by Glen Ebisch
“Surely, you don’t think it was a ghost.”
“No, but I think it was someone who’s being very clever. Were you able to find out anything about the people who are staying at the inn?”
“Rudinski was on that,” the Lieutenant said, turning to the younger man.
“Everyone checked out as living where they said they were,” the officer replied. “The police data bank didn’t show any of them to have a criminal record. I couldn’t dig any deeper because we don’t really have enough evidence to focus on a person of interest.”
“Do they live in state?” asked Clarissa.
“The Beckers are from Pennsylvania, and the Dobbs are from Delaware. Denise Lambson and the Harmons are from northern New Jersey.”
“And Sylvia’s daughter lives here at the inn?”
Rudinski nodded.
“Still suspicious of her?” Baker asked.
Clarissa shrugged. “A lot of crimes take place within families.”
“That’s for sure,” he agreed. “Well, I guess it’s time to question the ghost buster.”
“Be gentle with her. She really is upset. Her whole world has been turned upside down. She always thought ghosts were friendly.”
Baker smiled as he headed towards the Becker’s room. “I guess she’s been hanging out with Casper too much.”
Sylvia was waiting at the top of the stairs. “What did you find out?” she asked anxiously.
“Not very much. I’m afraid the Beckers are determined to leave.”
Sylvia sighed. “Just what I need, more lost revenue.”
“I already spoke to Denise, and she didn’t hear anything. What about the Harmons?”
“They’re down in the parlor. They didn’t hear anything either,” Sylvia said. “How can so many people be so unobservant?”
“What about your granddaughter?”
“She was up on the third floor with me. We didn’t know anything had happened until early this morning when the Beckers told us.”
Clarissa nodded and decided this was a good time to pursue something that had been bothering her.
“Why is Tracy living with you rather than on her own or with her parents?” Clarissa asked.
Sylvia’s face closed down and for a moment Clarissa thought she wasn’t going to answer. But then she changed her mind.
“Tracy’s father and mother divorced when she was around twelve. My daughter always did have questionable taste in men. When her father and I were raising her we were pretty much free spirits, and I often think we didn’t give her enough guidance. Anyway, she took care of Tracy by herself for a few years, then she got married to another creep. They were both into drugs. Tracy was in high school then, and I didn’t think she was safe at home with the guy so I took her in. She’s lived with me for the past seven years and become pretty much indispensible around here.”
“It was very nice of you to do that,” said Clarissa.
Sylvia shrugged. “She’s family, and she really didn’t have anywhere else to go. I think family loyalty is important.”
“But it must be kind of lonely for her here, especially in the off season. Does she have a boyfriend?”
“She was going out with a fellow who worked in the meat department at the Acme, but they broke up quite a few months ago. I don’t think she’s going out with anyone now.” Sylvia smiled. “We’re a team. We keep each other company.”
Clarissa smiled, and hoped that Tracy felt that way.
*****
“So nobody knew anything?” Ashley asked, sitting across from Clarissa back in the church office.
“Apparently Captain Boudreau came and went like a ghost,” Clarissa said with a wan smile.
“I think there must be a man involved, unless they are all lying. Pushing these women around would take some strength.”
“Tracy is young and probably pretty strong. She could dress up and pretend to be a sea captain.” Ashley grinned. “I don’t know from personal experience, but I’ve heard that housework can give you muscles.”
“She’d have to be pretty cold to treat her grandmother that way. After all, the woman virtually saved her life.”
“Maybe she’s got a boyfriend who wants to own the inn. Another thing, and again I don’t know from experience, but I’ve heard women can do pretty stupid things for a guy.”
“Sylvia said Tracy wasn’t going out with anyone right now.”
“Would Sylvia know?”
“It’s hard to know what Sylvia knows and doesn’t know.”
Ashley nodded. “Yeah, some of these folks who act kind of vague and flighty are pretty sharp underneath. What about this other couple, the Harmons? Nothing bad has happened to them. Maybe they’re behind it all.”
“Possibly, but wouldn’t you think that if someone staying at the inn were behind all this, they would have pretended to be victims just to throw us off their scent?”
“Still, they might be worth looking into.”
“Officer Rudinski has already checked everyone out as far as they can without more evidence. Everyone lives where they said they did, and no one has a criminal conviction.”
Ashley frowned, “And I suppose none of them have any known connection to Ed Schyler?”
“Not that we’ve found. The thing that worries me is that whoever is doing this is likely to keep on until Sylvia sells the inn. So far the assaults have been pretty mild, but who knows when the person behind it might decide to jump things up a level. Then someone might really get hurt.”
Ashley thought for a moment. “You know, maybe you could slow down the escalation by having Sylvia put out the word that she’s seriously thinking about selling the inn. Whoever is behind it all might delay their next move to see what she decides.”
“That’s a really good idea. I’ll give Sylvia a call right now and see if she’s willing to do it.”
Clarissa went into her office and called Sylvia’s number. When she answered, Clarissa gave her a brief summary of why it might be wise to pretend to be interested in selling the inn.
“I guess that might help slow down whatever is happening,” she agreed. “But it’s not going to stop for good until we find out who’s behind it.”
“I know. The police are working on it, and I’ll see if I can come up with any new ideas.”
“Well, I’ll mention thinking about selling to the guests that are left here, and I have a meeting of the local inn owners association tomorrow. I’ll hint about selling to them as well.”
“Don’t tell anyone that this is just a ploy.”
“What about Tracy? Since she works here, she really has a right to know the truth.”
“Could you let her stay in the dark for a while? It’s important that whoever is behind this think they’ve really got you on the run.”
“Okay, I guess I can do that for a little while,” Sylvia agreed grudgingly.
“Thanks. It’s only for a short time until we come up with a better plan.”
After hanging up the phone, she glanced at the sermon that still occupied the center of her desk. She still had a little time before lunch, so she shut the door and began to softly talk to her phantom audience about the process of change.
Chapter Eleven
After having a small, quick lunch, much to Mrs. Gunn’s dismay, Clarissa returned to the office to wait for Andrew. Ashley had the afternoon off, so when the phone rang Clarissa picked it up. It was Tyler.
“Hey, how are you doing?” he said. “It’s good to hear your voice. In fact it’s good to hear the voice of any other human being. I’m going crazy here all alone in my apartment.”
“I’m sorry. I imagine it must be hard.”
“You heard that they suspended me without pay from my job?”
“Yes, I think you’re getting a raw deal there.”
“Even if I don’t get convicted of anything, I’m pretty sure they won’t take me back. Probably no one around here will hire me. News spreads fast in a small town.”
> “Let’s take first things first. Andrew and I are working hard to see that the charges against you get dropped. Try to stay optimistic.”
A long sigh came down the phone. “Yeah, yeah, I know. How is that going?”
“We’re going to see Sam’s mother this afternoon.”
“I’m sure she must hate me.”
“We need to find out whether she remembers anything that might give us a line on what was happening in Sam’s life. Have you thought of anything else he might have told you that you haven’t mentioned?”
“You think I haven’t been racking my brain trying to think of something? But we only talked twice at any length before that night when he called me on the phone. We didn’t really discuss anything very personal, and he certainly never mentioned having any enemies. If I’d only had more time with him, I probably would have learned further details.”
“We’ll be sure to question his mother closely about any conflicts he may have had, in school and out.”
“You and Andrew working together. That must be cozy.”
Clarissa was tired of those kinds of comments.
“One of us will give you a call when we have something.”
“Okay, sorry. I hope you have some luck.”
“So do I.”
After hanging up, Clarissa sat for a moment considering what a future with Tyler might be like. She didn’t remember him being quite so needy or so inclined to insinuate things when they were in seminary together. But being arrested for murder probably didn’t bring out the best in anyone’s personality. Still, she wondered whether these less attractive characteristics had been there all along, and perhaps had subconsciously played a role in her decision to break up with him. She gave a mental shrug. Who really knew the true reasons for why she made a particular decision? We were truly mysteries even to ourselves.
The door opened and Andrew walked into the office.
“Ready to go?” he asked, giving her a big smile. His cheerful demeanor was a welcome contrast to Tyler’s moodiness.
“More than ready,” Clarissa said, leaping to her feet. “Let’s hope we start making some progress.”
Within ten minutes, they were standing in front of the Cryer house, a small white two-story several blocks in from the beach. The woman who answered the door looked to be in her mid-forties. She was short and thin, and wearing a waitress uniform.
“Are you the lawyer and minister?” she asked curtly.
“That’s right,” Andrew replied.
She stepped back out of the doorway. “Well, I guess you may as well come in, although I don’t know what I can tell you that I haven’t already told the police.”
Clarissa gave her a smile as they entered, but got a stony stare in return. They turned left and she led them into a small living room that was shrouded in shadows. From what Clarissa could see, the furniture was simple, but the room was neatly kept.
“We’re very sorry for your loss,” Clarissa said.
“I have to say I’m not really happy to see you,” Sarah Cryer replied, once she was perched on the edge of a chair. “I’ve got no time for someone who is trying to help the man who killed my boy.”
“I can understand that,” Andrew said in a soft voice. “But I’m sure you want the right person to be punished for your son’s death. Part of our job is to make sure that happens.”
“It seems to me the police have already got the right man. After all, he was found standing over Sam’s body with the murder weapon in his hand.”
“Do you have any idea why Tyler Hamilton would want to hurt your son?” asked Clarissa.
“No, but I have no idea why anyone else would either.”
“How did Sam happen to get the job at the Slipped Anchor?” Clarissa asked.
“My boss got him the job.”
“Who is that?”
“Ed Schyler.”
“Do you work at the Lazy Dolphin?” asked Clarissa.
The woman nodded, surprised. “Do you know Ed?”
“No, but I’ve heard of him. I guess he owns several places in Shore Side.”
“Yeah, and one of them is the Slipped Anchor. When I told him about Sam wanting to earn some money to go to college, he got him a part-time job in the kitchen. Ed is okay. He appreciates his loyal employees.”
“Did Sam like working there?”
The woman shrugged. “It was a job. To be honest, I didn’t talk to him about it much. I work the eleven to two lunch shift, and then I have a couple of hours off. I go back in for the five to nine dinner service. If Sam worked, he got home at ten, and we would be too tired to say much. The last thing we wanted to talk about was work. If he wasn’t working, we might talk more when I got home, but most of it would be about school.
“Were you worried about his grades?” asked Clarissa.
“That’s why I paid to have him put in this mission place. Over the summer he suddenly started talking about going to college, so I told him he had to pull up his grades. I think he was trying to do that, but he needed help. Sam has always struggled in school going back to fourth grade when his father and I got divorced. He even went up north to live with his father, Tony, for a couple of years. Sam said I was too strict, but I think he also missed his father.”
“That didn’t work out, and he came back?” asked Andrew.
The woman twisted her hands together nervously and looked away. “My ex died of an opioid overdose and Sam found him. He’s been living with me ever since.”
“That must have been very hard for him,” said Clarissa.
“Yeah, but since he’s been with me the last four years, he’s been getting along okay. Sometimes it’s been a struggle, but we’ve been working things out. That’s why I felt good when he started talking about going to college.” She paused and tears filled her eyes. “Now this.”
“Had Sam seemed more worried than usual in the last couple of days before his death?” Andrew asked.
“Like I said, I didn’t see him all that much, and we were both tired most of the time. But I guess in the last day or two he did seem more worried. I didn’t think much about it. He did have his moods. When I asked him if he was worried about school, he just shrugged and said ‘sort of.’ Now that I think back, I figure he must have been having problems with this guy Hamilton.”
Clarissa and Andrew glanced at each other and seemed to agree that there was nothing more to be gained by questioning Sarah Cryer. They thanked her for her help, and she formally escorted them to the door.
“I hope someone pays for what happened to my son,” she said, standing on the doorstep.
“Whether you believe it or not, so do we,” Clarissa replied.
The woman shrugged and shut the door.
“Not much help there,” Andrew said as they walked back to the car. “How did you know about this Ed Schyler?”
Clarissa explained about his connection to the Shipwreck Inn and the haunting.
Andrew laughed. “So you’ve got a real live ghost, so to speak.”
“It’s not that funny. There are real assaults going on here, and I’m afraid it might escalate until someone gets seriously hurt.”
“Do you think these events could have any connection to Sam’s death?”
“I don’t see how. Sam was murdered before the first attack took place.”
Andrew nodded as he opened the car door. “It’s just that I don’t like coincidences.”
“Neither do I. But according to psychologists, most people don’t like them. That’s why we try to find connections even where none exist. We want things to fit into a logical pattern.”
“Yeah. I guess coincidences do happen in life. I remember walking down a street in Manhattan and running into an old friend from down here that I’d just been thinking about. We laughed about it, and accepted it as just another strange occurrence.”
“That’s what we’ll say about the connection between Sam and Ed Schyler until we have more evidence. Maybe our visit to the Slipped An
chor tonight will give us more to go on.”
“Maybe. Although I’m not sure that a bar where the police are frequent visitors will have the most forthcoming employees.”
“We shouldn’t prejudge. They could turn out to be splendid examples of the Shore Side citizenry,” Clarissa said with a grin.
“Whatever their moral fiber, let’s hope they know something.”
“Tyler called me today. He’s getting stressed.”
“It’s not easy having your fate resting in other people’s hands. I know I’d want to be out doing something for myself.”
“That’s what I’m afraid he’s going to do if we don’t come up with some answers fast.”
Andrew pulled into the parking lot behind the church. “If he calls you again, try to keep him calm. If he remembers anything new, pass it along to me right away.”
Andrew reached out and squeezed her arm gently. “I’ll be glad when all this is over. As much as I enjoy working with you, I’d prefer our relationship to be more . . . informal.”
Clarissa patted his hand and gently disengaged. “Once we have all this settled, we’ll have to see where things stand.”
Andrew gave her a sad smile. “Somehow I knew you’d say something like that.”
Chapter Twelve
Two hours later, Clarissa was back at the parsonage having spent most of the afternoon listening to Mr. Wainthrop describe in greater detail than she ever would have wished, the ins and outs of his prostate surgery. The only consolation was that she left him looking much happier than when she had arrived. This only served to reinforce her view that being a good pastor involved being a good listener even more than being able to give good advice.
Since it was a warm September afternoon, almost summerlike, and she hadn’t gotten any exercise in several days, Clarissa decided that it would be a good time to forget her worries and take a run along the boardwalk. Putting on shorts and a t-shirt, she headed out, running the four blocks down to the beach and up onto the boardwalk that formed the boundary between the beach and the commercial section of Shore Side. As she ran along, gradually increasing her pace, the cares of the last few days began to melt away, and the positive chemicals that flooded her brain made her believe, at least for the moment, that both Tyler’s and Sylvia’s problems would soon be solved to everyone’s satisfaction.
