by J A Whiting
She took two shots and brought one of the photos into view on the phone screen. Smiling at how nice it came out, she used her fingers to enlarge the first photograph. A gasp escaped from Lin’s throat and her eyes bugged from their sockets. Her hand shook so violently from what she saw on the phone’s screen that it slipped from her hand and she had to move like a juggler to keep from dropping it.
An icy chill raced through her inner core. She looked at the photo on the screen again. There in the mist of her backyard, stood an old man dressed in eighteenth-century style clothing. His hair was gray and the sides hung down and touched the top of his shirt collar. Lin’s head jerked around to the wooded area behind the house, her eyes searching for the man.
No one was there. She looked back at the phone and used her finger to swipe to the second photograph. It was a lovely shot of the misty landscape. She swiped back to the first picture. Enlarging it, she brought the phone close to her eyes.
The man was no longer in the shot. Lin blinked hard several times and switched back and forth between the two photos.
Her heart pounding, she turned again to look out over her yard and the adjacent field. The mist was clearing, rising up and evaporating. She jumped when Nicky pressed his cool nose against her leg.
“I didn’t see you come back.” Lin’s heart was still racing as she reached down to pat the dog’s head. Glancing back over her shoulder, she headed for the door to the living room. “Come on, Nick. Let’s go inside.”
As she reached for the doorknob, the brown dog woofed. Lin looked down at him. He was gazing towards the field, wagging his tail, and whining. Scanning the field one more time, her hand shook as she turned away, grasped the knob, and opened the door. “Come, Nick. I need to go meet Viv.” Her voice was shaky.
Reluctantly, the little dog entered the living room with his owner. Lin closed the door and bolted the lock. She wondered how in the world she could have imagined that there had been a man in her photograph.
3
Lin walked through town dodging the tourists who strolled past the shops and restaurants. She headed to one of the popular pubs down near the boat docks where many locals hung out enjoying tasty food and a drink or two.
Lin spotted her cousin standing near the entrance to the pub. Viv was talking to a man who looked to be in his forties. The man was tall and thin. He had a dark tan and his salt and pepper colored hair was cut close to his scalp. He looked like someone who spent many hours outdoors in the sun.
Lines creased Viv’s forehead giving her a serious expression and her shoulders were pulled straight up in an almost defensive posture. Her lips were tight as she shook her head. Clearly the two people were engaged in a heated discussion, but Lin couldn’t imagine what was causing Viv’s annoyance. A surge of adrenaline pulsed through Lin’s body.
“You need to stop asking me.” Viv’s hand flew about like a bird evading capture. “I’ve told you over and over, I have no interest whatsoever.”
The man took a menacing step closer.
Lin approached and stood next to her cousin. “What’s going on?” She glanced at Viv before turning her attention to the man. “Is there a problem?”
“Yeah, there’s a problem.” The man’s dark eyes flashed at Lin. “You might want to stay out of it.”
“And you might want to mind your manners.” Lin had a hand on her hip. “We’re late to meet our friends. Have a nice evening.” She looped her arm around Viv’s waist and led her away from the harassing pest. Lowering her voice, she asked, “Who is that? What’s he going on about?”
Viv exhaled loudly and rolled her eyes. “He has been haunting me the past couple of weeks. He shows up at the bookstore, he stands on the sidewalk outside my house. I walk around in town doing errands and I spot him watching me.”
“He asks you out?”
“God, no.” Viv shook her head. “He wants to buy my house.”
Lin’s eyes went wide. “He follows you around like some creep because he wants to buy your house?”
“It’s weird, isn’t it?”
Since their friends hadn’t arrived yet, the hostess showed them to a table.
Lin was concerned. “Did you report him to the police?”
Viv held her hands up. “What would I say to them? I see a man around town. Sometimes he comes into my bookstore?”
“Tell them he’s a creep who keeps bothering you.”
Viv tilted her head to one side. “It would just make me seem like the crazy one.”
Lin sighed. “I guess. Maybe you should file a report anyway, just to have it on record.”
The waitress brought glasses of water and Viv lifted hers to her lips and gulped. She ordered a beer that was brewed on the island and Lin ordered a glass of sangria.
“When did that guy first show up?” Lin leaned in closer. “He made you an offer for your house? Is he from the island?”
A smile spread over Viv’s lips. “I don’t need to go to the police since I have an interrogator right here.” She chuckled. “He knocked on my door one evening. He introduced himself and said he would be very interested in purchasing my property because he’d always admired it.” Viv crossed her arms and leaned on the table. “I thanked him, but said I’d grown up in the house and that I was planning to remain there until I grew old.”
“What did he say to that?” Lin worried that this man might be using the desire to buy the house to disguise other intentions.
“He said that maybe I’d like to hear his offer. I told him it wouldn’t make any difference and thanked him again. I suggested he go talk to John so that he could find an appropriate home for him.” Viv’s boyfriend of six years, John Clayton, was an island Realtor. He lived on a boat in the harbor and was also a musician who played several instruments. He and Viv had been playing together in bands for years.
Viv continued. “The guy became disgruntled. His reaction made me nervous so I said I was expecting visitors and had to see to something I had in the oven.”
“Did he go away?”
Viv ran her hand threw her hair. “He told me that he would speak to me another time. Then he left.”
“He showed up again?”
“Many times. At the bookstore, knocking on my door at the house. I’d see him at the market and he’d start again with his offers. He always made it seem like we’d just run into each other by accident, but I think he was following me around.”
“Why is he so adamant about buying your house?” Lin was thinking out loud. “Is he from the island?”
“I tried to get information from him about why he was so interested in this particular house, but he wasn’t very forthcoming. I asked a few people about him and I looked him up on the internet. His name is Greg Hammond. He runs a large landscape design business, does a lot of patios, walkways, stone walls, things like that, in addition to landscaping with plants. He’s got a house and a big barn and greenhouse out towards ‘Sconset way.”
“Your house wouldn’t fit his needs if he’s a running a business like that.”
“He says that he’s keeping his present property. He wants my house, too.” Viv frowned. “But why? Is he crazy or is there some legitimate reason to want it so badly?”
“We should look up his background. Maybe discreetly talk to some of his employees or customers. I could approach someone he’s done work for and tell them I was thinking of hiring him and ask how things went with him.”
Viv nodded. She seemed to be thinking something over. She made eye contact with her cousin and lowered her voice. “I keep thinking there must be something in particular about my house. Its history? Its design and layout? I don’t know.”
Lin smiled. “Maybe there’s a huge oil deposit under the house. He’ll tap into it and make millions.”
That comment elicited a loud chuckle from Viv. Her big blue eyes sparkled. She was just about to say something else when her boyfriend, John, and her assistant manager from the bookstore, Mallory, walked into the restaurant
at the same time and hurried over. John gave Viv a kiss and then he greeted Lin with a hug. Mallory and Lin had met a few times. The two women greeted each other warmly.
The waitress returned and took drink orders from the two newcomers.
Mallory looked across the table at Viv. “Guess who I saw storming up the street just now?”
Viv made a face. “Let me guess. Was it Mr. Crazy House?” Viv, John, and Mallory had christened Greg Hammond with the more descriptive name. “He spoke with me just a few minutes ago, or should I say ‘argued?’”
“Ugh. That guy won’t give up.” Mallory shook her head. She couldn’t believe that Hammond had spoken with Viv twice in the same day. “He seems to be getting more desperate.”
John’s eyes narrowed and his lips turned down. “This worries me.” He put his arm protectively around his girlfriend’s shoulders. “I don’t like it. Why don’t we go to the police station tomorrow? I think it’s a good idea to have a report of this man’s harassment on record.”
“My very words,” Lin agreed.
Viv’s eyes darkened. “Why can’t he leave me alone?” She groaned. “I guess you’re right. Let’s go to the police station later in the afternoon though. I don’t want to be away from the store in the morning. All the regulars come in for coffee and pastry. I like to be there then.”
With that decided, the group dug into their meals and the talk turned to music and books and movies. Even though she was enjoying herself, Lin couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that had settled in her chest because of Greg Hammond’s pestering of Viv. Not only that, but she was still disturbed by her hallucination of the man in the back field appearing in her photograph.
When the girls had been in their early teens, Lin had shared with her cousin that she was able to see spirits. She braced hard for Viv’s response, but Viv was excited by the news and wanted to hear all about it. She didn’t think Lin was crazy or weird or a liar.
It was the first time that Lin could remember having felt valued and respected for who she was with someone other than her grandpa, and it made her feel that she could tell her cousin anything. Lin had planned to tell Viv about the photograph during dinner, but she didn’t get the chance because of the talk about Greg Hammond and his quest for Viv’s house.
A musical group set up in the corner of the restaurant and started to play Irish folksongs with a rock edge. After just a few bars of the first song, the clientele was clapping hands, stomping feet to the beat, and some were singing along. Lin and the others stayed until after midnight enjoying the company of the crowd and the upbeat music.
After calling it a night and saying goodbye to everyone, Lin walked up Main Street under the streetlamps. As she headed for home, worry over Viv and the man in the photograph caused a heavy sense of dread to fall over her shoulders like a heavy, woolen, eighteenth-century cloak.
4
Up early the next morning, Lin and Nicky strolled down Main Street into town. A soft breeze off the ocean kept the early morning air clear and comfortable. Lin planned to stop at Viv’s bookstore/café for some tea and something to eat before heading off to open a bank account and arrange with the cable company to come to the house to install internet.
The brown dog wagged its tail at everyone they passed. The animal was under the impression that all humans, cats, and dogs were his friends, and he was shocked to discover on rare occasions that he was wrong.
When Lin arrived home last night from having dinner with Viv and the others, Nicky dragged himself off his blanket and met her, sleepy-eyed, at the door. She let him outside for a few minutes and then the two stumbled into the bedroom and fell asleep. Once Lin started her landscaping job, the small brown dog would join her on her rounds, but on evenings when she was out or had other things to do, she didn’t like the poor creature to be stuck in the house so she’d arranged for a carpenter to come and give her an estimate on the installation of a doggy door.
When they reached the bookstore, the front door was open, a bowl of water was set out for any dogs passing by, and two huge pots of flowers stood to the side. The bookstore had dark wooden shelves stacked with paperbacks and hardcovers and several tables stood in the center aisle displaying bestsellers and books recommended and chosen by the staff. In the rear of the space was the café with a counter to place orders for drinks or treats. Several groups of comfortable sofas and chairs were placed near the counter area, and tables and chairs were clustered to one side. The cozy shop had tin ceilings and gleaming wood floors.
Viv’s store was always crowded with customers reading on laptops and handheld devices, paging through books, and having a bite to eat or something to drink. Her dark gray cat perched on an easy chair observing the goings-on. Dogs were welcome in the store as long as they got along with the queen of the domain.
Nicky’s tail wagged at the sight of the cat and he approached slowly. He rested his head on the easy chair with his snout only an inch from the lovely cat’s paws. She watched him for a moment, and then placed one paw gently on the dog’s nose.
“The queen has given her blessing.” Viv came around the corner of a bookshelf. “Do you think they remember meeting before?”
Lin scratched Queenie’s cheeks and the cat purred. “I bet they remember each other.”
Nicky jumped onto the easy chair and snuggled next to the cat. Queenie moved closer to the arm of the chair away from him, but she allowed the friendly animal to stay.
“Whoa.” Viv’s eyes bugged out watching the interaction between the cat and dog and she chuckled. “That is a first.”
Lin shook her head at the dog’s bold move as she walked to the counter to order tea and a cornbread muffin. “Any early morning visits from Mr. Crazy House?”
Viv rolled her eyes. “No, but the day is young.” She gave a forced smile. “I got here late. I slept through the alarm because of our late dinner last night.”
“It was hard to get out of bed,” Lin agreed, and then she lowered her voice. “I want to tell you about something strange that happened to me at the house yesterday.” She needed to tell her cousin about the episode with the photograph.
Viv gave her cousin a quizzical look. “Okay, grab something to drink. An employee called in sick and now I’m really running behind. Let me get some things done and in a few minutes I’ll come and sit with you.”
Lin carried her tea and muffin to a vacated table and sat down. Viv bustled about behind the counter pouring teas and brewing coffees for her customers. A minute after Lin took her seat, an older woman spoke to her from one of the sofas.
“Aren’t you Merry Witchard Coffin’s daughter?”
Lin, surprised, shifted her blue eyes towards the voice. A slender older woman with short white hair feathered around her face sat with three friends in one of the clusters of comfortable furniture. The group had quieted and they were staring at Lin making her feel uncomfortably on display.
“Yes.” Lin gave a slight nod. “I’m Merry’s daughter.”
“I knew your grandfather.” The white-haired woman had piercing blue eyes and beautiful skin. “He was a member of our early-morning chat sessions.” She gestured towards the people sitting with her. “We miss him.”
Lin’s eyes grew moist and she swallowed hard. “Me, too.”
The four people gave their names, but Lin was so surprised to be noticed that she immediately forgot what they said. Later she would have to question Viv about who they were.
“Your name is Carolin?” One of the older men asked.
Lin nodded again.
“Your grandfather was mighty proud of you,” the man said.
Lin blushed and smiled.
“Welcome, my dear.” A second woman with pale blonde hair smiled. “You need anything? You just yell.”
Lin’s heart swelled and her throat felt tight. She managed a squeaky, “Thank you.” She knew her grandfather had met most mornings with a group of friends for coffee, but she’d never met any of them. She was warmed by th
eir heartfelt welcome.
“You’re moving into your grandfather’s place?” The second man questioned.
“I am. I just arrived yesterday afternoon and got a few things settled.”
The blonde woman gave her a friendly smile. “You’re planning on staying then?”
“I hope so. If everything works out.”
The first man took a sip from his mug. “Will you be working here with Viv?”
Lin shook her head and told them about her part-time job as a software architect and about buying the small gardening business. “I like to be outside and can use the extra money, so I hope the two jobs will be enough.”
The blonde said, “How wonderful to have another Coffin on the island.” The comment sounded strange. Lin got plenty of teasing about her last name when she was growing up. People off-island had no idea about the long history of the Coffin family and their importance to Nantucket.
The white-haired woman smiled at Lin and held her eyes. “And it’s wonderful to have another Witchard with us, as well.”
Lin took a sip of her tea and glanced over at Nicky and Queenie to be sure they were behaving. Queenie bolted up. She turned her amber-colored eyes to the front of the store and let out a low growl. Nicky sat up, sniffing the air.
A middle-aged man burst into the bookstore and hurried to the café section. His cheeks were flushed and he was out of breath. His entrance into the store was so sudden that the customers stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him.
Viv looked up from behind the counter and was about to greet the man, but hesitated when she noticed the look on his face. “Are you okay, Rob?”
The man’s voice was breathless. “Someone’s been killed. Down at the docks. There’s been a murder.”
Viv’s eyes widened into saucers and she clutched the counter. Lin nearly toppled her chair as she ran to her cousin. Viv’s boyfriend lived on his boat down in the harbor.
