making the other bidders go higher so that they’ll have less
money for the other storage units that come up later. Then he’s got more chance
of getting them at a bargain price. Pay attention, Grace.”
    “But
why would he do that? Why doesn’t he just let the other person have it?” Grace
asked.
    Frankie
gave a firm nod towards the screen and said, “It’s business, it’s all about
making money.”
    Grace
was silent for a moment as she watched the action on the screen. People
nodding, some raising a finger, some even arching an eyebrow as the bids went
higher. She frowned and said, “Why would anyone want that underwear anyway? It
might be,” she gave a small shudder, “used.”
    “That’s
the fun of it.”
    Fun?
Grace gave her brother a concerned glance.
    Frankie
carried on. “They can sell the underwear in a shop or online. It’s the boxes
behind that people are interested in.”
    Grace
squinted slightly. “But you can’t see what’s in the boxes.”
    Frankie
shot her a smile and said, “Exactly! It could be anything. Treasure or rubbish.
It’s like a treasure hunt.”
    Grace
folded her arms. “More like a gamble, I don’t understand why people would waste
their money. I bet there will be socks in those boxes, stinky old socks.”
    “Maybe,
but there could be a valuable gun wrapped up in one of them, you just never
know.”
    Frankie
pointed the remote at the TV. “I’ve watched this one before a few times,
there’s something else I want you to see.”
    Grace
leant back further into the sofa. Frankie was obsessed with these TV programmes
about storage auctions. He seemed to be watching them all the time. She didn’t
mind, it was nice to see him enthusiastic about something again since the
accident. But did he have to get her involved?
    Grace
already knew the answer to that. And she already knew that she would be going to
a storage auction with him the following day. She had to, for the sake of her
parents.
    Frankie
clicked the remote until he found what he was looking for. “You’ll enjoy this,
Grace, I recorded it yesterday. Have you got any lager left? You soon went through
those two cans.”
    “I
went through two cans? I certainly didn’t. It was you. You come over here and
eat my food, you drink my lager and mess up my shower! Get your own lager.”
    Frankie
held the remote up at her as if warding her off. “Whoa! Steady on. You invited
me over, remember? I’m quite happy to stay in the stockroom over the shop. And
it was you who insisted that I use your shower.”
    Grace
gave him a pointed look. “You needed to use my shower, you were starting to
smell.”
    “I
wasn’t, how could I? I had a shower last week. Anyway, I can’t get the lager,
I’m fast-forwarding.”
    Grace
said, “I’m sure I’m capable of fast-forwarding a programme, give me the
remote.”
    Frankie
pulled the remote protectively to his chest. “No way. You don’t know what
you’re looking for. Get me a slice of that pizza whilst you’re in the kitchen.”
    Grace
glared at her big brother as she stood up. He was looking at the TV again but
she could see the sides of his mouth lifting slightly.
    She
returned a minute later with the requested items. She looked down at Frankie.
Oh no! She had seen that look on his face before. She turned her attention to
the television. Yes, as she suspected, Frankie’s hero was on the screen.
    Frankie
took the offered  items without moving his eyes. He opened the lager and took a
big gulp, his eyes still not moving from the screen. “Look at him, Grace, isn’t
he awesome? Look at how he deals with everyone, he’s such a professional.”
    Grace
sat down, she tried to keep her smile in. Frankie