Look to the Light (Quickreads Series 2)

LOOK TO THE LIGHT! Janet Lorimer

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SERIES

2 The Accuser Ben Cody’s Treasure Blackout The Eye of the Hurricane The House on the Hill Look to the Light! Ring of Fear The Tiger Lily Code Tug-of-War The White Room

Development and Production: Laurel Associates, Inc. Cover Illustrator: Black Eagle Productions Copyright © 2002 by Saddleback Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. Reproduction of any part of this book, through photocopy, recording, or any electronic or mechanical retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, is an infringement of copyright law.

Three Watson Irvine, CA 92618-2767 Website: www.sdlback.com ISBN 1-56254-420-9 Printed in the United States of America 07 06 05 04 03 02 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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Jill picked up the single white envelope that had just been pushed through her mail slot. When she saw the return address, her eyes narrowed in anger. A lawyer! “Well, why not?” she thought bitterly. “Everything else in my life is going wrong.” A few months before, Jill had been laid off from her job. So far, she hadn’t found a new one. Now her unemployment benefits were running out, and the bills were piling up. “Either I’m being kicked out of my apartment,” Jill thought, “or someone is suing me.” She ripped open the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of expensive stationery. At the top of the page was neatly typed: Regarding the Estate of 3

Agatha Elizabeth Morris, deceased. Jill took a deep, ragged breath. Cousin Aggie? Dead? Tears stung the corners of her eyes. Cousin Aggie had been much older than Jill. She wasn’t even a first cousin—more like a second or third cousin. But Aggie Morris had been an important part of Jill’s childhood. Jill remembered visiting Aggie when she was little. Aggie was sponsoring a Vietnamese woman and her little girl, Trinh. They’d come to the United States after the war in Vietnam. “Trinh was just about my age,” Jill remembered. “We had a lot of fun together. I remember we picked wild strawberries in the garden. We slid down the banisters and played at the beach. Those were great times.” Jill sat down to read the letter. She was stunned to learn that Aggie had named her the sole heir. The letter asked Jill to get in touch with the lawyer as soon as possible. Jill grabbed the phone and 4

punched in the number. “Does this mean my luck is changing?” she wondered.

A ggie’s house was up the coast, just outside the small town of Kettle Cove. Jill met with the lawyer—Matt Baxter—just before noon the next day. When she was seated, he handed her a copy of the will. After scanning it quickly, Jill asked, “Can you tell me what’s included in the estate?” “The house and property,” Baxter said. “And the contents of the house— although there’s not much left. Over the last 30 years, your cousin sold most everything she owned.” Jill frowned. “Poor Aggie! I remember that she never seemed to have a lot of money. But I didn’t realize she was forced to sell off her belongings.” Baxter nodded. “I tried to get her to sell the house, too, but she refused. She said she’d promised her husband—” He 5

paused. “But then I guess you already know that story.” Jill thought for a moment and then shrugged. “I really don’t know what you mean. I know that her husband—Cousin Reginald—died before I was born. After he was gone, Aggie stopped socializing. We assumed she was still grieving.” Baxter studied Jill’s face for a long moment. Then he said, “I think the word you want is ashamed. After all, Reginald died in prison.” Jill’s eyes widened in surprise. “What are you talking about?” she asked. Baxter leaned back. “Oh, dear— I thought you knew. I’m afraid it’s a long story,” he said. As the chief accountant for a large company, Reg Morris had been very well paid. He and Aggie bought a nice piece of oceanfront property north of town. Reg had the house especially designed and built for his beloved wife. “As a matter of fact, my father was 6

the architect who designed their house,” Baxter said with a smile. “That’s how I first got to know Reg and Aggie.” He went on to say that Reg and Aggie had filled their new home with the best furniture, the most expensive china, and the finest silver. Their lifestyle was the talk of the town. But then one day their wonderful world suddenly collapsed!

One Saturday morning, the sheriff and Reg’s boss arrived at the house without warning. The sheriff was there to arrest Reg! His employer had discovered that Reg had stolen a large sum of money from the company. “There was a terrible argument,” Baxter told Jill. “Reg’s boss demanded to know where the cash was hidden.” Jill shook her head in frustration. “Wait! Back up!” she exclaimed. “Reg made a fine salary. Why would he have 7

stolen that money in the first place?” “It turned out that Reg’s boss was planning to sell the company,” Baxter explained. “That would have made him an extremely rich man. But at the same time, the sale of the company would have put most of his employees—including Reg—out of work.” “So Reg stole the money to get even?” Jill asked in amazement. Baxter shrugged. “Who knows? Reg didn’t deny that he stole the money— but he didn’t admit it either. So that made him the most likely suspect.” The sheriff arrested Reg that day and took him to jail. Then, at the pretrial hearing, bail was denied. Shortly after he was jailed, Reg became quite ill. Aggie tried to have him released so he could get better medical treatment. The judge refused. Then one night Aggie was called to the prison hospital. It was quite clear that Reg was dying. His last words to 8

his wife were, “Look to the light.” Jill was confused. “Look to the light? What on earth does that mean?” Baxter smiled. “He was a very sick man by then. I don’t imagine it meant anything.” Jill sat back in her chair. “Wow! That’s quite a story,” she said. “Poor Aggie! What about the house? After all these years, is it worth anything?” Baxter shook his head. “It’s in bad shape,” he said. Then he brightened up. “The land is another story, however. Your cousins chose one of the nicest pieces of property in the whole county. It’s just north of town, located right on the beach. Today, that land is worth a small fortune. I guess you’ll want to sell it.” “Probably,” Jill said. “But I’d like to take a look at the old place first.” Baxter reached into a desk drawer and then handed her a set of keys to the house. “There are some other legal matters to take care of, too. But don’t 9

worry about it now. I can help you get through all that.”

A s she drove into the town, Jill realized how much Kettle Cove had grown over the years. A number of new subdivisions had sprung up outside of town. “I can see why Aggie’s property is valuable,” she thought. “I bet a developer would love to build a hotel or maybe a fancy restaurant on that land.” When Jill reached the house, she studied it for a moment before she got out of the car. The old place was three stories high. But somehow it didn’t look as big as it had when she was a child. And it certainly was shabby! The paint was peeling, and a few bricks had fallen off the chimney. The roof looked like it needed repairs, too. Jill pulled her suitcase from the trunk. She had just reached the front door when it suddenly opened. A smiling 10

young woman stood in the doorway. “Jill? Is it really you?” Jill gasped. “Trinh?” The two women hugged, laughing and crying. “I was just thinking about you,” Jill said, wiping away tears. “I’m so glad you’re here. How’s your mother?” Trinh ushered Jill into the house. “She died a few years ago,” Trinh said. “But Aggie took good care of me. She helped me get a scholarship to go to nursing school. When I graduated, I came right back to be with her.” “I’m so sorry to hear about your mother,” Jill said. “And I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help out. I’ve had a rough time recently. I’m so glad you were here.” Jill paused in the doorway to the kitchen. “It hasn’t changed a bit!” she exclaimed. She took a deep breath. “Whatever you’re cooking, it smells delicious. Is it a Vietnamese dish?” Trinh laughed. “How about oldfashioned macaroni and cheese? I may 11

be Vietnamese, but don’t forget that I was raised in America!” Over lunch, Jill asked, “What are you planning to do now, Trinh?” Trinh smiled. “I’ve already had a job offer from the local hospital. What about you? I’d love to hear about your life.” “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Jill said with a sigh. She glanced wistfully around the room. “I’d give anything to keep this house and fix it up. But that would take a lot of money.” “Too bad you don’t have Reg’s treasure,” Trinh said. Jill frowned. “You mean the money he supposedly stole?” Trinh nodded. “Everyone believed he hid it somewhere in the house. Over the years, Aggie spent a lot of time hunting for it. She examined every piece of furniture. She pulled up some bricks from the hearth in the living room. She even tore down some of the wallpaper! If the money is in this house, it’s so well 12

hidden that you’ll never find it.” Trinh began to clear the table. Jill jumped up to help her. “If you do end up selling,” Trinh went on, “it will be a real shame. This old place is really beautiful. But whoever buys it will have to tear it down.” “Why?” Jill asked. “Surely, the house could be fixed up.” Trinh looked at Jill in surprise. “You mean Aggie never told you? Oh, Jill— the house is haunted!” “Haunted?” Jill’s jaw dropped. “You aren’t serious!” Trinh wasn’t smiling. “I am serious!” Trinh filled the sink with hot soapy water and slid in a stack of dirty dishes. “Do you know that Reg and his employer had a terrible argument in the living room? Well, about six months ago, Aggie and I heard men’s angry voices coming from that same room. But when we opened the door, no one was there.” 13

She shivered. “Since Aggie died, I’ve heard those voices several times. It really scares me. In fact, if you hadn’t come, I was planning to move out.”

Jill’s eyes widened. “What a story! Is there anything else?” Trinh thought for a moment. “Remember the chandelier in the dining room?” Jill nodded. “Every now and then the crystal pendants move—just as if someone is shaking the chandelier! But all the windows and doors are closed, so it can’t be caused by a breeze.” Jill shivered and shook her head. “I don’t believe in ghosts, but I must say that sounds weird. Anything else?” “Several times I’ve found a candle burning in one of the upstairs bedrooms. And no one could have gotten upstairs without being seen.” Jill grabbed a dishtowel and began to dry the dishes. “Was Aggie scared?” 14

Trinh shook her head. “She thought it was Reg’s spirit trying to make contact with her. She was certain he was trying to tell her where the treasure was.” A ringing telephone interrupted their conversation. When Trinh answered, Jill noticed that her voice was tense. “Who was that?” Jill asked a moment later. “Oh, just a real estate agent,” Trinh said. “Since Aggie died, that woman has called dozens of times. She really wants to buy this place. Now that you’re here, she’ll be after you to sell.”

For the rest of the afternoon, Trinh and Jill explored the house from top to bottom. Jill saw how much furniture and artwork Aggie had sold. Some rooms were nearly empty—and the walls were almost completely bare. “Aggie loved art,” Jill said sadly. “It must have hurt her terribly to sell the 15

“Fresh paint and new wallpaper in the house,” Jill added. “—and a fire crackling in the fireplace,” they both said at the same time. Then the two women laughed. “If we could make this place pay for itself—” Jill said slowly. Trinh frowned. “You’re joking! How?” “Maybe we could make the house into a bed-and-breakfast inn,” Jill said excitedly. “How would you ever pay for all the remodeling?” Trinh asked. Jill shrugged. “Suppose we could apply for a small business loan?” Trinh shook her head. “You’re in debt before you start.” She dropped down beside Jill. “And what’s all this ‘we’ stuff? You don’t think—” “Why not?” Jill spread her arms wide. “Want to be my business partner?” Trinh howled with laughter. “Come on, Jill! You’re crazy!” Jill grinned. “Tell you what—let’s 17

sleep on it. Maybe in the morning I’ll have regained my sanity.”

I n the middle of the night Jill woke up suddenly. As she switched on the bedside lamp, she heard a light tapping on her door. “Jill!” She recognized Trinh’s hoarse whisper. Her friend sounded frightened. “Come in,” Jill called softly. The door opened and Trinh scurried into the room. “I heard those angry voices again.” Trinh shivered, but not from the cold. “I know it sounds silly—but it scared me. I’ve never heard the ghosts at night.” Jill climbed out of bed and pulled on her robe. “Well, I’m not scared. If it’s only ghosts, what can they do?” They tiptoed down the stairs. When they reached the living room, Jill opened the door cautiously. She flicked the wall switch and the ceiling light came on. In its bright glow, they could see that 18

the room was empty. Now Jill had to wonder if Trinh had been dreaming of the ghostly voices all along.

R ight after breakfast the next morning, Jill decided to make a list of repairs. “If we do talk to someone about a loan, I want to know what we’re up against,” she explained to Trinh. It was too nice a day to work inside. Jill carried her notepad and pencil outdoors. She gazed up at the front of the house. Right away she noticed that some of the wood on the windowsills was rotting away. Termites? Damp rot? Jill sighed as she made notes. As she turned the corner, she bumped into a red-headed woman carrying a big briefcase. Startled, Jill gave a small cry of surprise. “You must be Jill,” the redhead said with a smile. “I’m Sheila Rubin.” Before Jill could say a word, Sheila 19

handed Jill her business card. “I want to buy this place,” Sheila said. “I don’t care what other offers you get, I can top them!” She paused for a moment, and then added, “I won’t take no for an answer! Got to run now!” she said as she headed back toward the road. Jill stared at Sheila’s retreating back. What nerve! Why was a real estate agent sneaking around the property? After the real estate agent left, Jill continued to work on her list. Noticing more loose bricks on the chimney, she pulled a couple of them free. There was a hollow compartment hidden in the chimney! Jill reached in and pulled out a small tape recorder. She hurried to the kitchen, where Trinh was kneading bread dough, and pressed the play button. Almost at once the room filled with men’s angry voices. “It’s the ghosts!” Trinh cried out. Jill explained where she’d found the tape recorder. Then she and Trinh went 20

into the living room and carefully examined every inch of the fireplace and hearth. All of a sudden, Jill yelped, “Look, Trinh! I’ve found a wire! I bet it leads to a hidden speaker.” And sure enough, after a few more minutes of searching, they found the speaker wedged in a corner of a bookcase. “So much for the haunted house story,” Jill said as she ripped out the speaker and the wire. “But it’s clear that somebody wants us out of here!” “But who?” Trinh asked. “Could be anyone,” Jill said. Then she told Trinh about running into Sheila Rubin. Could any real estate agent be that determined to get what she wanted?

That night, soon after she fell asleep, Jill was awakened by a cry. She ran into the hall and saw smoke coming from an empty bedroom! She ran to the 21

door. Trinh was already there, putting out the small fire. Jill rushed to help. When the fire was finally out, Trinh explained what had happened. “I couldn’t sleep,” she said. “So I went downstairs to get a glass of warm milk. On my way up, I saw a flickering light in this room. It was a candle burning the bottom of the curtain.” “A candle? How did a candle get in here?” Jill asked. Trinh sighed. “Aggie loved candles. We kept them for decoration in all the rooms. But we never lit them.” Jill examined the floor around the table. “Well, Trinh—unless ghosts carry matches, a plain old human being lit this one.” She held up a burned match. “How could someone have sneaked upstairs without being seen or heard?” Trinh asked. Jill thought it over for a moment. “I’ve got it—the secret staircase! I’d forgotten all about it.” 22

paintings and sculpture she’d acquired over the years.” Trinh nodded. “There were a few things she held onto right to the end. Remember the Tiffany lamp in the living room? She wouldn’t part with it. She also kept the crystal chandelier in the dining room and that Chinese jade vase that she adored.” Jill’s eyes filled with tears. “Aggie told me the chandelier was a special gift from Reg,” she whispered. “It must have been one of the last gifts he gave her before he went to jail.” After they toured the house, the two women walked into the garden. The house and garden overlooked a small beach. Jill took a deep breath of fresh sea air. “Can you imagine this garden with the lawn clipped and bushes trimmed?” she asked. Trinh smiled wistfully. “Beds of roses. Jasmine in full bloom.” She smiled. “Jasmine was Aggie’s favorite flower.” 16

Trinh laughed. “Me, too. Let’s go and check it out!” They ran down the long hall. Trinh stopped outside a narrow door. “It wasn’t really a secret staircase,” Jill said. “Aggie said that the servants once used it to get from f loor to f loor. That way they didn’t bother the guests, who used the main stairs.” “Pretty clever idea, huh? Look, Jill— the door is disguised with wallpaper that matches the rest of the wall,” Trinh said with a smile. When Jill opened the door and turned on the light, she gasped and pointed to the floor. Trinh stepped inside to take a look. There was a fresh smear of mud on the wood. “That proves it!” Jill said. “Someone sneaked up the back staircase to light that candle.” Trinh shivered. “I’m scared. Playing a tape of recorded voices is one thing. But actually setting fires—” Jill nodded. “It’s scary, all right—and 23

we still don’t know who’s behind it. But let’s not call the police just yet, Trinh. I still think we can solve this mystery ourselves. Let’s hang in there until we find the treasure!”

Over the next few days, Jill and Trinh searched every room thoroughly. Each time they came up empty-handed. “What are we missing?” Jill growled in frustration. Trinh was amused. She gave Jill a little smile. “Did you really think you’d figure it out so quickly?” she asked. “No one else has been able to.” Jill sighed. “I’m not giving up. We need to attack the problem from a different angle.” She rested her chin in her hands and thought hard for a few moments. “Whatever happened to Reg’s business papers?” she asked. Trinh frowned and shrugged. “What business papers?” 24

“I’m thinking about papers relating to the house,” Jill explained. “Receipts. Business letters. Invoices. Tax records. You know, things like that. Maybe there’s something that would help us.” Trinh brightened up. “I remember— Aggie did have a few boxes of papers stored down in the cellar,” she said. Cardboard boxes were stacked against one wall in the basement. The year and the contents had been written on the top of each box. Jill and Trinh hauled the boxes up to the kitchen. After they’d wiped a layer of dust off each box, they began to sort through the contents. Hour after hour went by. Trinh finally sat back, groaning. “My back hurts, I’m covered with dust, and I’m hungry,” she complained. “Why don’t I start dinner?” “Great,” Jill said, only half-listening. Then all of a sudden she burst out, “Guess what I just found! It’s a letter from a diamond dealer in San Francisco. 25

Look—it’s dated just a few weeks before Reg was arrested.” Trinh was puzzled. “So?” “What if Reg converted the stolen money to jewels?” Jill said. “Didn’t Aggie have quite a collection of jewelry?” Trinh nodded. “But she sold the last pieces years ago. Besides, don’t you think she would have noticed if Reg had suddenly draped her with dozens of diamond necklaces?” Jill looked disappointed. “You’re right,” she said. Then her eyes widened. “Look here, I found something else! It’s a note regarding an appointment Reg had with a doctor in San Francisco. It’s dated about the same time.” For a long moment she gazed at Trinh with a thoughtful look on her face. “I wonder if there’s a connection!” Trinh put down the potato she had been slicing. “Connection to what?” “Reg got sick soon after he went to jail. But what if he already knew that 26

he had an incurable disease? Maybe that’s why he stole the money!” “I get it—to leave something for Aggie,” Trinh said. “He knew his boss was going to sell the company. He knew he’d be out of a job, and he knew he was going to die soon. Reggie was desperate. He had to provide for his wife.”

Jill

snapped her fingers excitedly as she grabbed Trinh’s hand and pulled her from the room. “Look to the light!” Jill yelled as she skidded to a stop in the dining room. “The chandelier was Reg’s last gift to Aggie!” Jill exclaimed. “And his final words to her may have been the clue to the treasure’s secret hiding place.” She flicked on the light switch, and the chandelier blazed. Each little pendant glittered like a tiny rainbow. Jill asked Trinh to help her climb up on a chair. Squinting against the light, 27

she carefully unhooked a pendant and then jumped off the chair. She went to the window, pulling the curtain aside. “Remember that diamonds are harder than glass,” Jill said. She drew the teardrop at the end of the pendant over the glass. Trinh gasped when she saw the line etched into the window pane. “Reg did convert the money into diamonds!” Jill cried out excitedly. “And he hid them in the chandelier!” “Thank you!” said a deep male voice. Trinh and Jill turned quickly. Matt Baxter was standing in the doorway. He was holding a gun. “I hoped you’d solve the mystery for me,” he said with a cold smile. “Sadly, you won’t live long enough to enjoy the treasure.” He nodded at the chandelier. “You two are going to unhook those pendants now and hand them to me.” “You won’t get away with this!” Jill snapped. 28

Baxter just laughed as he waved the gun at her. “Won’t I? I’m afraid there’s going to be a terrible fire. You girls really shouldn’t have been lighting candles in this old house.” He ordered Jill to climb back on the chair and get to work. Jill’s eyes narrowed, but she did as she was told. She hoped Baxter would come close enough so she could kick the gun out of his hand. But he was too smart for that. She unhooked the pendants one by one, handing each one to Trinh, who, in turn, passed it on to Baxter. Then Jill came upon a pendant that refused to come loose. The metal hook had rusted closed. Baxter motioned Jill to get off the chair. “Get over in that corner where I can keep an eye on you,” he snapped impatiently. The women moved away. With his free hand, Baxter reached up and tried to dislodge the pendant. 29

Then a strange thing happened. All of a sudden, a great gust of wind howled through the room. The few pendants left on the chandelier tinkled like wind chimes. Then there was a deep wrenching sound in the ceiling, and the chandelier started to sway back and forth. Baxter tried to duck, but the huge chandelier pulled free and came crashing down on him. And at that moment the wind ceased as suddenly as it had begun. Trinh kicked the gun out of reach, but they were in no danger now. Baxter was clearly unconscious. “I’ll call the police,” Jill said, her voice shaking. “I’ll come with you,” Trinh said. She, too, was trembling. “Did you feel—” Jill nodded. “But the window was closed, Trinh! And look at the trees outside. There’s no wind blowing. So how in the world—” 30

The room was suddenly filled with the smell of fresh jasmine. Jill and Trinh breathed in deeply. Then Jill’s eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Trinh!” she whispered. “It’s Aggie’s favorite scent!”

Later, after the police had taken Baxter away, the two young women relaxed in the garden. “I should have realized that it was Baxter,” Jill said. “When we met, he told me that his father was the architect who designed the house. He had the plans. That’s how he knew about the servants’ hidden staircase.” “He was behind all the ghostly stuff,” Trinh added. “The tape recording and the burning candles.” She shivered. “But I still can’t believe that he actually planned to kill us.” “I can’t believe that we found the treasure,” Jill said. “Just think, Trinh! We’ll be able to fix this place up and still 31

have plenty of money left over.” “Look to the light!” Trinh said, shaking her head. “What a weird clue. Why didn’t Reg just tell Aggie to look in the chandelier?” Jill laughed. “Probably because a prison guard was listening.” Trinh was silent for a while, thinking hard. Then she said, “I believed it when Baxter said he had nothing to do with the chandelier crashing down. Maybe that was Reg trying to save us!” “Don’t forget the scent of jasmine,” Jill said. “Maybe Reg and Aggie are both watching out for us. I have a feeling they approve of our plans to turn the house into a bed-and-breakfast inn.” She smiled. “And by the way—I’ve thought of a perfect romantic name for it.” Trinh raised an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah? And that would be—” Jill smiled. “It’s a natural—the House of Hidden Light.” 32