Lin held the key suspended over the lock for a moment and then she inserted it and turned. It clicked and the lock loosened. Slowly she lifted the lid.
The first thing they saw was a gold chain and pendant resting on top of other items wrapped in linen. With shaking fingers, Lin touched the necklace and took it from the box. “Look.” She held it up for the others to see. “There’s a tilted horseshoe in the middle of the pendant. Like on Viv’s chimney.” A white gold upside-down horseshoe was centered on the gold circular pendant.
Libby and Anton leaned closer. Libby’s eyes widened and a smile spread over her face. “It was rumored that Emily Witchard Coffin wore such a necklace. This must be hers.” She ran her finger over the piece.
“What else is in the chest?” Anton peered inside.
Viv reached in and pushed some of the linen cloth to the side to reveal large leather pouches. She lifted one and handed it to Anton who opened it and tilted the contents into his hand. “Gold Guineas.”
The wood and metal chest held five leather folders each one with a piece of artwork inside. Viv inspected one of them. “This looks like a woodcut print.”
Anton noticed the monogram signature of the letters “AD” with one letter over the other. He gasped and leaned closer. “These look like the work of Albrecht Dürer.”
“Who?” Libby was not familiar with the artist’s name.
“He was a famous painter.” Viv stared at what the folder held. “He also did woodcut prints and engravings.”
“He was one of the most famous artists of the Northern Renaissance,” Anton said. Libby removed another pouch. Inside was a golden cross embedded with jewels. They continued to uncover more jewelry and gold coins. The final item was another leather folder containing several papers with hand-drawn maps and cryptograms.
“Are those treasure maps?” Viv’s jaw dropped.
Anton couldn’t believe his eyes. “You have quite the treasure trove here. You’ll need the assistance of an experienced appraiser and a historian familiar with such items.”
Viv’s face was pale and her hands were shaking.
“My cousin might become a very wealthy woman.” Lin grinned and hugged her.
“Oh, no.” Viv shook her head. “Sebastian Coffin put these here. He refused to profit from someone else’s misfortune and neither will I. If these are authentic pieces then I’ll donate everything to a museum or university.”
“But, the money.” Anton gave Viv a serious look. “It could provide you with things you need, make your life easier.”
“I like my life the way it is.” Viv smiled at her cousin. “We don’t need any more than what we already have.” Viv looked at the necklace Lin still held in her hands. “That belongs to you.”
Lin was about to protest, but Viv cut her off. “It belonged to a woman who was probably a lot like you.” She glanced at Libby for confirmation.
“Yes,” Libby nodded. “Information that has been passed down to us from our ancestors tells us that Emily Witchard could see spirits, too.”
“Then the necklace is right where it belongs.” Viv closed Lin’s hand over the pendant and she put her arm over Lin’s shoulders. “Just like my cousin is right where she belongs.”
Libby grinned. “I couldn’t agree more.”
Lin’s eyes filled with happy tears as the four people and two animals left the storage area. As Lin stepped into the sunshine, a sudden current of cold air engulfed her. She could sense Sebastian Coffin in the breeze.
Thank you for everything.
Lin had a feeling that the ghost wasn’t gone after all and that she might be seeing more of him. Very soon.
Thank you for reading!
BOOKS BY J.A. WHITING can be found here:
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BOOKS BY J. A. WHITING
LIN COFFIN COZY MYSTERIES:
A Haunted Murder (A Lin Coffin Cozy Mystery Book 1)
A Haunted Disappearance (A Lin Coffin Cozy Mystery Book 2) – Soon!
And more to come !
SWEET COVE COZY MYSTERIES:
The Sweet Dreams Bake Shop (Sweet Cove Cozy Mystery Book 1)
Murder So Sweet (Sweet Cove Cozy Mystery Book 2)
Sweet Secrets (Sweet Cove Cozy Mystery Book 3)
Sweet Deceit (Sweet Cove Cozy Mystery Book 4)
Sweetness and Light (Sweet Cove Cozy Mystery Book 5)
And more to come !
OLIVIA MILLER MYSTERIES:
The Killings (Olivia Miller Mystery – Book 1)
Red Julie (Olivia Miller Mystery - Book 2)
The Stone of Sadness (Olivia Miller Mystery – Book 3)
About the Author
J.A. Whiting lives with her family in New England. Whiting loves reading and writing mystery stories.
Visit me at:
http://www.jawhitingbooks.com/
http:// www.facebook.com/jawhitingauthor
http:// www.amazon.com/author/jawhiting
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 – Twenty Years Ago
Chapter 2 – Present Day
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
About the Author