“It was hard to get out of bed,” Lin agreed, and then she lowered her voice. “I want to tell you about something strange that happened to me at the house yesterday.” She needed to tell her cousin about the episode with the photograph.
Viv gave her cousin a quizzical look. “Okay, grab something to drink. An employee called in sick and now I’m really running behind. Let me get some things done and in a few minutes I’ll come and sit with you.”
Lin carried her tea and muffin to a vacated table and sat down. Viv bustled about behind the counter pouring teas and brewing coffees for her customers. A minute after Lin took her seat, an older woman spoke to her from one of the sofas.
“Aren’t you Merry Witchard Coffin’s daughter?”
Lin, surprised, shifted her blue eyes towards the voice. A slender older woman with short white hair feathered around her face sat with three friends in one of the clusters of comfortable furniture. The group had quieted and they were staring at Lin making her feel uncomfortably on display.
“Yes.” Lin gave a slight nod. “I’m Merry’s daughter.”
“I knew your grandfather.” The white-haired woman had piercing blue eyes and beautiful skin. “He was a member of our early-morning chat sessions.” She gestured towards the people sitting with her. “We miss him.”
Lin’s eyes grew moist and she swallowed hard. “Me, too.”
The four people gave their names, but Lin was so surprised to be noticed that she immediately forgot what they said. Later she would have to question Viv about who they were.
“Your name is Carolin?” One of the older men asked.
Lin nodded again.
“Your grandfather was mighty proud of you,” the man said.
Lin blushed and smiled.
“Welcome, my dear.” A second woman with pale blonde hair smiled. “You need anything? You just yell.”
Lin’s heart swelled and her throat felt tight. She managed a squeaky, “Thank you.” She knew her grandfather had met most mornings with a group of friends for coffee, but she’d never met any of them. She was warmed by their heartfelt welcome.
“You’re moving into your grandfather’s place?” The second man questioned.
“I am. I just arrived yesterday afternoon and got a few things settled.”
The blonde woman gave her a friendly smile. “You’re planning on staying then?”
“I hope so. If everything works out.”
The first man took a sip from his mug. “Will you be working here with Viv?”
Lin shook her head and told them about her part-time job as a software architect and about buying the small gardening business. “I like to be outside and can use the extra money, so I hope the two jobs will be enough.”
The blonde said, “How wonderful to have another Coffin on the island.” The comment sounded strange. Lin got plenty of teasing about her last name when she was growing up. People off-island had no idea about the long history of the Coffin family and their importance to Nantucket.
The white-haired woman smiled at Lin and held her eyes. “And it’s wonderful to have another Witchard with us, as well.”
Lin took a sip of her tea and glanced over at Nicky and Queenie to be sure they were behaving. Queenie bolted up. She turned her amber-colored eyes to the front of the store and let out a low growl. Nicky sat up, sniffing the air.
A middle-aged man burst into the bookstore and hurried to the café section. His cheeks were flushed and he was out of breath. His entrance into the store was so sudden that the customers stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him.
Viv looked up from behind the counter and was about to greet the man, but hesitated when she noticed the look on his face. “Are you okay, Rob?”
The man’s voice was breathless. “Someone’s been killed. Down at the docks. There’s been a murder.”
Viv’s eyes widened into saucers and she clutched the counter. Lin nearly toppled her chair as she ran to her cousin. Viv’s boyfriend lived on his boat down in the harbor.
“I saw John this morning. It’s not him.” Viv reassured Lin, but she worried it might be one of her customers.
Several patrons rose from their seats to gather around the man who had brought the news. People fired questions at him.
“Who was it?”
“What happened?”
“Someone was murdered?”
“Is anyone in custody?”
Some people rushed out the front door of the bookstore to head down to the docks to get the information first-hand.
The white-haired woman who had first spoken to Lin stood up. “Who was killed?” Her voice held a tone of authority.
The bearer of the news wiped sweat from his brow. “It was that landscaper who had a boat down there. Greg Hammond.”
Viv gasped. Mr. Crazy House. The room started to spin in her vision. Lin grabbed her arm just in time to ease her fall to the floor.
When her bottom hit hard against the wood, the jostling brought her out of her near-faint. “Oh, gosh.” Viv put a hand to her forehead. “I got dizzy.”
Lin knelt beside her. “Just breathe normally. The news surprised you. Sit for a minute. You’ll feel better soon.”
Some customers leaned over the serving counter to get a look at Viv to see if she was okay. One asked, “Should I call an ambulance?”
Viv flapped her hand in the air. “No, no. I’m okay.”
Mallory brought a cool glass of water. “Can I get you anything else?”
Viv brought the glass to her lips and sipped. She held the side of the glass next to her temple. “I feel like a fool.”
Nicky darted to Viv’s side and gave her a lick on the face. Queenie watched the proceedings and when she was satisfied that her owner was unhurt, she sauntered back to her chair.
Viv looked at her cousin. “Would you go down to the docks and see what happened? Ask around? Find out what’s being said.” She leaned closer. “Does Hammond’s murder have anything to do with my house?”
Lin’s blue eyes went wide. She hadn’t considered that possibility. Was Greg Hammond onto something about Viv’s house? Was it something so important that a person would kill over it? Was her cousin in danger?
Viv pushed herself up off the floor with Mallory gripping an arm on one side and Lin on the other.
“You should sit for a while. Get your equilibrium back.” Lin held Viv’s arm and steered her to one of the café chairs.
“Will you go see what’s going on at the docks?” Viv sat. “Come back and tell me?”
Lin glanced at Mallory who nodded. “I’ll be here. I’ll keep an eye on her. Go see what’s happening down there.”
Viv said, “And leave Nicky here. There will be too many people around. He’ll get lost in the crowd.”
Lin reluctantly left the bookstore. She would have preferred to stay to be sure Viv was okay, but she couldn’t say no to Viv’s request. She hurried down the streets for several blocks. A large crowd was gathered behind a police barrier. Access to the dock area was blocked. Lin moved close to the people who were standing and watching.
“What’s happened? Someone was killed?” She pretended not to know much which wasn’t hard since she really didn’t know any details. She hoped that the man who’d brought the news was mistaken and that Greg Hammond had only suffered a cut or some other wound and was still alive.
A man turned to answer Lin’s question. “Guy’s name was Hammond. He’s dead.”
“Was it an accident?” Lin’s blue eyes took in the scene of commotion. Blue lights flashed on the tops of police cars, official looking people hurried back and forth, and an ambulance was parked near the docks with its rear doors wide open.
“It was a murder,” someone else from the crowd offered.
“Shot?” Although Lin felt ghoulish asking for specifics, she wanted to gather as much information as possible.
“Stabbed to death.”