Chapter 16

We all jumped at the sound of George’s voice. George and Bill had come in the front door while I clattered the dishes and we were talking in the kitchen.

“Pardon the intrusion. I assumed you’d want to know what we found,” George said. “Are we interrupting something?”

“Not at all.”

“The repairman reattached your cut wires. Yes, they were cut. The bulbs in your safety lights were shot out. While I’m pleased that you put up the caged ones, they’re no match for pellets.” He gripped my shoulder. “This was intentional. Is there something you want to tell me?”

“We didn’t hear anything,” I said, trying to shrug out of his grip. “I have no idea who’d want to do something like this.”

“It’s still close to Halloween. It could be teenagers, daring each other to pull a prank on the haunted house,” Jack said.

Bill said, “Your neighbors didn’t hear anything, either. You’re not alone here tonight, are you?”

“Jack and Gillian are staying until Sunday.” I was hoping George would volunteer, but Gillian spoke up.

“Jack and I have to leave on Sunday.”

He nodded. “Jobs.”

“Keep the doors and windows locked and call the station if you even think you hear something. There’s still a murderer out there,” George said. “You could go to a motel or a B&B.”

“We’ll keep the place locked up,” I said. “And I can’t afford a B&B. Maybe the police department needs a web site?”

Bill snorted with laughter and tried to cover with a cough.

“We’ll be going then.” George stopped as if he were going to say something else but thought better of it and headed for the door.

“Thanks.” I followed them to the door and locked it behind them as Doris reappeared.

“You knew they were coming in, didn’t you?”

She nodded. “I heard them, but I knew you weren’t ready for them to meet me.”

“You should have warned us.” I knew I was taking my anxiety out on her. Doris faded out, and I immediately regretted my tone. I turned to Ricardo and Mia. “It’s all right if you guys want to leave.” I was having a pity party, but I couldn’t stop.

They exchanged a look, but Mia said. “No way. We have a séance to plan.”

I was profoundly grateful for the additional company and hoped Doris would also forgive me. “Back to the table?”

Jack and Ricardo opened their laptops.

“Are you all right?” Mia asked.

“Not entirely.” I smiled. “I’m a bit spooked. Why would anyone shoot out my lights with a pellet gun? Or cut my wires? I really want this murder solved. But I’ll be fine. Thanks for asking.” I thought back to Dave’s proposed tour. Had he said something to someone who wanted to find that treasure? He said he needed money. Had Dave shot out my lights? Was he looking for the loot? He might want it, but despite his recent behavior, I couldn’t believe he’d do this to me.

She nodded. “I don’t know Mina, but she’s spent her whole life here. If any one of us has a connection to this place, it’s her. We don’t know how far down her roots go. Her parents may have lived here when Doris was killed on the beach.”

Doris eased back into our reality. “I’m going to go outside to see what I can see.”

“Doris, I’m sorry.”

She shook her head. “It’s not what you said. I have a creepy feeling.”

“Now I’m worried,” Jack said. “What does it take to give a ghost a creepy feeling?”

“Go ahead, Doris,” I said. “Let us know what you find. Mia, you’re the tech brains. Any chance we’re being spied on electronically?”

She shrugged. “There’s always a possibility. Devices are small.”

“Not on my computer,” Ricardo said, but he picked up his phone and appeared to be taking pictures around the room. He spent more time with his camera focused on the archway leading into the kitchen.

Mia and I stayed still and quiet while Ricardo got up and walked into the kitchen, saying in an overly loud voice. “I’m getting a beer. Want anything?”

“Nothing for me,” I said, watching him closely.

He opened the fridge door, grabbed a beer, and rejoined us. “I think we should have another look at your loft to see how much room we have available for the séance.” His words were stiff and careful.

I took the hint. “Sounds like a good idea. Let’s go.” Once all five of us had cleared the stairs, Ricardo held his finger up to his lips. “Do not yell. Keep your voices low and monotone. I don’t know how powerful the microphone is.”

“What microphone?” Jack asked.

I shushed him.

“I have an app on my phone that detects possible spy cameras. It can get false positives from reflections, but it kept reacting to a fountain pen in your kitchen.”

“I don’t own a fountain pen. They used to leak on my fingers.”

He grinned. “I didn’t think so. You doodle with a pencil. I’m guessing it’s a spy camera containing a microphone.”

“Are you serious?” Jack demanded.

Ricardo shrugged. “You can buy one online for twenty bucks.”

Mia nodded. “It could be sending a signal to someone or a receiver close by, but it’s more likely to be a USB device. So it would be recording and could be retrieved and plugged into a computer for download later.”

“I vote we dump it in a glass of water,” Gillian said.

“I’m curious to see what it picked up. I’m calling George.”

When he answered, I explained in a low monotone what was going on.

“Have you considered hiring a bodyguard?” He paused. “I’m joking, but you are really keeping us busy.”

I wanted to say that I hoped he’d move in to protect me, but I refrained. “I may have to if this keeps up or you guys will bill me for visits.”

“Be there soon. Don’t leave the house. Don’t answer the door. Don’t do anything.”

“Yes, sir.” I hung up.

“Let’s go make sure the pen is still there and the doors and windows are locked. We can make small talk about the séance until George arrives. We have to plan it anyway.”

I led the way back down, chattering about room size. Spy cameras! This situation—whatever it was—was getting pretty dicey. Someone she knew, someone who was still around, must have committed Amelia’s murder. She hadn’t been killed by a stranger or a transient.

And the murderer had access to my house.

George arrived quickly and didn’t beat around the bush. He went straight for the pen and bagged it first in plastic then in a reflective pouch. “Did any of you touch it?”

We all shook our heads.

“Good.” He sounded angry, but I was willing to bet he was worried about us. Then his face relaxed. “Look, I’m glad you called me. I don’t think this has anything to do with you personally, Cass. It’s more likely that someone, who’s been in your house, knows that you and I are acquainted and wants some insight into what the police are doing. Could also be a treasure hunter or even be a reporter. Don’t worry. The cut lines might have been a diversion to allow this to be planted. This is a lead that could prove useful.”

“I’ll bet Amelia knew her killer, and it’s one of our suspects.” I grimaced. “And I hope you’re right that I’m not being targeted. I’ve felt really safe and happy here.”

George raised an eyebrow. “Our suspects? Don’t worry. We’ll be keeping an eye on you.” He shot me a lopsided grin. “I’ll take this back to the lab. You all should try to relax. Lock the doors after me. Don’t go outside alone after dark. I don’t care what noises you hear. Do not answer your door unless you know for sure who’s on the other side.”

“Will do.” I showed him out and returned to Ricardo and Mia. “You two were pretty quiet.”

They exchanged a glance, and Mia said, “There wasn’t much to say. Thinking that this all would be easier if you were straight with George.”

“It’s not too late.” Gillian pursed her lips. “No? Okay then. Back to séance 101. What’ve we got?”

“Not much. Notes off the internet. My loft. And someone who wants answers.”

“We have two people who want answers: Samantha and Darius.” Ricardo opened his laptop. “Are we addressing both of their concerns? I think he should be included.”

I lifted a shoulder. “Yeah. He’s been miserable. We can at least try.”

Ricardo made a few notes. “I have access to a couple of resources.” He closed the laptop.

“Do I want to know?”

He laughed. “Probably not. We should go now. We’ll check in with you tomorrow. I’ll let you know what we find out.”

“Guess we’re really going to do this. Want your leftovers?”

“No, you keep them.” Ricardo slipped his laptop into his backpack, slung it over his shoulder, and they headed out.

I locked the front door behind him and kept watch out the window until they started their car and backed out of my driveway. Ricardo turned on his headlights, and I realized that with the days shortening, dusk had sneaked up on us. I returned to the living room.

Gillian said, “I’m sorry we have to go in a couple of days. I feel really bad about leaving you here alone.”

I shook my head. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine. Really.” I sounded more confident than I felt. “I have a couple of strapping neighbors to help.”

“Let me remind you they’re both suspects in a murder.”

“Yeah. That pen narrows things down. It had to have been placed by someone I know who was in my house.”

“It wasn’t necessarily the murderer. Dave might have done it to find out about the treasure and remember Mina’s offer of refuge.”

“Under her stairs.” I mock-shivered. “Spiders.” But I had no expectation of having to use her dusty cellar for shelter. Jack reset the modem after the electrical outage knocked it out.

“Speaking of the outage, do you remember who showed up?”

“Niles?” I answered. “I thought it was a bit odd at the time.”

“Could be a coincidence,” Gillian said.

Doris floated in as I settled myself onto the couch. She’d returned to civilian clothes and wore a blood red midi with cap sleeves and a flowing skirt. “What’s up?” She floated onto the armchair. “Nothing’s moving outside except all the lovely little creatures that let me inhabit them as they scurry around the neighborhood. It took a while to get a ride back here. Seagulls are almost too dimwitted to influence. Too focused on fish.” She made a face.

I imagined Doris trying to get a seagull to abandon fishing long enough to fly near my bungalow. “Do me a favor and keep an eye on anyone who comes into the house? Especially Niles. Someone will try to retrieve it, and I want to know who put that pen on my counter.”

My cell rang. “It’s George.” I walked back into the kitchen. “Hey, George. What’s up?”

“How’re you doing?”

“I’m a little shaken, but I’m good. You must be calling for a reason.”

“I had a question or two. We talked about possible treasure or loot from bygone eras at your cottage. Have you talked to anyone, aside from Dave, about a treasure or a cache of jewelry possibly located at your cottage? We know about him. But anyone else? It might be the motive for the person or persons harassing and spying on you.”

“I had the same thought. Mina’s books and local legends mean that quite a few people are aware of the rumors. To answer your question, no, it’s not something I promote.” I thought about Dave. “But Dave might have promoted the idea for a local legends tour. He wanted to bring people into my house and tell them about buried treasure. I said no. What brought this up?”

“Let’s just say that it’s a tangent we’re investigating. It may be completely unrelated to the murder. We have a tip line and have to follow up.”

I wondered what tip they’d received. “So someone said that the murders on the beach are related to a buried treasure at my house?”

“Something like that.”

“How like that?”

He sighed. “The tip was that two groups are fighting over the treasure hidden by the smuggler. Hence the bodies. Allusions to treasure somewhere in or around your house keep coming in. It’s probably that treasure rumors always capture the public imagination, but we have to follow up, so lock your doors.”

“Yes, Mom.” I hung up and returned to the living room.

Everyone stared at me, and I shook my head.

“I’ll have to work on his manners. He never says goodbye.”

“Mom?” Jack asked.

“Oh, he was fussing over locking the doors.”

“And what about treasure hunters and murder?” Gillian asked.

“They got a tip—maybe more than one—and I got the impression the cops think the attacks on me have to do with someone’s belief a treasure is hidden here. Doris, do you remember anything relevant either here,” I pointed downward, “Or in the area?” I circled my index finger in the air.

“There’ve always been rumrunner rumors around. Y’know, burying the loot,” Doris said. “And as you know, plenty of real rumrunners.”

“But nothing about a treasure that you remember?”

“I remember plenty of ‘get rich’ talk, but nothing about a specific treasure.”

“It bothers me that the rumors seem to be ramping up,” I said.

“I be interested in the treasure. Arrgh,” Jack joked in a piratey twang.

I ignored him. Baby brothers. “Gillian and I went through nearly everything in this place. We found hair jewelry, an engagement ring, and some amazing costume jewelry.”

Gillian nodded. “We found a few beautiful pieces that would have been considered costume jewelry in their day but were made with semi-precious gems. One necklace is cut amber and jet. But lovely as those pieces are, they don’t constitute a treasure trove. Nothing that would have meant a fortune to a rumrunner.”

“How does it tie into the murder?” Jack asked. “Unless… Do you think he heard something on the USB drive?”

I shrugged. “I doubt it. We didn’t talk about it.” Then a chill skittered down my spine. “But we did talk about Doris.”