by J A Whiting
The corner of Angie’s mouth turned up as she checked the honey cake in the oven. “Well, having a ghost around might be like having a built-in security system in the house.”
Jenna just shook her head. “Tell me about the trip to Mill City.”
Angie gave Jenna all the details of the trip to the Mill City high schools and their stop to see Karl. She let out a sigh. “When we started on this case, I thought it was going to be straightforward. We look into it, a decent man is missing, the credit card was used by someone else, we don’t find anything more than what the police found, and that’s it. Now we wonder if Richard Connors might have gone missing on purpose.”
“But….” Jenna raised an eyebrow. “Some weird things have poked their heads up.”
“Yes. Things that toss the case into a different light.” Angie leaned on the counter across from her sister. “I think Cora doesn’t want to be at home right now. It seems Richard didn’t attend the high school he claimed to graduate from. Karl is full of rage for his father. And there was a bill for an attorney’s visit addressed to Cora in Richard’s desk. The bill was dated at the end of last August, shortly before Richard’s disappearance.”
“How does it all connect? What are we missing?” Jenna’s face was serious.
“When I went into Richard’s office and shuffled though the papers and folders, I could feel little electric shocks in my fingers. I found the attorney’s bill and was about to look through more of the papers when I heard Mr. Finch talking to Karl at the end of the hall. I didn’t have time to scan the other paperwork, I had to get back to the living room, but some of the things in the folder were Richard’s passport, his birth certificate, a scanned copy of his driver’s license. Everyday things like that. I don’t know what it means.”
“It must be pointing to something.” Jenna shook her head. “From the beginning, Ellie’s thought that Richard is alive.”
“She must be right.” Angie picked up a cloth and absent-mindedly ran it over the top of the counters. “But Karl worries me. Is his rage so great that he hurt his father?” She shook her head. “I think we need to talk to Cora’s parents. I’ll bet they have some insight into Richard that only in-laws would have. I also think that we should pay a visit to Robin’s Point. When I was down there the other night at the resort with Josh, I felt calm and close to Nana. Walking around the Point might clear our heads and help us connect the dots on this case.”
Jenna agreed. “We’ll get everyone together and head down there. Hopefully we don’t freeze to death as we walk around.”
The door to the bake shop opened and Chief Martin entered the store. He brushed some snow flakes from his shoulders and removed his cap. “Afternoon.” Taking a seat on the stool next to Jenna, he took a long swig of the coffee Angie brought him.
Angie eyed the chief. “You have some news?”
The chief had a manila envelope that he opened. Removing several photographs, he spread them over the counter. “These are the enhanced photos from the video camera in the New Hampshire motel you visited. Take a look.”
Angie and Jenna lifted the photos and inspected them.
“It could be Richard.” Angie brought one picture close to her face.
“It could also be someone else.” Jenna put down the photograph she’d been holding. “What do the police say?”
“The same thing you both just said. Inconclusive.” Chief Martin raised his mug. “Why don’t these cameras produce better film?” He shook his head. “They’re for security purposes, for Pete’s sake. What good is the security if the photos are too blurred and grainy to make out anyone’s features?”
“Have you shown them to Cora?” Angie filled the sugar bowl on the counter.
“I’m on my way. I wanted to show them to you first.”
Angie could feel agitation coming off the chief and it flooded her with unease. “You have something else to tell us?”
Jenna swiveled on her stool to better face the chief.
“You know that Mill City psychic that consulted on the case?” Chief Martin’s shoulders sagged. “He told the police that he thought Richard Connors would be or had recently been in Mill City.”
Angie’s eyebrows shot up.
“What?” Jenna sat up straighter.
The chief gave a nod.
Angie’s voice was nearly a whisper. “Richard in Mill City?”
The chief gave the girls a frown. “It might be worth your while to pay a visit to the psychic’s wife.”
Angie and Jenna reported their recent findings and suspicions to the chief and he rubbed his chin. “There’s more going on here than meets the eye.”
The bake shop door opened again and in walked Cora Connors. “Hello. Are you closed? Ellie told me that you might have some of those fruit squares here in the shop that we had for evening snacks yesterday.”
Angie smiled. “The shop is closed for the day, but it doesn’t matter.” She eyed the chief. “Lots of people come in after closing. We still have some of the fruit squares.” Angie moved to the display case. “How many would you like?”
Cora edged over to the case. “Two, please, one blueberry and one raspberry.”
Jenna slipped the photographs from the motel video camera into a pile and tucked them into the envelope. She and the chief made eye contact.
“No time like the present, I guess.” Chief Martin picked up the envelope and walked over to Cora just as Angie handed the woman a small bakery box.
“Mrs. Connors, I have some photos to show you from the security camera in New Hampshire. I was about to go find you in the Victorian.”
Cora’s eyes widened and a look of apprehension spread over her face. Chief Martin explained the condition of the photos and that the determination of whether or not it was actually her husband in the pictures was inconclusive. “Would you be able to take a look?”
Cora gave the tiniest of nods as she clutched the brown box that contained her fruit squares.
The chief gestured to a table across the room by the windows. “Would you like to sit down here or would you prefer to go somewhere else?”
“You can sit in the sunroom inside,” Angie offered.
“Here is fine.” Cora stared at the envelope in the Chief’s hand.
Angie could see some tears glistening in the corners of Cora’s eyes.
“I’ll lock up.” Jenna headed to the bake shop door, turned the bolt, and flipped over the small rectangular sign that said, ‘Closed.’
Busying themselves with the end of the day tasks, Angie and Jenna worked at the end of the bake shop away from Cora and the chief who sat huddled at the table with their backs to the girls.
“I wonder what she’ll think.” Jenna walked past her sister as she carried a tray of dirty dishes to the dishwasher inside the house.
Angie wondered the very same thing. Ideas and bits of what they’d found out swirled around in her head so fast, she almost felt dizzy. Did Cora want it to be Richard in the photos? Why does the woman seem reluctant to go home? Is Richard dead or alive? Did Karl have something to do with his father’s disappearance? Why did Richard lie about where he’d attended high school? Why did I feel those little shocks in my fingers when I picked up some of the papers in Richard’s office?
Angie’s head snapped up when she heard Cora let out a little gasp. The woman had her hand at her throat. Bending close to the photos, she shuddered. “It could be. I think it is. I think it is Richard.” She stood up so fast that the legs of her chair made a loud screeching sound on the wood floor. Fumbling with the lock, Cora flung the door open and rushed from the bake shop with tears running down her face. She left the bakery box on the table.
The door of the bake shop banged so hard against the jamb that it flew open again. Walking to shut and lock it, Angie looked over to the chief who was coming towards her carrying Cora’s box of squares in one hand and the manila envelope in the other.
“Poor woman.” Chief Martin handed the box to Angie. “Sh
e’s been through a lot.” He looked down at the envelope. “I can’t say I agree with her assessment of the photos. She sure got emotional.”
Angie held the chief’s eyes. “But were those tears of shock and happiness … or of fear?”
19
Angie carried the bakery box as she checked for Cora in the dining room and living room before finding her sitting at the far end of the sunroom staring out the windows. She leapt to her feet when she heard Angie enter the room.
“Oh!” Cora’s hand covered her chest. “It’s you.” The woman’s tears were gone, but her cheeks were flushed and the rims of her eyelids were tinged pink.
Angie spoke in a soft voice as she set the brown box on the table next to where Cora had been sitting. “Sorry to startle you. You left the squares behind in the bake shop.”
“Thank you.” Cora slumped into the chair. “I shouldn’t have run off. I’m embarrassed that I left Chief Martin like that.” The woman’s face was wrinkled and drawn causing her to look ten years older than when she arrived at the Victorian.
Angie took the seat opposite. “It’s okay. He understands. You’ve been through quite a lot.”
Cora gave a slight nod and looked down at her hands. Euclid and Circe came into the room and jumped up onto the white sofa.
“You think that it’s Richard in the photos?”
“I thought one of the pictures looked like him.” Cora’s lower lip trembled. “It surprised me to see Richard. I felt overcome.” She rubbed at the corners of her eyes.
Brushing her hand over her face, Cora went on, her words rushing out in a torrent. “Everything just came to a head. All my questions seemed to be drowning me. If it is Richard, why doesn’t he just come home? What happened to him? Did someone kidnap him? Did he go off on his own? Did he plan this whole thing? Why would he do this? Is he mentally unstable? Does he need our help?” She looked like she was about to say something else, but changed her mind and turned her head to the windows, her shoulders slumped.
“Do you want him to come home?” Angie asked gently.
Cora’s head whipped around. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
Angie answered with a soft tone of voice. “There are lots of reasons. You might feel resentment towards Richard for putting the family through this. Or maybe you’re worried that he is suffering from mental illness and you’re afraid you won’t handle it well. Maybe you’re afraid he was kidnapped and won’t be the same person when he returns. It’s a terrible and complicated situation. There aren’t any roadmaps on how to handle something like this.” Angie paused for a moment. “Have you talked to someone who might help you sort through it all?”
“You mean a psychiatrist?” Cora snapped at Angie.
“I mean a counselor or a therapist. It might help.”
Cora shook her head. “You think I can’t handle this.”
Angie stifled a sigh. She wanted to help Cora, but was unsure how to go about it. What she’d just suggested certainly didn’t go over well. “That isn’t what I meant. It would be someone to talk to who isn’t personally involved.” Angie wanted to ask Cora about her visit to the Mill City attorney, but didn’t think that Cora would appreciate the inquiry at the moment. As she looked at the woman and wondered what to say next, a sudden wave of panic washed over Angie and made her want to rush from the room. Little zips of electricity seemed to flash in the tips of her fingers.
Euclid stood up and twitched his tail back and forth.
Angie swallowed. “How old is Richard?”
A flicker of surprise at the question showed on Cora’s face. “A year older than me.”
“That would make him … what?”
“Forty-five. Why do you ask?”
“You said that Richard went to high school in Mill City. Which one did you say he went to?”
Cora cocked her head to the side. “South High.”
Angie took in a slow breath. “We visited South High School this morning. They don’t have a record of Richard attending.”
Cora stared at Angie, her mouth hanging slightly open. After a few moments, she spoke. “They must be mistaken.”
“The secretaries got some yearbooks from the school library. Richard wasn’t in any of them.”
Color rose in Cora’s face. “So what are you implying? That Richard is a liar? That’s ridiculous. Maybe he didn’t submit a photo to the yearbook. Maybe they lost his records.”
“Do you think Richard planned his disappearance?”
Cora’s cheeks flushed bright red and she bit her lip. “Why would he do that? We had a nice life. We got along.”
Angie’s face was stern, her body felt flooded with unease. “If the photo from the motel is actually Richard, do you still think that he is sending you a message by using the credit card?”
“Yes. I do.”
“What is the message?”
“That he’s alive, of course.”
Angie was about to ask another question, when Mel Abel appeared in the doorway practically filling the space with his round body. “Ladies.” Mel nodded and looked at Angie. “Is your sister around? We were wondering if afternoon snacks would be out soon.”
Angie stood up. “I’ll go see about bringing them out.”
Mel stepped back to let Angie out of the room and turned his eyes to Cora. “Why don’t you join us in the dining room?”
Cora declined. “I have some reading I want to get done.”
“Suit yourself.” Mel followed Angie through the living room into the foyer. They heard Cora shut the glass doors leading to the sunroom. “You ladies having an argument?”
“No, it’s not that.” Angie rubbed at the tension in her neck. “We were discussing her missing husband. It’s a difficult topic.”
Mel spoke in an uncharacteristically soft voice. “It might not be so difficult if she was upfront about things.”
Angie narrowed her eyes and looked at the chubby-cheeked man walking beside her. “Why do you say that?”
Mel scrunched up his face. “It’s clear to anyone with sense that she’s holding back. She hides from everyone in the house, goes off reading by herself, doesn’t come down for breakfast until we’ve all cleared out. She only lives an hour away. Why is she holed up here?” Mel raised an eyebrow. “You and your sisters and old Finch are trying to help her, right?” The man leaned close to Angie. “Somebody might be playing a game of hide and seek, and if it was me, I’d be careful about believing what she says. I wouldn’t trust her.” He shrugged. “Just sayin’.” Mel went into the dining room and poured himself a cup of coffee.
Jolts of electricity jumped down Angie’s back. “I’ll see to the afternoon snacks.”
Angie tore into the kitchen to find Ellie preparing the beverage cart with chocolate pudding cake, a variety of cookies, and fruit. Mr. Finch and Courtney were sitting at the table writing down some new ideas for fudge flavors, and Jenna and Tom were perched on stools at the kitchen island going over color cards trying to decide on a paint shade for their bedroom. Everyone looked up when Angie entered the room.
“What’s wrong with you?” Jenna eyed her twin.
“I was talking to Cora.” Angie, pacing around the kitchen full of nervous energy, told them what was said. “She doesn’t believe that Richard ran off. She’s sure the Mill City high school just can’t find Richard’s records of attendance. When I was talking with her, I felt electricity in my fingertips. I think it has something to do with the papers I was holding when I was in Richard’s office. I think it has something to do with her visit to the Mill City attorney. I wish I could get back into that office. Maybe Cora would take us back to the house and give me access to the office.”
Ellie stood next to the snack cart listening to Angie. “Please don’t try to get back in there without Cora with you. Karl is full of anger. Who knows what he might do?”
Angie downed a glass of water. “And then,” she made eye contact with her family, “Mel Abel told me that he didn’t think Cora
was being honest with us.”
“Really?” Jenna frowned. “Why would he say that?”
“He said he wouldn’t trust her.” Angie sat down across from Mr. Finch and Courtney. “When Mel said those words, I felt electric jolts pulsing down my back. I think he’s right. I think we have to be careful about what Cora tells us.”
“How would Mel know anything?” Tom asked. “Is it just a feeling he gets from Cora?”
“I think it must be.” Angie rubbed the back of her neck.
“Mel sort of has a nerve saying that about Cora.” Courtney scowled. “Mel doesn’t know Cora. And why are these guests staying at the B and B for so long? It’s winter. People don’t stay here this long in the winter. These people won’t leave.”
The others stared at Courtney.
“Well, I’m glad they’re here. It’s boosting the bank account in a very slow time of year.” Ellie pushed the snack cart into the hall to head for the dining room.
“Those three guests have been here longer than most people stay.” Finch stroked his chin. “We suspect that Cora has reasons why she doesn’t want to go home. What those reasons are remain to be determined. But what about the other two guests? Why are Mr. Abel and Ms. Orla staying at the B and B for so long?”
Tom shrugged. “It’s winter. What else do they have to do? They’re having fun here. Why is everyone so suspicious?”
Jenna turned to Tom and her eyes narrowed. “Orla is always giving me the third degree. She asks me all kinds of questions. It makes me uncomfortable … and I find it odd.”
“Why odd?” Courtney looked at Jenna with concern.
Jenna fiddled with the end of a lock of her hair. “It’s like … I don’t know … it’s almost like she wants something from me.”
While the family exchanged looks with one another, Tom protectively reached over and took Jenna’s hand.
“What’s going on around here?” Angie muttered.
20
“Cora sure was annoyed with us when we wouldn’t let her come on this visit.” Jenna drove along the road that ran parallel to the ocean heading for the town of Gloucester.