The Casefiles of John Bird - Softcover

Rice, Winston

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1553692039 ISBN 13: 9781553692034

Publisher: Trafford Publishing, 2006

Synopsis

John Bird is a detective who not only solved mysteries but he helps his constituents by directing a Bible Class.

About this title

About the Author

Author Winston Rice resides in Harbor Beach, Michigan. Winston was originally from Detroit where he attended college at Wayne University and specialized in journalism. Winston celebrates his birthday on November the 3rd. He lives alone with his faithful dog Rainy in a house, fitted out with an ample computer room where Winston Rice's characters come alive on his computer screen. Winston's hobby is music. He owns an electronic piano and plays a great many of the classics of the 40's. Next to music, Winston enjoys writing emails to the family. Most mornings he has 5 or 6 emails on his inbox to answer.
His first novel, 'The Building of the Ship' was published by Trafford Publishing in February, and has enjoyed wide acceptance.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter One

THE CASE OF THE HEADLESS APPARITION

John Bird was finishing his morning coffee, standing and peering out the window. His gaze fell on the figure of a pretty young woman looking up at Bird's apartment window at 337 Franklin Street.

"My dear, I think we're going to have company." Said John Bird to his wife.

Shortly thereafter there was a knock on the door. Mrs. Bird opened the door and the young woman that her husband had seen looking at their apartment window from the street below was smiling at her on the threshold. "I've come to see Mr. John Bird. May I come in?"

"You certainly may. My husband noticed you looking up to our windows on Franklin Street. Come in. Could I get you a cup of coffee?"

"Oh yes. Thank you." Said the young woman, as Mrs. Bird directed her to a chair near the fireplace.

"Now," said Bird," let's start by having you tell me your name, and something of your problem."

"My name is Mildred Frane, and I live not too far from here in Chevrelly Lane. I don't know where to begin Mr. Bird. It's so frightening."

"Well, take your time. Enjoy the coffee, and I'm sure you'll be able to enlighten us very soon."

"I may be a little skittish about what's happened. I may even be imagining things.""Whatever, Mrs. Frane. Tell us what brings you here?" "It's an apparition, Mr. Bird. I see it almost every night." "What kind of apparition?"

"It's a ghostly figure without a head. It frightens me Mr. Bird. I can't tell you how much."

Bird had finished his coffee and was lighting up his pipe. "When does this apparition appear? Does it ever appear in the daytime, or just at night?"

"I'm generally getting ready for bed. Mr. Frane is in his workshop with the door closed. I start to walk toward the bedroom and suddenly I see this frightening apparition in the hall."

"Is there any sound you hear when you see the apparition?"

"Well, now that you mention it, yes. I hear a sound like metal rubbing on something."

"This is a remarkable problem you have Mrs. Frane. Will you be at home tonight? I think my associate Bertrand Smog will accompany me to your house and we'll investigate this strange apparition."

"Thank you Mr. Bird. Thank you so much." "I hope Mrs. Frane doesn't tell her husband we're com-ing," said John Bird as he put his van in gear and started off. "We want to investigate without having someone peer-ing over our shoulder."

"I don't think she would." Said Smog, "In fact I'm not so sure she doesn't suspect that her husband has something to do with it."

"You may be right."

Within a matter of minutes they passed the sign 'Chevrelly Lane' and began looking for the Frane house.Once they were in front of the house, Bird turned off his headlights and parked the car a reasonable distance away.

"Now Mrs. Frane said the library door would be open. So let's very quietly leave the car and prepare to enter the house."

Once in the house library they took a position near the hallway that Mrs. Frane said was where she kept seeing the apparition.

"By this time," said Bird whispering to Smog, "Mrs. Frane must be preparing for bed."

"Did you hear anything?" whispered Smog.

"No. It may be that our apparition has a sixth sense. It could know we're here."

The two investigators sat in silence for some time. Then all at once they heard the sound Mrs. Frane described, a sound like metal scraping on metal.

"Do you know what that is?" asked Bird. "Unless I miss my guess it's a heavy door opening."

Then they heard Mrs. Frane's voice in the hallway.

"It's here Mr. Bird! It's here!" Bird and Smog hurried into the hallway, just in time to see the Apparition dancing before them.

Bird rushed forward and seemed to wipe the Apparition away. He was pulling down a sheet that was strung across the hallway.

"Mr. Frane" called Bird, "You can come out now. Turn off the projector. We know how you're creating this ghost. Come on out!"

There was a moment of silence and then a rather sheep-ish looking Mr. Frane appeared.

"I'm so sorry honey," said Mr. Frane "But I thought if I convinced you the house was haunted, you'd sell it. So we could move to Florida."

You didn't have to go that far," said Mrs. Frane."Well our job here is over Smog. I'm sure the Frane's can work out their problem now by themselves."

"Thank you Mr. Bird," said Mrs. Frane.

"And you, Mr. Frane. Let's not hear anymore about you creating ghosts."

Edition details

• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1553692039
• ISBN 13: 9781553692034
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 76