by J A Whiting
Josh helped unload the car and carried suitcases into the house while Courtney helped Mr. Finch out of the car and to the steps. Finch had an apartment attached to the back of the house with a door that opened into the family room and he tugged his small rolling suitcase down the hallway to unpack.
“It smells like home in here.” The older man’s mustache wiggled a little when he inhaled.
Orla had been dropped at her place which was located right behind the Victorian’s property, and Jenna and Libby were driven home to their house, but would return in the evening with Tom for a family and friend dinner at the Victorian.
Ellie was texting as she carried her suitcase into the house and her face lit up when she said, “Jack is coming to dinner tonight, too.”
“All is right with the world,” Courtney teased.
After having tea with Josh in the kitchen, Angie went to the bake shop to check in with her manager, Louisa, to see how the past few days had gone.
Courtney and Finch strolled into town to see how things were at their chocolate shop, and Ellie buzzed around making sure the B and B guests had been properly tended to in her absence.
“Everything seems to be in order,” she told Angie later in the day when she went into the bake shop through the adjoining door from the Victorian’s kitchen.
“You sound slightly disappointed,” Angie kidded her sister. “When we put competent people in charge, things don’t collapse because we aren’t here.”
“Oh, I know, but I like feeling needed.” Ellie poured a cup of coffee from the bake shop’s beverage counter.
“You’re a good business person and you built the bed and breakfast business from the ground up on your own. No one can take your place.” Angie smiled.
Ellie gave her sister a loving pat on her arm. “That’s nice of you to say. How’s everything in here?”
“Perfect. Louisa did a great job running both of the bake shop locations. I’m lucky to have her.” Angie checked the inventory of coffee supplies, and then turned to Ellie. “Would you like to drive down to the Point?”
Ellie gave her sister a questioning look.
“I need to connect with Nana. I think we all need to feel her spirit as we go forward with this investigation. We’re going to need all of our strength. I texted Jenna. She’s coming.”
“I’ll go get Courtney.” Ellie sipped her coffee as she went back inside the house.
It was a beautiful, sunny late afternoon when the Roselands parked their car in the lot of the Sweet Cove Resort, and they and the cats walked over to Robin’s Point, a bluff of land that jutted out into the ocean that had once been owned by the Roselands’ relatives.
Their nana once had a small cottage on the point where Angie and her sisters would stay for weeks in the summer until a problem with the land resulted in nana losing her little house.
Years later, Josh and his brother purchased the land and had the elegant resort built. They also left some open acreage that included a small park with a path leading down through the dunes to a sandy beach for the townsfolk and tourists to use.
When Josh met and fell in love with Angie, he bought out his brother’s ownership share in the resort and had a lawyer draw up papers that returned most of Robin’s Point to the Roseland sisters. Each one received a plot of land, but none of them had yet built on it and they weren’t sure if they ever would.
Whenever Angie and her sisters visited the point, they felt a soft, gentle thrumming in their blood. Courtney once told Angie that she could feel the pulsing as soon as their grandmother had passed away and that it always made her feel closer to Nana.
Sometimes, when the cases they worked on with Chief Martin became too difficult, the sisters would come down to the point where they would walk around, rest on the grass, or sit on the bluff to watch the ocean. Being on the point seemed to ground them and make them more receptive to the things that floated on the air.
And that’s why they had come.
The foursome and the two cats meandered over to the edge of the bluff and watched the waves pounding on the sandy beach below. Seagulls flew overhead, lazily riding the air currents.
“The sky is so blue today.” Ellie’s long blond hair lifted around her face from a warm breeze.
Courtney plopped down and rested on her back staring up at a few fluffy white clouds. “I feel it. I feel Nana in my blood.”
“I do, too.” A peaceful feeling relaxed Angie’s muscles as she sat on the grass and patted Circe’s soft, ebony fur.
Jenna and Euclid patrolled the edge of the bluff together watching some surfers catching a few waves and further out, two kayakers moving easily over the glassy ocean.
“I feel better being at home.” Angie stretched her arms over her head and took a deep breath. “I was anxious and antsy in the city, and I didn’t like being away from Josh. Here, I feel my powers are stronger. I feel more confident.”
“I feel the same way.” Ellie sighed. “I wish this case was over. We need to find out who hurt Mom.”
“We will find out and whoever hurt her will get what they deserve.” A few seconds later, Courtney laughed and sat up when Euclid bounded over the grass and playfully patted her stomach. When he jumped away from her reach, he got low with his butt in the air, and then darted a couple of paces away and looked back at her. She leapt to her feet and chased the big boy, the two of them running back and forth at each other.
The sisters chuckled at the antics.
At last Courtney scooped the giant cat up in her arms and carried him back over to the others. “See what I found? A huge orange cat.”
“Maybe we should keep him,” Angie kidded.
Euclid trilled his approval.
Jenna stood. “Are we ready to head back? We should get started on dinner or the guests will show up and there won’t be any food ready.”
The group walked back to the car and returned to the Victorian.
When the sisters and the cats came inside, Mr. Finch was in the kitchen chopping vegetables and Josh and Gigi were playing together on a blanket spread on the floor.
Finch smiled. “I had the urge to start the meal. How was the visit to the Point?”
“Just what we needed.” Courtney poured some ice water into a glass.
“We all feel good after being on the bluff.” Angie gave Josh and Gigi kisses and then went to the counter to bake a dessert for dinner.
Courtney put together a broccoli and cheese potato casserole, Jenna made a lentil Sloppy Joe filling and a second one with ground beef, brown sugar, hot sauce, garlic, and onions, and Ellie tossed a green salad and made a fruit salad.
Everything was ready when the friends began to arrive.
Betty Hayes, a Sweet Cove real estate agent and broker, wrapped Mr. Finch in a smothering hug. “Oh, Victor. I missed your dear face. You were away too long.”
“It was barely a week,” Courtney joked.
“A day is too long to be away from this man.” Betty planted a kiss on Finch’s cheek causing him to blush.
Chief Martin and Lucille arrived with a bottle of wine at the same time as Courtney’s boyfriend, Rufus Fudge, who carried flowers for the table. A few minutes later, Ellie’s boyfriend, Jack Ford, came in with an appetizer platter, and Orla and Mel arrived with beer and seltzer, and soon the kitchen was full of happy chatter as drinks were poured and the appetizers were sampled.
The meal was served outside at the long table under the pergola and the lanterns placed around the garden flickered with golden light. The strings of white lights wound around the legs of the pergola added extra sparkle to the evening.
Euclid and Circe rested on the lawn chairs sniffing the air and occasionally falling asleep.
After the ice cream puffs with chocolate and whipped cream were consumed, Angie, Jenna, and Chief Martin stood beside the fire pit sipping coffees while the sisters brought him up-to-date on the case.
“Jim Appleton’s sister, Dorrie, seemed like she was going to jump out of
her skin,” Jenna told the man. “She was a nervous wreck the entire time we talked to her.”
Angie added, “She knows a whole lot more than she said. She seems very frightened. She kept looking up and down the street like she was expecting someone to show up and cause trouble. I think she fears for her safety.”
“We offered her help, but she refused.” Jenna shook her head. “If there’s danger to her because of her brother, she’d do better to agree to assistance than face whatever is coming alone.”
“Jim might have confided some things to Dorrie that he shouldn’t have and now she’s in danger,” the chief said. “If someone killed Jim to silence him, the killer might come for Dorrie thinking she knows too much.”
“I called Detective Owen to share with him what we thought about the situation,” Angie explained. “He was going to pay Dorrie another visit, but I think she’ll be long gone before he gets there.”
“I hope she goes somewhere she can’t be found.” Chief Martin took a swallow of his coffee.
“Why do you think Jim Appleton was killed?” Jenna asked hesitantly. “Do you think he was killed as a punishment for not completing his task of murdering all of us?”
“It’s certainly a possibility.”
“There were a lot of us in the house. He wouldn’t have been able to attack us without some of us hearing him.” Angie wrapped her arms around herself.
“He probably had a silencer,” the chief said. “It wouldn’t be that difficult to take everyone out … especially if he had training.”
Angie’s shoulders slumped. “Great.”
“Then why didn’t he complete his mission?” Jenna questioned.
The chief looked from Jenna to Angie. “Maybe he really didn’t want to.”
18
The discussion about why Jim Appleton didn’t complete his mission went on around the fire pit for another thirty minutes with all of them suggesting reasons and then debunking them. The only explanation that had everyone’s agreement was the one Chief Martin had put forward. The man could have entered the house, and with a gun and a silencer, could have killed everyone in a matter of minutes … but he didn’t do it.
“I think he lost his nerve or his desire to finish the deed,” the chief told them. “Who knows why. But his change of heart saved all of you.”
“If he was hesitant to carry out the task and then he heard some of us coming downstairs while he was trying to make up his mind, that could have caused him to flee the house,” Courtney said. “I’m glad some of us are light sleepers.”
“Maybe the same person who ordered the driver of the car to kill Mom ordered Jim Appleton to kill us,” Jenna said.
“The same thought crossed my mind,” Angie admitted.
“So the person who ordered our deaths is probably the one who murdered Jim,” Mr. Finch suggested.
“It seems likely,” the chief agreed.
“And Jim’s sister is now afraid that this very same person will come after her.” Angie shook her head.
“I hope Dorrie left Revere and is now far, far away,” Jenna sighed.
“I don’t want to say it, but the person who sent Jim to kill us will probably hire someone else to come after us.” Ellie ran her hands up and down her arms.
Euclid howled as the people standing around the fire pit shared worried looks with one another.
Angie had a hard time sleeping that night, but it wasn’t because she and Josh had moved Gigi’s crib into their bedroom so they could get to her faster should an emergency arise. It was thoughts of intruders and murderers who disturbed her slumber.
In the morning, Angie gave a canister of pepper spray to Mr. Finch since he was babysitting Gigi and Libby that day. “Just in case,” she said.
“Have no fear, Miss Angie,” Finch told her. “I will protect these children with my life.”
Tears gathered in Angie’s eyes and her heart squeezed. She knew that if it came to it, Finch would do just that. She wrapped the man in her arms and gave him a tight hug. “I thank Fate every day for bringing you into our lives, Mr. Finch. I don’t know what we’d do without you.”
The bake shop was busy all morning, but Angie and Louisa kept everything moving smoothly. Angie loved her shops, one here attached to the Victorian and one at the Sweet Cove Museum, and was happy to be back at work among her two employees, the tourists, and her friendly regulars.
The bake shop had cream-colored walls and two crystal chandeliers hanging overhead. The side door led out to a covered porch where several table and chairs were set up. One of the counters had stools to sit on and more tables were scattered around inside. Big windows let in lots of natural light that made the place a cheerful and cozy spot to enjoy some food, meet with friends, and sip coffees, teas, and smoothies.
The Roselands’ friend, Francine, came into the shop with another woman. With honey-blond hair and brilliant green eyes, Francine was a stained-glass artist who had a workshop attached to her house in Silver Cove and a popular store on Sweet Cove’s Main Street.
Francine and Angie hugged.
“This is Kris Banes. She used to live around the block from me in Silver Cove.” Francine introduced the women to each other.
When Angie shook hands with the woman, a tingle of pins and needles shot up her arm.
Kris looked to be around forty, had long black hair, and blue eyes. “I love your pastries. When I used to work near the museum, I’d pop over to get a coffee and something to eat pretty often.”
“I thought you looked familiar,” Angie nodded and thanked Kris for the compliment.
Francine and Kris sat at a table by the windows and before Angie took their orders, the three chatted for a few minutes.
“Mel told me you went to Boston for a few days,” Francine said. Orla’s husband, Mel, worked part-time in the stained-glass shop. “Was it helpful?”
“It was. We found out a few things and talked to some people who knew our mom.”
“Well, I hope it helps you find what you’re looking for,” Francine smiled kindly.
Angie returned to work behind the counter making drinks, preparing sandwiches, filling the glass dessert case, and chatting with the customers. When Francine finished her coffee and a slice of pie, she walked by the counter. “Thanks, Angie. Delicious as usual. I need to get back to the store. Let’s all get together soon.”
Angie noticed that Kris was still sitting at the table and went over to see if she wanted more coffee.
“No, thanks.” Kris looked up. “But if you have a few minutes, could you join me?”
A shiver raced through Angie, but she nodded and took the seat opposite Kris.
“Like Francine said, she and I were practically neighbors. I’ve known her casually for quite a while. She’s a nice person.” Kris made eye contact with Angie. “I live in Hamlet now.”
Remembering how her hand tingled when she shook with Kris, Angie stared at the young woman. “I know someone in Hamlet.”
“Who is it?”
“Magill Binney.”
Kris smiled. “I know who Magill is.”
Angie tipped her head slightly to the side. She could sense an aura around Kris that she’d never noticed on anyone before and wondered if this new sensation was part of her skills becoming stronger.
“Did Magill ask you to talk with me?” Angie asked carefully.
“No, she didn’t. But we’re all on the same side, Angie.”
Angie took a deep breath and gave a nod.
“Sue-Ellen Prentiss was my great-aunt.”
“Oh.”
“I knew your mom a little. Elizabeth helped Aunt Sue-Ellen with her health issues. My aunt loved her. She was a thoughtful person and skilled doctor. She truly was a healer.”
Angie thanked Kris for her kind words.
“I moved in with Sue-Ellen to help care for her when she took ill. Your mom was bringing the cabochon to Hamlet to see if it would help improve Aunt Sue-Ellen’s health. I’m very sorry that your
mother lost her life over this. Unfortunately, skills and magic can’t help with everything.”
For a few moments, Angie didn’t know what to say. “You have skills?”
“Yes.”
“Does Francine know?”
“No, she doesn’t. There’s never been a reason to tell her. I think she’d take it well though, if I ever explain my abilities to her.”
“She’s very open-minded.”
Kris leaned forward. “Sue-Ellen was a powerful member of the community. There are some people around with skills who don’t want to follow traditional customs and ways of life. Rules for practice and use of skills are important for safety reasons. Some regular people wouldn’t appreciate knowing there are some who have special abilities. It would frighten them and make them suspicious of us. It could lead to a lot of trouble. If we’re careful and go quietly about our business, then everyone can live together safely and peacefully.
Angie nodded.
“But there are some paranormals who don’t believe in following the rules. They step out of bounds, they use their powers to hurt others, they use their skills to enrich themselves to the detriment of others, they become drunk with their power. Our skills should only be used for good.”
“Some of the rule-breakers wanted to hurt your aunt?”
“They did, yes. And they wanted to hurt your mother because she helped Sue-Ellen and was a very powerful healer. We haven’t forgotten your mother or Sue-Ellen, but it takes a very long time to find skilled perpetrators. We think the ones responsible are nervous that you and your sisters are investigating. They’ve gotten away with it for seven years. It’s time they were called to justice.”
“Do you know who they are?”
“No, but I know of some people who were against Sue-Ellen. My great aunt had a huge old house on a piece of property right on the coast. One of her neighbors made an offer for Sue-Ellen’s house and land, but my aunt wouldn’t accept it. This enraged the neighbor and things became nasty between them. The woman does not seem reasonable nor level-headed.”