The Cove Conundrum

by Agatha Ball

  "You never liked it?" I asked her.

  "It was fine enough," she said. "Just a job. While all my friends were out having fun and going on dates, I was dusting shelves and wiping down tables. I was told it would build character." She shook her head. "You and I need to sit down and have a conversation about springing you from this joint, too."

  I gave her a tight smile. "Sure. Um... I just... I need to get to the meeting to help." I picked up the full coffee carafe and a box of napkins. "Granny's waiting." I headed to the door before she could say too much more.

  "And I want to spend some real quality time with this Nate friend of yours!" she shouted after me. "I don't know if I approve of all this time he's been taking up!"

  Captain opened his eyes and gave me a little "mew" of solidarity.

  I crouched down to give him a kiss on the nose and whispered, "I'm glad you're on my side."

  I grabbed my bike from behind the shop and loaded everything up into the basket on the back. I pedaled over to town hall and got there without any trouble. It was an old, white, clapboard sided building with a bell tower. It was used for city council meetings and school dances.

  I rode over to the rack and locked it up. Not that you really need to lock things up in Seaside, but it would suck if someone stole it and then I had to turn to our police force of Stan and Fred for help.

  Speaking of which, both police officers were standing by the door, tipping their hats at the crowd as they came in. They looked like they had shined up their brass buckles and combed their hair.

  "What's up?" I asked them. "Expecting trouble?"

  Fred laughed nervously. "Trouble? No! Not on Seaside! This is one of the most trouble-free islands in the entire ocean."

  I wasn't sure if I should point out everything that had happened just in the few months I had been here. But then I turned around and saw the reason for their extra effort. Hal and his crew were setting up their camera to record the crowd that had gathered. Fred turned his face toward the camera and flashed a huge smile, trying to pretend it was natural. I rolled my eyes. Everyone wanted to be a star.

  Inside the town hall, Granny had set up a reception table. There was big bunting hanging from the walls and historic, black-and-white pictures on easels. In the middle of the room, the time capsule sat on display.

  Nate was freshly shaved and his blue, button-down shirt was crisp and pressed. He came over, fiddling with the buttons of his cuffs. "Big day!" he pronounced. Suddenly, he stopped. His face went pale like he had seen a ghost. "What is she doing here?"

  I turned to see who it was.

  A woman our age carrying a heavy messenger bag staggered into the room, bending beneath its weight. She was pretty. She had wild, curly black hair and freckled olive skin. She threw it down on one of the chairs and began rifling through the contents. She pulled out a recorder, which I thought was odd, and then began speaking into it.

  "Who is she?" I asked.

  "She's my ex," Nate replied, and then he strode over.

  I was left with my jaw gaping open.

  I mean, of course he had dated people before. My ex lived right here on the island. But I knew what it felt like to be on an island and suddenly run into someone you didn't expect to see. I rushed behind to see if he needed some moral support.

  "Hey Lottie!" he said, giving her a tight-lipped smile. "Fancy meeting you here."

  "Nate!" she replied. She threw her arms around his neck in delight. "When I got the scoop, I wondered if it could possibly be you."

  "Lottie, allow me to introduce my girlfriend, Paige," he said, motioning to me.

  I saw some of the delight dim in her eyes. "Oh. Your girlfriend." She then pulled herself together. "I'm Lottie. Nate and I dated in college. Ages ago."

  "He just mentioned that."

  "Ah. Yes," she said awkwardly. "So, I'm a reporter now for the Herald... um... I got a press announcement from someone named Richard. He's a friend of the paper's owner and he wanted to make sure that you all got some good coverage."

  I could see Nate relax a bit. Richard had caught the ferry boat back to the mainland earlier. He had been really sad he couldn't stay but was meeting up with his daughters in the morning. It was better he wasn't here to see how his act of generosity had created this awkwardness. But still, it was sweet he had tried to help.

  Lottie continued. "I mean, I was surprised when I saw your name on the press announcement, but it seemed too weird that it would be you here on Seaside. Figured it was just someone with the same name. And what's all this thing with being a 'founder' or something?"

  "It's a... family title," he confessed with a little embarrassment.

  "Well, finding a capsule is a really nice feel-good story and we could all use a little more of that, amirite?"

  "You are correct."

  She shrugged casually, trying to make the situation easier. "So, why don't you treat me like you would any fabulously attractive journalist who you broke up with years ago. Show me around and give me the story."

  "Right," said Nate. He wordlessly checked in with me, like he wasn't entirely sure what he should say.

  I gave his hand a supportive squeeze. "Why don't the two of you get caught up on old times? Give her the full rundown on the time capsule and events. I need to go give Granny a hand at the table."

  "Thanks, Paige," Nate said, kissing my cheek.

  "That's big of you, Paige. I appreciate it," added Lottie. She turned to Nate and said, "Well, shall we begin?"

  As I watched them walk away, I couldn't help but think she seemed like a really nice person. I mean, I wasn't an idiot and was pretty sure she knew exactly who he was and had come here in the hopes of 'reconnecting', but everyone can have those sorts of dreams, and she had been super respectful when she found out that it wasn't going to happen.

  They seemed really comfortable with each other and goofy. Nate showed her the time capsule and joked around, pretending like he couldn't figure out how to speak into her recorder as he answered his questions.

  I could see that spark that maybe had brought them together in the first place.

  And I couldn't help a nagging little voice in my head which reminded me if I left Seaside and tried to have a long-distance relationship, either to go home or to travel halfway across the globe to Paris, she and Nate would only be a short boat ride apart.

  Chapter Twelve

  The marching band gathered behind the time capsule and started playing the school fight song. Moms and dads lifted their phones to get a record of their child's big moment. If we had known there would be this much video coverage, we could have skipped hiring Hal and his camera crew. Nevertheless, Hal and the guys were in the back of the room, all set up and ready to go. Lottie had wandered over to say hello, and began pulling out her Nikon and tripod. The way they spoke, it seemed like maybe they were acquainted. A few stragglers grabbed their cups of coffee from our Bitter Beans concession stand, and then scurried off to find their seat.

  As soon as the band stopped playing, Nate stepped forward to the podium.

  "Thank you to Seaside High School's musicians for providing us such rousing songs," said Nate. There was a wave of polite applause. "We are gathered here to travel into our past, to honor those people who created Seaside, and to look boldly into the future."

  Madison's cell phone went off. She picked it up and climbed out of the audience and headed toward the back doors. "No, I can hear you just fine. This is a perfect time. Nothing much is going on. You? OMG! You BLEACHED your EYEBROWS?!"

  Nate straightened his note cards nervously. "As I was saying," Nate continued. "We're here to honor our past by opening this time capsule. Our school has sent one of its brightest 3rd graders, who currently holds a 4.0 grade point average, to open it. We hope that this experience will live in the memories of the next generation and be something passed along to their own children someday."

  A murmur of approval made its way through the crowd as a precocious young girl walked up to the front
. I recognized her as the daughter of Tim, the man who owned the bait shop. She had two fat pigtails on the top of her head that had been carefully curled, and walked gently so not to mess up her dress. She pushed her thick-rimmed glasses on her nose as she stepped behind the table.

  "Could you tell us what you see inside?" asked Nate.

  I noticed both Hal and Lottie leaning forward, readying their cameras for the perfect shot.

  She climbed up onto a step stool, and with great effort, removed the metal lid. "Um..." she said, looking at Nate in confusion. "It's empty."

  "WHAT?" Nate said, rushing over.

  The crowds' voices hummed with concern. I caught Madison out of the corner of my eye. She was leaning against the doorway. At first, she looked shocked, but then there was a smug satisfaction that spread across her face. Just another opportunity to make Nate look like a jerk, I guess.

  "No!" said Nate. He turned to Stan and Fred. "It was full when I checked it earlier. Someone has stolen everything out of the time capsule!"

  Chapter Thirteen

  The room erupted into a wave of confusion and outrage.

  "Who would do such a thing!" Granny exclaimed. "In our nice, quiet, peaceful community."

  "At least no one appears to be dead this time," Wanda noted.

  Holly suddenly came running up to the front wearing white gloves. She delicately touched Nate's arm and her quiet voice seemed to have a hypnotic power over the crowd. "Many thanks to everyone for coming to this event. I invite everyone to join us for coffee and cookies in the foyer."

  Johnny was on damage control. He popped out of his seat and waved the crowd toward the hallway. "I'm buying! Dudes! And dudettes! Free coffee from Bitter Beans! Courtesy of the dive shop! Fill 'er up!"

  With a concerned murmur, the crowd slowly began to dissipate, but it was clear the gossip mill was already running wild with this one. And, as my eyes fell upon our news and documentary crew, I realized the gossip was about to get way out of hand.

  Lottie and Hal were making a beeline to Nate. Lottie smiled as she saw me. She was snapping pictures right and left of everyone as they left. "This was some scoop."

  "We'll talk later, Paige," Hal said. "History in the making." And then he ran off, camera crew in tow. Well, he and Carter were running. Aidan was sauntering over to the refreshment table to grab a snack.

  Suddenly, the conversation I had with Hal sprung into my mind. He said things might not be what people were expecting with the time capsule. Had he known this was going to happen?

  This had just gone from weird to stratospherically weird.

  A few people were jostling toward Nate, but fortunately, for the first time in their miserable lives, Stan and Fred's theatrics were being put to good use.

  "I need everyone to clear this crime scene!" shouted Stan, holding out his fat hands like he was ready to play a game of Red Rover and snatch anyone who tried to break through. "I need everyone to vacate the premises! Do NOT contaminate the crime scene!"

  Fred began chasing people away. I mean, he was shepherding them toward the door, but also pointing his long finger at people and saying, "Did you do it? Did you steal from the time capsule? Was it you?"

  The thought of wrongfully spending a night in the clink was enough to put the hustle in everyone's step. Everyone, that is, except Hal and Lottie. Lottie had her recorder out in front of her and Carter was capturing everything

  Granny and her posse had protectively surrounded Nate and were making clucking noises of support. His arms were crossed and his face was pale. He was totally in shock over the turn of events.

  "Well, at least the youth of our little island village will remember this day forever...?" Wanda offered, trying to lighten the mood.

  "This is crazy!" he said, but then was interrupted by Stan and Fred.

  "I need everyone to STAND BACK while we interview our witness." Stan gave Nate the stink eye. "So, how did you know that there were things inside? THINGS THAT COULD BE STOLEN!"

  Lottie leaned forward with her recorder and I saw Hal motion to the cameraman to get a close-up.

  "I glanced inside," Nate confessed. "The box was metal and I wanted to make sure that the lid wasn't rusted shut. I wish I had paid more attention now, though."

  "So you took the treasures?" Fred accused.

  "No, he didn't take them," I groaned. "He's been robbed. Someone broke into the time capsule and stole all the things."

  Stan and Fred looked at one another. They faces broke out into simultaneous grins.

  "We shouldn't have let any of those people go! We need them for questioning!" Stan stated, excited to have a crime he thought he could handle here on the island. He started running toward the door. "Everyone stop! We need to question you! Who stole the items from the capsule? I'm going to need to check all your purses and diaper bags. Kid! What's in your tuba case?"

  Fred went chasing after him, pausing to grab a free muffin from the refreshment table, and then running out.

  "Well, glad they're here to make it worse..." Nate sighed.

  Granny assured him bracingly, "We'll get to the bottom of this." But then she tried to ask, maintaining a veneer of casual curiosity, "Now, what was in there?"

  Nate rubbed his forehead as he tried to remember. "There was a newspaper from the day they sealed the capsule, a piece of embroidery celebrating the town, and a silver cup. It had two handles like a trophy or something."

  "They used to call those 'loving cups'," Holly informed us.

  "And then there was a map."

  "A map?" asked Granny. "Of what?"

  "I don't know," Nate shrugged. "I was hoping to save it for this moment. But it seemed newer, like maybe something they put in there in the 1940s when they moved the time capsule into Holly's store."

  "No chance it might've been a treasure map?" asked Hal.

  We all looked at him sharply.

  "A treasure map..." Lottie repeated, with the curiosity of a shark who smelled chum in the water. "Now what would make you ask a question like that?"

  "Just asking a question about a rumor I heard. Do you think it could have been a treasure map, Nate?"

  "I... um... I don't know..." said Nate.

  Lottie turned off her recorder with a triumphant snap. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I have a deadline to make."

  "We need to go get some interviews. Crowd reactions and such," said Hal. "Thanks for your time, Nate!"

  Wanda shook her blue, spikey head. "Paige, if I haven't said it before, I'm saying it now. I'm glad you didn't go home yet."

  "What?" I asked.

  She jerked her thumb toward the hallway. "That Lottie is going to splash across the headlines that there is a stolen treasure map floating around. We're going to be swamped as soon as it hits."

  "Oh, I'm sure nothing so dramatic," replied Granny. She squeezed Nate's arm. "Don't you worry, Nate. All press is good press."

  A flash of pink caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. Madison was leaning against the wall, watching this with the demeanor of someone not surprised by this turn of events at all. Had she stolen the contents, wanting to make Nate look bad? Or to create a scandal to get people to pay attention?

  "Well, if it was a treasure map, thank goodness you didn't sell the island's land to those developers," I said to Nate. "You would have given away a gold mine."

  Chapter Fourteen

  The buzz was already going by the time I opened the store in the morning.

  Wanda, Marnie, and Holly stopped by to grab Granny for their morning walk.

  "Can you believe it?" asked Wanda. "The story is all over the internet."

  "I don't know how that Lottie put together a story so quickly, but it is all over the Herald website!"

  Wanda handed me her metal to-go cup, which was etched with I Promise This Isn't Wine, for some hot water. "I heard her say that the AP wire picked it up and some other newspapers were going to carry it!"

  I heard steps coming down Granny's staircase and she appe
ared at the bottom. She was dressed in a pink velour tracksuit and sequined shoes. Her hair was high, but covered in a silk scarf covered in roses.

  "No Richard today?" Holly asked.

  "Or are you just now getting in?" asked Wanda with a knowing wink.

  I finished filling Wanda's cup and got Granny's travel mug ready to go as they giggled scandalously among themselves.

  Granny waved them away. "I, unlike you lazy bones, roll out of bed this fabulous."

  "If you mean rolling out of bed at 5:00 AM to set your hair," Wanda replied.

  "They're called beauty secrets because they are supposed to be a secret!" said Granny, giving Wanda a friendly swat. "All set here at the store?" she asked me.

  "Bracing for the ferry traffic," I replied, gripping onto the marble countertop.

  "Did Richard have to go back to the mainland?" Holly asked, reaching out to rest a comforting hand on Granny's forearm.

  She nodded and I could see she was a little wistful about it. "He really is a lovely man. Shame we have a major body of water keeping us apart."

  "You should tell him to move here!" said Wanda. "What else does he have going on?"

  "Well, he has two children..."

  "And you have a daughter. AND a granddaughter. You remind him you are the prize that he let get away before and if he's not careful, some sailor is going to roll into town and sweep you off your feet."

  Granny giggled. "Well, in that case, I suppose we should go stand on the pier. I always loved those white suits with the tight pants."

  "GRANNY!" I scolded with mock horror.

  "Come on, you're badly influencing the next generation," Marnie stated, leading the crew outside.

  I laughed and watched them until they were out of sight. Then I sighed. The store was so quiet. I had even cut my baking in half today. I had often wondered how Granny kept up when she was all on her own and I realized there wasn't a whole lot to keep up with.

  I grabbed the broom and checked the corners of the room to make sure I had hunted down all of the dust bunnies. I heard the ferry horn bellowing its arrival and I walked back behind the counter. I wondered if I should ask Granny if we should plan on opening at their dock time. Aside from her and her friends, there hadn't been a soul in.