The Hidden Picture: A Ghost Mystery Story (Second Hand Ghosts Book 4) by Gillian Larkin Page A

“I don’t want you
leaving us a pile of old tat. Or worse. What’s in there? Stuffed animals? A
useless stamp collection?”
    The
woman glared at Carol, “There’s nothing like that! My granddad used to be an
amateur  painter. Some of his best work is in that box.”
    “Then
why are you so eager to go?” Carol narrowed her eyes at the woman.
    The
woman flushed a little and said, “The images are a little bit risqué and I
don’t really want to see them again. Look, I’ll leave you my details. If you
really don’t want what’s inside get in touch with me and I’ll take them away.”
    The
woman wrote down her name and telephone number on a bit of paper and handed it
to me.
    Then,
without a goodbye, she walked out of the shop.
    “She
was rude,” Carol said.
    I
was about to mention something along the lines of pot, kettle and black but
decided against it. I really wanted to see what was in the box.
    “Do
you want to look inside, or shall I?” I said.
    “I’d
better do it. If there’s anything filthy in here it’s better that I see it,”
Carol said.
    “Why?”
    Carol
looked at me as if it was obvious, “Because you’re so naive. I’m a woman of the
world. Now shift out of the way and let me get to the box properly.”
    I
moved. I didn’t think I was naive at all.
    Carol
opened the box, disturbed dust flew into the air.
    I
folded my arms and waited.
    Carol
reached into the box and pulled something out. When it was almost out Carol
looked at it.
    She
screamed and dropped it back into the box.
    Her
hands flew to her chest. “That’s disgusting! I’ve never seen anything like that
before. Where’s that woman’s number? She can come back here right now and take
this stuff away.”
    Now
I just had to look inside! I reached in. Carol tried to shove me away but I
shoved her back.
    I
pulled out the item that had scared Carol so much.
    It
was a painting.
    A
painting of Rose.
    A
naked Rose!
     

Chapter 3
     
    Carol
covered her eyes, “Put it back! I don’t want to see Rose like that.”
    I
looked closer at Rose’s face. She must have been about twenty when these were
painted. She was lounging on a sofa and laughing. She looked beautiful and
carefree.
    I
smiled.
    I
took more paintings out. Rose in a garden, Rose standing next to a tree. Rose
naked as the day she was born! There were a few head pictures of her too. She
looked so happy. I felt a pang of sadness and wished she was here now to share
this experience with us. She would have laughed at Carol’s disgusted
expression.
    “Put
them away!” Carol wailed. “You’re putting me off my dinner.”
    I
shook my head, “These are beautiful. I wished I looked that good when I was
younger. What’s so wrong with them?”
    “It’s
Rose! Someone I’ve worked with for a long time. Who wants to see naked pictures
of their colleagues? You wouldn’t want to see me naked, would you? And I
certainly wouldn’t want to see you!”
    She
had a point. I wouldn’t want to see a naked me in a picture either. Child
bearing had a lot to answer for as far as my body went.
    “I
think we should sell them,” I said.
    “What?”
Carol asked incredulously.
    “I
think we should make a window display with them. You wanted something eye
catching. These certainly are.”
    “Eye
catching for the wrong reasons,” Carol muttered.
    “They’re
art. They’re tasteful, sort of. They will draw people in. Think of the money we
could make. We got these for nothing, we can charge what we like.”
    I
could almost see the pound signs lighting up in Carol’s eyes.
    She
nodded and then smiled, “It might just work. But you can handle the ... art. I
don’t want to sully my hands with it.”
    I
began to pull more pictures out. “I’ll make a start now.”
    Carol
shivered, “In that case I’m going out for a while. Is that alright with you?”
    “Of
course, I’ll be fine,” I smiled at her.
    Carol
got her bag and coat and then left the shop.
    I
was glad she’d gone. Now I