by J A Whiting
Lin shuddered and pulled her hand loose from Libby’s grasp. “What was that?”
“I’ll tell you what you probably saw.” Libby recounted the images that had flashed through Lin’s brain.
“How?” Lin’s eyes were wide. Her hands trembled. She was ready to bolt from the house.
Libby folded her hands in her lap. “You and I are related, although very distantly. We are both descended from the Witchard family. Some of the Witchard women have special gifts. It took us a while to determine if you had skills.” Libby made eye contact with Lin. “You’re one of us, Carolin. You’re not alone. Not anymore.”
Lin gaped at the woman. She couldn’t believe her ears. There were other people on the island with similar skills to her own? Her heart nearly burst with joy.
“You can see things?” Libby asked cautiously.
Lin swallowed hard. She didn’t answer.
Libby phrased her previous question in a different way. “You can see the spirits of those who have passed?”
Lin gave a slight nod. She had never met anyone else who had special skills. Her head was spinning, a million questions swirling in her brain.
“We suspected you could. You feel a cool breeze when a spirit is near?”
“Yes.”
“Recently, Anton and I answered a question that you asked us in the same way,” Libby said. “We wanted to see your reaction when we mentioned a cool breeze was what we heard at the docks. We were trying to determine if you could see the ones who have passed. I sensed that you could.” Libby’s expression was serious. “It’s very powerful to have both Coffins and Witchards in your blood. And to be firstborn magnifies any skills that you have.” Libby cocked her head. “You’ve seen spirits recently?”
“Yes.” Lin’s voice was soft.
Libby’s eyebrows went up, revealing her excitement. “Have they spoken to you?”
“I see the ghost of Sebastian Coffin, when he decides he wants to be seen.”
Wilson let out a gasp. His eyes were wide and a huge grin spread over his face.
“He never speaks. He just looks at me.” Lin’s forehead creased. “Although, the last time, it seemed that he was trying to communicate something to me, but without using words. It was all fuzzy and I couldn’t understand it.”
“If it happens again, just let it flow. Don’t try too hard,” Libby said. “Relax. Just be open to the messages.”
“Why am I seeing things now? When I was young, I could always stop it from happening. Now, no matter what I think or try, I can’t stop ghosts from appearing.”
“I’m not sure I have an answer.” Libby leaned slightly forward. “Perhaps if a child says no, then the request is respected, but an adult, well, if a spirit has a message of importance….”
Lin thought about that. It seemed to make sense.
“When I held your hand, could you make out any of the words spoken between the men in the vision?”
“No. I could just hear the voices and the angry tone.”
“Did you get a look at the killer’s face?”
Lin cringed and shook her head. She wished she could be of more help. She glanced at Wilson and then back at Libby. “Why were you at the docks that day?”
“Every morning, my friends and I meet at your cousin’s bookstore. We heard your cousin and her employee discussing Greg Hammond’s harassment. I had a premonition of trouble. Anton and I worked to figure out why Hammond was after that particular house.”
“We make a good team.” Anton smiled at Libby. “With my historical knowledge and Libby’s skills, we’ve been able to figure some things out.”
“Despite Mr. Hammond’s desperate pursuit of your cousin’s house, I sensed that he was in danger,” Libby said. “Anton and I visited the docks that morning. We called on Mr. Hammond at his boat, but he wasn’t there. We waited for a short time and then we decided to walk around in the hopes we would run into him.” Libby sighed and looked down.
“We were a bit too early.” Anton’s face was tense. “Mr. Hammond returned to his boat after we had left. Unfortunately, the killer had better timing than we did.”
Lin’s expression was serious. “Do you know why Hammond wanted Viv’s house so badly? Did he think there was something valuable hidden somewhere on the property, maybe money from the supposed involvement in the bank robbery? I heard recently that there was a rumor that Sebastian had some pirate’s loot. ”
Wilson’s eyes widened. “You know that rumor?”
Lin said, “I talked with the man at the historical society.”
“I don’t believe Sebastian was involved in the bank robbery,” Wilson said. “Some people on the island believed that Sebastian and Emily took in people who had run away from the mainland because they were afraid of being accused of witchcraft. Believe it or not, some of those people were very wealthy. Speculation was that Sebastian may have received valuables for helping people escape from persecution. My research indicates that Sebastian and Emily received gifts from the people they helped, some very valuable gifts.” Wilson paused. “Have you heard of the pirate, La Buse?”
Lin shook her head.
“La Buse was born in Calais in the late 1600s. He was a naval officer who later became a pirate. He’s known for hiding one of the biggest pirate treasures in history. It’s never been found. Today the treasure would be worth well over a billion dollars.”
Lin’s eyes bugged out.
“It is possible that Sebastian received some items thought to be from La Buse’s treasure as well as some documents with instructions indicating where the full loot is buried in the Seychelles. Sebastian wrote to his brother about the gifts he’d received saying he felt obligated to accept them, but that he would never sell the items. He did not want to benefit from someone else’s misfortune. We assume that Greg Hammond was aware of that information.”
“How would Hammond know all of this?” Lin was puzzled.
“I wrote about it in one of my books. A long time ago.” Wilson folded his arms over his chest. “If some items of value are hidden on your cousin’s property, it would add to the historical record of what we know of Sebastian and Emily Coffin.”
Lin was about to ask a question when Libby’s phone chimed and the woman stood to take the call. After a few moments, she clicked off. “Anton and I have an appointment we must get to. Can you meet me at the bookstore in the morning so that we can continue our chat?”
Lin agreed and a time was set to gather at the bookstore early the next day.
“We need to figure out who killed Greg Hammond.” Libby’s face clouded. “There is a dangerous person lurking on our island. He wants what isn’t his. He has to be found.” The woman put her hand softly on Lin’s arm. “If you’re willing to help, we can talk tomorrow about how best to join forces. We need you, Carolin.” Libby studied Lin’s face and smiled. “I can sense your grandfather’s love all around you.”
Lin’s heart swelled and she blinked back tears. She’d finally found someone like her. There was so much to know and discover and she couldn’t wait to fire questions at Libby. She could barely squeak out the words from her emotion-filled throat. “I want to help.”
Lin and the dog left Wilson’s house and headed up the street to her truck. With misty eyes, she looked down at Nicky trotting along beside her. “I’m not alone, Nick. I’m not alone.”
21
Lin stepped out of the front door of Viv’s house. “You two behave,” Lin told Nicky and Queenie. “And be sure to protect the house.” She locked the door and pulled it closed. Lin was heading into town to meet Jeff at a pub for dinner.
Viv and her band had a gig to play at a night-spot down by the docks. Viv’s boyfriend was still in Boston so a friend of theirs was sitting in for him on the keyboards. Viv was still uneasy about the evening intruder in her yard, so she asked Lin to stay overnight with her again.
Lin was so excited to see Jeff that she practically skipped down the street, her long brown hair swing
ing beneath her shoulders. Lin chuckled when she realized this would be the first time he would see her when she wasn’t covered in sweat or garden grime so she chose her cutest summer dress to emphasize her nicer appearance.
Jeff was waiting at the pub entrance and when she turned the corner and he caught sight of her, he beamed and strode up the sidewalk to greet her.
“You look great.” He gave her a hug and held her hand as they walked the few steps to the pub door. Lin’s heart raced and her cheeks tinged with pink.
“I thought maybe you wouldn’t recognize me all cleaned up.” Lin’s blue eyes were shining.
“Well, you did shower the night we got takeout for dinner,” Jeff smiled as he reminded her.
They sat down at a table near the window and sipped drinks while perusing the menu. Once they ordered, they chatted about their week and the talk turned again to the murder of Greg Hammond. Lin told Jeff about the bank heist, the notion that Sebastian Coffin helped persecuted people settle on the island, and the rumor that Sebastian and Emily had received valuable items from a pirate’s treasure for helping those people live in safety.
Jeff set his beer glass on the table. “Greg would be very interested in that. He probably thought that he’d find the long-lost treasure and all of his problems would be solved.” He gave Lin a serious look. “I heard some rumors, too.” He seemed reluctant to share.
“What did you hear?”
“I met a couple of friends for lunch the other day. One of them heard something about Greg’s company being in financial peril. Greg put the business up for sale right before he was killed. An audit is being done on the company. It’s hush-hush. They don’t want to tip off any of the employees that there are questions about the finances. It seems someone may have been stealing from the business, probably still is.”
Lin straightened. “I’m not surprised. My guess would be Leonard. When I stopped in at the landscape company a while ago, it seemed that Leonard had free rein in that office. He didn’t want me in there. He could very well be the one stealing from the company.”
Jeff nodded. “If the business was sinking financially, then Greg’s desperation to find hidden money in your cousin’s house makes a lot of sense.”
“But if his finances were a mess, how would a bank ever give him a loan to buy Viv’s house?” Lin asked.
“He could have used his business for collateral. It’s a big property, a well-known business on the island.”
Lin let out a long sigh. “I wish the police would make an arrest. Then Viv wouldn’t have to worry about being a suspect. The whole thing is wearing her down.”
Jeff reached across the table and took Lin’s hand. “I think the whole thing is wearing on you, too.”
She gave a reluctant nod and whispered. “You’re right. It is. They couldn’t pin this on Viv could they?”
The edges of Jeff’s mouth turned down. “I hope not.”
Thinking about her cousin being falsely accused caused anxiety to pulse through Lin’s body.
To lighten the mood, Jeff suggested sharing a dessert and they ordered a slice of key lime pie which arrived on a pale yellow plate with two silver spoons. When the date was over, Lin and Jeff stood on the sidewalk in front of the pub and shared a sweet kiss before parting ways. Despite the late hour, Jeff had promised to help a friend pull out some old kitchen cabinets in preparation for a remodel. He offered to drive Lin to Viv’s house, but Lin wanted to go see her cousin’s band playing in town.
Lin walked along in the light from the streetlamps and headed to the club where Viv and her band were playing down near the docks. Tourists were out in full force strolling by the stores and pubs and walking along the wharves to look at all the boats. Turning the corner, she noticed that the streetlights were out and that storefronts were dark in this section of town. People spilled onto the sidewalks and Lin heard them discussing the area power outage. Approaching the club, Lin spotted one of Viv’s band members amid the crowd at the curb.
“Viv went home. The power went out halfway through our first set. The guys packed up the equipment. I’m just waiting for Joe to come by with the van.”
Lin thanked the young woman and turned for Viv’s house. As she walked, she pondered what she’d learned about the case. No one had been arrested yet so Viv was still a possible suspect. Three hundred years ago, Emily and Sebastian Coffin helped people who fled the mainland out of fear of persecution for witchcraft to settle on the island. Emily and Sebastian may have received valuable gifts for their help. Those gifts had never been located and are thought to be hidden on Viv’s property. Greg Hammond’s business was in financial trouble and he’d put the company up for sale shortly before he was killed. Hammond desperately wanted Viv’s house hoping to discover the valuable items which would have solved his financial woes.
Distracted by her thoughts, Lin turned the corner and smacked into a woman carrying two bags of groceries. The bags hit the ground spilling some of the contents out onto the sidewalk. “I’m so sorry.” As she was about to kneel to gather the things, Lin recognized the woman as one of her gardening clients. “Oh, Mrs. Abbott. I was so distracted and not paying any attention.” She repacked the bags.
The small, silver-haired woman smiled. “It’s happened to all of us. Don’t worry. Nothing I bought can be hurt in a tumble. The wheel broke on my shopping pull-cart so I had to carry everything.”
Lin stood, her arms wrapped around the bags, all the items safely inside. “Let me carry them for you. I’m heading in the same direction.”
Mrs. Abbott gave a meager protest, but it was plain that she was grateful for the help. The two started up the lane heading for Main Street. The woman’s small home was tucked a few blocks away on a side road in town. They chatted about Mrs. Abbott’s gardens which were full and lush this year and the woman credited Lin’s care with their success.
Halfway up the hill, the topic changed. “So terrible about Greg Hammond.” Mrs. Abbott tsk-tsked and shook her head. “Such an awful thing. Our island is usually so quiet and peaceful. The poor man. Did you know him?”
Lin shook her head. “I was introduced to him only briefly.” She kept Hammond’s harassment of Viv to herself.
“He was a nice person.”
Lin looked at Mrs. Abbott out of the corner of her eye. That wasn’t the way Viv would have described the man. “Was he? You knew him?”
“He put in my garden plants a few years ago and he did the brick walkway recently.” The old woman gave a sad sigh. “He’d join me for tea. We had some very nice discussions. We talked about everything, flowers, of course, but current events, books, history, especially the history of the island. He was quite knowledgeable.”
“What do you think happened? Was he in trouble with someone?’
Mrs. Abbott gave a little snort. “Greg was in trouble with himself mostly. Money slipped right through his fingers like water through a sieve. He needed to pay more attention to his company.” The woman looked over her shoulder and lowered her voice. “Greg was sure one of the employees was stealing from the business. He was positive that he should have been making more money than he was. He was trying to figure it out.”
Lin was shocked that Hammond would confess such things to a customer. “He told you this?”
“Oh, yes. Greg put the business up for sale. He figured an audit right before sale would uncover the wrongdoing.”
“Did he tell you who he suspected?”
“No. He didn’t want to accuse someone without proof. He came by the day before he was killed to fix the patio. The cold winter weather had forced up some of the bricks. He told me that his fortunes were about to change.”
“Did he say how?”
“Greg finally figured out who was stealing from him. He planned to go to the police with the information the very next morning.” The woman’s face clouded. “He never got there.” Mrs. Abbott let out a heavy sigh. “How I wish he’d told me the name of the devil who stole from him so that I co
uld inform the police.”
Lin’s heart was beating fast as they turned onto the woman’s front walk and then went up the stairs to the porch. Under the porch light, Lin could see a frown pulling on Mrs. Abbott’s facial muscles.
“Do you think the embezzler knew Greg was on to him? Do you think he killed Greg?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” the woman said solemnly.
“Did you tell the police about this?” Lin asked.
“Indeed, I did.” Mrs. Abbott stood a little straighter. “But no one’s been arrested so it mustn’t have been any help.”
“I bet it was a huge help.” Lin’s mind was racing. A thought popped into her head and gave her such a jolt that she nearly dropped the grocery bags. “Would you like me to bring these inside?” She wanted to hurry away to pursue her idea.
“No, my dear. Just set them down.” Mrs. Abbott pointed to the porch floor and thanked Lin for her help.
Lin was about to hurry down the front steps when Mrs. Abbott let out another sigh as she fumbled in her purse for her house key. “Poor Greg. He really seemed very much alone in the world.”
Lin’s heart clenched. She stood still for a moment and then she moved slowly down the steps. For a good part of her life, she’d been all too familiar with the feeling of being alone.
22
Leonard. It had to be him. Lin raced up Main Street to get to Viv’s house as fast as she could.
Leonard had access to Hammond’s back office files and he was probably in need of money. Greg ignored the business so it must have been fairly easy to doctor the books. He must have known that Greg was interested in Viv’s house. He must have seen the books that Greg was reading. Maybe Leonard even knew what Greg hoped to find on Viv’s property. Lin’s brain was trying to fit all the pieces together. He must have known that Greg had discovered that he was embezzling from the business so, to save his skin, Leonard murdered Greg. Lin berated herself for not seeing it sooner.
