by Bobbi Holmes
“I agree with Edward,” Walt said.
“What else is in your book that might concern someone today?” Danielle asked.
Walt shook his head. “I have absolutely no idea.”
Before going home on Thursday, Walt and Danielle stopped at Pier Café for lunch. When they walked in, they spied Adam and Melony sitting at a booth. Adam waved them over.
“Looks like you made beaucoup bucks for the Humane Society,” Adam said when they reached their booth.
“You mean we all did. I really appreciate you manning the ticket table,” Danielle said.
“I handed out a lot of my business cards yesterday, so it’s not just the Humane Society that won,” Adam said with a grin.
“Come, sit with us,” Melony said as Danielle chuckled at Adam’s comment. “We haven’t ordered yet. And my treat.” Not waiting for an answer, Melony moved from her seat to sit next to Adam, leaving the bench facing them free for Walt and Danielle.
The next moment Carla walked up. As she turned the clean water glasses right side up and filled them, she said, “I wish I could have gone to your fundraiser yesterday. I heard you had Pearl Cove cater. I didn’t particularly like working for them, but they put out great food.”
“Did you have to work?” Danielle asked Carla.
The waitress stood by their table, hand on one hip while the other hand held the half-filled pitcher of water. “Yeah, and we got slammed yesterday.” Carla looked at Adam and said, “One of your clients came in for breakfast this morning and told me all about it. I didn’t know it was one of your clients who bought the Barr house.”
“Yes, and I understand you told Danielle it’s haunted,” Adam teased.
Carla shrugged. “Just what I heard. But I have to say, your client sure seems a lot nicer than old Earl that used to own that place. They’re cousins, right?”
“That’s what I was told,” Adam said.
“Well, let me know if he sees any ghosts,” Carla said with a laugh as she left the table.
Danielle watched Carla walk away, and she began thinking about Walt’s book. The moonshiner Walt had mentioned in Moon Runners, the one who had almost killed the character based on Desiree Davis, had been Beau Stewart’s ancestor. Beau, the name that kept coming up since all this started.
Danielle turned to Adam and asked, “Where exactly did you say Beau’s family got their money?”
“Beau’s father built his fortune by developing land his wife inherited,” Adam said.
“Passed down from the Klan grand wizard,” Melony said with a chuckle.
“Not something he wants to broadcast, considering his run for the senate,” Adam said.
“Who was this exactly?” Danielle asked, although she was fairly certain it was Beauregard Porter.
“Old Beauregard Porter,” Melony said. “My mother told me about him. Not that she had ever met him, he was years before her time, but she had heard stories about the family.”
“I assume over time, Beauregard Porter’s descendants accumulated the land that Beau Stewart’s father built the family fortune on?” Walt asked.
“Nope,” Melony said. “It was old Beauregard himself. According to the old stories Mom’s grandfather told her, he’d fought for the Confederacy and moved to Frederickport a few years after the war. He was active with the local Klan. And the land Stewart owns now all started with Beauregard.”
“When I checked out Beau Stewart—and you didn’t hear me say that—I discovered he owned a crap load of land in Oregon. Almost half of it he bought from his cousin Earl, the same one who sold him that property recently. But all the land owned by the cousins, it came down through the family, originating with Beauregard Porter,” Adam said.
“Who owned it before Beauregard Porter?” Danielle asked.
“That’s another thing I found interesting, it was all purchased from the same person, at the same time. Someone named Jenkins. Back then it was a lot of money, what he paid for it. But I did some checking, and Porter got a deal. Looks like he paid about sixty cents on the dollar for it. Now those properties are worth millions. Most are developed, not vacant land. Apartment buildings, commercial property. I have to give it to Stewart; he has done a good job keeping the family fortune in the family. At least in his immediate family,” Adam said.
“Do you want to know what I don’t understand,” Walt said as they drove away from the pier after lunch.
“What is that?” Danielle asked.
“Beauregard Porter never did an honest day’s work in his life. How could he afford to buy all that property, even if he got a deal on it, and paid sixty cents on the dollar?” Walt asked.
“Didn’t you tell me he was a moonshiner?” Danielle asked. “I’ve heard a lot of people got rich that way. Many say that’s how the Kennedys made their fortune, bootlegging.”
“He wasn’t that good at it. Hell, Desiree’s boss wasn’t the only one who tried stealing from him—and many got away with it. How I portrayed him in Moon Runners was fairly accurate. And when they made some money, those sons of his spent it. Their place was a dump, and from how I’ve heard people describe it now, sounds like it hasn’t changed much.”
“I don’t know, Walt. After all this talk about Beauregard, I’m wondering if we need to look at another client of Adam’s.”
“You think Stewart is responsible for the break-in?”
“He was there yesterday, and according to Wilbur, whoever he overheard said they would be there. And there is another thing I find unsettling.”
“What’s that?”
“What was the name of the landowner Beauregard Porter purchased the land from?” Danielle asked.
“Jenkins, the same name as Wilbur,” Walt said.
Danielle nodded. “Exactly. And according to Betty, Wilbur sold off the land his father had left him before he took off. Did he sell it to Beauregard Porter? Is that the Beau Wilbur claimed killed him?”
Twenty-Four
Danielle expected to see Joanne’s car parked in front of Marlow House when they arrived home on Thursday afternoon. Joanne planned to come over to clean the house and hadn’t yet arrived when Walt and Danielle left to see the Kings. She assumed Joanne could not make it over. But when she stepped inside, she realized Joanne had already come and gone. The housekeeper had left a note for them on the kitchen table. Danielle picked it up and read it after she walked in and tossed her purse on the kitchen counter.
“She’s done already,” Danielle told Walt.
Walt, who had wandered to the refrigerator and opened the door, looked inside and said, “She’s quick.”
Tossing the note back on the table, Danielle looked at Walt and asked, “What are you looking for? We just finished lunch.”
“Where are the Pearl Cove leftovers?” Walt asked, still looking through the refrigerator shelves.
“I told Joanne she could have any of the leftovers. She must have taken them. Surely you’re not still hungry?”
Walt shut the refrigerator and shrugged. “No, I’m not hungry, but…”
Danielle chuckled. “Yeah, well, you might consider joining Heather in her morning jogs if you keep eating like you do.”
Hands on hips, Walt faced Danielle and asked with a faux pout, “Are you calling me fat?”
“I never use the F word.” Danielle giggled. She walked to Walt and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I prefer cuddly.”
Walt returned the hug and kissed her nose. He asked in a whisper, “You think I’m getting chubby?”
“I’m teasing. I think you’re perfect. But you are starting to sound like a girl,” Danielle said.
Walt chuckled and kissed Danielle when a female voice said, “Ew, get a room, would you?”
Moving apart from each other, they turned to the intruder and found Heather entering through the back door, followed by Chris.
“This is our house,” Danielle reminded her.
Heather shrugged, and Chris said, “You two need to save that for later
. We came over to find out what you learned at the Kings.”
“Don’t you two ever work? It is a Thursday,” Walt asked.
“We took the rest of the week off for the Fourth,” Heather told him.
After Joanne had arrived to clean Marlow House, Marie went to spend time with Connor while regularly checking across the street, watching for any arsonists or another break-in. But now that Walt and Danielle had come home, and Heather and Chris had just arrived, she followed Ian and Lily over to Marlow House with Connor and Sadie.
The Beach Drive friends gathered in Marlow House’s living room. Lily placed a quilt on the floor for Connor, where Marie sat with the baby, keeping him occupied while she listened in to the conversation.
Danielle and Walt shared what they had learned at the Kings, along with their lunch conversation with Adam and Melony.
“If it’s not the Kings, then my vote would be for Beau Stewart,” Heather said.
“That’s just because his daughter thinks you’re a witch,” Chris teased.
“Oh, shut up,” Heather snapped.
“I talked to him and his wife for quite a while yesterday,” Lily said. “They seemed nice. The wife is a huge fan of Ian’s work.”
“And according to what Wilbur’s ghost told Marie, those people he overheard claimed they would be here yesterday. Is there anyone else who was here yesterday that has some connection to anything that happened in Moon Runners? According to Walt, the Klanny moonshiner was based on Stewart’s ancestor. Heck, they even named him after the old racist!” Heather said.
“She has a point,” Marie said.
“See, Marie agrees with me!” Heather chimed.
Lily glanced over to the quilt and watched as Connor played with wooden blocks. She understood Marie sat with him, yet she could not see the ghost.
“If it’s Stewart, what is his motivation?” Chris asked.
“It can’t be to cover up his ancestor’s dubious Klan past,” Danielle said. “While it’s not common knowledge, I suspect it wouldn’t be hard for any of his opponents to dig up that information from old newspapers. Plus, Mel heard about it from her mother, and I’m sure Mel wasn’t the only one Jolene told.”
“What do they always say, follow the money?” Ian said.
They all turned to Ian.
“What are you thinking?” Walt asked.
“From my prior research on Stewart, I learned everything he has today began with his family’s inheritance,” Ian said. “Think about it, what would threaten a man like Stewart? I don’t think it’s the embarrassment of some racist ancestor. I think everyone has someone like that in their family tree.”
They all sat quietly for a few minutes, considering scenarios. Finally, Danielle spoke up. “I have to agree with Ian. Money is a huge motivator. According to what Adam told us, Stewart’s fortune comes from the land they bought from someone named Jenkins. Is Wilbur that Jenkins? Wilbur is from Porter’s era. Was he the one who sold him that land? Was there something hinky about the purchase? Maybe Porter forced him to sign the land over and then murdered him—buried his body in his own backyard. Wilbur did say someone named Beau may have murdered him. And Stewart found the remains—we know he is having the property cleaned up—and they dumped the bones in the ocean, Wilbur’s spirit followed. Maybe that’s it!”
They all looked to Danielle, considering her suggestion for a moment. Finally, Chris said, “That’s an interesting possibility. Unfortunately, several sizable holes there.”
“Such as?” Danielle asked.
“First, are you suggesting Stewart knew who the remains belonged to when they were found—if they were found—on his property, before dumping them in the ocean?” Chris asked.
“Does it matter?” Danielle asked.
“Well, yeah,” Chris said. “First, if he knew who the bones belonged to, that would suggest Stewart knew about the murder. What was the first Beau to him? Like his great-great-grandfather? While some families like to pass stories down to the next generation, I find passing down something like, ‘Old gramps once murdered a man and buried his bones in the backyard. They’re still there,’ far-fetched, and I believe in ghosts.”
Walt chuckled. He looked at Danielle and said, “I’m sorry, love. Chris has a point.”
“But if Wilbur Jenkins was the Jenkins who sold Porter that property, don’t you think it’s more than a coincidence that he washes up on shore with his bones at the same time as Beau Stewart moves to town? Not to mention the rest of it—Porter being in your book, his great-great-grandson showing up yesterday, and someone who shares those two things wants to torch our house. And us,” Danielle said.
Before anyone could respond to Danielle’s comment, feathers began floating down from the ceiling above Connor. They landed on the quilt and disappeared. Connor looked upwards and giggled; his chubby arms outstretched as his hands tried unsuccessfully to snatch an elusive feather from the air. Only Lily and Ian could not see the feathers, and they wondered what sort of game Marie was playing with their son.
“I believe Eva is arriving,” Chris announced.
“I hope it’s Eva and not some molting angel,” Heather muttered, eyeing the rain of feathers.
The next moment Eva stood in the middle of the living room, dressed in a blue and white striped dress, its narrow waist accentuating her trim figure while its full skirt fluttered around her ankles.
“So this is where you all are!” Eva said gaily as the feathers disappeared. She looked at Marie and said, “I rather expected you would eventually return. I hope everything is all right.”
“I’m sorry, dear, but they needed me here,” Marie said.
“Do you have to go back?” Heather asked Eva.
“No. Last night was the final performance,” Eva said. “It went beautifully. Now tell me, what have I missed?”
They spent the next twenty minutes updating Eva with all that had gone on while she had been in Astoria at the theater. When they concluded, Eva looked at Walt and asked, “Do you really believe someone murdered Charlene?”
Walt shrugged. “The Kings believe it. Do you know anything about her during her last days in Frederickport?”
Eva considered his question a moment and then said, “After I died, I ran across her many times over the years. Normally at the theater. But now that I think about it, the last time I saw her was probably a year or two before you died. I’ll be honest, I didn’t give her much thought.”
“And you heard nothing about her death?” Chris asked.
Eva shook her head, “No. Not that I recall.”
Danielle repeated for Lily and Ian what Eva had said.
“Maybe no one killed her,” Ian said. “She very well could have changed her name after she moved, and disappeared, yet not by criminal or malicious means.”
“That’s what I suggested,” Walt said.
“As for the other person you mentioned, Beauregard Porter, I remember him. And those dreadful sons of his. Although, as I recall, young Beau was not so bad. I think he had a good heart. But the poor lad didn’t have much of a chance. Not with that family of his,” Eva said. “I avoided the old Porter place in life and in death.”
Danielle repeated Eva’s words for the non-mediums.
Lily stood up and announced, “I think I’ll take Connor home. It’s getting to be his naptime. And now with Eva here, maybe it would be better if you all put your heads together and see what you can work out. Eva might know more than she realizes about back then, to help you figure this out. Dani can fill us in later.”
Ian stood up. “I’ll go with Lily and do a little online sleuthing, see what I can find out about Stewart and Jenkins. And maybe I can find a lead on Charlene.”
After Lily, Ian, Connor, and Sadie left, Eva said, “I hope I didn’t chase them off.”
“No,” Danielle said. “It just drives Lily crazy when she has to listen to one side of a conversation. And I think she feels funny when I repeat everything for her, like it’s annoying
for everyone else.”
“What were you saying about Porter, before Lily left?” Chris asked.
“His old place is one part of town I avoid, in the same way I avoid the old site of the Marymoor Sanatorium,” Eva said.
“That place is haunted, big time,” Heather said, meaning the site of the Marymoor Sanatorium.
“No kidding,” Danielle agreed.
Heather looked at Eva and asked, “What I don’t understand, why would a ghost avoid someplace like the Marymoor Sanatorium site? I mean, yeah, sure, it’s haunted. But you’re a ghost. Don’t ghosts like to hang out at haunted places, like graveyards?”
“Heather, you have a lot to learn. Not all spirits are amicable. There are evil spirits.”
“But I thought you said the Universe—whatever that is—wouldn’t let a spirit hurt an innocent,” Heather asked.
“True. But I have a question for you. Are there any horror movies you don’t like to watch?” Eva asked.
“Sure, why?” Heather asked.
“Why don’t you watch them?” Eva asked.
Heather considered the question for a moment. “I don’t know. I guess they’re just too creepy and scary.”
“Do you think those movies can actually hurt you?” Eva asked.
“No. They’re just movies,” Heather said.
“Then you have your answer. I avoid places like the Marymoor Sanatorium site and the old Porter place for the same reason you don’t watch certain horror movies.”
Twenty-Five
Danielle and Walt moved to the parlor after everyone left late Thursday afternoon. Eva promised to return, but she wanted to go to the cemetery and check with her contacts there to see if anyone might know what secrets from the past Moon Runners had disturbed. Marie went with her after Walt and Danielle insisted there was no reason to babysit in the daytime. The wannabe arsonist had made it clear they would strike at night, after everyone was in bed, sleeping.
In the parlor, Walt picked up the book he had been reading earlier and made himself comfortable on one chair, while Danielle stretched out on the sofa, shoving a throw pillow under her head. She snatched a magazine from the coffee table to read. But instead of opening it, she rested it on her lap as she looked up at the ceiling, contemplating their puzzle.