by K P Stafford
Her cell phone buzzed, jerking her back into reality. Had Jake read her mind and decided to call? She looked at the screen before pushing the answer button. “John, are you okay?”
“Someone broke into the morgue while Marcus was gone to get something to eat. I need you to come down here. Bring your camera.” The line went dead. Lexi grabbed her things, turned on the answering machine and locked the office. The morgue was only a few blocks over. It was just as fast to walk the short distance as it was to go get her car from the parking lot behind the building, so she took off towards the morgue on foot.
6
Checking out the morgue didn’t take long, and soon John and Lexi were headed back to the office. John pulled his truck into the alley behind their office and parked close to the back door. He got out of the truck, but stopped halfway to the door and put up his hand. He glanced over his shoulder at Lexi. “The backdoor is open. You stay out here while I go inside and check it out.”
A few minutes passed before John stuck his head out. “It’s clear,” he said as he put his gun away. “But there’s a big mess in here.”
Lexi had pulled out her taser to zap anyone if they came out the door. She put it away and followed John into the building. The place was ransacked, file drawers pulled out, the contents dumped on the floor. Every file cabinet and every desk drawer had been rifled through. “They were looking for something. Probably the same something they were looking for at the morgue.”
John rubbed his chin. “I believe so, too.”
“You left here with the Cryptex earlier. Where is it?”
He looked at Lexi with concern in his eyes. “Don’t you worry. It’s safe.”
“Someone wants it pretty bad to go through all this trouble and to kill someone for it.”
“I know.” The words came out quietly.
“Did you manage to open the thing to see what’s inside?”
“No. I didn’t want to even try. I’ve heard tales of things like that being booby-trapped. It could contain a cyanide pill or something.”
“I doubt someone would go to all the trouble of keeping it secret all these years if it only contained a poisoned pill. There has to be more to it.”
“You’re probably right, especially after all the vandalism and break-ins we’ve had surrounding the item. But, how would anyone but Shirley know about it now?”
“That’s a good question, and I’m not so sure the answer will be easy to find.”
John called and reported both break-ins to the sheriff. It took about an hour to get everything back in place. Lexi informed John she was headed to the library before it closed for the day. She wanted to see if she could dig up any old records on the town’s history.
Being the oldest building in town, the library was also the most elaborate, full of beautiful architecture and an old world charm. The people who built the town must have believed in education and history, because they went to such an extreme to make the library stand out. Most towns have the courthouse in the center of town, but in Cryptic Cove, it’s the library that’s located there. Lexi found it odd that the settlers put so much emphasis on a place of history, but then later generations went to so much trouble to bury history. She also didn’t understand why she’d been told the original building had burned. Maybe it had, and they’d replaced it with this more elaborate one.
She looked around some of the archives that were available in the main part of the library, but didn’t find anything. She didn’t look forward to speaking to Decatur Williams, the librarian, to ask for the older files, but knew there was no other choice. The woman could be snooty, and from what Lexi had been told by her Grams, she got very defensive about the past. Perhaps she knows some things are better left in the past and covered up. Whoever else was digging into the past sure had opened a can of worms over it and gone as far as to commit murder. It couldn’t be good. Lexi walked over to the counter to speak to Mrs. Williams and tried to make small talk, mentioning the weather.
The lady’s eyebrows pinched together as she stared down her nose at Lexi. “Shouldn’t you be trying to find the murderer in this town instead of asking me about the weather?”
“Yes, ma’am. That’s why I’m here actually. I need to find out some information about the town’s past?”
“What does that have to do with Shirley being,” her bottom lip quivered, “murdered?”
“Other clues indicate it may have something to do with the past.”
“If I remember correctly, she was a wild one back in her day. At least that’s what my late husband said about her. There’s no telling who she offended or what she got off into.”
“Well, it seems to revolve around the town itself.”
“Really? That’s strange. This has always been such a quiet little town.” She looked down her nose again, over the small framed glasses, “At least until you showed back up. Things have gotten a little out of hand since then, haven’t they?”
“Excuse me? What are you implying?” Lexi asked.
“Implying? Nothing, but it is a bit obvious that murders started happening upon your return.” She looked down and checked her watch. “The library is closing now. I’m sure I can’t help you anyway. The town records only go back so far and nothing weird is mentioned in them.”
“And you’ve read through all of the records?”
“I am the librarian. It’s my job to know what’s in the library and the town history.” She checked her watch again.
Lexi noticed a bandage on her hand and started to ask about it, but she was already being so rude, she didn’t want to bother with any more small talk.
Lexi left the library with more questions than she had answers for. If the librarian was supposed to know the town history, then she’d have to speak to Ms. Jensen, as she was the previous librarian. It wouldn’t hurt to speak to Mavis Clark either. She was in charge of a lot of the town’s records. That wasn’t an interview Lexi looked forward to. She had gotten a little nicer over the past year, but she hadn’t become a pleasant woman, not by any stretch of the word.
There was nothing more she could do today. She got in her car and headed home.
7
The next morning Lexi stopped at Peyton’s B&B to grab some pastries before heading to her Grams’ shop. Each lady had a day to bring treats for morning gossip, and today was her day. She loaded the tasty goodies into her car and headed into town.
When she stepped inside Crystal Scents, a buzz in the air tickled her senses. The ladies were in full gossip mode and evidently upset about something. She pulled the pastries out of the bag and placed them on a plate before heading to the coffee machine Grams’ had installed for her customers.
Grams’ face was pinched when she looked up at her. “Have you spoken to that reporter yet?”
Lexi sat down on a stool behind the counter. All eyes were on her, waiting for an answer.
“No. We’re scheduled to meet him later this afternoon. What’s wrong?”
Mavis Clark was the first to speak. “He’s digging his nose in where it doesn’t belong.”
Mavis had a way with drama and keeping things stirred up in town. But, Lexi had learned to appease her by pretending to be interested in what she had to say. “Oh, from what we were told, he’s doing a Halloween story, so he would dig into old traditions and such.”
Mavis rolled her eyes. “He’s asking about more than Halloween traditions. He’s asking about early settlers and how this town began.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
Mavis crossed her arms over her chest and looked down her nose at Lexi.
Ms. Jensen cleared her throat, seeing that Mavis was clearly upset. “Well, we don’t like people snooping around about our past. We’ve always been a tight-knit little town and we don’t take kindly to outsiders coming in here and stirring things up.”
Lexi knew that all too well. When she returned here after being raised in the city, it had been a while before many of the people warmed up
to her. If they hadn’t known her as a child or that she was Velda’s granddaughter, it’s likely they never would have accepted her. They welcomed tourists, but not those who came here and planned to stay. She looked around at the group of ladies staring at her. “I’ll find out what he’s fishing for and why he’s being so nosy.”
“He’s also asking us about Shirley’s death,” Ms. Jensen replied, “Maybe you should ask him why he’s so interested in that too.”
“I will. I promise. But that is a news story and reporters are interested in the news, especially when it’s something as bizarre as her death.”
“Murder,” Mavis Clark said, looking at her. “It was murder. You know it, I know it. The whole town knows it. I’m not so sure he didn’t have something to do with it.”
“He didn’t even know Shirley. Why would he kill her?”
“For a better story than some silly Halloween traditions.”
The bells over the door jingled. Everyone turned to see Decatur Williams hurrying through the door. She headed straight to where Grams was standing. “I’m running late this morning,” she said as she placed a stack of books on the counter in front of Grams. “That silly cat got out this morning. I spent an hour chasing that thing down, and I have to get to the library early to start pulling some older books about Halloween for that incessant reporter in town.” She patted the books she’d placed on the counter and never lost a beat, “These are the books you asked me about the other day. It took awhile to gather them all up. It seems some of them were mis-categorized,” she stressed the last word as she cut her eyes towards Ms. Jensen. “The place is a complete mess in some sections.”
Grams looked from Ms. Jensen back to Decatur. “Oh dear, Decatur, what happened to your hand?” she asked, pointing to the bandage on the woman’s hand.
Decatur rubbed the bandaged hand with her good hand and stood silent for a moment before returning to her bantering speech. “That silly cat. He was so excited about his escape and making me chase him down. When I finally caught him, he latched onto me with his claws and his teeth. Clearly he did not want to be captured.” She said with a slight giggle.
“You should have that checked by a doctor.”
Decatur waved her other hand in the air, “No time. Busy, busy. I’m sure it’ll be okay. I’ve got to run now, I’ll catch you all later.”
And like a whirlwind she was gone as fast as she’d appeared. The woman was known to be a talker, but today she was in overdrive. Everyone sat quietly after she left, apparently worn out from the way the woman had rushed in, talked a blue streak and left.
8
By the time the ladies were done with their morning vigil, Lexi had an hour left before having to head to the constable’s office. A dozen or so questions ran through her head, so she headed back to the B&B to run some things by Peyton.
“The ladies were clearly upset over the reporter snooping around. They’re wondering why he’s so interested in Shirley’s death and the town’s past.”
“He is a reporter, and granted, that story is a lot more interesting than the one he came here to write about old Halloween traditions.”
“That’s what I told them, but they weren’t happy with that explanation. Of course, Decatur Williams came in like a whirlwind chatting ninety to nothing and she seemed to be okay with having to meet him. The tension between her and Ms. Jensen was thick.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“It was more of a feeling, but as Ms. Williams was explaining to Grams that she had trouble finding the books Grams requested, she cut her eyes at Ms. Jensen about how books had been categorized in the library.”
“There may be some animosity there,” Peyton said. “What books did your Grams get?”
“I didn’t get a chance to ask, and no clue why it was a big deal about them being in the wrong section. I’ll have to ask Grams later to straighten that out. Another thing I find odd is that Grams and her friends don’t have a lot to do with Ms. Williams.”
“It’s probably the whole library thing. Ms. Jensen ran the library most of her life and you know how protective the older ones are about their place in this town. I suspect the same thing will happen when someone steps up to take over the Magistrate’s Office from Mavis Clark. Sparks will fly when they tell her she’s too old to do her job.”
“You have a point there. Ms. Williams was clearly hyped up after having to chase her cat all morning.”
“She has a cat?” Peyton cocked her head sideways. “I’ve never known her to mention having any pets.”
“Apparently she does and he’s pretty feisty. When she finally caught him, he clawed her up pretty good. She had a bandage covering her hand.
“Ah, maybe he’s a new cat and he doesn’t like her too much,” Peyton suggested as she stifled a giggle. “That’s not funny, but I really can’t imagine a cat liking her. She’s always so uppity.”
“Well, this morning she was a chatterbox.” Lexi paused. “I didn’t think about it at the time but she had that bandage on her hand yesterday. Maybe the cat attacks her everyday?”
“That’s definitely strange and I can’t say I blame the poor kitty.”
“That’s what I was thinking. I also got the impression she’s excited about talking to the reporter, despite the fact that the rest of the ladies are not.”
“It’s probably nothing. With everything going on, everyone is acting a bit odd. Have you and John found out anymore about that item Shirley had in her hands?”
“Not really, but the morgue was broken into and our office too. Both places were ransacked, so we suspect whoever did it is looking for that thing.”
“It would have to be someone who knew Shirley and knew that she had it.”
“You’re right. I didn’t really think about that, and that means that half the town may be suspects now.”
“Oh boy. That’s not going to make things any easier. I know how upset they all got when that elderly couple was murdered and you and John had to dig into that.”
Lexi sat quietly, thinking about everything that she didn’t have answers for. When she looked up Peyton was staring at her, her eyebrows pinched together. “Sorry, I was thinking about something else.”
“I noticed. Wanna share what that was?”
Lexi told her about the voice in her dream the night before, and that she wasn’t sure it was a dream or just a voice in her head. “I know strange things happen in this town, but Aunt Agatha repeated the same words to me when I went downstairs for a cup of tea. I’m not fully ready to accept that the dead, or something, are sending me messages. There has to be a logical explanation for it.”
“I agree. That’s kind of creepy.”
“I wish we knew more about that Cryptex. It seems awfully familiar to me, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one.”
“OH,” Peyton exclaimed, “There’s a movie that came out a long time ago. You and Jake should rent it when he gets back.”
“I don’t see how a movie would help.”
“It may not, but it may help you to think things through from a different angle. I think it was about a code of some sorts. Yeah, the Da Vinci Code.”
“I guess it can’t hurt. We’re definitely clueless as it is. How about we all have a date night and watch it together?”
“I don’t think me hanging out with you and Jake is a date.”
Lexi giggled, “Don’t try to deny that you and Charlie have been hanging out together. A lot! Ask him to come. He’s read a lot of books, too, and maybe he knows something about the history of these items.”
Peyton pinched her face up. “We’re not dating.”
“Okay, don’t call it a date. It’s not like we haven’t all hung out together before.”
“You’re right. It could be interesting. When does Jake get back?”
“Tomorrow, and that’s not soon enough for me. I miss him.”
Lexi headed to the constable’s office, thinking about Jake. He’d only been gone two days, but i
t seemed like weeks. She felt like she was going in circles with not being able to bounce questions off him. They’d spoken enough on the phone for him to know a little about the situation, but that was it. Peyton and her always brainstormed ideas, but then she’d run them by Jake to get his opinion.
On top of all this, she was supposed to be planning a wedding, but it had taken a backseat to this murder investigation. It didn’t look like this one would be solved anytime soon, either. There was still way more to dig into.
9
All day long, Lexi had a strange feeling she couldn’t shake. She and John discussed what they knew so far, and it wasn’t much. Shirley had definitely been killed. She’d had a strange object in her hand. The morgue and their office had both been ransacked, and they could only assume it was because of that strange item. Whoever wanted it wanted it bad enough to take chances in broad daylight.
Lexi looked at John. “Grams and the other ladies are upset with how the reporter is snooping around. I thought they were being silly, but the more I think about it, the more I’m concerned he should be a suspect.”
“We can’t just suspect him because he’s irritating people.”
“I know, but back when I worked at the law firm in the city, the reporters could get pretty brave. They were constantly sneaking in and trying to get insider information. If this guy is like those guys were, he’d go to great lengths to get what he wants. If that happens to be that Cryptex thing, we may have a problem with him.”
“You may have a point. We’re so used to old man Jordon knowing everyone’s business without having to snoop around, that we aren’t familiar with how a real reporter would act or what they’d do to get a story. I guess we’ve kept ourselves too sheltered in our little town.” John let out a sigh as he sat back in the chair.
“That’s completely understandable. Everything and everyone here seems to be set in their ways, and it works out for the whole town.”
