SCENT OF A MYSTERY...A CITRUS BEACH MYSTERY (Citrus Beach Mysteries Book 2)

by Victoria LK Williams

“We should probably go inside for the night, before the mosquitos realize how sweet we are. Lucy, I brought up the food out of the cooler. If we turn on the fan, we can eat in relative comfort and then I think I’m going to be ready to call it a night! That was a lot of work today, and we have even more tomorrow.”

  Lucy nodded her head in agreement and the two women went inside, one happy dog following behind them.

  “I want to try and find out if any of the homeowners listed in that registry we found for Lady Fish Bay are in the area. If we can get hold of some of them, they might be able to help us identify the photos and other trinkets we found today. If we look it over tonight, we might be able to have a few names to call on tomorrow.”

  “Good idea, Lucy. If nothing else, we will be able to figure out who owns the properties immediately around the Potter cottage. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I saw that food. Down, Barney!”

  Megan reprimanded the dog as he put his nose in the cooler to see what was in there for him. Grabbing a bottle of water for them, Megan watched the dog settle a couple of feet and then joined Lucy at the table they had moved in front of the window to catch the evening sea breeze. After they finished their meal and Barney had been fed and taken for a final walk, they each took one of the two rattan sofas and settled in for the night. With the fan blowing between them, it was comfortable enough for sleeping. They spent a little time making plans for the next day and figuring out the names of the neighbors they could try calling before Megan started yawning. Before long, Lucy was fighting sleep as well. As for Barney, well he didn’t even try and his snores quickly filled the night air.

  Chapter Four

  It was the loud screeching of the seagulls out on the porch railing that got everyone out of bed in the morning. Sometime during the early hours before sunrise, the generator had run out of gas and shut itself down. It was a welcome break to the droning background noise of the engine and now from the open windows they could hear not only the birds, but the waves crashing against the shoreline. Lucy claimed the shower first, even though it would be a cold one. With no electricity to heat the water, they would both be taking short showers. They were lucky that the cottage was hooked up to city water and not coming from a well. With no electricity, wells could not be pumped, which meant no running water. Having to carry water upstairs for their personal use was something neither of them would have wanted to do.

  “While you shower, I’m going to take Barney for a walk and let him take care of business. Take your time, I want to walk around a little bit and wear him out. Sorry about no coffee this morning. Maybe you can have Paul add that to the delivery they are sending up for us. When you call him, ask for some extra gas for the generator, too.”

  “I hope there is a strong enough signal for the cellphone to work. Last night it was a little touch and go. Don’t wander off too far without me, Megan. I don’t want to miss out on any of the treasures we may find. I won’t take long. You were smart to take your shower last night … I bet that cooled you off for better sleeping.”

  “It did for a while, but without the AC, that didn’t last long. Don’t forget to use plenty of bug repellent when you come outside. They are going to be awful with this heat.”

  “Yuck, almost makes taking a shower seem silly if I’m just going to stink myself up with that stuff!”

  “I know, I know … one of the pitfalls of Florida living! I’ll meet you down on the beach, Lucy. I am going to try and get that walk in while I wait for you.”

  Megan waved as she picked up Barney’s leash and waited for him to settle down so that she could clip it to his collar. Together they walked towards the dunes, following what used to be a clear, accessible path. Barney had a wonderful time jumping over fallen branches and sorting out all the new scents. She surveyed the area around her as she walked, looking for things she could collect. There were a few things laying hap-hazardously in amongst the grasses and driftwood, but she realized that most of the items they would collect would come from the river side pushed by the ocean’s waves. Reaching the top of the dune, Megan decided to chance the stairs and released Barney from his leash since he couldn’t get into too much trouble from that point. The constant pounding from the waves had washed away much of the sand around the base of the stairs, creating a four-foot drop-off from the last step. Reaching the edge, Barney happily jumped, momentarily flying with his ears flapping in the breeze. Megan, on the other hand, was more cautious and sat down with her legs hanging over the step before she jumped.

  Once Barney’s feet hit the sand, he turned around and barked at Megan, waiting for her to join him and play. Grinning, she ran with the dog down to the water’s edge. It then became a game for Barney to chase the outgoing waves and run from the incoming waves. Megan chuckled as she watched his antics, enjoying the beauty of the morning. The ocean seemed strangely calm after the cruel beating it had given the land less than forty-eight hours earlier, almost like an apology.

  “Come on, Barney, let’s go for our walk!” Megan called as she started walking south. Giving one last bark to the retreating waves, Barney ran to join her. They walked for only a few moments before the puppy found another exciting game: chase the Terns. These sea birds were also walking along the shore, looking for their breakfast. It was fun to watch them move quickly on their skinny little legs. Barney’s barking didn’t even faze the birds for a moment, they seemed to enjoy the game as well. The two of them walked for twenty minutes before they turned around and headed back to meet Lucy. Reaching the stairs, she had to laugh at Lucy. She had found a ladder and rope in the storage area and was in the process of securing it to the base of the stairs that were now four feet from the sand.

  “I saw you jump off that last stair when you came down here and thought that was great, I could do that too. But there was no way that I would be able to haul myself back up. You laugh if you want, Megan, but I bet that you will use this too!” Lucy laughed along with Megan as she explained herself.

  “Actually, that’s pretty good thinking, Lucy. I hadn’t thought that far ahead. Come on, let’s walk north for a bit and then we’ll start our project for the day. How is everything back home? Did Paul say what time they would be here with the supplies?”

  “Mrs. Potter and Paul worked together on the supply issue, and one of the guys will be up late this afternoon to drop everything off, including our dinner. Paul also said that the news is reporting that the Lady Fish Bay area will be getting lots of support from the surrounding areas and roads will be cleared within thirty-six hours. We should have proper phone service back up by this evening and the power will be up before the end of the week. Some areas might take longer if the power company has to replace downed poles. Before I came down to join you, I heard someone starting to work on one of the houses down the road. It won’t be long before there are a lot more workers out here hauling away debris.”

  “And once that starts, all these photos and little mementos will be swept right up with the larger stuff and lost to the owners. Guess we’d better get moving.”

  After making sure to securely set the ladder in the sand, they climbed up. Megan lifted Barney up to Lucy once she was on the landing, and then she joined her. Clipping Barney’s leash back on, they headed up the path to the cottage. As they came to the end of the boardwalk, Barney gave a sharp bark and took off, just about pulling Megan to her knees in his haste to run after a small orange and white cat.

  “Stay, Barney!”

  The sharp tone of Megan’s voice not only stopped the dog in his tracks, but caused the cat to slow her flight away from them and turn around to find out what would happen next. Seeing that she wasn’t being chased, the cat meowed, but made no move to come towards them when Lucy called gently to her. Once more, the cat meowed and seemed to be talking directly to the puppy.

  “Megan, she has a collar on. I don’t think she is afraid of Barney, either. You don’t think she was caught out in the storm do you?”

  “I wouldn’t
be surprised. She is nervous, but I think she is used to people and dogs, since she’s not running from Barney.”

  Calling again to the cat, they moved a little closer to her. Still not sure about the strangers in front of her, the cat meowed and walked farther away to stand near a clump of palms, ready to climb if she felt the need. Whining gently, as if to reassure the frightened animal, Barney inched his way towards her. Something clicked between the two animals and the cat seemed to relax and soon was in Lucy’s arms purring loudly.

  “There is no tag, but her collar has the name ‘Ginger’ on it. She belongs to someone and has been taken cared for well. I vote that we keep her in the cottage and try and find her owner.”

  “Oh, I agree with you, Lucy. Poor baby, what an awful time she must have had. Thank goodness, she seems unharmed.”

  While the two women fawned over the cat, Barney began to explore the area, as far as his leash would let him. Using his nose to clear through a pile of loose leaves and stems at the base of one of the palms, he caught the scent of something. Letting out a weak howl (Barney had still not found his real howling voice) he began to dig furiously. His actions caught Megan’s attention and she turned from the cat to watch what her dog was doing. She knew when he unearthed his treasure by the excited wagging of his tail and the happy, but dirty face he turned up at her.

  “What have you found now, Barney?”

  Stepping away from his find, Barney let her reach down into a small hole he had dug and pull up the exposed object that he was so proud of discovering. Wiping away the sand caked in the joints and engravings, Megan revealed a small wooden box. Carved on the top of it was a frog with a crown and the words “Princess Box." The box was only 5” x 7”, made from ash, judging by its light weight. It was obvious that it was hand carved by someone with talent and skill. Giving it a slight shake, Megan could hear the items inside move around. Before she could try to open it up, the cat shifted in Lucy’s arms and meowed.

  “Let’s get this little girl something to eat and drink and we can open that later, Megan. There is still a lot to be done. We should collect first and then we can divide up what we find later when it gets dark, and we can’t safely continue.”

  “You’re right. I hope the cat doesn’t mind dog food, that’s all we have. We can leave her in one of the smaller rooms and let her rest while we get to work.”

  It didn’t take long for them to get the cat upstairs and put some food in front of her. Barney stayed by her side while she ate, not even attempting to steal her food. It was as if he knew she had just been through a traumatic event and just needed to feel safe. After she had finished her meal, Lucy opened the windows in the small sitting room off the kitchen to let the breeze come through. There was a small loveseat in the room and Ginger promptly curled up in the center of it. Without hesitating, Barney jumped up with her and sat by her side, ready to keep her company and play the role of guardian. He made no move to join the girls when Megan called him from the door, so they decided to leave both animals there while they began their task of treasure hunting.

  Chapter Five

  Although Megan missed having Barney with them, she had to admit that they were able to accomplish much more without having to worry about what the puppy was going to get into next. They worked steady for hours; stopping to drink bottled water, swat mosquitoes, and reapply sunscreen. Filling basket after basket, then moving them to the holding area to be emptied, they barely glanced at the items deemed worthy of salvaging. The women knew they were working against the clock and Mother Nature. Another bout of heavy rain could ruin beyond repair many of the photographs they had yet to find. And things close to the river and ocean banks could easily be lost with the next tide. Neither of them wanted to stop for a lunch break, so Lucy just grabbed a few protein bars on one of their stops and they kept working.

  By two-o’clock in the afternoon, both of them agreed that the heat was just getting to be too much to work in and they decided to take a break. After checking on the animals and giving Barney a quick turn around the perimeter, they grabbed a couple of beach towels from the cabin and went back to the beach for a cooling swim. Later, it was the sound of a car’s horn honking up by the cabin that brought them out of the water and back up the boardwalk.

  The surprise that greeted them when they got to the cabin was not the delivery of supplies they had expected. Instead, Megan and Lucy were shocked to see a Channel 7 news van parked in the drive and a news crew setting up in the holding area. The young newscaster spotted Megan heading towards the cabin and left her team to walk towards them.

  “Kim Heart! What in the world are you doing here?” Megan asked cautiously. She was always on edge around Kim; there had been a few problems between them in the past regarding Kim’s method of reporting and Megan found it easier to be aware of the reporter’s actions rather than being taken by surprise.

  “Hi, Megan, Lucy. I got a call from my station manager to get over here today and interview you. Seems like you have support in high places, but truthfully, I’m happy to do this story. I think it is great what you two are doing to help others affected by the hurricane.”

  Megan and Lucy looked at each other and then back at Kim, puzzlement written all over their faces. Kim realized that they had no idea what was going on and explained to them why she was there.

  “Charlotte Potter is part owner of the news station, as you know. Well, she contacted the station manager early this morning and explained what you two are doing regarding the recovery of personal items lost in the storm. She, shall we say, encouraged the station to do a story on it as soon as possible. Since I was already up here covering the storm for the paper and the station, he called me and here I am. Look, Megan, I know we haven’t gotten along all the time in the past, but I think this is important. We all need to pull together and do what we can, how we can, to help. I am helping by giving you air time and letting our viewers know what you are doing. How about I give you ten minutes to freshen up and pull your thoughts together and then we will do a quick interview?”

  Megan looked the young reporter over carefully and saw that she was sincere. Giving her a nod of approval, Megan agreed to Kim’s request.

  “Let me put on some dry clothes and run a comb through my hair and you’ve got yourself an interview. Thank you, Kim. You’re right, this is important and bigger than the two of us. Listen, there is cold water and juice in the cooler, have your crew grab some if they want and we’ll be right back. And, Kim, thanks for doing this. I hope it does help a lot of people.”

  Sharing a smile of understanding, Kim nodded at Megan and then watched her and Lucy hurry up the pull-down stairs to their temporary home to change clothes and prepare to go on camera. Five minutes was plenty of time for Megan to change; she simply did not have a lot of choices on what to change into for her talk with Kim. Checking on the animals as she finished, Megan found the cat sleeping peacefully with Barney watching over her. Deciding to bring the puppy with them, Megan hooked up his leash and they headed back down to face the camera and reporter.

  Kim and her crew did not spend a lot of time with them; they had many other sites to get to and stories to report. After asking Megan to explain what they were doing, Kim had her camera man film some of the more interesting finds that Megan and Lucy had made. Kim ended the interview by giving Megan’s office number out and requesting that anyone who recognized any of the items or if anyone wanted to help with the collection work to please call. The last item that the camera focused on was the wooden box, still crusted with sand, which Barney had found.

  Kim thanked Megan and Lucy for their time and wished them well with their project. As she and her crew were leaving, Kim turned back to Megan and offered to help any way she could, once she completed her obligations to the news station.

  “I certainly would like to write a story on some of your finds and the path it takes for the owners to claim them. Maybe some background on one or two items and a follow through to the return to th
e owners. I will leave it up to you to pick a few items … maybe a photo, a trinket, or memento. We’d have to work with the owner, but I think this would be an excellent human interest piece. I love this baby picture or this trophy or this interesting box … there are so many stories here, Megan. I’m excited about this and think I can get behind making this into a series of articles. I’ll call you later in the week when things have calmed down for both of us.”

  Picking the box up one more time, Kim looked it over with a slight smile, said good bye to Megan and Lucy, and got in the news van with her crew. As their van pulled out of the drive, a pickup truck pulled in. The sides clearly said Citrus Builders and Lucy was thrilled to see her husband Paul behind the wheel. Rushing to the truck, she met him as he opened the door and welcomed him with a warm hug and deep kiss.

  “Okay, you two, break it up,” Megan called out to them.

  Laughing, they pulled away from each other and turned in her direction. Megan walked over to join them, giving her cousin a quick hug when she reached the truck.

  “How did you manage to get away from the office, Paul?” asked Megan.

  “Someone had to make this delivery, so I decided to pull rank and do it myself. Things are running smoothly so I decided to give myself a break from the office and come see how you two are getting along. I brought dinner for all of us, but I’m gonna have to leave right after we eat and get back down to Citrus Beach.” Giving his wife another hug, Paul looked back out the driveway he had just used.

  “What was the news van doing here? Did I see Kim Heart in the front seat? What did you do now, Megan?” He joked with his cousin, all too aware of Megan’s past dealings with the reporter.

  “Not to worry, we managed to not only be civil to each other, but we even got along. I think, for now, she has been shaken by the storm and sees that there is a need for everyone to work together. How long this will last is anyone’s guess! Lucy, give Paul a run down on what we’ve found so far, would ya? I’m going to take this food upstairs and out of Barney’s radar. I’ll check on the cat while I’m up there.”