Sweet Fire and Stone (A Sweet Cove Cozy Mystery Book 7)

by J A Whiting

  “Are you after a new book to read, Mr. Finch?” Ellie asked.

  “I am going to do some research. On mistletoe.” Mr. Finch ran his hand over Circe’s dark fur. “Perhaps tonight we should have a family meeting?”

  Angie lifted the large tray of muffins and headed to the bake shop. “It’s time to put our heads together. We need to figure this out.”

  Before it’s too late.

  15

  The late afternoon sunlight streamed in the windows where Angie and Jenna sat at the desks in the jewelry room. Angie was paging through a book on Sweet Cove’s history looking for information about the house that Jenna and Tom had purchased. Jenna was searching the internet for land records and house sale transactions.

  “I’m coming up empty.” Jenna groaned. “All there is on the land records is the sale from the town to Tom, and prior to that, a takeover notice passing the deed to the town of Sweet Cove for non-payment of taxes.” She looked over at Angie. “Are you finding anything?”

  “Well, there’s a picture of your house in this book.” Angie got up and put the open book on the table in front of her sister. “Look how nice it was back then.”

  A picture of Jenna and Tom’s house was in the chapter on “Homes of Sweet Cove.” The house stood in all its glory, freshly painted and carefully landscaped.

  “If the house was still in this condition, we never could have afforded it.” Jenna bent close to the picture to better see the details of the windows and woodwork. “I wish the photograph it was in color. I’d love to see what the original shades of the house were.”

  “It’s going to be gorgeous when you and Tom finish the renovation.”

  Jenna let out a sigh. “I’m worried about how long that’s going to take and how much money it’s going to cost us.” She pulled her long brown hair over her shoulder and started to braid it. “I hope we haven’t bitten off more than we can chew.”

  “You two can move into the carriage house if you want.” An impish grin formed on Angie’s face. “You can live there for how many hundreds of years it will take you to complete the house.” She scooted a few feet away to avoid Jenna’s attempt to swat her. Still standing out of her sister’s reach, Angie asked, “Did you read the little caption in the book under the house picture?”

  Jenna looked back to the historical book and scanned the short paragraph under the photograph. She read aloud. The lovely Queen Anne on Beach Street is a twelve room beautifully designed home with a large veranda and a three-story octagonal tower. Built in 1897, it is finely finished, landscaped, and maintained. Jenna frowned. “Not a word about the owners. Maybe we can find out more at the town hall.”

  Angie leaned back against the desk. “The Crossworts didn’t come into the bake shop this morning.”

  “It’s the first morning they’ve missed since moving to town?”

  Angie nodded. “It worries me. At least when they come in, I know where they are. Why didn’t they show up today? What are they up to?”

  “The woman looks kind of sickly.” Jenna moved the historical book to the corner of her desk and closed down her laptop. “Maybe she wasn’t up to coming to the bake shop today.”

  “Maybe.” Angie reached for her jacket on the back of the chair. “Before we go to the town hall, I think we should make a detour, well, two detours.”

  Jenna looked questioningly at her sister.

  “We haven’t been to Robin’s Point in a while. I think it would help us. I need to feel the thrumming in my blood.” Lines of worry creased the corners of Angie’s eyelids. “I’m worried, Jenna. Somebody wants to hurt us. I can feel it getting closer. We need to stop it.”

  Jenna’s heart pounded. She stood up with a determined look. “Don’t worry, I’m right beside you. We’ll figure it out.” She reached for her car keys. “Let’s get started.”

  * * *

  JENNA’S OLD junk of a car seemed to rattle as they drove up Beach Street to the main street of Sweet Cove. “You said two detours. Where else do you want to go?”

  “Greenhill Road.”

  “Now?” Jenna stopped at the intersection.

  “Chief Martin said the fire inspection is done. We can walk around the outside of the house without anyone questioning us about why we’re there.” Angie looked out the passenger side window at the quaint brick walkways, stores and restaurants of the pretty town. “I’d also like to spy on the Crosswort house.”

  “Where do you want to go first?” While waiting for Angie’s instructions, Jenna looked in the rearview mirror to be sure there wasn’t a car behind them.

  “Robin’s Point.”

  Jenna turned left and headed down to the Sweet Cove Resort where they parked and walked over to the point. A cold wind blew off the ocean whipping the girls’ hair around their heads. They stood at the edge of the sandy cliff and watched the waves crash against the beach below.

  “Want to jump in?” Jenna kidded.

  Angie eyed her. “After you.”

  Jenna grabbed her sister’s arm and pretended to push her off the cliff. Angie mock-fought her and the two fell backward onto the grass laughing. They stared at the darkening blue autumn sky and rested quietly on their backs for a few minutes.

  “Do you feel it?” Jenna asked. When on Robin’s Point, Angie and Courtney could feel a humming or thrumming running through their veins. It was like a distant drum beating out a rhythm. Their Nana once owned a small cottage on the point and, being on the spot where it used to stand, made the girls feel close to her.

  “Yeah.” Angie’s eyes were closed and her breathing was slow and rhythmic, matching the beat of the thrumming. Sometimes the feeling acted as an early warning system alerting Angie and Courtney to be on guard in a situation or to be wary of a particular person.

  After fifteen minutes, the cold ground became uncomfortable and Jenna sat up. “Are you ready to go?” she asked gently.

  Angie’s eyes opened and she pushed herself up. “I’m ready. Let’s go inspect the houses on Greenhill Road.”

  Jenna pulled on her sister’s hand helping her to her feet. They walked arm in arm to the car and in ten minutes, they parked in front of the burned and ruined house. Angie gazed at the sad structure, its paint bubbled and peeling, the shutters askew, and windows broken. Dark burnt sections obliterated the color of the paint on different sections of the house. The lawn was rutted and ripped up where the fire trucks had stood. The darkening sky added to the gloomy atmosphere.

  The girls got out and stood staring at the building.

  Jenna said, “If you wanted a creepy Halloween backdrop, this is it.”

  They walked around the far side of the house, careful not to trip in the ruts. Orange police tape was wound around the porch railings to warn against climbing the steps.

  “What are we looking for?” Jenna glanced up at the second floor windows.

  “Who knows?” Angie kicked at a lump of dirt as they made their way around the back of the house and along the other side. “That’s the Crosswort place.” The house stood in darkness. “I wonder if they’ve moved in yet. I’d love to look in the windows.”

  “You can go look.” Jenna took a step back. “I’ll watch you from here.”

  “I think I’m close enough.” Angie led the way back to the front. “Do you pick up on anything?”

  “Only that I’m cold and sort of creeped out.” Jenna took a look at her watch. “The town hall will be closing soon. We’ll have to go there tomorrow.”

  Angie let out a breath. “Let’s go home.”

  The girls started for the car when Angie stopped short and whirled around to face the porch. “Look.” She hurried to the steps.

  Jenna followed. “Don’t go on the porch.”

  Angie gingerly put a foot on the first step and put some weight on it. She did the same on the other treads and slowly moved across the porch to the front door.

  “Angie.” Jenna watched as her sister reached for the doorknob, lifted something off of it, and
turned around. Angie raised her hand.

  “What is it?” Jenna squinted trying to see in the dark. “What did you find?”

  Angie shuffled carefully back to the steps and handed something to her.

  Jenna took it in her hand. “Mistletoe? I thought Rufus said that mistletoe could protect against fires. I guess it didn’t work.”

  “Take a good look at it.” Angie came down off the porch. “I don’t think it was here during the fire.”

  “Someone put it here afterwards? Why?”

  Angie took a look around the lawn, at the Crossworts’ front yard, and across the street. Her eyes darkened. “I bet it was put there for us to find.” She raised an eyebrow. “The plot thickens.” Angie led the way to Jenna’s car.

  Jenna did a three-point turn and started back up Greenhill Road. “Why would someone want us to find it? What does it mean?”

  Angie watched out the window as the car sped past houses and trees when she suddenly sat up and swiveled to look back to where they’d come. “Keep going for another block and pull over.”

  “What? Why?” Jenna coasted to the side of the road and parked. “What do you see?”

  “Two people are talking back there.” Angie opened the passenger side door and stepped out.

  Jenna joined her on the sidewalk.

  “One of them is wearing a long dark coat.” Angie headed down the hill. “Stay close to the shadows. Go slow.”

  The girls moved quietly and stealthily until Angie lifted her hand to indicate they should stop. She whispered, “Let’s go behind the trees over there.”

  The girls stepped into a grove of trees that shielded them from the view of the two people talking. They couldn’t hear what was being said. Angie leaned down and peered between the branches. Anxiety gripped every muscle in her body.

  She sucked in a breath and reached for her sister’s arm. “It’s Gloria.”

  “Who?”

  “Gloria, our hair stylist. She was here the other night. She’s talking to Walter Withers, our B and B guest.” Angie turned to Jenna, her voice shaking. “What on earth are they doing together, on this street?”

  16

  “Should we approach them?” Angie wondered how they would react if she and Jenna walked up.

  Jenna peeked through the branches. “I don’t know.” She kept her voice low. “We probably shouldn’t. They might be dangerous.”

  The girls tried to make out what the two people were saying to each other, but they were speaking too softly to pick up any of the words.

  “Look. They’re moving down the street.” Angie craned her neck to watch. “We need to follow.”

  Jenna glanced back at her car. “I wish I brought the tire iron.”

  Angie tugged on her sister’s sleeve and they crept along the street stepping into shadow and sidling up behind trees and bushes to maintain their cover. Gloria and Withers looked over their shoulders and then edged into the side yard of the Crossworts’ house.

  Hiding in the bushes across the street, the girls watched.

  “What are they doing?” Jenna tried to keep them in her sight.

  “That’s a very good question.” Angie knelt on the lawn. “Withers is just visiting town. How do those two know each other?”

  “A better question is why are they skulking around the Crossworts’ yard?”

  Angie slipped her phone out her pocket. “I’m going to text Chief Martin and tell him what’s going on.”

  Less than a minute passed, when a reply came in from the chief. “Sit tight. I’m coming. Unmarked car.”

  Gloria and Withers disappeared around the back of the house and the girls lost sight of them. Angie lowered a branch. “I can’t see where they went. Should we move closer?”

  “Chief Martin said to sit tight.” Jenna knelt beside her sister.

  A car came down the road and the sisters heard the mechanical sound of a garage door rising. The car turned into the driveway of the property where the girls were hiding.

  “We need to move.” Jenna moved to a crouch position and shuffled out of the yard. “We can’t get caught lurking here. People will think we set that fire.”

  Angie groaned and followed. When they reached the sidewalk, Chief Martin drove slowly down the street, and from inside the car, he gestured to the burned out house ahead. He pulled to the curb in front of the destroyed home and got out. Jenna and Angie hugged the shadows as they hurried to meet him.

  “Gloria and Withers walked into the yard on the right side of the Crosswort place.” Angie pointed. “They went to the back of the house and we lost sight.”

  “Stay here in front and keep an eye out. I’m going to walk around like I’m doing a routine check on this place.” He nodded to the burned home. “Watch for them. See if they leave the Crosswort place when they notice me walking around here.”

  The chief flicked on his large black flashlight and started to circle the devastated home. The girls could occasionally hear a twig snap as the chief moved about making his rounds. In five minutes, he was back in front.

  “Anything? Any movement?” Chief Martin asked.

  The girls shook their heads.

  “I didn’t see any sign of them. They must have seen me and gone into the yard of the house behind the Crossworts.’ Any doubt about their identities?”

  Angie sighed. “I’m sure it was Gloria Harding and Walter Withers.”

  “Gloria’s been living in town for years, her whole life, I think. Odd that she was here with Withers, but the reason could be harmless.” The chief looked over at the Crosswort house which was shrouded in darkness. “Are those people ever home?”

  “I can’t believe Gloria could be a suspect in the fires.” Angie frowned.

  “Well, my years in law enforcement have taught me that sometimes people can surprise you, and not in good ways, but I’ve also learned not to jump to conclusions.” The chief started for his vehicle. “Come on, I’ll drop you at your car.”

  The chief decided to follow Jenna and Angie back to the Victorian so that they could have a chat with everyone to bring the group up to date. They drove the few minutes to Main Street and pulled into the B and B’s driveway.

  When the three reached the front porch, Ellie flung the door open. There was a cat standing on either side of her and the look on her face sent a chill down Angie’s back.

  “Now what?” Jenna asked.

  Euclid and Circe let out low hisses.

  When the girls and Chief Martin stepped into the foyer, they saw Tom standing in the dining room holding his phone.

  “Tom’s been trying to reach you.” Ellie’s face was pale. “Thank heavens you’re okay.”

  Tom looked up, his face creased with worry. “I’ve been texting you.”

  Jenna rushed to his side. “Our phones have been on silent. What’s wrong?”

  Tom put his arm around her and let out a sigh. “Someone broke into our place.”

  Jenna’s eyes filled with tears and her hand flew to her chest.

  “There’s no damage.” Tom’s lips turned up in a small smile as he tried to reassure his fiancé. “If there was, it wouldn’t really matter anyway since the house is in such poor shape already.” The big man rubbed Jenna’s back. “Stuff’s been moved around. Some of the old furniture upstairs has been tipped over, some drawers pulled out. That’s all really.” Tom pulled Jenna close. “I’m just glad you weren’t in the house alone when the person broke in.”

  “Did you call it in?” Chief Martin was angry about the break-in and it showed on his face.

  Tom nodded. “I told the officer to meet me here.”

  “Let’s go sit in the family room where we can talk,” Angie suggested. The family room was in the private part of the Victorian and she wanted to be out of earshot of any of the B and B guests, Walter Withers in particular, should any of them wander down to the living room.

  Just as they all sat down, Courtney and Mr. Finch came in from their shift at the candy store and infor
mation was shared about the break-in at Jenna and Tom’s house.

  “I wonder if the break-in is related to the fires?” Courtney was in the easy chair with Euclid sitting on her lap. His orange plume twitched back and forth as he listened to the latest news.

  “I would be inclined to say yes.” Mr. Finch sat on one of the sofas next to Jenna and Tom. Circe sat on Jenna’s lap, alert and attentive to the conversation. “Was anything stolen from your house?”

  Tom looked at Jenna. “I didn’t think of that. We don’t keep anything there except tools and paint and such. Nothing seemed to be missing.”

  Jenna said, “We haven’t gone through all of the dressers and bureaus that came with the house though, but I can’t imagine anything valuable was left in the house.”

  The sisters made eye contact with one another wondering if there might be something else that someone might be looking for besides valuables.

  Angie told the family about the visit to Greenhill Road. “Jenna and I went over to the burned-out house to look around. Guess what we found at the front door?”

  Courtney’s eyes narrowed. “Mistletoe.”

  Jenna gave her a surprised look. “Good guess.”

  “What else could it have been? That stuff is showing up everywhere.”

  Angie told them who they’d seen talking together on Greenhill Road.

  “Gloria?” Ellie twisted the end of her hair. “She’s involved?’

  “I really can’t believe it,” Angie said. “I’ve never gotten any bad feelings from her. I just don’t think she could be part of this mess.” She took a look at the cats to see if they reacted to hearing the woman’s name. They were both calm.

  “How does she know Mr. Withers?” Ellie pulled her legs up under her. “Withers distinctly told me he didn’t know anyone in Sweet Cove.”

  “He could have gone to the salon for a haircut and met her,” Angie offered. “But why would they be on Greenhill Road together in the dark?”

  Mr. Finch spoke. “I haven’t run into Mr. Withers lately. Have you seen him much?”