Cryptic Cove Cozy Mystery Box Set

by K P Stafford

  Her eyes grew tired and strained, and some of the words looked to be in Latin or some strange language. She packed the pages into her bag and decided she’d stop to see Peyton on the way home. A fresh pair of eyes would be good.

  Peyton never ceased to amaze her. She took the page and scanned it into her computer, increased the contrast and some other stuff, then printed out the result. A lot of the text was still garbled, but they could make out more of the words. The page was also full of symbols, which they didn’t understand. They looked like some of those Egyptian hieroglyphics.

  Jake called to find out if Lexi had left the office for the day. She explained she was at the B&B with Peyton. He and Charlie were headed back to town, so it was the perfect opportunity for them to all meet up again. The girls started preparing some sandwiches so they could eat while sharing all the discoveries they’d found.

  “How did it go?” Lexi asked as Jake kissed her on the cheek.

  “Kinda strange, to be honest. Baxter was there.” He pulled something out of his pocket. “He actually helped guide the drone around to some interesting places. He even flew into a broken window of the house.”

  “Really. Do you have footage of the inside?”

  “No, we were afraid we’d lose the signal, but he came out with this and dropped it into my hand.” Jake said as he handed Lexi an old coin. “It has the same symbol and some others we haven’t seen before.”

  She looked the coin over. “Oh my gosh. Mrs. Williams gave me a box of some old records today she had found in the backroom of the library. One of the pages has these same markings. Peyton enhanced it so we could have a printout.” She grabbed one of the printed sheets and handed it to Jake.

  Charlie picked up one of the copies and looked it over. “If I’m not mistaken, these are Runes.”

  “What?” Everyone asked in unison.

  “Runes. They’re an alphabet. It’s been a long time since I’ve read up on that stuff, but now they’re used for divination, like tarot cards and other stuff.”

  Peyton looked at the coin and the symbols on the page they’d printed out. “I don’t know if I like where this is going. Maybe our grandparents hid all of this stuff for a very good reason.”

  Lexi looked at her. “I agree, but we have to get to the bottom of this. Whoever is after the Cryptex and the secrets from the past are willing to kill for it. If we can expose the secrets and get it all out in the open, it will put a stop to all this nonsense.”

  “You’re right,” Peyton replied. “Let’s grab the sandwiches and then watch the video the guys made. Maybe we can figure out more of this puzzle.”

  Charlie loaded the files onto the computer and everyone settled in. The place was overgrown, but there was quite a bit of open space too. Just like Jake said, Baxter swooped in and guided the drone through the trees and other areas. It was like he knew what the guys were trying to get a better look at. Smart bird.

  At the end of the video, when the drone was flying back to the road so the guys could land it, a car on the side of the road was clearly visible. “I’ve seen that car.” Lexi said.

  “Where?” Jake asked.

  “It was recent. Oh wait! It was today. I went to see Mavis Clark and old man Chimay showed up. When I walked outside, that car was parked in front. It must belong to Dell Chimay.”

  “Could that be a coincidence?” Peyton asked.

  Lexi shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, but he also has a bandage on his hand. What if it’s a burn and he’s the one who started the fire at Shirley’s?”

  Jake looked at Lexi. “You’re jumping to conclusions.”

  “I am, but isn’t it strange that he not only showed up when I was trying to talk to Mavis, but before that he’d been in the same woods as you guys. And, it’s very close to that old estate?”

  Peyton’s eyes grew wide. “He and Shirley had a thing going on not too long ago, too.”

  Everyone looked at her. “What kind of thing?” Lexi asked.

  “You know, a relationship thing. They were seeing each other.”

  Lexi turned to Jake. “Still think I’m jumping to conclusions?”

  “Yeah, but that’s a lot of coincidences, and I don’t believe in coincidences.”

  “I need to let John know about all of this. We can talk to Mr. Chimay tomorrow. John tried today, but he missed him.”

  Lexi gathered up all the pages and put them into a file folder. Charlie made her a copy of the video and saved it to a flash drive. For the first time since Shirley’s death, Lexi felt like they finally had a lead. She didn’t want to wait until morning to speak to John, so she called and asked him to meet her at Grams’ to show him all of the new evidence.

  CHAPTER 19

  John and Lexi got an early start the following morning. He didn’t have the suspicions Lexi did, but he agreed with her that it was all too coincidental. Shirley and Dell did have a relationship recently. Grams had confirmed that it ended with some anger on both sides. Grams didn’t know if they’d ever discussed town secrets, or if the man even knew about the object Shirley had kept hidden all these years, but everyone agreed that if they were getting close, knowing Dell’s family were original town members, it could have come up.

  “Perhaps he got greedy or something.” Grams said. “Thinking a hidden treasure exists can make people do awful things.”

  “I know he lives a modest life, but wouldn’t his retirement from the postal service be a pretty good income?” Lexi asked.

  John reminded the ladies how greed can affect people. They’d seen it right after Lexi moved back to Cryptic Cove and the manager at Hayden’s Ridge had been stealing people’s money.

  John turned his truck down the long driveway. Dell Chimay was coming out of his workshop. He turned quickly and shut the large door. It looked suspicious to Lexi, but she didn’t say anything to John. Hopefully he caught it, too.

  The questioning took a turn for the worst when the old man took offence at Lexi’s accusation. “You saw the bandage on my hand in Mavis Clark’s office and automatically assume I killed Shirley? You’ve got a lot of nerve, young lady. And your investigative reasoning is so far-fetched it’s not even funny. It don’t even deserve a response.”

  John spoke up, “Now Dell, you have to admit your actions are a bit suspicious, like you’re trying to hide something. What’s in your workshop that you don’t want to talk about or you don’t want us to see?”

  Dell shook his head. “It’s a special project, it’s a surprise. I’d appreciate it if you’d just drop it.”

  “I can’t do that. You know it. I’m the town constable, and it’s my responsibility to check every lead. I came out here today giving you the benefit of the doubt, but after your attitude and your sneaky behavior, I have to wonder what’s going on.” John said.

  “Do you have one of them confidential clauses like lawyer’s do?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, if I show you what’s in my shop, will it stay a secret? Between us?”

  “That depends on what you’re hiding and if it’s legal.”

  “I ain’t hiding nothing, John. It’s just a special project, and I need it to stay a secret until I’m ready. I ain’t doing nothing illegal.”

  “You’ll have to let me be the judge of that. If it’s not illegal, and it has nothing to do with our case, then I promise you, we’ll keep your secret.”

  “What about her?” Dell barked out as he pointed to Lexi.

  “She will keep your secret.”

  “Okay then, but if word of this gets out, I’ll tell the whole town you railroaded me.”

  “That sounds like a threat.”

  “Only because this is important to me.”

  “Okay, just show me what’s so super secretive.”

  Dell led John and Lexi into his shop. Along each wall was a wooden scene he’d cut out and painted. The work was beautiful. Lexi’s mouth gaped open as she looked at him, “It’s a Nativity scene.”

>   “Of course it’s a Nativity scene. I told you I wasn’t no killer. We’ve been using the same scene at the courthouse for decades and I thought it was time to build a new one. I want to present it to the town at Thanksgiving, before we start putting out all the Christmas stuff.”

  John looked at Dell. “I’m sorry we doubted you. This is a wonderful gesture and a beautiful gift for the town.”

  Dell shuffled some dirt with the tip of his boot before looking back up at John. “I didn’t mean to be so rude about it. I know you have a job to do. We’re all in shock about Shirley, and we all miss her.”

  “You and her had been seeing each other. So, you can see why we’d need to question you.”

  “Yeah, but you could’ve come out here in a nicer way instead of just jumping to conclusions and making accusations.”

  “And you could’ve been less defensive and suspicious acting.”

  “Agreed.” Dell said as he reached out to shake John’s hand. “I hope you figure this out. It’s had me all upset. I’ve just poured myself into this project so I don’t sit around and think about it.”

  “I understand.” John told him.

  They left the Chimay farm with no more answers than they had before. Either the man was telling the truth, or he was using it all as a good coverup. Lexi told John she would check with the hospital to see when Dell was treated, if he was treated. Learning of his town project hadn’t completely marked him off the suspect list, but it did move him down a notch or two.

  CHAPTER 20

  John dropped Lexi off at her vehicle, and she headed to the hardware store to check on Dell Chimay’s purchases. The man had a good alibi, there was no doubt about that, but they still had to follow up on his story.

  Melvin Goode was a cheerful man, always had a kind word for everyone. For his age, he was in great shape and very spry. The years showed on his face, but it was a sweet face. Lexi thought of her grandfather whenever she ran into Melvin. They both had smiles that would light up a room, compassionate eyes and always a warm glow about them. At least that’s what she remembered of her grandfather, and that definitely described Melvin.

  As soon as he spotted her, he came around the counter, his arms spread wide. “My dear Miss Lexi. Give this old man a hug. How are you?”

  “I’m good. At least I think I’m good. There’s so much going on right now that it’s hard to catch my breath.”

  He released her from his embrace and looked into her eyes. “Oh yes, the wedding plans. How is that coming along?”

  Emotions welled up inside Lexi. “As much as I’m ready to enjoy our big day, the plans have kinda reached a stand-still. This new investigation is so overwhelming and emotional.”

  He reached out and rubbed her arm. “Don’t forget to focus on the good things in life, too. The wedding will happen when it’s the right time.”

  “I know. It’s just so hard right now. And we need to figure out who killed Shirley, so we can get back to normal and focus on the good stuff.”

  “I understand. What can I help you with?”

  “I hate to ask, but it is an investigation and we have to check every possible lead. We’ve talked to Dell Chimay, and he’s been working on a secret project. Can you tell me about the purchases he’s made lately?”

  “Yes, I keep all sales records. Since he has an account with us, all of his purchases are logged into his account.”

  “That’s great.”

  “Are you looking for anything specific?”

  She couldn’t tell him they suspected the man could have burned Shirley, or maybe even started fires at the cemetery, but she needed to know if he’d bought stuff to start a fire with. “Well, I can’t really discuss details, but I also need to know if anyone has purchased flammable materials lately. There was some vandalism at the cemetery. It’s probably not related, but since I’m here, I might as well find out what I can on that case, too.”

  “There was a kid in here about a week ago. He was asking about liquids that could be burned. I couldn’t sell to him, of course, because of his age. He said it was for a school project, but it did strike me as odd.”

  “Who was it?”

  “I didn’t recognize him. He talked like he’s from around here, but I’d never seen him before.”

  Lexi looked around. “I don’t suppose you have security cameras?”

  “There’s a few, but they only cover certain areas of the store. I can give you what footage I have. Maybe he crossed in front of one of them.”

  “That’d be great.”

  Lexi left the hardware store with a stack of purchase invoices, a few descriptions of people that had bought specific items and no more answers than she had before. Melvin gave her a good description of the kid, so if he was on any of the surveillance footage, he’d be easy to spot. The more she thought about it, the more she decided they needed to find out who this kid was. If he was responsible for the fires and destruction at the cemetery, he could very well be responsible for Shirley’s death. Maybe he’d been trying to rob her, and everything else was a mere coincidence.

  Lexi shared her thoughts with John. He agreed that the kid could be a likely suspect.

  “Do you think all of this could be about a robbery and not even about that Cryptex or town secrets.”

  “That would be a relief.” John said, “But we can’t let our guard down where that thing is concerned. It may not be linked to anything. Unfortunately, it has come to the surface, and we need to solve that mystery, even if it’s not related to the vandalism or Shirley’s death.

  Lexi spent the afternoon going through the security video footage that Melvin had turned over to her.

  CHAPTER 21

  Peyton and Lexi got together after work to look over the enhanced pages. Peyton had taken it on herself to study up on runes to find out what they meant and how they could relate to the case.

  Peyton poured two cups of tea. “I’ve been looking over that paper,” she said as she set the two cups down on the table. “It seems that one of those symbols, the one shaped like an R, is called Raidho, and it means the journey is the destination.” She pointed to the other one, “This one that looks like a C means the student surpasses the teacher. It’s called Kenaz.”

  Lexi took a sip of the tea. “It’s awfully cryptic, isn’t it.”

  “It is, but I’m guessing that someone who has more knowledge of these things probably understands the deeper meanings.”

  “What about this other shape?” Lexi asked, pointing to the diagram. “I’ve seen it before, on TV shows and stuff.”

  “It’s called a triquetra. In some cultures, it symbolizes a triple goddess or something, but it could also indicate the holy trinity.”

  “I have a gut feeling that my ancestor used it more for this goddess thing. If he was a good guy, why would the whole town try to hide and bury everything related to him?” Lexi said as she set the cup of tea on the table.

  “That’s what I’ve been wondering. Don’t worry though, we’ll find out.”

  Lexi stood up and walked over to the patio doors. “I’m not real sure I want to find out. Maybe he wasn’t a very nice man.”

  “I can understand your reluctance. I don’t think I’d want to know either.”

  “But, on the other hand, people have been killed over whatever secrets are hidden behind those symbols. The sooner we do find out, the sooner we can solve this case and it can’t hurt us anymore. That doesn’t stop my fear though.” She looked out the window. “Who’s that kid out there with Charlie?” She asked, looking down into Peyton’s garden.

  Peyton walked over and stood beside Lexi. “Oh, that’s Bobby. He lives up at the old mining community.”

  “What’s that? Where is that? I’ve never heard of it.”

  “Some of our grandparents worked in a mine. When it collapsed and they couldn’t work it anymore, several people decided to stay there instead of moving back to town. They’ve built this community up there, but it’s more like a ghost tow
n. I think most of the people still live in one room shacks like they did all those years ago.”

  “Really? It sounds awful.”

  “I think it is. But Charlie goes up there and talks to the people. They don’t really like outsiders, but since he wasn’t actually raised in town either, they trust him.”

  Lexi watched Charlie and the kid pull dead flowers and weeds out of the garden. Something about his appearance bothered her, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. “The kid seems to like flowers.”

  “Yes, he’s very good with them. I’m glad Charlie is helping him get used to people and being in town.”

  “How long has he been coming into town?”

  “A few months, I guess. He helps keep the flowers pruned back. He even likes to take the ones that are still good with him when he leaves.”

  “That’s it!” Lexi gasped.

  “That’s what?”

  “The fresh flowers at the cemetery. They’re from your garden. He’s the one putting them there.”

  “You think so?”

  “I can’t be sure, but all the plastic flowers had been removed from the graves and burned. Some of the residents called after the vandalism story hit the news and reported that plastic flowers were missing from their loved ones headstones, but that fresh flowers were in their place.” Lexi took in a deep breath. “And this kid may be our little pyro. I have to talk to him.”