The Cove Conundrum

by Agatha Ball

  "Maybe I've been wrong, giving my time to people who don't care," she said.

  "You don't know that's what happened," said Granny, putting her arm around Marnie's shoulders. "I'm not going to let you shut up your heart and think the worst of people until we know who did this."

  Suddenly, Lottie's questions about the shop earlier began tickling the back of my mind. "Marnie?" I asked. "What did this building used to be back before it was your yarn shop?"

  She thought for a moment, as if her brain was going in slow motion. "It used to be the old bank."

  "What is it?" Granny asked, realizing something big was going on.

  I wet my lips. "I'm thinking whoever stole the map hasn't found the treasure yet."

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  "Granny?" I asked. "Did you and Richard spend any time at Bitter Beans last night?"

  She shook her head with concern.

  "So, when I arrived this morning, everything had been riffled through. Drawers, tables, everything."

  She placed her hand on her heart. "In the middle of that big storm? Someone broke into our shop in the middle of a storm?"

  "Looters!" shouted Wanda. "This island is going downhill!"

  "But they didn't hit any of the other shops here," I confirmed with Wanda and Holly. "Just the yarn shop and Bitter Beans, right?"

  The posse conferred with one another and nodded, not seeing where I was going with this.

  "Lottie said something weird to me this morning. She was asking if our shops were always our shops. She was asking if the general store had always been a general store and what Bitter Beans and the yarn shop had been before they became what they are today."

  Granny began walking over to me slowly. "She was asking specifically about the two shops that were burgled last night?"

  "Weird coincidence, right?" I asked. "And the thing was, she was out wandering in the storm. She said she got lost, but Nate found her behind the yarn shop. Main Street isn't that big. It's really, really hard to get lost between here and the Grand Hotel, and I don't care how hard it is raining."

  Granny looked at her posse. "I think we need to go find this intrepid reporter before she has a chance to leave the island."

  "I'm thinking you're right!" agreed Wanda.

  "Do we need some pitchforks?" Holly piped in with her sweet little voice. "Because I have some at my store."

  I wasn't sure if she was joking or not.

  "Stan and Fred are with Nate right now. I'll let them know what is going on. You go check your shops and text me if anything is missing." I started jogging toward the door. "And if you see Lottie, stop her. However you can."

  "I have some rope!" offered Marnie, helpfully, as I walked out.

  Chapter Thirty

  I stepped onto Main Street and was shocked to see Johnny strolling along.

  "Johnny!" I shouted, waving him down. "What are you doing here? Didn't Lottie tell you Nate needed your help?"

  He stared at me like I was talking in tongues. "Nate needs what?" I could see panic settle in, the same way I'm sure panic would settle on me if Nate was in trouble and I didn't know it.

  "Hal was swept into the water. They're mounting a search-and-rescue around the island in case he was able to swim to shore."

  Johnny was off like a rocket, sprinting to the beach.

  "Wait! Wait!" I called after him, unable to keep up. By the time I finally reached him on the sand, he had already pushed his little motorboat halfway into the water.

  "You coming?" he asked.

  I had no idea where Nate was, but figured this was probably the best way to find him. "You bet I am."

  "Well, put on a lifejacket and hop in!" he said, tossing me an orange, nylon covered rectangle.

  I pushed my head through the hole of the lifejacket, and wrapped the white strap around my waist, clicking the clasps into place, then grabbed a side of the boat and pushed it out with Johnny.

  The water was totally gross, filled with flotsam and jetsam kicked up from the storm.

  "This is nasty," I said, crawling into the boat and picking leaves and twigs off of my jeans.

  "Just try not to inhale," Johnny said, pulling the string on the motor until it kicked in. "You should be fine."

  I picked up my phone and texted Nate everything that had happened with the robberies. He didn't get back to me, but I figured he was probably driving. Johnny was doing a good job of hugging the coast, and we kept our eyes on the beach and rocks.

  "So, Lottie didn't find you?" I shouted over the hum of the boat.

  He kept his eyes scanning the waterline just in case he might miss Hal. "Naw. Didn't see her at all. I was down at the shack all morning. Kept waiting for someone to try to get in the water, but everyone seemed to be cool with staying on land."

  Not such a strange prospect seeing as how Seaside was known for pretty mediocre waves and the only guests on the island were probably looking to stay dry after the big storm.

  Still, it was weird. If he had been there, why hadn't Lottie found him? Why had she made a promise she hadn't kept?

  I tried to shoot Nate another message to keep an eye out for her, but we were far enough away from the shore that all service was gone.

  We kept puttering around the island, but it all seemed in vain.

  "The ocean is big, Paige," shouted Johnny over the sound of the wind and the motor. "But she gives back that which is not hers. We'll find Hal."

  I shivered, and not just from the cold mist. I spotted Tim's fishing boat coming at us from the other direction. He was the owner of the bait shop, worked as an EMT on the island, and just had a strange way of always being there when I needed help. Part of me was starting to think he was my guardian angel of sorts. I waved to him and he slowed down as he pulled along broadside.

  "You kids out looking for Hal, too?" he asked.

  "Yep!" shouted Johnny. "No chance you spotted him."

  The waves began tossing us like a cork. "Getting pretty choppy out here," he shouted back. "I wouldn't be scooting around these waters in that leaky bathtub you're driving, Johnny."

  "Aye, aye!" he shouted back, giving a little salute.

  "See you back in the harbor!" Tim yelled as he pulled away.

  We puttered around for a little while longer, just in case Hal was out there somewhere, but then the rain started up again. By the time we got back to town, we were both drenched and shivering. I was having to bail by the time we reached the beach.

  I hopped out and pulled the boat onshore. To my relief, Nate was standing next to Tim under the dive shop's awning.

  "No sign of him?" Nate called.

  "Nothing."

  "I was about to steal Tim's boat and come out after you!" Nate shouted as we dragged Johnny's boat ashore.

  "I wouldn't have taken Paige for a tour of Davy Jones' locker," promised Johnny.

  My teeth were totally chattering at this point and Nate took off his jacket to wrap around me. "You're so cold, your lips are blue."

  "Hey! What about me!" piped up Johnny.

  Tim came to his rescue. "It smells like fish, but take my coat," said Tim. "You know better than to go out in waters like this, Johnny."

  "Thought the storm had broken," he said. "Couldn't help but think of Hal, sitting on the rocks like the Little Mermaid, just hoping a boat would come along to save him."

  "You got a good heart, but leave it to folks who have a cabin," chided Tim.

  "Can you yell at me after we get someplace warm?" asked Johnny.

  "Fair enough."

  Nate shook Tim's hand in thanks and then we all ran up the street. The Grand Hotel was right in front of us, so we made a mad dash for it.

  The warmth of the lobby was like a hug.

  "Sorry," Nate apologized to the girl at the front counter. "Just need a little shelter from the storm."

  "Of course!" she said, coming around with worry. "Let me grab you some towels so you can dry off."

  A big fire was roaring in the cocktail lounge,
and Johnny and I decided to take advantage of it while Nate went over to the bar to get us something warm to drink. He came back with a cup of coffee for me and an herbal tea for Johnny, and I have never tasted anything so delicious. I was starting to feel human again when the clerk arrived with heated towels.

  "We'll get you right as rain and all sorted out," she promised as she handed them to all three of us.

  As we dried off, Nate asked the clerk, "Hey, there was a reporter here named Lottie and she said that her cameraman was staying here. Any chance you've seen her?"

  The clerk shook her head. "No. When did they check in?"

  "Well, he would have checked in yesterday, and she said that you were sold out, so she stayed with us."

  The clerk seemed mystified. "We weren't sold out."

  "You weren't?" Nate asked again, just to confirm he had heard what he thought she had said.

  "Yeah, and there weren't any reporters or cameramen who checked in. The only new guests were your grandparents, Paige." She stopped herself. "Sorry, your grandmother and her friend. They're so cute together, I forget they aren't together together. Everyone else has been staying here for a while."

  We were all absolutely flabbergasted.

  "Um... thanks," said Nate. "Uh... if someone named Lottie checks in, can you call me?" He reached into his wallet and pulled out a business card. "It's important."

  "Sure! No problem! And feel free to hang out as long as you like." The rain started pelting the side of the building and it sounded like it might have begun hailing. "This is not the sort of weather anyone should be stuck out in."

  Chapter Thirty-One

  "What the heck is going on?" Nate asked as soon as she was out of earshot. "Lottie lied about being here for a story? She lied about a cameraperson?"

  "She lied about coming to tell me about Hal," Johnny piped up. "But that's okay. It meant I got to hang out with Paige." He gave my shoulder a fist bump and then exploded it with the awesome.

  "She was asking me about the buildings on Main Street," I said. "Specifically, she was asking about two that were burgled at some point during the storm, and it sounds like she got Bitter Beans confused with the general store. Like, she was looking for an old general store and assumed Bitter Beans was it."

  "You got some weird taste in girlfriends, man," said Johnny, before turning to me. "Present company excepted."

  "I'm with Johnny on this one," I said.

  "I'm in total agreement with both of you," Nate replied, ruefully.

  "And I don't know why she didn't get Johnny," I added.

  "Even though we had a better time than I ever would have had with her," Johnny reminded me. "I mean, even though she made me some toast."

  "She said she felt bad about begging to tag along, Nate, so she asked if she could help. She told me she would tell Johnny to find Hal. But she didn't. She just... disappeared."

  Nate's brow knit. "Why? And where did she go?" He motioned in the direction of the Main Street. "Did she find what she was looking for in Marnie's shop and then hot-footed it off the island?"

  "She'd need a boat," said Johnny. "The ferry has been suspended on account of the storm."

  Suddenly, Aidan, Hal's line producer, came wandering in and we all clammed up. He seemed stunned, like he had barely escaped death himself. I couldn't even imagine what he was going through.

  Nate waved him over. "How you doing?" he asked with concern.

  Aidan shook his head. "I just can't believe Hal is dead..." he said. Tears began to fill his eyes. "We were just here to record people's stories. We wanted to give them a little bit of immortality... and Hal, instead, discovered his mortality."

  "It was really big of you to join forces with Hal," I offered kindly. "I know that Madison had made promises to you and your team. But to come and still help out."

  He brushed it aside. "It was just a job. I was here for a job, I signed on for a job... It's just that now it isn't just a job anymore." He took a deep breath. "I just don't even know what to do now. I mean, do I just go home? Do I... finish what Hal started?" He shook his head. "I don't want to do this anymore. Not after this." Aidan let out a little strangled half-laugh. "I'm the line producer and it is my job to know where people are and to keep them safe. I should have told him it wasn't safe. I knew it wasn't but I should have said it. I should have insisted."

  Johnny slapped him on the back in a dude-supporting-another-dude sort of way. "Listen, man, this was out of your control. Neptune takes what he wants and there's nothing we can do about it when that time comes. It ain't your fault."

  Aidan nodded, trying to be brave. "You're right. You're right..."

  "Did you tell Carter yet?" Nate asked.

  Aidan nodded his head. "Yeah. I just told him. He's up in the room and pretty... he's not doing well." He stopped himself and gathered up his emotions. He seemed like he really didn't want to talk anymore about this. "What are you three doing here?"

  "Um..." Nate looked at Johnny and me, not quite sure how much to say. "We're... well, we were out trying to find Hal, but we just learned a... friend of ours might be missing, too."

  "Oh man... I'm so sorry," said Aidan.

  I leaned forward. "Aidan, this is going to sound crazy. But Hal had mentioned that there might be a treasure on this island. He seemed to know about it even before we opened up the time capsule. Do you remember him talking to anyone about it?"

  Aidan's brow furrowed. "Well, he talked to me about it. It sounded like something out of a movie script and I didn't really take it seriously. Oh! And I heard him talking to that reporter who was here. What was her name? Lottie or something?"

  Nate, Johnny, and I exchanged meaningful glances. Johnny's glance was just a little bit too meaningful.

  "What?" Aidan asked. "What are the looks for?"

  "Nothing," said Nate. "Just something she said that was odd. Um... if you'll excuse me, I need to send a text. Get a drink. Put it on my tab."

  "Real nice of you."

  "You lost a friend. It's the least I can do." He got up and gave Aidan a grim smile before stepping out into the lobby.

  Aidan looked at the window. "At least the storm is clearing." Another wave of emotion seemed to crest inside him. "If we had just waited a couple more hours, he could have gotten all the footage he wanted."

  I gave his arm a squeeze. There was just nothing to say. Tell him it would be all right? Tell him it would pass? They were all lies. The only thing I could do right now is just let him know we understood.

  "I think..." he said as his pint of lager arrived. "I think I might go up to my room." He nodded to himself. "Yeah, I think it would be best if I went up there and just figured out what I'm supposed to do next."

  "Sure thing," I said, watching him sympathetically as he left.

  Nate came back a few moments later.

  "Where'd Aidan go?"

  "Up to his room," said Johnny. "Dude was tore up."

  Nate nodded in understanding.

  "And what were you up to?" I asked.

  "Just let Stan and Fred know to keep an eye out for Lottie. Then contacted the ferry and told them to hold her if she tried to get off the island." He wiggled like he had the heebie-jeebies. "I hate this."

  I gave him a hug. "It sucks super big time."

  Johnny put his foot down on the self-pity. "Hey, listen, she's just some chick who was out to steal some stuff. But there might be a guy out there in trouble. And nothing keeps my mind off things like some work," offered Johnny. "How about we head out and just make sure Hal isn't clinging to a rock or something."

  Johnny had a way of putting everything in perspective.

  Nate nodded his head. "You're absolutely right."

  "So, come on! I'll drive!" said Johnny. "Shotgun!"

  "Can you be both the driver and the shotgun?" Nate asked.

  "Only way to drive a boat!"

  Nate gave me a quick kiss. "I'll be back soon."

  "I'll be here for you," I said with a smile, walkin
g them out the door and then parting ways as they headed down to the beach and I turned to head back to Bitter Beans.

  Mom was still in the shop. I don't think she had moved since I left her. The sign had been flipped to "Closed" though.

  I opened up the door and she looked up from the table desperately. Her eyes were red and her face was puffy. She was cuddling Captain and he had his furry orange head pressing against her neck. I could hear his purr all the way across the room.

  "How are you doing?" I asked, coming over and gently sitting in a chair across the checkerboard from her.

  "Not good," she said, with a forced grimace.

  And I knew it was even worse than she was letting on.

  "I'm so sorry," I said. "We had to call off the search when the storm started up again. The guys are back in the water, though, and are starting back up."

  "Nate and Johnny?" she asked.

  "Yeah."

  She nodded. "They are good people." A silence hung between us. I could see she wanted to say something, but was struggling with the words. I waited patiently, allowing her to take as much time as she needed.

  Finally, she said, "I'm sorry that I was trying to force you to come home when both you and your grandmother were trying to tell me it wasn't what you wanted. It's not that I don't want you to follow your heart... It's just." She looked over at me. "It's just that I'll miss you. It's just been you and me and without you, it's just me. And that's a pretty lonely place to be."

  I got up and gave her a great, big hug. Captain was having none of it and struggled out of her arms. But I didn't let that stop me. "It's never just you. It's always us."

  "Things change. You won't understand until you're a mother and have to say goodbye."

  "I'm right here! I haven't gone anywhere! I'm actually closer than if I came home and then decided to jet off to Paris for a couple years."

  She gave a pained smile. "This is true." She took a deep breath. "But what I want to tell you is that, yes, dreams are important. But there are so many different ways for the heart to be happy. And life is too short. There is so much wasted time. I'm so sorry that I was forcing you to come home. If you and Nate care about each other, hold onto that with both hands. Don't let me or anyone else come between you."