That Awful Sound: Psychic Detectives - The Joliet Sisters Read Online Free Page A

Ms.
Joliet.”
    “Sister?” Darrius turned to Charmaine.
    “We work together once in a while. She
doesn’t know anything,” Charmaine said.
    “I’ll find out what she knows later. Now you
tell us what the police said.” Darrius settled into a large leather
chair.
    “ The blood came from
strange wounds on her body. His throat was crushed and… it’s too
horrible.” Mrs. Forstall placed at hand on her own neck and
shuddered visibly. “It’s getting worse.”
    Zed looked up from the Chinese porcelain
bowl he held. “What’s gettin’ worse? What’s she talking about,
D?”
    “Some kind of ghost or supernatural entity
in the house,” Charmaine put in before Mrs. Forstall answered.
“Something strong.”
    “Bull.Shit.” Darrius gulped down the rest of
the expensive bourbon. “Ignore that playacting, Zed.”
    “I heard stories about these old houses.”
Zed dropped the bowl with a thud on the cherry wood table.
    Charmaine winced as the vase next to it
wobbled and then steadied. She exhaled. “Don’t break up your
profit. The stuff won’t be worth anything in pieces.”
    Mrs. Forstall took a step then stopped when
Darrius pointed the gun at her. “You can take whatever you want.
Those two pieces alone are worth over fifteen thousand
dollars.”
    “Hell no. Like we’re stupid enough to get
caught trying to unload ‘em.”
    “ I won’t report them
stolen. I can give you the name of a dealer who’ll pay top dollar.
I’ll say you’re acting as my agents.” Mrs. Forstall nodded to
Zed.
    “Hey, sounds like a sweet deal.” Zed looked
at Darius. “We have her write a note to the dealer. What about
antique jewelry?”
    “I have three pieces here. The rest are in
our bank deposit box. But the necklace, earrings and ring are
eighteen karat gold. They’re Cartier made in 1925, yellow
diamonds,” Mrs. Forstall said.
    “Nice,” Zed said, his nervousness about talk
of ghosts and goblins forgotten.
    “We ain’t after no petty cash,” Darrius
snarled. “Shawntelle said there’s a safe upstairs concealed in a
closet. Rich folks had ways of hiding their goods from the help
back then. She says there is money and jewels in there. And
more.”
    “She was wrong,” Mrs. Forstall blurted out
and twisted her hands. “My husband moved everything to the
bank.”
    “Somehow I don’t believe you, Loretta.
Shawntelle came back while you were out. She was about to make off
with the goods and expose your dirty skeletons, so you killed her,”
Darrius snarled.
    “Damn,” Charmaine muttered and turned to
Mrs. Forstall.
    Mrs. Forstall dropped her hands at her
sides. “That’s ridiculous. No one, especially the police, will buy
your story.”
    “Must be some good stuff up there.” Zed
looked at the ceiling with a hungry expression.
    “And she won’t report it missing either.
Will you Loretta?” Darrius gave a laugh. “You’ll go down for
murder, and the cops will think you fenced your own junk.”
    “You have no idea how stupid you sound.”
Mrs. Forstall lifted her chin. “No one will believe a ghetto rat
instead of me.”
    Darrius chuckled deep in his throat. “Zed,
go upstairs, turn right and find a set of stairs to a third floor.
There’s another big bedroom at the end of a hallway. To the left.
Open the double doors on the big upright dresser. Look on the right
for circle. Press it and a panel will slid back.”
    “ Got it.” Zed strode out on
a mission. The soft thump of his footsteps on the stairs, and then
on the second floor landing followed seconds later.
    Mrs. Forstall glanced at the doorway Zed had
gone through. “Don’t be a fool. I can make you richer than a few
thousand dollars and a few trinkets.”
    “Charmaine, wanna hear more secrets?”
Darrius continued to gaze at Mrs. Forstall. “Her precious son has a
little, make that a big drug habit. I should know. He was my best
customer. Mr. Forstall works a lot, plus he’s not the family man
type. Anyway Loretta managed to hide the