Without looking up, Dad said, “Then grab some grout and give me a hand.”
I folded my arms. “I don’t know, I just found out I own fourteen gold coins. And I am related to the Hollands, they have money and influence.”
Dad chuckled. “Only you could find Civil War history that shows we and the Hollands are direct descendants of the Walsh family.”
Piper said, “It’s an interesting story. It always amazes me how things like that get lost over time, how people forget.”
Digger was at the bar eating lunch. “I said right off, the lady in the locket looked a little like you, Ginger. And she turns out to be your great, great, great, I don’t know how many greats are needed, grandmother.”
I turned to look at him. “I know. It’s strange to know. I feel different somehow after learning the truth.”
Dad stood up and said, “About that. I need to talk to you. In private.”
I shrugged. “Okay.”
Dad yelled. “Bones, I need you to come out here and finish this tiling for me.”
Bones answered, hollering through the order window. “Are you kidding. I got the kitchen to cover.”
Digger rose from his stool. “Here, let me. You go talk to your daughter.” Dad studied him to see if he was serious. Digger continued, “I’ve done a fair amount of tile work. I can handle this.”
Dad told Digger, “Don’t mess it up.” And then he led me up into the apartment over the pub. This was unusual. We went into the small kitchen and made coffee. Dad said, “I can’t believe I missed all the fun. I picked the one day that gold coins are found in an actual buried chest to go visit Mae.”
I snorted. “It was different. I know this is going to sound weird, but I feel different after all this. The gang has been through a lot, even solved murders, but somehow this incident leaves me feeling changed.”
Dad sighed. “Here, have a seat.” He pulled out a chair and placed a cup of coffee in front of me. This was not like him and I remained standing, staring at my father. He pointed to the chair. “You will want to sit to hear this. Sit.”
I sat. “I’m not sure what is going on here. If you were a woman I would swear you were going to tell me you’re pregnant.”
Dad laughed. “I have dreaded this day for a long time. Even more than the birds and the bees talk. But I need to tell you something. Something much more difficult to explain than being pregnant.”
I gulped. “You can talk to me about anything. You know that.”
Dad looked at his shoes. “I know. But this has to do with your mother.”
My heart went from calm to heart attack in one beat. “What is it, Dad?”
The pause was unbearable. He finally spoke. “Your Mom knew things. She could sense things. All the women in our family can.”
“Well, Mom always knew the right thing to do. How to make things better.”
Dad doctored his coffee with some cream. “Yes, she did. And so do you. Like I said, the women in our family have the ability to know things that other people don’t. Our family has always been a sort of caretaker for this town. It is our fate, our destiny.”
My head hurt processing the meaning of what he was telling me. “I have asked a number of times why I always seem to be in the middle of things.”
Dad nodded. “Yes, I know. But I knew that’s how it was supposed to be, that you are meant to help right the wrongs, help others in need.”
“That makes it sound weird.”
He chuckled. “I know. But it gets even stranger. Your mom would tell me that the grumper gave her clues, too. That her spirit always watched out for the town’s people, but this spirit needed your mom’s help to do it. Do you think it is random that Dixie and Bones work here? They needed help and we gave it to them. Dog Breath came home from Vietnam with PTSD and your mother helped him readjust. Almost everyone in town was helped by your mom at one time or another, with the grumper’s insight.”
I pushed the coffee away. “You know, around most kitchen tables this would be crazy talk. But I think I understand. The chicken has been cryptic with me sometimes, but it always pointed me in the right direction. To do the right thing.”
Dad played with his spoon. “For decades, our family has been the pub owners and we filled this role of caretaker for the townsfolk. But over that time we forgot how it came to be. Why we were charged with this task. Somehow, the chicken chose this time, chose you, to reveal that history. You have learned far more about the grumper than your mother ever did. It is quite impressive.”
For some reason, tears rolled down my face. “I miss Mom so much. But this knowledge, this connection our family has with the supernatural, makes it feel like her spirit is here with us, too.”
Dad’s eyes watered. “That makes me happy and sad all at once to hear you say that.”
I laughed. It made the tears drip from my face. “I think I would have preferred if you told me you were pregnant.”
“Wait here.” Dad went into his bedroom for a minute then returned with an envelope. “It seems this is your week for old letters.” He handed me the envelope. “Your mom asked I give this to you when it was time. She said I would know when that was. And I think it’s time. It explains her experiences, what she learned about the grumpy chicken. It’s more important to this town than people think. Now you are the connection between that pesky ghost foul and the town.”
I stared at the letter, unable to move. “This is hard to process. How many people know about this?”
“You, me, and Mae. That’s it.”
The tears returned as I picked up the envelope and spotted Mom’s handwriting. “I don’t think I want to read this right now.”
Dad laughed. “You don’t have to. After this week, I think you know more about the chicken than anyone ever has. Read it when you are ready.”
I rose and went over to Dad and gave him a big hug. “I love you, Dad. And you don’t have to say it back.”
Dad hugged me back. “Sweetie, I love you more than anything in this universe. But if you tell anyone I said that I will deny it and throw something at you.”
I laughed and kissed him on the cheek. “We should get back to the bar. Make sure Digger isn’t creating a trip hazard and check that Bones isn’t burning something under the salamander.”
We both collected ourselves and we left the apartment to return to the pub. Piper saw us coming down the stairs. “Hey, Ginger. Blake called. The historical society liked my idea. They are going to help me set up a historical society here in town. And I am going to be the town historian. Our centerpiece displays are going to be the chest, the quilt squares, the painting and the locket we found.”
“Just what we need, to give you more responsibility.”
Piper laughed, “And to think I was going to ask you to be my assistant.”
Dixie asked, “Ginger, what happened with the gold coins?”
“I asked Blake to see if he can locate the Carter family. Conner Walsh wanted to pay Winny Carter and it seems the coins are hers, well her family’s now. So, I’m waiting to hear what he finds.”
Dixie continued, “And how did Winny Carter’s painting make it the Potter’s Mill?”
I shrugged. “Don’t know. That is one part of the mystery that remains unsolved. But Dottie agreed to let the historical society display it here in town.”
Bones hollered from the kitchen. “So, you think the chicken is gone?”
“I doubt it. The grumpy chicken has been part of this place for a long time.”
Bones hollered back. “Yeah, but now we know her secret.”
I smiled. “I don’t know, Bones, I think she still has a few secrets to keep.”
The lights flickered, just once. Dixie murmured, “You don’t think... Once means yes, right Ginger?”
“Yep. At least I think so.”
Dad started waving his arms in the air. “Alright, everyone get back to work. This jibber jabber is out of control.” He knelt down next to Digger fixing the tiles.
“And you’re... Actually, you’re doing a good job. Keep going.”
Our routines were returning, but the air inside the pub felt thick. Things were different. Change can be hard to accept and I would have to wait to see what the future revealed.
The End
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Catalog of Books
The Grumpy Chicken Irish Pub Series
A Frosty Mug of Murder
Treachery on Tap
A Highball and a Low Blow
THE CHRONICLES OF AGNES Astor Smith
The Peculiar Case of Agnes Astor Smith
The Peculiar Case of the Red Tide
The Peculiar Case of the Lost Colony
OLD SCHOOL DINER COZY Mysteries
Murder at Stake
Murder Well Done
A Side Order of Deception
Murder, Basted and Barbecued
THE CURIOSITY SHOP Cozy Mysteries
The Curious Case of the Cursed Spectacles
The Curious Case of the Cursed Dice
The Curious Case of the Cursed Dagger
The Curious Case of the Cursed Looking Glass
THE WE’RE NOT DEAD Yet Club
Fetch a Pail of Murder
Wedding Bells and Death Knells
Murder or Bust
Pinched, Pilfered and a Pitchfork
A Hot Spot of Murder
WITCHY WOMEN OF COVEN Grove Series
THE WITCHING ON THE Wall
A Witching Well of Magic
Witching the Night Away
Witching There’s Another Way
Witching Your Life Away
Witching You Wouldn’t Go
Witching for a Miracle
TEASEN & PLEASEN HAIR Salon Series
A Hair Raising Blowout
Wash, Rinse, Die
Holiday Hooligans
Color Me Dead
False Nails & Tall Tales
CAESAR’S CREEK SERIES
A FROZEN SCOOP OF MURDER (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book One)
Death by Chocolate Sundae (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Two)
Soft Serve Secrets (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Three)
Ice Cream You Scream (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Four)
Double Dip Dilemma (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Five)
Melted Memories (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Six)
Triple Dip Debacle(Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Seven)
Whipped Wedding Woes(Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Eight)
A Sprinkle of Tropical Trouble(Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Nine)
A Drizzle of Deception(Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Ten)
SWEET HOME MYSTERY Series
Creamed at the Coffee Cabana (Sweet Home Mystery Series Book One)
A Caffeinated Crunch (Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Two)
A Frothy Fiasco (Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Three)
Punked by the Pumpkin(Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Four)
Peppermint Pandemonium(Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Five)
Expresso Messo(Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Six)
A Cuppa Cruise Conundrum(Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Seven)
The Brewing Bride(Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Eight)
WHISPERING PINES MYSTERY Series
A Sinister Slice of Murder
Sanctum of Shadows (Whispering Pines Mystery Series)
Curse of the Bloodstone Arrow (Whispering Pines Mystery Series)
Fright Night at the Haunted Inn (Whispering Pines Mystery Series)
MAD RIVER MYSTERY SERIES
A Wicked Whack
A Prickly Predicament
A Malevolent Menace
Cursed With a Twist (Grumpy Chicken Irish Pub Series Book 4) Page 9