Lin gaped at the woman.  She couldn’t believe her ears.  There were other people on the island with similar skills to her own?  Her heart nearly burst with joy.

“You can see things?”  Libby asked cautiously.

Lin swallowed hard.  She didn’t answer.

Libby phrased her previous question in a different way.  “You can see the spirits of those who have passed?”

Lin gave a slight nod.  She had never met anyone else who had special skills.  Her head was spinning, a million questions swirling in her brain.

“We suspected you could.  You feel a cool breeze when a spirit is near?”

“Yes.”

“Recently, Anton and I answered a question that you asked us in the same way,” Libby said.  “We wanted to see your reaction when we mentioned a cool breeze was what we heard at the docks.  We were trying to determine if you could see the ones who have passed.  I sensed that you could.”  Libby’s expression was serious.  “It’s very powerful to have both Coffins and Witchards in your blood.  And to be firstborn magnifies any skills that you have.”  Libby cocked her head.  “You’ve seen spirits recently?”

“Yes.”  Lin’s voice was soft.

Libby’s eyebrows went up, revealing her excitement.  “Have they spoken to you?”

“I see the ghost of Sebastian Coffin, when he decides he wants to be seen.”

Wilson let out a gasp.  His eyes were wide and a huge grin spread over his face.

“He never speaks.  He just looks at me.”  Lin’s forehead creased.  “Although, the last time, it seemed that he was trying to communicate something to me, but without using words.  It was all fuzzy and I couldn’t understand it.”

“If it happens again, just let it flow.  Don’t try too hard,” Libby said.  “Relax.  Just be open to the messages.”

“Why am I seeing things now?  When I was young, I could always stop it from happening.  Now, no matter what I think or try, I can’t stop ghosts from appearing.”

“I’m not sure I have an answer.”  Libby leaned slightly forward.  “Perhaps if a child says no, then the request is respected, but an adult, well, if a spirit has a message of importance….”

Lin thought about that.  It seemed to make sense.

“When I held your hand, could you make out any of the words spoken between the men in the vision?”

“No.  I could just hear the voices and the angry tone.”

“Did you get a look at the killer’s face?”

Lin cringed and shook her head.  She wished she could be of more help.  She glanced at Wilson and then back at Libby.  “Why were you at the docks that day?”

“Every morning, my friends and I meet at your cousin’s bookstore.  We heard your cousin and her employee discussing Greg Hammond’s harassment.  I had a premonition of trouble.  Anton and I worked to figure out why Hammond was after that particular house.”

“We make a good team.”  Anton smiled at Libby.  “With my historical knowledge and Libby’s skills, we’ve been able to figure some things out.”

“Despite Mr. Hammond’s desperate pursuit of your cousin’s house, I sensed that he was in danger,” Libby said.  “Anton and I visited the docks that morning.  We called on Mr. Hammond at his boat, but he wasn’t there.  We waited for a short time and then we decided to walk around in the hopes we would run into him.”  Libby sighed and looked down.

“We were a bit too early.”  Anton’s face was tense.  “Mr. Hammond returned to his boat after we had left.  Unfortunately, the killer had better timing than we did.”

Lin’s expression was serious.  “Do you know why Hammond wanted Viv’s house so badly?  Did he think there was something valuable hidden somewhere on the property, maybe money from the supposed involvement in the bank robbery?  I heard recently that there was a rumor that Sebastian had some pirate’s loot. ”

Wilson’s eyes widened.  “You know that rumor?”

Lin said, “I talked with the man at the historical society.”

“I don’t believe Sebastian was involved in the bank robbery,” Wilson said.  “Some people on the island believed that Sebastian and Emily took in people who had run away from the mainland because they were afraid of being accused of witchcraft.  Believe it or not, some of those people were very wealthy.  Speculation was that Sebastian may have received valuables for helping people escape from persecution.  My research indicates that Sebastian and Emily received gifts from the people they helped, some very valuable gifts.”  Wilson paused.  “Have you heard of the pirate, La Buse?”

Lin shook her head.

“La Buse was born in Calais in the late 1600s.  He was a naval officer who later became a pirate.  He’s known for hiding one of the biggest pirate treasures in history.  It’s never been found.  Today the treasure would be worth well over a billion dollars.”

Lin’s eyes bugged out.

“It is possible that Sebastian received some items thought to be from La Buse’s treasure as well as some documents with instructions indicating where the full loot is buried in the Seychelles.  Sebastian wrote to his brother about the gifts he’d received saying he felt obligated to accept them, but that he would never sell the items.  He did not want to benefit from someone else’s misfortune.  We assume that Greg Hammond was aware of that information.”

“How would Hammond know all of this?” Lin was puzzled.

“I wrote about it in one of my books.  A long time ago.”  Wilson folded his arms over his chest.  “If some items of value are hidden on your cousin’s property, it would add to the historical record of what we know of Sebastian and Emily Coffin.”

Lin was about to ask a question when Libby’s phone chimed and the woman stood to take the call.  After a few moments, she clicked off.  “Anton and I have an appointment we must get to.  Can you meet me at the bookstore in the morning so that we can continue our chat?”

Lin agreed and a time was set to gather at the bookstore early the next day.

“We need to figure out who killed Greg Hammond.”  Libby’s face clouded.  “There is a dangerous person lurking on our island.  He wants what isn’t his.  He has to be found.”  The woman put her hand softly on Lin’s arm.  “If you’re willing to help, we can talk tomorrow about how best to join forces.  We need you, Carolin.”  Libby studied Lin’s face and smiled.  “I can sense your grandfather’s love all around you.”

Lin’s heart swelled and she blinked back tears.  She’d finally found someone like her.  There was so much to know and discover and she couldn’t wait to fire questions at Libby.  She could barely squeak out the words from her emotion-filled throat.  “I want to help.”

Lin and the dog left Wilson’s house and headed up the street to her truck.  With misty eyes, she looked down at Nicky trotting along beside her.  “I’m not alone, Nick.  I’m not alone.”

Chapter 21

Lin stepped out of the front door of Viv’s house.  “You two behave,” Lin told Nicky and Queenie.  “And be sure to protect the house.”  She locked the door and pulled it closed.  Lin was heading into town to meet Jeff at a pub for dinner.

Viv and her band had a gig to play at a night-spot down by the docks.  Viv’s boyfriend was still in Boston so a friend of theirs was sitting in for him on the keyboards.  Viv was still uneasy about the evening intruder in her yard, so she asked Lin to stay overnight with her again.

Lin was so excited to see Jeff that she practically skipped down the street, her long brown hair swinging beneath her shoulders.  Lin chuckled when she realized this would be the first time he would see her when she wasn’t covered in sweat or garden grime so she chose her cutest summer dress to emphasize her nicer appearance.

Jeff was waiting at the pub entrance and when she turned the corner and he caught sight of her, he beamed and strode up the sidewalk to greet her.