“I think I could do without finding anything that moves.” Sara shuddered and climbed the steps behind her.
They emerged into a third-floor attic space. The rafters obstructed the headroom in a few places. Light streamed through the windows and illuminated dust motes thrown into the air by their movement across the wide plank boards. Boxes and crates crammed the space as well as old furniture, some of it shrouded by sheets and some if it gathering dust.
“Look at all this stuff.” Sara set Josie down and lifted a corner of the closest sheet to reveal an old desk.
Josie giggled and crawled under it.
“Come back here, you little scamp.” Sara pulled her out. “There might be spiders under there.” She shivered and brushed a cobweb from Josie’s curls.
Elin’s adrenaline surged at all the great stuff to explore. The people who had put these things here were dead and buried, but what a wealth of stories she might find in all their belongings. “Construction started in 1905 by Captain Joshua Hurley for his new bride, Georgina. He didn’t live here long because he never came back from a sea voyage in 1907. The house stayed in his family until the owner put it up for sale, and I bought it. She was the last of the Hurleys and had no children. She was born here in 1930. Laura took care of her until she went into an assisted living place.”
Sara hadn’t moved from the center of the room. “So Joshua had a child?”
Elin nodded. “Twins, from what I’ve heard. A boy and a girl. At least that’s what the previous owner told me. She said the family has always looked for Georgina’s diary collection, but it’s never been found. There are all kinds of secret rooms in the place, I guess. I’d love to find her diaries. I’d give them to the family, of course. But I’d love to read them first.”
“Did she remarry?”
“I don’t know.” She couldn’t put her finger on why the history intrigued her so much. Maybe it was because Georgina had been a widow too. Elin still found the mantle of widow hard to wear. Every time she laughed or let herself forget about Tim for a few minutes, the guilt surged back as soon as she realized she was letting go of him.
“If generations of Hurleys haven’t found it, then I doubt we will.” Sara moved toward the biggest window and peered out. “Hey, what a great view! I wonder how we get to the widow’s walk?”
Elin glanced around. There were probably some stairs up into the ceiling. She flipped on her flashlight and shone it around the space. A small closed-in area in the north corner caught her eye, and she walked over to check it out. A doorway opened on one side.
“Found it!” She put down her light and swept out the stairs with her broom. “There’s a door at the top. I’m going up.”
“Wait, Elin, it may not be safe!”
“The owner had a contractor fix everything on this place before she listed it. It’s fine according to the home inspection.” Elin mounted the stairs and struggled with the door of the cupola for several minutes until she found the right key to unlock it. It opened easily, and she peered into the sky. Over the wrought-iron railing, she saw the whitecaps rolling into the sand and smelled the fresh scent of the sea. Bird droppings marred the walk around the top of the roofline, and two gulls squawked when she put her right foot onto the balcony. She tested it before resting her full weight on it. It seemed solid, and she saw several areas of new wood the contractor had probably installed.
Sara was still muttering dire warnings below her, but Elin ignored her and put her other foot outside. The sea breeze lifted her hair, and she moved to the railing and looked out at the whitecaps. She could stay up here for hours. She shook the railing, and it didn’t wobble. “The home inspector said it was sturdy. I could even put some deck chairs up here and come up to enjoy the view.”
“Or just go down to the water, you silly girl,” Sara called up.
Elin sighed and took one last look at the incredible panorama of sea, sand, and sky. A figure on the beach caught her eye. Who could be out here? No one walked this area. It was too far from the inhabited part of the island. She shaded her eyes but could only make out a general sense of size. Probably a man. He seemed to be walking slowly and looking for something. She watched him until he disappeared over a sand dune.
She retraced her footsteps and left the balcony to the gulls. “I love it up there. Go check it out.” She scooped up her daughter. “Here, lock it when you’re done.” She handed Sara the ring of skeleton keys.
Muttering about the insanity, Sara went up the stairs. “Wow, you’re right. It’s pretty amazing. Almost like being in my helicopter.”
“You see anyone? I saw some guy walking along the water.”
Sara’s footsteps came back to the door, and she stepped back onto the stairs. “I didn’t see anyone. Maybe it was a fisherman.”
“Maybe.” But a sense of unease nagged Elin as they went back downstairs.
A bit of smoke still hung in the air in spite of all the open windows as Elin put away the last of the dinner dishes. Her mother sat on the back deck and pointed out birds to Josie. The clouds in Mom’s eyes had rolled out and left her chattering like her usual self.
The doorbell rang, and Elin wiped her hands on a dish towel and went to open the door. Her brother-in-law stood smiling at her from the other side of the door, and she tensed. “Ben, what on earth are you doing here?”
His blond hair had been moussed and styled to stand up in a surfer style, and he wore khaki shorts and a blue shirt that intensified the color of his eyes. “I got stationed here a month ago and heard you had just come to the island. I thought I’d stop by and welcome you.” He lifted a basket of fruit. “Josie loves pears.”
“She does indeed.” She took the basket from him. “Thanks so much. She’ll be glad to see you. She and Mom are on the back deck.”
He’d been married to her friend Kerri for a while, but they’d divorced about four years ago. He was Tim’s half brother and had been to the house on occasion when Tim was in town. She could overcome her dislike for Josie’s sake. The man had an ego the size of a whale.
She took him through the house and out the back door. “Look who’s here.”
“Uncle Ben!” Josie squealed and ran to him.
He swung her up into his arms. “You can’t possibly be Josie. You’re much too tall.”
She giggled. “I am Josie. I’m going to go to school next year. Did you bring me a present?”
“Would I come to see you empty-handed?” He put her down and reached into his pocket. “What do you think it is?”
“A puppy?”
“In my pocket?” He rolled his eyes. “I don’t hear any barking.”
“It’s candy!”
“Your mother would throw me off the pier.” He slowly withdrew his hand, then handed her a small box.
She squealed and opened it. “It’s a necklace! Look, Mommy, a dolphin necklace.”
The blue and silver necklace sparkled in the sunlight. Elin smiled and fastened it around her daughter’s small neck. “Very nice. Ben, you’re spoiling her.”
“I like to. I don’t want her to forget Tim.”
“Me neither.” Not that Ben looked much like Tim, but it was still nice of him to think of Josie. Her frosty feelings began to thaw a little.
This move might be a good thing in more ways than one. Family was here. Sara was like her sister, and now Ben would be able to stop by on occasion.
FOUR
It was utterly ridiculous to live this far from civilization. Kalianne Adanete knocked at the front door of the only house on this point looking out on the Atlantic. The old house had good bones, but if she owned it, she’d tear this place down and build a fancy new house with an entire wall of windows that would take advantage of the spectacular view.
She smiled at the woman who answered the door. “Good morning. I’m here about the job helping the dementia patient.”
She gave her name and looked her prospective employer over. Gorgeous skin that made her aqua eyes stand out ev
en more. In her late twenties with legs that probably got her a lot of attention from men. And that hair. Most men could only dream of having a woman with hair like that. That red wasn’t from a bottle. And Kalianne knew fake color better than most since her first career had been as a hairdresser.
The woman smiled back. “Come in. I’m Elin Summerall. I appreciate you coming all this way. I know it’s not an easy spot to get to. Did you drive or bring a boat?”
“I drove. Took me an hour though, so I think I’ll bring a boat next time.”
Kalianne followed her inside to a pleasant room. Painted pale blue, the gleaming wood floors and comfortable furnishings of overstuffed blue and white furniture made the large room feel cozier. Nautical touches adorned the lamps, tables, and walls. It was a room meant for relaxing with a glass of wine and an adoring lover. Not that she’d ever have that opportunity since this would never be her place. And the owner looked more like the kind of person into green smoothies and vegetable plates instead of parties.
Kalianne glanced around at the windows. They would be easy enough to leave unlocked. But she might not need to get back in when Elin was gone. There might be an opportunity to look around when she was watching the old lady.
“Nice room,” she said.
“Thanks, I thought so too the first time I saw it. I can’t claim to have done anything with it myself.” Elin gestured to the sofa. “Have a seat. My mother and my daughter are having tea and cookies on the back deck. Let me go get them. I don’t like leaving them alone.”
Kalianne glanced around. The woman had spent a tidy sum on decoration. This sofa wasn’t cheap. She dropped onto the sofa, then cleared her throat. This job would be hers, or she’d know the reason why. “About the job. How old is your mother?”
Elin stopped on her way to the door. “Fifty-five.”
“Young for dementia.” How awful to be senile so young. She pushed away the unwanted stab of sentiment.
Sorrow shadowed Elin’s eyes and flattened her lips. “She started having ministrokes two years ago. We had her stable, then the strokes started up again a couple of months ago. She’d been insisting on living alone, but I made her move in with me just before we came here. She’s starting to do dangerous things like leaving the stove on.”
Kalianne noticed the dark circles under Elin’s eyes. “And you need some respite care?”
Elin glanced toward the door. “I–I have some business I need to attend to, and I can’t be here all the time. I’d like for you to come every day from nine to three. There might be times I need you to stay longer.” She named a generous salary. “You brought references?”
Hiding her elation, Kalianne nodded. “Of course. Feel free to call them.”
“I’ll do that, and you’ll hear from me in the next couple of days. But let me go check on Mom and Josie.” She started toward the door.
An older woman, her hair awry, came through the door. She wore mismatched clothing and two different shoes. Her blue eyes seemed fixed on something only she could see. She looked younger than fifty-five with that fragility blondes could have. Kalianne suspected she might be a handful though.
“Where’s Josie?” Elin’s voice held more alarm than Kalianne would have thought. She started past her mother, but a little girl holding a cookie trailed after her grandmother into the living room. “There you are, Josie.” The relief in her voice was palpable. “Mom, I’d like to introduce you to a–a new friend.” She touched her mother’s arm. “This is Kalianne. Kalianne, this is my mother, Ruby Whiteford.”
Ruby held out her hand. “Hello.”
Kalianne rose and took the older woman’s limp hand. “Glad to meet you, Ruby. I hope to see you more often. We can do some interesting things. Do you like to garden?”
Ruby looked at Elin. “I–I think so.”
Elin picked up her daughter. “She loves gardening. She’d like nothing better than to have a small plot out back with tomatoes.”
“I love gardening too. And walks along the beach. Knitting too.” As the woman brightened, Kalianne knew she’d hit the right notes with both mother and daughter. She’d get the job.
They chatted a few more minutes before she shook hands with Elin and headed back to the car she’d brought out from Kill Devil Hills. There was no cell service out here, so she’d have to wait until she got back to civilization before she called her brother to report on a successful day.
Marc drove his SUV off the ferry at the Hope Beach dock and headed down the narrow two-lane road to town. There was a good team assembled here, and he’d need their help if he was going to get to the bottom of what was happening to Elin. If it was even real. He still wasn’t convinced her so-called visions weren’t the by-product of the antirejection drugs she was on or the trauma of her surgery.
And she could have told him she was moving out here. Had she deliberately kept him in the dark to keep him away from Josie? He wouldn’t put it past her.
A daughter. I have a daughter. The news kept surprising him. The anger at Elin had only intensified since he heard the news a week ago. How did he assimilate this into his life? Josie deserved a father, a real father. Not someone on the sidelines, but someone who cheered on every accomplishment and celebrated every lost tooth. Elin had to agree to let him be part of his daughter’s life. They could do that and be civil, couldn’t they? If she didn’t agree to his demands, he’d take matters into his own hands.
He parked in front of the Coast Guard station and walked in to ask for the team who had responded to the distress call out on the Seawind. He would have to handle this with delicacy, because if someone from the Coast Guard called Harry, the heat from his boss would only intensify.
He found the three men and Sara in a conference room down the nondescript tan hallway. Nodding, he shut the door and went to the head of the long table. “You all know why I’m here. I realize you wrote up a report on what you saw when you landed on the ship, but I want to go over it all with you personally in case there’s some small detail you remember as we talk about it.”
The guy in the Dodgers cap was the first to speak. “No problem. I’m Josh Holman, and this is Curtis Ireland. Sara you know, and the fellow across the table is Alec Bourne.”
Marc gave Josh a hard look. He’d heard about the guy Sara was so crazy about. He shook their hands, then flipped open his iPad and navigated to his notes about the murder. “You found the deceased, Laura Watson, on the aft deck level five under a pile of PFDs, correct?”
Sara answered first. “That’s right. Only her hand showed from under the life jackets. Alec removed everything, and I checked her pulse. There was none. I noted the ligature marks on her neck and concluded she’d been strangled with a thin wire or cord of some kind.”
“Most likely a guitar string, according to forensics.” He turned to Josh. “You were aboard the ship as a passenger, correct?”
The other man nodded. “Just a vacation.”
“Did you offer assistance when you heard about it?”
“I did. I placed the call for the team to come and help.”
Marc watched Josh and noticed he seemed uncomfortable at the line of questioning. Was he hiding something? “So you filed a distress call indicating there had been a murder?”
“I did.”
“The crew specifically told you it was a murder?”
Josh nodded. “The woman who summoned me said the deceased had been strangled.”
Marc turned his attention to the other crew members. “Did you notice anyone with a particular interest in the crime? Anyone taking pictures or hanging around?”
The other three Coasties shook their heads. He would have to talk to the ship employees. He thanked them, and the men filed out. Sara lingered until they were alone.
She walked to the coffee service and poured two cups. “You look like you could use something stronger.” She handed him a cup. “You doing okay?”
“You knew about Josie.”
She flinched at his accusati
on. “Elin told me this morning, though I wasn’t surprised. I’d suspected it ever since Josie was about a year old.”
That stung. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Her gray eyes were grave. “What good would it do, Marc? She was married to Tim at that point. Your interference would have caused them more problems.”
He tamped down the rage roiling in his belly and took a sip of the coffee, then grimaced. It had been on the burner too long. “I want to see Josie.”
“I’m sure you do.” Sara bit her lip. “Would it do any good to tell you to take it easy on Elin? She’s been through a lot, and these flashbacks, or whatever they are, have her really scared. I know you’re angry—and you have every right to be—but think about what she’s been going through.”
“You think there’s anything to that whole cell-memory thing? Sounds pretty sketchy.”
She sipped her coffee before answering. “She’s changed since the transplant. She drinks coffee for one thing, and she’s always hated it. Even the smell.”
He blinked. “Maybe her tastes changed.”
“She started drinking it right after she got a new heart.”
He grinned and set the coffee down. “Maybe she saw the light.”
Sara’s frown didn’t ease. “It’s more than that. She has always been a huge oldies fan.”
He nodded. “Go on.”
“She hasn’t listened to her favorite Forrest Gump soundtrack in weeks. Now she listens to country music, especially Alan Jackson.”
“That doesn’t mean much.” Though he shrugged it off, he frowned. “Anything else?”
“You’re not taking this seriously.”
“I’m helping her, aren’t I? How much more seriously do you want me to take it?”
Sara pressed her lips together and shook her head. “She’s always worn browns and tans. I’ve tried to get her to wear more color for years, and she always says her hair is enough of an accent color. But she had on a bright-green top yesterday. Bright green. She has always hated green.”