A Haunted Disappearance, page 11
Chapter 20
The foursome sat around the table under the boat’s awning finishing their lunches of green salad, pasta salad, and grilled panini sandwiches. Viv had brought out sliced fresh fruit for dessert and iced tea with lemon. Conversation was light and easy and steered clear of the subject of missing persons. Queenie and Nicky were curled up on the deck in the sun, snoozing. Tourists strolling past on the docks glanced at the two young couples enjoying each other’s company and never guessed that the weight of two mysteries was pressing down on them.
Viv stood up. “We need to start walking around. I have to get back to the bookstore in a while.”
“Can’t you take the day off from investigating?” John asked.
Viv picked up some dirty plates from the table. “No.” She headed below to the galley.
John groaned and shuffled his feet to stand.
“Why don’t you two stay here and relax,” Lin suggested. “Viv and I will stroll around together for a little while.”
Jeff frowned. “We should go along with you.”
“There’s no need.” Lin smiled. “It’s broad daylight and there must be a million people at the festival. Nothing can happen to us.”
Viv came back up on deck. “Anyway, no one will ever talk to us if two good-looking guys are standing there with us.”
Nicky stretched and jumped down.
“I have my guard dog with me, too.” Lin bent and scratched the little creature’s ears.
“You have your phone?” Jeff asked.
Lin held it up. “Right here. We’ll be back before you know it.”
Nicky and the girls left the boat and headed down the docks to the food festival section. Viv whispered, “The guys clucking and fussing over us gets me all nervous and scared.”
“Really?” Lin elbowed her cousin playfully. “I thought you got that way all on your own.”
The girls spotted the booth for the Irish pub and saw Kathy Lowe setting out desserts on the counter. Kathy noticed Lin and Viv and scowled at them.
“Maybe we should avoid her for now.” Viv pushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes with shaky fingers. “She frightens me.”
“How will we find out anything if we avoid everyone who might be the killer?”
Someone called Lin’s name and the girls turned to see the Abbotts and their friends including the president of the Abbott Group, Ken Milliken, coming up behind them. “Miss Coffin,” Mrs. Abbott called out. “This is Ken Milliken, a friend and business associate of ours.”
Milliken was in his mid to late-forties and was trim and fit. “Your name came up at lunch. Several people praised your gardening and landscaping skills.”
The woman who earlier asked Lin to take her on as a client came up beside Mrs. Abbott and hooked her arm through hers. “Ken can’t be left out, you know,” she said to Lin. “He has to keep up with the Joneses.” The woman chuckled. “He wants nothing but the best.” The two older women strolled away. Mr. Abbott stood talking to some other men and shot the girls an unfriendly glance.
Milliken said with a broad smile, “I don’t see anything wrong with wanting the best.”
Lin waited to hear what he wanted from her.
“I have a large place on the ocean near Madaket. It desperately needs landscaping. I’d like to hire you for the job.”
“But you haven’t seen any of my work.”
“The comments people made at lunch are good enough for me. What do you say?”
Something about Milliken put Lin off. He was certainly friendly enough, but there was an edge to him that she didn’t care for. She wondered if maybe it came from him always getting his way. “I could come out and take a look. See what you have in mind.”
Milliken fished a business card out of his wallet and handed it to Lin. “I hear you’re asking around about Madeleine Abbott’s disappearance.”
Lin was surprised by the comment. “Well, it started with me asking around about Amanda Robinson’s disappearance.”
Milliken ignored Lin’s statement. “I knew Madeleine. We were close in age, hung around in the same group for a few summers.”
“Did you know Audrey Mullins?”
Milliken raised his eyebrows. “Sure. She was Madeleine’s best friend. You know Audrey? I haven’t seen her for probably twenty-five years.”
“I met Audrey’s daughter,” Lin said. “Amanda Robinson.”
Milliken’s face was blank and then his eyes widened. “The missing girl? She’s Audrey’s daughter?”
“What was your impression at the time?” Lin questioned. “Did the kids you hung out with have ideas about what happened to Madeleine?”
Just then Mr. Abbott called to Ken Milliken. “We’re heading back to the boat. You want to join us for a drink?”
Ken nodded and looked at Lin. “Give me a call about the landscaping.” He shook her hand and followed after Mr. Abbott and the other men.
Viv’s nose crinkled like she’d smelled something bad. “I don’t like him. Don’t go to his place alone.”
“I’ll have Leonard with me.” Lin watched the men walking down the dock. “Why don’t you like him?”
Viv frowned. “I don’t know. He acts entitled. And why did he bring up Madeleine out of the blue?”
A shiver rushed down Lin’s spine. “That’s a very good question.”
“You want to keep walking around?”
Lin nodded and the cousins headed along the walkway of restaurant booths. Lin wanted to talk to Kathy Lowe again, but for now they steered clear of her and the Irish pub booth. “It might be worth talking to that bartender who works at the pub again. He and Madeleine Abbott were about the same age. Maybe he hung around with the same group. He might have some insight.”
“I haven’t seen Amanda’s friend, Jessie, yet.” Viv scanned the crowd. “Maybe she isn’t working the event.”
Something caught Lin’s eye as they walked and she did a double-take at a figure sitting on a bench under a large tree next to the sidewalk. She touched Viv’s arm and nodded her head in the direction of the bench.
Viv followed her cousin’s gaze. “Leonard?”
The girls walked over to find the man slumped on the seat, clutching a bottle of whiskey in a paper bag, his eyes closed. Lin reached over and gently touched his shoulder. Her voice was soft. “Leonard.”
“Ruh?” Leonard grunted and opened his eyes into slits. He shifted on the bench, his movement loose and sloppy.
Lin removed the bottle from his hand and passed it to Viv who carried it to the trash receptacle. “You can’t drink in public,” Lin told him. “You’ll end up in jail overnight again.”
Leonard’s eyelids fluttered. He shaded them with his meaty hand. “Why you here, Coffin?” he slurred.
“The real question is … why are you here? Like this?”
Leonard’s chin fell onto his chest.
“What are we going to do with him?” Viv looked at the drunken man. “Should I go get John and Jeff?”
Nicky jumped up on the bench and slurped his tongue over Leonard’s cheek. Leonard roused. “You brought this cur with you again?” he mumbled.
Nicky lay across the man’s lap and Leonard stroked the dog’s fur.
Lin said, “I’ll sit here with him in case the police come by. Would you ask Jeff to go get my truck and come pick us up?” She handed Viv the keys to her truck.
“Sure thing.” Viv hurried away towards John’s boat.
Lin settled next to Leonard on the bench. The smell of alcohol was strong.
“Why do you do this? Get yourself into trouble?” Lin didn’t use an accusatory or berating tone. She just really wanted to know.
Leonard blinked and squinted. He kept stroking the fur on Nicky’s back. “I miss my wife.”
When Lin asked, she really didn’t expect an answer to her question and she sure didn’t expect to hear Leonard speak of his wife. The sadness in his voice tugged at her heart.
“She died this time of year. I always fall into a mess around this time. That’s why.”
Lin asked softly, “What happened to her?”
“Car accident … on the mainland.”
“I’m sorry.” A small sigh escaped her throat. “What was her name?”
“Marguerite.”
“What a lovely name.”
“She was a lovely person.” Leonard’s chin hit his chest again.
Lin looked at him. He had a scruffy shadow of facial hair showing and he smelled like he’d been sleeping in a pig-sty. “I don’t think she’d want you to be unhappy.”
“I know.” Leonard didn’t open his eyes.
“I’m going to take you back to your house. Jeff went to get the truck.”
“Okay.”
“I got us two new clients today. They’re rich.”
“You know how to pick ‘em, Coffin.”
Lin smiled just as Jeff pulled up to the curb in her beat-up, old junk of a truck. Jeff got out and walked to the bench where he gently slipped his hand under Leonard’s arm and lifted him up. He maneuvered him into the passenger seat. “I’ll take him home.”
Nicky jumped in and climbed on Leonard’s lap.
“I’ll come, too.” Lin squeezed Jeff’s hand.
“Viv ran into Libby and Anton. They’re sitting in front of the Whaling Museum. They want to talk to you.”
“Oh.” A cold bead of sweat rolled down Lin’s back.
Chapter 21
Lin hurried along the sidewalks to the Whaling Museum wondering what Libby and Anton wanted or what they’d found out. Coming around the corner and looking over the heads of people strolling along, Lin could see them sitting on the bench outside the museum. They looked up as she approached.
“Carolin.” Libby smiled. “Come sit with us.” She slid to her right to make a place for Lin to sit between her and Anton. Libby patted the space with her hand.
“Have you found out anything about Amanda Robinson’s murder?” Anton was wearing sunglasses and a golf shirt. Lin thought he looked surprisingly stylish and cool.
“I think her disappearance is linked to the missing person’s case from twenty-five years ago.” Lin realized she’d left her own sunglasses on John’s boat and she wished she had them as the sun was hitting her right in the eyes, causing her to squint.
“Madeleine Abbott.” Libby nodded. “We think so, too.”
Lin always felt a step or two behind Anton and Libby. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“We’ve just come to that conclusion.” Anton let out a sigh. “We wanted to know if you agreed.”
“What about suspects?” Libby kept her voice down.
“I wonder about Graham Abbott. He gives off something that makes me nervous. Viv and I also get weird vibes from the girl who works at the Irish pub, Kathy Lowe. She told me to be careful what I was stepping into. She makes me uncomfortable.”
Libby shifted slightly on the bench so that the sun wasn’t directly in her eyes. “Amanda must have discovered something that frightened the killer. She must have been close to figuring it out. She must have told her boyfriend her ideas or he found the clues after Amanda went missing. I wonder how the killer knew that the young people were getting close. Amanda must have been confiding in someone about her discoveries and either that person is the killer or that person revealed the information to the killer.”
Lin realized she hadn’t given that aspect of the case much attention and berated herself for not thinking it through as it could be very helpful in determining suspects.
“Have you seen the ghosts recently?” Libby questioned.
I haven’t seen Madeleine or Amanda, but I saw Sebastian right after I spoke with Amanda’s father at the inn down near the docks. He just looked at me for a minute and then he was gone.”
Anton stood up abruptly. “I need to make a call. I’ll be back.” He strode off down the side street.
“What’s wrong with him?” Lin turned to Libby.
“In your sleuthing you must have learned that Anton had employed Madeleine Abbott as a research assistant? They’d been working together for about a month that summer when Madeleine let Anton know that she had a crush on him.”
Lin’s eyes went wide. “Oh.”
“In fact, she made the revelation to Anton the very same day that she went missing. They were working in the historical museum together. Madeleine tried to take Anton’s hand. She said she’d fallen in love with him. As you can imagine, Anton was horrified. He couldn’t imagine what he’d done to encourage the girl’s feelings.” Libby watched the tourists for a few moments. “He became stern with Madeleine, told her it was completely inappropriate. He said he didn’t think they could work together any longer. Anton did not handle it well. Madeleine got teary-eyed and hurried away.” A sad frown formed over Libby’s face. “Anton feels responsible for what occurred. If the incident didn’t happen or he had handled it more delicately… those are his words … then Madeleine would have remained in the museum for a few more hours. Anton believes that she would have avoided the killer and would still be alive.”
“She might still have come in contact with the killer,” Lin said. “It isn’t Anton’s fault.”
“Tell that to Anton.” Libby gave a weak smile. “I have for twenty-five years.”
Lin sighed. “There’s a lot of guilt going around.”
“That is an emotion that is unhelpful and useless.”
“Tell that to those of us who feel guilty.” Lin held her hands in her lap.
They sat quietly until Libby broke the silence. “How’s Leonard?”
Lin was surprised. She told the older woman how she’d found him drunk on a bench and had arranged for Jeff to take him home.
“Thank you. Keep your eye on him when you can. This will pass and he’ll be fine again.”
“How’s Liliana?” Lin asked.
“She is slowly disappearing. It won’t be long before she crosses over.” Libby stood. “I’m going to find Anton. Let me know if you learn any more about the case.” As she walked away, she said, “Be careful who you trust, Carolin.”
Even as a shiver of anxiety tingled her skin, Lin rolled her eyes. She was really starting to dislike that phrase.
***
WALKING THROUGH town on her way home, Lin received a text from Jeff reporting that he and Nicky had safely delivered Leonard to his home. Jeff left her truck in her driveway and he’d fed the dog and locked him in the house.
Lin confirmed the bike-beach trip tomorrow that they’d planned with Jeff’s older sister and her husband. She was looking forward to spending the day with the three of them and having a break from the details of the case.
The sun was setting when Lin arrived home and when she opened the front door her little brown dog did a welcoming dance. Lin laughed and patted him. Her stomach was growling as she headed to the kitchen. Checking her fridge, she took out a frozen burger and thawed it in the microwave. She made a quick salad and warmed some leftover rice while the burger was broiling.
When everything was ready, she carried her meal outside to the table on her deck. It was a dark night with no moonlight. She lit the candle in the center of the wooden table and let out a contented sigh. She loved the house that her grandfather had left her and she counted her blessings as she sank into the cushions of the deck chair. The night air was warm and pleasant, she was enjoying a delicious meal, and she had her dog-buddy with her. She decided that the only thing that would make the evening even nicer was if Jeff was sitting next to her.
Her front doorbell rang just as she was lifting the burger to her lips for another bite. Her hands froze in place. Not understanding why, a sense of cold dread washed over her and she didn’t want to answer the door.
Nicky let out a nervous whine.
Lin looked at the dog sitting in the chair next to her and she placed her trembling index finger to her lips. “Shh. Don’t bark,” she whispered. “I don’t want anyone to know we’re here.” She waited and almost jumped from the chair when the bell rang a second time. Someone knocked hard against the front door. “Who can it be so late? If it was Viv or Jeff, they would have texted me before showing up.”
Nicky searched his owner’s face.
“Maybe whoever it is will go away,” Lin told him. She and the dog waited in their seats, listening.
Another hard knock sounded on the door. Lin stood. “I guess they aren’t going away.” She lifted the sharp knife from her dinner plate and slipped it into her back pocket. “Let’s go see.” She and the dog walked from the deck into the living room and quietly shuffled to the front door.
Lin sucked in a deep breath to try and steady her voice. “Who is it?”
“It’s Kathy Lowe,” the woman said from the other side of the door.
Lin’s heart started to hammer double-time. “What do you want? I got home late. I’m having dinner.”
“Open up, will you?” Kathy’s voice held a tone of urgency. “I need to talk to you.”
Lin hesitated then looked down at the dog. “Let’s keep on our toes. Don’t leave me alone with her.” She opened the door.
Kathy abruptly pushed past Lin and entered the small entryway. “It took you long enough to answer.” Worry pinched her face.
Lin took a quick look outside before she closed and locked the door. “What’s up? Why are you here? How’d you find me?”
“It wasn’t hard.” Kathy moved into the living room. “Can we talk in here? I don’t want to stay long.”
“Sure. Do you want something to drink?”
Kathy shook her head. “It’s not a social call.” She sat down, but perched on the edge of the chair as if she might have to rush away at a moment’s notice. “It’s about Amanda.”
Whatever Kathy was giving off made Lin flush with anxiety. “What about her?” Lin asked warily. She could feel the pressure of the knife in her back pocket.
“We used to talk at work. I can’t stand most of the people there, but Amanda was smart, we had good conversations.”
Lin waited.
“Amanda told me she was investigating an old case. She didn’t give me many details, but she did mention that she needed to solve it for her mother’s sake. One day, she came in and said things were starting to add up. She seemed nervous, worried. I told her if she’d found out something she should go to the police with it. She said she was going to take him down before he could stop her.” Kathy shivered. “It scared me. Then she went missing … and her boyfriend got killed. I was ready to leave the island. I was afraid that whoever hurt them would think that Amanda had confided in me. I’m still afraid. You need to figure it out.”
