by Leena Clover
“You’re early,” Jenny said lightly.
“Grandma’s feeling a bit poorly,” Heather explained. “She’s staying home with Tootsie.”
Tootsie was Heather’s black poodle, adorable but totally spoilt.
“What’s wrong with Betty Sue?” Jenny’s brows furrowed in concern.
Betty Sue Morse, Heather’s grandmother, was the fourth generation descendant of James Morse, the first owner and inhabitant of the island. It had been called Morse Isle then.
James Morse of New England travelled south with his wife Caroline and his three children in 1837. He bought the island for $125 and named it Morse Isle. He built a house for his family on a large tract of land. Fishing provided him with a livelihood, so did floating wrecks. He sent for a friend or two from up north. They came and settled on the island with their families. They in turn invited their friends. Morse Isle soon became a thriving community.
Being a barrier island, it took a battering in the great storm of 1962. Half the island was submerged forever. Most of that land had belonged to the Morse family. A new town emerged in the aftermath of the storm and it was named Pelican Cove.
Betty Sue was a force to reckon with in Pelican Cove. Well into her eighties, she ran the Bayview Inn and the whole town with a vigor that would shame someone half her age.
“It’s the weather,” Heather shrugged. “She’s coming down with a cold, I guess.”
October in the coastal Virginia town was milder than in the north. But the temperatures had dropped suddenly. Islanders could be seen wearing an extra layer. Jenny herself didn’t feel the cold in the warm kitchen.
“I’m making pumpkin soup today. I’ll save some for Betty Sue.”
“You’ll have to bring it to her yourself,” Heather told her. “I have a date.”
Jenny refused to comment.
Heather was a recent convert to online dating. She had finally confided in her grandmother about it. It hadn’t gone down well.
“Who are you seeing this time?” Jenny piped up.
“It’s a first date,” Heather admitted.
“How many first dates have you been on in the last few weeks?” Jenny asked.
Petunia Clark, the owner of the Boardwalk Café, breezed in and started a fresh pot of coffee.
“They are here,” she told the girls.
A group of women met for coffee around ten each morning at the Boardwalk Café. They called themselves the Magnolias. Petunia Clark, Betty Sue Morse and Jenny’s aunt Star were the older generation. Jenny, Heather and their friend Molly completed the group. Jenny treasured their friendship and would do anything for this group of women.
Jenny carried a tray of donuts out to the deck overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
“Have you moved all your stuff in?” Molly Henderson asked, biting into a warm strawberry glazed donut.
“Nick’s bringing some of my things over from the city,” Jenny told the ladies.
Jenny’s son Nick was a college freshman. Luckily, he had been over eighteen when Jenny separated from her husband. He visited Jenny regularly and spent a lot of time in Pelican Cove.
“Your husband agreed to it?” Molly asked.
“What’s he going to do with my clothes?” Jenny asked. “Nick’s also getting some mementos, old photos and some of his trophies from school. They will look fine on the mantel at Seaview.”
Seaview was an imposing three storey house facing the ocean. It was right next to her aunt Star’s cottage. Jenny had fallen in love with the old house and bought it with her divorce settlement. Seaview had been lying abandoned for over twenty five years. Everyone had been surprised when they learned Jenny was planning to make it her home.
“I wish you weren’t moving out,” Star muttered.
She had grown used to Jenny in the past few months.
“I’m not moving out alone,” Jenny reminded her. “We are both moving out.”
Jenny had invited Star to come live with her at Seaview. The house was big enough. Star was a local artist who painted landscapes and seascapes of the surrounding region. Her work was popular among the tourists who thronged to the island every year. She had her own art gallery in town and it did brisk business. Jenny had turned part of the third floor into a studio for Star. With tall glass windows and multiple skylights, it had plenty of natural light. The view of the ocean it offered was priceless.
Star was a bit reluctant to give up her cottage though. Jenny had suggested renting it out. It would provide an extra stream of income for Star.
“You will have your own room,” Jenny said subtly. “And all the privacy you want.”
Star blushed and the ladies laughed. Star had been getting close to a local man. Jimmy Parsons was better known as the town drunk. He had a soft spot for Star. Earlier that summer, he had decided to turn sober. Star had been a good friend to him, providing him the support and understanding he needed. They were not officially dating yet but Jenny knew that day was coming soon.
“The house looks beautiful,” Star admitted. “I’m tempted.”
“Don’t think too much about it,” Jenny pleaded. “Nicky won’t be here all the time. I need you there.”
“You’re scared of being there alone, aren’t you?” Heather asked, getting up to leave. “I’m off. See you later.”
“Why would I be scared?” Jenny asked with a smile.
Heather left without answering her. Molly and Petunia looked uncomfortable.
Star rolled her eyes. “You don’t believe in those old rumors, do you?”
“Please!” Jenny groaned. “You too, Molly? You don’t really believe the house is haunted?”
“I saw a light flickering there on Halloween when I was 11,” Molly said hoarsely. “It was on the top floor.”
“Bunch of kids up to no good, I bet,” Star said.
She caught Molly’s eye and shook her head. Jenny saw the exchange.
“You don’t think those old stories are going to spook me, are you?” Jenny asked. “Any abandoned house is bait for this kind of talk. I don’t believe any of it.”
“Believe what?” an attractive man asked as he came up the steps of the Boardwalk Café.
The cool breeze coming off the ocean ruffled his brown hair. His almond shaped eyes crinkled at the corners as he gave Jenny a wide smile.
Jason Stone was handsome, intelligent and well off. He was the only lawyer in Pelican Cove. He was one of two local men who had a crush on Jenny. Jason had a cheerful, magnanimous personality. He made no secret of the fact that he wanted to date Jenny.
“Have a donut,” Jenny offered, hugging him back.
“I’ll have two,” Jason said, taking a big bite. “So are you ready for the party this weekend?”
“I can’t wait,” Jenny said eagerly. “Star and I planned the menu.”
“You should just order some pizza from Mama Rosa’s,” Jason told her. “It’s your big day. We don’t want you slaving in the kitchen.”
“Try telling her that!” Star exclaimed.
“What’s a party without crab puffs?” Jenny asked. “I have it all under control. And we’ll have pizza too, don’t worry.”
“Will you let me bring the wine?” Jason pleaded. “I did some work for this local winery and they give me a big discount.”
“Thanks Jason,” Jenny smiled. “I won’t worry about the wine then.”
Three days later, Jenny’s housewarming party was in full swing. Seaview was lit up like a Christmas tree. The contractors had done a great job with the renovation. Jenny loved how they had modernized everything while preserving the best of the original features.
Jenny had decorated the massive great room in a nautical theme.
“The place looks beautiful, Jenny,” Adam Hopkins whispered in her ear.
Jenny’s heart sped up as she looked at Adam. His blue shirt was the exact shade of his eyes. He seemed relaxed as he leaned on his cane. Adam was a war veteran with a bum leg but he hadn’t let it pull him down. He
was the sheriff of Pelican Cove, a job which had frequently pitted him against Jenny. Neither could deny the attraction they felt for each other. They had been out on a few dates since summer.
“Mom’s done a great job with Seaview, hasn’t she?” her son Nick crowed, putting an arm around Jenny’s shoulders.
Adam’s twin girls handed Jenny a gift wrapped package. They pulled at Nick’s arm and were soon out of sight.
“Going after the booze, I bet,” Adam snorted.
Luke Stone tipped his glass at Jenny and complimented her. He had been the main force behind the renovation.
“Are you happy with our work, Jenny?”
“Of course!” Jenny nodded. “Cohen Construction has done a fabulous job with the remodel. When am I getting my garden back though?”
Seaview was set on a large ten acre tract. The house itself was surrounded by towering pine trees. It boasted a sprawling garden which had run wild over the years. Gardenias and honeysuckle dotted the grounds and blue wisteria sprawled over the wraparound porch and gazebo. Climbing roses spanned windows and side walls, their heady perfume mingling with the scent of the other blooms.
When Jenny first arrived in Pelican Cove, she had been mesmerized by the roses and the gardenias. It was one of the things that had drawn her to Seaview.
Jenny had been tempted to let the garden run wild. Luke Stone had talked her out of it. He had brought in a landscaper who assured Jenny they would preserve most of the old bushes and trees. There was only one patch of land that needed to be cleared to put in a water feature.
“They are almost done,” Luke assured her. “They are working late tonight so they can install that stone fountain tomorrow.”
Jason appeared behind Jenny and planted a kiss on her head.
“Congratulations Jenny. May you be happy here for the rest of your days.”
Jenny felt a warm glow inside her. Jason always made her feel relaxed.
“Do we have more crab puffs?”
Jenny smiled all the way to the kitchen. Heather was pulling out a tray of warm crab puffs from the oven.
“These are yum!” she exclaimed. “I don’t know what I like more, the puffs or that tomato dip.”
Molly entered the kitchen, beaming all over.
“Chris likes my dress.”
“He’s just being kind,” Heather dismissed.
“Don’t be nasty, Heather,” Jenny snapped. She smiled at Molly. “You look pretty tonight.”
Molly Henderson was tall and scrawny, with eyes that seemed to pop out of the Coke-bottle glasses covering them. She had begun dating Chris Williams, a local guy who had been Heather’s beau until recently.
Adam Hopkins hobbled in just then, wearing a grim expression.
Jenny had a sudden feeling of déjà vu.
“What now?” she whispered.
“It’s Luke’s men,” Adam said curtly. “The ones working in the garden…”
Jenny’s eyebrows shot up as she waited for more.
“They found something. I don’t know how to say this, Jenny …” Adam hesitated just for a second. “There’s a skeleton in your back yard!”
Chapter 2
Jenny stifled a yawn as she mixed muffin batter for breakfast. Her regular customers would be lining up soon to get their morning fix.
The housewarming party had gone downhill after the startling discovery. Adam had taken over in his role as sheriff. Law enforcement had swooped in with their forensic team and secured the area. Jenny and her guests had been asked to leave the premises.
None of her guests had been ready to go home, of course. They had just moved the party next door to Star’s cottage. The food and wine had continued to flow as everyone talked about the discovery of the skeleton.
“Why does this always happen to you?” Star had moaned. “I don’t want you getting involved in this, Jenny.”
“It’s my house. I’m already involved.”
“You know what I mean?”
Jenny’s reputation for amateur sleuthing preceded her. Star had been unjustly accused of a murder a few months ago. Jenny had stepped in to clear her name. Since then, she had been instrumental in solving a few murders in town.
“What’s wrong with Pelican Cove?” Heather cried. “The bodies just keep dropping.”
“This one dropped a long time ago,” Jason commented.
“Did you see it?” Jenny asked eagerly. “Tell us something about it.”
Jason had barely noticed the tattered remains of some clothes on the skeleton. He tried to steer Jenny away from the gruesome topic.
“That house has been sitting empty for twenty five years,” Betty Sue proclaimed. “Anyone could have been squatting there.”
“So you think this was a tramp?” Jenny asked eagerly.
“We won’t know more until the police tell us something,” Star quipped.
“Adam’s not going to tell us much,” Jenny said flatly.
Adam Hopkins was never forthcoming with information related to crimes. Jenny had been at loggerheads with him about it several times.
“Good Morning, young lady!” Captain Charlie’s voice boomed, snapping Jenny out of her reverie.
Jenny looked up at her favorite customer. Captain Charlie was always the first in line when the Boardwalk Café opened at 6 AM.
“Your usual?” she asked him, pouring coffee and placing a warm muffin on a small plate.
News traveled fast in Pelican Cove.
“What’s this I hear?” Captain Charlie asked. “You’re like a magnet for dead bodies.”
He guffawed at his own joke, then turned serious.
“You be careful now, you hear? Take care of yourself.”
“There’s nothing to be afraid of, Captain Charlie. Whoever it was died a long time ago.”
“This is going to stir up a storm. Mark my words.”
Captain Charlie’s warning barely registered as locals and tourists thronged the café. Jenny eagerly waited for a chance to take a break.
Betty Sue swooped in a few hours later, her hands busy knitting something purple. Heather followed close behind.
Jenny went out to the deck, carrying an assortment of baked goodies and fresh coffee. Her aunt was already there, talking softly to Petunia.
Molly was engrossed in a book as usual.
“I guess you won’t be moving in to your new home now,” Betty Sue clucked.
“It might take a couple of days,” Jenny agreed. “I’m thinking I will let Luke’s men finish the landscaping first.”
“But you’re still moving in?” Molly asked, looking up from her book.
“Of course I am. What do you mean?”
“You aren’t spooked by Mr. Bones?” Heather laughed.
“How do you know it’s not Mrs. Bones?” Jenny asked.
The girls found it funny and broke into a giggling fit.
“Stop kidding around, girls,” Star grumbled. “This is serious.”
“What do you expect me to do?” Jenny demanded. “Shut up Seaview again?”
“Nothing good ever came from living there,” Betty Sue warned. “That place is jinxed.”
“Don’t you mean haunted?” Jenny asked.
“That too,” Betty Sue huffed.
“That’s it!” Jenny said, banging a fist on the table. “I have had enough of these insinuations. I want to know everything about Seaview. Right now.”
“What’s the point of that now?” Star asked.
“I am the new owner of Seaview, for better or for worse. I want to know the history of my house.”
Star looked at Betty Sue and gave a slight nod. Betty Sue put her knitting down with a sigh and sat back in her chair. She folded her hands and got ready to tell a story.
“Why don’t you pour us all a fresh cup of coffee?” Betty Sue asked. “You are going to need it.”
Molly bit into her second donut and everyone hunkered down with their food and their drinks.
“You have heard about the Pion
eers,” Betty Sue began.
The town of Pelican Cove had a peculiar hierarchy. People who had originally moved to Morse Isle with James Morse were called the Pioneers. There were five such families and they considered themselves special. Betty Sue belonged to this coveted group.
“You mean the five Pioneer families?” Jenny nodded.
“Once there were six,” Betty Sue explained. “John Davis was the first man to come join my ancestor here on the island. The Davis family flourished on the island. One of their descendants built Seaview.”
“I think that name sounds familiar,” Jenny agreed. She remembered seeing the name on some legal papers related to Seaview. “So the Davis family lived at Seaview? When was that?”
“The house was built in the 1950s. The family moved in toward the end of that decade.”
“You must have been really young then, huh, Grandma?” Heather asked.
“I was a young woman in my teens,” Betty Sue dismissed.
“How many people were there in this family?” Jenny asked eagerly.
“Old man Davis and his wife Mary and their two children,” Betty Sue told them. “Their daughter Lily was my best friend.”
“You had a best friend?” Heather asked, surprised. “But you never talk about her!”
Betty Sue ignored Heather’s outburst.
“Their son Roy lived with them. He had a wife and two sons. Alan was four and Ricky was just a baby.”
Betty Sue paused and took a deep breath. Her eyes were moist and she had a faraway look in her eyes.
“They were such a happy family,” Betty Sue whispered. “A pretty family.”
“What happened?” Jenny prompted gently.
“The great storm of 1962,” Betty Sue said heavily. “Half the island was washed away. People scrambled for their lives. Some managed to evacuate in time. Some didn’t.”
“Seaview must have been hit hard, being on the beach,” Jenny spoke.
“Old man Davis thought he was invincible,” Betty Sue said angrily. “He thought his new house was strong enough to withstand any storm. His overconfidence cost him his life.”
There were gasps and exclamations around the table.
“The waves hit strong and hard. Half the house was submerged. The old couple was swept away. Roy died saving little Alan. Roy’s wife took the baby up to the third floor. She and Lily watched their family drown in the sea.”