Sweet Avengers (A Sweet Cove Mystery Book 18)

by J A Whiting

  “What’s her name?”

  “Marjorie Falcon. She’s the senior member of the town council and has quite a lot of sway over what happens in parts of Hamlet.”

  “Does Marjorie have skills?”

  “She does.”

  “What happened to Sue-Ellen’s house now that she’s passed away?”

  “I own it.”

  “Did Marjorie make you an offer?”

  “I refused it. She didn’t care for my answer. A fire was set in the house, but it escaped without much damage. I’ve been broken into numerous times despite alarms and locks. There are other things, but I won’t bore you with all the details.”

  “You think Marjorie was involved with hurting my mother?”

  “She’s on the suspect list. There’s someone else.”

  Angie’s heart skipped a beat.

  “There’s a man who lives at the edge of Hamlet. He’s a dark and dangerous person. His thinking runs contrary to the community’s rules and ethics. He had run-ins with Sue-Ellen when she tried to have him disciplined. His name is Bradford Antul.” Kris pulled an envelope from her purse. “Here’s a picture of Marjorie and one of Bradford. They’re both devious and mean. If you see either of them in Sweet Cove, muster all of your skills. It doesn’t mean they’re here to hurt you, but don’t let your guard down. Tell your sisters about them.”

  “Should we speak to these two people about our mother’s accident?”

  “I’d stay far away from them, Angie. Far away.”

  19

  Angie, Jenna, and Courtney strolled down the sidewalks of Hamlet looking in store windows and people-watching. Ellie stayed at home because she looked too much like Elizabeth and the sisters didn’t want any unwanted attention drawn to them.

  “Why have we not come here before?” Courtney asked. “It’s such a cute town.”

  “Are you sightseeing or trying to pick up on energy?” Jenna asked. “We’re here to snoop.”

  “I can do both.” Courtney lifted her chin.

  “Sometimes I can feel a tingling on my skin when someone passes us.” Angie rubbed her arms. “I noticed this when I shook hands with Kris for the first time and I kept having the sensation while we were talking in the bake shop.”

  “It must be one of our heightened skills since the babies were born,” Jenna suggested. “Recently, I’ve felt the same thing when I’m around someone with powers.”

  “I wish I had that skill.” Courtney shook her head. “It might come in very handy. What other skills do you think have increased?”

  Jenna said, “When I saw Nana in Magill’s garden a few days ago, I could see her more clearly than I ever have.”

  “I pick up stronger sensations about people,” Angie told them. “When someone is speaking with me, I occasionally know that what they’re saying to me is false. I could feel Jim Appleton when he was following me home the other evening. The sensation was strong. I just knew his intentions were bad.”

  Courtney kept her voice low. “There are more paranormals in Hamlet so it’s a good place for you to sharpen your skill of being able to pick out who they are.”

  “Yeah.” Angie glanced around. “But it’s almost sensory overload.”

  “Here’s Magill’s street.” Jenna gestured to the lane and they turned down and walked to Magill’s cottage where they rang the bell and the woman opened the door with a friendly smile.

  “Come in, sisters. Nice to see you again.” Magill led them to the outdoor sitting area at the back of the house overlooking the gardens.

  Angie and Jenna explained how their senses were more heightened in Hamlet.

  “That makes perfect sense.” Magill passed around a platter with cheese and crackers. “There’s quite a bit going on in this town.”

  “Kris Banes came to see me the other day,” Angie shared. “We had a long talk.”

  “Kris can be a strong advocate for paranormals, but she can sometimes exaggerate things. She’s passionate and fiery and has strong opinions,” Magill said. “She sometimes sees things in different ways than others do.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “She interprets things with a harder edge. Did she talk about Sue-Ellen and the feud with the neighbor?”

  Angie nodded.

  “Marjorie Falcon is a troublemaker. She’s full of herself and she has a good deal of influence over several town boards and committees. She gets her way on a number of things,” Magill said. “But I’m not sure if she is behind the things that have happened to Sue-Ellen’s former house. Marjorie is a force to be reckoned with, but I don’t know if the woman would commit arson or arrange burglaries. That would be crossing a line. She’d probably like to do worse things than she does, but holds back because she’s afraid of losing her position in town.” Magill shrugged. “Of course, I could be completely wrong about her and she did set fire to the house.”

  “Do you think we could interview her?” Angie asked.

  Magill thought that over for a few moments. “I really don’t think she’d speak with you … unless she knew you were the Roselands, and maybe it’s better not to broadcast that fact at the moment.”

  “What about the man Kris talked to Angie about?” Courtney asked. “Bradford Antul.”

  Magill’s lips tightened. “Bradford is not a good person. He was born corrupt and immoral. He’d steal from his own grandparents … or worse.”

  “Do you think he had something to do with our mother’s accident?” Jenna questioned.

  Magill sighed. “It would surprise me if he had. He didn’t like Sue-Ellen, but I don’t think he considered her a threat. Bradford probably wouldn’t have wasted any time on her and wouldn’t care about the cabochon. He knows he can’t wield the necklace. It only works when the right person is caring for it.”

  “Is there anyone we should try to speak with?” Angie asked.

  “My advice is to wander around town. Let your feelings and intuition lead you. Keep your eyes open and your senses tuned. Someone in town fears your involvement in Elizabeth’s case. I have a strong feeling that eventually you will find the perpetrator. Walk around and see what you can pick up on,” Magill suggested.

  After their visit with Magill was over, the sisters walked up and down side roads and then returned to the main street where there were more people around. They followed the street until they found a walkway that led to the coast and some residential lanes.

  “Oh, look, this is the house Kris inherited from Sue-Ellen.” Angie admired the beautiful home and grounds.

  “Shall we go knock and see if she’s home?” Courtney suggested.

  They went up the stone walkway to the front door and rang the bell, but no one came to answer it.

  “She must be at work,” Jenna said and they turned and strolled back to the sidewalk where they stood looking at the beautiful gardens lining the front fence.

  “Does Kris manage the gardens herself or does she have a professional service?” Courtney wondered aloud.

  “I don’t know, but they’re exquisite,” Angie said. “Ellie would love to see what’s planted here.”

  “Hello.” A strong, firm voice spoke behind the sisters and they spun around on their heels to see a short woman in her sixties with blond hair and intense brown eyes.

  “Hello,” Angie said.

  “Do you have some interest in that house?” The woman’s tone was demanding.

  “No.” Angie shook her head. “We met Kris recently and decided to see if she was at home.”

  “She’s not.”

  “Do you live in the neighborhood?” Jenna asked.

  “This is my home.” The short woman gestured to the enormous house to the left.

  Angie’s heart jumped into her throat. Marjorie Falcon.

  “You knew Sue-Ellen Prentiss?” Courtney asked with a tone of confidence.

  “I did, yes. I’m Marjorie Falcon. Were you acquaintances of Sue-Ellen?”

  “We didn’t know her.”

  M
arjorie narrowed her eyes. “You look familiar.”

  “Do we?” Jenna asked. “We don’t come to Hamlet often.”

  Before Marjorie could say anything more, Angie asked, “Did you know Jim Appleton?”

  A flash of something passed over Marjorie’s face. “Jim who?”

  “Appleton,” Angie said again. “We heard he did some work here at this house.”

  “It’s possible.” Marjorie’s eyebrows moved closer together. “I hire a lot of people. It’s a large property and it must be maintained to certain standards.” The woman stared at the sisters. “Are your last names Roseland?”

  Jenna nodded. “Yes.”

  “I thought you looked familiar. You’re Elizabeth Roseland’s daughters, aren’t you?”

  “We are. Did you know our mother?” Courtney asked.

  “Not well. I’d met her on a couple of occasions.”

  “She passed away several years ago.” Jenna watched Marjorie’s facial expression.

  “I’d heard that.” Marjorie didn’t offer any words of sympathy. “What are you doing in Hamlet?”

  “We’re just here for the day, looking in shops and dropping by to see a few friends.” Angie could feel the vibration of Marjorie’s extrasensory abilities as if she had them on full display.

  Angie asked again about Jim Appleton, explaining what he looked like. “He did odd jobs, carpentry, some light building, lawn and landscaping projects.”

  Marjorie shook her head. “I don’t remember anyone like that.”

  “Is there someone else in town whose house is situated like yours is? With the backyard looking over the ocean?” Jenna asked the woman.

  “Sure. Just walk along this road and you’ll see some of them.”

  Jenna pressed. “Are any of them owned by a single woman?”

  Marjorie looked sternly at Jenna. “I don’t know. You can go to the town hall and look up the land records. Why do you need to know that?”

  “We don’t need to know it.” Courtney had a hard look in her eyes. “Jim worked at a house like yours. It was on the water. You could see the ocean from the rear of the property. The place was owned by a woman.”

  “Why do you care where that man worked?” Marjorie demanded.

  “Jim was present at the scene of our mother’s accident,” Courtney informed the woman. “He died a few days ago. He was murdered.”

  “Well.” Marjorie turned her head to the sea for a few seconds. “You still haven’t explained why you have an interest in where he worked.”

  “We’d like to speak with people who knew him,” Jenna said. “We’d like to know if he shared any details of our mother’s accident with anyone.”

  “It was a long time ago. People don’t remember things like that,” Marjorie told them.

  Angie held Marjorie’s eyes with her own. “We do.”

  Marjorie put her hand on her hip. “Then you’re in the minority. You won’t find out anything about the man in Hamlet. Go talk to people in the town where he lived. You’d have better luck with that.”

  “Well, nice talking to you.” Courtney brushed past Marjorie and started away towards town.

  When they were a few blocks away, Angie said, “She knew Appleton.”

  “Yup,” Jenna agreed. “She sure did.”

  “She made me angry,” Courtney admitted. “And now I’m hungry. Can we get a bite to eat before we head home?”

  The sisters turned onto Main Street and saw a cozy-looking pub up ahead on the other side the street.

  “How about there?” Jenna gestured.

  A man came around the corner down near the pub and Angie stopped in her tracks and gasped. “Look. Over there. By the pub.”

  Courtney and Jenna looked where Angie was pointing, and their mouths dropped open.

  A dark-haired man with a strong, hard jaw, a thick neck, and longer hair glanced across the street at the young women. Recognition passed over his face and he darted into the pub.

  “It’s the driver,” Angie said. “His hair is dark now, but I think it’s him.”

  “It’s definitely him.” Courtney dashed across the street and flung open the door to the restaurant with her sisters running behind her.

  It was dark inside and it took several seconds for their eyes to become accustomed to the dim interior.

  “Where is the man who just came in?” Courtney asked the hostess.

  The hostess glanced around. “I didn’t see anyone.”

  Courtney described him.

  “I stepped away from the desk for a minute. He must have come in when I wasn’t standing here,” the hostess explained. “You can walk around and see if you can find him if you want to.”

  Angie and Jenna waited at the desk while Courtney made a sweep of the place.

  “Is there a back door?” she asked when she returned.

  The hostess nodded.

  “He must have gone out that way.” Courtney’s voice sounded dejected.

  “He saw us, and he ran.” Jenna’s eyes had narrowed. “It was definitely the driver. He’s right here in Hamlet.”

  Angie’s eyes roamed around the dining room one more time. “I have a very strong feeling we’re going to see him again.”

  20

  It was late afternoon when Angie and Jenna got off the commuter rail train in Boston and headed for the coffee shop on Huntington Avenue to meet Dr. Day. The doctor had called Angie to tell her something was on his mind and asked if she and her sisters could come into the city to talk.

  Dr. Day was sitting by the big glass windows with a coffee in his hand, and when he spotted Angie and Jenna come into the shop, he stood up and waved.

  “You found it.” The doctor smiled as they took seats.

  “It was easy.” Jenna nodded. “We grew up here so we’re pretty familiar with what’s around.”

  “Ellie and Courtney had to stay behind for work reasons,” Angie said. “But we’ll share our conversation with them when we get back to Sweet Cove.”

  “Fine, fine. Tell them hello from me. I apologize for asking you to come down, but I have a full schedule this week and wouldn’t have been able to come to you.”

  “Something is on your mind?” Angie asked.

  “When we spoke previously, something was going around in my head about something Lindsey Adams said to you. I finally figured out what was bothering me. How long did Lindsey say she’d worked with your mother?”

  “Seven years,” Jenna told him.

  “That’s what I thought. Lindsey worked with your mother for about a month and a half before Elizabeth’s accident. She’s been at the hospital for seven years total.” Dr. Day looked down at his coffee. “Maybe she misspoke. Maybe she meant she’d been at the medical facility for seven years, not working with Elizabeth for seven years.”

  “That’s possible.” Angie nodded. “Do you think she deliberately lied to us?”

  Day let out a long, slow breath. “I don’t know, but the error sticks in my mind and I worried she was trying to deceive you.”

  “Why would she do that?” Jenna asked.

  “I don’t know why. There’s something else. Lindsey told you she was in the emergency department when Elizabeth arrived there by ambulance. I have a close friend in the emergency room. He reported to me that Lindsey was not at work when your mother was brought in. These are two instances when Lindsey has mis-remembered.”

  “I guess people’s memories aren’t as sharp after a number of years pass,” Jenna suggested.

  “Lindsey told us she’d been called in to work after another nurse went home ill,” Angie said.

  “Lindsey was not in the emergency department when your mother was brought in. I have no idea why Lindsey would lie about that.”

  “She might like the attention she gets when she acts like she was Mom’s friend. Maybe she enjoys seeming important,” Jenna suggested.

  “That could be.” Dr. Day’s expression was troubled.

  Angie asked, “Did Lindsey go into w
ork at all on the day our mom was hit?”

  “I remember she was there in the late afternoon. A few of us were standing around talking about Elizabeth.” Day’s eyes looked heavy with sadness. “Lindsey was present during the conversation.” The doctor hesitated, but then added, “I recall Lindsey’s face that afternoon. She did not look distressed by what happened. She seemed almost eager to hear about the accident.” Day looked up at the sisters. “I’ve never liked Lindsey from that day on.”

  “Maybe we should have a chat with Lindsey again,” Jenna said.

  “I wrote down her work hours and break times for today.” Dr. Day fished the paper from his pocket. “She often goes outside for a smoke during her breaks. You might catch her in the gardens.”

  Angie and Jenna thanked the man for his help and his tips, and then went outside and followed the sidewalks down to the hospital.

  “It’s such a beautiful, sunny day.” Angie liked the feeling of warmth being delivered to her arms.

  “What do you think about what Dr. Day told us?”

  “It could be that Lindsey simply misspoke or that she enjoys how important she feels when she talks about being close with Mom and about being in the midst of things when Mom was brought into the emergency department.”

  “What else could it be?”

  “Deliberate lies.”

  As they approached the hospital, Angie checked the time against Lindsey’s schedule that Dr. Day had given them. “It seems Lindsey might be on a break right now.”

  “Good. No time like the present,” Jenna nodded.

  “There she is.” Angie gestured to a woman sitting on a bench near the water fountain and they hurried over.

  Lindsey looked up from her newspaper. “Oh, it’s you two. I thought you went back to Sweet Cove.”

  “We came back for the day to talk with some people.” Jenna sat down in the Adirondack chair.

  “Am I one of them?” Lindsey asked.

  “If you don’t mind.” Angie took a seat on the wooden bench.

  “I don’t have a lot of time. It’s not a long break.” Lindsey took a swallow from her water bottle.