Lin pulled on the hose and turned the handle on the water faucet.  “Don’t you get uncomfortably warm wearing that jacket and starched shirt?”  She pressed the handle on the hose sending a stream of water into the flower bed.  “It would be nice not to have to talk to myself when you’re around.”  She gave the ghost a quick look.  “It would also be helpful if you could tell me what’s on your mind.”

The ghost stood quietly watching Lin work.

She put the hose on the ground.  “My cousin Viv says I should ask you questions.”  She turned and faced the apparition.  “You’re Sebastian Coffin, aren’t you?”

The spirit held Lin’s eyes for a single second before becoming more and more transparent until he was gone.

Lin harrumphed and reached for the hose.  “I’ll be sure to tell Viv that her idea didn’t work.”

Chapter 16

After a long day of gardening, Lin went home and showered and then she and Nicky walked to Viv’s house for dinner.  Viv was bustling about in the kitchen when Lin walked in through the back door.  The little dog greeted Viv and then darted into the living room to find Queenie.

Viv poured seltzer into a glass, garnished it with a slice of lime, and set it in front of the worn out young woman.  “You look beat, but at least you’re clean.”

“I stopped home to shower and change first.”  Lin yawned.  “I thought I’d get used to the hard work by now.”  She tipped the cold beverage to her lips and swallowed.  “So did you talk to Libby this morning?  Did you ask her what she meant the other day when she said that we shouldn’t let things get into the wrong hands?  Did you ask what she was doing with Anton Wilson down on the docks the day of the murder?”

Viv looked sheepish.  “I couldn’t get the nerve to ask her.”

“Viv.”  Lin used a scolding tone.

“There were people all around this morning.  I just never got the opportunity to question her without lots of other ears listening in.”

Lin’s forehead creased.  “When she talked about the folder, do you think she was warning us not to interfere with something or was she trying to be helpful to us?”

“My first instinct was that she was being helpful.”

“But?”

“But maybe she wasn’t.”

Lin groaned.  “What’s Libby’s connection to Anton Wilson?”

“I have no idea.  He only rarely comes into the store.  I’ve never seen them together.”

“Well, they were together the morning that Hammond was murdered.”  Lin let out a long sigh.  “And Wilson didn’t seem to like me questioning him about it.”  She swirled the seltzer in her glass.  “We need to talk to Libby.  Do you know where she lives?”

“I know the neighborhood, but not the house.  She works part time at one of the specialty shops in town.  We could walk over there and see if she’s working.  Dinner won’t be ready for an hour.  Want to go now?”  Viv looked like she hoped Lin would say they should visit the shop another time.

“Okay.”  Lin drained her glass.  “We also need to check out the attic.  We can’t keep putting that off.  We need to find out what the key from the cupboard opens.”

Viv turned the oven temperature down in case she and Lin were out longer than an hour. “Whatever that key opened is probably long gone by now.”

The girls left the house and headed down the brick sidewalks into the center of town where they branched off to one of the side streets.  Passing a clothing shop and a bakery, they approached a specialty home décor store.

“I didn’t know this place was here.”  Lin looked in the display windows on the way to the front door.

“It’s just as well.  We can’t afford anything in here anyway.”  Viv stepped inside with Lin following and the two pretended to browse the aisles and shelves.

A voice spoke behind them.  “Hello, girls.  You found the store, I see.”  Libby folded some expensive linen pillow cases and placed them on a shelf.

Lin’s throat tightened.  Was Libby expecting us?

“We’re out walking around town until our dinner is ready.”  Viv smiled.  She waited for Lin to handle the questioning.

“Did you keep those papers safe?”  Libby made eye contact with Lin as she reached for another pillow case.

“I did.”  Lin nodded.  Her insides fluttered with unease.  “This is a lovely store.”  She tried to make small talk, but thought her voice sounded overly enthusiastic.

“Oh, yes.  They carry beautiful things here.  I think most people love to surround themselves with luxurious items and here it’s possible to pick up a few pretty things as a treat.”  Libby finished stocking the shelf.  “Is there something in particular you’re looking for?”

Lin wanted to say “Hammond’s killer,” but she just shook her head.  “We’re just looking around.”

The three chatted for several minutes, and then Lin asked as innocently as she could, “Have you heard any news about the murder at the docks?”

Libby frowned.  “There hasn’t been much in the news.”

“Are the townspeople talking about it?  Does anyone have a guess as to what might have happened?”  Lin was working up the courage to ask Libby why she was at the docks that morning.

“People are just making idle speculation, but no one knows anything.”  Libby moved to a wooden case that displayed blue and white pottery.

Lin followed the woman.  “Anton Wilson told me he was at the docks with you that morning.”

“Did he?  And what did he say we were doing?”  Libby arranged the display of pottery pieces that had been moved around by some of the customers.

“Visiting someone.”

The corners of Libby’s mouth turned up slightly.  “Who did he say we were visiting?”

“He didn’t mention a name.”  Lin thought that the older woman was toying with her.  “Did you happen to hear anything when you were near Hammond’s boat that morning?”

“Just the sound of the cool breeze rushing past.”  Libby smiled sweetly.

Those words are similar to how Anton Wilson answered that question.  Now Lin was sure that Libby was toying with her and her blood started to boil.  “I don’t think a murder is something to joke about.”

Viv’s eyebrows went up wondering why her cousin seemed so annoyed.

“Neither do I.”  Libby’s face was serious.  “I certainly wouldn’t joke about someone’s death.”  She stepped closer and lowered her voice.  “Things aren’t always as they seem, Carolin.”

Lin’s mind was racing.  Why did Wilson and Libby give the same answer when she asked them what they heard on the morning of the murder?  Did they plan their responses?  If they did, why did they?  Lin was so confused that she didn’t know what to ask.  “I need some air.”  She turned quickly and strode to the door.  Once outside, she sucked in a deep breath.

A man’s voice spoke behind her and Lin jumped.

“Hey there, Missy.”  Creepy Leonard from Hammond Landscaping stood a foot away from her.  An unpleasant odor like he hadn’t showered in days emanated from the man.  His greasy hair hung over his dark, beady eyes.  Lin’s breath caught in her throat and she had to steel herself to keep from recoiling.

Leonard took a step closer.  “I been lookin’….”

Just then, Viv stepped out from the store’s front door.  Leonard flicked his eyes to her, hesitated, and shuffled away without finishing his sentence.  “Have a nice night,” he mumbled.

Relief washed over Lin as she watched the man move away from them.

Viv frowned.  “Who was that?  What did he want?”

Lin told her where she’d met Leonard.  “He makes my skin crawl.”  She linked her arm through her cousin’s and they walked along the streets heading back to Viv’s house.  Forgetting about running into Leonard, Lin ranted about what was going on.  “Wilson and Libby both used the very same phrase when I asked them about that morning on the docks … ‘just the sound of the cool breeze.’  What does that even mean?  Did they conspire to use the same sentence?  If they did, why would they do that?  Did they have something to do with Hammond’s death?  They say things, but I feel like their words mean something else.”