A Haunted Theft (A Lin Coffin Mystery Book 4) (3 page)

“
A
nd she didn’t answer
my question.” Lin sat in a deck chair next to Viv at the back of John’s boat that was moored at its slip in the marina.

“What question?” John came up from below carrying a platter of appetizers with sliced grilled sausages, mini spinach quiches, and small squares of mushroom pizza. He set the plate on the table that stood in the middle of the chairs.

“Martha Hillman didn’t answer when I asked her if she actually saw the basket on the pedestal before the evening exhibition hours started or if someone claimed it was there.”

John picked up a quiche and popped it in his mouth. “Maybe she didn’t hear you ask her the question.”

“She heard me alright. She deliberately didn’t answer.” A slight breeze pushed a lock of Lin’s long brown hair into her eyes and she brushed it away. “Why wouldn’t she answer? I’m trying not to jump to conclusions about what happened. What are some reasons she wouldn’t want to answer me? Besides being guilty of the theft.”

Viv offered a guess. “Maybe Martha’s protecting someone.”

“If she knows who did it and doesn’t speak up, then she’s guilty as well.” Lin drained her drink.

“There could be another reason to protect someone other than because the person is guilty.” John offered the girls more iced tea and lemonade.

Lin’s boyfriend, Jeff, came aboard the boat from the docks. He carried a bag of tortilla chips and a bowl of homemade salsa. He greeted the others and gave Lin a kiss and a hug. “What’s being discussed?”

They filled Jeff in on Lin’s conversation with Martha Hillman.

“Well,” Jeff said, “another employee could have shirked their duties and left the basket alone for a while and that’s when it got stolen. Martha might be saying that the basket was on the pedestal to protect the employee from losing his job.”

“Huh.” Lin blinked. “That could be. The employees should be interviewed to try to figure out the relationships between them. Find out which employees are friends, that sort of thing.”

“It’s also important to find out who
doesn’t
get along with each other.” Viv reached for a mini pizza square. “Someone could have set up one of the employees to be blamed for the robbery.”

Lin groaned. “What a tangled web this could be.”

“I think the first thing that needs to be determined is, was the basket there before the exhibition opened or not.” Jeff removed the plastic wrap from the salsa bowl.

“But, how to know that for certain?” Viv put a handful of chips on her plate. “No security cameras.”

“Interviews with the employees, I guess.” Jeff passed the salsa and guacamole to Viv. “The police must be handling that.”

Lin kicked her shoes off and wiggled her toes on the sun-warmed wood of the boat deck. “I talked to Leonard about the robbery. I told him that Martha discovered the basket missing. You know what he said to me?” Lin paused for effect. “Leonard said that Martha Hillman is a liar.”

Everyone turned to her.

“A liar? Why did he say that?” Viv tilted her head to one side.

“He didn’t tell me. He had to get to an appointment. He’s going to tell me tomorrow.”

“That throws a curveball into the proceedings.” John brought some beer and wine up from below. “If you can’t trust what Ms. Hillman says, it will complicate the investigation.”

Lin thought back on the conversation with the woman. “Martha seemed like she was holding back when she talked to me. First, she asked me a million questions about myself. Then, when she paused for a moment, I jumped in with some questions of my own. She didn’t seem to appreciate that I was asking her things. It was subtle, but she gave off an annoyed vibe, like she thought I had a nerve to be questioning her.”

“She must have felt threatened?” Jeff asked.

“But I’m no one important,” Lin said. “I’m not a member of the police force, not a detective, not an insurance agent trying to find out what happened to the basket. I’m just some young woman showing interest in the theft like anyone in town would do. Why would Martha get persnickety with a regular person who just happened to be present when the basket went missing and who was intrigued by the news reports of the robbery?”

Viv nodded. “Lin’s right. It’s in the news. There’s talk about the missing basket all over town. It’s an unusual happening. People are interested and want to talk about it. So, why would Martha resent Lin bringing up the case and being asked some questions?”

“Unless she has something to hide?” John remarked with a raised eyebrow.

Jeff thought of another reason that Martha might be reluctant to talk about the theft. “She could be innocent, but might be afraid that people will suspect her and she wants to deflect attention by avoiding talking about the issue.”

“That’s a good point.” Lin gave a nod, but then doubt bubbled up making her less accepting of Jeff’s suggestion. “Something about the way Martha talked to me made me uncomfortable though.”

Viv licked a bit of salsa off her finger. “Your feeling of discomfort combined with what Leonard said about Martha being a liar makes me very suspicious of her.” Sharing a glance with Lin, she added, “The police better keep an eye on Martha Hillman.” What Viv really meant was that
Lin
needed to keep an eye on the woman, but she didn’t want to voice that aloud in front of the guys since neither one of them knew that Lin had a visit from the Wampanoag ghost and now felt a duty to investigate.

John drained the liquid from his glass and stood up reaching for the appetizer platter. “Let’s go take our walk around town.” The group had planned to have appetizers and drinks on the boat and then walk around town for a while before ending the evening by getting ice cream. They cleared the tables and put leftovers in John’s fridge, and then left the boat as the sun dropped down below the horizon.

The streetlamps flickered on and light poured through the windows of shops and restaurants and pooled in shimmering golden puddles on the brick sidewalks. The chatter of people’s conversations filled the air and an occasional burst of laughter punctuated the festive atmosphere as tourists and islanders strolled through town and around the docks.

Lin loved the feeling of warmth that ran through her body when Jeff held her hand as they wandered through the cozy streets with Viv and John. The four chatted about their jobs, the weather, sports, how busy the summer had been, and about a new restaurant that recently opened in town. Viv suggested that they try out the new eatery soon and proposed a much-needed day at the beach for the upcoming weekend. The others heartily agreed with both of Viv’s ideas.

John and Jeff went into the ice cream shop to get the treats while the girls sat down on a bench to wait for them.

“Have you seen the Wampanoag ghost again?” Viv kept her voice down.

“No.” Lin held the slight hope that she might not see him again. When the ghosts came to her for help, she felt the obligation to do what she could for them, but she always worried that she might fail at what was required to give them peace. “Maybe he won’t appear again.”

“Doubtful.” Viv rolled her eyes at her cousin. “That hasn’t happened before has it? The ghosts keep showing up until the issue or whatever is bothering them is resolved.”

Lin watched the exit of the ice cream shop to see if Jeff and John were emerging. “I’m not sure how to figure out who stole the basket. I guess I need to talk to the employees who worked at the exhibition. I’m not sure how to approach them in a way that will justify my questions.”

Viv perked up. “The exhibition is still going on. I’d love to see it.” A glint showed in her eyes. “We could chat up the employees while we take in the exhibit.”

A grin formed over Lin’s lips as she turned to Viv. “You’re a genius, you know.”

“Oh, I know,” Viv said seriously and then broke into a chuckle. “What would you do without me?”

Lin started to answer when someone who was walking down the street on the opposite sidewalk caught her eye. The man was tall and thin and had a full head of silver-white hair. “Isn’t that Nathan Long, the Nantucket basket god?”

Viv followed Lin’s gaze and she practically swooned as she stared at the man. “That’s him. Oh, how I would love to apprentice with that man. He has an amazing wealth of knowledge and his work is incredible.”

“Maybe you can take another class with him.”

“
If
he ever offers one again.” Viv frowned. “It won’t be any time soon.”

John and Jeff approached each carrying two ice cream cones. Ice cream drips rolled down the sides of the cones and, taking their treats, the girls licked up the little streams of cream before it could dribble onto their hands.

The four wandered through town enjoying the cool treats as they headed back in the direction of John’s boat. The guys walked side by side talking about island real estate and the girls followed a few steps behind.

“John’s doing well now.” Lin commented on how John was overcoming his anxiety about showing unoccupied homes to prospective clients.

“Yes, thank God.” Viv ran her tongue over her ice cream. “He’s doing great. I wasn’t sure how long it would take for him to handle it.” Six weeks ago, John, a successful island Realtor, had found a murdered young man in the bathroom of a house he was showing and since that day, he’d been having difficulty going into empty houses with clients.

When John and Jeff stopped at a small hardware shop to pick up a doorknob that Jeff needed the next day for a customer he was doing some home repairs for, the girls waited outside on the sidewalk. Lin and Viv were making plans about what to bring for lunch when they all went to the beach on Saturday afternoon. As Lin glanced around for a trash receptacle to throw out her ice cream smeared napkin, she stopped short staring down the lane that led to the docks.

Noticing Lin’s abrupt halt, Viv stepped over to her cousin. “What’s wrong?”

Lin gave a nod of her head in the direction of the cross street. “Look down there, by the first streetlamp.”

Viv looked, but couldn’t see what Lin was indicating because a small group of people had walked in front of the objects of interest. Viv was about to ask what Lin meant for her to see, when the group moved away revealing Nathan Long engaged in a serious conversation with someone. The tall man leaned forward almost in a menacing posture and his hand poked the air several times to emphasize whatever he was saying.

The girls squinted trying to make out who Long was speaking with. A wave of surprise washed over Lin when she realized who it was.

Lines of concern creased Viv’s forehead as Lin turned to her and spat out the words. “Martha Hillman.”

L
in and Viv
walked towards the cultural museum for the 10am opening of the exhibit. Viv asked a couple of her employees to stay a little longer at her bookstore-café to cover her absence while she went with her cousin to look at the baskets. Although Viv was eager to see the display, the real reason for the visit was to talk to some of the employees about the night of the theft.

“Hopefully, some of the employees who were here the other night are working this morning.” Lin climbed the steps with Viv at her side.

“I can’t wait to see the exhibition.” Viv had a huge smile on her face.

Lin gave Viv a poke with her elbow. “Remember, you’re really here to sleuth.”

“Don’t worry, I can do both.”

The girls stepped into the lobby and paid for their tickets, then entered the first room which held the historical information about the evolution of the baskets. Viv hurried to look at a large timeline hanging on the far wall while Lin moved slowly about the room pretending to view the items. Turning around to head to the next display, Lin bumped shoulders with someone and recognized the young woman as someone who was in the first room the night of the robbery. “Sorry.” Lin apologized for knocking into the girl.

The short, slim young woman looked to be in her early twenties. She had long, straight black hair, high cheek bones, and dark eyes. She smiled at Lin and stepped to the corner of the room where she stood watching the visitors. The girl had a name tag that said “Mary Frye” on it and Lin thought she must be working as a guide or exhibit educator. She decided to ask a few questions to get the young woman talking with her. The girl politely walked Lin over to the timeline to answer her question about the Lightship baskets. She explained how the crewman on the lightships took the basics of basket weaving that had been learned from the Wampanoags and then made some changes to the design and construction to suit their own needs. Mary Frye was well-spoken and easy to talk to and Lin was impressed with the girl’s extensive historical knowledge of Nantucket and the baskets.

“Do you weave?” Lin asked.

The girl nodded her head and her glossy black hair gleamed under the bright overhead lights. “I learned from my mother. We have some Wampanoag blood in our family. Very distant, but we’ve learned a good deal about our Native American heritage. My mother and I share an interest in it.”

“You were here the night of the robbery?” Lin questioned. She was sure that she’d seen the girl the night the basket went missing, but wanted to know if the young woman worked in the other exhibition rooms and might have seen something.

A cloud passed over Mary’s face as she gave a nod. “I was working that night.”

“I was here as well,” Lin explained. “It was very upsetting. Did you talk with the police?”

“Yes. They questioned everyone.”

“Has any progress been made on finding out what happened to the basket?”

Mary gave a little shrug of her shoulder. “I haven’t heard anything.”

“What room were you working in that night?”

A flutter of surprise at Lin’s question showed in Mary’s eyes. “I was here.” She hurriedly added, “I didn’t see anything. The basket was in the next room.” Mary raised her hand and pointed to the doorway leading into the second exhibition space.

“Did any of the other workers see anything?”

“I don’t think so.” Mary flicked her eyes towards the lobby.

“Who was working in the second room that night?”

“Um. I’m not sure. I work in here because I know a lot of the history.” Mary’s demeanor changed as she spoke. Her straight posture seemed to sag a little and her gaze shifted down towards the floor and then around the room not making eye contact with Lin as she had before the topic of the theft came up. “The people in the second and third rooms change around. I don’t know who was in there the night of the robbery.”

Viv came up beside her cousin and spotted Mary’s name tag. “Oh, Mary Frye? You’re Mary Frye? I’ve seen some of your baskets for sale in the Grey Lady Shop. Beautiful.”

Mary looked relieved and smiled at Viv’s compliment. She thanked her for the kind words.

“I can’t believe you’re so young.” Viv shook her head. “I thought you must be older. The quality of your work is special. You have a gift.”

Mary’s cheeks flushed pink.

“It will take me the rest of my life to reach your skill level.” Viv moaned. “And even then, I’ll probably never be as good.”

“It just takes practice.” Mary encouraged Viv.

“You don’t give classes by any chance, do you?” Viv stepped closer.

“Well, yes, I do.” Mary chuckled. Her cheeks still retained the blush from Viv’s praise.

Viv clasped her hands together. “Do you have a website? How can I sign up?”

Mary gave Viv the information and told her when the next class would begin.

“I’m so glad to have run into you.” Viv beamed. She glanced over at her cousin and saw the slight scowl that Lin was directing at her. Viv swallowed hard realizing she had shirked her detective work. She collected herself and turned her eyes to Mary. “It was really terrible about the stolen basket. It made me sick when I heard about it.” She lowered her voice. “What on earth happened? How could someone steal the basket right out from under everyone’s noses?”

Lin moved away quietly hoping that Viv’s personality and interest in weaving might cause Mary to be more forthcoming than she’d been when Lin asked about the robbery. Lin edged around the corner and into the next room where she lurked near the first basket on display trying to hear what Mary was saying.

Just as Mary started to speak, a visitor came up to her with a question and Mary excused herself and led the person over to the timeline on the wall.

Viv entered the second room to find Lin.

“I heard.” Lin frowned.

“I think she was going to say something about the robbery.” Viv looked back over her shoulder. “I don’t know. I felt like she was going to tell me something.”

“Maybe if you take her class, you’ll be able to bring the theft up again.” Lin hoped that Mary might open up to Viv since they both shared a love of crafting the baskets.

“The pedestal that held the Wampanoag basket is gone.” Lin gestured to where she and Anton had seen the display pedestal. “It was there in the middle of the room.”

“No wonder they removed it.” Viv led Lin around the space to check out the exhibit. “They don’t need to remind the public that a robbery took place here.”

Although the girls enjoyed the creations on display, they were intently focused on checking out the spaces trying to get a sense of how someone might have hidden the basket before taking it out or managed to remove it from the room without being noticed. They individually asked the workers questions about the exhibit and then brought up the night of the robbery.

Viv entered the last room and strode up to her cousin. “I have officially struck out.”

“Same here.” The corners of Lin’s mouth turned down. “None of these workers were here the night the basket was removed.”

“Time to go?” Viv tilted her head in question.

Lin gave a reluctant shrug and the two headed for the lobby.

“I need the restroom.” Viv noticed the sign pointing to the hallway off the entrance area and she and Lin walked in that direction.

They followed the corridor past a few office doors and were almost to the restroom when Lin grabbed Viv’s arm and pulled her to a stop. With her thumb, she pointed to one of the office doors. A woman’s angry voice could be heard.

“No, I told you already,” the voice said. “That’s why I fired her. It was better than just threatening her.”

Viv’s eyes went wide and her mouth opened. Lin shook her head and put her index finger to her lips gesturing the need for quiet. She strained to hear more of the conversation.

“And why are you calling me on this phone? I told you not to use this number.”

It was quiet for a few moments and Lin assumed the woman was listening to the person on the other end of the call. When the woman spoke again, her tone was more hushed, but dripped with anger and disgust. “Do something. Just get it off the island before someone finds out.” A drawer slammed and footsteps could be heard behind the door.

Lin and Viv scurried down the hallway back to the lobby, rushed out the front door and down the steps to the sidewalk.

“What on earth was that all about?” Viv panted as the two walked briskly away.

Lin linked arms with Viv. “The woman on the phone. You know who it was?”

Viv glanced at Lin with worried eyes. “What? It was? No way.”

Lin gave a nod. “It was Martha Hillman.”

“Oh.” Viv sucked in a breath. “What was she talking about? Was she talking about the stolen basket?”

“It sure seems like it. And,” Lin said. “
Who
was she talking to?”