by J A Whiting
With the two cats leading the way, Courtney came through the back door from walking Mr. Finch home and when she saw her three sisters, she knew something was wrong. “What’s cookin’?” she eyed them with suspicion. When she heard about the ghost under the pergola, she went to the kitchen window to look out into the darkness. “A ghost? In the yard? Cool. I wish I saw him.”
Euclid and Circe jumped up to the top of the refrigerator and meowed.
Rubbing at the tension in her forehead, Jenna took a deep breath.
Ellie went on with the interrogation. “Did you sense anything from him?”
Jenna blinked, thinking back on the happening. “He … seemed like he wanted something. Maybe.”
“What did he look like?” Ellie asked.
Jenna said, “Mid to late twenties. Short hair, brown. A slim build. He had on jeans and a light blue button down shirt.”
Angie’s eyes went wide and she opened her mouth to speak when Courtney, excitement bubbling in her voice, said, “It’s the guy from the car at the dentists’ house. The dead guy in the trunk. It must be him. It’s the same description that Chief Martin gave us.”
An involuntary shudder ran through Jenna’s body. “What does he want? Why did he come here?”
“He knows you can see ghosts.” Courtney took a pint of ice cream from the freezer and spooned some into a dish. “He needs something so he showed up here trying to find you.”
“I don’t know what to do.” Jenna practically whispered. “What do I do?”
“Don’t worry about it.” Courtney licked her spoon. “He’ll show up again.”
Jenna’s face paled. “I don’t want him to show up again.”
“We each have our skills,” Courtney pointed out. “Ellie doesn’t like hers either, but there doesn’t seem to be anything you can do about it.”
“Think of it as helping someone in need,” Angie suggested trying to soothe her sister’s nerves.
“One second we’re heading into the house, and the next, there’s a ghost in the yard,” Jenna groaned. “Wait until Tom hears about this.”
“He’ll think it’s cool.” Courtney sat down at the kitchen table with her bowl of ice cream. “How come I can only sense things, but you get to see ghosts?”
Jenna looked like she’d trade “skills” with her sister in a split second.
“Don’t be so worried,” Courtney said. “You’ve seen Nana’s spirit and you have a ghost living in your house.”
“I’ve never seen Katrina though,” Jenna pointed out. “I just know when she’s around.”
Courtney made a face. “That’s creepier than seeing a ghost. At least when you see a ghost, you don’t have one sneaking around you.”
“Katrina doesn’t sneak around,” Jenna corrected. “She…. Oh, I don’t know. I’m exhausted. I’m going home.” She looked to Angie. “Can you and Courtney sit in with the chief tomorrow morning when he talks to Mari Streeter? I need a break. I want to sleep in.”
“Of course. It’s fine.” Angie hugged her. “You’ve been straight out with the wedding and now, this. We’ll handle the interview. Go home and rest.” She was going to walk Jenna home when Ellie picked up her phone and said, “I’ll walk with you so you aren’t alone.”
When Jenna and Ellie left the kitchen for the front door, Courtney asked without looking up, “Did Ellie take a ‘make-me-brave’ pill or something?”
Angie chuckled. “I was wondering the same thing.”
Courtney raised her blue eyes to Angie. “What’s with this ghost? Why did he show up here?”
Letting out a long sigh, Angie said, “I have no idea.”
“I was trying to make Jenna feel better about seeing the ghost, but this is...” Courtney shrugged a shoulder. “Concerning.”
Like a cool breeze, a flutter of nervousness blew over Angie’s skin and goosebumps raised along her arms. The family had been so happy the past month preparing for Jenna and Tom’s wedding and the day of their vows was so beautiful, fun, and full of joy … and ever since Josh had proposed to her, Angie felt like she’d been floating on a cloud.
She marveled at how everything could shift in a matter of seconds.
Courtney and Angie joined Chief Martin and Mari Streeter in the sunroom and when the door was closed, everyone was seated, and the reason for the two sisters sitting in on the interview was explained, the chief started the conversation.
“I’d like to ask some questions about your sister and her husband.”
Mari looked stern and stiff. She ignored the chief’s comment and instead, looked from Courtney to Angie. “You have experience in police investigations?”
“Yes,” Angie replied thinking giving too much information would result in more detailed questions.
“How so?” Mari tilted her head in question.
“We consult on certain crime cases.” Courtney sat up straight keeping her facial expression serious and using a tone of authority.
“Why? What can you do to help? What sort of experience do you have?” Mari demanded.
“We do a great deal to help,” Courtney told the woman. “We have well-honed skills that can cut through hidden agendas, evasive answers, and concealed motives. We’ve helped solve crimes here in Sweet Cove and in other areas of the state.”
“What is your training?” Mari narrowed her eyes.
Courtney leveled her gaze at the woman. “Our training and experience are really only relevant to the police department and they have asked us to consult. Law enforcement’s confidence in our skills should be testament to what we can do.”
Mari was about to ask something else when Courtney cut her off. “Why don’t we focus our attention on the crime and how best to solve it.” Courtney looked over to the chief and gestured for him to go on.
Angie loved how her sister handled situations like these and she admired how articulate and professional Courtney could be.
The chief addressed his question to Mari Streeter. “Can you tell us about your sister’s upbringing?”
Mari exhaled loudly and told the chief and the sisters want they already knew about Carlie, that she was intelligent, hardworking, sweet, got along with everyone, was a track star, went to the University of Pennsylvania and then on to dental school.
“Had Carlie always wanted to be a dentist?” the chief asked.
Mari scoffed. “I have no idea what Carlie wanted. My parents encouraged her to pursue a career that would provide prestige, money, and respect. My parents struggled financially even though they had good jobs. Our father spent money like a drunken sailor. He wanted fine things, things that cost more than he could afford. He impressed the importance of financial security on us from the time we were little kids. That’s what mattered to him. Money … and lots of it.”
“Did Carlie seem unhappy with the demands?” Chief Martin asked.
“Carlie was like clay, you could mold her into what you wanted her to be and she didn’t say boo. The girl had no backbone. Maybe she didn’t know what she wanted because our father always decided for her.”
“What about your mother?”
Mari rolled her eyes. “That’s where Carlie came from. The two of them were cut from the same cloth. Our mother didn’t have any opinions, she dedicated her life to being pleasant and smoothing things over. She didn’t like conflict of any kind.”
“What about you?” the chief asked. “Did your parents influence your choice of career?”
Mari smiled. “Good luck with that. I got the same lectures from our father … be a doctor, be a doctor. Well, I guess I fulfilled his demands because I am a doctor, although a Ph.D., not a medical doctor like he wanted me to be.”
“Would you describe your relationship with your sister as close?”
“I would not.” Mari’s jaw was firmly set.
“Were you in contact with one another?” the chief asked.
“Rarely.” Mari glanced out of the windows to the backyard’s green lawn and flower gardens. Her
jaw muscle twitched. “I went to their wedding, Carlie sent me Christmas cards.”
“Had you seen Carlie since her wedding?”
“No.”
Chief Martin asked, “How long ago did she marry Dr. Chase?”
Mari waved her hand around. “Oh, I don’t know … about six years ago, maybe?”
Angie had to suppress her shock that the two sisters hadn’t seen each other in over six years.
“Had you spent much time with Dr. Chase?” the chief asked. “Did you feel you knew him well?”
Mari leaned against her chair back. “I really didn’t know him at all.”
“The couple had no children?” Courtney questioned.
“That’s correct,” Mari said. “No kids.”
“Did your sister want children?” Angie asked.
Mari tilted her head. “What does that matter now?”
“We’re trying to gather information to create as clear a picture of your sister as possible, her interactions, her hopes, what was important to her, what wasn’t, her habits,” Angie explained. “These kinds of things can point the investigation in different directions.”
Mari didn’t reply.
“Did your sister report or hint at anything being wrong?” Courtney questioned. “Was the couple happy together? Was there any trouble with a neighbor, someone at work, a friend or acquaintance?”
“Like I said, we rarely talked. Sometimes Carlie would give me a call, we’d chat for a few minutes, but honestly, I never knew what to say to her.” Mari took a look at her watch. “I need to get some work done. I don’t think I can be of any help to you.”
Chief Martin gave a nod. “If you don’t mind staying in Sweet Cove a few more days, I’d appreciate it.”
Mari was about to stand up when the chief reached down to his briefcase and withdrew a manila envelope. “I’d like to show you a photograph. The young man in it is the person who was found in the trunk of the vehicle on your sister’s property. There are no marks of violence on the body. Would you be able to take a look at the photo in the hopes you might recognize him?”
Mari swallowed. “I can look at it.” She squared her shoulders and extended her arm.
Chief Martin removed an eight by ten photograph from the envelope and handed it to the woman.
Angie saw something pass over Mari’s face as one of her eyebrows raised slightly and she swallowed hard. Mari handed the picture back to the chief. “Never saw him before.”
Chief Martin thanked Dr. Streeter and informed her that they might need to talk again. Mari stood, nodded at the three people, and walked deliberately out of the room.
Angie asked to see the photograph and Courtney looked at the image over her sister’s shoulder.
The brown-haired, slender young man appeared as if he was asleep except for the pale, pearly white skin and the dark circles under his eyes.
Angie’s stomach clenched. So this is what Jenna’s ghost looks like.
8
Angie’s employee, Louisa, stood next to a café table talking to a young man about thirty-years old who was enjoying a mocha latte and a slice of lemon cake. Louisa, fit with slight curves, had long, jet black hair with the tips dyed a bright blue. She was an efficient, smart, hardworking woman who had been in a lousy relationship and vowed never to allow that to happen to her again.
When she sidled up to Angie with shining eyes, she asked, “Do you know that guy? He’s cute, isn’t he?”
Angie glanced over to the table. “He sure is and he hasn’t taken his eyes off you since you waited on him, but no, I don’t know him.”
“No matter how cute he is, I’m being careful.” Louisa put a hand on her hip. “There won’t be any more bad relationships for me. I’ll never be a pushover again.” Taking a carton of milk from the refrigerator, she added, “That murdered dentist seemed like a pushover and look what happened to her.”
Angie turned to Louisa. “Dr. Streeter? Was she your dentist?”
“Yeah, I thought she was sweet.” Louisa shook her head and her face clouded. “Who would kill her? Do you think it was a robbery or did someone target her and her husband?”
“I have no idea. I didn’t know either dentist. What was Dr. Streeter like? Why was she a pushover?”
Louisa said, “Dr. Streeter was really nice, always cheerful, but she seemed like she did whatever her husband told her to do. He seemed like the boss in the office. Maybe it was the age difference between them.”
“Did she seem unhappy around him?” Angie asked.
“One time I was in the dentist chair waiting for her,” Louisa said. “I could hear her husband chewing someone out in the back office. The door was closed so I couldn’t make out what he was saying, but his tone was angry and sort of mean-sounding. After a few minutes, he opened the door with a bang and stormed out. A minute later, Dr. Streeter came out. She looked upset. She came in to check my teeth and she wasn’t her usual self. I resented Dr. Chase after that. I never liked him. He seemed arrogant, bossy, full of himself.” Louisa scowled as she went to wait on a customer.
A tall, good-looking man entered the bake shop and when Angie glanced in his direction, she smiled from ear to ear. Josh Williams, her fiancé, took a seat at the counter and beamed at his sweetheart.
“I just got back from New York.” Josh sipped the coffee Angie placed in front of him. “I couldn’t wait to get out of those meetings. I was counting the seconds until I could come home and see you.”
Angie asked how the business dealings went and Josh gave her the highlights of his two days in the city.
“Have you heard the news from here?” Angie asked.
Josh’s face lost its smile. “What news?”
Angie told him about the murdered dentists, the sister of the dead woman, and the unusual conversation about time travel. Josh stared at Angie for a few seconds wondering if she was making the story up to tease him, but then he knew it was the truth.
“How can this be? A double murder? A body in a car?” Josh’s mouth pulled down at the corners. “Time travel?”
“There’s another thing.” Angie looked around to be sure no one was listening and leaning closer, she lowered her voice. “Jenna saw a ghost in our backyard. He looks like the young man who was found in the trunk of the car. We think its him.”
Josh was one of the few people who knew about the Roselands and Mr. Finch’s special skills. “I’ve only been gone two days,” he said in amazement. “All this happened in just two days?”
“Two very long days.” Angie touched Josh’s hand and smiled at him. “I’m glad you’re back.”
“So am I.” Josh held Angie’s eyes. “That diamond ring sure looks pretty on your finger.”
Angie lifted her hand so the light sparkled off the diamond engagement ring. “It does, doesn’t it? It was a gift from a very nice man.”
“Anyone I know?” Josh kidded.
“You might know him. He comes in here sometimes.”
A man sat down on the stool next to Josh. “Will you two stop mooning at each other? It’s embarrassing.”
Angie turned to see Jack Ford, a Sweet Cove attorney and Ellie’s boyfriend, perched on the stool dressed in a summer-weight, pale gray linen jacket and a yellow bowtie. “Jack, I didn’t see you come in.”
“That’s because you were making goo-goo eyes at this man next to me.”
Josh swiveled and smiled at Jack. “And you don’t make goo-goo eyes at a tall, pretty blond that I know?”
“Never in public.” Jack sniffed. “Public displays of affection are inappropriate for a professional person.”
Angie narrowed her eyes and gestured. “Is that why, not long ago, you and Ellie were caught kissing right outside the bake shop window?”
Jack blushed.
“In fact,” Angie went on, “I distinctly recall some of the customers knocking on the window and others applauding your kiss.”
“Say no more,” Jack groaned. “You’ve made your point.”
Josh said, “I asked Jack to come along with us to Robin’s Point. I want to run another idea past you about the land and I thought Jack would be helpful since he knows the town rules and regulations.”
“Okay, sounds good. I’ll be ready in about forty-five minutes.” Angie left the two men to chat while she finished up with the customers and completed the end of the day tasks with Louisa.
When the bake shop had been locked up, Angie, Josh, and Jack rode in Jack’s sedan the short distance through town to Robin’s Point. The point was a bluff of land that jutted out into the ocean that had once been owned by the Roselands’ relatives. Josh owned the Sweet Cove Resort and Hotel which had been built on part of the point and when he and his brother bought the land to develop, they left open acreage that included a small park with a path leading down through the dunes to a sandy beach for the townsfolk and tourists to use.
When they’d parked and walked to the center of the bluff, Josh unrolled the paper with the preliminary plans for moving the park’s location slightly and dividing the remaining land on the point between the four Roseland sisters.
“I had the thought to change the layout a bit.” Josh turned the diagram. “If we adjust the lots like this, then everyone has more of an east-southeast orientation which will give better views and sunshine for more hours of the day.”
“That’s a great idea.” Angie walked the area trying to imagine four cottages on the spot. “We wouldn’t want to build anything big. Just small cottages, probably one-story, that sit nicely on the point and fit in with the landscape.”
“Those are the sorts of cottages that were here initially,” Jack said, “before the town basically forced the owners off the land.” Unfortunate misdeeds of the past had led to the cottage owners having to give up their little homes and the town eventually sold the parcel to the Williams brothers to develop the space.
Tears glistened in Angie’s eyes. “Nana would be so happy that the land was being returned to the family.”
