“Oh, God.” Tara paled.
“No one ever did figure out what happened to him. Initially the police believed Pottage would receive a ransom note, but he never did. And I’m afraid the story gets worse.”
“Worse how?”
“Five days after her son disappeared Belle was killed in an auto accident. It seems her car slid on the ice just a mile from her home and she was killed instantly.”
Tara cringed. “That poor man. No wonder he retreated from the world.”
“Yeah. I had very little respect for the mean old man, but now I have nothing but compassion. I guess you never know what’s really behind a person’s behavior until you walk in their shoes.”
I returned to the box I had been unpacking, Tara went back to her task, and we worked side by side in silence. Balthazar Pottage’s story was a tragic one that couldn’t help but put a damper on the holiday spirit we’d been enjoying prior to my sharing the sad little tale. I really couldn’t imagine living with the loss of a spouse and a son in such tragic ways.
“Is Destiny coming in today?” I asked in an attempt to change the subject and, hopefully, lighten the mood a bit.
“She’s at the church doing her final exams for the semester. She wants to be done with her schoolwork before the baby comes, so she’s putting in extra time now. I don’t think we should count on her to be able to work here much if at all for the next month or two. Besides the schoolwork, she’s gotten to the point in her pregnancy where she really should be taking it easy. I think we’ll be fine in the long run, but I’m a little worried about keeping up with everything between now and Christmas.”
“Maybe we should hire some temporary help.”
“That might be a good idea. I’m just not sure if we can find someone who wants a job for just two weeks.”
“I imagine most people in the job market are looking for something a bit more long term,” I agreed.
“I suppose we could post a notice in the window to see if anyone’s interested,” Tara suggested. “Maybe we’ll find someone who simply wants a little extra cash for the holiday and doesn’t mind the temporary nature of the job.”
“It couldn’t hurt to put it out there and see what happens,” I agreed. I set the box I’d been working on aside and started on the next one, which contained a selection of holiday pens and colorful journals. “Has Destiny made up her mind about keeping the baby?”
“Not as far as I know,” Tara answered. “She refused to finalize the agreement with the adoption agency, but when I asked her about a shower, she said she probably wouldn’t be needing any baby things. I can see she’s really struggling with the whole thing. In my opinion she probably won’t make up her mind until after the baby is born.”
Although Destiny had just turned seventeen and the baby’s father wasn’t in the picture at all, I felt like she had the support she would need to make a go of it should she decide to keep the baby. Living with Tara seemed to be working out for both of them, and Destiny had done an excellent job as an employee of the store. We planned to keep her on as a full-time employee for as long as she wanted the job. On the other hand, she was a bright girl who could do well in college and could probably pursue any type of career she wanted, though with a baby to care for a college degree probably wouldn’t be in the picture, at least for a while. Destiny’s decision to keep her baby or not would most likely define the direction her life would take from that point forward, so I could understand her need to think it through very carefully.
I could see the ferry nearing the island. It would be docking within the next few minutes. One of the things I loved the most about the location of our shop was that it provided a perfect viewpoint from which to watch the boats as they made their way into and out of the harbor.
“Are you going to the Christmas fair and spaghetti dinner the church is sponsoring next weekend?” Tara asked me as the ferry began its approach.
I nodded. “I volunteered to help with the dinner, and it looks like I’m now in charge of finding a Santa for the event. I thought I’d ask Cody to do it if he isn’t too busy.”
“Seems like he has been lately. Busy, that is.”
“Yeah. I guess I could ask Danny, but I don’t see him being all that good with little kids. I’m not even sure he’s going. It seems like he’s had a lot on his mind lately.”
“I’ve noticed that as well,” Tara confirmed. “I mentioned getting a new dress for the event and he mumbled something about maybe having plans. I’m not sure I’m even going to go.”
“You should definitely go and you should absolutely get a new dress. Don’t let grumpy old Danny ruin your fun. A new dress is part of the fun. I loved getting all dressed up for the fair even as a child.”
“I still remember that red velvet dress you had, with the black faux fur jacket,” Tara commented. “I was so jealous.”
“My mom made that dress. I’m pretty sure she still has it up in the attic. She saved boxes of things from our childhood, assuring us that we’d want them for our own children someday.”
“She’s probably right. You most likely will end up glad your mom saved all your old stuff. My mom isn’t sentimental at all. I don’t think she saved a single item from my childhood.”
I shrugged. “I guess people approach memory keeping differently. She has a bunch of photos of you on her wall.”
“Yeah, I guess. Still, it would have been nice to know I had family heirlooms to pass on to my own daughter, should I have one.”
The bell over the door tinkled as a woman in a red coat came into the store.
“Excuse me,” the woman began, “I’m looking for a book, but I can’t remember either the title or the author. Can you help me?”
“We can try,” Tara offered. “What do you know about it?”
“It’s a mystery set at Christmas,” the woman said. “There’s a teacher who dies and an animal rescue worker who tries to solve the case.”
“I think I know the book you’re looking for. The book is called Christmas Cozy and it was written by one of our most popular authors. Follow me and I’ll show you to the right shelf.”
Tara led the woman across the store. It appeared she’d guessed correctly because the two women entered into a lengthy conversation about the book. It seemed the woman wanted to buy a dozen copies to use as gifts for the members of her book club.
I turned my attention back to the inventory we’d been shelving. I love the holidays, when there are so many fun and imaginative items to display. Tara had changed the window display a dozen times since Thanksgiving, but she seemed to be having fun with the ever-evolving project.
I watched as the ferry approached the dock. “White Christmas” was playing softly on the loudspeaker, and I realized we might actually have one this year. It had been snowing gently off and on all day. It really wasn’t accumulating on the ground, but it looked pretty fluttering around in the sky. I stood at the window and looked out toward the harbor. Many of the boats had been dry docked for the winter, but there were a few hearty souls, like my brother Danny, who lived in their boats year-round. Of course he bunked at Aunt Maggie’s house during the worst storms, but he didn’t seem to mind the dark and dreary days we often experienced during the winter.
“Did you get the lady all taken care of?” I asked Tara after the customer left the store.
“Yeah, she wanted a dozen copies and we only have three in stock, but she doesn’t need them until next week so I’ll special order them. Did you get the coffee bar ready for the crowd?”
“I did. I noticed we were getting low on the syrup for both the gingerbread lattes and the peppermint mochas. Maybe I’ll order some more.”
“Okay, but don’t over order,” Tara cautioned. “Once Christmas has passed requests for those specialty drinks is bound to decrease dramatically.”
“I’ll just make a note of what we’re low on. I’ll leave it to you to decide what to order.”
I turned back toward the coffee bar.<
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“Would you look at that?” Tara murmured as I started a fresh pot of coffee.
“Look at what?”
“It looks like you have a visitor.”
I walked over to the window and looked toward the ferry, which had just begun to unload the walk-on passengers. Ebenezer was trotting down the walkway with a tall, dark-haired young man who looked to be in his twenties following him. Ebenezer darted across the road and came directly to our door. I opened it and he trotted inside.
“Is this your cat?” the man asked after I invited him to come inside.
“No, but he likes to visit,” I answered.
“I saw him on the ferry. He appeared to be alone, so I’ve been keeping an eye on him. He sure is a friendly cat. I was afraid he was a stray.”
“Ebenezer is a very independent cat, but thank you for watching out for him. Can I offer you a coffee or other hot beverage? My treat.”
“A coffee would be great,” the man answered. “My name is Alex Turner, by the way.”
“I’m Cait,” I said as I handed him his coffee. “Are you visiting the island for the day?”
“Actually, I’m here to look for a temporary job. I attend the university in Portland, but I really want to spend my break on the island. I have a place to stay, but I’ll need spending money.”
“You don’t have family on the mainland you want to spend your break with?”
“No. Not anymore. My dad passed away when I was a baby and my mother just passed recently.”
“I’m so sorry.”
The man shrugged. “It’s been tough since Mom died. I think a change of scenery for the holiday will be good for me. This is delicious coffee, by the way.”
“Thank you. It’s our own special blend.” I glanced at Tara, who was busy with customers. “We might have a temp job available for the next couple of weeks. I’ll need to talk to my partner when it slows down a bit. If you want to either wait until the store clears out or come back in a little while, I can talk to you about it some more.”
Alex looked toward the cat lounge. “Is it okay to wait in there?”
“Absolutely. Take Ebenezer with you, but be sure he stays away from Lucy. She is our newest feline and she’s still a little edgy around new cats.”
“My mom’s name was Lucy. She had a tendency to be edgy around strangers as well.” Alex laughed.
I smiled and then returned to my job. I spent the next twenty minutes making coffee drinks and ringing up purchases for the dozen customers who had come in from the ferry. I enjoyed it when the store was busy. Not only was it good for the bottom line but it made the time go by faster.
“So who’s the guy?” Tara asked after the crowd cleared out.
“His name is Alex Turner and he’s looking for a temp job. He goes to the university in Portland and wants to spend the holiday on the island. We’d just talked about looking for some temporary help, so I asked him to wait with Ebenezer. I figure the fact that the guy hooked up with him is a sign that we should at least talk to him.”
Tara looked toward the cat lounge, where the young man was sitting on the sofa with Ebenezer on his lap. He appeared to be talking to the cat, and the cat appeared to be listening intently. How adorable was that?
“I can’t believe that cat came all the way over here on his own,” Tara marveled.
“It’s not the first time,” I reminded her.
“I wonder how he gets from Balthazar Pottage’s private island to San Juan Island to catch the ferry.”
“I suspect he stows away on the various boats that go out to the island to deliver supplies. So, about Alex?”
Tara shrugged. “We do need the help. Let’s talk to him.”
Tara and I joined Alex in the cat lounge. Ebenezer trotted over to the corner and lay down. Apparently, his reason for being there wasn’t urgent. Of course it occurred to me that his purpose for coming to the store might have been to bring Alex into our lives and he’d completed his job. At this point it was too soon to tell, but it seemed Alex was both intelligent and friendly, and we really did need some part-time help.
After chatting with him and having him fill out an application, Tara asked Alex to come back the next day, after she’d had a chance to check his references. Alex thanked us for our time and agreed to return the following day. I knew Tara liked to check things out thoroughly, but I was pretty sure we’d found the help we needed.
Chapter 4
Monday December 14
The wind whipped around the islands, making the trip to Balthazar Pottage’s private island less than pleasant. The ferry ride from Madrona Island to San Juan Island hadn’t been all that bad, but the water taxi from San Juan Island out to Pottage’s place was rough enough to give pause to even the most seasoned fisherman. At least the gate was open when Ebenezer and I arrived. I wasn’t looking forward to having to squeeze through the small opening in the wall again, as I had the previous week. Although we’d hired Alex and he was working out fantastically, we’d had a near record day on Saturday, followed by a long day of church and family on Sunday. I was exhausted.
Pottage must have heard the boat that brought me to the island arrive because he seemed to be waiting for me just on the other side of the thick wooden door. He opened it, greeted the cat, and ushered me inside before I even had a chance to knock. As I had on my previous visit, I followed him down the dark, cold hallway to the sitting room, where a merry fire was warming the room.
“I was surprised when Ebenezer showed up at my store,” I began.
“I told you, he comes and goes as he pleases. If he came to you, he must have had a reason.”
I couldn’t imagine what that reason could be; he’d done nothing but sleep the entire weekend, but perhaps he really had brought Alex to us, or maybe he just wanted to make certain I’d return to the island today.
Pottage handed me the book and then settled into his chair. It was obvious he’d invited me to his home to finish the book, not to engage in idle chitchat. I took off my coat and hung it over the back of the sofa, then settled into the second chair that faced the fire and began to read.
The Phantom slowly, gravely, silently, approached. When it came near him, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the very air through which this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery.
It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible save one outstretched hand. But for this it would have been difficult to detach its figure from the night, and separate it from the darkness by which it was surrounded.
He felt that it was tall and stately when it came beside him, and that its mysterious presence filled him with a solemn dread. He knew no more, for the Spirit neither spoke nor moved.
``I am in the presence of the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come?'' said Scrooge.
The Spirit answered not, but pointed onward with its hand.
``You are about to show me shadows of the things that have not happened, but will happen in the time before us,'' Scrooge pursued. ``Is that so, Spirit?''
The upper portion of the garment was contracted for an instant in its folds, as if the Spirit had inclined its head.
That was the only answer he received.
I continued with the book until I got to the end.
“That’s such a nice story,” I commented as I set the book aside.
“I see you brought another book.” Pottage looked hungrily at the book I’d carried with me.
“I did, but before we begin another book I think we need to talk.”
“About what?” Pottage asked.
“About the Bayview Apartments. You promised to at least consider other options to evicting the tenants if I came back to finish the story,” I reminded him.
“And I’ve done as I promised,” Pottage assured me.
“And…?” I encouraged.
“And there’s no other reasonable option. Now, start the second book.”
I stood up
and faced the man, hoping my height advantage over his sitting form would make a difference. “I can’t believe you’re unable to come up with any other alternative.”
“You saw the estimate for fixing up the units. What would you suggest?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I do know that, if your reputation is correct, you have more money than you’ll ever be able to spend. Perhaps you can fix up the building and let the tenants stay out of the goodness of your heart.”
“You’re asking me to do this huge thing for the tenants of that building, yet what have any of them ever done for me? What has anyone ever done for me?”
I frowned. “How about if I continue to read to you? I can come back every Monday.”
“I would enjoy that, but we’re talking about more than a hundred thousand dollars,” Pottage pointed out.
I guess the man had a point.
“Although, there is something else you can do for me that might be worth that amount of money.”
I smiled. “What? I’ll do anything.”
“You can help me find out what became of my son.”
I hesitated. Find his son? Was he kidding? He had a serious look on his face, so I had to assume he was serious in making his request.
“You want me to find your son?” I asked. “He’s been missing for a very long time. How am I supposed to find him?”
“I have no idea, but Ebenezer seems to think you’re the one to help us. In fact, he’s quite insistent on it. Will you do it?”
I looked at the cat and hesitated. It did seem that we were linked in some way, and cats had helped me solve mysteries equally as impossible as this in the past. “If I help you figure out what happened to your son you’ll let the tenants stay?”
“I’ll do better than that. I’ll fix up the building and deed it to the residents. Will you help me?”
“I’ll try.”
Balthazar Pottage smiled.
“Do you have any idea where I should start?” I asked.
He stood up. “Come with me.”
The man led me to a room toward the end of the hall that looked to be used for storage. He walked over to a box and instructed me to bring it back to the sitting room. I set the box on the table and Pottage took off the top.
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