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    Gemstones and Gravestones
    Gemstones and Gravestones
    Gemstones and Gravestones
    Ebook100 pages1 hour

    Gemstones and Gravestones

    By Sandra Whinnem

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    About this ebook

    Living next door to the local senior center, ten-year-old Henry finds refuge from the school bully among the quirky retirees. He grieves the loss of Ernest; his elderly friend and mentor. Unbeknownst to Henry, Ernest’s ghost lingers nearby. The spirit watches over the boy while attempting to guide his aged friends to the evidence that will incriminate the men responsible for his death.
    The only person capable of seeing Ernest in his spectral form is Betty, his befuddled wife. But given that Betty suffers from dementia, no one believes her clairvoyant claims. Sal, a disabled veteran with a talent for finding clever uses for ordinary objects, has vowed to help his late friend’s widow however he can. He is joined by Betty’s friend Phyllis; a hoarder whose colossal handbag contains an abundance of ordinary objects, plus a tiny dog with a knack for locating items within the enormous bag.
    Hunted by desperate criminals and driven by supernatural forces, can Henry and this group of elderly misfits solve a deadly mystery before it is too late?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSandra Whinnem
    Release dateJul 16, 2015
    ISBN9781311706805
    Gemstones and Gravestones
    Author

    Sandra Whinnem

    Sandra Whinnem lives in Connecticut with her husband, teenage son and a variety of very spoiled pets. When she is not writing, Sandra enjoys reading, gardening and walking her dogs. Sandra works as a water fitness instructor, and each fall she enjoys leading haunted graveyard tours for the West Hartford Historical Society. She is a devoted foster volunteer for the CT Humane Society and has opened her home to over 120 homeless dogs and cats so far.

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      Book preview

      Gemstones and Gravestones - Sandra Whinnem

      Gemstones

      and

      Gravestones

      The Haunted Seniors of Specter County: Book 1

      Written by Sandra Whinnem

      Cover design by Rita Toews/Art by Pushkin

      Copyright 2015 Sandra Whinnem

      Published by Sandra Whinnem/Distributed by Smashwords

      Thank you for downloading this eBook. You are welcome to share it with your friends. This book may be reproduced, copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its complete original form. If you enjoyed this book, please return to your favorite eBook retailer to discover other works by this author. Your support and respect for the property of this author is appreciated.

      For Sal and Phyllis--R.I.P.

      Chapter 1

      Betty slept soundly, lulled by the steady drumming of rain falling outside her bedroom window.

      She dreamed of a plump old woman who walked falteringly through a dim alley; her knurled hands gripping the sides of a rusty walker. Hidden in the shadows, a man waited; his eyes on the enormous handbag that sat atop the walker. The man crouched low, drawing a knife from his pocket as his target approached. Lunging suddenly, the thief seized the giant bag; toppling the old lady’s walker as he fled.

      Lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the tiny room. Betty moaned and clutched the pillow.

      Her dream shifted, and Betty now saw an elderly man clutch his cane and cringe as a large, brutish looking man approached. The thug rolled up his sleeves and began beating the old man. The attacker’s face split in a cruel smile; revealing a toothpick clenched between his teeth.

      *****

      Betty awoke to the sound of her clock ticking. She opened her eyes to a translucent figure sitting on the edge of the bed. After peering through the shadowy form to read the clock on the dresser, Betty sat up, ran her fingers through her thin grey hair, and took a set of dentures from a glass beside her bed. Yawning tiredly, she put the dentures in her mouth and began wandering around the bedroom, donning random articles of clothing. She paused to gaze at the mismatched stockings on her feet. Then, wearing a puzzled expression, she continued her aimless roaming. She opened the dresser drawers and peered inside the armoire. Betty scratched her head before finally turning to the hazy figure that sat silently on her bed.

      I just can’t seem to remember…Where are my shoes? she asked in a bewildered voice.

      The figure raised a misty, glowing finger and pointed to the closet.

      Oh, that’s right… thank you, Ernest. she said. As she reached for the closet door, Betty gave the ghost of her late husband a loving smile.

      Chapter 2

      Henry arranged the newspapers in his tattered satchel and lifted it onto his shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye, the young boy saw a white-haired woman, walking unsteadily toward the senior center steps. She held a cane in one hand, and a large bag in the other.

      Henry put his satchel down and hurried to the woman before she reached the stairs.

      Here Mrs. Michaud, let me help you with that, Henry said, taking the bag and offering his arm.

      Mrs. Michaud smiled gratefully and took Henry’s elbow.

      How are you, Henry? she asked as they climbed the stairs.

      Well, I passed my spelling test, he replied. Thanks to you, I just might pass fifth grade.

      "That’s nice, Henry… but I didn’t ask about school. After what’s happened, I’m more worried about you."

      They reached the top of the stairs, and the old lady looked at the boy intently. Henry suddenly found it hard to swallow.

      I’m OK… I guess. Henry replied with a shrug.

      As Henry held the door for the elderly woman, he noticed some kids from his school waiting on the sidewalk. The three boys sat on their bikes, watching him. Henry knew that hanging around with the old people wasn’t exactly a cool thing to do. He resisted a sudden urge to let go of the door and pretend he didn’t know Mrs. Michaud.

      Instead, Henry waited, and once the old lady was safely inside, he handed her the bag. After all, Mrs. Michaud was always nice to him, while those boys never were.

      Still, Henry cringed inwardly when Mrs. Michaud thanked him warmly and patted his shoulder; he could almost feel the boys watching him.

      Well Henry, I’m here for you, if you ever want to talk about...anything, she said.

      OK, thank you, Mrs. Michaud, Henry replied. He took a deep breath and began walking down the steps. He felt his face flush as he approached the boys.

      "Hey Henry, is that your girlfriend?" the bigger boy asked in a mocking voice.

      Shut up, Danny, Henry retorted.

      The two smaller boys snickered.

      Girlfriend… heh-heh, Alex echoed.

      Meanwhile, Jason jammed his index finger deep inside his nose.

      Henry slung his satchel over his shoulder and began walking.

      Danny and his friends began following Henry, much to his dismay.

      Hey Henry, didn’t you hear? The homeless guy on the corner says he wants his shoes back! Danny jeered.

      Homeless guy… ha! Alex repeated.

      Henry kept going, but looked down at his worn, off-brand sneakers with embarrassment.

      Jason picked his other nostril.

      And I wouldn’t be caught dead in that jacket you’re wearing, Danny continued, like… did you fish that out of a dumpster or something?

      A dumpster …ha-ha! Alex parroted.

      Danny looked at the smaller boy in annoyance. Stop copying me, Alex! You’re such a dork! Danny shoved Alex, who crashed to the sidewalk, tangled in his bike.

      Danny cackled and pointed at Alex, who groaned in pain.

      Henry sighed and kept walking. He wished Danny and his friends would go away. He wished they would leave him alone at school.

      But most of all, Henry wished Ernest was still alive.

      Chapter 3

      An elderly couple stopped outside a diner. They stood near a rusty walker, which was gripped on either side by a pair of tiny, knurled hands. An enormous, lumpy leather handbag perched atop the walker.

      What do we have here? a frail voice asked.

      A wrinkled face framed with silver hair suddenly appeared; peeking out from behind the huge bag. The woman leaned sideways to peer down at a wooden object resting on the sidewalk.

      The sides of the giant handbag rippled and a muffled bark sounded just before a tiny white dog leaped from the mouth of the bag. The little dog retrieved the object and sprang back onto the walker, where he presented the object to the little old lady.

      Good boy, Teeny, Phyllis said, taking the object and giving

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