Thinking about tours reminded me of what Elliott had said about the arguments Jake had with his partner. The sales office for the Sea Witch Pirate Tours was located on the same block as Max’s business. “If it’s okay with Grams, I can help out tomorrow.”
I figured volunteering would give me the perfect opportunity to get more information about my only clue. Being away from the shop would make more work for Grams and Jade, so I gave my grandmother an imploring look hoping she’d wait until Max left before asking me to explain.
Jade interceded by flashing me a sly grin and said, “I think that’s a great idea.” She tucked her arm through Grams. “We should be able to spare Rylee for a couple of days, don’t you think?”
Grams tsked. “Would it matter if I said no?”
I draped my arm across her shoulders and leaned my head against hers. “Probably not.”
“Wonderful.” Max clapped his hands together. “Why don’t you come by a little early in the morning and I’ll have Chloe show you what she needs help with.” He was halfway to the door when he turned and said, “Don’t forget to wear your old uniform.”
“I won’t.” My smile faded. The outfit hadn’t left the back of my closet in years. I was certain I’d put on a few pounds since the last time I’d worn it and had no idea whether or not it would still fit. It would probably be okay since I’d only be helping for one or two days and I didn’t think my uncle would mind what I wore as long as I looked like a pirate.
The bell tinkled just as Max reached for the door handle. He immediately took a step back, giving Amanda Dankworth a wide berth as she entered the shop carrying a large plastic clothes bag draped over her arm.
“Max,” she acknowledged him through gritted teeth. Her sneer enhanced by the red spreading across her high-boned cheeks.
“Amanda,” he replied with an equally sarcastic tone.
Max and Amanda had dated for the longest time, and I’d thought for sure they’d get married. For whatever reason, their relationship hadn’t ended well, and the two of them spent the last few years doing their best to avoid each other. Not an easy task in a town where most of the residents knew each other. A situation made worse whenever Cumberpatch celebrated one of its many festivities, and a lot of the shop owners and businesses participated.
As soon as Amanda stepped inside, Max couldn’t move fast enough to slip around her and leave the shop.
After shooting another disdainful glare through the glass door, Amanda turned, a forced smile on her face. Even though things between her and my uncle seemed strained, she never let it interfere with the way she treated the other members of our family.
“Good morning, Abigail.” She patted the plastic bag as she headed in our direction. “I finished the modifications you requested for your costume.”
Amanda was an awesome seamstress and owned the Barbary Boutique, the only costume shop in town. The perfectly tailored gray slacks and pastel pink shirt she wore were a perfect example of her handiwork. She also did logo embroidery and supplied uniforms for most of the local businesses.
“Hi, Rylee, Jade.” Amanda's voice held a hint of surprise as if she hadn’t noticed us when she’d first entered the shop. “Are you doing all right? I heard you’re the ones who found Jake.”
I’d thought it was odd that she was making a personal delivery when she normally sent a text or called when an order was ready. After hearing Jake’s name, I wondered if she’d heard the murder weapon belonged to Max and was hoping we’d give her some juicy details about what we saw.
I didn’t think Amanda’s question about our welfare had anything to do with lingering feelings she might have for my uncle. She was a notorious gossiper, and I was afraid she’d be vindictive enough to spread rumors about him. Since Max was already on Logan’s suspect list, I didn’t want to make things worse by giving her information that was none of her business. Information she’d no doubt embellish.
Amanda didn’t give Jade and me a chance to answer. “I can’t say I’m surprised about what happened to him.” She draped the bag across the glass counter near the cash register, then began unzipping it. “He wasn’t a very nice man.”
“No, he wasn’t.” Grams moved closer to see the bag’s contents.
Amanda released a heavy sigh. “And everyone knows he and Max didn’t get along.”
I’d bet a week’s worth of chocolate if Amanda came across anyone who didn’t know, she’d make it a point to provide them with details.
“So, what happened when you talked to the police? I heard they had that yellow tape up everywhere and were questioning everyone who happened to be on the docks.” Amanda waved her hand dramatically through the air. “I also heard that Roy’s nephew moved to town and will be working on the case.”
“Detective Prescott is good at his job, and I’m sure he’ll find the real killer.” I’d had enough of Amanda’s insinuations about my uncle, not to mention her rambling was getting on my nerves. “I’ve got some work to do in the back. Holler if you need me, Grams.” I glimpsed Jade’s please-take-me-with-you look before I escaped down the hallway.
I felt bad about leaving Jade behind and promised myself that I’d make it up to her later. Right now, I needed some alone time to figure out my game plan for tomorrow.
Chapter Six
Surprisingly, the uniform I used to wear when I worked for my uncle still fit. The velvety burgundy skirt was a little tight around the waist, but I had no problem getting it zipped. The top was a short-sleeved off-white blouse with a one-inch ruffle running along the entire neckline. A wide black leather belt that laced in the front, along with a pair of thigh-high boots, completed the outfit. I even found a black scarf, which I draped across the top of my head and knotted at my nape.
There wasn’t any parking allowed by the shops in the area near the dock, so I left my car in one of the visitor lots and walked several blocks to reach my uncle’s business. People, mostly tourists, strolled along the sidewalks, occasionally slowing to view the displays in the souvenir shops. Others stopped to admire the waterfront view and take pictures.
Chloe had already arrived and was unlocking the front door to the ticket office by the time I got there. Her pirate attire was similar to what she’d been wearing the last time Jade, Shawna, and I saw her.
“Hey, Rylee.” Her smile seemed more practiced than genuine as if I’d interrupted her thoughts. “Max told me you were coming, and I’m happy for the help.”
“Not a problem.” The tension I’d sensed continued after following her inside. “It’s been a while since I’ve worked here, so I hope you don’t mind giving me a refresher.” Just in case her anxiety stemmed from having to work with the boss’s niece, I wanted to reassure her that I was only here to help not take over her job. It would also make finding out anything she knew about what happened to Jake a lot easier.
I didn’t know for sure when Jake had met his demise. Asking Logan for the information, even in an innocent manner, would only earn me another lecture, so I squelched the idea. Most of the businesses along the docks, my uncle’s shop included, didn’t open until ten. Since I’d seen Jake late in the afternoon the day before my friends and I found him, I assumed his encounter with the saber had happened sometime during the night or possibly in the early morning hours.
I listened while Chloe explained how to use the cash register and the process they used for issuing tour tickets, which hadn’t changed much based on what I remembered.
I’d been contemplating the best way to ask Chloe questions about Jake when she said, “Just so you know, we’ve been busier than usual ever since the police pulled Jake out of the water.” She grabbed a stack of brochures off the shelf beneath the counter and set them next to the register. “A lot of people who stop by have been asking questions about the murder.” Her matter-of-fact tone suggested she wasn’t bothered by it.
“Good to know.” I picked up one of the pamphlets and opened it, pretending to be interested in the information posted
inside. “Just curious, what have you been telling them?”
Her shoulders tensed. “There’s not much I can say. I didn’t see anything, at least not until after…”
“My friends and I found him.” I finished for her.
“Yeah.” She twisted the silver ring she wore on the pinky finger of her right hand. “That must have been horrible.”
“It wasn’t too bad, but it’s also not something I’d wish on others.” It would probably take months before the image of Jake bobbing in the water faded from my mind, if ever.
Even though Chloe said she hadn’t seen anything, it was possible she might know something. With the Sea Witch’s office so close, and the walkway out front the only way to access their boat, she must have seen Jake and his crew pass by regularly. “Can you think of anybody who might have wanted to get rid of Jake?”
She released a nervous laugh. “It’s a pretty long list…although, now that you ask, I did see Jake arguing with Lucas last week.”
“Do you have any idea what they were arguing about?” When Chloe headed outside to set the folding wooden sign listing the various tour prices on the sidewalk, I trailed after her.
“No, but Lucas seemed angry. When he shoved Jake, I thought for sure they were going to get into a fistfight.”
“But they didn’t?” I asked, following her back inside.
Chloe shook her head. “Lucas stormed away and refused to say anything when I asked him about it later.”
I wasn’t an expert, and I didn’t think getting into a heated argument was a good enough reason to commit murder. Until the police found the killer, I assumed everyone who’d tangled with Jake was a possible suspect.
If my theory about someone trying to make Max look guilty was correct, then what was Lucas’s motivation? Was the fight he had with Jake somehow connected to my uncle? So far, Lucas’s argument was the only clue I’d been able to uncover. It might be nothing, but I still wanted to follow up on it. Since he was out sick and wouldn’t be coming to work for at least one more day, any plans to question him would have to wait.
“Good morning, ladies.” Max appeared in the doorway. He wore one of his many pirate outfits, a benefit from dating Amanda, and had a backpack slung across his shoulder.
“Morning,” Chloe and I replied at the same time.
“Rylee, will you be okay by yourself if Chloe helps me on the first tour?” he asked.
I leaned against the counter. “I should be able to handle it without any problems.” I was glad I’d be working alone. It would give me a chance to check out the neighboring businesses without having to explain what I was doing to Chloe. It would also make things easier should Martin decide to make an appearance.
I hadn’t seen him after our discussion in my apartment. Maybe he’d found Pete on his own and wouldn’t need my help after all.
“Great, we should be back in a few hours.” Max stepped aside to make room for Chloe to leave ahead of him.
No sooner had they disappeared from view, then people started showing up to buy tickets. The next thirty minutes was a frenzy of answering questions and handling purchases.
“Enjoy the tour.” I handed the last man in line a ticket along with a brochure. When I reached for more pamphlets to replenish the stack on the counter, a ripple of cold air skimmed across my skin.
“Did ye miss me, Lass?” Martin appeared a lot closer to me than I’d expected, then chuckled when I gasped, and the folded papers I was clutching flew through the air.
He’d secured his dark brown hair at his nape and dressed like a tourist again. Only today, he was wearing a T-shirt with a floral button-down shirt done in bright blues and reds, and a pair of lace-up sneakers instead of his boots.
“No,” I drew the word out with a frown.
“Nah even a wee bit?” He pouted, then hopped up to sit on the counter with his legs hanging over the edge.
As incorrigible as he was, I had a hard time staying irritated with him. “Where have you been?” And should I be worried? I knelt to pick up the brochures I’d dropped. After shoveling them into a neat pile, I placed them on the counter a few feet away from him.
“Out having a wee bit of fun.” He winked, his wide grin making me nervous.
I’d already witnessed his idea of having fun with water cannons and hoped he hadn’t done something worse. I decided it might not be a bad idea to check the Gazette later to see if anyone had reported any unusual and hard to explain occurrences.
I had enough going on, and the last thing I needed was a prankster ghost. “I hope you’re doing your best to be inconspicuous while you’re having your wee bit of fun.”
His snort confirmed my suspicions and concerned me even more.
“Wha' be the game we be playin' today?” Martin asked.
It took me a second to figure out what he meant. “Are you asking me about the game plan?”
“Aye.” He wrapped his arms across his chest. “I assume ye 'ave put yer resourcefulness to good use 'n come up with a way to find Pete.”
“I have one or two ideas,” I said, not feeling as confident about my abilities as he seemed to be.
“Good, then let us be off.” He hopped off the counter and circled behind me.
“Wait, I can’t just leave, I have work to do.”
Footsteps filtered in from outside. “Wait, this is the one, I know it.” Martin and I both froze the instant the woman who was speaking moved into the open doorway. Her facial features, dark eyes, and square jaw seemed vaguely familiar. I didn’t realize why until Lavender Abbott appeared next to her.
Dread skittered along my spine, and I bit back a groan. After everything I’d been through this week, seeing the woman who’d gone out of her way to make my life difficult ever since high school pretty much guaranteed the rest of my day wasn’t going to go well. I’d never figured out the truth behind her dislike for my family. It had something to do with our grandmothers, supposedly a secret that no one was willing to talk about.
“I don’t care, Trudy. Let’s go.” Lavender pursed her lips and disdainfully glanced around the inside of the shop.
I’d only met her cousin a couple of times, and the last I’d heard, she’d gotten married and lived somewhere in the Midwest.
Trudy ignored Lavender, then adjusted the large pink shopping bag hanging on her arm as she took a few more steps. “You have the boat where they found the dead guy, right?”
I gripped the edge of the counter, wishing it wasn’t too late to lock the door and pretend the shop was closed. “Actually, the body was found in the water, not on the boat.”
“And you would know that wouldn’t you, Rylee, since I heard you’re the one who found him.” Lavender sneered.
Recognition flared in Trudy’s dark eyes, her smile fading. “Rylee as in Spencer. I thought you looked familiar.”
The Abbotts had perfected the use of condescending tones, and I’d perfected the skill of ignoring them. Martin, on the other hand, seemed to take offense and leveled a scathing glare at both women.
Up until now, he’d been a good little ghost, standing off to the side with his hands tucked in his pockets. “Are these wenches friends of yers?”
Unless my cell phone magically rang on its own, I couldn’t use it as a prop to speak with him. I tapped the counter with my fingertips, drawing Trudy and Lavender’s attention long enough to give my head a subtle shake.
“She’s the one who found Jessica too,” Lavender said to Trudy. “Seems like quite a coincidence that she’s always around whenever someone ends up dead.”
Although I hadn’t been anywhere near Jessica’s body when she’d been found, reminding Lavender of the fact would be moot.
Before my friend’s murder, Lavender had voiced her disappointment on numerous occasions about being replaced by Jessica as the lead for the Founders Day treasure hunt. At one point, shortly after my friends and I found a doubloon in the Abbott crypt, we’d added Lavender and her sister Serena to our list of suspects.
I could feel the heat rising on my cheeks. My parents had always stressed the need for acting professional whenever we were in the shop and dealing with difficult customers. Since my parents weren’t around, and they’d never said anything about my behavior applying to my uncle’s business, I’d decided the rules didn’t apply.
“Funny, I…”
Martin didn’t give me a chance to finish my retort. He walked over to Trudy, yanked the bag from her arm, then waved it around several times before slowly setting it on the floor near her feet.
To me, Martin’s performance didn’t look strange, to anyone who couldn’t see him, it appeared as if the bag was levitating on its own.
Trudy’s face paled, and she shook her finger at Lavender. “You, you…never told me she was a witch.” She stumbled backward, then scrambled from view the second she reached the sidewalk.
Lavender stared at me as if she’d just had a lifetime suspicion confirmed. “I don’t know how you did that,”—she grabbed the bag off the floor—“but I intend to find out.” With a spin that caused the bag to bounce off the door frame, she hollered Trudy’s name and stomped out of the building.
Anger replaced my disbelief. Lavender had been an annoyance for years, but Martin’s little trick had given her the fuel she needed to become a major pain in my backside. “That’s just great,” I snapped, throwing my hands in the air and glaring at Martin. “Now, thanks to you, everyone in town is going to think I’m a supernatural being who can perform magic.”
“Ye can speak to ghosts.” He smiled smugly. “Does that nah qualify as magical?”
“Right now, it qualifies as being cursed…by you.” Somewhere in the back of my mind, I’d reasoned that if Martin could move objects, then tossing one at him wouldn’t go through him. Maybe smacking him in the head, even if he were dead and couldn’t feel pain, would knock some sense into him, make him think about the ramifications of his pranks before he acted on them.
At the very least, it would make me feel better. I picked up a souvenir coffee mug off the display shelf mounted on a nearby wall. I would gladly pay eight dollars to test my theory.
Sabers, Sails, and Murder Page 6