Barnwood Builder Mysteries - Lori Beasley Bradley

A Psychic Mystery Book Series

Barnwood Builder Mysteries by Lori Beasley Bradley

Series Excerpt

Nathan erected a sign made from the distressed barn wood Amelia had stenciled Barnwood Builders upon. It went up above the door and just below the apartment windows.

Amelia dressed the large store windows with red and white gingham curtains and set up tables displaying her crafts. Inside, she displayed Nathan’s furniture and covered the freshly painted walls with her framed plaques and stenciled signs. The store had a homey feel and fit in well with the Briarton Antique Malls.

She met with a member of the Chamber of Commerce and purchased ad space in the promotional brochure they published through the Briarton Daily. Amelia also updated the Barnwood Builders website with a picture of the new storefront, business hours, and phone number.

They were planning the Grand Opening for the following weekend and Amelia had purchased ad space in several area papers to promote the event.

While Amelia set up a display one afternoon, Nancy strolled into the store. “This looks great, Amelia,” she said, staring around the space. “I bet you’re going to do great here.” She took the camera hanging around her neck and shot some photos. “Are you and that super-hot brother of yours ready to give me that interview for the Sunday Supplement?”

Nathan stepped in from the garage with a broad smile plastered across his face. “Super-hot brother is most definitely ready for an interview.” He held his dust-covered hand out to Nancy. “Nathan Ryan,” he said, “and who might you be?”

“Nancy Adams with the Briarton Daily News.” Nancy took Nathan’s hand with a smile and as soon as they touched, Amelia could see the spark between the two despite the twelve-year age difference. “We can do it now, if you’d like,” the young woman said without releasing Nathan’s hand.

Amelia studied her brother in his dusty work clothes. “Why don’t we let my super-hot brother go home, take a shower, and change into some clean clothes first, Nancy? We can meet back here in my apartment and do the interview over drinks and dinner later this evening.”

Nathan glanced down at the sawdust covering his clothes and blushed. “Sis is right. I should clean up first if I’m going to have drinks and dinner with a beautiful woman.” He turned back toward the shop. “I have to put some braces on a piece I just glued up, then I’ll go home, shower and change.” Nathan grinned uneasily at Nancy. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Adams.” He disappeared into the back and they heard a door close.

“Damn, he’s hot,” Nancy said with a grin on her pretty face. “And he’s divorced?”

Amelia smiled. “Free as a bird as of last fall.”

“Good to know,” Nancy said with a sheepish grin. “Hey, I did a little more digging into that girl’s disappearance—Margaret Adkins. She still has family here in Briarton—a sister named Grace Adkins Wells. She is a younger sister and is about eighty now.”

“Good work, Nancy Drew. You have anything else?”

Amelia watched the woman’s freckled cheeks flush. “I used a back door to get into the Sheriff’s Office computer files and found a digital report.”

“From 1947?” Amelia asked with her eyes going wide.

“Like the Daily, the Sheriff’s Office has digitized their old files to make them easier to reference. They have copies of hand-written stuff in there going back before the turn of the century.” Nancy grinned. “Real exciting stuff about old men being chased by dogs in the park and windows being broken by baseballs. Real riveting stuff. I should write some screenplays for CSI Briarton using some of it.”

“I bet that would be a big hit.” Amelia laughed. “And you know how to get into those files from any computer?”

Nancy grinned and picked up a small decorative box from a table. “You have your talents, Amelia, and I have mine.”

“Just don’t get caught. I’d hate to have to bail you out for hacking into the sheriff’s office.”

“They’re all public records,” Nancy said with a shrug of her narrow shoulders.

“So, what did you find in these public records?” Amelia asked.

“According to the police report, a kid named David Sizemore was questioned about Margaret’s disappearance.”

Amelia snorted and gave a dismissive wave of her hand. “You don’t have to say anymore. The damned investigation stopped right there.”

“How’d you know?” Nancy asked with her blue eyes wide.

“Because if there was a royal family in Briarton, the Sizemores would be it. They opened the first bank in town before the turn of the century and while it folded with the Depression, the family still has its hooks in several businesses in town, including The Daily.”

“Oh, my,” Nancy said with a frustrated sigh. “I guess that means I shouldn’t use this investigative piece as my big story to put in front of Kusak to earn my stripes.”

“The truth is still the truth, Nancy, and if The Daily won’t print it, I bet there are other papers in the area that would jump at it.” Amelia grinned. “The Sizemore reach doesn’t stretch much past Briarton.”

Nancy smiled and ran a hand through her shoulder-length strawberry-blonde hair. “I want to go get some more shots of that barn before your brother and his crew have it torn down. You wanna tag along?”

The official opening wasn’t for a few more days and Amelia could use the fresh air. “Sure, why not.”

“Wow,” Nancy exclaimed as she parked her Toyota in front of the old barn, “they’ve really come a long way with this.”

Not much of the old structure remained. The timbers leaned some and Nathan’s crew had supports screwed to all four corners to prop it up. Amelia got out of Nancy’s car and walked toward the end of the barn where she’d seen Peg’s weeping apparition. She wondered if the girl would still be there after all the noise of the deconstruction.

As she neared the opening, Amelia heard the weeping and sobbing of the young girl again. Peg was still there.

Nancy followed a few paces behind Amelia, shaking her head. “Damn, this place still creeps me the fuck out.”

Amelia cocked a brow and stopped Nancy’s progress. “Do you hear anything?” She nodded toward the barn. “Anything at all?”

Nancy turned her head toward the barn and her face screwed up in confusion. “A girl crying maybe,” she mumbled with her eyes moving to the swaying treetops. “Probably just the wind in the trees, though. Right?” she asked with one brow cocked.

Amelia led Nancy into the room. Most of the wall boards had been pried away. The only structure visible was the raised floor the apparition of Peg knelt upon. “What do you see?” Amelia asked the young reporter and nodded toward the platform.

“Blue light coming in through the bushes,” Nancy said with a shiver in her voice as she squeezed Amelia’s hand. “What do you see and hear?”

Amelia trusted this young woman. She wasn’t sure why, but she did. Maybe it was time to share the family secret.

“I see Peg, and she’s crying,” Amelia admitted.

“Really?” the young woman gasped. “Like a ghost or something?”

Amelia nodded. “My grandmother calls them Life Shadows.”

“Life Shadows is cool,” Nancy said, considering the title. “Can you talk to Life Shadows?”

“Sometimes.”

Books In This Series

Life Shadows (Barnwood Builder Mysteries Book 1)