The Lost Baby: A Ghost Mystery Story (Second Hand Ghosts Book 2) by Gillian Larkin Read Free Book Online Page B

staff. Seeing
as you still work for me at the moment you can get me as drink.” She pointed at
me again. “And if you have any keys to the shop, you can hand them over to me
now.”
    I
could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. No one was going to talk to me like
that!
    Through
gritted teeth I said, “How do we know this shop belongs to you? Is there a
will?”
    Pam
smirked, “I doubt there’s a will. Rose was useless at things like that. I’m her
only living relative so of course, I get this junk shop.”
    “So,”
I decided to point my finger at Pam now, “you don’t now if you own this shop or
not. Is that right?”
    Pam
looked away, “I suppose so.”
    I
stopped pointing and quietly said, “Then until you do know you can get your own
drink.”
    Carol
smiled at me.
    I
turned away before Pam could see me smiling too.
    Where
was Rose? I wanted to know if she’d made a will, and where it was. I couldn’t
bear it if Pam took over Second Hand Rose.
     

 
    Chapter 4
     
    People
started to arrive from the funeral and the shop was soon full. Carol was right
about the food, people pounced on it like they  hadn’t eaten for days. We had
to bring more out from the kitchen.
    I
had a lovely time talking to Rose’s friends. They had so many tales to tell me
about Rose. I had no idea that she’d been on so many adventures.
    All
the time I was listening to people I kept an eye on Pam. I saw her writing
things down in a small notebook. She was probably taking an inventory of our
stock.
    The
old lady that I was listening to, Sally, noticed me looking at Pam. She said,
“Pam never liked Rose. She was jealous of her because she was the baby in their
family. There was no need to be jealous though, Rose got everyone’s hand me
downs, whether they fitted her or not. That’s how she got the nickname, ‘Second
Hand Rose’”.
    I
looked at Sally, “I didn’t know it was a nickname.  I thought it was just the
name she gave to this shop.”
    Sally
continued, “Rose didn’t mind the nickname. Although some of the clothes that
she wore made her look like a scarecrow. That Pam was so mean that she always
tore her clothes before they were handed down to Rose. But Rose made the best
of it. She was handy with a needle and thread and used to put ribbons and
flowers over the holes. Some outfits made her look like a Hollywood star!”
    I
smiled. “Rose was always good at restoring things. I don’t know how we’ll
manage without her.”
    Carol
came over and touched me gently on the shoulder, “Isn’t it time to pick Emily
up, Kate? Do you want me to call you a taxi?”
    “No,
I’ve got my car outside. I never did get to have a drink of champagne,” I said.
    Carol
handed me a carrier bag. It was heavy.
    “There’s
a bottle of bubbly in there for you, and some of the food. You won’t need to
cook tea tonight,” Carol said.
    I
was touched by Carol’s kindness. This wasn’t like her at all. Something about
Rose’s death must have affected her in some way.
    I
said goodbye to Rose’s friends and gave Pam a final glare as I walked out of
the front door.
    I
tripped over a box.
    Carol
caught me just in time.
    “Who
the hell left that there?” Carol shouted. She looked up and down the street and
called out, “Stop leaving rubbish outside our shop. We’re not a charity shop!”
    I
couldn’t help but smile. Carol sounded like her old self now.
    “I’ll
take it out of the way,” I said.
    “Thanks,”
Carol said. “I hope these old folks don’t stay much later. They smell funny.”
    I
put my carrier bag in my car and then came back for the box.
    As
I touched it a shiver ran up my arms, like I’d suddenly plunged my arms into
freezing water.
    I
didn’t know what was in the box but I had a feeling that there was a ghost
lurking in there.
     

 
    Chapter 5
     
    I
picked Emily up from school.
    She
got in the back of the car and put her seat belt on.
    “Mummy,
when you went to the funeral, did lots of people cry?” she