Finished Off (A Bellehaven House Mystery Book 2) by Kate Kingsbury Read Free Book Online Page A

with a loud groan, leaving a smear of rust on her white glove. Shuddering, she passed through and dutifully closed the gate behind her with her foot.
    The bell, she discovered, hung over the massive door that guarded the entrance to the building. She pulled the bell rope, and heard the muffled echo of its mournful clanging inside.
    She waited for some time before pulling the rope again, more forcefully and for a longer amount of time. Her reward came moments later with the grinding of heavy bolts being drawn back. The door swung open, to reveal a portly woman in a dull brown frock covered with a grubby apron.
    Her tired eyes took in Meredith's appearance, and her bored expression changed to one of hopeful anticipation. "Yes, madam? What can I do for you?"
    Meredith realized at once the reason for the woman's eagerness. Feeling guilty for raising false hopes in her, she said quietly, "My name is Mrs. Meredith Llewellyn. I've come to ask some questions about your orphans."
    "You wanting to adopt?"
    "I've been thinking about it, yes."
    "Come in, come in!" She opened the door wider and Meredith stepped inside the dingy entrance, fervently hoping her lie justified the means.
    "I'm Mrs. Philpot, the administrator of this establishment. Come with me." The woman led the way down a dark hall, dimly lit with flickering gas lamps on the wall. There were no windows to let in the light, and the place stank of antiseptic soap and stale cooking odors.
    Mrs. Philpot paused in front of a door and pushed it open. "Please take a seat. I'll be with you in just a moment."
    Reluctantly Meredith entered the office. The room was much smaller than her office in Bellehaven. A desk was crammed into one corner, and a tiny window afforded a view outside of unkempt bushes bordering a ragged lawn.
    There were only two chairs, one behind the desk and one in front. Meredith brushed the seat with her gloved hand before seating herself.
    Small piles of paper covered the desk. An inkwell sat on one corner and on the other corner perched a photograph of a group of children.
    Eagerly, Meredith snatched up the tarnished silver frame and examined the picture. She studied each facecarefully, both the boys and girls, but to her intense disappointment she didn't recognize the face of her ghost among them.
    Replacing the photograph, she leaned her back against the chair. She must have imagined the vision outside after all. She knew quite well that her connection between the ghost and the orphanage had been flimsy at best. She had been so anxious to grasp any flicker of hope that presented itself, she had mistaken the reflection of sunlight for her ghost. If the photograph represented every child in Chest House, her ghost wasn't one of them. She would have to remove herself from this situation with as much grace as possible.
    The door opened behind her and Mrs. Philpot bustled in. "Now then," she said as she lowered her formidable bulk onto the chair, "I'm quite sure we'll be able to find a suitable child for you to adopt. We have many lovely children here who will make excellent family members. Were you looking for a boy or a girl?"
    Meredith thought fast. "A girl, most definitely. Actually, I have rather specific requirements for the daughter I have in mind. I shall quite understand if you are unable to fulfill them."
    "Ah." The other woman's face clouded. "Then this isn't the first orphanage you have visited."
    "Actually, it is the first." Meredith leaned forward. "The child I am looking for would have golden curls, the palest blue eyes, and she would be about ten years old."
    "Hmmm." Mrs. Philpot leaned her hands on the table and stared at them. "That's a tall order. I don't know if we have a child like that." She looked up. "We do have a seven-year-old. Not exactly golden-haired, but a sort of light brown. I'm sure you would love her if you saw her."
    "Thank you, but I don't think—"
    Mrs. Philpot stood up, cutting off Meredith's words. "Why don't you come with me