Free The Haunting of Josephine by Kathleen Whelpley Page A

thing that I would like for us to try and do before our wedding.” Jo bit her lip and looked rather nervous.
    “What could you possibly have to ask me that is making you this nervous?” Mr. Kinsley tried to pull Jo back into a hug but she resisted knowing that she did not really want to be so close to him in fear of his reaction.
    “Well, it is just that I feel like it is really important that we find out who it was that killed my aunt. A part of me feels like we really need to do this for her.” Jo had turned away from Mr. Kinsley so she wasn’t aware of his reaction to what she had said or even that he had approached her until she felt his hands on her shoulders gently turning her around.
    “I hope that this does not upset you, but I have already been working on that a bit. Unfortunately there is not much to go on.” Jo was touched and shocked that he had already been trying to find wh o it was that had murdered her a unt.
    “I know it is not much. I mean they know so many people so how doe s knowing that the man knew my a unt and u ncle well enough to know how to get right to her and that he must have had a reason such as trying to hurt me or teach me a lesson through hurting her.” Mr. Kinsley was taken aback by what Jo had just said.
    “Who told you all of that?” Jo looked at Mr. Kinsley surprised. She had not meant to admit to everything that she had learned from her a unt ’s ghost . “I know for a fact that no one has come out and told you all of that because we all agreed to protect you from those details. How did you learn all of that?”
    “I do not know. Nobody actually told me. I guess I just figured it out on my own.” Jo tried to busy herself with the papers at her desk hoping that Mr. Kinsley would not realize that she had just lied. Luckily he did not.
    “Do you really feel that this is entirely your fault? Do you think that whoever did this was trying to teach you a lesson ?”
    “It is rather hard not to blame myself. They were happy together for some many years; they had countless friends, and never had any problems. Then not long after I get here and my engagement is announced suddenly someone hates her enough to murder her? And to do it in such a viscous fashion? It just feels to me like whoever did it was trying to send a message. One that I am afraid that if we do not figure out he might try to send again.”
    “I cannot believe it. I had never really thought about that. What if you are the key to it all?” Unintentionally Mr. Kinsley had hurt Jo who had been trying so har d to convince herself that her a unt’s death had not been her fault.
    “Maybe you should run that past Captain and see what he thinks. Now if you do not mind I need to get ready for the day.”
    “Oh no, Josephine, I did not mean it like that. I was not trying to hurt you and I still do not think that it is your fault. It i s just that when you mentioned how it has not been that long since you have been here and how soon this all happened after the announcement of our engagement that it may lead us to an answer to know think about it all from that angle.” Jo found herself rather confused. Could it more be their relationship and not just her that had caused it all?
    “Who would hurt my a unt because of us? Do you really think that is what it is? Who would be able to gain anything from that?” The more that Jo thought about the possible link the more she realized that there really was a strong possibility that the key factor in her aunt’s death really could be their engagement.
    “Someone who does not want to see us together. Either someone who has something against me or someone who desperately wants to be with you.” Jo shuddered at the thought that someone could do something so hurtful and hateful over just wanting to be with her .
    “But that still could be anyone could it not? How can that help us any?” Mr. Kinsley thought about it for a moment. He knew that there had to be something more out