Sweet Violet's Ghost (A Sweet Cove Mystery Book 19)

by J A Whiting

  “I’m still thinking Rachel’s sister could be guilty.” Jenna watched Violet sniffing near the edge of the cliff. She was about to call to the dog to come away from the edge, and then realized that if Violet fell, it wouldn’t hurt her since she was already a ghost.

  “I think so, too. And I keep thinking about the boyfriends, but Chief Martin has eliminated Jason Field because people saw him at the state park at the time of Rachel’s disappearance.”

  “Maybe we’re getting close to finding the killer and we don’t even know it.” Jenna tried to sound upbeat.

  “I hope so. We’d better get going if we want to be at the appointment on time.”

  The sisters and Violet made the drive to the small town of Eastford on the Massachusetts-New Hampshire state line where Rachel’s client had a house she wanted renovated. Rachel and Jessica had met with the woman during the weekend when Rachel was visiting her friend.

  Leaving the highway, they drove past rolling hills, meadows, and woodlands on the way to meet the client.

  “It sure is pretty here,” Jenna noted.

  When they saw the mailbox with the number they were looking for, Angie turned the car onto the long, winding driveway and followed it to the house set in an open field surrounded by trees.

  When she saw the house, Angie stomped on the brakes and gasped.

  Jenna’s eyes went wide and Violet stared out the window.

  “This is it,” Angie whispered.

  “It’s the farmhouse from Mr. Finch’s painting.” Jenna’s mouth hung open as she turned to her sister. “Is the owner the killer?”

  “Let’s go find out.” Taking in a deep breath to help calm her surprise, Angie moved the car forward and parked in front of an old barn. As they were getting out of the car, a woman walked around from the side of the old house.

  Lynette Montrose was forty-one, very slim, and had short curly blond hair. She’d made her fortune from a national chain of boutiques and a makeup line she created.

  “Hello.” Lynette shook hands with the sisters. “I’m Lynette.”

  “Thanks for meeting with us.” Angie introduced herself and Jenna.

  “You’re helping the police investigate the murders of those two women?”

  “We are. We do interviews and research for them.”

  Lynette nodded. “Would you like to see the house before we talk?”

  “That would be great. How did you select Rachel Princeton to do the renovation design?” Angie walked next to Lynette and Jenna as they headed for the house.

  “I did a good deal of research and Rachel consistently was rated at the top. She had terrific ideas, things I never thought about. She really considered the use of the rooms, how important sunlight and open spaces are to me. She was coming up with the perfect mix of pleasing aesthetics yet maintaining the historic nature of the place. I’ll walk you around the outside of the house first.”

  As they walked, Lynette pointed to architectural details of the house and explained where the rooms were located.

  “This belonged to my grandparents years ago. When I found out it was on the market, I bought it sight unseen. I knew it would require extensive renovations, and I was right. And then, this happened.”

  They walked around the corner to the rear of the farmhouse to see the ell built off the rear of the home. It was charred, windows had blown out, and one wall looked like it might collapse. Violet ran closer and sniffed at the burnt wood.

  “What happened?” Angie asked.

  “Arson. I live in Boston and I’m not here much. Somebody thought it might be amusing to burn down an abandoned building. Only it isn’t abandoned.” Lynette crossed her arms over her chest. “Luckily, it was discovered quickly and the firefighters put it out fast. Otherwise, I could have lost the whole house.”

  “Was the arsonist caught?” Jenna questioned.

  “Not yet. I assume it was some teens looking for trouble.” The woman shrugged. “What’s done, is done. Now I need to focus on the renovation. I really need a new architect now. I want to get things started so the ell won’t be open to the elements once the winter sets in. I also will be mounting security cameras and lights around the periphery as well as inexpensive fire sprinklers inside. They’ll have to be removed when the rebuild starts and replaced when it’s finished, but I’m not going to chance losing the house. I also have a caretaker who checks on it several times a day.”

  “It seems you’ve done all you can to prevent any more damage,” Angie told the woman.

  “If the arsonist is found, I’ll file charges and have him prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

  After the outside tour was finished, Lynette showed them the interior of the farmhouse. The ell was off limits and had to be avoided due to the extensive damage done by the fire.

  The house was built in 1799 and had several additions completed over the decades. It had fourteen rooms and beautiful details in each of them.

  “I’m grateful it was only the ell off the back of the house that sustained damage,” Lynette said. “It would break my heart to have the main part of the home destroyed.”

  After the tour was completed, the woman suggested they sit outside since the house had no furniture in it. She’d put a few lawn chairs on the grass near the barn and they settled down to talk.

  Violet had been sniffing around the barn and yard and came over to join the women.

  “How can I help?” Lynette asked.

  “You asked to see Rachel about the renovation when she was visiting her friend in New Hampshire?” Angie started the questioning.

  “I got in touch with her because I was here unexpectedly. I’d been in New York City for two weeks straight on business and some things got canceled so I came up here to the house. If she was available, I thought we should take the opportunity to meet. She was nice enough to agree to my request.”

  “Jessica came with Rachel?” Jenna asked.

  “She did. She sat in the car most of the time, but she did walk around the outside and the inside with us. When Rachel and I were discussing the details, Jessica went to wait in the car. Rachel came up with some ideas that really impressed me.”

  “Had you met Rachel prior to that day?”

  “Oh, yes. Many times. She was a lovely woman.”

  “Was anyone else here that day?”

  “No, just me and Rachel. And her friend.”

  “How did Rachel seem?”

  Lynette said, “Professional, personable, accommodating. The same as every other time I’d met her.”

  “She didn’t seem nervous or distracted or anything like that?” Jenna asked.

  “I didn’t notice anything unusual in her behavior or demeanor. She seemed normal.”

  “Did you happen to notice anyone watching the house while Rachel was here?”

  Lynette rubbed her hands over her arms. “Now you’re scaring me. I didn’t see anyone lurking around.” The woman leaned forward in her chair. “You don’t think the murders are linked to the arson, do you? What link could there possibly be? Why would a killer connect the two women to me? We had a simple meeting here. It didn’t last long.”

  Angie attempted to reassure Lynette. “No, no. I only asked if you noticed anyone around because we wondered if Rachel and Jessica were being watched.”

  Violet turned to look at Angie.

  “I see,” Lynette said. “That’s a relief.”

  “Are you married?”

  “No, I’m not. I’ve been divorced for a long time.”

  “Do you have a partner or a close friend who is involved in the renovation?”

  “Not at all. The house belongs solely to me. No one else is involved. My long-time partner and I parted ways about two months ago. Amicably, I might add. Things just weren’t working out between us. He was busy with his business and I’m busy with mine. We parted as friends. So no, there’s no one else who has anything to do with this house.” She smiled. “That actually makes it a lot easier … no one els
e’s opinion to deal with.”

  The sisters finished the interview and thanked Lynette for her time.

  “Call me if you need to ask any more questions.”

  They walked to the car with Violet beside them, and as Angie was driving down the long driveway, Jenna asked, “There’s no connection between the murders and the fire, huh?”

  “I only said that so we didn’t alarm Lynette. There’s definitely a connection. We just have to find it.”

  23

  Driving down the main street of Eastford on the way to the highway, Jenna asked, “Want to stop and get a bite to eat? Suddenly, I’m starving.”

  “Fine with me. Anyplace look good?” Angie slowed the car a little.

  “There’s a diner ahead. Open all day it says. How about that place?”

  “Sounds great.” Angie found a space to park right on the street and she maneuvered the vehicle into the spot.

  They walked down to the diner with Violet trotting along with them, and the waitress brought them to a booth with windows looking out to the street.

  “I want pancakes, with bananas and strawberries … and whipped cream,” Jenna said after looking over the menu. “I didn’t eat any lunch today.”

  Angie smiled. “So that means you can go wild.”

  “Yup. What are you having?”

  Angie chuckled as she patted Violet who was sitting next to her in the booth. “Same as you.”

  When the stacks of buttermilk pancakes arrived, the sisters’ eyes went wide. The huge plates held the tower of pancakes smothered in a generous heaping of berries and bananas with a crown of whipped cream.

  “Oh, gosh.” Jenna looked sheepish. “We should have split one order.”

  “We can bring home the leftovers.” Angie added a bit of maple syrup and dug in.

  “If there are any leftovers,” Jenna kidded. “What did you think of Lynette?”

  “She seemed forthcoming and open. I didn’t pick up on anything to indicate she had some reason to kill Rachel and Jessica.”

  “I thought the same thing.” Jenna looked at the dog. “What did you think, Violet?”

  The dog wagged her shimmering tail.

  “Okay then, we’re all in agreement. Lynette doesn’t belong on the suspect list.”

  “Her place was the target of arson,” Angie pointed out. “What’s going on with that? We both think the fire has something to do with the murders.”

  “Definitely,” Jenna said. “But why, how, and who are up in the air.”

  “What could the connection be? Let’s brainstorm.”

  Jenna paused her eating of the pancake tower. “Whoever committed the crimes was after Rachel, Jessica, and Lynette?”

  “Makes sense.” Angie put down her fork. “But what would tie them together? I doubt Rachel or Jessica knew Lynette socially. Lynette hired Rachel to do the renovation design work. Is that enough of a connection to instigate the crimes that someone has committed?”

  “I’d say no to that.” Jenna sipped her coffee.

  “Then what in the world did someone have against the three women?”

  “Neither of them was killed because of the other women. I mean like collateral damage.” Jenna thought about the situation. “Both women were alone when the killer struck and Lynette wasn’t even at the farmhouse. The arsonist must have known she wasn’t there. The killer-arsonist deliberately attacked the women, or in Lynette’s case, attacked her house. He went after each one in a very deliberate fashion.”

  “That means the killer has animosity towards all three women,” Angie acknowledged.

  “Chief Martin will be interested in what we learned today. Maybe it will help him figure this out,” Jenna spoke with a hopeful tone.

  A young woman entered the diner, saw Angie facing her from the booth, and waved.

  “Amy Windfall just came in.” Angie nodded to the door.

  Amy approached the booth. “Hey, how are you? What a coincidence. I’m meeting a friend for an early dinner. Did you meet the woman who owns the house Rachel was designing the renovation for?”

  “We did. We just came from there,” Angie told her.

  “Is your friend here?” Jenna asked. “Want to sit with us until they show up?”

  “Oh, sure. That would be nice.” Amy slid in next to Jenna.

  From her spot in the booth next to Angie, Violet looked the woman over.

  “Are you making any progress on the case?” Amy asked.

  “We learn more each day. Hopefully, the police are getting closer.” Angie wished that was actually the truth.

  “After you left the other day,” Amy said, “I remembered something I should probably have told you. I was going to call you about it.”

  Angie’s senses perked up and she couldn’t help but lean a little closer, unable to hide her keen interest. “What was that about?”

  “You know I told you Rachel and Jess went out to that farmhouse the weekend Rachel was up here for a visit? Well, Jess said she left her phone at the house and didn’t realize it until Lynette Montrose called Rachel to let them know. Lynette owns those well-known high-end fashion stores. She has a makeup line, too. I tried some of her products. I thought they were really good. That woman is so wealthy. I don’t know why she has an old house in this tiny town. Anyway, Jess and Rachel were in the car heading back to Hollis when Lynette called. Jess wanted her phone so they turned around. Lynette told them she was leaving to drive back to Boston, but she’d leave the phone in the milk box on the front porch near the door.”

  “Did something happen when they went back?” Jenna wished Amy would get to the point.

  “That’s the weird thing,” Amy said. “They pulled into the driveway. Jess said it was a very long driveway and it was really dark. She parked the car facing the porch since there weren’t any lights. She was going to use the headlights to find the milk box on the porch. Rachel got out, too, and they practically ran to the door. Jess said it was scary out there in the dark. She found the milk box and her phone was in it like Lynette said it would be. Here’s the really creepy part.”

  Amy paused for a breath. “When they were hurrying down the porch steps, they almost smacked right into a man who was heading for the front door.”

  “Who was it?” Angie’s heart was pounding.

  “They didn’t know, but Jess told me he growled at them. He asked why they were trespassing. Rachel explained why they were there. Jess said the guy seemed like he didn’t believe them. He threatened to call the police. They explained again their reason for being at the house. Jess said they were both afraid of the man. She told me he shouted at them in a very intimidating way and told them to get out of there and not to come back.”

  “Did he say who he was? Why he was there?” Jenna asked.

  “He didn’t. They had no idea who he was.” Amy shook her head. “Could it have been the caretaker or someone like that? He must have thought they were going to break into the house.”

  “That could be.” Jenna nodded. “He must have wanted to scare them so they didn’t come back.”

  “Did they say what the man looked like?” Angie asked.

  “They couldn’t really tell. It was dark. The headlights backlit the guy. Jess said he was a little taller than average. He wore a baseball hat. That’s all she said about his appearance. It was dark, it was hard to see his face, and they were scared and just wanted to get out of there.”

  “Did Jess or Rachel tell Lynette about the man? Did they get an answer as to who he was?” Angie questioned.

  “Jess didn’t call her. I don’t know if Rachel told her about what happened or not. Jess was embarrassed by the incident. The guy scared her and she didn’t know what to do. She had her phone and she wasn’t ever going back there anyway, but I guess one of them should have talked to Lynette about it.”

  Amy looked toward the front door and waved, and then she slid out of the booth. “Here’s my friend. Nice talking to you. Good luck with the case.” She hurried aw
ay to meet her friend.

  Angie and Jenna stared at one another.

  “What the heck was that about?” Jenna frowned. “Do you think it was the caretaker who scared them?”

  “Or someone casing the place? Look around, see what’s there. Then go back and set the place on fire?” Angie rubbed at her neck. “So many weird loose threads. How do they form a picture? How do they link together?”

  “More information to share with the chief.” Jenna leaned back. “When are all these details going to come together and point at the killer?”

  “Soon, I hope. Let’s go out to the car. I want to call Lynette.” Angie paid the bill and they left the diner.

  In the car, she placed the call and when Lynette picked up, Angie put it on speaker and then explained about the man at the farmhouse and how Jessica and Rachel were afraid of him.

  “Could it have been the caretaker?” Angie asked.

  “It could have been. Maybe he thought they were up to no good and wanted to put a scare into them,” Lynette said. “I really don’t know him that well. He came recommended from a friend of a friend. His name is Peter Moss. I’ll give you his number if you want to call him.” She looked it up and gave it to Angie.

  “What about your ex-partner?” Angie asked. “Might he have gone to the farmhouse to see if you were there? Could it have been him? Maybe Jessica and Rachel startled him and he thought they were planning to break in.”

  “I don’t think it was Tom,” Lynette told them. “But who knows? He owns the luxury car dealership in Nashua. His name is Tom Boss. He changed his phone number recently and I don’t have the new one. You could call the dealership. He’s usually there. He lives in Nashua. Why do you want to talk to him?”

  “If he was the one who spoke to Rachel and Jessica that night, I’d like to ask if he noticed anything that seemed out of the ordinary. Maybe someone was following Rachel and Jessica,” Angie shared.