Sabers, Sails, and Murder

by Nola Robertson

  The massive beast with large fangs and claws I’d expected turned out to be a large dog with gangly legs, long floppy ears, and a leather patch over one eye. He wagged his tail so fast I was sure I’d felt a breeze, then licked the side of Martin’s face with the longest ghostly tongue I’d ever seen.

  “I be missing you too, lad.” Martin wrapped his arms around the lovable beast.

  “What’s happening?” Jade asked as she moved closer to the outside of the circle with Shawna, Joyce, and Edith doing the same.

  I gave my friends a disbelieving smile. “It’s funny how Martin neglected to mention his best mate is a dog.” Or maybe he’d been afraid I wouldn’t help him if he’d told me the truth.

  “A dog, really?” Shawna asked. “I wish we could see him. What does he look like?”

  Everyone in the group stared at me expectantly, a reminder that I was the only one who could see Pete and Martin. “He looks like a dog.” I wasn’t an expert on pets and couldn’t tell them if Pete was a specific breed or an overly friendly mutt.

  “Yeah, that narrows it down.” Jade chuckled.

  I would have asked Martin about Pete’s lineage, but the two of them were busy getting reacquainted, and I hated to interrupt. “Okay, a big light brown dog with long legs.”

  “Not much better,” Shawna said.

  “Fine, next time we’re in front of a computer, I’ll find a picture for you.”

  “I’m just glad we were right about your magic.” Joyce smiled at Edith, then back at me.

  “Me too, otherwise things could have turned out quite differently, even badly,” Deeann said.

  Badly? It annoyed me that no one had said anything about things going wrong before I’d stepped into the circle.

  “What were you right about?” Jade asked before I could vent my frustration out loud.

  “Rylee’s gift being strong,” Deeann answered as she picked up each of the stones and placed them in her container.

  The sisters and I had discussed my abilities on two occasions, and sadly neither of them provided a remedy on how to get rid of it. I still wasn’t convinced about the gift part, but after undergoing the ritual to summon Pete, I was more than willing to agree to the strong part.

  Shawna walked over to help Deeann with the last of the stones. “Can you do your summoning thing with any spirit?”

  “It depends, why?” Deeann waited for Shawna to drop the last rock into the container before snapping the lid into place.

  Shawna’s question was definitely a precursor to trouble and made me cringe. “The police think Rylee’s uncle is responsible for Jake Durant’s death. It would sure be helpful if she could talk to his spirit and find out who really killed him.” She tossed an innocent smile in my direction. “Don’t you think?”

  I’d agree if I wasn’t afraid I’d end up being stuck with the rude man’s ghost for more than ten minutes. I wasn’t the only one who thought disturbing Jake was a bad plan. Edith clamped a hand over her gasp. Joyce made a disapproving noise. Jade remained silent, her masked face hard to read. If I had to guess, she was weighing the benefits of agreeing with Shawna or throttling her for making an assumption before discussing it with me first.

  Deeann’s eyes widened, and she tightened her grip on the container. “Ooh, that is not a good idea.”

  “It’s not?” I might not want to participate in a summoning ever again, but it didn’t mean I wasn’t curious to know why the question had upset Deeann.

  “If a person wasn’t pleasant in life, there’s a chance they’ll be even worse in death,” Deeann said. “That’s why I only deal with spirits who left the world naturally…when it’s their scheduled time.”

  “But you helped Martin, and he was cursed.” I shot a sidelong glance at the ghost who was petting his four-legged friend.

  “The circumstances were different,” Deeann said. “You’d already broken his curse, and I believed you could do the same for Pete.”

  “And it turns out you were right,” Joyce said. “Anyway, we should probably get going. Tomorrow will be a long day for all of us.” Edith took a few steps toward the side of the crypt, then stopped to wait for Joyce and Deeann to catch up.

  With all that had transpired, I’d almost forgotten about the festival.

  “Long but most definitely fun.” Shawna wiggled her brows, then hurried to follow.

  “Come on, oh, glorious ghost whisperer.” Jade smiled, then hooked her arm through mine.

  Speaking of spirits, I glanced back over my shoulder. “Martin, are you coming?”

  He stopped petting Pete long enough to look up and grin. “Lass, I be eternally grateful fer yer help, but me mate and me needs to go. Thank the witch fer me, will ye?” Barking and laughter was the last thing I heard as Martin and Pete faded into nothingness.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Grams and I had closed the shop early since all the festivities would be held in a designated area near the docks. She’d already left to help Nadine with the last-minute preparations for the fortune teller booth. Barley and I had returned to my apartment, so I could change into my costume while I waited for Jade and Shawna to arrive.

  Max had sent me a text to let me know he had plenty of supplies and to tell me that a group of his friends and his employees would be busy preparing for the pirate battle the Buccaneer’s Delight would be participating in later that day. The competition was one of my favorite events. The two boats weren’t armed with real weapons, but watching grown men use water cannons to take out their opponents was always entertaining.

  Feeling a little melancholy, I’d done my best to stay busy, so I wouldn’t have to think about Martin’s abrupt departure. Problematic situations or not, I’d gotten used to having him around. I had actually hoped he’d stick around long enough to help my friends and I find Jake’s killer. I would be the first to admit I didn’t know nearly enough about the rules governing ghosts. Maybe there were forces from the otherworld that beckoned him, and leaving had been out of his control.

  Since there was nothing I could do to change things, I decided to focus my energies on the land of the living. I snatched Barley off the floor, then settled into a chair at the kitchen table to review the piece of paper containing my minuscule list of suspects.

  After speaking with Lucas, I was convinced he wasn’t the killer and had scratched a line through his name. Leaving room for notes, I’d spaced Braden, Arlene, and Amanda’s names out evenly on the remainder of the sheet. If there was anyone else who should be added, I didn’t know who they were or how to go about finding them. I might have narrowed down my list, but I was still no closer to figuring out who had actually wanted Jake dead and why.

  I leaned back in my seat and scratched Barley behind the ears. He closed his eyes, his low purr turning into a loud rumble. “I don’t suppose you could magically uncover a clue that would help me figure out who the killer is, could you?” He responded with a meow and pushed his head against my palm when I dared to stop scratching.

  I didn’t like encouraging my grandmother’s so-called psychic predictions, and might never vocally admit reincarnation was possible. But at the moment, I wouldn’t mind a visit and some otherworldly help from my great-great uncle Howard. Even if his last supposed visit had been in the form of a mouse who enjoyed eating my muffins. Unfortunately, the little critter’s visits had stopped shortly after my friends and I had said our farewells to Jessica.

  Not only did the rap on the door make me jump, but it also startled Barley. He dug his sharp nails into my thighs when he sprang from my lap to hide under the couch. “Ow, Barley, that hurt,” I scolded as I rubbed the part of my skirt covering my legs before getting up to answer the door.

  I barely had a chance to twist the handle before Shawna burst into the room. “Did you hear the latest?”

  “Good morning to you too.” I moved out of the way and waited for Jade to follow her inside before closing the door. “Hey, I like the new outfit.” Jade rarely wore the same costume m
ore than two years in a row. She hadn’t been kidding when she’d told me about her plans to be a sexy swashbuckler. Her low-cut bodice was laced along the front, and her ruffled red skirt hit mid-thigh, a lot shorter than anything I dared to wear.

  Shopping for clothes wasn’t my thing, so I’d chosen to wear the bar wench costume I purchased the year before. It was nowhere near the attention-getter Jade’s was, but I hoped it would be enough to catch Logan’s eye.

  Shawna’s interests were different and leaned toward the masculine side. She’d gone with a high seas captain look. Her outfit consisted of a long burgundy vest beneath a dark brown overcoat and leather boots that reached her knees. She’d even found a fake pistol to complete the ensemble. “What does Nate think about your costume?”

  “He hasn’t seen it yet.” Shawna rocked back and forth on her feet, then waved the newspaper she was carrying in my face. “Aren’t you even the slightest bit interested to hear what I found out?”

  Her persistence most likely meant the news was something I wouldn’t be happy to hear about. And after my adventure in the cemetery the night before, I was too exhausted to share her enthusiasm. “Not if it has anything to do with my horoscope.”

  “You might as well let her tell you; otherwise, we’ll never get out of here.” Jade settled into the chair next to the one I’d been occupying.

  “All right, let’s have it.” I returned to my seat and waited for Shawna to lay the paper on the table.

  The article she pointed at took up a small square space on the first page. “According to a group of teenagers attending a campfire party on the beach last night, there was a pirate ship floating in the bay.”

  Jade quirked a brow but didn’t say anything. No doubt she’d already voiced her opinion on the subject before they’d arrived.

  In our youth, we’d attended more than one of the many parties held in the cove during the spring and summer months, so I frowned and stated the obvious. “I don’t suppose the article mentions how much alcohol was consumed before the so-called sighting, does it?”

  “No, but don’t you think it’s a coincidence that a pirate ship shows up around the same time that Deeann worked her hocus pocus to summon Pete?” she asked.

  “Oooh, and what if having you help with the spell somehow brought Martin’s whole crew back from the briny depths?” Sarcasm laced Jade’s teasing tone.

  “How cool would that be?” Shawna’s grin faded after I shot a glare in her direction. “Or not.”

  “Let’s hope it was a hoax.” It wouldn’t be the first time someone had reported seeing a ship that wasn’t there. “Because the thought of a bunch of pirate ghosts that only I can see showing up all over town and raising havoc is upsetting my stomach.” Not to mention the headache I was getting from thinking about the disaster it would cause.

  Shawna glanced back at the newspaper. “There aren’t any pictures, so maybe you’re right, maybe it was a hoax.” Her disappointment outweighed her attempt to be supportive.

  “Wha’ did I miss?” Martin appeared in the middle of the living room with Pete sitting on the floor next to him. He’d changed back into his tourist ensemble and had even gotten a bright yellow bandanna and tied it around Pete’s neck.

  “Martin,” I stammered and jumped to my feet. “I thought you left, you know, as in permanently.”

  “Martin’s here?” Jade sounded more confused than I felt. “But you said he was gone.”

  I tried to take a step and realized I’d caught the hem of my skirt on the heel of my boot when I’d gotten up. I braced my hand on the end of the table to keep from stumbling, then unhooked the fabric before straightening. “Well, Martin did make it sound as if he was leaving for good before he poofed out.”

  He wrinkled his nose. “Lass, I shall 'ave ye know I do nah poof. I went somewhere to spend time alone wit' Pete.”

  “Fair enough, so what are you doing back here?” I rested my hands on my hips. “Now that you’ve resolved your unfinished business, aren’t you supposed to be moving on?”

  He puffed out his chest. “Me business, as ye say, ain't complete.”

  “It’s not?” I asked warily, afraid that Pete wasn’t the only thing he expected me to find.

  “No, Lass, I made ye a promise, 'n I intend to keep it.” As soon as Martin straightened and took his hand off Pete’s head, the dog began sniffing along the bottom edge of the sofa.

  Barley was still hiding underneath. Was it possible the spirit hound could smell him?

  “What did he say?” Jade asked.

  I smiled at my friends. “He still wants to help us find Jake’s killer.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Martin and Pete’s surprise visit to my apartment had delayed Shawna, Jade, and my departure to the festival, but not by much. We arrived twenty minutes before the grounds officially opened. People were already milling around. Although a large number of them wore some type of pirate-related costume, not everyone who attended the festival felt inclined to dress the part.

  The town had devised all kinds of activities for the attending pirate enthusiasts. The most popular event was the swordplay area, designed for anyone who wanted to show off their blade-wielding abilities. For the price of a ticket, anyone could select the sword of their choice and battle it out with whomever they wanted.

  Another area had been cordoned off for a carnival that specifically catered to children. Besides the handful of rides and game booths, there was also face painting and treasure hunts.

  A costume contest had been scheduled for later in the day, one which Shawna and Jade had entered. Most of the food booths were already serving. Several of them, including the one for the cantina where Shawna worked, had people forming lines. Brant was behind the counter wearing a chef’s apron with his business logo and was busy taking orders. He paused long enough to smile and wave as we walked by.

  We were halfway through the food court when I felt Martin’s chill and knew he was keeping his promise to meet us here. He appeared on my right with Pete strolling along beside him. “Lass.” He greeted me with a tip of his head. “I be ready to start whenever ye be.”

  Since walking with Shawna and Jade made talking to Martin much easier, I didn’t bother retrieving the cell out of my purse. “Start?” I asked after giving him a quick sidelong glance. The way he was checking out the people and booths, I wondered if he’d meant the festivities.

  “Aye, our search fer the bloke who used me saber to do in Jake.”

  In case anyone in the crowds we passed was listening, I carefully worded what I said to Shawna and Jade. “Our mutual friend would like to get started on helping Max.”

  “It sounds like a decent plan,” Jade said. “Everyone in question should be here.”

  She was referring to the list I’d shown her and Shawna on the drive over. I’d also filled them in on my conversation with Lucas, and they agreed with my decision to remove his name as a suspect.

  The Sea Witch was one of the boats participating in the battle, so Braden and Arlene were guaranteed to be present. Amanda would be here as well. The woman never missed a festival or the opportunity to point out the costumes she’d designed to potential new customers.

  The conversation Martin overheard between Braden and an unknown caller was still our best clue. Actually, it was our only clue. Arlene and Amanda had been added based on speculation, not anything concrete. It didn’t mean they were responsible, it only meant my friends and I hadn’t found anything substantial to investigate.

  “Any suggestions about how we should proceed?” Jade asked.

  Shawna rubbed her hands together, excited to be involved in another one of our so-called covert missions. “Our targets might already be here. Maybe we should split up, do some reconnaissance, then meet back here in an hour.”

  Her idea made sense, but Shawna investigating by herself was almost as bad as letting Grams run around unsupervised. I shared a worried glance with Jade, then offered a distraction. “I promised Grams w
e’d check in with her as soon as we arrived.”

  Shawna’s eyes brightened. “Is she helping Nadine?

  I hesitated before saying yes. I knew the real reason behind her enthusiastic response had to do with the destination and not checking in with my grandmother. My friend was the only person I knew who lived to have her fortune read so she’d know what to expect in the upcoming year. I bet if I checked her pockets, I’d find a piece of paper with all the questions she planned to ask Nadine.

  “That’s awesome. Let’s absolutely stop there first.” She adjusted the fake pistol tucked into her wide leather belt and picked up her pace.

  Martin cleared his throat. “Lass, be that nah yer new beau?”

  I turned my head in his direction, expecting to see him pointing at Logan and saw Josh instead. “Very funny,” I muttered through gritted teeth when he chuckled.

  I’d never paid much attention to Josh or his costumes in the past. The tan and black-striped pants, along with his ruffled white shirt, looked a little snug, and I wondered if it was the same outfit he’d worn when he’d worked for my uncle.

  Luckily, Josh was too busy ogling a couple of women dressed in outfits even more revealing than Jade’s. Once he saw me with my friends, he’d know I wasn’t working, and I’d be stuck with him following me around for the rest of the day.

  “What’s funny?” Jade asked.

  “Josh alert.” I grabbed Shawna’s and Jade’s sleeves and tugged them toward the closed flap leading into the tent behind Nadine’s ticket collecting booth, which I assumed one of her employees would be arriving soon to manage.

  Jade wasn’t eager to have Josh stalking us all day, either. “Do you think he saw us?” she asked after stopping in the middle of the waiting area, a rectangular shaped room with two metal folding chairs sitting along the fabric walls on both sides of the entrance.

  “I don’t know.” I turned to ask Martin if he’d check to see if Josh was still hanging around outside and couldn’t find him anywhere. “He has got to be the most frustrating ghost I’ve ever met.”