by J A Whiting
“Where to?” Viv shrugged on her backpack and straddled her bicycle.
“I’d like to swing by the restaurant next to the lot where the ghost-men were working.” Lin climbed onto her bike. “I think we should talk to the owner.”
The cousins locked their bikes around the base of a streetlamp’s post and headed into the restaurant to ask for the manager or owner. The place was buzzing with workers preparing for the evening customers. Viv and Lin had never eaten at the fancy establishment and the two admired the soft lighting, tables covered with white linen cloths, and the polished wood of the bar.
A tall, slim man with blonde hair cut close to his head hurried over. He wore a slim-fitting starched white dress shirt and tailored black trousers. “May I help you?”
Lin introduced themselves. “Sorry to bother. I know you’re getting ready for the first dinner seating. We had a question about some activity that went on behind the restaurant a few evenings ago.”
A frown formed on the owner’s face and he gestured for Lin and Viv to sit with him at one of the tables. “I’ve had a complaint recently about that very thing. Are you related to the woman who made the original complaint?”
“Not at all,” Viv told the owner.
“You heard the noise? You saw the workers?”
Lin shook her head. “We only heard about it.” Fibbing, she told the man, “A friend of ours is looking to buy in the area and had some worries about the supposed noise. She asked if we’d drop by and find out what the story was.”
The owner looked relieved. “I honestly don’t know anything about it. I wondered if the previous complaint was valid since none of the other neighbors have voiced concerns. I’m glad to hear that you haven’t been bothered by the alleged situation.”
“Why do you say ‘alleged’?” Viv questioned.
“The person who made the complaint told me that she saw and heard a great deal of activity behind the restaurant on two occasions. I don’t have any idea what she was talking about. If there was activity in the lot, it has nothing to do with my establishment.”
“There haven’t been any other complaints?” Lin asked.
“Nothing. Just the one time, from the one person.” The owner looked quite offended by the accusation of causing a nighttime disturbance. “I work very hard to be a good neighbor. We don’t stay open late. We’re only open for dinner.”
“Perhaps the complaint was unfounded?” Viv suggested.
The owner stiffened. “I’m not sure.” He adjusted the silverware next to the plate in front of him. “I stayed overnight here two evenings after receiving the complaint. I wanted to catch whoever was responsible.”
“And?” Lin raised an eyebrow.
“Nothing.” The man’s posture was ramrod straight. “I stayed awake both nights. Nothing happened. No one was back there.”
“That was very nice of you to do that.” Viv was impressed that the hardworking man would stay up two nights in a row to find out what was bothering his neighbors.
“I was concerned about the disturbance, of course. As I said, I try to be a good neighbor.” The owner took a quick glance over his shoulder. “But there was another reason for my worry.”
A shiver ran down Lin’s back.
“What was it?” Viv leaned forward.
“The woman who made the complaint did so in person. When I told her I didn’t know what she was talking about, she became angry. She thought I was lying to her.” The man lowered his voice. “The woman told me that she’d only recently moved into her house on Fairview Street from across the island and wouldn’t stand for a noisy, disruptive neighborhood.” He paused for a moment. “If I didn’t get to the bottom of the late night commotion, the woman threatened to damage my business.” Making eye contact with Lin and Viv, he added, “I believed her.”
“Well, heck.” Viv’s eyes flashed. “That old cow can’t go around threatening people because things aren’t to her liking.”
The cousins walked their bikes around the corner from the restaurant. Lin glanced around worriedly. “Keep your voice down. Mrs. Perkins could be walking around here. And I guess she can and does go around making threats.”
“It’s terrible.” Viv scowled. “Can’t anything be done about her?”
Letting out a sigh, Lin said, “Maybe she just tries to intimidate people to frighten them. Maybe she never carries out her threats.”
Viv grunted. “She makes me sick.”
“Let’s forget about her for now.” Lin touched her pendant necklace absent-mindedly. “Come on. Let’s go to the bookstore and take a look at those history books you have in stock.” Lin swung her leg over her bike. “That conversation made me anxious and unsettled. I’d like to get away from here for a while.”
Viv looked across the street of the tree-lined neighborhood towards Mrs. Perkins’s mansion. “I don’t think you’re going to get your wish.”
“What?” Lin followed Viv’s gaze and saw Jeff standing on the front steps of the Georgian-style brick mansion under renovation. He was waving the young women over.
Letting out a low groan, Lin led her cousin to the viper’s nest.
12
Jeff greeted the two cousins by giving Viv a hug and Lin a kiss. “Come in and see the renovations.”
Lin eyed the front door warily. “I don’t think we should come in.”
“It’s fine. No one’s here except the workers.” Jeff opened the front door. “Mrs. Perkins and her friend went to Boston overnight yesterday. They won’t be back until later today. The rooms are coming out great. I thought you’d like to see what’s been done.”
They stepped into a perfectly decorated foyer with a carved wooden staircase standing before them. An antique chest was placed on one wall and above it hung an oil painting of a sailing sloop. A small cut-glass chandelier lit the space.
“It’s beautiful,” Viv murmured.
“These front rooms haven’t been touched. The renovations are being done at the back of the property.” Jeff led the way down a hall past several living areas. Lin and Viv peeked in as they passed. One room was set up as a living area with cream-colored sofas and chairs placed around a cherrywood coffee table. A wood-burning fireplace with a marble surround stood on the far wall and rugs of cream and cranberry covered the polished wood floors. The living room led into a sitting room decorated in much the same way. A sparkling crystal chandelier hung from the coffered ceiling.
They passed a dining room with a mahogany table and twelve chairs set on a crimson and rose rug. One wall of the room had been painted with a scene of a sail boat heading away from Nantucket town.
“Gosh,” Viv whispered. “Who knew these homes were so elaborate.”
Entering the back of the house into an enormous kitchen, Jeff introduced Lin and Viv to the workers. The renovated kitchen sported high-end white cabinetry, a six-burner stainless steel stove, and a built-in refrigerator-freezer. Glossy slabs of granite topped a huge center island and the cabinet counters. To the right, the kitchen opened to a large family room-sitting area with tall windows looking out over the manicured grounds. Cut-glass vases held arrangements of fresh flowers and a slight floral scent wafted on the air.
Lin stepped to the floor-to-ceiling window. “Yikes. I didn’t realize how large the back gardens of these homes were. It’s like a park out there. I’ve only seen the front and side yards of this house. I had no idea this was behind the fence.” A circular brick patio was ringed with flowering hydrangea bushes and an arched trellis covered with pink roses led to the grassy area. At the rear, a white gazebo sat perched next to another brick patio with gardens all around it. “How much money does this woman have?” Lin’s jaw had dropped.
Jeff chuckled. “Plenty.” He led the young women through a few more of the rooms to show them the beautiful work done by Kurt’s crew. “There are twenty rooms in the house. The place was built in 1855 by a prominent businessman. There’s a cupola on the roof big enough for four people to stand
in and downstairs there’s a wine cellar, wine tasting room, full kitchen, media room, small dining room, two bathrooms and a bedroom. The doors down there have direct access to the outside patio.”
When Jeff was describing the lower level of the mansion, Lin started to feel anxious. She rubbed her bare arms. “It’s very cold in here.”
Both Jeff and Viv gave Lin a look.
“It’s not cold in here at all. It’s comfortable.” Viv stepped closer to her cousin and glanced nervously around the space. “Do you see anything?”
A flurry of nervous energy flooded Lin’s body. “No.”
“Do you want to go on with the tour or would you rather not?” Jeff asked.
Lin swallowed hard and nodded. “Let’s go on.” Giving Jeff a little smile, she tried to reassure her companions that everything was fine even though her skin felt prickly and her heart was pounding like a drum as she followed Jeff and Viv through the rooms.
Lin tried to focus her attention on the lovely renovation work that was nearly complete, but something kept picking at her creating two different sensations … one moment, she had the urge to flee the home and the next second, she had the feeling that she was supposed to stay and help someone in need. Despite feeling freezing cold, little beads of sweat formed on Lin’s forehead.
Jeff stepped to a staircase. “This leads to the lower level.”
Putting her foot on the top step, Lin’s throat began to constrict and she coughed trying to open it, but the tissues continued to tighten. Just as Lin’s hand flew to her throat and she began to gasp, she had the impression of someone rushing by at the bottom of the staircase.
Thinking that Lin needed fresh air, Jeff grabbed her hand and pulled her through the rooms to the outside loggia that overlooked the grounds. Lin sank onto one of the soft cushioned chairs and in between sucking in long, deep breaths, she attempted to smile to alleviate Jeff’s and Viv’s concern. “I’m okay,” she squeaked. “It must have been an allergic reaction to some paint or glue or something that one of the workmen was using.”
Jeff kneeled in front of his girlfriend. He gave Viv a quick glance.
“I think it was something other than a reaction to some substance.” Viv pushed her bangs to the side and sat down next to Lin. “You aren’t allergic to anything.”
Lin’s breathing was slowly returning to normal.
Jeff held her hand. “Can I get you a drink? A blanket?”
“I’m okay now.” She nodded at Jeff.
“It was a ghost, wasn’t it?” Viv leveled her eyes at her cousin.
Lin’s shoulders shrugged. “I don’t know what it was. I thought I saw someone rush by at the bottom of the stairs. It frightened me.”
“Maybe it was some nervousness over being in the house,” Jeff suggested. “You’ve heard some unpleasant things about Mrs. Perkins. Maybe you were upset about what you’d heard about her combined with being inside her house.”
“Maybe that was it.” Trying to lighten the atmosphere of worry surrounding them, Lin said, “It’s good I was inside the house before attending that party she’s going to throw. I wouldn’t want to faint or whatever during the event.” She gave a weak, little chuckle. “Now I can be ready for any odd sensation that decides to descend on me.”
After sitting and talking for fifteen minutes, they all walked back into the house and down the hall to the front door. Standing under the portico, Jeff hugged his sweetheart and the girls left the mansion and unlocked their bikes from the streetlamp post.
“It was a ghost, wasn’t it?” Viv asked again.
“I think it was, even though I didn’t really see anyone. It was more of an impression, a feeling.” Lin put the bike lock into her backpack. “I’ve never felt that sensation before. It felt like a mix of danger and sadness and needing help.” Lin shivered recalling the feeling. “I felt panicky and I didn’t know what to do. As we started down to the lower level, I started to feel like I couldn’t breathe, then I felt that someone was there. I panicked.”
“It must have been a ghost. Maybe it’s a ghost who is too shy to show itself to you.” Viv took hold of the bike’s handlebars and started walking the bicycle up the cobblestone road. “Maybe it needs something from you, but can’t bring itself to make an appearance.”
“I wonder. Usually ghosts show themselves to me before I feel the need to help.” Lin thought about what her cousin said about the ghost being shy as the two walked down the quiet side street. “I hope Jeff doesn’t think I’m a nut.”
The corners of Viv’s mouth turned up. “Well, it would be hard not to think such a thing about you.”
Lin didn’t respond to her cousin’s comment. She couldn’t imagine why a ghost would hide from her if it needed or wanted something. Thinking about how she’d felt inside Mrs. Perkins’s house made her shudder. “I’m not looking forward to going back inside that house.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll all be with you at the party.” Viv turned her bike onto another quiet street that led to the side of the building that housed her bookstore. She gave Lin a wink. “You know, it might even liven up the event if you do pass out when you’re there.”
Lin scowled. “Thanks a lot.”
13
Inside Viv’s bookstore, Lin followed her cousin to the history section of the book shelves and gathered several of the volumes on Nantucket. They carried them to a nearby table and began poring over the pages looking for any information on the citizen watch-dog groups that had formed to combat the illegal smuggling of alcohol during Prohibition. Viv’s employee, Mallory, brought them lattes and muffins and they eagerly bit into the sweets.
“I’m starving.” Lin put a piece of the toasted and buttered blueberry muffin into her mouth. “Yum. So good.”
After thirty minutes of reading, Viv closed the book she’d been searching through. “Nothing much in this one either. There’s just a basic mention of the citizen groups with no details to help us.”
“It’s the same with this one.” Lin slid the paperback into the pile of books they’d already checked over. “Maybe we need to visit the historical museum and have a look at their collection.”
“It wouldn’t hurt.” Viv sighed. “What’s with this new ghost? He’s only shown up a few times. He’s not assisting much at all. Maybe he doesn’t want you to help him with anything.”
“That’s not the impression I get. It’s not the feeling I get either. He’s full of sadness. I know he wants something.” Lin put her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand. “He wants me to do something. I just haven’t figured out what it is yet.”
Viv’s regal gray cat, Queenie, strolled over to the table and jumped up onto Lin’s lap. She stood up and put her front paws against Lin’s chest causing the young woman to laugh. “What’s with you, Queenie? You want something from me, too?”
The cat leapt onto the floor and strode away to the shelf where the girls had removed some of the history books. The cat glanced back at Lin, paused, and then sauntered back to her upholstered chair where she jumped up onto the cushion and curled into a tight ball for a nap.
Lin and Viv exchanged a look.
“What’s up with the cat?” Lin asked. “She’s never done that before.”
Viv got up to check the other books on the shelf. Placing her hand on her hip, she bent and scanned the titles. “There isn’t anything else here that could be of interest. We took every book on the history of Nantucket.”
“Queenie must be playing with us.” Lin finished off her muffin and thought about the day’s events. “Why do you think I had such a strong reaction in Mrs. Perkins’s house? Was it ghost-related or was it because of all the awful things we’ve heard about her?”
Viv sank into the chair opposite Lin. “I don’t know. It must be partially ghost-related. You’ve never reacted that way before. It might just be a combination of everything, although, there are some puzzling aspects to this situation.” Viv pursed her lips in thought and then lifted one of her f
ingers for each point she made. “One, you can’t see the ghosts that Mrs. Perkins can see. Two, you had those strong feelings in her house. And three, Libby told you not to take off your necklace.” Viv stared at her cousin. “Guess what?” She paused for effect. “I don’t like it.”
Lin grinned. Viv never liked anything that had to do with ghosts. “I’ve been turning all of those things over in my mind.”
“And?”
Lin held her hands up in a helpless gesture.
“Great. So what’s the next step?” Viv sipped from her cup. “We head to the historical museum or just forget about the whole thing?” Viv gathered the used cups and dessert plates from the table. “Don’t answer. I know what you’ll say.”
Two customers walked by chattering with each other and Viv looked over at them. A surprised expression played across the young woman’s face as her eyes widened. Lin followed her cousin’s gaze and when she saw the customers, her throat tightened for a moment and she had to swallow hard.
“Oh, look who it is.” Polly Perkins advanced on Lin’s table with her friend right on her heels. The woman wore a pale blue expensive-looking tailored summer dress with carefully chosen jewelry. Her white-blonde hair was perfectly styled. “We just returned from Boston.” Mrs. Perkins gestured at her friend. “Linda needs some paperbacks to read. I haven’t read a thing in ages.” Mrs. Perkins sounded proud of her book avoidance. “I’m just too busy. Maybe someday I’ll have the necessary leisure time to indulge in frivolous activities like reading things someone makes up.”
The friend looked slightly offended by Polly Perkins’s dismissive remarks about reading, but she stayed silent and didn’t attempt to defend herself against the put-down. Lin could see that Viv was steaming at the comments, but she knew her cousin would remain tactful despite wanting to counter Mrs. Perkins’s rude words.
Mrs. Perkins looked directly at Viv. “You deal in such things. What recommendations do you have for Linda?”
