 
Kansas and Kelly Edmonds

Unaccounted For

By Allyson Stanley Copyright 2013

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property ofthe author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

###

### Unaccounted For.

### Memories from the past.

### A deeper insight into the truth.

### Coincidence or fate?

### A blazing mystery.

### Hidden secrets revealed.

### Kidnapping gone wrong.

### The baby coffin.

### A hairy situation

### Blood flows

### About the author

## Unaccounted For.

By Allyson Stanley

"Do you love me?" asked Kelly.

"What? Why are you asking such a ridiculous question?" inquired Kansas.

"Do you love my curly red hair and my hazel eyes, not to mention my perfect model body?" Kelly asked.

Kansas began to laugh. "You're missing some marbles, goofy! So, what do you need, little sister?"

Kelly began to laugh. "I need those big muscles of yours to help unload my new treasure. Can you meet me at my house in half an hour?"

"Couldn't you just have said that first! I thought something was wrong! By the way, I'm not sure I'd agree with the perfect model body! But yeah, I'll be there, but next time just ask and don't mess with my head. Do you know how crazy that makes me?" asked Kansas.

Kansas stood leaning against his bright red pickup. His arms were folded across his chest. His muscles bulged from beneath the rim of his tee shirt sleeve. His dark black hair glistened in the sunlight, almost as much as his baby blue eyes. Kelly pulled in next to his truck and climbed out. Kansas walked over to peek into the back of her truck.

"Nice find sis, you did well. That's actually real wood! That is some nice woodwork on the front panels. Let's see if there is a manufacturer's label on the back." Kansas rotated the dresser so he could see the back. A faded label was all that was left and only a few letters were readable.

"Who cares who made it? It's mine now! How about we get it inside," Kelly said as she bounced up and down.

It looked out of place, surrounded by the yard sale specials. It stood out like royalty. rushing to the bathroom, Kelly grabbed a damp cloth and began removing the dust. "Thanks for coming over and helping me."

"Who did you sucker into selling this so cheap?" Kansas asked.

"Charlie Morton had this stashed in an old decrepit house."

"It looks like you have everything situated. So, I'm going to head home sis."

Kelly hugged her brother goodbye and walked him to the door.

The dresser had a musty smell. Gathering a bucket of bleach water, Kelly began washing the inside of the drawers. Instead of removing the smell, the odor grew worse, as if the wood was soaking up the bleach and mixing it with its own scent. Kelly began to feel woozy; dropping to the floor, she buried her face in her hands. Kelly rolled over onto her side; she was so weak she couldn't stand. Her eyes began to burn and water, followed by darkness.

How much time had passed? She wasn't sure, but the sun had begun to go down. Slowly she opened her eyes; a puddle of red liquid surrounded the dresser. She began to gasp for air. Forcing herself upright, she crawled to the dresser. She dipped her finger in the substance on the floor. The liquid was sticky and red. Panicked, she wiped it on her jeans and crawled outside. Stumbling down the steps, she sat down on the bottom step. Once she had stopped hyperventilating, she took a deep breath and went back inside. Walking back into the room, the floor was spotless. Glancing down at her jeans, there was no sign of blood.

"I guess the fumes got to me. I don't ever want to do that again!" she whispered to herself. The day had faded into the night and exhaustion had taken its toll. Sleep was the cure all for weary minds. Kelly cuddled up on the bed and passed out.

The morning sun streamed straight into Kelly's eyes. Peeling one eye open, she looked across the room at the dresser. "I wish Charlie hadn't mentioned anything about this dresser being haunted. Now my mind is playing tricks on me. Really, why would a spirit want to haunt a dresser?

I could understand a whole house, but a single dresser?" she said to herself.

Her stomach growled, informing her that it needed sustenance. Opening the refrigerator, she glared at the half empty jug of milk and some eggs. This was to be breakfast. After eating, with magazine in hand, she walked outside to enjoy the morning. The street was filled with children playing, laughter echoed everywhere. A young boy whizzed past her on his scooter and waved. It was a nice place to live; everyone was friendly. Flipping through the magazine, she shut out the rest of the world.

"Please help me!" whispered a childish voice in Kelly's ear.

" I am so cold, it's dark and wet here!" said a childish voice.

The voice seemed to come from behind Kelly. Turning, she found no one. Taking a deep breath, she returned to her article. Once more, the childish plea whispered in her ear. "Please don't' forget me!"A chill ran up Kelly's spine. There was such sorrow and desperation in the child's voice.

Kelly walked towards the children who were playing down the street. Looking on both sides of the street, she saw no one who might have called out for help. Sweat was starting to drip off her forehead. It had to be at least eighty degrees. How could anyone be cold, wet or in the dark? It was mid-morning and dry as a bone. Kelly felt the hair on her arms crawling, or so it seemed. Perhaps, there was more to the stories of the dresser being haunted than she wanted to believe.

Running back into the house, she went straight to the dresser and began removing the drawers. There were no identifying marks on any of the drawers. Laying the dresser over on its side, she began to search the bottom. Something shining in a small crevice caught her eye. Grabbing a screwdriver, Kelly began to pry the crack wider. The object came free and rolled from beneath the dresser. It was a pendant; a small imprint was on it. It appeared to be a cat, but it had long been faded. Turning it over, there was another imprint. It read C.R., Pocketing the pendant, she climbed into her truck and headed back to talk to Charlie.

Kelly pulled into Charlie's driveway; a young lady was working in the flower beds. She strolled toward Kelly, ever so slowly, swaying her hefty self. Her hips looked as if they were racing to see who could get to her belly button first. She crinkled her nose and hiked her brows. "Can I help you?"

"Hi, my name is Kelly and I bought a dresser from Charlie. There has been some strange things happening and I'd like to talk to him."

"Kelly, I'm his daughter, Nora. I am sorry he sold that to you. I told him to quit trying to pawn it off on someone, but he doesn't listen. I'll go get him."

When he came out of the house, Kelly headed towards him. He smiled and reached into his pocket, extending his hand with twenty five dollars in it. Kelly pushed his hand back.

"You saw the ghost?" he asked.

"No, I haven't seen a ghost, but I heard something. A little girl's voice asking for help. What can you tell me about what others have experienced?"

"I've heard a bit of everything from voices, blood, odors and apparitions. That is why I keep getting it back. I'll take it back if you like."

Kelly reached into her pocket and removed the pendant. "I found this when I was cleaning. Do these initials mean anything to you?"

Charlie took the pendant and looked over it. "Well, the pendant may belong to one of the other folks I sold it to. I believe the last name of one of them was Rogers. If you want, I'll take it and check with them to see if their daughter lost it."

"How about you just give me their name and let me talk to them? I'm curious to see what they experienced first hand."

"I'll have to see if I can find their first name. There is a lot of Rogers in this area. I'll get back to you when I locate them. I have things to do and the day is going fast.

Are you sure you don't want me to just take the dresser back?"

"No. No ghost is going to scare me off!"

Driving home, she felt uneasy. It was as though Charlie was hiding something. He was too insistent on taking the dresser back. He also hesitated on giving her the name of the Rogers. Arriving home, Kelly went to her computer. She typed in the address of the old house Charlie used as storage. Finally, she found one article that could hold some answers. It was an article from 1915. The address of the home was the same as where Charlie had stored the dresser. The article was short; A local girl named Caroline Reed was abducted from home. Avery and Violet Reed had given up searching after several weeks. Caroline was never found, nor a ransom requested. Kelly let the article run through her mind. Could the pendant be from an unsolved mystery almost a hundred years ago? Something wasn't right. The only thing that she knew for sure was, that she wasn't the only person to experience paranormal activity. Ghost stories have a way of finding their way into folklore. Folklore has a way of finding its way into books or articles.

Excitedly she typed, "Ghost stories found in Calhoun, Georgia." The computer screen began to fill with books and articles. Three pages into the search she found a book that caught her attention. It was dated ten years earlier. "Where is she now?" by Denton Graceson. It started off describing her dresser and its history of being returned. Anxiously, Kelly typed in Denton Graceson, she scribbled down his phone number.

The phone rang and rang. Finally, it was picked up by an answering machine. Kelly left a brief message. Frustrated, she went to look over her work schedule. She worked at the local pizza joint. It wasn't her dream job, but it kept her afloat. She was taking night classes at the local community college to become a journalist.

Frustration had turned into anxiety. Waiting was something Kelly wasn't good at. It had been hours since she had left the message for Mr. Graceson. Kelly unpacked some boxes, trying to keep her mind off the dresser and the phone call. Picking up a box labeled bedroom, she headed that way. Kelly laid the box on the bed. She tried to concentrate on the box, but her eyes kept roaming back to the dresser. Her heartbeat felt as if it was in her ears. With every heartbeat, she heard it loud and clear.

"Crap!" Kelly screamed. The phone ringing had broken the silence of the moment. With shaky hands, Kelly answered it. "Hello?"

"Hello, this is Denton. I am returning your call. I understand you want to know about the people I interviewed concerning the missing child from Georgia?"

"Yes, it seems I have the dresser in question. I'd like to show it to you, could we meet?"

"I'd love to see the dresser! When is a good time for you?"

"Oh, how about now, I have so many questions."

"Where do you live Kelly?"

"On Baxter Street, the house number is 331. My old rusty Ford truck will be in the yard."

"I'll be there within an hour. See you then."

Kelly removed a pop from the refrigerator and grabbed a snack cake. She took a seat on the front door steps and watched for Denton. A faded blue pickup pulled into the driveway. The man climbing out of it wasn't what Kelly had expected. He was short, fat and bald. His voice did not go with his appearance.

He sounded younger on the phone than he looked. Kelly stood up and stuck out her hand.

"I'm Kelly; it's nice to meet you Denton."

"Thank you for inviting me over. I've often wondered where that dresser was. May I see it now?"

Kelly led Denton into the bedroom. Denton opened each drawer gently, he looked it over carefully.

"I can't believe how well it has held up all these years. How did you come by it?"

"Charlie Morton had this in an old house; he sold it to me for practically nothing. He warned me about the problems with it and its ghost. Naturally, I didn't believe him at first. However, I do now!" declared Kelly.

"Tell me about what you have experienced so far," said Denton.

"I saw what I thought was blood puddled up around the bottom of the dresser. When I felt it, it was sticky like blood. I wiped it on my jeans and ran outside to get some fresh air. When I looked again, there was nothing on the floor. The blood wasn't even on my jeans. Then there was the voice of a little girl, begging for help. She said she was cold, wet and it was dark. I found a pendant in a crack of the dresser on the bottom, with the initials C.R.," explained Kelly.

"May I look at the pendant?" He asked excitedly.

Kelly removed it from her pocket and handed it to Denton. After examining it, he handed it back to her.

"Thank you for letting me come over and examine the dresser. This dresser has kept many up and made for long nights. Most folks returned it when they experienced the first supernatural activity. You, however, are the first to look into it deeply. I wish I had more to tell you, but it seems you have more answers than I do. I should be going. Let me know if you find any answers," said Denton.

## **Memories From The Past.**

It was time for Kelly to head off to school. Picking out her clothes, she tossed them in the hamper and flipped on the shower. The steam soon filled the room, normally it made her feel good. Today, it brought back memories of every horror movie she had ever seen. Pulling the shower curtain closed, she kept one eye open to make sure no shadow appeared outside it. Rushing through her shower, Kelly jerked the shower curtain open. Everything looked fine. She let out a sigh of relief and dried off quickly. Rushing out the door, she headed for class.

Kelly was in her own world, the only sound she heard was in her head. Scribbling thoughts down as fast as possible. Question after question, each one leading to another. Soon, the class had emptied the room, everyone but Kelly. Mr. Johnson loomed over her desk and cleared his throat.

"Kelly, I do so appreciate the fact, that you love my class enough to stay over. However, it's time for me to head home. Is there something I can do to help you?" asked Mr. Johnson.

Looking around, Kelly blushed. "I am so sorry! I guess my mind was on vacation today."

"What is troubling you? Perhaps I can help," he replied.

"Not likely, that is, unless you're in your early to mid-eighties," she said with a smile.

"I've been called old, but I'm afraid even that would be a stretch. However, I still may know someone you can talk to. My father was a teacher himself and he is now eighty- three. Would you like for me to introduce you to him?"

"That would be wonderful. When would I get a chance to talk with him? It's extremely important."

"How about now? I'm going by his house to check in on him. Would you like to follow me?" asked Mr. Johnson.

Kelly shook her head yes and gathered her books. The house was only a few blocks from the college. Mr. Johnson pulled into a well maintained driveway, with lights everywhere.

A fountain bubbled in the front yard and large columns decorated the porch. Kelly followed behind Mr. Johnson. He unlocked the door and motioned for her to enter.

The inside of the house was exquisite. It smelled of fresh cut flowers and a soft glow came from the living room. As they came around the corner of the couch, there lay an elderly man asleep. His hair was completely white and his body was petite and frail looking. Mr. Johnson bent over and gently kissed his father on the forehead.

"Dad, a lovely young lady has come to see you. Can you wake up?"

Mr. Johnson's dad began clearing his throat. As he opened one eye at a time, he grunted, while pulling himself upright. Spotting Kelly, he smiled, "Well, you sure are a lovely sight! Unlike this ugly mug that normally wakes me up," he said with a grin. Patting the couch, he motioned for Kelly to sit beside him.

"Thank you for taking the time to talk to me. My name is Kelly."

"So, what can an old man do to help?"

"Do you recall a family named Reed? They lived at 464 Canyon Drive. They had a little girl named Caroline, she was never found.".

"I do recall a family named Reed, but the girl you speak of was a few years before my time. The Reed family was very well off. They owned a lot of land, had gardeners, maids and sometimes a nanny, from what I recall. Avery was a businessman who traveled a lot. Violet was a bit different, withdrawn and sick. Perhaps, it was from spending so much time alone. Her husband was only home a few days at a time. They had a son, but for the life of me, I can't remember his name. The best I can remember, he was mentally impaired. Way back then, there wasn't much help for the mentally impaired. What help there was, well, it was more like torture than help. So, unless a person was too hard to handle in the home, the mentally challenged stayed home all the time. To my knowledge, the old house is still there."

Kelly stood up and reached out and kissed the elderly man on the forehead. "Thank you for sharing that with me. It was very nice meeting you."

"You are most welcome young lady. You don't have to be in such a hurry to leave."

"Unfortunately, I have some things I have to take care of. But that doesn't mean I won't come visit again."

The truck lights hit the front of Kelly's house as she pulled in. Someone was standing in the window of her house. She could see their outline in the beam of her headlights. She watched for a moment and the shadow moved out of sight. Kelly could feel her skin crawling. Suddenly, she saw someone running from behind her house. Grabbing the phone, she called her brother.

"Get over here now! Someone just came running out of my house!" she bellowed.

"I'm on my way. Don't go in. Call the police and wait outside. I'll be there in ten minutes," ordered Kansas.

Minutes after she called the police, wailing sirens and flashing lights disrupted the peace of the quiet street. Kelly stood outside, as the police went inside to check everything out. The hum of a motor announced Kansas' arrival. Jumping out, he ran to Kelly.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I saw a shadow in the window. Then, a few minutes later someone came running out of the house. The cops are checking it out. They told me to stay here till they were done. I don't understand why anyone would want to rob me. I don't have anything worth stealing," declared Kelly.

A tall officer approached Kelly." Miss, the place was tossed, but it doesn't look like they took anything. They did some damage to the door when they came in the back. I want you to come in and look over things, to make sure nothing is missing. Then we will write up a report."

Kelly and Kansas followed the officer back inside. Other than all the contents of the nightstand being thrown on the floor, everything looked fine. The back door was a mess. Something had been used to pry the door open. After the cops had gone, Kansas walked into the bedroom and grabbed a pillow off the bed. Digging through a box he found a blanket. He tossed it, along with the pillow on the couch.

"I'm staying the night with you sis. That idiot may come back and I hope he does. I'll give him something to take home with him. A bloody lip and a black eye! I'm going to make a temporary lock for the back door. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just frustrated. I'll go make us a sandwich and some coffee. I have a feeling it's going to be a long night," replied Kelly.

Hours passed with Kelly and Kansas discussing the reasons anyone would want to break in. The end result was the same. There was no answer. There was no money, no jewelry, no drugs and all the electronics were hand me downs or yard sale finds.

The night was heading into day fast and neither of them had been to bed. Tossing his blanket over the couch, Kansas plopped down and stretched out. Kelly turned out the lights and headed to bed as well. She was exhausted; it had been a crazy day. Glancing at the clock, it read 3 A.M., only four hours till daylight.

It started off with crying. Kelly opened her eyes, expecting to see Kansas stumbling around in the dark. Caroline stood there with tears flowing down her face, mixed with blood. The blood soaked into her pretty pink dress. As the crying grew louder; the little girl touched her face. She pulled her hands back to look at them. They were covered in what appeared to be blood. The crying turned into screams. Kelly shot upright and flipped on the light. In the doorway stood Kansas, his mouth opened in amazement. The little girl, however, was gone.

"Did you see her Kansas? Did you see all the blood?" screamed Kelly.

"Yeah, I did! What the heck is going on?"

Kelly climbed out of bed and walked over to the dresser. Opening the drawers, she gasped. Kansas ran to see what it was that caused the reaction. Small droplets of what looked to be blood had formed on the inside of the top drawer. Kansas reached in and wiped his finger across it. It was sticky and thick, almost like nail polish.

"Kelly, I think someone is jerking our chain. This looks like nail polish, not blood. It's too thick to be blood."

"Not if it's been sitting in a cold place. Blood thickens faster in the cold. Remember me saying that the girl said it was cold where she was? I've never really thought about spirits of the dead before. Now I am starting to think that this girl can't find peace."

"I'd take this demon possessed dresser back to Charlie and let him keep the money! Nothing is so nice that it's worth all this. I'll help you return it tomorrow if you want me to," stated Kansas.

"Even if I take it back to Charlie, the thought of any child begging to be found, won't go away. It's in my head now and nothing short of death will take it away. For my sanity and this child, I have to at least try to find her," declared Kelly.

"Mom always said you were more stubborn than a mule! Fine, if you're going to become a Ghostbuster, then I'll help you. The library opens in a couple hours. Let's go over to my place and sleep there until then."

Noon rolled around and the sound of Kelly's phone awoke her. It was her job; she had forgotten she was scheduled to work today.

"Rex, I am so sorry. I was up all night. Someone broke into my house and it has been a nightmare. I hate to ask, but can you make it without me today. I have some business I need to take care of," said Kelly.

"I'm sure we can make it without you one day. I hope your day slows down and things settle a bit," replied Rex.

Kansas stood in the doorway. "You ready to go look at the library?"

"I'll meet you there in half an hour. I'm going to stop off at Amoses and get us some breakfast," Kelly replied.

Kansas sat on the tailgate of his pickup. Kelly eased out of her truck with food in hand.

"Let's hope this day gives us some answers. I don't think I'd care for another night like last night. I don't want to have to move in with you, but I'm not leaving you alone either. Are you about ready to go in and start our search?" asked Kansas.

The silence of the room was comforting. No drama, just peace and quiet. Kelly led the way into the reference room where the newspapers were kept. Finding a seat, she sat down and Kansas seated himself beside her.

Whispering softly she said, "The old newspapers were put on film and it is slow going. I'll start in 1915and you start in 1916." Half an hour into it, Kelly had found the article on the girl. She scribbled down all the important information and moved on to the next article.

Kansas was busy doing the same thing. By the close of the day, they had a good collection of information. Now it was time to compare notes and see where it led them.

"Since you bought breakfast, I'll pick up dinner. How about chicken?" asked Kansas.

"You know me, I'll eat anything that isn't tied down. Give me your notes and meet me at my place," she replied.

Parting ways, Kelly headed home. She was eager to see what Kansas had discovered. Pulling into the driveway, she looked around. Everything seemed okay. There were no broken windows or doors standing open.

Easing her key into the door, she took a deep breath and turned the key. Shoving the door open, she looked inside. All was clear. Listening intently, she walked softly throughout the house. She began checking in closet and behind doors. She was alone.

Placing the papers on the table, Kelly pulled out a chair and seated herself. The first article told of Caroline's disappearance. It described the search and the failure to find her. The second told of a memorial service at the home. The gardener, Clarence Morton, had prepared a lovely water fountain where Caroline played daily. The next was an article on how Caroline's disappearance had affected her family.

Harley, Caroline's brother, had become more distant than before. His mental condition seemed to be worsening, to the point, that confinement was being considered. Violet was suffering acute neurasthenia and often spent her days in bed. Avery was still on the road and was not available for the interview. The front door opened and Kelly jumped. Walking in with a smile on his face was Kansas.

"Did I scare you sis?"

"No, I just about came out of my skin because I was bored! Yes, you scared me, jerk!" she said with a grin.

Placing the food on the table, Kansas sat down and looked at the notes Kelly had been making. "Looks like you're starting to get a picture of what was going on. Do you have any answers to your questions yet?"

"Not yet, but I still have a few more articles to read. Let's eat, I'm starving."

"Kelly, you're always starved. I think you have a giant tapeworm or a hollow leg! For the amount of food you consume, you should weigh three hundred pounds!

Why don't I go over and see if Charlie can shed any light on this? I'll be back before dark," said Kansas.

Kansas left and Kelly returned to her reading. After she had finished, she had more questions than answers. Making a list of what she knew, she then made a list of questions.

1: The gardener was Clarence Morton. Who was he and how long had he been with the family?

2: Violet had a nervous breakdown. Who took care of Harley?

3: Was Harley's condition one that could have been violent?

4: Avery was never mentioned in any article after the one concerning Caroline. What happened to him?

5: How did the Morton family come to own the Reed's home?

There were so many questions still to be answered. The problem was that there was really anyone to ask. Most of the people who would have known anything were dead.

Kelly gathered her notes and started to unpack a few of the boxes. From time to time, she would run across something that had been put away for years. It brought back memories long forgotten. One picture caught her eye, it was one of her grandmothers. Her grandmother had been sick a long time and had to be placed in a nursing home. There are a lot of elderly people in nursing homes. Perhaps someone there might remember something concerning the Reeds. Leaving a note on the table to let Kansas know where she was, Kelly headed out.

## **A deeper insight into the truth.**

The familiar smell of disinfectant brought back memories of visits to see her grandmother. Kelly smiled, it was a good memory. Elderly people on walkers strolled slowly about the hallway. Wheelchairs rolled in and out of the rooms. Empty eyes peeked past doorways. It was a lonely place to some degree, but a necessity in some cases. Kelly walked to the nurse's desk.

"Well, bless my heart, it is little miss Kelly!" said a voice from the back of the room. It was Natalie, Kelly's grandmother's nurse. Natalie came from behind the counter and wrapped her arms around Kelly.

"Hi Natalie, how is life treating you these days?" asked Kelly.

"It's treating me fine. How about you?" replied Natalie.

Kelly smiled, "I can't complain. I'm doing some research and could use a little help. How old is your oldest patient here?"

"That would be Miss Kay, she is almost ninety," Natalie replied.

"What condition is her mind in?"

"Not bad for her age. She can't talk, she had a stroke and it affected her motor skills. She can still write and she doesn't hesitate to let us know what she wants! Feisty little lady, she is," declared Natalie.

"Do you think I could talk to her?" inquired Kelly.

Wiggling her finger to indicate for Kelly to follow her, Natalie took her to Miss Kay's room. There sat a little tiny woman wrapped in a blanket, holding a teddy bear. Kelly pulled a chair next to Miss Kay and sat down. Natalie squatted down below Miss Kay and took Miss Kay's hand in hers.

"How is my pretty lady doing today?"

Miss Kay just rolled her eyes upward as if to say, "Ok, so what do you want?"

"Miss Kay, this is my friend Kelly. Her grandmother was with us a few years ago. She wants to ask you a few questions. Is that ok?"

Miss Kay's eyes shifted toward Kelly. Kelly smiled and Miss Kay smiled a crooked smile back. Kelly leaned forward and said loudly, "Do you remember a family named Reeds?"

Miss Kay pointed to a tablet, with a pen attached, sitting on the table. Kelly handed it to her and watched as she wrote yes on the paper.

"Did you know Caroline Reed?"

Miss Kay again wrote yesand then a tear eased past the corner of her eye. She began to write again. "My friend never found."

"Can you tell me about Harley?"

The pencil moved quickly this time, as if being moved by anger. The expression on her face turned cold. "Bad boy, mean to Caroline, made her cry a lot."

"Do you know what was wrong with him?"

"Manic depression is what they called it. I called him mean!" Kay wrote.

"Do you know if either of his parents had mental problems?" asked Kelly.

"No, I use to play with Caroline at her house. The gardener was crazy. He would blow up at nothing. Crazy man," Kay wrote as she made a scary face to emphasize her meaning.

"I know you are getting tired. Is it alright if I come back to talk to you some more?" asked Kelly.

Kay smiled and shook her head slightly. Kelly reached into her purse and pulled out a bottle of perfume. Handing it to Kay, she whispered, "Thank you."

Kay reached out and took Kelly's hand. She pulled Kelly close to her and tried to give her a kiss on the cheek.

Kelly wrapped her arms around Kay and squeezed gently.

Natalie followed Kelly out of the room and to the front door. "What was that all about Kelly?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you!"

Natalie looked puzzled and hugged her goodbye.

Kansas sat sprawled out on the couch. His face was red as if his blood pressure was about to explode. Sitting down beside him Kelly asked, "So did he tell you anything?"

"That nice old man isn't very nice. I explained to him who I was and even before I could get another word out, he started cursing you. Said to just bring back the dresser and leave him alone! I tried to explain what was going on. He just walked into the house and locked the door behind him. He wouldn't even talk to me. I've never seen anyone so rude!" proclaimed Kansas.

"I found a few things today. The Reed family didn't seem to have any major mental issues, but the gardener did. He had fits of anger at times. Oh yeah, when is your next night to work at the fire department?" asked Kelly.

"Tomorrow night. You should stay at mom and dad's while I'm working," he said.

"I don't think there is any danger here. This little girl just wants to be found. I will be fine. Do you realize what time it is? It's almost bedtime for you old folks," Kelly said with a laugh.

Peeling off his dirty sock, he threw it at her. Kelly jumped back just in time to avoid the smelly thing. Grinning, Kansas made his couch ready for sleep and Kelly went to her room.

The night had been peaceful but as dawn approached, it changed. It was a quiet whimper, just enough to disturb the silence of the early morning. Easing up in her bed, Kelly looked toward the dresser. There sat the little girl. In her hand, was an aqua colored bottle sealed with a cork. She looked up and into Kelly's eyes. She extended the bottle towards Kelly. Kelly reached for it, but suddenly the little girl vanished. Kelly sat back down on the bed and buried her face in her hands.

"What's up, sis? I heard a noise," said Kansas as he sat down beside her on the bed.

Kelly leaned her head against Kansas's chest and sighed deeply. "She was here again. She was trying to hand me a bottle that she was holding. When I went to take it, she vanished."

"You get ready for work and I'll go down to the police department and see if I can find out if there are any records on the Morton's. I'll come by your work if I find anything. Go get a shower while I make us some breakfast. It's only two hours till your shift starts," said Kansas.

The smell of steaming coffee, crisp bacon, eggs and homemade biscuits filled the room.

"I hate when you cook. I always over eat and feel miserable! Do you know how hard it is to go to work feeling like a stuffed pig? All I want to do is take a nap!" proclaimed Kelly.

"I will take that as a compliment. Someday I will make some woman a good wife," he said with a chuckle. "Ok young lady, you'd better be heading off to work. I'll do the dishes and head to the police department," he replied.

## **Coincidence or fate?**

Sitting in her pickup, Kelly stared at the flashing neon sign. The restaurant was the last place she wanted to be. Her mind was soaring with questions and work was the last thing on her mind. Gathering her apron and purse, she made her way inside. It was quiet. There were only a few patrons.

"Good to see you Kelly. Did they catch who broke into your house?" her boss Rex asked.

"No, not yet."

"Too bad, maybe they will soon. Could you grab the coffee pot and refill Miss Davis' cup?"Kelly grabbed the coffee pot. She headed to the corner of the room where Miss Davis sat.

"Thank you Kelly. Why so distracted? I've been watching you since you came in. It took you a good minute to punch the time clock; you just kept staring at it. What's wrong, dear?" asked Miss Davis.

Kelly slid into the opposite side of the booth. "I've been trying to do some research on a family here. They lived here back in the early 1900'sand I've had no luck.

"Really, who might that family be?" inquired Miss Davis.

"The Reed family," replied Kelly.

Taking a sip of her coffee, Miss Davis smiled. "That was indeed a strange situation. I remember hearing tales from my late husband about them."

"What kind of tales," inquired Kelly?

"Well, he said that there was some concern about the gardener's sanity, as well as the Reed boy. Seems to me, as I recall, they shared the same illness. They both had violent tempers, which they couldn't control. Poor Mrs. Reed was driven crazy dealing with them. The story goes, that she finally had a nervous breakdown," said Miss Davis.

"How did you know all this? You're not old enough to remember them," said Kelly.

"Most of what I know, my deceased husband told me. He was a doctor and he treated the Morton's and the Reeds. I married at twenty but my husband was twenty five years older than me. You know, I may still have some of his notes on the families. He always kept notes, especially after he got older and more forgetful."

"That would be so helpful. Would you mind looking for me? I'd be happy to come over after work and help you if you like," Kelly stated.

"That would be fine with me. What time do you get off?"

"I get off at 4 P.M. How about I scoot by there then? Oh, and I need your address too."

"It's 331 Foster Circle," said Miss Davis.

Kelly's demeanor changed suddenly. A smile covered her face as she refilled the coffee cup and headed back to work. Kelly watched the clock like a hawk. The day drug by slowly, but finally it was time to clock out.

Kelly had only dreamed of a home so nice. The driveway leading into Miss Davis' home was lined with statues. The yard was filled with flowers of every kind and a branch ran through the middle of it. It was simply gorgeous.

The house was two stories high with a covered porch. It was like the old Victorian ones you see in a magazine. Kelly knocked and waited patiently. Miss Davis appeared in a lime green muu muu and sandals.

Kelly entered the house and it was as though she had stepped into another universe. The outside of the house may have been Victorian, but the inside was all modern. The walls were painted pale lavender, with black and white trim. The sofa was solid black and the recliner was purple, with black stripes. Artwork hung on the walls in hot pinks and purples, all framed in black frames.

"Wow, I didn't expect this!" said Kelly with a grin, as she examined the room.

Miss Davis chuckled, "I guess not, the outside is deceiving. Hubby liked old things and the only old thing I admire are my parents. I like colorful and lively things. So when he passed away, I redid the inside to suit myself."

"This is so cool! I love it," replied Kelly.

"Come on, let's go see what we can find. My husband's old study is now my junk room. Everyone has to have a junk room you know. It's an absolute must!"

Boxes reached the ceiling on all four sides of the room. In the middle of the room was a desk, loaded down with boxes. There must have been thousands of files in the room. Each box was marked with the year on it and the alphabet of the last name of the patient. Looking around, Kelly spotted one that said 1934 Q-R. Rummaging through the box, she found one marked Harley Reed. Opening it up, she began to read. Harley suffered from a form of mental illness. He did not have self-control, nor could he feel empathy for others. Most of his concern was for himself. He took what wasn't his and had no feelings of regret. He would often lose his temper and start a fight, only to walk away in the middle of it. No medications were given. The discussion of admitting him to a mental hospital was discussed, but never followed through.Further back into the box was a file marked Violet Reed. It told of her fight with depression, her lack of sleep, loss of weight and constant nausea. It was determined that she had pernicious anemia. She was told to eat half a pound of liver daily to increase her blood count. She refused to eat "such a disgusting thing" as she put it, according to the doctor's records.

"Miss Davis, could you help me find a box for the year 1936 with the letter R. Does your husband have a medical dictionary?" asked Kelly.

Miss Davis pointed to the desk behind Kelly. Kelly flipped through it till she found pernicious anemia. Once she had read the definition, she turned to Miss Davis.

"This could have been what killed her. It says if untreated, it can cause death. Back then, there was little known about it. It is a vitamin B12 deficiency."

"I found one over here that says 1935 M-O. It's too high for me to reach though," said Miss Davis.

Kelly climbed upon a chair and pulled the box down. Amid the files, was one named Stella Morton.

Born: 1887

Husband: Clarence Morton.

Diagnosis: Miscarriage #3.

She had excessive hemorrhaging. Recommendation: Do not try to conceive again, could be fatal to the mother.

"Hey, I found one on Clarence too. On May 16th, 1937, he saw the doctor for an infection of the scrotum. How can you get an infection there?" Kelly asked with a grin.

"I'm not sure I want to know!" replied Miss Davis.

" I wonder how this file wound up in the wrong box. I guess doc was having an off day. There is one more that I need to find. Let's look for one in 1937, for the Reeds," said Kelly.

Miss Davis and Kelly looked for a bit, before finding the right box. Kelly began thumbing through it till she found Violet Reed's file. August 22, 1937. Mrs. Violet Reed was seen due to a high fever and vomiting. She was struggling to breathe; after giving her oxygen and a pain killer, she seemed to be resting peacefully. By 4 AM, when the nurse went to check on her, she was found to be deceased.

"Thank you so much for your help Miss Davis. I do appreciate your time. I guess I'll be seeing you at the restaurant," said Kelly.

"Oh, you will, I hate to cook! I'm glad I could help you with your research. You come by any time."

It had been a long day; Kelly wondered why she hadn't heard anything from Kansas. Pulling out her cell phone, she looked, it was silenced and she had missed four calls from him! It didn't matter now, she was almost home and he should be there already. When she walked into the house, there Kansas stood. He had a look of relief on his face.

"I've been calling you all day. Is something wrong?" asked Kansas.

"No, it's just your little sister being an airhead. I had my cell phone on silent. So did you find anything?"

"Clarence Morton was a real hothead. He was arrested four times in one year, for beating up total strangers. Harley was arrested several times for peeking in windows as well," stated Kansas.

"I found out that Violet died when Harley was twenty-seven. I wonder who took care of him after that. He wasn't competent enough to live alone. I need to find out what happened to Avery after his wife died," stated Kelly.

"I've got to work tomorrow, I wish you would go stay with mom and dad. I don't like you being here alone."

"I'll be fine, besides, I need to do a little research on Avery.

"You might go online to vital statistics to check on Avery's death certificate. It should have his last known address,"replied Kansas.

Giggling softly, Kelly said, " I knew there was a reason I kept you around. You're smarter than you look and you should be thankful for that!"

"You should be thankful I don't offend easily. I'd hate to have to throw you to the floor and beat your pudgy little butt!" he replied with a grin.

The evening quickly turned into night. The sound of Katydids filled the air, along with the constant sound of the air conditioner. It was muggy and hot. Hopping out of bed, she made her way to the bathroom. Upon her return, she noticed a flower laying on her bed. It was an Orange Begonia. She sniffed it, then sat the flower on the dresser. Suddenly it burst into flames and quickly burned up. Looking over the dresser, there was no sign that anything had burned on it. Taking a deep breath, Kelly shook her head and went to her computer.

Several hours passed and she gave up her search for vital statistics. Every site was a pay site and she was as financially challenged as she could be! Glancing at the clock, she realized it was almost time for Kansas to get up for work. Rushing into the kitchen, she started a pot of coffee and popped in some can biscuits. Setting the table, she dug out the jelly and jam.

"Rise and shine sleeping beauty!" she said, as she grabbed Kansas by the big toe.

Grunting, he opened his eyes. "Where did the night go? I feel like I just got to bed!"

"Oh, stop your whining. I've been up for hours! I went to the bathroom; and then all sorts of strange things started to happen," replied Kelly.

Sitting upright, Kansas sighed. "So, what did your little ghost do this time?"

"I went to the bathroom and when I came back there was a flower on my bed. I placed it on the dresser and it burned up. The weird thing is, it didn't scorch the dresser. It's like it never happened."

"Freaky, that's for sure! I tell you, this little girl wants to be found and found badly. I hope we can find out what happened to her, so she can rest in peace. For that matter, so we can rest in peace too," declared Kansas.

"I'm heading off to the courthouse in the morning. I'll see you in a couple of days."

The clerk sat behind her desk, in her fancy dress and high heels. Kelly stood in line to speak with her.

"May I help you?" asked the clerk.

"Hi, I'm doing some research and I need to find out when the house at 464 Canyon Drive was registered to the Morton family?" replied Kelly.

"Let me look it up on my computer. I'll be right back," said the clerk as she swayed her way back to her desk.

Kelly fidgeted in her seat. Every few minutes she would stare down at her watch. It had already been half an hour. Another five minutes passed and the clerk returned.

"Miss, our records on the computer only go back twenty five years. Anything past that is still in the old record books. I can show you how to look it up yourself. I can do it for a charge of fifteen dollars. Which would you prefer?" asked the clerk.

"Just show me how to look it up. I'm sure I have more time than you do," declared Kelly.

Kelly followed the clerk into a large room, with books stacked on shelves. The room smelled dusty and stale. She wanted to run home and take a bath!

"Ok Miss, the records are filed by year and in alphabetical order according to the owner's last name," stated the clerk.

Combing over the books, Kelly found one marked 1938. Flipping through it, she found what she had been hoping for. The deed had been signed over to Clarence Morton, for the sum of one dollar. As she scribbled down the information, she heard the door open. A young man dressed in a business suit entered. Kelly smiled and he returned the gesture.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you," he said.

"No, not at all, I was just about finished."

"No need to rush, I'll be here a while and you won't bother me at all. I'm Wallace Jackson, I'm a lawyer. I just have some research to do on a property dispute."

"Good luck with your search," she said as she headed towards the door.

It was time for another visit to see Kay. The hallway was buzzing with the sound of chatter, as the residents filed into the cafeteria. Natalie spied Kelly as she entered Kay's room, to find no one there.

"Kelly, she's in the cafeteria. It's game time for the residents," shouted Natalie, over the chatter. "I'm sure she would rather talk to you than play a game. I'll bring her to her room."

Kelly settled down in the chair by Kay's bed. When the door opened and Kay saw it was Kelly, she smiled.

Natalie helped Kay into the bed and handed her the paper and pen. With pen in hand, Kay wrote. "So what brings you back to see me? I'm sure it's not my good looks."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so quick to judge. I think you are a very lovely young lady Miss Kay. I was wondering if you know anyone who might have worked for the Reeds. Perhaps you can recall a bookkeeper or one of the maids who has family still around?"

"There was a maid that worked there after Violet passed away. I think she is dead now. She was a black woman, with a daughter named Briesha. The last I heard, she had married a man named Hasting. Not sure where they live though," Kay scribbled.

"Has anyone ever told you, that you are amazing? You know so much!"

Kay smiled, "The last time I was called amazing was back in 1995. My mother- in -law called me that when I informed her that her deodorant wasn't working.

The moment was interrupted, by the ringing of Kelly's cell phone. A few oh no's and I'll be there quickly ended the call. "Kay, I have to leave. That was my brother and he called to tell me my house is on fire. I'll be back when I can. Thanks for your help once more," said Kelly.

Kelly drove like a mad woman, slinging curves and only slowing down at stop signs. "This is just getting ridiculous. My house is broken into and now it's on fire. I am starting to think I'm cursed!" she said aloud.

## A blazing mystery.

Kelly could see smoke billowing up. Slamming the car into park, she jumped out and began to run toward the house. A cop stepped in front of her with his hands held up in a stop position.

"Lady, you can't go past this point. There is a house on fire!" he said.

"It's my house!" screamed Kelly as she pushed past him.

Kansas was standing by his truck, still in his fireman's uniform. He was watching the firefighters battle the flames while waiting for Kelly. The house was completely consumed in flames. There was no way anything could have been left. Kansas reached and wrapped his arm around Kelly as she buried her head in his chest.

"Did you do what I told you to do about the renters insurance?" Kansas asked.

"Yeah, I took out renters insurance. I'm not worried about that. I just hate having to start all over!"

Kansas smiled softly and wrapped his arms around her shoulder. They stood and watched as the fire began to die down. Ash and black dust was all that was left, except one thing. The dresser stood in the middle of the pile of rubble. There was no sign it had ever been in a fire. Not even ash had settled on it.

A tall, slender man in his early fifties walked toward Kelly and Kansas. On the front of his shirt it read, Captain McKinley. Reaching out his hand, he sighed. "I am sorry for your loss. Our investigators will look for a cause, as soon as the heat settles. They will also make sure there is no chance of the fire restarting. I am amazed that that dresser doesn't look burnt. It's as if it was protected by some unseen angel. I've never seen anything like it!"

"It is more special than you can even begin to imagine," assured Kelly.

"It will be tomorrow before you can get in here. Once again, I am sorry that you came home to this," stated the Captain.

"Kelly I'm going to stay here for a bit. You go on over to my house and lay down . I'm sure your stress level is maxed out. I'll call and check on you tonight. Help yourself to my clothes. I'm sure there are some clothes that will fit you in the closet," said Kansas.

Kelly nodded and kissed Kansas on the cheek. Climbing in her truck, she headed over to his house to take a nap. She was wiped out! She rolled from side to side trying to get comfortable. Her mind wouldn't shut down. Climbing out of bed, she decided to watch T.V. Kansas didn't have a computer, so it was that or read. There were so many questions in her head that she wanted to look up online. She felt totally isolated from the rest of the world. How could Kansas stand this? After several hours of flipping channels, she finally fell asleep. The next twelve hours were lost in unconscious splendor. Morning arrived without incident.

Kelly went to the front porch and sat down on the concrete steps. The street was quiet. The only sound was the birds singing in the trees. A slight breeze blew gently, as the sun peeked between the tree limbs. Kelly leaned her head back and closed her eyes. The sun felt good on her face. It was so peaceful. A soft melody played the song of a wind chime. Kelly smiled to herself as she continued to be almost mesmerized by the melody. Opening her eyes, she looked around to see where the sound was coming from. There was not a wind chime anywhere, in any direction that she looked. An eerie feeling overtook her and she went back inside to get her purse and keys. The library had computers she could use and she had to find answers.

The library was quiet, even the children seem to be on their best behavior. It felt awkward trying to use a strange computer. Several hours went by and she had no more information than she started with. Walking to the desk, she waited in line.

"Can I help you, young lady?" whispered the librarian.

"Yes, I'm looking for some information on the Reed family. They use to live here. Do you have any books or articles on them?" replied Kelly.

"We do have an old book with a bit about all the businessmen who started this area's growth. Follow me dear," replied the librarian.

The librarian walked straight to the book and handed it to Kelly. Kelly took it and found a comfortable chair to sit in. There was indeed an article with some pictures of the Reeds. The old home place was exquisite. The way they dressed showed off their status in the community. The flower gardens were filled with flowers of every kind. There was a picture of the water fountain that the gardener had made in memory of Caroline. It was a circle made of huge rocks with a water fountain in the center. All the pictures were black and white and a bit faded, but it still made for a lovely place.

The article said that Avery was a negotiator for the electric company. He traveled, looking for land that could be used for generating power.

The unexpected vibration of Kelly's cell phone made her jump. Rushing to the ladies restroom, she quickly whispered, "Hello?"

"Kelly, you need to be very cautious. I just read the investigators report and the fire was arson. Now you might want to sit down for this one. The fire started around the dresser. There were signs of excessive heat on the floor around it and they found some fuel still on the actual dresser itself. They can't explain why the dresser didn't burn up and it's about to make them crazy. The dresser should be no more than a pile of ash. It's scientifically unexplainable," proclaimed Kansas.

"Wow! So when can I pick the dresser up?"

"I don't think they are ready to release it. They want to do a few tests to see if they can determine why it didn't burn. It's only for a few days. I could tell them why it won't burn; but then I'd be greeted by a team of folks with a white coat and a padded cell.

Kelly groaned, "I suppose it is ok as long as they don't damage my dresser. One positive thing, if they keep it, we won't have to worry about weird things happening at night!"

"I'm not having a lot of luck here at the library. I'm going to use their computer to try to locate Briesha Hastings. If I can't find her that way, I'm going to the post office to see if she might have left a forwarding address. Will you be home tonight?"

"Yeah, the new crew comes in around 7 PM. I should be home shortly thereafter. Do you want me to stop off at Amosesand get us a burger and fries?" asked Kansas.

"That would be great. See you in a bit. Thanks for letting me know what is going on."

It didn't take long before Kelly realized that she had to make a trip to the post office. "My goodness, you have grown up into a beautiful young lady. How have you been doing Kelly?" asked Mr. Caylor, the postmaster.

"You are such a flirt, Mr. Caylor!" Kelly said with a wink.

"When you get my age all you can do is flirt and remember when you could do more. So what brings you out my way?"

"I was hoping you could tell me if you might have a forwarding address for Briesha Hastings?" replied Kelly.

"Let me go look it up. I'll be right back."

Mr. Caylor returned shortly and in his hand was a card. He scribbled down the address on the card and the phone number. Kelly waved goodbye as she darted out the door. The address was about a hundred miles away, but it would be worth the trip. It was getting too late to make the trip today. It would be inconsiderate to just show up. Arriving at Kansas' house, she sat down on the steps and dialed the phone number for Briesha. It rang and rang, then went to voicemail.

Kelly left a short message and her phone number.

The smell of hot hamburgers and fries made Kelly's stomach moan aloud. Kansas was home with the food finally!

So, what did you find out today?" asked Kansas.

"I found out the address for Briesha and called her. I'm waiting on a call back to see if we can go visit her tomorrow. I also had a strange thing happen this morning. I was sitting on your doorsteps and heard this wind chime. I looked around and there are no wind chimes anywhere. I saw pictures of the old Reed's home place; it was fancy. I also saw the garden that was made in honor of Caroline.

"Sounds like you had an eventful day. I was around that dresser all day and it was all I could do not to tell them it was haunted. I've never seen an investigator as agitated in my whole life. I bet he doesn't get any sleep tonight," declared Kansas with a chuckle.

Kelly laughed out loud and shook her head in agreement. Her cell phone started ringing. Excitedly, she dug it out of her pocket and suddenly her expression changed. "How did you do that without my seeing you dial me?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Kansas.

Kelly leaned over and showed him the phone number that appeared on her phone. It read, "Kansas is calling."

"Kelly, my phone is on the kitchen counter in my lunch box. Go look for yourself!"

Jerking the lunch box open she saw Kansas's phone lying in the bottom. It showed that the phone was dialing Kelly's.Kelly hit the answer button and then the speakerphone.

"Please remember me, don't let me disappear again!" It was the voice of a young girl. Then there was silence.

"How is she doing that?" inquired Kansas.

Kelly shook her head, "I have no idea, but the faster we get this mystery solved and she gets peace, so will we. I'm going to try to call Briesha again."

With each ring of the phone, Kelly held her breath. "Hello?"

"Briesha, I am the lady that called and left you a voice message. I'm doing some research on the Reeds. Is there a possibility that I could come visit you tomorrow?

I'd sure appreciate any help you can give me," said Kelly in almost a pleading tone.

"Do I know you?" asked Briesha.

"No, I'm just trying to run some history of the family and an antique that I acquired. I promise not to keep you long. Can you help me?"

"I suppose that would be alright. Do you mind me asking what antique you have?" asked Briesha.

"It's a dresser," replied Kelly.

"Ah, now I understand. Are you seeing and hearing things you can't explain? I've heard of it, but I've never seen it. I don't see how I can help, but I will share what I know of the family with you. Can you meet me around 10 in the morning? I live at 369 Brooks Drive," stated Briesha.

## **Hidden secrets revealed.**

##

It was the perfect day for a drive. The sound of music blaring out of Kansas's truck was catching glances as they drove down the country road. Kelly bounced around as much as possible in the confined area. The truck seemed to be dancing as it swayed with her movement.

"Kelly, can you stop dancing? You're making it hard to keep the truck on the road. For heaven's sake, turn down that music before we go deaf," shouted Kansas over the music.

"Party pooper, you're just getting old!"

"I am only four years older than you but mentally I am far advanced!"

"Like I said, you're getting old!"

Kansas reached over and poked her in the ribs. Kelly squealed and then slapped him on the shoulder before turning the music down.

Turning off the road onto what looked like a path, they followed the map. Up ahead was a double-wide mobile home. It was clean and well groomed on the outside. Kansas came to a stop and he and Kelly stepped out.

"Kelly, ease slowly back into the truck. Don't make any fast moves. There is a Malamute around the corner of the house. It's watching us!" said Kansas as he backed up slowly.

"What's a Malamute?"

"A frigging big dog that could eat your legs off!

Now get in the truck!" whispered Kansas.

It was too late. The Malamute had set his sights on Kelly and was coming full force at her. Kansas intercepted and he and the animal rolled onto the ground. The dog was on top and Kansas was trying to push him off. Suddenly, the dog started to lick Kansas's face and wag his tail.

"Oh Kansas, I think you found yourself a boyfriend. This one will even let you have a kiss, you lucky man. Now wasn't this worth the drive?" teased Kelly as she called the dog to her. The dog jumped off Kansas and ran to Kelly. "She is just a big ole baby. Look at those beautiful eyes!"

Kansas stood up and knocked the dirt off his jeans. The threesome walked to the front porch and Kansas knocked on the door. The door opened and there stood a young black woman, with a smile on her face.

"I am sorry about Brutus, he gets so excited when anyone comes. We don't have a lot of company. Come on in and have a seat. So, how did you come to own this mystery dresser?" asked Briesha.

'I bought from a man named Charlie Morton, Kelly replied.

"That family has a lot of mystery in its history. I was never around them, but I do remember my mother telling me that Harley made her uneasy. He'd sit and stare at her while she worked and lick his lips. She didn't work there long because of him. Mr. Reed couldn't deal with Harley either. He tried for a while, but the only one that could do anything with him was Clarence Morton," stated Briesha.

"Do you know how the Morton's got the old home Place? We know that Mr. Reed sold it to Clarence for one dollar, according to the deed. What we don't understand is, why would you sell a mansion for one dollar to the gardener?" asked Kansas.

"Mother said it was in exchange for taking care of Harley. Mr. Reed set up monthly payments as well, to go toward Harley's upbringing," replied Briesha.

"That would make sense. Harley was used to the Morton's and rarely saw his father. So, naturally he felt closer to the Morton's," acknowledged Kansas.

"There is, as I said, lots of secrets in that family. I am about to share with you something I've never told anyone. I'll be right back," said Briesha.

Returning she held a book in one hand and a picture in the other. This picture is my mother. Look at it real close. Do you see how dark black she is? She was an African immigrant, black as the night. Now, look at my skin. I'm almost white compared to her. All my life, I asked who my father was and she would say a very loving man. I assumed that since he wasn't around, that he had died and mom didn't want to talk about it. A couple of years ago, I found her diary. I was cleaning out her things, after her death. In it, she said that Avery Reed was my father and that when she found out she was pregnant, she broke it off with him. She never told him about me, because she didn't want me around Harley. Back in the day, blacks and whites didn't marry and she knew that it would only make it harder on me. She raised me alone and never married. I believe she really loved Avery, but they lived in the wrong era for their relationship to work. I do know that she kept up with him, I found a newspaper clipping about his death. He was killed in a plane accident, that's all I know. I do hope you find out what happened to the young girl," said Briesha.

"Thank you for your help," Kansas said as they bid Briesha goodbye.

"You ok sis? You're too quiet!"

"I just realized something. In order for Charlie to be a Morton, his father had to be a Morton. If Harley was his father, then Harley had to change his name from Reed to Morton. He didn't have to be adopted, since he was old enough to make that decision. I wonder who Charlie's mom was? Maybe she can shed some light on things.

"My goodness, you are turning into a little detective. Remind me not to tick you off!" teased Kansas."Do you mind stopping off at the nursing home? I'd like you to meet Kay. She is a feisty little lady," declared Kelly.

It was hilarious to watch. Kansas was a new face and a handsome one. The little ladies were winking and smiling, as they passed him. The pheromone level in the nursing home had never been so high. Even those in wheelchairs were making a dash in his direction. Kelly erupted in laughter. "Well, I think we just found the cure for elderly hormone replacement!"

Kay was asleep in her bed. Kelly reached over and took her hand. Opening her eyes, she looked past Kelly and saw Kansas. She pointed at him and smiled a toothless smile. Taking her tablet she wrote, "Pretty boy."

"Kay, this is my brother Kansas. I just wanted to stop by and thank you for your help the other day."Kay pointed to Kansas and then patted her bed. "Kansas, I think she wants you to come sit by her," said Kelly.

At first Kansas was a bit hesitant, but Kay was insistent on him sitting with her. She kept patting the bed and pointing at him. He gently sat down on the bed as not to shake it.

"I am not a china doll, I won't break that easily," she wrote.

"Sorry, I just didn't want to hurt you. I hear you are a feisty little lady and I can see that. So now that you have my attention, what would you like to discuss?" asked Kansas.

Kay pointed in Kelly's direction. Then taking pen in hand, she wrote. "Kelly not safe. Keep her away from Charlie Morton. He was raised in a strange environment. He is the byproduct of a rape. Not right in the head."

"Rape?" asked Kelly.

"Harley raped a girl he worked with at a restaurant.

She didn't want the baby, so Clarence and Stella Morton paid her $500.00 for the baby. They gave it the Morton name. Harley was sent off to a mental hospital, for two years."

"What happened when Harley got out of the hospital? Did he move back in with the Morton's?" inquired Kansas.

Kay's hand moved quickly, it was filled with emotions. "Yes, but it didn't work out. Clarence had lost control over him.. He wanted to take Charlie and move out on his own. The Morton's said no. So one night, Harley stabbed and killed them in their sleep. Then, he took Charlie to the cemetery and they slept in a mausoleum. They found Charlie tied to the pillars of the mausoleum. He was crying and had wet himself.

He was only three years old."

"No wonder Charlie has issues! What happened next," asked Kansas?

"Harley was sent to the mental hospital. He never got out. Charlie was put in an orphanage," replied Kay. Pointing in the direction of her closet, she wrote, "shoebox with tape, open it."

Kansas eased off the bed and went to the closet. At the bottom was a shoe box. It was dusty and smelled old.

Placing it on the bed, Kansas used his pocket knife to cut through the layers of tape. Inside the box, were a rag doll and a doll hairbrush. Kansas looked at Kelly with a puzzled look.

"If you find Caroline, please bury that with her. She left it at my house when we were playing," said Kay.

"We will make sure she gets it, if we find her. I think we should go now and let you rest. I'm sure your hand is starting to get tired from writing. Like I said before, you are amazing. I'll come back to visit you when I can," stated Kelly.

Kay smiled and wrote one last sentence. "Bring handsome with you. He makes my eyes happy."

Walking back to the truck, Kelly began laughing out loud. Kansas looked around to see what was so funny, but saw nothing. "What are you laughing at?"

"I was just thinking about how you attract females. Well, at least some females. Let's see, you've been kissed by a male dog and had several elderly ladies chasing you down the hall of the nursing home. Then, one woman asked you to share her bed with her. I think you missed your calling. You should be a gigolo!" joked Kelly.

"You should be quiet!" snorted Kansas with a grin.

The sun was beginning to fade and night was fast approaching. The street lights lit the driveway of Kansas's house. Slipping the key in the door, Kansas stopped.

"Did you hear something?"

"No, what did it sound like?"

Kansas cleared his throat. "Like wind chimes."

"Oh great, now our ghost is flirting with you too!" remarked Kelly jokingly.

Kansas pushed the door open and flipped on the lights. Everything appeared to be just as they had left it. Kelly bolted for the refrigerator. Pouring herself a glass of pop, she flopped down on the couch.

"I am literally exhausted! I wonder if the fire investigator has given up on the dresser yet. Why don't you call and see if they are ready to let me have it back," said Kelly.

Kansas waited patiently as the phone rang repeatedly. Finally, a familiar voice answered. "This is Captain McKinley, how can I help you?"

"Hey Captain, it's Kansas, I was just wondering, if the investigator is finished with Kelly's dresser."

"I'm glad you called. There is a bit of a problem with the dresser. We found small amounts of blood. It had seeped in behind the screws inside the dresser. They are running a DNA test on it now. But, as old as this dresser is, I doubt there is anyone on file to match it, "stated McKinley.

"Maybe there is. We'll be down to the investigators office first thing in the morning, with something for them to compare it to. I'll see you tomorrow," replied Kansas.

Kelly leaned forward on the edge of the couch. "What was that about?"

"They found blood around the screws in the dresser and they are running DNA tests. I'm going to take the doll and the hairbrush down for them to test. I remember when you were little, how you brushed your hair with your doll brush. Maybe Caroline did the same thing, or maybe she slobbered when she slept and it got on the cloth of the doll. The cloth would have absorbed it," declared Kansas.

"Wow, we must have the same genes. You are almost as smart as I am!"

"And twice as pretty, according to all the females," laughed Kansas.

The night was uneventful. But morning brought a new surprise. Kansas awoke to a bouquet of begonias on his chest. Grinning to himself, he picked them up and sniffed them. Waltzing to the bedroom door, he tossed the flowers on Kelly's head.

"Very funny Missy, are you trying to freak me out this morning?" asked Kansas.

Kelly pushed the flowers off her head and sat upright in the bed. "Do you think I gave you these? Look outside; do you see any of these flowers anywhere? No you don't. I love you dearly, but if you think I'm going out in the middle of the night with some maniac after me, you're nuts! I'm telling you, Caroline sees you as her rescuer and she has a crush on you. Like it or not, you have a ghost in love with your ragged ole butt."

"Now, wait a minute. She gave you flowers too," Kansas said defensively.

"Yeah, but she didn't give me a whole freaking bouquet. She is depending on you to find her now, instead of me. Never knew pheromones could reach into other worlds."

Kansas growled at Kelly, as she hopped out of bed and hugged him. "It will be ok. When you get old, you don't produce so many pheromones. It's only going to last another 40 or so years. You're tough, you can handle it. Besides, who do you know that can say they have their own personal ghost admirer?"

Taking a deep breath, Kansas laughed. "You missed your calling Kelly. You should have been a comedian. What hours do you have to work today?"

"I don't go in till noon and get off at five. It's a short day. I guess we should start breakfast and grab a shower. We need to run this doll stuff to the investigator."

The investigator's office wasn't what Kelly expected. There were machines she had never seen and had no idea what they were for. In the far corner sat Kelly's dresser. Looking around, Kansas saw Mr. Jacobs, the investigator. He wasn't hard to find among the others.

His oriental features separated him from everyone else.

"Mr. Jacobs, this is my sister Kelly. The dresser belongs to her. We have some idea where the blood came from. Back in 1915, a young girl named Caroline Reed was reported to have been abducted. Her body was never found. A childhood friend of hers saved this doll and hairbrush that belonged to Caroline. There may be some DNA on them," declared Kansas.

"Let me take this and run some tests. I do need you to sign some release forms before I can use these. Wait here," replied Mr. Jacob.

Kelly's curiosity got the better of her. She had walked off and was examining every machine in the room. Kansas stood beside the dresser, waiting for Mr. Jacob too return. Suddenly, he felt something cold touching his hand. Looking down, he saw a small hand protruding out of the side of the dresser. It took him by surprise and he yelled.

Not wanting anyone to think he was crazy, he shouted, "That was the biggest cockroach I ever saw. What are you folks doing, breeding monsters in here?"

Everyone just laughed and one man walked over with a can of bug spray and handed it to Kansas. "Just in case he comes back, you can take him out," said the man.

Once all the t's were crossed and the I's dotted, Kelly and Kansas left. Kansas was still quite shaken. He stopped and leaned against his truck. "Did you see that?"

"See what?" asked Kelly.

"Her hand came out of the dresser. She literally touched me and she was cold as ice and wet!"

"Wet? I wonder why she is wet. Maybe she is buried in a lake or river. But that makes no sense. Begonias most likely wouldn't do well there. They like well-drained soil."

"This gets more complicated every day. No wonder no one ever found her. Where ever she is, it doesn't seem like a very comfortable place. It's a shame she can't just draw us a map," said Kansas as he climbed into the truck, with Kelly doing likewise.

"Kansas, she was only eight when she died. I'm a heck of a lot older than that and I couldn't draw you a map. She is sending us hints. We just have to keep looking and putting the puzzle together. Can you drop me off at the department store. I need some girly things. You can come in with me or go diddle around for a half hour, then come back and get me."

"The last thing I want to do is go looking for girly things! I'll scoot over to the fire department and hang with the guys until you call me to come get you."

Arriving at the department store, Kansas dropped Kelly off in the parking lot and drove away.

## **Kidnapping gone wrong.**

Kelly had already forgotten the warning from Kansas. Her mind was on a dozen different things as she exited the store. A dark blue van was parked next to the exit. As she turned to avoid it, it's door swung open. All at once, she was in total darkness, as a black pillowcase was tugged down over her face. She tried to scream, but a hand covered her mouth, as the other one lifted her into the van. Kelly squirmed around; kicking and swinging her arms, but it did no good. Soon, she found herself being crushed beneath a heavy load that pinned her to the floor, face down. Her hands and feet were being bound with tape.

Kelly lay silently listening. The sound of a train's horn blew loudly. The smooth ride became bumpy and the smell of rubber filled the air. She heard the sound of the van's motor shutting down and the opening of a door. Then, the door slamming closed. For a moment all was quiet. Kelly could feel her own heartbeat in her chest and hear it in her ears. Her oxygen seemed to be slipping from her lungs faster than she could take it in. The van's side door opened and Kelly felt hands pulling her out and then something was shoved into her back pant pocket. She was tossed over someone's shoulder. She heard the sound of a metal door sliding open and her abductors feet as they crossed over what sounded like rocks. Another door opening and she was sliding down. She felt the hard concrete beneath her. Then, she heard the sound of doors closing and footsteps fading. She was alone. Kelly sat quietly for a while to make sure she was alone. Using her hands, she felt around her, as she backed up a bit at a time. She felt the solid wall behind her and pushed her head against it. The pillowcase began to slide upward. Several minutes later she could see where she was. It was the old Gatlin Rubber plant. It had been closed for years. Kelly lay on her back. She began to slowly work her hands over her hips and folding herself into a ball. She slid her hands over her legs. Using her teeth, she chewed through the tape that bound her wrists. Freeing her ankles was now easy. Looking around, she saw that the door to the cage she was in was only pushed closed, but not locked. Cautiously, she made her way out of the building and back into the light. Grabbing her cell phone, she dialed Kansas.

"Kansas, I need you to come to the old Gatlin Rubber plant. I was kidnapped, but he left the doors unlocked and I escaped. I'm going to call the cops as soon as I hang up with you."

"Whoa, slow down. I'm on my way, but you need to hide somewhere till I get there, in case they come back. Look around and see what's around you."

Kelly looked around the plant. There were a couple of old trucks and piles of used tires. "I'll climb into the tires. When you get here, just call me. Otherwise, I'm not coming out!"

"I'll call the cops. You just hide and do it now!" ordered Kansas.

Kelly hung up her phone and began to climb the mountain of tires. As she began to slide down into them, she felt as if she would pass out. She didn't like climbing into dark holes that were deeper than she was tall. It felt like hours had passed since she had spoken to Kansas. Her imagination began to go places she would rather it had not gone. Snakes, rats, spiders, all could be buried in the tires with her. What if she got bit and died in this disgusting place? She could feel a panic attack coming on and she closed her eyes and forced her mind to go to a good memory. Her breathing was becoming labored, no matter what she did. The sound of crunching gravel and vehicles could be heard. Kelly started to climb out of her hiding place, but realized it could be her abductors returning.

"Kelly, where are you?" screamed Kansas to the top of his lungs.

Kelly quickly emerged from the tires and screamed back, "Over here!"

Her feet had barely hit the ground, when Kansas picked her up and hugged her tightly. "Thank goodness you're alright!"

Their reunion was cut short, by the onslaught of police cars, with sirens wailing and lights flashing. Police officers went in every direction, with guns drawn. An officer approached Kelly and Kansas.

"Miss, I'm Officer Glass. What happened?"

Kelly went through the whole ordeal. Remembering her abductor had stuffed something in her back pocket, she dug it out. Printed on white paper, was a warning. "Stop asking questions about something that is none of your business. This time you got a warning. Next time, you won't!"

"What kind of questions have you been asking?" asked Officer Glass.

"I've been trying to find out some history on the family who owned an antique I bought," replied Kelly.

"That is strange! Why would anyone care about something like that?" declared the officer.

"Weirdos, I guess. Can I go now? It's been a very stressful day. I just want to go home, take a bath and go to sleep!" proclaimed Kelly.

"I think I have all the information I need, but we do need your clothes. There could be hair or other helpful items on them. Let me see if I have something you can put on, in my car," said Officer Glass."

"I have some old clothes in my truck," said Kansas.

Kelly followed Kansas to his truck and changed clothes behind the truck door. Wadding them up into a bundle, she gave them to Officer Glass.

"Oh yeah, before I forget it. The tape he tied me up with and the pillowcase, is in the room where he dumped me. Maybe there are some fingerprints on it," said Kelly.

"Thank you. Smart lady you have here. I'll see that it is taken into evidence. Maybe you should be a detective," declared the officer.

"Please! Don't give her any ideas. She already makes my life crazy and she just works at a pizza joint," stated Kansas.

The truck was nice and cool and home was only a short way off. Kelly leaned her head back against the seat. With eyes closed, she began to talk. "Who would ever have thought that an old dresser could turn into such a mystery? This is one of those stories that you can pass down from generation to generation if you can get anyone to believe you!"

Yeah, if you don't get killed before we solve the mystery. I'm taking you to mom and dad's. I know you can get some sleep there without any weird stuff happening.. There has been enough excitement for one day," announced Kansas.

"Oh crap, my boss. He doesn't know why I didn't show up for work. I have to call him!"

"I'll take care of that. Chill girl, he isn't going to fire you for getting kidnapped!" promised Kansas.

"You know, the first person to come to mind was Charlie. I do not know how he could do this. He's old and can barely get around by himself. There is no way he could pick me up and fight me like it was nothing."

"You're right, that means we have a new player in the game. Wonderful, now we have more to worry about. At least when we thought it was Charlie, we knew where to look and who to look out for. With a new player, we have no way to know which direction he will come from. There is no way to know who he is, unless they get prints off the tape and if he is in the police database," replied Kansas.

"Kind of changes all the rules doesn't it?" declared Kelly.

Kansas and Kelly sat silently for the remainder of the ride. It was as though they both had a lot to process with this new piece of knowledge.

Reaching mom and dad's, Kelly went in and slipped out of the clothes and into the shower. The smell of the tire's rubber was embedded in her nose. Even after a long hot shower, the scent still lingered. Slipping into a gown, she pulled the covers over her head and collapsed.

"What the heck is going on?" asked dad.

"If anyone else had asked, I'd have lied. But since you two have had your incidents with the other side, here goes. Kelly has a dresser that is haunted by a child. We have been looking into it and apparently, someone doesn't want the truth to come out. I guess she hasn't told you about being broken into and her house being burnt?" inquired Kansas.

"Oh my, she hasn't said a word to us. Why didn't you call us?" asked dad.

"To be honest, there has been so much happening so fast, I never thought about it. I should have but I've been so busy with Kelly, it slipped my mind."

"She can stay with us from now on. Your place is too small for both of you. Has anyone bothered you son?" asked mom.

"No, they seem to be partial to Kelly. You know her, she has a knack for getting under the skin," Kansas replied with a chuckle.

"Since you are here, why don't you spend the night too. It's been a long time since I had help making breakfast," said mom.

The smell of fresh brewed coffee floated in the air. Kelly took a few sniffs and rolled upright in the bed. The sun was shining in through the crack around the curtain. Stretching, she yawned and got out of bed. Kansas was in the kitchen helping with breakfast. French toast, mixed with the odor of the coffee. Kelly's stomach growled with excitement at the prospect of what was about to be delivered to it.

"You are spoiling me big brother and I love it!

If you weren't my brother, I'd marry you," she said with a giggle.

"If I weren't your brother, you'd be making your own breakfast."

Everyone seated themselves around the kitchen table. Slurps and the sound smacking lips filled the room.

Looking over the rim of his glasses, Dad said, "Kelly, why didn't you call us and let us know about what's been going on?"

Kelly glared at Kansas. "I didn't want you to worry!"

"Why stop now, we've been worrying since the day you were born, both of you!"

"So what's your plan for the day," asked Kansas, changing the subject quickly.

"I have school tonight, but I may play hooky for a few days. I really need to figure out who might be after me. I wonder if the cops were able to get any DNA off that brush. That is one thing I want to find out today. Also, if there were any prints on the tape. I'll do the dishes, while you grab a shower and we can head out," Kelly replied, while shoving another bite of French Toast down her throat.

"You keep us informed, do you BOTH understand that?" warned Dad.

"We will. I promise!" replied Kelly.

The office of the investigator was buzzing with activity. Mr. Jacobs saw Kelly and Kansas and headed straight for them. You could see the excitement in his eyes, even before he spoke a word.

"It's a match. The hair from the hairbrush and the blood on the dresser match! Where did you get the brush and who did it belong to?" Mr. Jacobs asked.

Kelly smiled, "It belonged to a little girl named Caroline Reed. She went missing in 1915. An elderly lady in the nursing home gave me the brush. She used to play with Caroline. The dresser was a yard sale find that I got from Charlie Morton. It was a piece from his ancestors."

"This match will do us no good, without a body to compare it to. I don't suppose you two have any ideas on that one?" inquired Mr. Jacobs.

"If we did, we'd tell you. There has been a lot going on since I bought that dresser. I'm ready for life to settle down. This new evidence tells me one of two things. Either, Caroline died in the house, or was cut at some point in her life and got blood on it. Without her body, there is no way to know," remarked Kelly.

"I'll contact the proper authorities and have them pull the old case. They can see if they can get a fresh perspective on it. Thank you for bringing in that hairbrush. I guess you know I can't release the dresser just yet?" said Mr. Jacobs.

Kelly chewed her lip and frowned. "I guess you have to do what you have to do, but make them be careful with it. I'd like it back in the same condition they received it in."

"Yes Ma'am, I will make sure they handle it with tender loving care. If you discover anything new, please let me know," said Mr. Jacobs.

Kansas wrapped his arm around Kelly's neck and rubbed the top of her head with his knuckles. "You my dear, should consider being a cop or taking forensic science. You have a way of taking things apart and putting them back together."

"I think that is a repair man you're describing. I must admit that forensic science is interesting though. Who knows?"

The beautiful morning had turned into a steaming hot day. There was no breeze and the humidity was unbearable. The south had a way of turning a comfortable morning, into a steam bath.

"Kansas, I need to run by work and pick up my check. Do you want to grab some pizza while we're there? I can use my employee discount."

"That'll work, as long as I can grab the tab. You haven't got to work much lately. You can leave the tip," said Kansas.

It was almost noon and the dinner crowd was already swarming the pizza joint. The waitresses were running instead of walking. The jukebox blasted a song from the past, as cash registers ringed. The voices of the patrons all intertwined as laughter erupted in one place or another. The joint was full of life. Amy, their waitress, took their order and rushed to drop it off. Kansas watched, as Amy ran around like her head was on fire. "This is why she is so boney. She never stops," thought Kansas. Amy wasn't what you would call pretty, in the sense of beauty. She had bucked teeth and frizzy blonde hair, but her eyes were filled with warmth. It was as if she was looking straight into your soul. Returning with their drinks, she Inquired as to Kelly's welfare and then quickly took off running again. Things finally slowed down as the crowd thinned out. What had been a chaotic scene forty five minutes earlier was now quiet.

Amy strolled over to Kelly's table. Scooting in beside Kelly, she smiled. "I hear you have had a run of bad luck. Is it getting better?"

"Kelly wiped the cheese from her face and finished chewing her pizza. "Not sure I'd say better, but so far today, it's been ok. Was the boss upset that I didn't make it in yesterday?"

"No, he said you had been kidnapped and he was more worried than anything. Oh yeah, there is a package for you in back. Hang tight and I'll run get it for you."

Amy darted off to the back of the restaurant. She returned with a box wrapped in black paper. Handing it to Kelly, she reached and took a slice of pizza. "I think you have an admirer Kelly. There isn't a return address on the box. I found it when I went out to get the mail for the restaurant. It was lying beneath the mailbox.

Kelly looked the box over. "I have no idea what this could be. I'm almost afraid to open it. It could be something embarrassing inside, like underwear. Here Kansas, you open it. If it is underwear or anything embarrassing, close it back up and toss it in the trash."

Kansas took the box and began to unwrap it. Once all the paper was torn off, he pried the box open. His face suddenly drained of color and his mouth fell open.

"What's wrong Kansas?" asked Kelly.

## **The baby coffin.**

It was a homemade baby -size coffin. It was painted black and had red trim on it. Kelly eased the lid open. Inside was a pig's nose and it smelled rotten. A white envelope with Kelly and Kansas's name on it lay beside the nose. Opening it, Kelly read it aloud. Nosey people end up in a box, if you get my meaning."

Kelly slammed the box closed and began to gag. Amy jumped up and out of the way, as Kelly bolted for the bathroom. Amy sat back down and eased the box open once more. Looking over the nose, she said, "There is a blonde hair in here and I don't think it's the pigs."

Kansas pulled the box closer to him and sighed. "I do believe you're right. Maybe this will give us a lead on who our sick friend is. Can you go check on Kelly?"

Amy headed to the bathroom, occasionally gagging also. Shortly they returned and took a seat.

"Are you two ok?" asked Kansas.

They shook their head in unison. "I guess we best take this to Officer Glass. Be sure to get all the wrapping paper and the letter." Kelly said as she gagged once more.

Officer Glass opened the box and then closed it quickly. "What a stench, was there anything else in the box?"

"Yeah, there was this note."Officer Glass looked at the note and shook his head. "I don't know who you two have ticked off, but you sure did a good job. Where was the box found?"

"Amy, a waitress where Kelly works, she found it underneath the mailbox outside. There is also a hair in the box, we think it might belong to the pervert," replied Kansas.

Kelly really needs to consider having someone with her at all times," declared officer Glass.

"I'll suggest that to her, she is a bit stubborn, however," said Kansas.

"I was telling your brother that you don't need to be alone at any time. Someone is really getting upset with you. What is it that you have been doing recently?" asked Officer Glass.

Kelly shrugged her shoulders, "Just continuing to look at the history of that dresser. That's it."

"I'd suggest you slow down on the probing. Give me some time to see if I can find out something."

"We'll see. I'm just about out of ideas for the time being," remarked Kelly.

"I'll contact you both once I have some information. For now, just lay low till things settle down a bit," warned Officer Glass.

"Don't worry, I've exhausted Charlie Morton's family. So who does that leave?" asked Kelly in a tone of surrender.

"The other side of the family?" replied Kansas.

"Your brilliance has shined through again! Come on, we've got work to do!" shouted Kelly.

"Where are we going?" asked Kansas.

"The library, we're going to find out who Violet's family was. I know nothing about them. There has to be a wedding announcement, or a birth announcement, or something in the papers," Kelly replied.

Kelly and Kansas were back in the stinky room of dust. "Look for something dated back around 1905. If Caroline was born in 1907, I'm hoping that it wasn't long after her parents' wedding that she was born. I'll look for 1904," stated Kelly.

It was a slow go. But finally Kelly found what she was looking for. Violet's maiden name, it was Violet Lance. The article reads that her father was a lawyer and her mother a member of several society groups. Reading on, she found that she had one brother, Jaxson Lance, who was married to Grace. They had one son Jaxson Willis Lance Jr., age nine.

"Kansas, I found another name to research, it's Jaxson Willis Lance Jr. He was nine in 1905.Let's go forward till he is around eighteen and see if there is any records of him. Look for records for 1914."

Another couple hours past and finally, they were rewarded with another look at the Lance family. 1928, Jaxson Willis Lance Jr. was married to a Hazel Worthington.

"Now what?" asked Kansas?

Now we go forward two years and follow Jr. Look for death or birth announcements. Start looking in the books labeled 1930. I'll start one year later," replied Kelly.

Four years of the past and nothing. Year five proved to be a bit more informative. Jaxson Willis Lance Sr. passed away at due to a stroke, he was fifty years old. He was survived by his wife, Hazel and son Jaxson Jr. One grandson, two year old, Jackson Willis Lance the third.

"Kelly, why is it that you seem to be able to pull this stuff out of the air and I get nothing?" asked Kansas.

"I guess I get the good books and you get the boring ones. Now let's go forward a bit more. Let's go to 1955 and move forward with Jaxson the third.

After ten years of searching, Kansas groaned aloud. "I don't think that the third ever got married, or had kids."

"Be patient, brother of mine! Sooner or later, we will find something," promised Kelly.

Seven years into the future and a breakthrough. "I did it, I found him Kelly," shouted Kansas as if he had found gold. Jaxson Willis Lance the third had finally married at age thirty six to April Baxter. It was in 1971, he sure waited a long time to find the right gal!"

"Good job Kansas, now let's move forward. If he was thirty six when he got married, he probably had kids soon thereafter. Let's just go up one year at a time from here," said Kelly.

Year by year they went with no news of a birth or anything else. It was 1974 before an update appeared in the papers. The announcement of the birth of Jaxson Willis Lance the fourth

"If my addition is right, Jaxson, the fourth should be around thirty- nine now. Let's get the phone book and see if he is listed in it," said Kelly.

To Kelly and Kansas's surprise, he was a lawyer, like all the males in his family before him. Kelly dialed the office number and waited for an answer. "Hello, you have reached Mr. Lance, attorney at law. He is unable to take your call at the moment. Please leave a name and number and he will call you back as soon as possible." It was not what Kelly had hoped for, but she left a brief message and hung up.

"I guess he is out of the office right now. Maybe he will call us back shortly."

Let's get out of the library and just go over to the Dairy Dream and grab a sundae. I have a craving for a caramel sundae, with walnuts and oozing syrup. You know

what would be nice? If we took Kay a sundae," declared Kelly.

"Fine with me, I bet she will ask me to feed it to her! Are you prepared to knock all the other ladies off me, as we walk to her room?" joked Kansas.

Reaching behind the truck seat, Kelly pulled out a tire iron. She winked at Kansas and climbed in the truck with him. When they reached the nursing home, Kansas peeked inside the front door. The front room was clear; he sneaked in and started to giggle.

"What?," asked Kelly.

"I feel like a spy, entering a restricted area."

"You goof, you take the cake! Come on Mr. Spy; let's get to Kay's room before this sundae melts."

Kay was lying in her bed with headphones on her ears. Her head was rocking a bit and her hand kept beat to the music. Kansas walked over and kissed her on the forehead. Kay's eyes opened and a smile covered her face. Reaching up, she removed the headphones. Kansas held up the sundae.

"You ready for a snack?" he asked.

Kay shook her head yes and opened her mouth like a bird waiting to be fed. Kansas grinned and began to feed her small bites. Kay smiled and licked her lips. A groan slipped past her lips in approval. After a few more bites, she lifted her hand to signal stop. Scribbling on her pad she wrote, "Too rich for this old lady, thank you. Any luck finding Caroline?"

"Not yet, but I'm sure we're getting closer. I think

We may have to go to the old Reed home place and look around. I'd like to see the fountain that Clarence made for her. That is, if it's still there," Kelly said.

Kay scribbled the word, "No."

"No, don't go?" asked Kelly.

"My brother said it was not there anymore, crumbled," wrote Kay.

"I didn't know you had a brother!" replied Kelly.

"You never asked."

Kansas started to chuckle, "I guess she told you!"

"Such a pretty smile," Kay wrote while pointing at

Kansas.

"Yes, he does and those adorable dimples don't just stop on the cheeks of his face either!" proclaimed Kelly.

"Kelly Lynn! That is too much information to share. Would you like me to tell her about that cute little mole you have?" threatened Kansas.

Kansas's phone began to ring. As he opened it, he said, "Saved by the bell young lady. Hello?"

"Kansas, this is Officer Glass. The hair belongs to a male, but with nothing to compare it to it's useless. The paint on the box, was a cheap brand that can be bought at half the stores in town. The wood itself was pine and as far as the pig's nose, it could have come from any one of the restaurants or grocery stores in town."

"I understand. If you discover anything else, let me know please. Well, I'll go and flirt with this little lady here at the nursing home. Thanks again," replied Kansas.

"Kay, we have to head out, but we will come back and visit. You get some rest. I'm sure your blood pressure is up, with such a handsome young man waiting on you hand and foot," Kelly teased.

Kay blew a kiss to Kelly and Kansas. The door shut behind them and Kansas turned and pinched Kelly's cheek. "You are so good with elderly people. It just comes naturally to you."

"They are special people. I've never understood why people take such good care of the antiques and ignore the elderly. I think it should be reversed. Let's drive by Jaxson's place and see how the rich live," she said.

## **A Hairy Situation**

The stone walls leading up the driveway were sealed off by an elegant gate. Its swirls and shiny black surface glistened in the light. Sitting back beneath the huge oaks was a stone home. It was almost as wide as a football field and three stories high. Kansas's truck was blocking the driveway when a spotless Black Cadillac pulled in behind them. A tall, slender blonde haired man in a business suit climbed out of the car.

"May I help you?" asked the man.

"I know you!" exclaimed Kelly. "You're the lawyer I met at the library. I can't believe I forgot your name. I have something that might be of interest to you. An antique dresser that belonged to your family, in the early 1900's,"said Kelly.

"Yes, that might be of interest. Pull up into the circle drive and I'll meet you at the front door. I need to put my car in the garage," he said.

Jaxson fumbled with the security code to the front door, as if he couldn't remember it. He seemed distracted and unnerved. Kelly thought this behavior was strange for an attorney who should be used to surprises. Attorneys always had evidence cropping up out of the blue and witness's changing their minds. After a third time, he finally got the combination right and the door opened.

" I seem to be all thumbs today, nothing has gone right!" stated Jaxson.

Kelly held her breath at the sight within. Antiques were everywhere. A huge family crest hung on the wall in the foyer. There were walls filled with photos from the past. Some were in color, some were black and white. Most of them had a plaque beneath it, with the name of the people in the photo. One was marked Violet Reed.

"That's a very nice photo of Violet. Shame it isn't in color. I'd like to have seen what she really looked like with color," said Kelly.

A stern look came over Jaxson's face. "She looked like a whore. That is what she would look like in black and white, or color. You can't change a whore's appearance!"

Kelly glanced over at Kansas and shrugged her shoulders. Apparently, she had hit a nerve. Jaxson continued to his study with Kelly and Kansas following close behind. It was like walking into the past.

"Please take a seat and tell me about this antique you have," Jaxson said in a tone that seemed almost disturbing.

"It's one that belonged to Violet. It's a dresser made of oak and it has beautiful scroll work on it. It looks like it's almost brand new," explained Kelly. "It has been taken very good care of." Kelly stopped speaking and pointed toward the urns. "You really must like having your family close."

"I am very proud of my forefathers. They and their families were pillars of the community. They helped to build this town and were involved in determining many of the county statutes. They were of unblemished backgrounds and took pride in keeping the Lance name free from ridicule," proclaimed Jaxson.

"Did you come from a large family?" asked Kansas.

"Not really. Now back to this dresser. Why would you think I'd want anything that belonged to Violet? She brought nothing but shame to my family. Her promiscuous behavior was deploring; her denial of her ways was disgusting. Had I been in charge at that time, I would have disowned her."

"Why do you think she was a whore? From what I have read, she was a good woman and kind," said Kelly.

Reaching into the drawer of his desk, Jaxson pulled out an old photo album. Flipping through it, he pulled a piece of paper from between one of the clear sleeves. Handing it over to Kelly, he leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head.

Kelly looked over the paper. It was a note to Violet from her brother. "Violet, I have calculated Avery's travel schedule. I have also been considering when you gave birth to Harley. There is no way that Harley came from Avery's loins. Your lying has caught up with you. I will not say anything to Avery, the shame will be kept between us. I never thought my sister could do such a shameful thing. The knowledge of this would tarnish our good name, so I will take this to the grave with me. I love you, but I cannot condone your whoring around. You shameful harlot".

"You see, Avery could not have been Harley's father. Even if you add a week or two in either direction, the numbers just don't add up. There was no possible way he was Avery's. Had this gotten out, she would have damaged the whole Lance family name," stated Jaxson.

Kelly shook her head in amazement. I guess she had everyone fooled. "Well, I won't keep you any longer. Thank you for taking time to speak to us. Would you mind to give me a quick tour of your home? I've never been in such a nice place. I'd like to tell my friends about how fancy it is, you know, kind of bragging?"

"Of course, this floor has three bathrooms, the den, living room, laundry room, a kitchen and a game room, with a full size surround sound and theater."

Kelly praised everything he showed her. Motioning for them to follow, Jaxson headed upstairs by way of an elevator. "This is where the maids and gardener lives. They share the west end. My wife, my son and I have the east end. There are six bedrooms and three bathrooms on this floor. Shall we proceed to the top?" The elevator stopped at the top floor. It was a full size gym, with a hot tub and showers. The ceiling was completely glass with a perfect view of the sky.

"This is absolutely gorgeous! Perhaps I should reconsider my career choice and become a lawyer," remarked Kelly.

"It's not just being a lawyer; it's being a good lawyer. One has to be highly intelligent and be able to articulate his views of the situation in a persuasive manner. Most of all, one must be sure of himself at all times," boasted Jaxson.

"From what I can see, you must work out a lot. You're so fit and trim," whispered Kelly, as though she was embarrassed to say the words.

Jaxson laughed aloud. "I spend an hour every morning in here, before I shower and shave.

"Kelly, I think we should leave before we wear out our welcome," said Kansas.

"Is it ok if I use your bathroom before we leave? That water running in your hot tub has gotten to me. Do you mind?" asked Kelly.

"Help yourself. I'll show Kansas my workout routine. Come over here Kansas and climb on this climber. It will tighten your legs in no time, if it doesn't kill you first," teased Jaxson.

Kelly disappeared around the corner and into the bathroom. A few minutes later she returned with a smile on her face.

"Much better, I can breathe now. Once again, thank you for the tour. It was fascinating," Kelly said softly.They had just exited the house when Kansas said, "Did you see how quickly his mood went from outrage to sickening sweet? Talk about mood swings!"

"I have us a little souvenir of our visit. I'll show you when we get down the road and are out of sight," declared Kelly with an ominous grin.

Kansas could tell by the way Kelly was squirming that she was about to explode. "Ok, what did you get while we were there?"

Kelly reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a tissue. Opening it gently she revealed hair and beard trimmings. "I cleaned out his brush and I got the beard hairs out of the drain pipe in the sink. Maybe this will give Officer Glass something to compare the hair too.

"Like I said before, remind me not to ever tick you off. You are one sneaky gal!" stated Kansas.

Let's drop these off with Officer Glass and head to moms.I'm starving and I bet she has supper already on cooking.

The smell of sweet potatoes baking filled the house. The table had a collection of foods from one end to the other.

"Mom, your house smells so good!" Kelly said as she stole a taste of the roast with the swipe of her finger.

"Good, maybe after supper we can all sit down and watch a movie," replied mom.

It was like old times; Kelly with her head in dad's lap stretched out on the couch. Kansas and Mom hogging the recliners. The eerie music was accompanied by a screeching owl in the background. The sound of footsteps and crackling branches came next. The innocent victim unaware of the danger that lay behind the next tree. Suddenly the lights grew dim and the picture on the screen went black. Kansas jumped up to flip the channel to see if all the other channels were out. Unexpectedly, a child's hand reached through the screen and smacked his hand.

"Shhh.... you'll wake my baby!" Caroline now replaced the movie. She was holding a doll in her arms and singing a lullaby to it. " Hush little baby, don't you cry, it's only a little longer till we'll see momma again."

Banjo, the family retriever, wailed to the top of his lungs, as if he was hurting.

As suddenly as she appeared, Caroline disappeared.

Banjo began sniffing around the TV. Turning, everyone noticed he had something in his mouth.

"Come here Banjo, bring it to daddy"

Banjo proudly strutted across the room to dad and dropped what he had in his mouth.

"What is it?" asked Kelly.

"It looks like an old pacifier. It's missing most of it though. I think it's completely dry rotted except for the part that is ivory."

"Ivory, that must have been one expensive pacifier!"

"Not really Kelly. Back in the old days, that was what was used to make them," replied Dad.

"We have to find her, can you imagine being somewhere other than buried with your family?"asked Kelly.

"You always did have a soft spot for kids and you're as curious as a cat. You just be careful. You're not bulletproof, don't forget that!" ordered dad.

A vibration could be heard coming from Kelly's butt. Reaching into her back pocket, she pulled out her phone. "Hello?"

"Kelly, this is Officer Glass. The hair was a match to the one in the coffin. The sweat on the pillowcase was also a match to Mr. Lance. I'm waiting for a search warrant now. I just thought you would like to know."

"Well, that's one mystery solved. The next question is why he was after me. Maybe soon we will have some answers," replied Kelly.

Hanging up the phone, Kelly sighed. "Well, they caught the guy who was trying to harass me. It was Jaxson Lance, the lawyer. Can you believe that?"

"Nothing surprises me anymore. The world has gone to the dogs.

At least he won't be bothering you for a while," said Dad.

Kelly paced the floor and waited to hear back from Officer Glass about the search. The day was well spent before her long anticipated phone call came.

"Kelly, I have some bad news. Lance isn't our man. We did find some circumstantial evidence, but nothing solid. He didn't deny that the pillowcase was his. But he was in another state when this happened. He has twelve board members and a video to prove where he was. That means anyone who he was around or in his house could have taken the pillow case. It looks like someone is trying to place the blame on him.

"Well that stinks! So where to now?"

"We will check out everyone in his house to see where they were during the kidnapping. We're also going to check out everyone's whereabouts during the burglary and the fire. For now, you best take a few days off while we investigate this."

Kelly smiled, "Of course I will," she said as she crossed her fingers behind her back.

## **Blood Flows.**

Kansas had three days off. It was time to go searching, but first they needed Charlie's permission. Kansas was not looking forward to visiting the grouchy old man again. Charlie was sitting in his front yard when they arrived. He stood up when they got out of the truck and headed back to his front door. Kelly ran after him.

"Please wait, it's important. I know you don't like to discuss that dresser, but I think it has something to do with a murder," stated Kelly.

"What do you mean a murder?" asked Charlie.

"I don't think Caroline ever left her home when she went missing. The police found her blood on a screw in the dresser. That is why she is haunting it. She wants someone to find her. All I'm asking you to do is let me and Kansas look around the old home place."

"That's fine, there isn't anything out there you can hurt," replied Charlie as he turned and walked away.

Kelly was giving Kansas the thumbs up sign as she walked back to the truck. Climbing in, she smiled, "He said to go ahead."

"Maybe we can find an answer today and let Caroline find some peace," replied Kansas.

The old home place looked even more lonely and depressing. The porch protested as they walked across it and opened the front door. Walking from room to room, Kelly and Kansas looked for loose boards, or anywhere you might hide a body. They found nothing but cobwebs and dust. The back door was about to fall off its hinges and the steps were swagging. Carefully, Kelly and Kansas eased down them.

The back yard that had once been well groomed now had limbs from the dead trees laying around. Weeds had taken over the green grass and now it was a tangled mess. Walking around the house, they looked in every building and shed. There was nothing.

The humidity was starting to climb as clouds filled the sky. Sweat poured off Kelly and Kansas. In the distance a roll of thunder could be heard. A storm was brewing and it wasn't far away.

"Kelly, we're going to have to come back later. A storm is moving in and I don't think she is here anyways.

We've looked all over the place," said Kansas.

"She has to be. I can feel it in my bones. Just five more minutes, ok?" pleaded Kelly.

"Ok, five..., did you hear that?" inquired Kansas as he began to walk in the direction of the sound.

"Hear what?" asked Kelly.

"Wind chimes, like the ones I heard before. It is the same melody," shouted Kansas.

Kelly ran as fast as she could to catch up with Kansas. The sound stopped as they approached the fountain. A bubbling sound replaced the chimes and looking at the center of the fountain, blood began to flow out of the fountain head. Rushing to one of the old buildings, Kansas returned with a sledge hammer and a shovel.

"Call Officer Glass and tell him to get over here. I think we have found Caroline," Kansas screamed, as he began to strike the walls of the fountain. Kelly called Officer Glass and watched Kansas. The walls began to crumble. Kansas began to shovel out the pieces, suddenly he stopped. A small bony hand emerged from the rubble.

"It's her, I found her! Kelly, shovel gently while I continue to break the wall apart," shouted Kansas.

Bit by bit, the wall came down and the skeletal remains of a child appeared. Something hard and blue rolled onto the ground. Kelly reached down and picked up an aqua colored bottle with a cork in it. There was something inside it. Pulling the cork out, Kelly tried to fish out the paper inside. It was no use; the only way it was coming out was if the bottle was broken. Kelly laid it on the ground and used the shovel to shatter the old bottle. Shaking the glass off of the paper she began to read aloud. Kansas stopped to listen.

"My name is Violet Reed. If you are reading this, then you have found my daughter Caroline. Caroline's death was an accident. She and Harley were playing; she tripped over a piece of firewood Harley had used to build a fort. Caroline fell into the corner of the dresser and hit the temple of her head on it. There was so much blood, it was everywhere. Harley was screaming and trying to love on Caroline. They loved each other so much. Caroline was so patient with Harley. She knew he wasn't right and she mothered him. I was afraid, if anyone found out that Harley had anything to do with the accident, they would take him from me. I couldn't bear the thought of him being put in a mental hospital. That is no place for a child; it is cruel what is done in the name of science. So I decided to tell people that Caroline was kidnapped. Clarence built a coffin out of an old box and we buried her here.

There is something else I want my family to know. I never had an affair on Avery. I was raped by Clarence. Harley was born from that rape. I wanted to fire Clarence, but Avery felt sorry for him and wouldn't hear of it. Avery did not know about the rape and I was too ashamed to tell anyone including Avery.

Please bury Caroline next to me, if at all possible. I love her with all my heart. It's a terrible situation to be in. Two children you love, and have to hide a secret like this. It has almost killed me. Sincerely, Violet Reed.

Kansas bowed his head, took a deep breath and returned to removing the stone. All of a sudden, another small hand appeared. Much smaller than Carolines. Kelly fell to her knees and began to gently pull the stone and dirt away. Inch by inch revealed a skeleton of a premature baby. It was wrapped in a ragged blanket. One small hand clutched an old snuff can. Kelly gently removed the can and opened it. Inside was another letter wrapped in plastic.

"If you find this, know that I am sorry for my husband, Clarence Morton's, actions. I am sorry for the lives he has destroyed by his obsession to be in control. I was unaware of him raping Violet until she lost the baby. Clarence told me what he had done and his reasoning. He was losing control over Harley and wanted a second chance with another child. I was unable to give him children. Violet's body was unable to support this pregnancy. She became very ill, but refused to go to the doctor. When she finally did, it was too late. She passed away a few days later. She was afraid that her family would once again accuse her of infidelity. After she lost the baby, she asked me to bury it with Caroline and she named it Pride. Violet was a good woman who had too much on her. Right before she died, Clarence told me that he was Harley's father and that Harley was born after he raped Violet. Violet has never been unfaithful to Avery. I was so angry with Clarence that I tried to castrate him but failed. I am sorry for all Violet's family has endured because of Clarence."

"Wow, that explains a lot!" said Kansas.

"Yes, it does," came a voice from behind a tree. The barrel of a shotgun was all that was visible and it was pointed straight at Kansas.

"Come on out from behind the tree so we can talk. I'm sure we can work this out," Kelly said softly.

Nora stepped from behind the tree. "Why couldn't you just take the hint and walk away. No one had to get hurt, now all that's changed. I can't have you two bringing to life what took forever to destroy! All the years of people talking behind daddy's back. Making fun of him and avoiding him like he had a plague. All the kids making fun of me because of my dear sweet grandfather, "The rapist!" That kind of history doesn't need resurrecting! Now I have to go and get rid of you two, permanently! I had this all worked out until Jaxson decided to make that trip out of town! He could afford the best lawyers in town to get him off and I can't. If he would have been charged with everything, dad and I could have been safe. Safe from the never- ending whispers that have plagued us forever. I knew Jaxson's hatred for Violet was as strong as mine was for Harley. He would have made the perfect scapegoat!"

"I don't think that would be a good idea young lady. Now drop the gun!" said Officer Glass as he pointed his revolver at her head.

Nora dropped the shotgun and sank to her knees in tears. Officer Glass motioned for another officer to approach. "Get her out of here!"

Kelly handed the letter to Officer Glass. After reading it, he shook his head in disbelief. "This takes the cake! You won't believe what tipped me off that you were in trouble. I noticed a van pulled into the bushes back a piece. Looking in, I saw a badge lying on the seat. It was Nora's work badge, she works for a laundry service that

Jaxson uses. That is where the pillowcase with his sweat and hair on it came from. Sometimes, I even impress myself!" he said with a wink.

"Let's go home and take a week long nap, today was just too much," Kansas said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Several weeks went by while the forensic team confirmed that the body was indeed Caroline's. The funeral was a quiet one with only the Edmond's family in attendance. The coffin contained both Caroline and Pride. Now both girls would rest beside their mother. After the grave was closed, Kelly placed Carolines pendant around the doll's neck and laid it and the hairbrush on top of the grave. Turning, she and her family walked away. Kansas stopped and looked back one last time. The doll and hairbrush were gone.

"I guess she didn't want to leave anything behind this time," whispered Kansas.

## **About me**

**I started writing when I was ten. We didn't have a T.V. so I read a lot. I hated school because it was so boring, that is until I got in high school. I finally found a class I loved, creative writing and drama. I married at seventeen and was a mom by twenty two. I still wrote some, but the old fashion way of doing things didn't work for me. Waiting on responses from publishers wasn't my cup of tea. I discovered website design in my forties, like everything else, I taught myself. For years I ran several Christian websites for others. I have said so many times that I wasn't writing anymore, but as you can see that didn't happen. I believe that we are born with desires that we never outgrow. I wanted to be a journalist when I grew up, but seeing as I didn't get my GED until I was fifty put that dream out of mind. My boys are grown now and I decided to start writing again. So I guess it's never too late to start over. I've experienced more than a few moments of despair when it comes to sales but I still keep trying. Stoping isn't really an option when it's in your blood. This is book one of the series. You can find the newest books at several retailers. Book 2 is called Heart Taker, book 3 is called for Havens sake.**

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination, or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

I'd like to thank Karli Land from Calhoun Area Writers. She did the editing for me. This took some time and I so appreciate it. Thank you Karli!

