A Haunted Murder (A Lin Coffin Mystery Book 1)

by J A Whiting

  “Do you know anything about Johnson?”

  “I’ve met him a few times, but I really don’t know anything about him.”

  When the girls reached John’s boat they climbed aboard with Lin carrying the dog. Viv went down into the hold and put some things in the refrigerator. She returned with a bottle of wine and some cheese and crackers. She set them down on the table. “Maybe we can entice the new neighbor over for a drink.”

  The girls settled on the seats and Nicky jumped up to sit next to Lin.

  “You think he’ll show?”

  “Don’t turn around but I think he’s coming.” Viv smiled and waved to someone on the dock. When the person came closer, she stood, and gave the man a welcome. “Have time to join us for a drink? Wine or beer?” Viv’s warm and cheerful personality always drew people in. “John’s away for a few days.”

  Nate Johnson came aboard. He was about six feet tall with sandy blonde hair. Lin estimated that he was probably in his late-thirties. Viv handed him a beer and he sat down.

  “So you moved slips?” Viv didn’t waste any time bringing up the subject.

  “Yeah.” Nate didn’t elaborate.

  “I can’t remember,” Viv said. “Which dock were you on before this one?”

  Nate told them.

  “Too noisy over there? Trouble with neighbors?” Viv sipped from her glass.

  “That wasn’t the problem,” Nate said. “I’d been over there for a couple of years. I thought a change was in order.”

  Lin sighed inwardly afraid that this conversation was going to lead nowhere. “Wasn’t that the dock where Greg Hammond had his boat?”

  Nate blanched. He took a swig from his bottle of beer. “Yeah.” He took another long swallow.

  “What did you think of Hammond?” Viv asked as nonchalantly as possible.

  “He was okay. Pretty much kept to himself. We’d shoot the breeze now and then.”

  Lin patted Nicky. “Was he the type who courted trouble? Or do you think the attack was random?”

  Nate seemed to wince, and then he shook his head. “I don’t think it was random. I think Greg got mixed up in some kind of mess.”

  “Drugs?” Lin asked even though she doubted that was at the root of the killing.

  “Nah. Greg wasn’t into stuff like that.”

  “What do you think it was about then?” Viv leaned slightly forward trying to encourage speculation. She offered the man another beer thinking that more drink might loosen his tongue.

  “Greg was into get-rich-quick schemes. He was always reading about things he could do to make extra money.”

  “Why?” Lin looked puzzled. “He had a big landscaping business. Didn’t that keep him busy? It must have done well.”

  Nate scratched the back of his neck. He shifted in his seat. “Greg was pressed for money. He … well, he had a bit of a gambling problem. Money slipped through his fingers pretty easy.”

  Lin’s eyes widened. “You think Hammond was killed over a gambling debt?”

  Nate was quiet for a few moments. “If I had to guess? It’s possible. He was messing with some dangerous characters. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to move my boat over here.” Nate shook his head. “But, who knows? He could’ve been killed over something else.”

  “Were you around that morning?” Perspiration formed on Viv’s forehead. Just thinking about being down on the dock and hearing the arguing voices on the morning of the murder made her break out in a sweat.

  Nate nodded. “I was down below. I was making breakfast.”

  “Did you hear anything? See anything?” Lin pressed.

  Viv hoped that Nate hadn’t seen her walking past on the docks that day.

  “I heard some shouting. I couldn’t hear what they were saying. I wasn’t sure if it was somebody fooling around, or maybe a television was on, something like that.” Nate looked down at his hands. “I was the one who found the body. I should’ve gone over there right away when I heard the noise, but I didn’t. After I ate my breakfast, I felt uneasy about the yelling I heard, so I went over to Greg’s boat, called for him. He didn’t answer. I could smell something burning inside so I went in. There was a frying pan on the stove. Greg was facedown on the floor.” He made eye contact with the girls. “That’s the real reason I moved slips.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Viv said.

  Everyone was silent for a minute.

  “Did you see anyone around that morning?” Lin asked quietly.

  Viv’s throat tightened waiting for the man’s answer hoping he hadn’t seen her pass by.

  “No one I’d consider a murderer.”

  “You did see someone though?” Lin’s face was serious.

  “Yeah. Before I went below to make my breakfast, I saw that charity lady. That older woman. Mrs. Hartnett’s her name. She was walking on the dock. I nodded to her before I went down to make breakfast.”

  Libby Hartnett? “Does she have a boat down here?” Lin’s eyebrows knitted together.

  Nate shook his head. “I figured she must be down to pester some big wig into making a donation to something or other. I thought it might be something for the Whaling Museum since she had that historical guy with her.”

  “What historical guy?” Viv eyed the man.

  “That writer guy, you know, he’s kind of weasely looking. He wrote all those books about Nantucket.”

  Lin and Viv exchanged a look.

  “You’re sure they were together?” Lin’s heart was beating double-time.

  “Well, they were on the dock at the same time. Can’t say if they were together or not. Seemed like it, though.” Nate drained his beer bottle. “I better get going.” He stood up, thanked the girls for the refreshments, and returned to his boat.

  “What’s that about?” Lin whispered to her cousin. “Anton Wilson and Libby Hartnett on the dock just before Greg Hammond was murdered?” Her breathing was quick and shallow. For a second, Lin felt cold and she thought she saw something fleeting pass by the stern of John’s boat.

  Viv’s eyes were wide. “There must be an explanation. They must have been down here for some legitimate reason. They couldn’t have killed Hammond.” She looked over at the other boats lined up along the dock, her face muscles tense. She turned to Lin and said softly, “Could they?”

  11

  Lin had been up late doing programming work for the Boston start-up company that she was working for remotely. She tumbled into bed after 1am and when the alarm went off at 5:30 in the morning she wanted to pummel the screeching little box with her pillow.

  After a long day of outside work, Lin couldn’t wait to get home and shower and then curl up with Anton Wilson’s ghost book that Viv had given her the night before. The sun was low in the sky when Lin yawned and turned the truck onto Vestry Road. Her stomach was growling, her head was aching, and her muscles were still screaming from four days of gardening work in the high heat. A light sheen of perspiration covered her skin and smudges of soil and plant matter stuck to her jean shorts from hours of weeding, watering, and mowing.

  Approaching her house, she saw a truck parked in front. Oh, no. The carpenter is still here. She wondered if there would ever be a day when she talked to the handsome man without looking like she’d been hit by a train. She let out a long sigh as she and Nicky emerged from their vehicle.

  When she opened the front door, the little dog tore across the living room and into the kitchen where the man was finishing up the work on the doggy door. The carpenter laughed as the dog danced around and gave the man a swish across his chiseled cheek with a long pink tongue.

  “Hey, Nick.” Jeff sat back on the floor. “Your door is almost finished.” The carpenter pushed the little door to show the dog how to use it. Nicky sniffed, pushed through it to go out onto the deck, and ran into the yard.

  “Well, I guess that’s a success.” Lin chuckled. “I see you found the key to the back door under the rock.” She couldn’t help but admire the physique of the man s
itting on her kitchen floor. His warm smile and deep brown eyes made her heart swell.

  Jeff stood up. “In the future, you might want to find a better hiding place for the key. It’s kind of in an obvious spot.” He gave Lin a smile. “I got here later than I thought. Another job ran over time. That’s why I’m still here.”

  “The doggy door looks great.” Lin couldn’t stifle a yawn. “Sorry.”

  “Looks like someone has had a long day.” Jeff gathered his tools from the floor and put them in his metal case.

  Unable to hide her fatigue and knowing that a guy like Jeff would never be attracted to a dirty, sweat-soaked mess like her, she gave up all thoughts of flirting and sank onto the stool where she leaned forward and put her chin in her hand.

  “You okay?” Jeff looked at Lin with concern.

  “I can barely move. I was an idiot to think I could handle this gardening job.” Lin’s eyelids drooped.

  Jeff let out a soft chuckle. “You’ll get used to it. Don’t give up. You look like you’re in good shape. Before you know it, you’ll be coming home feeling like you could keep working for a few more hours.”

  Lin narrowed her eyes skeptically.

  “Okay. I’ll modify that statement. You’ll come home in the evening and you won’t be dragging. And your muscles won’t be burning either.”

  Lin sucked in a deep breath and let it out. “Really?”

  “Really.” Jeff snapped the lid shut on the tool case. He eyed Lin. “If you can stay awake long enough, how about you go take a shower and I’ll make a run to the farm store and bring back some takeout for us? We’ve both had a long day and my guess is that we’re both starving and neither one of us wants to cook dinner.”

  The corners of Lin’s mouth turned up. “Really?”

  “Really.” Jeff chuckled. “I’ll be back in thirty minutes.”

  Lin smiled. “It’s a deal.”

  Just then Nicky ran into the kitchen through the doggy door, whooshed in a circle around the room, and darted back outside through his little door leaving Lin and Jeff roaring with laughter at the nutty dog’s antics.

  “I think he likes it.” Lin’s eyes sparkled.

  * * *

  Her hair still damp from the shower, Lin finished setting the deck table with plates, glasses, and silverware just as Jeff came around the corner of the house carrying a large paper bag full of takeout food.

  “It smells delicious.” Lin’s stomach growled.

  They sat at the table eating their food and drinking craft beer with a candle flickering softly on the table in the waning light of the day as they chatted and got to know one another. Jeff had been an Air Force pilot for eight years when he left the service to return to his hometown on Nantucket. He’d considered applying to fly for a commercial airline, but decided he would prefer the quieter lifestyle and natural beauty that his home island provided so he came back and started his business.

  Lin shared things about her growing up years, her schooling, first jobs, and her desire to make a permanent home on Nantucket. Throughout their conversation, the small dog asserted his independence by using his doggy door to enter and exit the house at will.

  “You heard about the murder down at the docks?” Jeff lifted his beer glass.

  Lin’s shoulders tensed up. “I did. Awful.”

  “Murders are pretty rare around here. I’ve been wondering what it was all about.”

  “Did you know Hammond?”

  Jeff leaned back in his chair. “Only a little. The business people on the island can be a tight-knit group. Greg never struck me as much of a businessman. He seemed to rely too heavily on his employees.”

  “Did he ignore his company?”

  “I can’t say that for certain, but he never seemed too involved with the day-to-day tasks. He had the manager, Bill, running most of it. Bill’s wife, Joan, is the bookkeeper and Leonard runs the nursery section.”

  “Leonard? He’s capable of running part of the business?”

  “Not sure about that.” Jeff shrugged. “Hammond was always off on some new scheme to make money. The guy was fascinated with treasure hunting. He loved diving sunken ships. I think he was pretty sure he was going to hit the jackpot one day. About a year ago, he asked a few of us to join him on a dive in the Caribbean. I refused to go. I thought he was too much of a daredevil, taking stupid risks, putting himself in danger. I had enough of danger serving in the military. That was something I didn’t need any more of in my life.”

  “Someone told me that Hammond had some trouble with gambling.”

  “I heard that, too,” Jeff said. “I’m not surprised. I think the guy struggled with good judgment. I shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, but Greg seemed like someone who could make a mountain of trouble for himself.”

  Lin hesitated, then decided to tell Jeff about Viv’s experience with Hammond. “He was obsessive over her house. He frightened Viv.”

  Jeff narrowed his eyes, clearly annoyed at Hammond’s behavior. “What in the world? Those seem like the actions of a desperate man.”

  “But what could he have been so desperate over?” Lin questioned.

  “What is it about your cousin’s house that could have attracted Greg?” Jeff pondered.

  “We’ve been racking our brains trying to figure that out.” Lin sighed. “I doubt there’s any treasure hidden in some nook or cranny of Viv’s antique Cape.”

  “It’s a historical home, but Greg only cared about historical things if he saw a dollar sign hanging from them.” Jeff finished his beer.

  “You know, I was at Hammond’s business the other day.” Lin’s face was serious. “I went there to see if I could find out anything about Greg and why he was so obsessed with Viv’s house.” Thinking about the visit she paid to the landscaping company and the two men she’d talked with made Lin shake her head. “I thought Leonard and Bill were kind of odd. Bill didn’t seem to care in the least that his employer had been murdered and Leonard seemed to take delight in making me uncomfortable.” Lin’s lips turned down in distaste. “Anyway, Nicky scooted under a desk in their office and I had to fish him out. When I was trying to grab him, I saw a book on the floor under Hammond’s desk. It was about ghost mysteries on Nantucket. You think Greg could have been interested in things like that?”

  “I’ve no idea. If he could make money from something ghost-related then he’d probably be interested.” Jeff shrugged. “Did you look through the book?”

  “No, I didn’t want to linger in that office. Last night, Viv gave me a copy from her bookstore though. I just haven’t had time to look at it.”

  “Is it here?” Jeff’s eyes were bright with interest. “Shall we have a look?”

  “I left it in the living room.” Lin and Jeff got up from the table and went into the house. Lin thought she’d left the book on the side table next to the easy chair, but the tabletop was empty. She bent to see if it had fallen to the floor, maybe knocked there by the dog’s exuberant running. “It isn’t here.” Lin stood up, her hands on her hips, and glanced about the room. “Where could it be?”

  “You sure you brought it in? Could it be in your truck?” Jeff checked the bookshelf and the other tables in the room.

  “It’s not in the truck. I walked home last night.” Lin’s face was creased with annoyance. “Maybe I took it into the room I use for an office.” She hurried in there and looked around. She came out empty handed.

  “How about the kitchen?” Jeff suggested.

  Lin and Jeff looked in cabinets, on the floor, on the table, and around the countertops.

  “I’m sure I brought it home.” Lin breathed out an exasperated sigh.

  “Well, it will turn up.” Jeff gave Lin’s shoulder a squeeze. “Let’s go clear the table. I’d better head home. That alarm is going to go off tomorrow morning and I’ll sleep right through it.”

  The two went to the deck and gathered the dishes, glasses, and cutlery and brought it all inside and loaded the dishwasher. When they f
inished, Lin walked Jeff to the front door. Nicky roused from his blanket and stumbled over to rub his head against the man’s knee. Jeff bent and scratched the dog’s ears. “See you later, little guy.”

  “Thanks for picking up the dinner.” Lin stood inside the front door.

  On the front landing, Jeff shuffled from foot to foot. When he made eye contact with Lin, her muscles tingled and she felt all soft and weak. Electricity jumped between the two of them. For a second, Lin thought the handsome man would lean in for a kiss, but he hesitated and the moment was gone.

  “Um.” Jeff looked unsure. “Would you like to get dinner with me in town some night?”

  Warmth spread through Lin’s body. She couldn’t believe he was asking her out. Her eyes beamed at him. “Yes. I’d love to.”

  Jeff breathed a sigh of relief, nodded, and gave Lin a dopey smile. “I have your number. I’ll give you a call.” As he made his way to his truck, he walked with a spring in his step.

  Lin closed and locked the front door and leaned against it with a wide grin on her face. Her heart was beating fast. She hadn’t felt so happy in a very long time.

  Crossing the living room to go to the kitchen, Lin looked out of the glass door to the deck and noticed something they’d left on the outside table. She opened the door and went out to retrieve it.

  Reaching for the object, a shudder ran down her back when she saw what it was. The book she and Jeff had searched the house for was lying on the table, open to chapter eleven.

  12

  Lin flung the front door open with shaking hands and Viv hurried in from the dark night pulling her sweater around her. “How on earth did this happen?”

  “We searched the house for that book and then it showed up on the table right where we had eaten dinner. It wasn’t there when we were eating.” Lin’s face was pale and her movements were quick and twitchy.

  The girls walked into the kitchen and Lin put the tea kettle on to boil water. When she turned back to her cousin, Viv had an odd look on her face.

  “What?” Lin’s eyes widened.