The Haunted Valentine (A Lin Coffin Mystery Book 7)

by J A Whiting

  14

  At the Whaling Museum in Nantucket town, Lin and Jeff mingled with some people they knew at the evening charity event held to support the island arts community. The building that housed the museum was built around 1846 and was originally a candle factory. The museum was created to display whaling artifacts and to provide information on the history of the whaling industry. In the beautifully restored building, a 46-foot skeleton of a Sperm whale hung suspended from the ceiling in the main exhibition hall. No matter how many times Lin had visited the museum, the sight of the breathtaking skeleton still inspired awe, mixed with a little bit of an eerie feeling from witnessing the whale in such an unnatural location, seemingly swimming through the air.

  Wearing a yellow and white sleeveless dress, Lin held Jeff’s arm as they walked around greeting friends and acquaintances in the hall of white cloth-covered tables and chairs. The room was decorated with an abundance of floral arrangements and small, glimmering tin lanterns had been placed on the tables and hung here and there along the walls. Waitstaff carried silver trays with drinks and appetizers and several stopped to offer some of the selections to the couple.

  Viv, John, and their band had been booked to provide one of the three musical performances of the evening. As the guests enjoyed the drinks, appetizers, and desserts, their band finished the set to rousing applause and Viv, breathless, hurried over to join her cousin.

  “Gosh, that went great. I’m so pleased.” Viv brushed her bangs back from her forehead and her blue eyes sparkled. “I was so nervous when we started.”

  “You were terrific.” Lin beamed with pride at her cousin’s musical ability. “I’ve never heard you sing better. The crowd really enjoyed the set.”

  “Now I can relax.” With a smile, Viv took a glass of sparkling champagne from the waiter’s silver tray and took a long sip as she surveyed the chattering crowd. When she spotted Jeff and John engrossed in conversation with an older man, she asked, “Who are Jeff and John talking with?”

  Lin glanced in the direction that Viv was looking. “He’s a developer. Joseph something-or-other. He does a lot of restoration of historic homes. They’re all talking about working together.”

  Viv let out a soft squeal. “John’s talked to me about him. His name is Joseph Hickey. He’s a multi-millionaire businessman. If they can team up with that guy, it would be very lucrative for them.”

  A tall, thin, older man in his late sixties wearing a dark suit approached the young women. His blue eyes were light in color and his brown hair, cut close to his head, was mixed with silver. The man’s face was kind and he had a gentle manner as he gave Viv a smile and a nod.

  “I enjoyed your music,” he said softly. “You have a lovely voice.”

  Viv blushed and extended her hand. “Thank you so much. I’m Vivian Coffin.”

  “I used to play the violin.” The man shook his head slowly with a look of regret on his face. “Oh, how I loved to play. Your performance brought back wonderful memories.” He paused for a moment and then said, “I haven’t touched my violin for ages.”

  “Why did you stop?” Viv asked.

  “Someone I played with passed away. He and I used to play all sorts of music. My wife would sing. We’d have all the neighbors over for food and song and dancing.” The man had a happy, faraway look in his eyes, and then he blinked and gave a slight shrug. “When my friend died, all the joy I used to feel from music disappeared for me.”

  “I’m very sorry.” Viv held the man’s eyes and suggested gently, “Maybe now’s the time to pick it up again.”

  The man turned to Lin. “Do you play an instrument?”

  Lin said, “I dabbled a little with the piano and guitar, but I’m not a musician by any stretch of the imagination.”

  “Lin’s too modest. She has the talent. She just needs to practice.” Viv gave her cousin a soft poke. “Lin has a beautiful singing voice. She’s done duets with me on occasion.”

  “I’d love to hear you sing together.” The man smiled warmly. “Will you be singing today?” he asked Lin.

  “Oh, no.” Lin shook her head with vigor. “I’m not a performer. Viv and I sing on the deck sometimes in the backyard. I leave the stage to my cousin.”

  “Cousins.” The man seemed thoughtful and then he looked at Lin, his eyes resting on her horseshoe necklace for a second. “You’re a Coffin, too.”

  A shiver of something ran over Lin’s skin. “I am.”

  “Your ancestors were early settlers of the island,” he remarked.

  Lin said, “I’m descended from Sebastian Coffin and Emily Witchard.”

  “Oh, I see.” The man made eye contact with Lin and a strange feeling rushed through her. “I got the feeling that you are an old soul with deep connections to Nantucket.”

  Lin was about to ask what he meant by his comment when Viv asked the man, “Are you related to the early settlers?”

  “Me? Oh, my, no. My ancestors don’t go back that far.”

  “Were you born on-island?” Viv questioned.

  “I was.” The man gave a slight chuckle. “A very long time ago.”

  “What do you do for work?” Viv asked with interest.

  “I did all sorts of jobs.”

  Before Viv could ask any more, two older couples descended on the three people, apologized for interrupting, and then the women of the foursome began babbling at Viv about her band’s performance and asking about booking them for a wedding shower while one of the men questioned Lin about being added to her and Leonard’s client list for landscaping services. “I know it’s late in the season to be asking, but if there is any way you could squeeze us in, we’d be forever grateful. I’ve seen your work and there’s no better landscaping company on-island.”

  The prospective customer went on and on about paying more than the going rate in order to retain Lin and Leonard to do his property and when Lin took a moment to glance around for the man she and Viv had been talking with, she noticed that he was gone. Their conversation had left her feeling odd in some vague way and she could barely pay attention to the man who was trying to twist her arm to accept him as a client.

  “Let me speak to my partner about fitting you in. Why don’t you call our business number and leave your name and contact information and I’ll get back to you once we determine if there’s a way to fit you in.”

  The client-to-be grasped Lin’s hand in his and shook. “I look forward to speaking with you soon. Don’t forget about us.” He, his wife, and their two friends walked away to join another group of people.

  “Sheesh,” Viv said, commenting on the man’s near-desperate attempt to hire Lin and Leonard. “How could you ever say “no” to that guy?”

  Lin shook her head while glancing over her cousin’s shoulder to look around the event space. “We might have to decline him as a client this year, depending on what sort of landscaping work he wants done. Our client list is very full. We can barely keep up with our work as it is.”

  Viv noticed that Lin was gazing over her shoulder so she took a peek at the people behind her. “What are you looking at?”

  “I’m trying to find the man who was talking to us before those two couples interrupted.”

  “That man seemed nice, didn’t he?” Viv scanned the crowd, but was unable to locate the man. “He seemed kind.”

  “He gave me a weird feeling.” Lin let her eyes trail over the faces of the event attendees.

  Viv turned to look Lin in the eye. “Weird? Why? What kind of a feeling did you get?”

  “He made me uneasy.”

  “Why?” Viv studied her cousin’s expression. “He just talked about music and the island and early settlers. Why did that make you feel worried?”

  “I don’t know.” Lin continued to look around the room, her eyes darting from side to side.

  “Well,” Viv kidded. “The man was solid when I shook his hand, and he spoke to you, and he didn’t make you feel cold, so he’s a living, breathing man … not a
ghost.” When Lin didn’t react, Viv narrowed her eyes and her voice shook nervously. “What is it? Do you think there’s something wrong with him? Is he a criminal or something? What did you pick up on? Did you sense something? Is he bad? Is he dangerous?”

  “I’d like to talk to him some more,” Lin said. “That’s all.”

  “I know I asked you this already.” Viv pushed at a strand of her hair with trembling fingers and said firmly, “but why do you want to talk to him? What do you feel is wrong with him?”

  Lin turned her gaze on Viv. “Nothing’s wrong with him. At least, I don’t think so.”

  Viv narrowed her eyes. “Then what’s this about him making you feel uneasy?”

  “I don’t know.” Lin’s shoulder came up in a slight shrug. “That’s why I want to talk to him again.”

  “Are you linking him to the case? Do you think he might be a descendant of G. W. Weeks?”

  Lin’s eyes widened as a smile formed over her lips. “Maybe that’s it. You’re a genius.”

  “Well, yes, I am,” Viv joked. “But what exactly do you feel from him?”

  “I just need to talk to him. That’s all I know.” Lin continued to scan the crowd again.

  Viv slipped her arm through her cousin’s. “Then let’s walk around and try to find the man.” Looking over to John and Jeff still huddled in conversation with Joseph Hickey, the developer, she added, “Those three haven’t come up for air so John and Jeff won’t be looking for us for a while. Let’s stroll.”

  The young women wandered around among the crowd, stopped by the bar, mingled with people they knew, and stood at a high-topped table listening to the last band of the night play a mix of pop, light rock, and folk tunes, all the while looking around for the man they’d chatted with earlier.

  “He must have left,” Viv sighed. “We’ve gone around and around in circles with no luck. Our man has flown the coop.”

  “Too bad.” Lin ran her index finger over her horseshoe necklace. “I thought if I could talk to him a little more, I might pick up a clearer impression from him.”

  “Maybe you’ll run into him again.” Viv smiled hopefully. “Come on, let’s go look for our guys.”

  The girls found Jeff and John standing off to the side, sipping drinks, in deep conversation with one another.

  Jeff’s face brightened when he saw Lin waking towards him. “I thought maybe you ran out on me,” he said wrapping his girlfriend in a hug.

  “That would never happen.” When Lin put her arms around Jeff’s broad shoulders, she could smell the familiar hint of his aftershave and she was about to lean her head against his shoulder when she spotted her sailor’s valentine perched in the center of the table behind them. Lin’s heart skipped a beat and her breath caught in her throat.

  As Viv walked past to stand next to John, Lin’s view was momentarily blocked. A second later, when Viv moved away and the table was visible again, a shiver ran through Lin’s body.

  The valentine was gone.

  15

  Stepping back from Jeff’s embrace, Lin rubbed her fingers over her forehead.

  “Are you okay?” Jeff asked, his hand on Lin’s arm and a tone of concern in his voice.

  “I….” Lin’s vision blurred for a second causing her to reach for Jeff’s hand.

  “Are you getting a headache?” Jeff placed his free hand on the back of Lin’s neck to rub at the muscle tension that had collected there.

  “I felt a little unsteady for a second.” Lin blew out a long breath as she leaned to her left to take another look at the high table behind them where she thought she’d seen her sailor’s valentine. “I thought I….”

  John and Viv came up to the couple and John let out a quiet groan. “Here comes the owner of the antique Cape house. I hope he isn’t about to chew me out for not finding a buyer yet.”

  A tall, stocky man in his late sixties with a head of white hair and a stomach that strained the buttons on his shirt walked up to them and shook John’s hand like it was a pump. “John. This is your girlfriend?” He gave Viv a nod. “Great voice, young lady. You should be on the radio.” Looking back to John, the man said, “I didn’t know you had musical talent. It’s a good thing you do. If you don’t sell my house soon, maybe you’ll need to turn to music full-time.” The man threw his head back and chortled at his own joke.

  Lin stared at the man. This wasn’t the person she’d met at the antique Cape who claimed to be the owner of the house.

  John forced a smile. “Mr. Anderson, this is Vivian Coffin, my girlfriend.” He then told Viv, “This is Wallace Anderson. I hold the listing for his house.”

  “Better not hold it too long.” Anderson elbowed John in the side. “Any bites on the place?”

  “Not as yet.” John looked miserable having to admit he didn’t have anyone who was interested in the house. To deflect attention away from the topic, John gestured to Jeff and introduced him to Mr. Anderson and then said, “And you’ve met Lin previously.”

  Anderson’s forehead wrinkled as he stared at the befuddled-looking, blue-eyed brunette. Confusion had washed over Lin as she tried to recall, without success, ever meeting Wallace Anderson.

  Anderson spoke as he reached for Lin’s hand. “We have not met. Believe me, I’d remember if I’d met this young lady.”

  It was John’s turn to look puzzled. “You met each other at your house the other day. Lin is a landscaper. She’s working at the house next door to yours. You and Lin ran into each other and discussed….” John lowered his voice. “You discussed the ghost in your house.”

  Lin’s and Anderson’s expressions mirrored one another’s look of bewilderment.

  “This isn’t the man I talked to,” Lin told John.

  John asked for clarification. “You were at Neil’s place working the other day? You said you ran into the owner of the Cape. The Cape next to Neil’s house, right?”

  “Yes.” Lin’s voice sounded small and faraway.

  John moved his hand around. “This is the owner of that house. Wallace Anderson.”

  “The man I met said his name was George.”

  “I never ran into this young lady,” Anderson announced.

  “You were at Neil’s, right?” John asked Lin again.

  Thoughts swam in Lin’s head as she tried to figure out what was going on. “I was at your house,” she told Anderson. “I talked to a man in his thirties. I thought he said he was the owner.”

  “Whoever you talked to is not the owner. Unless, John here, doesn’t know the guy made an offer on my place.” Anderson gave John the eye.

  John flashed Lin a quick look of annoyance. “If someone made an offer, I assure you, Mr. Anderson, that I would know about it and would have presented it to you.”

  Anderson shifted his attention back to Lin. “What was the mystery man’s name?”

  “He said his name was George.”

  “I don’t know anyone named George.” Anderson shook his head.

  Lin asked, “Do you employ a maintenance man for the house?”

  “No, I don’t,” Anderson said before giving John a verbal dig. “But, I might have to if the house doesn’t sell soon.”

  “I hear you have a ghost living in your house,” Lin told the man.

  “Keep your voice down.” Anderson’s eyes narrowed as he glanced around at the other event-goers. “Some renters have claimed such a thing. I don’t believe in ghosts, but if a potential buyer asks if there is a ghost in the house then the person has to be informed of the foolish rumors.”

  “Have you ever lived in the Cape?” Lin questioned.

  “No, I haven’t. The place was purchased strictly as a rental property. The ridiculous ghost stories have made the house a pain in the neck to lease so I put it up for sale.” Anderson shot John a dirty look. “Every day it sits there, I’m losing money.”

  John shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.

  “What do former renters say about a ghost?” Viv spoke up.

/>   Anderson shifted his eyes to Viv. “I don’t pay attention to any such nonsense. You’ll have to ask the easily-frightened renters about the ghosts they ran into while living in the place. Do they not think an old house makes noises or what?” The tall man sucked in a deep breath and his jowls sagged. “Who knew there were so many people around who believed in spirits? Sheesh. Foolishness.”

  If Anderson only knew, Lin thought.

  “Mr. Anderson, can I get you a drink?” John maneuvered the man away from his friends. “Why don’t we plan to sit down and go over some marketing ideas I have for your place?”

  John and Anderson disappeared into the crowd.

  “John wants to kill me,” Lin moaned as she looked at Viv. “He thinks I’m nuts and that I’m causing problems with his client. We need to tell him about my skill. We can’t keep my “ability” from him much longer.”

  “Oh, jiminy.” Viv’s cheeks went pink as she groaned. “How on earth do I tell him such a thing?”

  “Lin told me and I didn’t pass out or anything,” Jeff said with a smile. “John will take it just fine.”

  “Will he?” Viv ran her hand over her face. “John is pragmatic, logical. He has a straightforward mind. He believes in what he can see. I don’t know. I just don’t know.”

  “We can’t keep it from him forever,” Lin said gently.

  “I know, I know.” Viv looked like she wanted to cry.

  Jeff asked, “So what’s going on with this George person who told you he owns the antique Cape?”

  “I wish I knew.” Lin took a seat at the high table and when Jeff and Viv sat down next to her, she told them about seeing the sailor’s valentine in the middle of the table to their left. “It was right there.” She jabbed the wooden tabletop with her finger. “And then it was gone.”

  “Oh, no.” Viv rested her chin in her hand. “What does it mean?”