Rag Doll in the Attic

by Jan Fields

  “Thank heavens,” Gwen said.

  “Anyway,” Alice said, “I spent a full day at the newspaper morgue, and I’m certain it couldn’t have happened during my childhood or later. But I could use some help tracking further back.” She looked hopefully at Annie.

  “That’s a lot of work to help a stranger,” Gwen said, peering at Alice curiously. “What’s gotten you so involved in this?”

  Alice blushed again. “I wanted to help him see that we’re a very friendly community.”

  “Some of us are friendlier than others,” Annie said.

  “So,” Mary Beth said, “this Jim would be a handsome man?”

  “Only if you like bucket loads of charm, dancing gray eyes and a ruggedly handsome silver beard,” Alice said. “Otherwise, he’s totally ordinary.”

  “Ah, the mystery is becoming clearer,” Mary Beth said as all the women laughed.

  “But I don’t mind helping with your search,” Annie said. “I can check on some of the microfiche at the library. I’ve gotten really good at research projects since I came to Stony Point, and I need to go by the library anyway to drop off Miss Dolly and Gram’s little tea set.”

  “Thanks so much,” Alice said.

  “Anything for the cause of community hospitality,” Annie teased.

  The rest of the meeting of the Hook and Needle Club passed quickly as everyone caught up on their various projects. As the group began to drift away, Peggy caught Annie by the arm. “Wally is working on the boat for your grandson,” she said. “He loved the idea, and since he had a lot of scrap wood in the workshop, he’s been spending time every evening working on it. Even Emily has gotten involved. She’s been full of suggestions for little details to make it perfect. I suspect Wally might have to create the HMS Princess after he finishes this one.”

  Annie told her she was glad Wally could take on the job. “You don’t know what a lifesaver he’s being with this,” Annie said.

  “That’s my Wally,” Peggy said with a proud smile as she gathered her things and hurried out of the shop.

  Annie gathered her own things and noticed Alice was waiting for her. “I’ve missed you the last couple days,” she said.

  “You know,” Alice said, “you didn’t have to leave the other day.”

  “I think it was definitely a case of ‘two’s company,’” Annie said. “And you didn’t exactly beg me not to go,” she added with a smile.

  “Sorry about that,” Alice said as they waved to Mary Beth and Kate at the counter and headed out onto the street. “It’s just that every guy in town seems to have fallen for you a little bit, and I guess I did feel a tiny bit of the green-eyed monster when Jim was being so charming to you.”

  “I’m not interested in Jim like that,” Annie reminded her, “nor any of the men in Stony Point, for that matter.”

  “That doesn’t always matter,” Alice said.

  Annie nodded. She did understand. They walked along silently for a moment. Then Annie said, “Since we only have the one lighthouse, you do realize Jim isn’t likely to be here that long? His job doesn’t let him stay in one place too long.”

  Alice shrugged. “I know. I’m not looking for Mr. Right, but I enjoy Jim’s company. He’s smart and funny, and he’s had some amazing experiences. Besides, it’s been a while since a man seemed to feel it worth his time to be charming to me.”

  “That says something about the sad state of men in Stony Point,” Annie said in mournful tones. Alice burst out laughing and gave her a quick hug before they parted company at the steps of the library.

  “Thanks a million for checking on the newspaper stories,” she said, giving Annie’s hand a quick squeeze.

  “Hey, I’m getting good at this research thing. Maybe I’ll take up a second career as a journalist or a member of the paparazzi!”

  Alice’s laugh followed her as she hurried up the steps between the tall white columns. She pushed open the multipaned glass door and hurried into the hushed library. She stopped, as she always did, to breathe in the scent of polished wood, old books, and memories. The library had been one of her favorite spots in Stony Point when she was a girl, though it was a spot she usually visited alone or with Gram. The rambunctious young Alice didn’t develop a real love of books until she was much older.

  Annie nodded at the framed photo of Josephine Booth, Library Volunteer of the Year for the second year in a row. “Long may you reign,” she whispered with a smile.

  She hadn’t ever actually met the tall older woman in the photo, but had spotted her slipping through the library shelves once or twice. In such a small town, it was almost odd they’d never spoken, especially when she considered how many mystery research projects had brought her to the library. Annie decided that she was definitely going to greet the mysterious Ms. Booth the next time she saw her hurrying around the library on a mission.

  Annie smiled as she walked to the circulation desk. Grace Emory stood bent over, studying the circulation computers with a frown. Her short brown hair stood on end in spots as if she’d run her fingers through it a few times in frustration. It gave the small-statured woman an even younger look than usual.

  “Computer woes?” Annie asked.

  “A bit,” Grace said as the frown lines in her face turned upward in a welcoming smile. “The more people who use these circulation computers, the more often they decide to get cranky with us. It’s probably user error, but I think I’m going to blame cyber ghosts and gremlins.”

  Annie chuckled at the idea. Though she had a laptop of her own, Annie was still a little intimidated by computers. She often worried that every time she logged onto the Internet, some kind of computer virus would swoop down and take over her computer like a bad science fiction movie. LeeAnn teased Annie terribly about being so old-fashioned, but for Annie, e-mail couldn’t replace the warmth of hearing someone’s voice over the phone, and browsing the Internet would never replace the confidence she felt in digging up information at the library or asking questions of real people.

  “Are you working on a new mystery?” Grace asked, pulling Annie out of her wandering thoughts.

  “Maybe, though this time it isn’t my mystery,” she said. “I’m helping the friend of a friend. I need to go through the microfiche from The Point again.”

  “You’re going to end up knowing more about our town newspaper than the editor,” Grace said with a smile. “Do you need me to help you with it?”

  “No, thanks. I think I finally know my way around the microfiche. Actually, I also need Valerie Duffy. I have some items for the toy display.”

  “Valerie is back at the reference desk,” Grace said, “unless she’s in the stacks somewhere. Do you just want to give the things to me? We have a box here under the desk where we’re storing the toys as they come in.”

  Annie handed the doll and tea set to Grace, and the librarian tagged them with Annie’s name and contact information before slipping them under the desk. Then Annie headed toward the archway that led into the Reference Room. She glanced around, but didn’t see Valerie among the patrons peering into computer screens or poring over the bound reference material.

  The microfiche were stored in a tall cabinet of drawers. Each drawer was marked with information about the contents, and over half were taken up with old issues of The Point. Since Alice was clearly working backward from present day, Annie decided to work forward from the first days the newspaper began publishing.

  Annie sat down in front of the large microfiche reader. She flipped the “on” switch, and the machine made its familiar “thunk” that signaled the beginning of Annie’s hunt. She threaded the fiches through the machine and settled in to read the funny old-fashioned script of the first issues.

  She read about quilting bees, new businesses and even some articles on possible smugglers on the coast. It was easy to get caught up in the past as she read through the pressing stories of each issue. Some of the stories showed how much times have changed, while others made it clea
r that the people of Stony Point still have the same core values they’d always had. They loved community events and helping out those in need.

  As she scanned each issue, reading whatever caught her eye, Annie realized she knew more about the history of Stony Point than she had ever learned about Brookfield, Texas. All of her mysterious experiences since she’d come back to Grey Gables, and all of her trips to the library had made this town feel more and more like her home. She knew its past and its present. She liked the idea of being here to know its future too.

  “I should write that on my list,” she murmured as she slid a microfiche from the machine and reached for the next one. She was so deep in her thoughts that she jumped when Valerie’s voice came over the speakers, announcing the end of library hours.

  10

  Annie’s search had reached the early 1940s, but she still had not found any reports of a child dying near the lighthouse. As she slipped her notes into her purse, she realized that she must be nearing the time the rag doll might have been made.

  She had no real evidence to associate the rag doll with the death of the child that Jim told them about, but somehow Annie hadn’t really expected to find the little girl in the distant past of Stony Point. And even if the doll and the little lost girl weren’t related, Annie thought there was a faint chance she might come across a photo of a little girl with the doll. That would be a quick and convenient end to this attic mystery.

  As Annie passed the circulation desk, she stopped to say hi to Valerie. “I dropped off a couple of toys earlier,” she said.

  “Oh, that’s wonderful,” Valerie responded. “We’ve gotten the most interesting collection. Someone even unearthed some cast-iron coin banks. My favorite has a lion that jumps though a hoop to deposit the coin. I’m so glad we’re doing this display. I believe the children will enjoy it immensely.”

  “My contributions aren’t as lively as jumping lions,” Annie said. “It certainly sounds like you’ll have an eye-catching display. When are you going to put it up?”

  “Not for another week or so,” Valerie said. “We’re still getting items every day.”

  “I’m looking forward to seeing it,” Annie said. She walked across the nearly empty library, the tapping of her heels on the floor echoing in the huge room. When she slipped outside, she realized the temperature had fallen with the sun, and she wished she’d worn a cardigan over her square-necked T-shirt. If she was going to be a New Englander, she needed to learn to dress for the quick-changing weather.

  The thought of heading home didn’t really appeal to her. As she headed down the sidewalk, the lights of The Cup & Saucer cast an inviting warmth. Annie decided she was in the mood for some comfort food, and no one did comfort food better than the diner.

  Inside, the smell of gravy wrapped around her, convincing her she’d made the right decision. She looked over the crowded room and spotted Alice and Jim sitting on the same seat in a booth, looking very cozy. Annie noticed that her friend had taken extra care with her appearance, and the deep emerald blouse she wore made her hair blaze.

  Jim looked up and noticed her eyes on them. He smiled broadly and waved her over. Annie hesitated, not sure if Alice would be as glad for the interruption, but her friend grinned and waved as well.

  Annie slipped through the tables and managed not to bump anyone’s chair, which wasn’t easy in the busy room. “Come and join us,” Alice said. “We haven’t really ordered yet. Did you find anything at the library? I told Jim you were joining the hunt.”

  “I appreciate all the help I can get,” Jim said as Annie slipped into the booth seat across from them. “I was showing Alice some of my proof sheets for Butler’s Lighthouse. I have some great shots. Now I have to get serious about finding great stories to go with them.”

  “Did you tell Jim that Stella said she’d try to loosen up the Historical Society?” Annie asked.

  “I did. Though the idea of Stella getting someone else to loosen up is definitely unusual,” Alice said with a laugh.

  “You have to admit, Stella tends to be good at getting people to do what she wants.”

  “She sounds formidable,” Jim said as he slipped his proof sheets into a folder.

  “More like terrifying,” Annie said. “I was more than a little scared of her when I first moved to Stony Point. But I’m starting to think there might be a tender heart deep inside her.”

  “Really, really deep,” Alice added.

  Peggy hurried up to their table, her face pink from bustling around. “Sorry to make you wait,” she said as she flipped over their coffee cups and filled them from the pot in her hand. “We’ve been busy all week. It makes me wonder what the real tourist season is going to be like this year.” She flashed a dimpled smile at Annie, while cutting her eyes toward Jim and Alice. Annie knew that Peggy must be nearly bursting with the need to talk about the possible romance.

  “Alice tells me the meatloaf here is spectacular,” Jim said. “I’d like that, please.”

  Both Alice and Annie asked for the same, and Peggy hurried away, glancing back several times as if afraid she might miss something interesting.

  “I ran though the old issues of The Point,” Annie said. “All the way up to the early 1940s. I ran across two children who died from pneumonia and one who died of exposure, but at the opposite end of town from the lighthouse.” Annie’s face clouded slightly as she spoke. “It was a little boy, five years old. He was lost in Myers Woods in the winter.”

  “Definitely not the kid from the legend,” Jim said.

  Annie shook her head. “No. I also found the record of a family who died in a house fire. There were two children in that one. And one who died in a car accident. I expect we’ll find more car deaths in the newer papers and probably some boating accidents too. Really, it’s a bit depressing when you stop and think about it. I hate to think about children dying so young.”

  Jim nodded, his eyes sympathetic. Then he sighed. “Well, at least we’ve narrowed the window. Alice read back to the early 1960s, and you’ve read up to the 1940s. It shouldn’t be more than a couple hours to check the rest. I can do that.”

  “I don’t mind finishing,” Annie said. “I find the old newspaper fascinating to look through. Plus, I’m coming up on the years where I might see a photo with the old doll from the attic.” At Alice’s skeptical look, Annie laughed and added, “I know, that would be a crazy coincidence, but I figure, you never know. The newspaper is full of photos from town picnics and events like that.” She felt her face warm as Alice’s look didn’t change.

  Jim came to her rescue. “Stranger things have happened.”

  “Maybe not a lot stranger,” Alice said wryly.

  Soon after, Peggy breezed through the crowd with their plates. As she served, she smiled brightly at Jim. “I hear you’re a photographer,” she said. “You planning to be in Stony Point long?”

  “Hard to say,” Jim said. “Lots of interesting things here.”

  Peggy looked pointedly at Alice. “Seems like,” she said cheerily.

  As soon as Peggy was swallowed back up in the crowd, Jim burst out laughing. “You were right about folks around here,” he said to Alice. “They may not like to answer questions, but they sure like to ask them.”

  “We combine the rare qualities of being nosy and insular at the same time,” Alice said as she cut into the tender meatloaf. “Though I can’t imagine you haven’t seen that anywhere else in New England.”

  At that, the conversation drifted to other towns and lighthouses Jim had photographed for the book. From there, it wasn’t long before they slid into ghost stories. “A lot of the legends have ghosts,” Jim told them. “At the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, it’s the lighthouse keeper who haunts the lighthouse tower. Apparently a lot of lighthouse keepers get attached to their jobs and stay on long after they’ve died. They’re seen in the cottages, the lighthouses, and even the cliffs and rocks around the buildings.”

  He took a sip of his coffee a
nd continued. “In Connecticut, there’s a lighthouse that looks like a school out on a big rock in the middle of the water. It’s called Ledge Light, and it’s apparently haunted by Ernie, another lighthouse keeper who couldn’t leave his work.”

  “And did you see any of these lighthouse-keeping ghosts?” Alice asked skeptically.

  “No,” Jim admitted, “but I talked to people who said they have. And not all the ghosts are lighthouse keepers. Some of the lighthouses feature lady ghosts too. At the Seguin Island lighthouse, ghosts of the keeper and his wife have both been seen.”

  “That’s a nice romantic story,” Annie said.

  “Not so much,” Jim said. “Apparently they hang around because the keeper killed his wife with an ax and then flung himself from the cliff.” Jim saw Annie shudder and moved quickly on to a less gruesome story. “Out on Ram Island, there’s a ghostly woman in white who shows up when a bad storm is coming. Like the Butler’s Lighthouse legend, storms are common elements in these stories.”

  “I don’t suppose you saw the woman in white either?” Alice asked.

  “No, but I’ve been in some of these old lighthouses after dark,” Jim said. “They’re lonely places and pretty spooky. I could see how these legends spring up.” Then he grinned at Alice. “Interestingly enough, a red-haired lady ghost apparently visits the lighthouse keeper’s cottage at one of the Maine lighthouses I’ve visited. I was particularly interested in that one, but then I came out here to visit the Butler’s Lighthouse and met an even more interesting red-haired lady.”

  “Is that right?” Alice said, grinning at Jim’s flirting.

  Annie wondered if she should excuse herself and leave her friends alone. She still wasn’t eager to go out in the cold, but if they wanted to be alone, she didn’t want to interrupt.

  Jim finally looked back at Annie and said, “It’s actually fairly rare to have children in lighthouse ghost stories.”

  “The legend also focuses less on the ghosts than on what can happen to living people,” Annie said. “The victims are children, and the lighthouse keeper was some kind of witch—or would he be a warlock? Anyway, he cursed the kids.”