The Haunted Stroll

by J A Whiting

  Libby looked into the young woman’s eyes. “Interesting. This spirit is obviously trying to communicate something, but does not have the means to get his message across.”

  Lin told Libby about the two people who came to the gallery separately with the intention of purchasing the captain’s painting. “Don’t you think that’s odd? And neither one returned to the gallery to speak with Robert about their offers.”

  Libby’s eyes darkened. “I think it’s odd, indeed. Keep your wits about you, Carolin. This one’s a puzzle and you’re not getting much assistance from the ghost. He knows something, but because he’s having such a difficult time getting his message across, you’re going to have to work overtime to pull the pieces together.” Libby shifted her head slightly and whispered close to Lin’s ear. “Be careful. Don’t trust anyone. Keep your guard up. I can meet you at the gallery someday to see if I can pick up some small thing from the painting.”

  “I’d appreciate that,” Lin told the woman.

  When Libby and Anton left to go speak with some other people, Jeff took their place next to Lin and reached for her hand. “At last, I get to spend some time with my fiancée.”

  Lin gave her favorite guy a quick kiss and then rested her head on his shoulder for a moment before telling Jeff about the conversations she’d been having. “I’ve been busy talking to people.” She reported what she’d learned from Robert and Lila and that Anton might have a little information for her in a couple of days.

  “Every bit helps,” Jeff said. “Every piece of the puzzle is valuable.” He gave Lin’s hand a little tug. “Come on. Let’s forget about it for a little while. I’d like to dance with my future wife.”

  The two joined the crowd on the dance floor and moved to a fast pop-rock song before it ended and a soft, slow ballad played next. Lin stepped into Jeff’s arms and they swayed to the music among the other couples.

  As the other people changed position on the floor as they danced, Lin noticed someone across the room and her jaw almost dropped when she recognized who it was.

  Leonard was slow-dancing with an attractive woman in her late fifties with shoulder-length light brown hair. She wore a soft, yellow gown that fluttered over her ankles as they turned in a circle.

  Lin asked Jeff if he knew who the woman was.

  “That’s Heather Jenness. I’ve met her a few times. She owns a law firm on the island. She lost her husband several years ago. Seems like a nice person. She’s involved with a lot of charities. I think she helped organize tonight’s event.”

  “I wonder how she roped Leonard into dancing with her. I practically had to threaten him to dance with me for a few songs.”

  Jeff laughed at Lin’s comment. “Maybe Leonard asked her to dance.”

  Lin rolled her eyes. “Oh, that would be the day.”

  Jeff and Lin spent the next thirty minutes sampling some of the food on the buffet table, talking with friends, and having a glass of champagne before Jeff had to stifle a yawn.

  “Late nights don’t agree with early morning work schedules,” he said.

  “Isn’t that the truth.” Lin glanced around for Viv, John, and Leonard to ask if they were ready to call it a night, but she didn’t see them right away. Turning to search the other side of the room, someone standing outside the window caught her eye.

  “Jeff. Leonard is out on the patio. He looks upset.”

  “Uh, oh. Why don’t you go talk to him? I’ll walk around and see if I can find Viv and John.”

  Lin opened the door to go outside and when Leonard spotted her approaching, he batted at his cheeks.

  “What’s wrong?” Lin gently touched the man’s sleeve.

  “Nothing’s wrong.” Leonard cleared his throat. “I needed some air.”

  “Are you feeling bad about something?” she asked in a soft voice, her breath visible in the cold night air.

  “No. Why would I?” Leonard shoved his hands into the pockets of his dress slacks.

  “I think I know you pretty well. And I think something’s upset you.”

  Leonard didn’t say anything for almost a full minute. When he opened his mouth to speak, his voice broke and he stopped and took in a few deep breaths. “I talked to someone for a while. She asked me to dance. I danced with her, Coffin.”

  Lin waited for him to go on.

  “I….”

  Lin rubbed the man’s shoulder.

  Leonard ran his hand over his eyes and squeezed the words from his throat. “I … liked her.” A tear escaped and ran down his cheek. “I feel like a traitor to Marguerite. I feel like I did wrong.”

  The man couldn’t keep the tears from tumbling over his lids, and as Leonard broke down, Lin wrapped him in her arms and held him as he sobbed.

  14

  It was late afternoon when Viv and Lin met in town to do some holiday shopping before the big crowds descended on the island in the coming days.

  “What was wrong with Leonard last night?” Viv asked.

  After Leonard cried on the patio of the museum, he straightened up and wiped at his face. “I’m okay. Sorry.”

  Viv had poked her head out of the museum door. “We’re ready to leave. Meet us at the front door.”

  As soon as Viv disappeared back inside, Leonard dashed to the door. “I’ll use the rest room. I’ll meet you.”

  Lin wanted to talk things over with her friend, but it was clear that Leonard was not ready to have a conversation about dancing with the woman or his feeling that he’d betrayed Marguerite so Lin went inside to find Jeff.

  “What happened? Is Leonard okay?” Jeff asked quietly.

  Lin gave a shake of her head. “I’ll tell you later.”

  When Leonard joined them for the ride home, his face was flushed and his behavior was stiff and formal. He didn’t make eye contact with any of them and he sat quietly in the rear seat looking out the window at the darkness.

  Walking along the festively decorated Main Street, Lin gave her cousin the details of Leonard’s incident.

  “Oh, the poor guy,” Viv said. “I knew it wasn’t a good idea for Marguerite to hang around for so many years. She should have crossed over a long time ago so Leonard could get on with his life.”

  “I don’t think either one of them was ready,” Lin said. “Until now. And now it’s going to be very difficult for Leonard to manage his feelings. He’s going to think that enjoying the woman’s company at the museum was the catalyst for Marguerite leaving for good. He’ll blame himself.”

  “But Marguerite has been disappearing now for days at a time. Don’t you think she’s been gearing up to cross over for some time? She’s testing how Leonard will handle it by easing away from him.”

  “I agree. Leonard will have to be reminded that meeting the woman at the museum had nothing to do with Marguerite leaving the earthly plane. She’s preparing to go. Leonard has a million conflicting emotions racing around inside of him.” Lin stopped walking. “I wonder if Marguerite knew Leonard was going to meet that woman at the party. Maybe this woman is important. Maybe it wasn’t a casual meeting. Maybe Marguerite knows that Leonard will be okay when she crosses over because he and the woman are going to make a connection with one another.”

  “So Marguerite is a matchmaker now?” Viv looked skeptical.

  Lin smiled. “I guess you could say so. I think she’s ready to cross, but she won’t go unless she’s sure Leonard will be okay.”

  “Lin. Viv.” Anton Wilson, bundled in a faux fur hat and a heavy winter coat, rushed up to the young women. “I have some news from my historian friend. Can you spare some time? Shall we sit in a café so we can talk?”

  The three went to a coffee shop located on one of the side streets and settled around a table with drinks. Lin was bursting with anticipation and couldn’t wait to hear what Anton had learned.

  Anton opened his briefcase and balanced his laptop on the small tabletop. “I received the email this morning. I had some meetings in town this afternoon and was abo
ut to text you when I spotted the two of you walking down Main Street.”

  Lin cradled her cup of hot cocoa in her hands. “What have you found out?”

  Anton clicked on his keyboard. “As we know, the Tangerine Street house was built for Captain Baker and his wife, Nora. They lived there for about five years before selling it and moving to a larger home on upper Main Street.”

  “That’s right,” Lin said. “That’s what the Snows know about the house.”

  “Correct.” Anton read a few lines of the email from his associate. “Nora Baker was from a prominent family. She brought a good deal of money to the marriage. Nora was well-educated and knew quite a lot about law and finances. The woman was quite generous with both her time and her money to help the needy. My associate located the diary of a woman who lived on the mainland, but was a friend of Nora. The friend writes that Nora did not want to sell their home and move to the bigger place. She thought it was a waste of resources to do so, but she agreed to it in order to make her husband happy.”

  “Interesting,” Viv said. “Nora sounds like a smart woman.”

  “Captain and Mrs. Baker sold the house to Roger and Ramona Witters. Mr. Witters was a successful businessman.” Anton’s eyes narrowed. “It seems Mr. Witters was not well-liked and had a number of enemies. One of whom murdered Witters one afternoon over a business deal gone wrong. Captain Baker and his son had the misfortune of being in the house at the time of the attack and were also killed. It seems the killer tried to make the break-in appear as a robbery gone wrong.”

  “Was the killer caught?” Lin kept her eyes on Anton.

  “He was accidentally killed when the police caught him. His name was Joseph Bandy. Bandy fought with the officers. The story is that Bandy had been tricked by Mr. Witters into a business scheme that went sour. Bandy lost his money and blamed Witters.”

  “So, in a rage, he broke in and murdered Witters and his guests?” Viv looked horrified.

  “That’s correct,” Anton said. “This part is interesting. It seems Captain Baker regretted moving away from Tangerine Street and approached Mr. Witter about buying the house back. The captain even offered more money that what he sold it for.”

  “Was Witter amenable to selling the house back to Captain Baker?” Lin asked.

  “It seems not. If the men had lived, however, perhaps the captain would have convinced Witter to sell. Who knows?” Anton said. “What is known is that Nora Baker offered to buy the Tangerine Street house from Mrs. Witter a year after the murders took place. Mrs. Baker and her remaining three children moved back to the mansion where the woman lived until her death. Her children had moved to New York City and they sold the house after their mother died.”

  “I wonder why Mrs. Baker would want to live in the house where her husband and son were murdered,” Viv thought out loud. “That would give me nightmares.”

  “Captain Baker had a real fondness for the place,” Anton said. “I think the wife wanted the house back in her family’s hands because her husband loved it so.”

  “Did Captain Baker sit to have his portrait painted before he sold the house and moved to upper Main Street?” Lin asked.

  “Yes, he did,” Anton told her.

  “The portrait must have returned to Tangerine Street when Mrs. Baker moved her family there again when she re-purchased the home after her husband and son were killed,” Viv said.

  “Mrs. Baker did not want her husband separated from the house ever again,” Anton reported, “so she created the stipulation that the portrait of her husband would become a permanent part of the home and that it should be considered part of the structure. Whenever the house was sold, the painting was to be sold along with the home. Of course, this wasn’t legally binding on anyone who owned the mansion, but every owner has abided by Mrs. Baker’s wishes and has left the painting in the house when they’ve moved away.”

  “Captain Baker’s ghost stayed in the house,” Lin said. “The dwelling must have reminded him of the happy times he and his family had when living there.”

  “The ghost must have resented every new family who moved in,” Viv said. “And acted badly towards them until he got to know them.”

  Lin nodded. “And once the families asserted themselves with the ghost of Captain Baker, things went more smoothly and they were able to live peacefully together.”

  “Why do you think no one ever sees the ghost?” Viv asked.

  With a shrug, Lin said, “Could it be because the captain was murdered in the house? He hides himself so no one can ever harm him again? He’s connected to the house because it was a place he and his family were happy together, but he remains hidden to keep himself safe?” Lin sighed. “I’m only guessing, trying to fit together what we know with how the ghost has behaved over the years.”

  “Your theories make a lot of sense,” Anton said to Lin. “Captain Baker’s ghost is unable to speak to you so we’ll never know for sure, but your reasoning is sound and is a good explanation of why the ghost stays in the Tangerine Street house and why he has never appeared to anyone.”

  Viv said, “What you found out from your historian pal is really great information, but we need to know what Captain Baker wants from Lin.”

  Lin brought up the two people who separately came into the gallery wanting to make an offer to buy the captain’s painting. “I told them Robert wouldn’t sell. They were pushy about it. I suggested they come back the next day and speak with Robert in person. Neither one returned.”

  Lin’s phone buzzed with an incoming text, and after reading it, she looked up and said, “I have to modify what I just told you. Robert Snow texted. The short, round man I spoke with the other day about the painting just returned. He made Robert an astronomical offer for Captain Baker’s portrait.”

  “Really?” Viv leaned forward. “How much was offered?”

  When Lin whispered the amount, Viv and Anton almost fell out of their seats.

  “What? Why? The painting isn’t worth that much money.” Viv’s eyes were wide.

  Anton’s face was screwed up in thought. “I think we need to look into this. If Robert is willing, I believe we need the opinion of an art historian or a museum curator to help determine why someone would want to part with so much money to get their hands on that painting.”

  Viv turned to her cousin with a look of alarm. “Robert didn’t agree to sell it, did he?”

  “Absolutely not.” Lin folded her arms and leaned on the table. “And he’s removed it from the gallery wall and brought it into the house for safekeeping.”

  “Why did he feel he had to do that?” Viv asked in a worried voice.

  With a frown on her face, Lin said, “Because, like me, he felt threatened by the man who so desperately wants the painting.”

  15

  The sun shined bright in the clear blue sky and the day was warmer than it had been in weeks bringing a welcome respite from the unseasonable cold. Lin, Leonard, and Nicky had been up early to start the day by meeting with a client who wanted extensive landscaping work done on his property next spring. Sitting in a large glass sunroom, the landscaping partners went over the plans they’d drawn up and after some minor tweaking, the homeowner was thrilled with the designs.

  “I can’t wait for spring to arrive so the work can begin,” the owner told them. The man also praised the well-behaved little dog who rested quietly on a rug by the window. “Bring this fine animal when you come back to start the work. He reminds me of a dog I had long ago. Seeing him here brings back fond memories.”

  Nicky stood, and wagging his small tail, walked over to the man to sit at his feet. Stroking the brown hair on the dog’s head, the client said, “Yes, a very, very fine animal.”

  Back in the truck, Lin joked, “We really didn’t have to do much to win the man over. As soon as he saw Nicky, he was putty in our hands.”

  Leonard said, “The dog helped, that’s for sure, but I think those plans you drew up had a little something to do with the m
eeting’s success.”

  “It was a team effort.” Lin watched the fields and houses go by as the truck moved along the road.

  “We’re early for the next client,” Leonard noted. “You want to get a bite at Lou’s?”

  “Sounds good,” Lin agreed.

  Lou’s was a small restaurant in the middle of the island that was popular with the locals and stayed open all year-round. The place served breakfast all day and Lou allowed a dog to come inside when it wasn’t too crowded.

  At a table in the far corner of the rustic eatery, Lin and Leonard took seats and ordered their food while the dog settled near the glass door to a wide deck and peered into the backyard looking for birds or squirrels or chipmunks to watch.

  Lin sipped the hot coffee and told Leonard about the offer the Snows received for the painting of Captain Baker.

  “Fifty-thousand dollars?” Leonard almost yelled the words. “It’s only worth five, isn’t it?”

  Lin nodded.

  “Why would the guy offer so much?”

  “We don’t know for sure. It makes me very suspicious. Robert told us the man reported he was a representative of a client who wished to add the painting to his collection of nautical-themed artwork. The client saw the article in the Nantucket Sun and decided he had to have the painting. The man said this person is very wealthy and that basically, money is no object. When the person sees something he wants, he doesn’t care what it takes to obtain it.”

  The food was delivered and Leonard took a bite of his eggs. “That must be nice. Having a bank account so full of cash that you can buy whatever pleases you.”

  “Being that wealthy can cause a person to become entitled and can lead to that person becoming a real jerk,” Lin said.

  Leonard let out a laugh. “I’d be willing to give it a try.”

  “I suppose I would, too, but neither one of us would ever become a jerk.” Lin smiled.