Sabers, Sails, and Murder

by Nola Robertson

  “Josh might have overheard part of Mattie and me talking about you finding a boyfriend.”

  I rubbed my forehead so hard I was sure it left a mark. Though I’d always suspected Grams discussed me with Mattie when I wasn’t around, this was the first time she’d admitted it out loud. “Please tell me the two of you weren’t discussing Logan.”

  “His name might have come up, but that’s not the part Josh overheard,” Grams said.

  I narrowed my gaze even more. “What part did he hear, and why do I have a bad feeling I should be worried?”

  “He thought we meant you needed a boyfriend and assumed we wanted him to ask you out.” Grams talked as if she were competing in a rapid speech contest.

  Too bad I was a good listener and hadn’t missed a word she’d said. I groaned and clutched the edge of the shelf.

  “We tried to talk him out of it, but you know how Josh gets.”

  I knew exactly what she meant. Josh was one of those guys that when he got an idea in his head, he wouldn’t let go of it no matter how much someone tried to talk him out of it. And according to Mattie, his determination could get really annoying. Personally, I didn’t know him that well. We’d had a handful of conversations over the years, and he’d always seemed harmless.

  I remembered when Bryce formed the spoofers, and Josh wanted to become a member. He’d followed Bryce and his friends around for an entire summer vacation. Bryce told Jade it was the longest two weeks of his life, time he’d spent trying to avoid Josh, which was difficult because the guy kept showing up at their home.

  With the festival still a few days off, the last thing I wanted was to have him shadowing me for the remainder of his visit. “Grams…” I didn’t get a chance to tell her I was disowning her for life because the bell tinkled, and two middle-aged women walked into the shop.

  “I’ll take care of them.” For an elderly woman, my grandmother could move fast.

  I returned to stocking the shelves and tried to remember that what she did was because she cared. I probably would have forgiven her if Josh hadn’t strolled into the shop a few minutes later. He was carrying a handful of flowers, a determined smile on his face.

  If dumping out the remaining contents and covering my head with the box sitting near my feet would have kept him from noticing me, I would’ve done it.

  “Rylee, I’ve missed you,” he said, holding out a makeshift bouquet containing a couple of weeds, making me wonder one of Mattie’s neighbors he’d stolen the flowers from.

  We weren’t close friends, and I hadn’t missed him in the slightest. “Hi, Josh,” I muttered, refusing to take the flowers or reciprocate with a similar sentiment. I sidestepped his outstretched arms, barely escaping a hug. I thought about heading to the back of the store and putting the counter between us but was afraid he’d follow me, and then I’d be trapped.

  “How have you been?” I wasn’t interested but asked to be polite. Besides, I got plenty of updates from Mattie about her nephew’s exploits.

  “I’ve been doing great. I even got promoted to head cashier at the grocery store last week.” He stuck out his chest as if finally getting a promotion after working at the same place for almost seven years was a great accomplishment.

  “That’s nice.” I grabbed the box off the floor, then scooted around him and headed to the other end of the aisle to finish stocking shelves.

  “You know what that means, right?” he asked.

  “Nope.” I didn’t want to know, nor did I want to encourage him to continue the conversation. What I really wanted was for him to leave so I could go back to plotting the ways I was going to get even with my grandmother. Maybe even Mattie since she was guilty by association.

  If I wasn’t so fond of her cream cheese muffins, I’d be tempted to boycott buying anything from her shop for at least a week.

  Surprisingly, when Martin appeared next to Josh, his arms crossed and scowling, I didn’t jump. “If this bloke be botherin' ye, Lass, I would be happy to run 'im through fer ye.” The glare Martin leveled at Josh made me think he was serious.

  “What? No,” I blurted, realizing my mistake too late.

  Josh wrinkled his nose. “But I didn’t ask you yet.”

  “Ask me what?”

  “If you’d go with me to the Pirate Festival.” He held the bouquet out again.

  When Martin raised a brow, letting me know he was still willing to make good on his offer, I gave the meddling ghost my back. “Uh, gee Josh, I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but I’ll be working all day.” I’d be busy helping only if my uncle needed supplies, so it was partially the truth. I was also hoping to see Logan and didn’t need Josh hanging around.

  “That’s okay.” Josh smiled. “We can spend time together during your breaks.”

  Chapter Ten

  When Shawna and Jade told me we were going to the corner grocery for snacks, they’d neglected to tell me they’d also planned to take me on a stakeout. One they didn’t mention until we arrived in Arlene’s neighborhood and had parked across the street from her house.

  “Are there any more of those chocolates left that your mother sent from Las Vegas?” Jade turned in her seat and held out her hand expectantly.

  “Sorry, we polished those off twenty minutes ago.” It was a good thing my friends hadn’t been around when I’d received the package; otherwise, the additional bag of colorful, delectable treasures I’d hidden in my desk would have disappeared along with the first one.

  “I can’t believe I let you guys talk me into this. Arlene already told Roy she thinks Max murdered her husband, and she’s not exactly a fan of the rest of my family.” I stared from my place in the backseat of Jade’s car at the light filtering through the blind covering the front window of her home.

  The house was a white two-story colonial with an attached two-car garage. There were four columns situated beneath an awning running along the front porch. The lawn was well-manicured, and flowerbeds lined the red brick walkway leading from the sidewalk to the first step.

  Jade had parked across the street, but it didn’t stop me from worrying that the police were going to show up any minute after receiving a report of suspicious characters lurking in the neighborhood.

  “Don’t you want to know if Braden and Arlene are involved?” Shawna shifted sideways to glance back at me. “We can’t exactly follow them around during the day, not without making her suspicious.”

  My friend was the one who wanted to know if the two were having an affair. All I wanted to know was whether or not they were responsible for Jake’s death, something I was certain I could find out during daylight hours.

  “Yeah,” I snorted. “I can see how three women sitting in a parked car in a quiet neighborhood late at night wouldn’t seem unusual at all.”

  Shawna frowned, then grabbed a handful of chips out of the bag sitting between her and Jade. She stuffed them in her mouth, crunching them loudly as she turned to face forward again.

  “Guys.” Jade straightened in her seat, her voice rising with excitement. “It looks like this wasn’t a waste of time after all.”

  I leaned forward to get a better look at the vehicle pulling into Arlene’s driveway. As soon as the driver’s door opened and the automatic light above the front door came on, the three of us gasped at the identity of the new arrival.

  “Hey, isn’t that…” Jade was the first to comment.

  “Yep,” I said.

  “Well, I didn’t see that coming.” Shawna gripped the dashboard. “I guess Arlene likes younger guys.”

  “It appears so.” I watched Arlene open the door with a huge smile, then pull Lucas into a tight hug. If they were in a close relationship, I’d have expected a full-blown kiss on the lips, not the chaste one she placed on his cheek.

  As soon as Arlene moved out of the way, Lucas hitched the backpack he was carrying over his shoulder and stepped inside. After glancing back and forth along the street as if checking to see if anyone was watching them, she tr
ailed after him.

  The second the door closed, I released the breath I was holding, glad Jade had parked next to some large trees and away from any street lamps.

  “Do you think Lucas was really sick or that Arlene was the reason he missed two days of work?” Jade asked.

  I wanted to believe Lucas had honestly been too sick to work, but it seemed too much of a coincidence to ignore. “Chloe did say she saw Lucas arguing with Jake a few days before we found him in the water.”

  “Do you think it’s possible Jake found out what Lucas and Arlene were up to, and that’s what the argument was about?” Jade asked.

  “Maybe we should go ask him.” Shawna reached for her door handle.

  Jade grabbed the sleeve of Shawna’s jacket before I could. “We can’t just go knock on her door and start asking questions.”

  “Why not?” Shawna asked.

  “Because we’re not supposed to be here, remember.” As soon as Shawna took her hand off the handle, Jade released her sleeve.

  Relieved, I leaned back against the seat. “I’m with Jade. It’s not like we can say, hey Arlene, we were in the neighborhood spying on you and had some questions. Do you mind if we come in?”

  “Well, when you say it like that.” Shawna harrumphed and crossed her arms. “Then what do you suggest we do to find out?”

  “I believe I can help, Lass.” Martin’s bulky frame appearing next to me and filling up the remainder of the seat. His T-shirt was still the same, but he had on some khaki pants and an old pair of worn military-style boots.

  “Not to ruin your fun, but do you suppose you could start ringing a bell or something, instead of popping in and scaring the heck out of me?” I scooted closer to the door to keep from touching him. Spirits weren’t known for being warm, and I was already chilled from sitting in the cold car. The nights were getting cooler, and to remain inconspicuous, Jade hadn’t run the vehicle’s heater.

  Seemingly entertained by my request, he laughed. “I shall see wha' I can do.”

  “Martin’s here.” I told Jade and Shawna in answer to the inquisitive looks they were giving me. After what he’d done to Braden, I wasn’t sure I wanted any more of his help and left out that part of our conversation.

  “Inform yer friend that I 'ave confirmed that the Braden bloke ain't doin' it wit' the widow Arlene.” It was too bad Shawna couldn’t see Martin. She might have found the way he wiggled his bushy brows humorous.

  “How do you know what Braden has been up to?” I asked.

  “'cause I 'ave been followin' 'im.”

  It reminded me of how Jessica had followed an obnoxious tourist I’d met at the cemetery, who later turned out to be her killer. “Why would you do that?” I tried not to sound ungrateful or skeptical. Martin going places my friends and I couldn’t was an asset, but I worried his propensity for causing trouble might make things worse.

  “Since ye 'ave been workin' on yer end of our bargain, I felt it only fair that I do the same,” Martin said.

  After everything I’d learned in history class, having honor was not something I associated with pirates, yet every now and then, Martin demonstrated that he had some.

  “What did he say?” Shawna asked.

  “He said Braden and Arlene aren’t together.” Which we’d just discovered. “He also said he’s been following Braden.”

  “Oooh, that could be helpful. Maybe we should have him follow Lucas as well.” Shawna smiled and continued to look at the empty space where Martin was sitting.

  “That might not be a bad idea.” Jade gave Shawna a supportive nod. “But first, we need to know if he found out anything interesting about Braden, something that might help Max.”

  I glanced at Martin, waiting for him to answer.

  “Thar was somethin', but I dunno if 'twould be helpful,” Martin said.

  “Really, what?” At this point, I’d take even the smallest clue.

  Martin tugged at the hairs on his chin. “He was speakin' into a phone thin' like yers 'n sounded mighty angry at whoever he was talkin’ to.”

  “Did Braden mention a name?”

  He shook his head. “Nah that I recall?”

  A name would have made things easier, but I wasn’t ready to give up. “Could you tell what they were arguing about?” I asked.

  “Braden told the person he was speakin' wit' they needed to keep their part of the deal, or they was goin' to be sorry.”

  I repeated what Martin said to Jade and Shawna.

  “It’s not much to go on,” Jade said.

  “Yeah, and it could have been anyone on the other end of the line. Even someone Braden does business with.” Shawna scrunched up her empty chip bag and tossed it on the floor. “I’ll clean it up later, I promise,” she said before Jade reprimanded her for messing up her car.

  “So much for a new lead.” Silence followed my comment and I stared out the window contemplating other possibilities.

  “Did you see that?” Jade pointed at Arlene’s house. The lights on the lower level went dark, replaced by new ones on the upper-level a short time later. “I guess Lucas must be spending the night.”

  “Do you think we should have Martin…” Jade and I cut off Shawna’s suggestion with an emphatic no at the same time.

  I wanted to know if Arlene and Lucas were involved in Jake’s murder even more than my friends did, but I respected privacy, whether it was mine or someone else’s. “I think we should call it a night and regroup tomorrow.”

  Jade started the engine. “I’m in total agreement with that plan.”

  Chapter Eleven

  After my first, and hopefully last late-night stakeout, I’d gotten a few hours of sleep before getting up early for work. I’d also made it through a busy morning at the shop without any unusual incidences or new relationship-related revelations from my grandmother.

  Shortly after our arrival, Barley had magically ended up in his pirate costume again. For some reason, he didn’t seem to mind and was enjoying the extra attention he received from all our customers.

  I remembered Max telling me he’d purchased Martin’s saber from the Booty Bizarre. There was a chance Hildie Simpkins, the owner, also had Pete’s eye patch or knew where I might be able to find it. Since Shawna was working and I needed Jade to cover for me, I’d convinced Martin to go with me and help identify the patch.

  I stood on the sidewalk staring through the shop’s storefront window with my cell pressed to my ear. I wasn’t much of a shopper and the last time I’d visited the place I’d been searching for an unusual birthday gift for my mother. The inside was filled with old treasures and hadn’t changed much.

  I watched Martin, trying to decipher what he was thinking. His expression was a combination of trepidation and anxiousness. He’d been trapped with his saber for a long time, and I had no idea how much of it had been spent locked away inside Hildie’s store. So far, our search had been disappointing, and if roles were reversed, I’d probably be nervous about entering the store too.

  I didn’t want to be responsible for causing him any additional trauma. “I’ll understand if you don’t want to go inside.”

  “I appreciate yer concern, Lass, but I shall be fine. I wishes to do whatever be necessary to find me best mate.” His forced smile didn’t reach his concerned gaze. “'n I promise to behave meself.”

  I had to give him credit for being a lot braver than I would’ve been. “Okay, then.” I reached for the door handle, slipping my phone into my pocket as I walked inside.

  Shortly after a bell similar to the one in my family’s shop announced my arrival, I scanned the cluttered room and spotted Hildie peeking her head out from behind a tall cabinet.

  She was in her mid-forties and had short brown hair layered to accent her heart-shaped face. Her smile made her rounded cheeks seem more prominent. She’d inherited the store when her grandfather passed away a few years ago, and as far as I knew, her business was doing well.

  “Hey, Rylee, I’ll be right wi
th you.”

  I returned her smile, then waited for her to place a figurine on a glass shelf filled with all kinds of antiques. After securing the latch on the door, she made her way around a Victorian-style chair and a table covered with three different types of china. “What can I do for you?”

  “I’m looking for something for my uncle.” Since Max had purchased Martin’s saber from her store and was always looking for other pirate-related items, it was a believable fib. On the walk over here, I’d thought about telling her the gift was for my father, but everything he collected revolved around the paranormal, a fact that was well-known amongst the people in town who knew him.

  “Did you have something specific in mind?” She waved her hand through the air. “I have quite a selection, and I’m sure we’ll be able to find him the perfect gift.”

  “I do.” I reached into my purse and pulled out a folded piece of paper. I wasn’t much of an artist, but I’d done a basic sketch of Pete’s eye patch based on Martin’s description to show her. “Do you have any eye patches that look like this?”

  Hildie took the drawing and examined it closely. I could tell by the way she was scrutinizing the picture that she was struggling with my rendering.

  “Why don’t I show you what I have?” She handed it back, opting for being polite rather than providing a critique.

  “That would be great.” I tried not to let my excitement seep into my voice.

  Hildie was a shrewd salesperson and paid close attention to people’s reactions while they were shopping. Most of the items in the store didn’t have price tags attached to them. I wasn’t made of money, and if she gleaned how badly I wanted this particular eye patch, she might be inclined to raise the price.

  If she did have the patch I needed, there was a slim chance no purchasing would be required. I was a novice when it came to understanding the extent of my ghost seeking abilities and wasn’t sure how everything worked. I hoped that once I found the patch, all I had to do was touch it like I had Martin’s saber, and Pete’s spirit would be freed.