“Now, granted, those things have shifted over the years and it’s not as prevalent to believe that,” she continued. “My understanding is that Wesley was getting it from all sides because May liked to boss people around.”
Hmm. That was mildly interesting. “He could’ve taken the lighthouse from her, right? He could’ve made a fuss.”
“He could have,” Lilac agreed. “I don’t think that’s Wesley’s way. Even though he couldn’t save the marriage he sent a strong message when he refused to go after the lighthouse. A lot of people teased him about that over the years – the lighthouse is one of the biggest draws on the island, after all – but Wesley held firm. The lighthouse belonged to May.”
“He seems pretty straightforward,” I said. “Still, what Sarah said has me a bit …unsettled.”
“The part about Wesley hiring her brother to kill you because he wants the lighthouse?”
I nodded.
“The thing is, I’ll wager that May would’ve given Wesley the lighthouse if he wanted it,” Lilac argued. “Wesley knew she was sick. He’d taken to coming into town to spend more time with her. If he wanted the lighthouse, all he had to do was ask. I think May would’ve given it to him.”
“And he didn’t ask?”
“That’s not Wesley’s way,” Lilac replied. “Wesley would want you to have the lighthouse.”
I really wanted to believe that, but I couldn’t shake the niggling worry in the back of my brain. “I just wish this was over. I have so much going on and people I would like to get to know better. But I can’t because we’re spending an entire day searching for something we can’t identify.”
I turned my frustration to the shelf. “There’re tons of magic stuff in here, but I haven’t found anything else of interest,” I said. “Could someone have wanted to kill her over the magic?”
“Doubtful.” Lilac’s attention drifted toward the window. “The magic stuff is readily available at the bookstore and library. There’s no reason to kill for it.”
“Right.” That made sense. “So what would someone want from this lighthouse?”
“Whatever it is, it has to be small enough that someone believes you’re carrying it around with you,” Lilac noted. “They had to be watching you when you visited Wesley yesterday. You clearly didn’t have a box or anything with you. I think that means whatever it is fits in your pocket.”
“That’s some good reasoning.” I extended a finger and looked to the file cabinet in the corner of the room. “Maybe it’s a document or something.”
“That’s a good idea.” Lilac said the words, but never moved from her spot next to the window.
“What are you looking at?”
“I’m not sure. I thought … I thought I saw something.”
For some reason, the simple admission caused dread to pool in the pit of my stomach. I abandoned my trip to the file cabinet and joined Lilac by the window. “What did you see?”
Lilac pointed at the corner of the front porch. From our angle, we could see far and wide when it came to the yard. We faced inland, toward the main road. We couldn’t see close to the house. The design of the lighthouse allowed us to see only bits and pieces of the ground near the front door.
“What am I looking at?” I squinted and stared. “I don’t see anything.”
“Right there.” Lilac gripped the back of my neck and directed my attention to the spot at the corner of the front porch. “Don’t you see that shadow?”
I focused on the spot she indicated, widening my eyes when I caught sight of a hint of movement. She was right. Someone was out there. “Who … ?” I didn’t get a chance to finish the question, because the shadow shifted to the open expanse of yard and our visitor was revealed. “Booker?”
Lilac visibly relaxed even as my heart clenched. “Galen must have sent him.”
“Why would Galen send him?” I challenged, my suspicion getting the better of me. “He sent you. I don’t need two babysitters.”
“I don’t know.” Lilac either didn’t pick up on my tone or outright discarded it. “We can ask him.”
I grabbed her wrist before she could head toward the stairs. “I have a better idea.”
“You do?”
I nodded. “You’re going to stay up here and call Galen. I’m going down there to see what Booker wants.”
Lilac’s expression was unreadable. “It’s Booker. He’s here because he wants to help.”
I desperately wanted to believe that. I liked him, after all, but he spent much of the previous night explaining why he couldn’t be the one to serve as babysitter. Now he suddenly pops up?
“He probably is here to help,” I conceded, hope washing over me. “I want you to call Galen and check, though.”
“Why not stay up here while I do that?”
“Because if he is up to something I don’t think we should be together,” I replied. “I don’t want Booker to know you’re here until we have confirmation Galen sent him.”
“You don’t have to worry about Booker,” Lilac argued. “He’s a good guy.”
“I’m sure he is.” I headed toward the stairs. “Call Galen. Make sure he sent Booker. I’ll distract Booker for a few minutes, and … I’m sure it will be all right.”
“Booker isn’t our enemy.” Lilac appeared to be irritated, but she dug in her purse for her phone. “I guarantee Galen sent him.”
“I certainly hope so.”
I managed to remain calm for the duration of the descent to the main floor. Even though the palms of my hands were sweaty, I reined in my fear as I headed toward the front door. I figured I’d greet Booker before he had a chance to come up with a story – not that I thought he would be coming up with a story, mind you, but it was smart to go on the offensive all the same. I simply wanted to make sure.
I heard the light rapping of knuckles against the back door instead. It wasn’t a loud knock, but it forced me to jerk my head in that direction as my heart skipped a beat. “What the … ?”
I changed course and headed for the back door. Lilac would’ve confirmed Booker’s intentions by this time. If he wasn’t supposed to be here, she would’ve screamed bloody murder to get my attention.
At least I hoped that was true.
I pasted a fake smile on my face, took a deep breath and opened the door. I expected to find Booker standing there with a harried look on his face. Instead I found someone else waiting on the other side of the threshold – someone I didn’t even remotely expect.
“What are you doing here?”
Twenty-Seven
Ned Baxter raised his eyebrows at my rather rude opening.
“Good morning, dear.”
His greeting was amiable, yet I didn’t know what to make of it. “What are you doing here?” I repeated, casting a worried glance over my shoulder in hope of seeing Lilac at the bottom of the stairs. The main floor remained empty, though.
“I came to see you.”
“Why?”
“So we could talk.”
“About what?”
“The lighthouse, of course.” Ned’s smile never wavered, but there was something about his demeanor that set my teeth on edge. “I wanted to see if you’d thought better about my generous offer to buy the property.”
“Why would I do that?”
“I heard you had a spot of trouble last night.”
Of course he did. Moonstone Bay was nothing if not overflowing with gossip. “Oh, well, it was a difficult night, but everything turned out okay.”
“That wasn’t really an answer to my question.”
His tone grated. “I told you before that I’m not considering selling the lighthouse at this time. What happened last night didn’t change that.”
“Really?”
I shook my head. “Sorry.”
“That is most disappointing.” Ned made a clucking sound in the back of his throat as he turned to survey the vast expanse of ocean. “I had hoped you would see reason.” When he turned
back to face me, his expression reflected a mixture of sadness and resignation. “Ah, well. I guess you’ve made up your mind.”
“I have,” I confirmed. “I want to make this work.”
“Well then … .” Ned extended his hand. “No harm done, right?”
I forced a smile even though his presence irritated me. “Right.” I couldn’t focus on him. I needed to find out what Booker was doing. I mean … why was he hanging around the front of the lighthouse without knocking or calling attention to himself to alert us to his presence?
Ned’s hand wrapped around mine, holding it tight for what seemed an abnormally long time. He leaned forward, his eyes keen, and lifted his free hand toward my shoulder. I thought he was going to pat me or something, offer a friendly goodbye and then be on his way. Instead I felt something pierce my skin, like a bee stinging my neck and agitating the tender flesh there.
I jerked my hand away from Ned and slapped it to my neck, confused. “What was that?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Ned said, his eyes shifting to the side of the lighthouse. “There’s nothing to worry about.”
Even though he appeared calm, I couldn’t stop the panic from rising as I realized my fingers were going numb. “What did you do to me?” I stumbled against the doorframe as I struggled to remain upright. “What the … ?” My tongue felt thick as my mind clouded with muffled thoughts.
Ned didn’t bother keeping his attention on me, instead flicking his eyes to the side of the lighthouse as a shadow approached. “There you are. I was just looking for you.”
Booker’s expression was quizzical as he glanced between us. “You were looking for me?”
Even though my mind wasn’t working at full capacity, I couldn’t stop myself from grinding my teeth as realization dawned. They were working together. Ned and Booker were a team. That was the only thing that made sense.
“I was,” Ned confirmed. “I figured you were close.”
“And why is that?” Booker briefly darted a look in my direction and his eyebrows flew up his forehead. “Hadley, why are you standing like that?”
I opened my mouth to answer, but all that came out was gibberish as I leaned against the doorframe to keep my balance. My head felt as if it was floating, somehow detached from my body.
“What in the hell!” Booker took a step toward me, anger splashing across his face. “Why haven’t you called for help, Ned? There’s clearly something wrong with her.”
“Why would I call for help?” Ned asked dryly. “I did this.”
Booker’s eyes flashed as he extended his fingers – and for a moment I was certain I saw something akin to claws extending from his fingernails – but he didn’t get a chance to complete his turn before Ned slammed a knife into his back.
Booker growled and scrambled, doing his best to remain on his feet. “You son of a bitch,” he hissed. “It was you all along.”
“The fact that you’re just figuring that out – and after I stabbed you, for crying out loud – speaks to your intellect in an unflattering way.” Ned was freakily bland. “Of course, you’ve never been one of the great thinkers of your time, have you, Booker?”
Booker made a sound like a wounded animal as he swiped at Ned. The attorney easily sidestepped the attack and used his foot to push Booker off the deck. Even as I struggled to keep my eyes open – and it truly was a losing battle – I couldn’t help but feel guilty for suspecting Booker.
“Come along, dear.” Ned grabbed the back of my shirt and dragged me down the steps, pointing me in the direction of the water. “I have a special day planned for you. I think you’re really going to enjoy it.”
I cast a desperate look at Booker and found him prone on the ground, his chest heaving to pull oxygen into his lungs.
I wanted to apologize, call out and tell him I was sorry for doubting him. I couldn’t form the words. I couldn’t make my mouth work, and my brain was threatening to implode.
The last thing I saw before the darkness completely claimed me was the fear in Booker’s eyes. He worried he would die on the back lawn, alone and forgotten. Lilac would find him. I had no doubt about that. Hopefully she would get help and save him. He still had a bit of time.
Me? I was pretty sure I was out of time.
“WELCOME BACK.”
I clawed my way out of unconsciousness, whimpering when I opened my eyes and the bright sunshine caused a flash of pain to cascade through me. I felt hungover, as if I drank an entire fifth by myself and lived to tell the tale. I wanted to fight the condition, curl up and go back to sleep until the pounding headache receded. I wasn’t given that option.
“I’m talking to you!” Ned barked, throwing a cup of water in my face. “Don’t be rude.”
I sputtered as I struggled to a sitting position, murdering my kidnapper with a harsh glare as I gripped the side of the boat. I hadn’t realized we were on the ocean, only a small strip of land in sight, until the rocking motion threatened to throw my stomach into rebellion.
“What’s going on?” I gritted out, rubbing my hand over my forehead. “Is this a dream?”
“Oh, my dear, I hope you have better dreams than this.” Ned remained calm as he leaned back in his seat and pinned me with a dark look. “Well, you’ve made a real mess of things, haven’t you?”
That was rich coming from him. “I’m pretty sure I’m not the one who has been going around killing old women.”
Ned narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”
It didn’t occur to me until exactly that moment that Ned had no idea Galen was onto him. Or, well, on to his plan. I figured I could play with that information, use it to my advantage. “The women you’ve been killing,” I supplied, my voice raspy. I was desperate for a drink of water, but uncomfortable asking Ned for it given his propensity to poison people. “You’ve been poisoning them in the hopes of getting their property, although I have no idea how you thought that would work over the long haul.”
“Who told you that?”
I saw no reason to lie. “Galen. He’s tied all three deaths together.”
“I haven’t heard anything about that.”
“I don’t think murder discussions are the same as random gossip, even on an island as weird as Moonstone Bay.”
“I see.” Ned’s eyes drifted to the water, his fingers lightly tracing over his chin as he debated something. “How long has he known?”
I shrugged. “He didn’t say. I believe he had his suspicions after May. He was certain after Bonnie. You should’ve arranged for her to wash up in a different spot.”
“She wasn’t supposed to wash up at all,” Ned barked, his frustration evident. “I drove miles away from the island. I looked at the tide maps before heading out. She was supposed to disappear, not die.”
Huh. That was interesting. “Why?”
“Because I was worried that Galen – even though he’s terminally stupid most days – might eventually tie things together,” Ned replied. “I won’t have the funds to buy Bonnie’s property for a bit. I figured they would eventually declare her dead and put her property up for auction. But that could take months. Hell, it could take years. It would give me the time I needed.”
I felt sick to my stomach. “And all of this is because you wanted property?”
“You make it sound so simple,” Ned sneered. “It’s not that simple. I’ve been trying to buy property on this island for twenty years. No one ever sells. The property always passes on to some relative … even ones I’ve never considered, like you.”
I pursed my lips. “Bummer for you, huh?”
“Yes, indeed.”
“I still don’t understand why the property is so important to you,” I prodded. “You live on the island. You run a business here. Why do you need to own property? Is it a status symbol or something?”
“I would like to say that it’s that easy, but there’s a variety of reasons,” Ned replied. “Moonstone Bay is unique. I think you’ve already ascertained that.”<
br />
“I have.”
“Owning property here is more than status. The island itself is magical. If you own property, you can apply to become a member of the DDA. With that position comes real power.”
“What in the heck is up with this DDA?” I asked, dumbfounded. “I’ve heard nothing but terrifying things about the group since I landed.”
“That’s because they’re powerful and they want to operate in a way that instills fear. I can respect that.”
“So you decided to kill three helpless little old ladies because you wanted a spot on the DDA? That’s just … so much worse than I was expecting.”
Ned snorted, disdainful. “May was hardly helpless.”
“I guess that’s why you waited until she was sick to put your plan into action, huh?” I wanted to yank out his hair, slam my fist in his face and shove his head below the surface of the water until he stopped kicking. I didn’t have the strength. My body was slowly recovering, but I was nowhere near full strength. “She knew. She knew it was you who wanted her dead.”
“No, she didn’t.”
My mind flitted to May’s panicked reaction on the third floor. “She knew. I don’t think she remembered that she knew, but she warned us right before you knocked. She told us the man who killed her was at the lighthouse.”
“She told you?” Ned arched a dubious eyebrow. “She’s dead.”
“That doesn’t mean her spirit isn’t around,” I argued. “She’s been popping in for visits.”
“I guess I should’ve expected that,” Ned said, shaking his head. “She was too stubborn to just float into an afterlife.”
“She’ll tell Galen what you did to her.”
“Yes, but Galen can’t use a ghost’s words as testimony,” Ned pointed out. “Even on Moonstone Bay the words of the dead can’t be used as evidence.”
That was disappointing. It was hardly my only weapon, though. “You stabbed Booker. Galen will be out looking for you. He’ll make you pay for what you’ve done.”
“Booker will be dead before anyone gets to him,” Ned said. “Galen may very well return to the lighthouse – you guys have gotten extremely close in a short amount of time – but Booker won’t survive until the end of Galen’s shift.
Witchy Dreams Page 101
