out of Oak Hollow. They do such nice work." She snapped her fingers. "Ah, yes. Handyman Express. That's the name. I'm sure I have the number upstairs. Why? Are you going to have some work done to Millie's old house? I always told your Aunt that she should have that front porch redone."
"No, nothing like that. But do you think you could find that phone number for me?" Darcy saw Jon looking at her, wondering what she was thinking. She'd have to tell him later.
"I can get the number ," he said, taking out his cell phone and heading for the stairs. "Let me make a call to my precinct over in Oak Hollow. We probably have this Handyman Express in our files there."
She watched him disappear upstairs, for a better cell signal no doubt. Then she gave the room another good look. Not much here. If someone had come in here, what could they have been looking for?
Th inking the answer might be as simple as looking at what was right in front of her, Darcy read through the two articles, where Belinda had replaced them on the wall. One was a review of Dominic's performance in a production of Guys and Dolls, which had run on Broadway for four months. It was very complimentary, but didn't seem to offer any insight into the current situation. The other was an interview with Dominic himself. It talked about how he had grown up in a small town in Canada, and how he had just met the woman who he knew would be the love of his life. Belinda, no doubt, although the article didn't specify. The rest of the article dealt with his techniques for stage performance. Interesting, but again not helpful.
The other frames held more of the same, all except one. On the wall to the right of the stairs was a large photo of Belinda and Dominic, dancing with each other, him in a tuxedo and Belind a in a long ball gown. Their love for each other shone on their faces.
One more time, Darcy reached out with her sixth sense and tried to feel the presence of any ghost, any spirit, anything from the other side that might be haunting Belinda Franco. Once again, she felt nothing. She was going to have to approach this mystery from another direction.
If it wasn't a ghost doing all this, then it had to be a person.
So how did that person get in? The door leading down here from the living room wasn't locked, but a flesh and blood person would still have to get inside the house to enter that way. So if not through there, then how?
Looking down to the far end of the room, Darcy suddenly knew the answer.
She walked over to where the six wide steps led up to red entry doors, angled overhead. "Are these locked?" she asked Belinda.
"Of course, dear . They've been locked for years. I have to keep all of these important things here safe. My treasures." She ran a hand along some of the frames.
Darcy stood on the top step, bent over below the doors, examining them closely. When she put her hands against the one side and pushed, the door swung upward without resistance.
They weren't locked now.
Chapter Six
"So you think a living person is doing this?"
Darcy relaxed back on the couch in her own living room as Jon stretched out in the recliner. It was after seven o'clock now. Darcy had made sandwiches for dinner, and she and Jon and her mother had chatted and ate together. Her mom had only met Jon a few times before. It gave them a lot to talk about, much to Darcy's embarrassment.
"Yes," she answered his question. "I don't think this is a ghost anymore. I think someone is sneaking into Belinda's house, looking for this money she's supposed to have."
"So, a burglar."
"Looks that way." Darcy would almost prefer that it was a ghost. She knew how to deal with ghosts. Living criminals were Jon's specialty. "How about the burglaries in Oak Hollow? Are you any closer to finding the bad guys in your town?"
She grimaced as she said it. She hadn't meant to call Oak Hollow Jon's
"No, nothing like that. But do you think you could find that phone number for me?" Darcy saw Jon looking at her, wondering what she was thinking. She'd have to tell him later.
"I can get the number ," he said, taking out his cell phone and heading for the stairs. "Let me make a call to my precinct over in Oak Hollow. We probably have this Handyman Express in our files there."
She watched him disappear upstairs, for a better cell signal no doubt. Then she gave the room another good look. Not much here. If someone had come in here, what could they have been looking for?
Th inking the answer might be as simple as looking at what was right in front of her, Darcy read through the two articles, where Belinda had replaced them on the wall. One was a review of Dominic's performance in a production of Guys and Dolls, which had run on Broadway for four months. It was very complimentary, but didn't seem to offer any insight into the current situation. The other was an interview with Dominic himself. It talked about how he had grown up in a small town in Canada, and how he had just met the woman who he knew would be the love of his life. Belinda, no doubt, although the article didn't specify. The rest of the article dealt with his techniques for stage performance. Interesting, but again not helpful.
The other frames held more of the same, all except one. On the wall to the right of the stairs was a large photo of Belinda and Dominic, dancing with each other, him in a tuxedo and Belind a in a long ball gown. Their love for each other shone on their faces.
One more time, Darcy reached out with her sixth sense and tried to feel the presence of any ghost, any spirit, anything from the other side that might be haunting Belinda Franco. Once again, she felt nothing. She was going to have to approach this mystery from another direction.
If it wasn't a ghost doing all this, then it had to be a person.
So how did that person get in? The door leading down here from the living room wasn't locked, but a flesh and blood person would still have to get inside the house to enter that way. So if not through there, then how?
Looking down to the far end of the room, Darcy suddenly knew the answer.
She walked over to where the six wide steps led up to red entry doors, angled overhead. "Are these locked?" she asked Belinda.
"Of course, dear . They've been locked for years. I have to keep all of these important things here safe. My treasures." She ran a hand along some of the frames.
Darcy stood on the top step, bent over below the doors, examining them closely. When she put her hands against the one side and pushed, the door swung upward without resistance.
They weren't locked now.
Chapter Six
"So you think a living person is doing this?"
Darcy relaxed back on the couch in her own living room as Jon stretched out in the recliner. It was after seven o'clock now. Darcy had made sandwiches for dinner, and she and Jon and her mother had chatted and ate together. Her mom had only met Jon a few times before. It gave them a lot to talk about, much to Darcy's embarrassment.
"Yes," she answered his question. "I don't think this is a ghost anymore. I think someone is sneaking into Belinda's house, looking for this money she's supposed to have."
"So, a burglar."
"Looks that way." Darcy would almost prefer that it was a ghost. She knew how to deal with ghosts. Living criminals were Jon's specialty. "How about the burglaries in Oak Hollow? Are you any closer to finding the bad guys in your town?"
She grimaced as she said it. She hadn't meant to call Oak Hollow Jon's
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