Death on the Page

by Essie Lang

  “Well, Jenna said her piece and then stormed out of the store. I’d been worried she’d show up here at the castle yesterday for the second signing, but she didn’t.”

  “Do you know anything more about this idea?”

  “Not really. She said they’d met at a book festival or something and Jenna had told Savannah about a plot she wanted to start working on. And now, apparently, that’s the new book Savannah is here to research. It is, or it was, to be set in the castle. Anyway, this Jenna was loud and made a big commotion.”

  Stone sat back and seemed to be considering the information Shelby had given her. “Tell me about her.”

  “Well, she looked to be in her forties and had curly black hair. And from what Felicity said, she’s a bartender at the Brew House.”

  “Okay, I’ll track her down. Thanks. That’s awfully poor timing for her, unless it’s not.”

  “I just thought of something. Has Savannah’s fiancé been notified? Liam Kennelly. He’ll be devastated.”

  “Nobody mentioned a fiancé. He wasn’t staying here with her?”

  “No, it was just Savannah. I understand that’s how she wanted it. She was doing research for her book, you know.”

  “Yes, something about connecting with Joe Cabana’s ghost.” Stone made a derisive sound. “Where did this Liam stay, in that case?”

  “They had a room at the Skyliner Hotel. I’d imagine that’s where he was. He must be so worried.”

  “I’ll get Lieutenant Fortune on it right away. Mind if I use your phone?” Stone asked as she stood.

  Shelby nodded and pointed to the counter. She found it hard to make out what the chief was saying on the call, though she’d meant not to eavesdrop on the conversation in the first place.

  Finally, Chief Stone turned back to her. “One more thing: did Ms. Page say anything about her laptop? Do you know if she brought it over here with her?”

  “She didn’t say, but she’s a writer who was doing research, so she must have had it with her? Why? Is it missing? Or, you know, she could have been using paper and a pen.”

  “You could be right. It doesn’t look like anything is missing from her room. It just seems to me that every writer would have a laptop with them. Even I use one all the time, except for writing out tickets, that is.” Stone paused, then added, “I’m arranging for the shuttle to be here in an hour to take those of you who have been interviewed back to town. I’m not sure if you’ll be able to come back tomorrow, so better check first.”

  Before Stone had reached the door, Shelby called out, “How did she die? Did she trip and fall down the steps?”

  Stone turned and looked at her, waiting a few seconds before answering. “It could have been an accident. She either went exploring or maybe even sleepwalking and fell down the stairs. They’re awfully steep, you know. But then, there are still a few unanswered questions.”

  Like, where is that laptop?

  Tekla let the pause drag out a few seconds before adding, “Like, how did she fall backward?”

  * * *

  Shelby was at Edie’s and had just finished explaining everything she’d found out, which wasn’t much.

  Edie sat silent for a few minutes, then said, “You know where the whisky is kept. I’ll have some, too, please.”

  Shelby poured them each a small glass and sat back down at the kitchen table across from Edie.

  “To Savannah,” Edie said, and downed her drink.

  Shelby took a sip and set hers aside. She felt a shiver as she thought about the dead author. “It’s quite a shock. I liked her and enjoyed talking to her at dinner, and she was really pleased with both the signings. She’d even sent over some flowers to the castle on Saturday morning.” Shelby took another sip and then finished the glass.

  “She and her fiancé sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers, too. Wasn’t that thoughtful of them? I’m sorry I didn’t get to meet her.”

  Shelby nodded. “You would have liked her, and Liam. I wonder how he’s doing.”

  “Poorly, I’d imagine.”

  “I can’t get my head around the fact that she’s dead. And how did she get into the secret passage? Did someone tell her about them? They must have. How long have I been working at the castle and never known where they are?”

  “She was doing research. She’d want to know details like that for her book, especially if it was about a ghost,” Edie said.

  “I suppose. But she was alone in the castle aside from the butler they hired. I guess the police must have thoroughly questioned him. I’d imagine the board thoroughly vetted him before hiring him.”

  Edie nodded. “Frank White. He’s Oscar Munro’s brother-in-law, so we took him at face value. I’m not sure if you’ve met Oscar, but he owns the leather shop and he used to be a member of the board. He sang Frank’s praises, of course.”

  “What does Frank do when he’s not a butler?”

  “He’s recently retired but used to work at the Skyliner Hotel. And now that he’s retired, he spends a lot of time as a volunteer at the soup kitchen, so I’m told. I guess they felt those were close enough work experiences to hire him as a butler.”

  “They? Weren’t you part of that process?”

  “I was, up to a point. They took the vote at last month’s meeting. Remember, Trudy was ill and I couldn’t get away from the store?”

  Shelby nodded. “Do you know which room he stayed in at the castle? Nobody has said anything about that.”

  Edie thought for a moment. “They were putting him in the nanny’s bedroom, next door to the nursery.”

  “So, although he was on the opposite side of the open staircase, he was still on the same floor. You’d think he would have heard something. Savannah must have screamed when she fell.”

  “Maybe he did. You don’t know what he told the police.”

  “Yet. You know, the Skyliner is the same hotel Savannah and Liam were staying in. That’s a coincidence, isn’t it?”

  “That sounds like reaching, Shelby. It is one of our nicer hotels, after all. Where are you going with this?”

  Shelby shrugged. She wasn’t quite sure herself. “What about the cleaning staff? They usually start right after the castle closes. I’ve seen them getting ready some nights.”

  “As far as I know, they’d been canceled for Saturday and were supposed to get there to clean and tidy the guest suite in particular before the castle opened on Sunday.”

  “I didn’t notice them there, but I guess they’ve been questioned. I wonder if they saw anything.”

  Edie shrugged. “You know, those steps are very steep and narrow.”

  “You’ve seen them?” That surprised Shelby.

  “I have. But I didn’t dare use them. They’re all made of uneven stones and looked, to me anyway, to be quite narrow. Plus, I’m sure it’s all damp and uninviting down there.”

  “Where do they lead? Are there tunnels under the castle?”

  Edie held out her glass, and Shelby brought the bottle over to the table, pouring another half a glass.

  “There’s a huge wine cellar down there at the end of one of the tunnels, I hear, although I think it’s been empty for decades. And there are some other passages on ground level that lead from the kitchen to the dining hall so that, in those days, the servants wouldn’t interrupt the swanky dinners. There’s even a small painting in one of the dining rooms where the eyes move. The maids would slide the eyes to the side so they could see what course the guests were on.”

  “That’s like at Singer Castle,” Shelby interrupted. “Very cool. Do any of the underground tunnels lead outside?”

  “I’m not sure. What are you thinking, anyway?”

  “I’m just wondering. I mean, the chief did question how Savannah fell backward. How would she know that’s what happened, anyway?”

  “Tekla is a very experienced police officer. If she said that, she must be basing it on something.”

  “Think about it, though. How could Savannah have fa
llen backward? It’s not as if she’d easily lose her balance, like an older person might.”

  “Easy there,” Edie warned with a smile.

  “Hmm, I’m sure you wouldn’t either, Aunt Edie,” Shelby added quickly. “I suppose she could have gotten dizzy looking down the steps and then turned away quickly, stumbling. But wouldn’t she step backward toward the door before turning away from the stairs? I think I would.”

  “What are you suggesting? Something more sinister? Another murder at the castle?”

  Shelby shrugged. “It’s possible, but maybe not probable. Since Frank White was the only person in the castle with her, he’d be the most likely suspect. If not, someone would have had to get there from the mainland. But how would he enter the castle? Now, if the underground passage exits outside the castle, that would be a way in.”

  Edie sighed. “I think you’re being quite fanciful now and blowing this all out of proportion.” She reached for the whiskey bottle and refilled her glass. She held it up to Shelby, who shook her head. “I’d really hate to think it was murder.”

  Another murder? It seemed unlikely. Or did it?

  Chapter Nine

  Shelby finished washing her supper dishes and stuck a dark-roast coffee pod in her Keurig. When her coffee was ready, she headed outdoors. She planned to drink it while enjoying the view from the upper deck again. Living on a houseboat certainly had its perks and this was one of them, something she knew she’d miss when winter came. But Shelby had already put a deposit down for the houseboat once it was back in the water. She only hoped the winter would pass quickly, especially since she wasn’t one for outdoor sports.

  She’d just settled into one of the two Adirondack chairs, pulling a pashmina over her shoulders, when she heard footsteps along the dock. She walked over to the railing, leaned over, and smiled. Her favorite guy, Zack Griffin, had almost reached the houseboat.

  “Ahoy,” she called out.

  He looked up, grinned, and saluted. “Sunbathing at this hour?”

  “I wish. Would you like some coffee?”

  “Nope. I’m okay, thanks,” he said, stepping onto the deck and climbing up the ladder. He seldom used the stairs at the back—or stern, as he liked to remind her—of the boat.

  She liked watching his powerful arms, but she had to admit she enjoyed watching all of him in action. She felt herself blush at that thought and retreated to her chair.

  He climbed over the railing rather than swinging open the gate. He looked at her a moment and then walked over, tilted her chin with his right hand, and kissed her.

  Her mind, as usual, questioned if this was really happening, but her heart knew it was.

  “Are you all right? I heard about what happened at the castle. That must have been upsetting.”

  She nodded. “I’m shocked that there’s been another death on the island but also stunned because I knew her. And I liked her. She’d just done two signings for the bookstores, and we’d had dinner together on Friday night. It just doesn’t seem possible that now she’s gone.”

  Zack squeezed her shoulders. “I know it’s hard. Tell me what I can do to help.”

  “This helps. But I’m not the one who’s really hurting. I can’t imagine what her fiancé is going through.”

  Zack lowered his six-foot frame into the chair across from her. “I heard that she’d been staying at the castle alone overnight. I find it hard to believe the board would go along with that.”

  “From what Chrissie Halstead told Edie, it’s great PR. Well, that part sure backfired. But I heard they were considering having the guest suite available for rentals, just like at Singer Castle.”

  He stretched and leaned back. Shelby could see how tired he was, even though those fabulous blue eyes, the ones that always looked like they were smiling, were alert. His sandy-colored hair looked tousled, like he’d just gotten out of a motorboat. She wondered if that was the case but didn’t ask. She hadn’t seen him since the previous Sunday night. It must have been a busy week for him.

  “That would involve a lot of security hassles, I’d think, but I’m sure they’ll attach a large price tag to it.” He closed his eyes for a few seconds and then looked at her.

  “Hmm. This may put a stop to it. What have you heard from your local law enforcement buddies?”

  “Buddies? You mean Chief Stone?” he asked. “I’ve already told you how she thinks of me.”

  “A pain in the backside rather than a Coast Guard Investigative Service agent?” Shelby chuckled.

  “That would be it. I probably know little more than you do, especially since you were there. I’d expect the State Police were there, too.”

  “Yes, I guess so, but I haven’t talked to any of them yet. Only the chief questioned me. I’d just arrived at the store when they were searching for Savannah.” Shelby felt a sliver of a chill run down her spine. “They could tell she’d been in bed at some point and, for some reason, had gotten up and gone wandering. Do you think she was searching for Joe Cabana’s ghost? I wonder if she heard something and thought that’s what it was.”

  “Did she seriously believe in that stuff?”

  Shelby shrugged. “She said she had an open mind, but I think she was hoping for a connection of some sort. Maybe not a sighting but a feeling of what it was like in the castle in those days. Apparently she was interested in writing the story because of the recent smuggling reports.”

  Zack almost did a double take. “What?”

  “Yeah, that’s what she said. She’d read that the Coast Guard had broken up the smuggling ring, and then she started thinking about smuggling during the days of Prohibition, and that led to Joe Cabana’s story.”

  He shook his head. “Well, at least we can remove the smugglers from the suspect list this time.”

  Shelby took a sip of coffee to cover the flush in her cheeks. She’d been the one pushing that theory when Loreena Swan’s body had been found in the Grotto earlier in the spring. It had turned out she was way off base, in relation to the murder, anyway. However, there had been smuggling going on, and the Grotto had been used as a hideaway when boats were evading Coast Guard patrols. That had all transpired just a few months ago, and now this was happening.

  “Savannah had an appointment tomorrow with someone in the Coast Guard office so that she could ask some questions about it. Maybe you can find out who it was and pass on the information?”

  Zack nodded. “I’d like to know who that is myself.”

  “What is it about Blye Island? It looks so peaceful and romantic, with this gorgeous castle and grounds. It’s not a place you would expect there to be so much death.”

  Zack reached out and grabbed her hand. “It’s not the place, it’s the people. Now, there is one thing I wanted to talk to you about, Shelby.” He sounded serious, and she turned to face him.

  “No getting involved. No asking questions, coming up with theories, or in any way investigating, understood? You’re smart, you’re tenacious, and I don’t want anything to happen to you. Got it?”

  She was about to argue with him, but fortunately, her brain kicked in. “Of course not. I’ll try not to. I learned my lesson last time. I know it’s none of my business.”

  Zack stared at her, and she tried not to squirm. She really would try hard not to get involved. But Savannah Page had come to Alexandria Bay to do two events for the bookstore. Shelby did admit to herself that the real reason Savannah had come was to stay in the castle, but she was also happy the author had agreed to do the events. And she’d been so friendly. Shelby had really enjoyed the dinner with Savannah and Liam.

  What was it about Blye Island? Was it cursed?

  Chapter Ten

  Shelby sat at her kitchen counter, her breakfast dishes pushed to one side, with a pen and paper in front of her. It was her usual Monday morning dilemma. Namely, what to do on her day off. She knew that housework had to make it on that list at some point. She didn’t entertain much, mainly just her aunt or Zack for a light mea
l, and then she’d scramble to get the place all tidy. But she knew that, at least once a month, a thorough cleaning was necessary, especially with J.T. leaving deposits of fur on various pieces of furniture and accumulating in corners. It was a tough sell, though, as a leisure-day activity.

  She acknowledged she wasn’t getting very far with any of it. Her thoughts kept turning to Zack, wondering what he was doing at that moment, wondering if he was wondering about her, and at the same time thinking she was behaving like a silly schoolgirl. They had been dating since spring, and although she tried not to get too far ahead of herself, she had to admit her feelings for him were growing. The problem was, when she let her mind wander to a future with Zack, her dad’s words of warning ran through her mind: Be wary of love. Don’t jump into a serious commitment.

  Of course, she really was getting ahead of herself. They were still in the early stages. She just had to relax, not overthink things, and enjoy. Part of her knew that; the other part still heard her dad. She shook her head. Enough for now.

  She turned a critical eye to her living space. Much smaller than her previous apartment in Lenox, but somehow it felt more spacious. Maybe it was the large windows that let in lots of light and gave spectacular views of the water. Or maybe it was the fact that the amount of furniture perfectly fit the space. She hadn’t brought any with her, thinking it would be only a temporary move to Alexandria Bay. Instead, she’d sublet her apartment to another editor at the publishing house where she had been working. The idea had been that Shelby would give her plenty of notice before she returned home. When she’d decided to stay on, she’d taken a week off and gone back to pack up her personal items, bringing them back to the Bay. Of course, many of those boxes were now stored at Edie’s house. She’d been lucky that her friend had bought the furniture and would stay until the end of the lease.

  Shelby decided to do the cleaning first and then make a much-needed food run to the General Store on Market Street. She started writing a to-do list for the day. After a few moments of thought, she added the name Liam, knowing this was skulking at the back of her mind. She really should stop by and see how he was holding up, if he was even still in town. She had no way of knowing if he’d already left, but she felt she owed him a visit.