Текст книги "A Haunted Murder"
Автор книги: J. A. Whiting
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A Haunted Murder
A Lin Coffin Cozy Mystery
Book 1
J.A. Whiting
Copyright 2015 J.A. Whiting
Cover copyright 2015 Signifer Book Design
Formatting by Signifer Book Design
Proofreading by Donna Rich
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, or incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to locales, actual events, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from J. A. Whiting.
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For the loved ones who watch over us
Chapter 1 – Twenty Years Ago
Carolin Coffin was never afraid of the dark. Not the way other kids were. Before she could even talk she was able to see things that “normal” kids couldn’t. The spirits of people who had passed never scared her. Whenever a spirit appeared, she always felt a sense of benevolence and calm.
She didn’t like calling them ghosts, but that was the easiest way to think of them. Sometimes the ghosts would speak to her mind, but mostly they were quiet.
Lin figured out pretty early that other people couldn’t see what she could, so she stopped allowing the spirits to reveal themselves. When they were coming, she could feel the hairs on her arms stand up or a coolness brush past her.
She didn’t want to be different or made fun of, so she turned away from what she could see and hear. When she felt a ghost approaching, she would push down inside herself and think of cotton balls all around her, or a cloud or some magic fog surrounding her that nothing could get through. After a while, the spirits stopped coming and she was more like the other kids her age. The last time she saw a spirit was at a neighborhood summer party when she was nine years old.
All the kids had a get-together in one of the neighborhood girl’s backyards. There was a cookout and games and when the sun went down, the girl’s parents made a campfire for toasting marshmallows and everyone sat around it in the dark swatting at mosquitoes.
Some kids started telling ghost stories and murder stories and a few of the younger kids started to cry and ran inside to tell on the ones who were making up the scary tales. The kids who were telling the tales ran inside to defend themselves.
Lin stayed by the fire. She liked looking up at the stars and watching the flames dancing and making shadows against the trees. It was quiet and peaceful without all the fussing and crying and she hoped the others would stay inside for a while.
One other kid stayed outside, too. His name was Pete and he was about twelve years old. Pete had come up from New York City to stay with a family in the neighborhood for a few weeks. He was sponsored by a group called something like the Country Air Experience. Lin liked Pete. He had a self assurance and self acceptance that many kids lacked, that most adults lacked for that matter. He never got flustered and didn’t seem to like drama and foolishness.
Pete looked across the fire at Lin. “Why aren’t you scared of the stories?”
She shrugged. “What’s to be scared of?”
“The other kids are scared.”
Lin made eye contact with Pete. “You’re not.”
He shook his head.
“Why not?” Lin asked.
“Real life stuff is the stuff to be afraid of. Not made up stories.”
“What are you afraid of?” Lin cocked her head.
“People. Some people. And the stuff they do.” Pete paused. “What are you afraid of?”
Lin didn’t give him an answer, she just poked the toe of her sneaker around in the dirt.
They were both quiet for a minute, and then Pete asked, “Being different?”
Lin’s head jerked up and she could feel her cheeks warm. She was glad that it was dark so he couldn’t see the fluster on her face. “What?”
“Being different, being alone. You want to fit in,” Pete said. “But it’s better to be yourself.”
Before Lin could think of a reply, the hairs on her arms stood at attention and a cool shiver rolled over her skin. Atoms began to swirl and sparkle, and then a small woman with a pleasant smile materialized standing two feet away from Pete. The woman’s essence shimmered and her body was translucent. The spirit gazed at Pete with a gentle look on her face, and then she turned to Lin.
Lin smiled. Pete looked just like the woman.
Pete turned his head. “What are you staring at?”
Lin’s eyes met his. She wasn’t going to say anything, but then the kind ghost woman spoke to her mind and Lin had to reveal the words.
She took a deep breath. “You mom wants you to know that she’s okay. She’s proud of you, Pete. She said ‘let go of it and be the man you are meant to become.’”
Pete’s eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open. His head turned to his right and then back to Lin. “What did you say?” His voice was high and squeaky.
“You look just like her,” Lin said softly. “Your mom.”
A figure stepped from the wooded property line. The ghost woman disappeared into the night air like wisps of smoke from the fire. Pete and Lin both turned to the girl who had emerged from behind a tree.
“I heard you, Lin. You’re a freak,” she spat.
It was Lin’s nine-year-old neighbor, Charlene Sheldon. They used to be good friends until Lin made the mistake of telling her about the things she could see.
“You tell lies just to seem special.” Charlene had her hands on her hips. “I’m going to tell.” Her voice was haughty.
Anger boiled inside of Lin mostly because Charlene had spoiled the moment and made the ghost go away, but also because she was sick of Charlene putting her down and telling the other kids she was a freak. A resolve hardened in Lin’s chest.
Mrs. Sheldon came out of the back door of the house and called across the darkness. “You other kids. Come on in here now. The party’s over. Everybody’s going home. Come on.”
Charlene yelled to her mother. “Lin’s telling lies again.”
“Come in here. No more stories,” Mrs. Sheldon said. “It’s time to go.”
Charlene didn’t budge, but Lin stood up, dusted off her butt, and strode across the lawn to the house like she didn’t care about Charlene or anybody else. She did though, she cared a lot. Lin hurried to the back door, blinking hard to keep her tears from falling.
“Lin,” Pete called. He trotted up beside her. “Lin.”
Lin looked at him out of the corner of her eye, expecting some rude comment. She kept walking.
Pete touched her arm. “Thanks,” he whispered.
Lin turned slightly. She gave Pete a little nod.
Mrs. Sheldon eyed the young girl as if she was frightened by her, but the woman didn’t say a word as Lin went into the house to wait for her grandpa to come and pick her up.
The nine-year-old sat down heavily in one of the kitchen chairs. She was so tired of people giving her weird looks and saying mean things to her.
A few months later, Grandpa and Lin left the suburbs for good. They moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts where she made a new start as a ‘normal’ kid.
That night at the Sheldon’s party was the last time Carolin Coffin allowed herself to see what other people couldn’t.
Chapter 2 – Present Day
The fast-ferry let out three, long, low blares as it approached the dock in Nantucket town. The ride had taken just under an hour to cross Nantucket Sound from Hyannis, Massachusetts. For the last few minutes of the ride, Lin stood aft on the open deck, the wind pummeling her long brown hair into a cloud that whipped all around her head. Her dog, a small light brown mixed breed with a darker patch of brown on his right eye, watched his owner through the glass window of the door from inside the passenger cabin.
Lin opened the door. She reached for her rolling suitcase and swung her small duffle bag over her shoulder. “Come on, Nick. Let’s go find Viv.”
The dog wagged his little stub of a tail and they joined the line of disembarking passengers. Walking down the stairs to the dock, Lin admired the bright blue of the sky. It was a perfect early June day, with warm temperatures and a light, comfortable breeze. Tourists strolled along the brick walkways browsing the shops and a crowd of people gathered on the sidewalk to greet relatives and friends as they descended from the gangplank.
A short, pretty young woman caught Lin’s eye. She waved with vigor from under a shade tree. Vivian Coffin and Lin were cousins who shared the same birthday and had just turned twenty-nine. Viv had lived on Nantucket all of her life except for her four years away at college and a summer spent in Europe traveling with a choral group. The girls were descended from two different lines of the Coffin family on their fathers’ sides, but their mothers had been sisters whose ancestors were from the Witchard family of Nantucket.
“Carolin!” Viv called to her cousin, her blue eyes shining. Lin preferred to be called “Lin” but sometimes Viv referred to her by her formal name.
Viv hurried forward. She carried a few extra pounds, had chin-length light brown hair flecked with gold. It was cut in layers around her face. Her perfect skin was complemented by rosy cheeks and a warm, lovely smile.
Lin wrapped her cousin in a big hug while Nicky danced around expecting attention.
Viv reached into her pocket and withdrew a dog biscuit. Nicky sat down and looked eagerly at Viv, but he politely waited for the treat. Viv bent to pat the dog. “How’s Tricky Nicky?” She scratched his head and handed him the biscuit.
Taking the duffel bag from her cousin, Viv slipped her arm through Lin’s. “I’m so glad you’re here. It’s going to be so much fun with you on the island.”
Walking with her cousin over the cobblestone streets of the quaint town made Lin’s heart swell with happiness and she could feel all of the stress of the past months slip from her shoulders and fall away. Well, almost all. The past six months had been the hardest time of her life, with the sudden death of her grandfather and the discovery that her long-time boyfriend had been cheating on her. The combination of events nearly broke her heart. Lin had been feeling alone and adrift and she hoped that moving to the island would be a new start.
“I went by the cottage again yesterday.” Viv had been keeping an eye on the cottage that Lin had inherited from her grandfather. “Everything looks good. I put some food in your refrigerator to tide you over until you get to the market. The truck is going okay, but it won’t last forever.” Off and on, over the past few months, Viv had been driving the old truck that had come with the cottage to keep it in running order. “I took it in for service. I think it will make it through the summer so you can use it for your gardening business, but you’ll have to replace it after that.”
Lin thanked Viv for all of her help. After inheriting the cottage, Lin saw an online ad advertising a gardening business for sale on Nantucket. She contacted the woman and they closed a deal. The work consisted mainly of driving around to client’s homes on the island and taking care of their gardens and window boxes in addition to some lawn mowing and trimming.
The girls stopped on the sidewalk in front of Viv’s bookstore and café, Viv’s Victus. Viv sold paperbacks, hardcovers, and audiobooks, and in the small café in the back corner of the store, she served beverages, soups, sandwiches, salads, and sweet treats. Most evenings in the summer, musical groups performed in the café and Viv’s band played there on Tuesday and Thursday nights.
“How’s business?” Lin asked.
“It’s okay. The off-season is slow, but we’re coming into the busiest few months of the year, so I’m optimistic.”
The cousins parted ways after arranging to meet for dinner later in the evening. Lin was eager to get to the cottage and unpack and Viv needed to return to work.
With his owner hurrying after him, Nicky led the way up Main Street along the brick sidewalks lined with shade trees. Lin loved the old houses and mansions that lined the street. In the late 1700s, the island had been home to sixty percent of the New England whaling fleet. Considered one the finest surviving examples of a late 18th– and early 19th century New England seaport, the entire island had been designated a National Historic district.
The dog turned left when he reached the memorial in the small traffic rotary.
“You remember the way?” Lin marveled at the dog’s memory. They hadn’t been on-island for over six months. She waited to see if Nicky would take the turn onto Vestry Road and she laughed out loud and shook her head in amazement when the dog sauntered along onto the correct side street.
The girl and dog passed small and medium sized homes sided with weathered silver-gray shingles. Many of the homes had crushed white shell driveways, flowers spilling from gardens and window boxes, and roses climbing over white picket fences.
As they approached their cottage, Lin let out a contented sigh. She had so many happy memories of the wonderful summers spent at the house with her grandfather. Nicky gave a bark and danced around the front stoop while the young woman pulled out the key, opened the door, and stepped into the little entryway of their new home.
Thanks, Grandpa. Tears of gratitude gathered in Lin’s eyes.
***
Nicky napped on the floor in the living room in a pool of sunshine while Lin biked to the market. The dog perked up when his owner returned and he watched her put away the groceries. The house was arranged in the shape of a “U” with a deck in the middle built between the three sides. A huge kitchen with a center island and an old wooden dining table took up most of the left section of the house. Off the kitchen, there was a laundry room and a full bath.
On the other side, Grandpa had built a master bedroom and bath and the center of the cottage housed a good-sized living room with huge windows and a door leading out to the deck. An unfinished second floor had space for additional bedrooms and a sitting area, but Lin had more than enough space in the first floor layout.
There was a small second bedroom next to the master that Lin planned to use as her office. Before coming to the island, she’d worked as a computer programmer for a small start-up company in Cambridge and, not wanting to lose such a talented employee, the business worked out an arrangement so that she could work part-time remotely from Nantucket.
Lin went around opening windows to let in fresh air. Bustling about the cottage, she put clothes away, dusted all the surfaces, and swept the wood floors in each of the rooms. She made her bed with pale blue linens that had navy blue anchors printed on the fabric. Taking two soft blankets from the closet, Lin folded them, placed one in a corner of the living room and the other on the floor near her bed. She looked at the dog. “You have these to sleep on until we can get to the store for proper dog beds.”
Nicky let out a tiny woof, tested the blanket in the living room with his two front paws, and giving it the seal of approval, turned in three circles and settled down. Lin made some tea and wandered over to the wall of bookshelves where she removed two volumes, one on the gardens of Nantucket and the other about haunted houses on the island. Lin loved crossword puzzles and anagram puzzles and she pulled some out of her bag. She carried the books and puzzles to a comfy easy chair placed next to the gas stove and she sank onto the cushion. After turning some pages of the garden book, her head rested against the back of the chair, and in two minutes, she was sound asleep.
***
Lin jerked awake from a small brown head pushing against her leg. She rubbed her eyes and looked about the room, disoriented. Nicky put his paws on her chair and gave a whine to indicate it was time to be let outside. Lin pushed herself up and took a quick look at the wall clock, afraid she was late to meet Viv for dinner. She let out a sigh of relief when she realized that she still had an hour before she was supposed to be at the restaurant.
Lin and the dog stepped onto the deck. Nicky ran off to the rear of the property while Lin stepped down from the deck onto the stone patio that ran the length of the house. A short stone wall stood along the edge of the patio and beyond was a bit of lawn ringed by bushes and trees.
The sun had sunk behind the wooded property line. Lin stretched and yawned and turned her attention to the field behind the neighbor’s house. A strange mist rose from the land and hung in the air several feet above the grasses. Part of the fog rode the breeze and floated into Lin’s backyard. Admiring the way the mist softened the landscape, she pulled her phone from her pocket to photograph the mysterious looking scene.
She took two shots and brought one of the photos into view on the phone screen. Smiling at how nice it came out, she used her fingers to enlarge the first photograph. A gasp escaped from Lin’s throat and her eyes bugged from their sockets. Her hand shook so violently from what she saw on the phone’s screen that it slipped from her hand and she had to move like a juggler to keep from dropping it.
An icy chill raced through her inner core. She looked at the photo on the screen again. There in the mist of her backyard, stood an old man dressed in eighteenth-century style clothing. His hair was gray and the sides hung down and touched the top of his shirt collar. Lin’s head jerked around to the wooded area behind the house, her eyes searching for the man.
No one was there. She looked back at the phone and used her finger to swipe to the second photograph. It was a lovely shot of the misty landscape. She swiped back to the first picture. Enlarging it, she brought the phone close to her eyes.
The man was no longer in the shot. Lin blinked hard several times and switched back and forth between the two photos.
Her heart pounding, she turned again to look out over her yard and the adjacent field. The mist was clearing, rising up and evaporating. She jumped when Nicky pressed his cool nose against her leg.
“I didn’t see you come back.” Lin’s heart was still racing as she reached down to pat the dog’s head. Glancing back over her shoulder, she headed for the door to the living room. “Come on, Nick. Let’s go inside.”
As she reached for the doorknob, the brown dog woofed. Lin looked down at him. He was gazing towards the field, wagging his tail, and whining. Scanning the field one more time, her hand shook as she turned away, grasped the knob, and opened the door. “Come, Nick. I need to go meet Viv.” Her voice was shaky.
Reluctantly, the little dog entered the living room with his owner. Lin closed the door and bolted the lock. She wondered how in the world she could have imagined that there had been a man in her photograph.
Chapter 3
Lin walked through town dodging the tourists who strolled past the shops and restaurants. She headed to one of the popular pubs down near the boat docks where many locals hung out enjoying tasty food and a drink or two.
Lin spotted her cousin standing near the entrance to the pub. Viv was talking to a man who looked to be in his forties. The man was tall and thin. He had a dark tan and his salt and pepper colored hair was cut close to his scalp. He looked like someone who spent many hours outdoors in the sun.
Lines creased Viv’s forehead giving her a serious expression and her shoulders were pulled straight up in an almost defensive posture. Her lips were tight as she shook her head. Clearly the two people were engaged in a heated discussion, but Lin couldn’t imagine what was causing Viv’s annoyance. A surge of adrenaline pulsed through Lin’s body.
“You need to stop asking me.” Viv’s hand flew about like a bird evading capture. “I’ve told you over and over, I have no interest whatsoever.”
The man took a menacing step closer.
Lin approached and stood next to her cousin. “What’s going on?” She glanced at Viv before turning her attention to the man. “Is there a problem?”
“Yeah, there’s a problem.” The man’s dark eyes flashed at Lin. “You might want to stay out of it.”
“And you might want to mind your manners.” Lin had a hand on her hip. “We’re late to meet our friends. Have a nice evening.” She looped her arm around Viv’s waist and led her away from the harassing pest. Lowering her voice, she asked, “Who is that? What’s he going on about?”
Viv exhaled loudly and rolled her eyes. “He has been haunting me the past couple of weeks. He shows up at the bookstore, he stands on the sidewalk outside my house. I walk around in town doing errands and I spot him watching me.”
“He asks you out?”
“God, no.” Viv shook her head. “He wants to buy my house.”
Lin’s eyes went wide. “He follows you around like some creep because he wants to buy your house?”
“It’s weird, isn’t it?”
Since their friends hadn’t arrived yet, the hostess showed them to a table.
Lin was concerned. “Did you report him to the police?”
Viv held her hands up. “What would I say to them? I see a man around town. Sometimes he comes into my bookstore?”
“Tell them he’s a creep who keeps bothering you.”
Viv tilted her head to one side. “It would just make me seem like the crazy one.”
Lin sighed. “I guess. Maybe you should file a report anyway, just to have it on record.”
The waitress brought glasses of water and Viv lifted hers to her lips and gulped. She ordered a beer that was brewed on the island and Lin ordered a glass of sangria.
“When did that guy first show up?” Lin leaned in closer. “He made you an offer for your house? Is he from the island?”
A smile spread over Viv’s lips. “I don’t need to go to the police since I have an interrogator right here.” She chuckled. “He knocked on my door one evening. He introduced himself and said he would be very interested in purchasing my property because he’d always admired it.” Viv crossed her arms and leaned on the table. “I thanked him, but said I’d grown up in the house and that I was planning to remain there until I grew old.”
“What did he say to that?” Lin worried that this man might be using the desire to buy the house to disguise other intentions.
“He said that maybe I’d like to hear his offer. I told him it wouldn’t make any difference and thanked him again. I suggested he go talk to John so that he could find an appropriate home for him.” Viv’s boyfriend of six years, John Clayton, was an island Realtor. He lived on a boat in the harbor and was also a musician who played several instruments. He and Viv had been playing together in bands for years.
Viv continued. “The guy became disgruntled. His reaction made me nervous so I said I was expecting visitors and had to see to something I had in the oven.”
“Did he go away?”
Viv ran her hand threw her hair. “He told me that he would speak to me another time. Then he left.”
“He showed up again?”
“Many times. At the bookstore, knocking on my door at the house. I’d see him at the market and he’d start again with his offers. He always made it seem like we’d just run into each other by accident, but I think he was following me around.”
“Why is he so adamant about buying your house?” Lin was thinking out loud. “Is he from the island?”
“I tried to get information from him about why he was so interested in this particular house, but he wasn’t very forthcoming. I asked a few people about him and I looked him up on the internet. His name is Greg Hammond. He runs a large landscape design business, does a lot of patios, walkways, stone walls, things like that, in addition to landscaping with plants. He’s got a house and a big barn and greenhouse out towards ‘Sconset way.”
“Your house wouldn’t fit his needs if he’s a running a business like that.”
“He says that he’s keeping his present property. He wants my house, too.” Viv frowned. “But why? Is he crazy or is there some legitimate reason to want it so badly?”
“We should look up his background. Maybe discreetly talk to some of his employees or customers. I could approach someone he’s done work for and tell them I was thinking of hiring him and ask how things went with him.”
Viv nodded. She seemed to be thinking something over. She made eye contact with her cousin and lowered her voice. “I keep thinking there must be something in particular about my house. Its history? Its design and layout? I don’t know.”
Lin smiled. “Maybe there’s a huge oil deposit under the house. He’ll tap into it and make millions.”
That comment elicited a loud chuckle from Viv. Her big blue eyes sparkled. She was just about to say something else when her boyfriend, John, and her assistant manager from the bookstore, Mallory, walked into the restaurant at the same time and hurried over. John gave Viv a kiss and then he greeted Lin with a hug. Mallory and Lin had met a few times. The two women greeted each other warmly.
The waitress returned and took drink orders from the two newcomers.
Mallory looked across the table at Viv. “Guess who I saw storming up the street just now?”
Viv made a face. “Let me guess. Was it Mr. Crazy House?” Viv, John, and Mallory had christened Greg Hammond with the more descriptive name. “He spoke with me just a few minutes ago, or should I say ‘argued?’”
“Ugh. That guy won’t give up.” Mallory shook her head. She couldn’t believe that Hammond had spoken with Viv twice in the same day. “He seems to be getting more desperate.”
John’s eyes narrowed and his lips turned down. “This worries me.” He put his arm protectively around his girlfriend’s shoulders. “I don’t like it. Why don’t we go to the police station tomorrow? I think it’s a good idea to have a report of this man’s harassment on record.”
“My very words,” Lin agreed.
Viv’s eyes darkened. “Why can’t he leave me alone?” She groaned. “I guess you’re right. Let’s go to the police station later in the afternoon though. I don’t want to be away from the store in the morning. All the regulars come in for coffee and pastry. I like to be there then.”
With that decided, the group dug into their meals and the talk turned to music and books and movies. Even though she was enjoying herself, Lin couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that had settled in her chest because of Greg Hammond’s pestering of Viv. Not only that, but she was still disturbed by her hallucination of the man in the back field appearing in her photograph.
When the girls had been in their early teens, Lin had shared with her cousin that she was able to see spirits. She braced hard for Viv’s response, but Viv was excited by the news and wanted to hear all about it. She didn’t think Lin was crazy or weird or a liar.
It was the first time that Lin could remember having felt valued and respected for who she was with someone other than her grandpa, and it made her feel that she could tell her cousin anything. Lin had planned to tell Viv about the photograph during dinner, but she didn’t get the chance because of the talk about Greg Hammond and his quest for Viv’s house.
A musical group set up in the corner of the restaurant and started to play Irish folksongs with a rock edge. After just a few bars of the first song, the clientele was clapping hands, stomping feet to the beat, and some were singing along. Lin and the others stayed until after midnight enjoying the company of the crowd and the upbeat music.
After calling it a night and saying goodbye to everyone, Lin walked up Main Street under the streetlamps. As she headed for home, worry over Viv and the man in the photograph caused a heavy sense of dread to fall over her shoulders like a heavy, woolen, eighteenth-century cloak.
