Mystery of the 19th Hole (Taylor Kelsey, Mystery 1) Read Online Free Page A

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                  Taylor said good night again and went upstairs to her room.  The window was open and the blinds were pulled aside inviting a cold breeze into the spacious room.  The room was exactly what she preferred: wood-paneled walls, hardwood floor, a canopied bed, old rustic-looking furniture.
                  Her window likewise had a great view, overlooking acres of land that washed into golden valleys and verdant mountains.  The cold, clear, aromatic mountain breeze was refreshing.  She climbed into bed, took several deep breaths, and fell asleep thinking about how in the world the robberies and the café murder could be connected.
                  Later that night she woke up to use the bathroom.  Before she entered, she heard her parents talking down the hall.  She checked the time on her cell phone, which she was using as a light.  After midnight.  What could they be talking about?  Tiptoeing to her parents’ door, which was slightly ajar, she could make out several words.
                  When she stopped moving, she could hear everything clearly.  Christina was mad.  “You lost another account!”
                  “I still have a few.  Enough.  I still have enough,” said Andrew.
                  “What happens if you lose another one?”
                  “Well…  We could sell the house.”
                  Christina went silent for a minute.  Taylor was just as stunned.  “Are you kidding?” barked Christina.
                  “No.”
                  “Then what can you do to get those accounts back.”
                  “I need architect software.  I’m the only architect, at least that I know of, who still draws by hand.”
                  “Then why don’t you just buy the computer programs.”
                  “We can’t afford it.  I would have to take out another loan.  The bank won’t give me another one with the big loan we’re already paying down for the house.  We won’t qualify for another year.”
                  Taylor was so shocked and tired that she accidently stumbled into her parents’ door and tripped into the room.  The hardwood floor thudded as she landed on her elbows.
                  “Taylor?” they both asked.  “Were you eavesdropping?” asked Andrew, sighing in frustration.
                  “No—no—I—I was just…”
                  “Eavesdropping,” Christina finished.
                  Taylor stopped pretending.  “Well it’s your fault we might lose the house, Mom.  You write all those books, but you never do anything with them.  You can get them published and make money off them, you know.  You’re not dumb, but you’re dumb when it comes to money.”
                  “Taylor!” said Andrew sternly.
                  “Well, she is.”
                  “Please don’t call me ‘she,’” interjected Christina.
                  Taylor started out of the room, muttering, “She, she, she…”
                  “Ahhh!”  Christina sighed.  “What’s wrong with her?”
                  “It’s late,” said Andrew, “let’s get to bed before we all say things we don’t mean.”
                  Taylor went into the bathroom and slammed the door.  “Parents are so dumb!” she whispered to herself.  She swooped up her toothbrush, her productive way of soothing anger, and moaned one last time.

Chapter 5
                  It was Friday afternoon the next day, and Taylor Kelsey and her best friend Susan Beckette sat alone at a round table in their school cafeteria, talking just loud enough to overpower the ambience of the lunch period.  The school was a private Christian school so all the girls were