The Haunted Stroll

by J A Whiting

  “I estimate it to be worth about five thousand dollars,” Robert told her.

  “You have a lot of things in the gallery worth far more,” Lin observed. “Why isn’t this particular piece more valuable than it is?”

  “The artist is known, but not well-known and he was very prolific. He produced an abundance of work.”

  Lin looked at the white-haired man beside her. “You and your wife still sense the ghost in the house, don’t you?”

  Robert sighed. “Like I’ve said, we don’t notice him as much as we used to. I wonder if that’s because, over the decades, we’ve grown so accustomed to having him around. He’s still in the house, but he seems to be quieter these past few years.”

  Before he could say more, Robert’s wife, Lila, came into the gallery from the door leading to the main house. “Robert’s right about that, but recently, there have been several, what I call, outbursts.”

  “What do you mean?” Lin asked.

  “Over the years, Captain Baker’s ghost has become more gentle, more docile. We’ve all grown used to one another.” Lila focused her attention on Baker’s portrait. “There have been four or five times over the past few weeks when the ghost has behaved like he used to a long time ago. A door is slammed in anger. A book falls off the shelf as if someone threw it. Never at any of us. It just sails off the shelf like someone picked it up and threw it across the room. One day, the rocking chair tipped over. Robert has always been in here in the gallery when the outbursts happen. I’m the only one who has witnessed them.”

  “Our ghost has been in a bad mood recently,” Robert said.

  Lin looked from Lila and Robert to the painting. “Why do you think Baker’s ghost is acting angry?”

  Lila shook her head. “Everything is the same as always. Your guess is as good as mine.”

  Lin made eye contact with the sea captain in the portrait. What’s making you so angry? You’re trying to tell us something, aren’t you?

  12

  Lin kept her eyes on the portrait of Captain Baker trying to pick up any sensations or thoughts he might be sending to her, but she didn’t feel anything except the usual pull of the painting.

  “The recent outbursts could be the captain’s way of communicating something,” Lin said as she forced herself to turn towards Robert and Lila.

  “What do you mean?” Lila narrowed her eyes.

  “There must be something bothering the captain if his mood has changed over the past few weeks,” Lin pointed out.

  “What do you think it could be?” Robert’s face showed concern.

  “I honestly don’t know, but his anger might be a result of him being worried about something he isn’t able to tell you.” Lin looked from Lila to Robert. “Maybe he senses something that’s about to happen. Maybe both of you should try to be mindful of anything amiss … try to be careful to avoid potential accidents.”

  Lila’s hand moved to the side of her neck. “You think the captain might be attempting to warn us of something?”

  “It’s the first thing that came to mind, but my interpretation might be completely off base.”

  “As you said, it won’t hurt for us to be more mindful of our safety,” Robert agreed. “We can do things like make sure we hold the railing when we descend the stairs, watch out for ice on the walkways, be careful when we drive. If Captain Baker might be trying to pass a warning to us, then we’d better heed it.”

  Two people entered the gallery and Robert greeted them warmly and told them not to hesitate if they had any questions.

  Lila asked Lin, “Do you have a few minutes to stay here in the gallery? I’m having trouble with the washing machine and I came down to ask Robert if he could come into the house and have a look.”

  “Oh, sure, I can.” Lin took off her jacket and hung it over the back of Robert’s desk chair. “I’m in no hurry. Take your time.”

  Using the back staircase, the Snows left the gallery for the main level of the house and Lin greeted two women who came in to browse. The women struck up a conversation with Lin and asked her several generic questions that she was happy she was able to answer for them. Hearing the door open again, the young woman went into the front room to acknowledge the new visitor.

  A short, chubby, bald man about fifty wearing a black wool coat came in and removed his leather gloves.

  “Let me know if I can help you with anything.” Lin smiled.

  “I’m interested in seeing the painting of the sea captain that was shown in the Nantucket Sun.” The man’s serious face was quite pale and his blue eyes were piercing. He spoke with a slight accent that Lin was unable to place.

  “The portrait is hanging on the far wall.” Lin gestured.

  The man walked over and stood silently in front of the captain’s portrait. “This is the original frame?”

  “I believe it is,” Lin told him.

  “How much are you asking for the painting?”

  “The owner is displaying it for exhibition purposes only. I’m afraid it’s not for sale,” Lin said apologetically.

  The man turned around slowly. “Not for sale?”

  Lin shook her head. “I’m sorry. There are some other paintings in the next room you might be interested in.”

  “I’m only interested in this one.” The man lifted his stubby hand and crooked his thumb towards the painting of Captain Baker.

  “The owner doesn’t want to part with it.” Lin used a pleasant voice.

  The short man let out a long sigh. “Does the owner know the painting’s value?”

  “I believe he does, yes.”

  “I represent an art collector. This particular painting has caught his eye. He set his sights on it when he saw it in the Nantucket news magazine.” The man stared into Lin’s eyes with a steely gaze. “The man I represent does not like to be disappointed.”

  Lin bristled at the man’s words, but before she could say anything to him, he spoke again.

  “In fact, my associate is willing to compensate the owner at a substantial profit.”

  The man took a step towards Lin in a way that made her want to move backwards, but she stood her ground not allowing herself to be intimidated.

  “I’ll repeat,” the man said. “A substantial profit. Far, far more than the painting is worth.”

  Lin’s face clouded. “Why?”

  The man blinked. “Why what?”

  “Why would your associate pay more than the painting is worth?”

  “It is not about money. It is about desire.”

  Lin felt cold goosebumps form over her arms and she took a step to stand protectively between the man and Captain Baker’s portrait. She spoke slowly trying to keep the annoyance from showing in her tone. “It is the owner’s desire not to part with it. The painting is not for sale.”

  One of the man’s bushy eyebrows rose as he studied the young woman, and then he said dismissively, “I don’t think you have the authority to make the decision. When will the owner be in?”

  “Tomorrow,” Lin fibbed about when Robert would return to the gallery wanting nothing more than for the creepy man to leave.

  “I’ll return tomorrow then.” The man started for the door.

  “May I tell the owner your name?” Lin asked.

  “No.” The man opened the door, stepped outside, and yanked it shut behind him.

  Flustered, Lin wanted to stomp out of the gallery after the man so she could give him a piece of her mind, but instead, she turned to Captain Baker’s painting. “What an arrogant man. He doesn’t understand the word no. He thinks he can come in here and have whatever he wants.”

  Robert came into the gallery from the house. “Are you speaking to me, Lin?”

  When Lin realized she was talking out loud to Captain Baker, her cheeks turned pink. “Oh, no. I was talking to myself. I didn’t hear you come back.” She told Robert about the visitor who came in to purchase the painting of Captain Baker.

  “A substantial profit, you say?” Rob
ert rubbed at his chin.

  “You wouldn’t entertain the man’s offer, would you?” Lin was shocked to think Robert might be open to hearing the offer.

  “Of course, not.” Robert smiled. “I would enjoy hearing the offer, however. I wonder how high the man’s associate would go?”

  “Not high enough to acquire the portrait.” Lin glanced at the painting. “That man was arrogant, pushy, full of himself. He gave me the creeps.”

  The door opened once again, and this time, a petite elderly woman with gray hair pulled up in a bun entered the gallery, glanced around, and then smiled when her eyes fell on the sea captain’s painting.

  “Oh, there it is.” The woman’s eyes brightened as she moved closer to the portrait hanging on the wall. “It’s truly wonderful.”

  Lin stared in disbelief that a second person had come in within a few minutes just to have a look at the painting of Baker.

  “I read the article in the Sun,” the woman said. “I had to come in to see it in person.”

  Robert told the older woman a little about the painting.

  “Fascinating.” The woman put her hands together. “What are you asking for it?”

  “Oh, no. I’m afraid it isn’t for sale.” Robert shook his head.

  The woman looked crestfallen. “Not for sale? I thought the things here in the gallery were all for sale.”

  “Some things are for exhibition only,” Robert said using an apologetic tone.

  The woman’s face changed from appearing disappointed to looking impish. “Surely, you’d entertain an offer?”

  Robert smiled. “I’m afraid not.”

  Lin couldn’t believe that two people had come in with the intention of buying the painting after reading about it in the Nantucket Sun.

  “I thought the article in the Sun reported the sea captain’s portrait was not for sale?” Lin asked. “Am I mistaken?”

  “No, you’re not mistaken,” the older woman told her. “But I always prefer to rely on face-to-face inquiries. The reporter who wrote the article may have published incorrect information. When you have an interest in something, it’s best to find out the details yourself.”

  “Well, I’m sorry,” Robert said. “But my wife and I just couldn’t part with the painting.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.” The woman took another look at the portrait. “It would be a lovely addition to my collection.”

  “Do you live on-island?” Robert asked.

  “I’ve had a house here for ages, but I hardly ever use it.”

  “May I show you some of the other paintings we have?” Robert asked.

  “No.” The woman shook her head slowly. “I had my heart set on this one.” She gave Robert a look. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like to hear my offer?”

  “I’m afraid it wouldn’t matter.” Robert kidded with the woman. “My wife would have my head if I attempted to sell the painting.”

  “Perhaps I should speak with her?”

  “It won’t help. She is adamant that the portrait remain in the family.”

  “A shame,” the woman muttered. “Well, I must be off.”

  When the potential buyer left the gallery, Lin watched through the window as the woman crossed the street and headed into town. “Isn’t that weird? Isn’t it odd that two people came in here within minutes of each other and wanted to buy the painting?”

  “It’s unusual to say the least.” Robert chuckled. “I should have the Sun profile the gallery more often, but next time have them highlight things that are actually for sale.”

  The Sun’s article expressly stated the painting wasn’t for sale,” Lin said with an exasperated tone of voice.

  Robert gave a shrug. “People of means sometimes will not take no for an answer. They are of the mind that money talks. It often does. Offer enough, and what you want can be acquired.”

  “You are a person of means,” Lin said to the man with a half-smile. “But you don’t seem to have that attitude.”

  “I guess my parents taught me differently,” Robert said. “They appreciated what they had. They were very grateful for their good fortune, but they did not have an attitude of entitlement.”

  Lin nodded and when she shifted her gaze to the portrait of Captain Baker, a sharp jolt of anxiety hit her right in the chest. With worry in her eyes, she said to Robert, “I wonder if you should move the painting back into the house.”

  13

  “I don’t like these events. I don’t like getting dressed up.” Leonard put his index finger inside the collar of his shirt and tugged on it. “I feel like a fish out of water.”

  Lin and Viv chuckled.

  Viv said, “You look handsome in your tux. Nothing at all like a fish out of water.”

  “It’s a good cause,” Lin reminded the man. “We have to do our part.”

  A pre-stroll, black tie event was being held in the Nantucket Shipwreck and Lifesaving Museum with drinks, a buffet, music, and dancing to raise money for charity and to kick off the Holiday Stroll.

  “I wish doing our part didn’t involve wearing tight clothes and mingling with a lot of people I don’t know,” Leonard complained.

  “Buy a shirt with a more comfortable fit,” Viv said.

  “You didn’t fuss this much last year,” Lin pointed out.

  “Last year was different,” Leonard grumped and before Lin could ask him why this year was worse, Jeff and John, carrying drinks, came over to join them.

  “What a great turnout,” Jeff said with a wide smile. “And if I didn’t say this before, you two look gorgeous.” He had said it before, but Lin and Viv didn’t mind hearing it again.

  Lin, with her hair styled in a soft upsweep, wore a blue, sleeveless gown of shimmery material that emphasized the color of her eyes, and Viv had on a V-neck, magenta gown with a ruched top that showed off her curves.

  “The museum looks terrific. Very festive.” John handed Leonard a beer.

  In 1968, the Shipwreck and Lifesaving Museum opened to honor the people who risked or lost their lives saving others and to tell the story of Nantucket’s lifesaving legacy. In the nineteenth century, strong currents, shoals, terrible storms, and fog led to more than seven hundred shipwrecks in the waters off Nantucket. Exhibits, artifacts, and photographs highlighted the island’s history of lifesaving.

  The gleaming wood floors and walls, the holiday decorations, candles, and music created a merry and lighthearted atmosphere that encouraged the party-goers to enjoy the food and drink, mingle with the other guests, and take to the dance floor.

  Friends and acquaintances came over to chat with the small group and the couples danced to a few songs. Lin even dragged Leonard to the floor to dance and he ended up having a good time moving and gyrating to several upbeat tunes.

  “See,” Lin told him, “it didn’t kill you to dance with me after all.”

  Wiping at the perspiration on his forehead, Leonard said, “It almost did. I haven’t moved like that for decades.”

  “Then maybe you need to do it more often. Come on, I’ll help you hobble back to the table.” Viv joked and slipped her arm through Leonard’s as she and Lin and John left the dance floor to rejoin Jeff.

  Robert and Lila Snow were chatting with Jeff and when Lin came over to them, the couple greeted her.

  “That man who was so determined to buy the painting of Captain Baker never returned to discuss the purchase with me,” Robert told Lin.

  Lin frowned. “How odd. I was sure he’d show up the next day to try and convince you to sell the painting. If he was so adamant about purchasing it, why wouldn’t he return?”

  “I have no idea,” Robert said. “But I was actually relieved when he never showed up. I didn’t want to get into a back and forth with him. From your description, he sounded like he would be a real bother. I was not looking forward to dealing with him.”

  Lila joined the discussion, and with a smile, she said, “I bet Lin scared him off and he was too frightened to return.” With
a wink and a chuckle, she told Lin, “Good work.”

  “I didn’t think there was anything that would stop that guy from returning. I’m kind of shocked. Why did he put on such a show and then never follow up?”

  “Something more important must have come up.” Robert took a sip from his glass. “Thankfully.”

  “I’m going to guess you haven’t seen the last of him,” Lin said. “Although, I’m the only one who actually saw him.”

  “Maybe he was an apparition,” suggested Viv stepping over to speak with Robert and Lila.

  Lin’s eyes went wide at her cousin’s comment, and for a second, she wondered if the man she’d spoken with at the gallery was a ghost. Giving herself a little shake, she banished the thought since she hadn’t felt the cold air whoosh about her like she did when a spirit was close by.

  “Did the older woman come back to try to convince you to sell her the painting?” Lin asked.

  “No sign of her either,” Robert shook his head. “Something else must have caught her eye, too. People can be very fickle.”

  “Let that be a lesson to you, Robert,” Lila kidded. “And the next time someone offers you a lot of money for something, accept the offer right away. Don’t let the buyer get away.”

  “I’ll remember that.” Robert had a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

  Anton, looking fashionable in his tux, and Libby, dressed in a sparkling black fitted dress, joined the group. Anton leaned close to Lin and kept his voice down. “I might have some information for you in a few days. I’ve been in contact with another historian. He’ll be getting back to me soon about the Tangerine Street mansion and Captain Baker. He has a few bits of information to share with us.”

  A wide smile broke out over Lin’s face. “That’s wonderful. Please thank your friend for me. I appreciate his help.”

  Libby sidled up next to Lin. “Have you learned what the ghost wants from you?”

  Lin’s smile fell away. “I haven’t. I never see him. I only get feelings from looking at the painting. The Snows did tell me that the ghost is acting up which is out of character for him. He seems angry … throwing things, tipping things over.”