The Secret of the White House

By Mary M. Regan

This is an intriguing story of a young girl named Liza who is reunited with her sister, Janet, after six years of separation. A couple of days after her arrival, strange things started to occur in the house, only when she was alone. It started with her mother's brooch that she cherished deeply. It disappeared from her bedside table only to reappear the following day. There were times she sensed someone watching her, and the hair on the back of her neck would stand up and her skin would crawl. Ken, her brother-in-law, was always taking trips out of town at least two days out of the week. It seemed that when he was gone, the activity in the house would escalate. When Liza mentioned some of the things that were happening, Ken's response was "You're imagining things again." Her sister didn't seem to believe her either. Liza couldn't trust anyone anymore except John. John was Janet and Liza's friend from childhood. John and Liza became very close since she came back home. John was now becoming more aware that something was very wrong in Janet's house, and he was becoming very concerned for Liza and her sister's safety. John's fears would soon become reality when Liza called him about something strange going on at the house and she was afraid. When John arrived at Janet's house, Janet and Liza were nowhere to be found. There are some houses that hold terrifying secrets in their walls that can turn out to be very deadly. What horrible secret is lurking in this white house? John will soon find out.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 17, 2019
• ISBN: 9781641386364

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The Secret of the White House

Mary M. Regan

Copyright © 2018 Mary M. Regan

All rights reserved

First Edition

Page Publishing, Inc

New York, NY

First originally published by Page Publishing, Inc 2018

ISBN 978-1-64138-635-7 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64138-636-4 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

To my loving children, David William Sirard, John Albert Sirard and Christine Anita Sirard George. May life fill you with beautiful adventures. Love you.

Chapter One

The day was hot, humid, and irritating. The sense of fear and anxiety that crept slowly through her gave her a quick chill that ran up her spine, making her body quiver for a second as the yellow Central Cab pulled over to the curb.

This would be where her new life would start at this large white house. This was her sister’s home where Liza will be united with the only living member of her family. Liza’s sister, Janet, was twenty-five and married to Ken Willis, president of Dynamic Plastic Corporation in Blanchard, Indiana.

Liza stepped out from the cab, turned, and paid the cab driver after he removed her luggage from the trunk of the cab. She picked up her luggage and stared at the big house with the large pillars in the front. She was raised in a small five-room house that was warm and cozy, very secure, and plain looking. This enormous building seemed to present a cold and unwelcome feeling to her.

Everything all right, miss? asked the cab driver. This is the right address you asked for, isn’t it?

Yes, she answered as his voice interrupted her train of thought. She proceeded up the walk toward the house and up the stairs to the front door. She had a queasy feeling in her stomach as one had toward the unknown. She waited for someone to respond to the doorbell she rang. It seemed like forever before the doorknob turned and the door opened.

Hello, Liza. Won’t you come in? We are glad to see you have arrived safely. Ken welcomed her into his home.

Where is Janet? Liza was worried her sister wasn’t there to greet her. Ken removed Liza’s luggage from her hand as he reassured her Janet was in the living room.

As Liza followed Ken, the excitement of seeing her sister after six years filled her immensely that she could hear her heart beat louder and faster, feeling that any minute it would burst.

The past six years were trying for Liza. Six years ago, Janet and Liza lost both their parents. Their mother died on July 20, 1965, of Hodgkin disease. Two months later, their father was driving along Route 220 when a car from the opposite lane was swerving across the highway and hit their father’s car head on. He was alone in the car at the time of the accident. He died shortly after arriving at Memorial Hospital from severe trauma to the head, internal bleeding, and numerous fractures to the ribs and spine. The driver in the other car that hit their father obtained a broken pelvis bone and lacerations to the head and was charged with drunken driving, driving to endanger, and manslaughter.

Liza had a hard time excepting the death of her parents. Her sister coped a lot better than she did. Liza was going to a psychologist to get a perspective on the loneliness and fear she had with the sudden loss of her parents.

Her sister had to sell the house to pay the outstanding mortgage and bills and found a small apartment for her and Liza to live in. When Janet graduated from Blanchard High School, she started a job doing general office work at Dynamic Plastic Corporation. Liza was still having a hard time with coping, and Janet had a long talk with their family physician, Dr. Edward Trent.

Doctor Trent suggested that maybe a change of view and people would be good for Liza. Doctor Trent had an assistant that Liza was fond of, and they seemed to hit it off as great friends.

Dr. Eric Swanson taught physic classes at Evansville School for Girls. He could keep an eye on Liza and be there for her if she needed someone for advice or just a friend to talk to. Janet sensed that Liza looked up to him as replacement for a father.

Doctor Swanson was sixty-five years old with a touch of gray hair on the side near his ears. He was tall and had hazel eyes like their father’s and was a very soft spoken man. Maybe he was right. It didn’t really matter as long as she helped her sister.

Janet didn’t want to send her sister away and felt very guilty for a long time. Now six years later, the two sisters were together again.

Liza felt her sister’s arms wrap around her and gasped of sigh of relief to hear her sister’s words in her ear, Welcome home, Liza. I love you and missed you. Her heart burst with joy as tears fell upon her cheeks. The love of the two sisters filled the room like warm sunshine on a summer’s day.

After Ken attended to putting Liza’s luggage in her bedroom, he returned downstairs and went into the living room to make Liza and Janet a drink to celebrate Liza’s homecoming.

Ken handed Liza her drink remarking, We’re both are glad you are here, and this is your home always. I am glad you decided to stay here because with such a big house and me always away on business trips, Janet will have someone for company. Ken walked across the room with his drink in his hand and sat across from the girls in an antique wicker chair.

Liza was now feeling more comfortable and at ease in her new home. The rest of the day went very smoothly, including dinner, which Ken couldn’t get a word in edgewise because Janet and Liza chattered continuously about old friends.

Ken sat back in his chair at the dinner table and lit a cigarette and thought how gossip between two women was so enlightening compared to the quiet and solitude atmosphere that had been in his home before Liza came. He decided to excuse himself from the table. Ladies, I am going into the living room to read my paper. Do you think you can pull yourselves up and get the dishes done before it gets too late? Ken put a little emphasis on too late as to remind Janet about the surprise special guest that was coming over.

Oh! exclaimed Janet, jumping up quickly as she got the hint he was trying to give with his raised eyebrows.

After the dining room table was cleared and the dishes rinsed and placed into the dishwasher, they retired to the living room for a relaxing drink with Ken. Ken anticipated their return to the living room and placed himself behind the bar to serve them.

Make me an old fashioned, Janet said just as the front doorbell rang. I’ll get it while you fix Lisa her drink.

I’ll have a scotch and water please, she said, sitting herself upon the barstool as her sister disappeared from the room into the entrance hall. As she swung around to Ken, he placed her drink upon the bar. She picked it up and took a sip, thinking to herself how well things have gone. Nothing like she had feared when she first arrived.

A penny for your thoughts? The sound of a coin hitting the bar top distracted her train of thought.

Funny how one always thinks of things being more than they really are. Like today, for instance, I thought my coming would be a catastrophe for everyone. I never thought things would go as easy as they did. She took another sip from her glass, not realizing she consumed the contents so quickly. She handed the glass to Ken. Can I have another please?

Coming up, he said, dropping two cubes of ice into her glass. As long as you can drink ’em, I can make ’em.

Liza took the refilled glass from Ken’s hand when she suddenly was rising off the stool. Hey, put me down!

Ken started to laugh. Her face had a startled look upon it, then it turned red with anger.

Put me down! she demanded to the person who held her up with his hands under her arms.

Surprise, Liza! a strong masculine voice from behind her said as she descended back to the ground. Liza’s anger built up so much, she turned with her hand flying to make contact with the voice behind her when a large hand grabbed her by the wrist.

She stood with her mouth open staring up at a six-foot-three man about two hundred pounds with blond hair and blue eyes. She pulled back quickly staring at him for a minute then realized it was John, an old friend of the family. They had been neighbors when they were growing up. His mother took care of them both when their mother was sick in the hospital. She couldn’t get over the change in him since she last saw him six years ago. He seemed a lot taller and muscular, even older from what she remembered. If she was right, he was five years older than she was, so that would make him twenty-seven.

When she was little, he would tease her all the time to the point that he was annoying. She adored his mother very much. She always thought of her as an aunt because she was always there and helped take care of them and their family because there was no other members in the family who lived close by.

Well, Babe. How are you doing? the man’s eyes twinkled when he talked. It’s me. Big John. Don’t you remember?

John, you scared me out of my wits, and of course, I remember you.

Well, what do you think of your new home. Nice?

It’s beautiful here, and Janet was telling me how much she enjoyed redecorating the house like it used to be in the olden days. She did a wonderful job. Liza’s voice indicated how relaxed she was with John. He was like a brother to both of them when they were growing up.

Janet told me about the garden in the back off the stone patio, which I plan to see tomorrow. I am curious to see if it is as enchanting as she says it is, Liza said.

There’s a full moon out tonight. If you don’t mind, I would be honored to escort you through it. John was teasing her a little by bowing and extending his arm out toward the doors that opened onto the patio. It’s more beautiful in the moonlight.

She couldn’t resist the offer, so she put her arm through his and they walked through the open glass doors from the living room into the night air. The moon was full and bright, lighting up the backyard as if it was a large spotlight placed there to display the beauty of the garden just for her. High shrubs lined about thirty yards from the house, running the length of the yard separating the house from the garden. They walked toward an old black