“Martin’s back?” Grams asked as she entered from the room where Nadine did her readings and lowered the heavy cloth flap behind her.
Instead of a pirate costume, my grandmother wore a medium-sleeved red blouse beneath a gold vest and a long black skirt covered with miniature gold stars and moons. Wisps silver-streaked hair peeked out along the edges of a black scarf tied in a knot and covering her ear on the right side of her head. Clipped to her other ear was a hoop style earring, at least two inches in diameter.
If she was dressed like a fortune teller, it meant she’d be helping Nadine most of the day. It also meant I had one less person to worry about getting into trouble.
“He was, but he pulled another one of his disappearing acts,” I said.
“Hey, Grams,” Shawna greeted my grandmother with a hug. “Where’s Nadine?”
“She’s finishing up inside.” Grams hitched a thumb over her shoulder. “I’m sure she won’t mind if you go in.”
Shawna grabbed the edge of the material and stopped. “Now that we’re here, you should definitely have Nadine read your future.”
Jaded wiggled her brows and smiled. “Maybe she can give you some good relationship advice.”
Shawna’s giggle earned her the same glare I’d narrowed at Jade. “Or maybe she can tell me if I need new best friends.”
“Actually, I thought she might be able to help with your sleuthing problem,” Shawna said.
“Since Max is the suspect, wouldn’t it be smarter to have her take a look at his future instead of mine?” I didn’t need to be a psychic to know the determined flicker in her eyes meant she wasn’t ready to give up.
“Aren’t you curious to find out about Logan?” Shawna asked.
“What about him?” The question sounded more defensive than I’d intended.
“Wouldn’t you like to know if he’s the one?” Jade asked.
It was never a good thing when she decided to side with Shawna, especially if I was their intended target. So far, Grams hadn’t chimed in, which was out of character for her. Her abstinence might have been based on guilt about her role in my current Josh predicament. Guilt that would hopefully keep her from interfering until after his Monday departure.
In the meantime, I wasn’t going to make it easy for my friends. “Of course, I would, but sometimes it’s better to be surprised.”
Jade held up her hand. “But you hate surprises.”
“I do, but in this case, I’m okay with making an exception.” I tucked my arms across my chest and refused to budge.
“If you aren’t going to get a reading, at least come inside and listen to mine.” Shawna draped her arm across the back of my shoulder. “Please.” Her begging turned into a whine. A whine I knew would get much worse if she didn’t get her way. When Jade wrapped her arm around me from the other side and pouted, I finally relented.
Grams grinned, holding the flap open as Shawna and Jade pulled me inside.
“Ladies, I’ve been expecting you.” Nadine’s blue eyes twinkled as she looked up from setting a crystal ball in the center of a round table. She was dressed in an outfit similar to Grams; only her color-coordinated skirt and blouse were done in shades of blue and yellow. Her long dark hair had been pulled to one side, the braid hanging in front of her shoulder.
“Rylee, have you finally decided to get a reading?” Nadine smoothed the wrinkles out of the red cloth with black and gold magical symbols sewn into the fabric near the hem that was draped over the table.
“No, I’m only here to show support.” I left out the part that it wasn’t voluntary, that I’d been coerced. I strolled toward the long wooden table covered with lit candles and pirate paraphernalia she had sitting off to one side. Among the objects was a saber that looked a lot like Martin’s. Maybe it had belonged to someone in his crew. “Is this real?” The blade was more than likely curse free, but I refrained from touching it anyway.
“You’d be surprised how many people ask me that same question.” Nadine walked over to stand next to me. “It’s actually a replica.”
“A pretty good imitation by the looks of it,” Shawna said after she and Jade joined us. “Where did you get it?”
“Hildie over at the Booty Bazaar sells them,” Nadine said.
“Can I see?” Grams squeezed between Nadine and me, then tapped the blade.
“Grams,” I warned when her fingertips skimmed the hilt as if she was planning to pick up the blade. The last thing I needed was my grandmother demonstrating her scary sword-swinging abilities in a confined space.
She dismissed me with a snort. “It could almost be a twin to the one Maxwell has, or I should say had, since Roy confiscated it after they found it stuck in Jake.”
Things are not always as they appear. Sometimes what you see can be deceiving. I wasn’t sure why Edith’s parting words picked that moment to pop into my head, but it was the clue I needed to uncover the killer’s identity and possibly solve the murder.
***
By the time I’d used a fabricated excuse to convince Jade and Shawna we needed to leave, people were lining up to see Nadine. Explaining that I needed to find Martin without bringing up his name had been a bit of a challenge. Not that finding the ghost was going to be any easier.
Thankfully, Jade had caught on right away and helped me usher Shawna from the tent. If Grams hadn’t already promised to greet and sell tickets for Nadine, I’m sure she would have insisted she go with us.
“I still don’t understand why I couldn’t get my reading from Nadine first.” Luckily, Shawna’s scowl wasn’t accompanied by a more noticeable tantrum. She’d waited to voice her concern until after we’d walked behind the tent and away from any people.
After peeking around the corner to make sure Josh wasn’t lurking nearby, I hadn’t seen us, I took a deep breath to gather my thoughts and keep from rambling. “I might have discovered a clue to Jake’s murder, and I didn’t want to discuss it in front of Nadine.”
“Well, in that case.” Shawna’s irritation immediately evaporated into a beaming smile. “Please share.”
I reached into my purse for my cell. “I need to make a quick call first.” I thumbed the screen and hit the autodial. “Hey, Uncle Max,” I said as soon as he answered.
“Rylee, is everything okay?” Concerned deepened his voice.
“Everything’s fine. I know you’re busy, but I have a question.” Jade and Shawna moved a little closer, seemly a lot more interested to hear what I had to say.
“Sure, what did you need to know?”
“Do you remember the day Grams found your saber, and you mentioned it might be haunted because of all the strange places it kept turning up?” Though I already knew his assumption was correct, that Martin was the culprit, it wasn’t my reason for asking.
“Yes, why?” His curiosity piqued and reminded me a lot of my father whenever anyone mentioned the paranormal.
“Is there anyone besides the three of us who might have known?”
“My employees, for sure. Chloe and Lucas found it a couple of times. We all liked to joke about it.” He sounded amused as if recalling some of their past conversations.
“Can you think of anyone else who might have known?”
“Let me think.” I imagined him scratching his beard during the brief pause. “Oh, and Hildie. As a matter of fact, she stopped by the boat and offered to buy it back from me.”
“Really?”
“Yes. She seemed awfully upset when I told her no,” Max said.
“When was this?” I asked.
“I’d say a week or so ago. Not long after I’d had it authenticated.”
My mind whirled with the new information, but I still needed to confirm a few more facts from other sources.
“Does this have something to do with Jake’s murder?” he asked.
“I don’t know, but I’ve got to go. Good luck this afternoon.” I disconnected the call before he could ask any more questions.
As soon
as I slipped the phone back into my purse, I glanced around to make sure we were still alone before sharing my speculations with Jade and Shawna. “Do you remember me telling you what Edith said before I left the Classic Broom?”
“You mean about things not being what they appear?” Jade asked.
“Yes.” I nodded. “And seeing the saber replica made me wonder if it had something to do with Jake’s death.” Before my friend’s bewildered expressions turned into questions, I continued with the rest of my theory. “Ever since the day we found him, I’ve been trying to figure out who would want Max to take the blame. What if it wasn’t about getting revenge, but acquiring something he owned?”
“Do you think the murder had something to do with Martin’s saber?” Jade asked.
“Suppose someone already knew the sword belonged to Martin and was worth a lot of money.” I bit my lower lip. “And what if that someone tried to buy it from Max, and he refused?”
Jade snapped her fingers. “Then that someone might decide to steal it by replacing it with a replica.”
“And maybe Jake found out and tried to stop them, or he was somehow involved,” Shawna said.
“Did Max happen to give you the name of this someone we’re speculating about?” Jade asked.
After hearing about Jake’s unethical business dealings, I had a hard time believing his death was an accident. His shady practices were more than likely responsible for his death.
“He said Hildie wanted to buy the saber back, but that doesn’t mean she’s the killer. It only means she’s a suspect.” I wasn’t ready to accuse her without further proof. “It is possible that someone who purchased one of her replicas is responsible.” It would have to be someone who knew the value of the saber and also knew my uncle and Jake.
“The list would have to be short.” Shawna furrowed her brow. “I can’t imagine Hildie going around telling a lot of people what the saber was worth, not if she wanted to get her hands on it.”
“I agree,” Jade said.
“I do too, which is why I need Martin’s help,” I said.
“I don’t get it,” Shawna said. “What can Martin do to prove your theory?”
“Aye, I be interested to hear yer explanation meself.” I squealed and jumped at the same time. I’d been so preoccupied with our conversation I hadn’t noticed the drop in temperature that preceded Martin’s appearance.
My friends did their best to hide their amusement, Jade by pressing her lips together and Shawna by clamping a hand over her mouth.
“What happened to you? Why didn’t you come inside with us?” I asked.
He stuck out his chest. “'tis a place of magic, 'n I 'ave had me fill of witches.”
“Nadine is not a witch, she only reads palms and consults her crystal ball.” Though I strived for patience, I was ready for him to get over his witch phobia.
“Wha' be the purpose of this ball ye speak of?”
“Supposedly,”— I glanced at Shawna—“some people like to know what to expect in their future.”
“Ye mean like the printed words of wisdom yer friend gets from that thin' ye call a newspaper?” he asked.
“Yes, something like that.” I sidestepped to avoid the swish of Pete’s tail. He’d been happily sniffing the ground since their arrival.
“I also thought it best to waylay Josh.” His grin widened. “We cannot continue our search if ye persist in duckin' inside tents to avoid 'im.”
I slapped my hands on my hips. “What did you do?” I said, hoping that whatever he’d done to Josh hadn’t drawn a lot of attention.
“Do nah worry, Lass. He had an accident wit' his drink 'n scurried off to a restroom to take care of it.”
“Care to share?” Jade glanced from me to the spot where Martin was standing.
“Apparently, Josh had a minor mishap with his drink and will be in the bathroom for a little while.”
“One problem temporarily solved, so what do we do next?” Shawna asked.
“We send our ghostly friend to do some reconnaissance.” I turned to Martin. “Do you remember telling me about the mark you made on your saber below the hilt?”
“I remember, but I do nah understand why 'tis important,” Martin said.
“Because if my assumption is correct.” And I was pretty sure it was. “Then the saber used to dispense with Jake was a fake.”
“Oooh, and you want Martin to sneak into the police evidence room to see if you’re right.” Shawna’s gaze sparkled with a conspiratorial gleam.
“Yes.” I glanced at Martin. “If you wouldn’t mind.”
Sometimes his grins were hard to read. I couldn’t tell if he was happy to be helping or imagining what kind of mischief he could cause along the way.
“Ye found Pete.” He patted his leg, silently commanding the dog to sit on the ground next to him. “I be glad to repay the debt.”
“Let’s say the saber is a duplicate, and we’re fairly certain you know who is the killer or at least involved.” Jade kept an eye on the people passing by the opening between the tents while she talked. “How do we go about proving it? Because if you’re right, we’ll need to tell Logan and Roy.”
I rubbed my forehead and sighed. I hadn’t given that part of the plan much thought. “Yeah, and I’m pretty sure they aren’t going to believe us if we tell them we had some ghostly intervention.”
“But they’d have to believe us if we found Martin’s saber,” Shawna said.
“Yes, they would.” Feeling like we were finally making headway, I straightened my shoulders and spoke to Martin. “If the saber is a fake, can you go to the Booty Bazaar and see if the real one is stashed there?”
“'Twould be me pleasure.” I didn’t get a chance to remind him to behave himself. One second he was lovingly scratching Pete’s head, and the next they were both gone.
“So, is Martin going to be our spy?” Jade asked.
I shook my head. “He is, and he already left.”
“Do you think it’ll take him long because I’m getting hungry?” Shawna placed a hand over her stomach.
The smells from the food court had wafted in our direction. One of my favorite reasons for attending the festival was the variety of delicious meals being offered, most of which were served using a pirate theme. I had quite a collection of pewter beer mugs stamped with commemorative logos and the date of the event on a shelf in my office. “Now that you mention it, I wouldn’t mind grabbing something to eat while we wait.”
Shawna took the lead. “If we stop by the booth for the Cantina, we can use my employee discount.”
Until I had absolute proof that Hildie was the killer, had committed the crime alone, and didn’t have a partner, I wasn’t ready to cross anyone else off my list. Having lunch at Brant’s place provided us with a central location and the ability to keep a lookout for the remaining suspects.
Chapter Eighteen
“Any sign of Martin yet?” Jade got up from the picnic-style table where we had eaten our lunch and tossed her empty paper plate in a nearby trashcan.
“Not yet,” I said as Shawna and I did the same. The pirate ship battle was scheduled to start soon, and we’d decided to head over to the dock so we could find a good place to watch.
So far, I’d seen Amanda strolling around with a couple of her friends, but no sign of Hildie, Braden, or Arlene. Though with Jake gone, there was a good chance Arlene would be helping Braden prep their team on the Sea Witch. She wasn’t the type to get her outfit wet, but she wouldn’t have a problem standing on the sidelines and giving orders.
“We need to keep an eye out for Nate.” Shawna anxiously glancing around as we walked. “He sent me a text that said he was coming with Bryce and Myra and would meet us down near the docks.”
“Good, then we can find out if they’re planning to enter the costume contest with us,” Jade said.
The festival was an annual event, and as much as I wanted to solve Jake’s murder and help Martin and Pete on their way
to the afterlife, I didn’t want to ruin my friends’ fun. I already felt guilty about Shawna not getting her reading. I didn’t want to keep them from participating in the contest.
“Are you going to change your mind about entering?” Shawna’s gaze lit with determination.
“Not a chance, but I will be standing on the sidelines cheering for you.” If Martin came back with the answer I expected, then I’d also be keeping an eye out for Hildie and my other suspects.
We’d nearly reached the dock when we met Elliott standing off to the side, monitoring the crowds. “Hey guys, are you going to watch the show, or are you helping this year?”
“Watching.” Getting drenched wasn’t my idea of fun and hadn’t been since I was a teenager.
“I like the outfit.” I gave his costume a quick glance, my gaze lingering on the hat he’d purchased from my family’s shop, the one he bought for his nephew.
Blotches of red instantly appeared on his cheeks. “Thanks.”
“Are you working today, or are you off duty?” Jade asked.
Elliott hooked his thumbs in his wide leather belt. “Working, but Roy, I mean the sheriff, gave us the okay to dress up.”
The information wasn’t anything I didn’t already know. Roy had given his staff the option for years, mostly because he liked to participate himself. “And where is Roy?” I asked, hoping Logan would be with his uncle.
“I’m not sure, but if it’s important, I can call him for you.” He slipped his hand in his pocket.
“No. That’s not necessary. I was only curious, but thanks.” I urged my friends to start walking again.
“See you later,” Shawna called to Elliott over her shoulder.
Crowds were gathering by the time we arrived at the dock and found a spot near the water’s edge where we had a good view of the boats. The Buccaneer’s Delight was positioned on our right, the Sea Witch on the left.
“Hey, isn’t that Logan on the deck of the Delight?” Jade pointed toward the cannon mounted on the far end of the railing. “He makes a pretty hot pirate, don’t you think?” She nudged me with her shoulder.
Sabers, Sails, and Murder Page 14