by J A Whiting
“I saw John this morning. It’s not him.” Viv reassured Lin, but she worried it might be one of her customers.
Several patrons rose from their seats to gather around the man who had brought the news. People fired questions at him.
“Who was it?”
“What happened?”
“Someone was murdered?”
“Is anyone in custody?”
Some people rushed out the front door of the bookstore to head down to the docks to get the information first-hand.
The white-haired woman who had first spoken to Lin stood up. “Who was killed?” Her voice held a tone of authority.
The bearer of the news wiped sweat from his brow. “It was that landscaper who had a boat down there. Greg Hammond.”
Viv gasped. Mr. Crazy House. The room started to spin in her vision. Lin grabbed her arm just in time to ease her fall to the floor.
When her bottom hit hard against the wood, the jostling brought her out of her near-faint. “Oh, gosh.” Viv put a hand to her forehead. “I got dizzy.”
Lin knelt beside her. “Just breathe normally. The news surprised you. Sit for a minute. You’ll feel better soon.”
Some customers leaned over the serving counter to get a look at Viv to see if she was okay. One asked, “Should I call an ambulance?”
Viv flapped her hand in the air. “No, no. I’m okay.”
Mallory brought a cool glass of water. “Can I get you anything else?”
Viv brought the glass to her lips and sipped. She held the side of the glass next to her temple. “I feel like a fool.”
Nicky darted to Viv’s side and gave her a lick on the face. Queenie watched the proceedings and when she was satisfied that her owner was unhurt, she sauntered back to her chair.
Viv looked at her cousin. “Would you go down to the docks and see what happened? Ask around? Find out what’s being said.” She leaned closer. “Does Hammond’s murder have anything to do with my house?”
Lin’s blue eyes went wide. She hadn’t considered that possibility. Was Greg Hammond onto something about Viv’s house? Was it something so important that a person would kill over it? Was her cousin in danger?
Viv pushed herself up off the floor with Mallory gripping an arm on one side and Lin on the other.
“You should sit for a while. Get your equilibrium back.” Lin held Viv’s arm and steered her to one of the café chairs.
“Will you go see what’s going on at the docks?” Viv sat. “Come back and tell me?”
Lin glanced at Mallory who nodded. “I’ll be here. I’ll keep an eye on her. Go see what’s happening down there.”
Viv said, “And leave Nicky here. There will be too many people around. He’ll get lost in the crowd.”
Lin reluctantly left the bookstore. She would have preferred to stay to be sure Viv was okay, but she couldn’t say no to Viv’s request. She hurried down the streets for several blocks. A large crowd was gathered behind a police barrier. Access to the dock area was blocked. Lin moved close to the people who were standing and watching.
“What’s happened? Someone was killed?” She pretended not to know much which wasn’t hard since she really didn’t know any details. She hoped that the man who’d brought the news was mistaken and that Greg Hammond had only suffered a cut or some other wound and was still alive.
A man turned to answer Lin’s question. “Guy’s name was Hammond. He’s dead.”
“Was it an accident?” Lin’s blue eyes took in the scene of commotion. Blue lights flashed on the tops of police cars, official looking people hurried back and forth, and an ambulance was parked near the docks with its rear doors wide open.
“It was a murder,” someone else from the crowd offered.
“Shot?” Although Lin felt ghoulish asking for specifics, she wanted to gather as much information as possible.
“Stabbed to death.”
Lin’s stomach lurched. She took some deep breaths and then moved along the edge of the crowd. She could see a man being questioned by one of the police officers and scooted as close to the barrier as she could manage.
“You said you saw someone near the boat this morning?” the officer asked.
An older fisherman with gray hair and a wiry build scratched his head. “Yup. It was early this morning. It was that girl who runs the bookstore. She was down here near Hammond’s boat. I saw her run away.”
Lin suppressed a gasp as a cold shiver ran down her back. Why was Viv near Hammond’s boat this morning? Why did she run away?”
5
Lin’s heart was hammering double-time. She strained to hear what more the fisherman was telling the officer, but a couple of men next to her were loudly sharing opinions about the crime which hindered her ability to understand the fisherman’s words. She watched as the police officer wrote something in a small notebook. The officer stepped away from the gray-haired fisherman and the guy turned and started to move down the docks away from Lin. She searched for a way to follow him, but the area was blocked off and only those who owned boats or had business near the docks were permitted to enter.
She lingered with the crowd for twenty more minutes listening to conversations. The same facts were being rehashed and nothing new surfaced. Lin could see the police questioning other people on the dock, but they were too far away to hear what was being said.
A sudden, chill breeze made goosebumps rise up on Lin’s skin and she rubbed her arms with both hands before she realized that the air was warm and there was no breeze. Understanding what had caused the sensation made her breath catch in her throat and she froze, her fingers trembling. Narrowing her eyes, afraid of what she would see, Lin turned her head slowly towards the boat dock. Her chest tightened, sounds became muffled, and the movement around her seemed to slow.
A translucent figure stood on the dock next to Greg Hammond’s boat, an old man, wearing eighteenth-century clothes. He made eye contact with Lin and her throat constricted.
The man from the photograph.
* * *
Lin whirled away, weaved through the cobbled streets, and jogged up Main Street to Viv’s bookstore. Puffing, she stood on the sidewalk to catch her breath and collect herself. When she entered the store, she didn’t want to appear as panicked as she felt.
The bookstore crowd had thinned considerably and now just a few people were sitting at café tables reading. Approaching the counter near the back wall of the store, Lin saw Nicky still perched next to Queenie on the upholstered chair. The cat gave Lin a knowing look. The dog jumped down to greet his owner, wiggling and wagging.
“Good boy.” Lin patted the dog’s head.
Viv’s eyes were wide with worry. “What did you learn?” She came around from behind the counter. Viv could see the anxiety on her cousin’s face. They took the table that was furthest away from the other customers. “What is it?”
Lin told her what she’d heard the fisherman say and Viv’s face blanched.
She explained, “I went to the docks before coming to the bookstore to drop off some muffins to John. He had left for work already so I left them on his boat. I was running late. I decided to leave the docks by going out on the west end of the wharf so that I could cut through the back way to get to Main Street quicker.” Her face lost more of its color. “When I was hurrying past some of the boats, I heard Greg Hammond’s voice. I thought he was walking up behind me, but the voice was coming from inside his boat cabin.” Viv’s face muscles drooped.
“What happened? Did Hammond see you? Did he come after you?”
Viv shook her head. “I could hear angry voices. It sounded like two men arguing inside the cabin. I heard Greg shout, but I couldn’t make out the words. I was afraid of him, Lin. My instinct was to get out of there. I broke into a run.” She pressed her fingertips to her temple. “Maybe I should have called the police.” Viv’s wide eyes searched her cousin’s face. “Is he dead because I ran away?”
Lin touched her cousin’s arm. “Of cour
se not. You were just passing by. You didn’t know what was going on. Hammond had been harassing you. It made sense to get away.”
Viv blinked several times. Her bottom lip trembled. “I’m glad you’re here.”
The corners of Lin’s mouth turned up. “I’m glad I’m here, too.” She took a deep breath. “I think you should go tell the police what you heard this morning.”
“Really?” Viv made a face.
Lin nodded. “You don’t want them thinking you’re a suspect. It’s better to be forthcoming. Don’t give them the idea that you’re hiding anything.” She gave an encouraging smile. “Maybe go now, before they get the idea to question you.”
Viv’s eyes shifted to the center aisle of the store and her face muscles tensed up. “Too late.”
Lin turned to see a police officer headed their way.
* * *
The officer approached the girls’ table. “Vivian Coffin?”
“That’s me.” Viv stood up. Her dark golden highlights glimmered in the soft light of the ceiling chandelier.
“A word, please?” The police officer’s face was serious.
The gray cat arched her back and hissed at the man in the blue uniform.
Viv gestured to Lin. “This is my cousin, Carolin Coffin. You can speak in front of her.”
“In private, if you don’t mind.” The officer glanced around the space. “Is there somewhere we can go to talk? Do you have an office?”
Viv nodded. “It’s this way.” She gestured to the other side of the store.
As Lin watched them head to the office, she couldn’t remember ever seeing her cousin look so shaky or pale. Nicky jumped down from the chair. His claws clicked on the wood floor and when he reached his owner, he placed his chin on her knee and looked up at her with sympathetic eyes. Lin reached down and patted his head.
While she waited for Viv to return, Lin absentmindedly flipped through a newspaper that someone had left behind on the table. Wondering how long Viv would be with the officer, she kept flicking her eyes towards the aisle. After more than thirty minutes had passed, Lin received a text from her cousin.
Come to my office.
Lin knocked on the office door and a tiny voice told her to come in.
Viv, her face red, was sitting at her desk in the cramped space. “I’m flustered.” She let out a long breath. “I wanted to sit here for a few minutes before going back out to the floor.”
Lin sat in the office chair next to the desk. “How did it go?”
“He asked what you’d expect,” Viv said. “Why was I at the docks? Why did I run away? Do I know Greg Hammond? How do I know him?”
“You told the officer about Hammond’s harassment?”
“I did.” Viv rolled her eyes. “And I guess it sounded pretty odd, too, because I got a disbelieving look and some mild berating for not reporting it since running into Hammond all the time bothered me so much.”
“Really?” Lin shook her head disappointed at the officer’s reaction.
“If I decide to go off-island, then I’m supposed to let the police know.” Viv’s jaw set and her eyes clouded. “So now I’m a murder suspect.”
Lin’s hand flew nervously over her hair. “How can they suspect you? Hammond was the one who instigated contact. You didn’t want anything to do with him. You always tried to avoid him.”
“Try telling that to the police.” Viv put her elbows on the table and placed her chin in one hand. She moaned. “What am I going to do?”
Lin’s worried eyes flicked about the room and then she looked back at her cousin with resolve. “We’re going to find the killer. Together.”
Viv blinked at Lin and then she nodded. “We know the island. We know lots of people.” She looked hopeful.
“You’ll hear people talking in the bookstore. Listen for possible clues.” In a half-second, Lin’s expression shifted from eager to serious. “I have to tell you something.” She proceeded to relay the information about the disappearing man in her photograph and how she spotted him standing near Greg Hammond’s boat. “I haven’t seen ghosts for twenty years. I was always able to keep them from appearing by thinking of myself surrounded by an impenetrable fog, but it doesn’t work anymore. I can’t stop them from showing themselves.”
Viv’s forehead scrunched. “What does it mean? Why can’t you stop them anymore? Why is a ghost showing up now? What does this old man have to do with the murder?”
Lin held her hands out palm side up and shrugged. “I don’t like it,” she whispered. “Why can’t I make him go away?”
Viv bit her lower lip. “There are a lot of strange happenings going on.”
Lin looked at her watch and jumped from her seat. “Oh. I have a carpenter coming to the house for Nicky’s doggy door. I need to go.”
The girls made plans to meet for dinner at Viv’s house so that they could put together a plan of action about how to figure things out.
Lin rushed from the office, called Nicky to come with her, and the two hurried out of the bookstore and ran up Main Street to their cottage.
6
Tearing down Vestry Road, Lin could see a man getting into a truck that was parked in front of her house. She and the dog picked up speed and reached the vehicle just as the engine started. Sweat clung to Lin’s skin and a small bead of perspiration rolled down the side of her cheek. Leaning towards the truck’s open window and gasping, she tried to speak. “I’m … sorry I’m late,” she puffed.
The carpenter opened the door and stepped out.
“I got tied up in town.” Lin’s legs felt rubbery from the run home, but getting a look at the man standing before her made her even weaker. She cursed herself for being late and arriving drenched in sweat. Staring at the handsome carpenter, she couldn’t keep a sigh of regret from slipping from her throat.
The man was tall and fit and his muscles showed clearly under his T-shirt. His dark brown hair was well-cut and he wore it slightly longer showing a bit of wave. Lin was surprised at her reaction to him. Since her boyfriend broke up with her, she’d had no interest in dating.
“It’s okay.” He gave her a warm smile. “I left your number back at my house, so I couldn’t call to see if you were running late.”
“Well, I’m glad I caught you.”
“Jeff Whitney.” He extended his hand and shook with Lin. She nearly swooned at his touch, but managed to remain upright.
“Carolin Coffin.” She didn’t know why she introduced herself with her full name. “Everyone calls me, Lin.” She wanted to run into the house, shower, change, and fix her hair.
Nicky wagged his little tail. Jeff bent to pat the dog. “So. A doggy door.”
Lin nodded as she unlocked the cottage’s front door and led the man and dog into the living room. “I thought it could go here.” She indicated the door leading to the deck.
The carpenter looked it over and then noticed the door in the kitchen. “Why not place the doggy door in the exit leading from the kitchen? If you’ll be living here in the winter when things are wet and messy, it might be better to have all the mud and muck contained in the kitchen rather than in your living room.” He looked down at the dog. “What do you think, buddy?” Jeff turned his warm brown eyes to Lin. “Just a suggestion.”
Lin considered and then she nodded. “It’s a good suggestion. It makes sense.” At least one thing makes sense, she thought, because a lot of things that have happened recently don’t make any sense at all.
The trio walked into the kitchen so that Jeff could take some measurements. Nicky supervised the proceedings by watching the man’s every move.
“Would you like some coffee or tea or some seltzer?” Lin offered, hoping a drink might cause the good-looking carpenter to stay a few minutes longer.
“Some seltzer would be great.” Jeff wrote some numbers on an invoice and did some calculations. He circled the total cost for supplies and labor and turned the paper for Lin to see.
She smiled. “That’s v
ery reasonable. I’m relieved that it’s in my budget.”
Nicky had turned and was focused on something in the living room. He let out a low whine.
“What’s up, buddy? You want your door in the living room?” Jeff asked.
Lin crossed to the threshold and followed the dog’s gaze across the room. Her eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. She let out a gasp and then masked it by coughing a few times.
The eighteenth-century man was standing in the living room next to a shimmering woman who wore a long dress with a high collar. Her hair was neatly done up in a low bun which sat at the back of her neck. A few wavy tendrils fell softly around her face. She was in a sitting position floating a foot above the floor, a kind look on her face.
If Nicky can see the ghosts…. Lin’s head swiveled to Jeff, back to the ghosts, and then turned to Jeff again. He seemed unaware of the uninvited guests. Relieved, she gave him a goofy smile trying to cover her shock at having two ghosts in the living room.
“Everything okay?” Jeff asked.
“Uh, huh.” Lin hurried back to the kitchen. “Let me get you that cold drink.” She bustled in the refrigerator, her mind going a mile a minute. Now what? Who are they? Why can’t I stop ghosts from appearing? Her stomach felt cold and tight. She wouldn’t look back into the living room. Just as she was pouring the seltzer into a glass, the ghost-woman floated into the kitchen and hovered close to the carpenter looking at him with interest.
Lin’s heart sank. Go away. She put a slice of lemon on the rim of the glass and passed the drink to Jeff.
The ghost-woman eyed the man from top to bottom and then gave Lin a nod.Lin’s eyes were like saucers.
Jeff asked, “So should I schedule the doggy door for the end of the week?”
“What?” Lin pried her eyes away from the floating ghost. “Yes, the end of the week is good.” She gave the man a sweet smile.
Jeff drained his seltzer and rinsed the glass in the sink. “I’ll see you then. I’ll give you a call tomorrow.”
