The Haunted Bones (A Lin Coffin Mystery Book 3) (3 page)

“
I
t’s human
?” Viv frowned. “Oh, no.” The girls sat on Viv’s deck sipping some homemade lemonade mixed with iced tea and nibbling on tortilla chips and salsa. Nicky and Queenie lay side by side on the deck keeping watch over the back lawn in case a chipmunk or squirrel got the bold idea that they could meander through the yard. “That’s why Emily Coffin showed up behind the farmhouse. She knew it was a human bone.”

“There has to be a reason that Emily was standing there. If it was just a bone of someone who died of natural causes and was buried in the farmhouse yard, she wouldn’t have appeared.” Lin took a gulp of her drink. “So there’s something amiss. Unfortunately.”

“Emily must want you to look into it.”

Lin lifted her eyes to her cousin as she dipped a chip to scoop up some salsa. “I was afraid of that.” She bit her chip and chewed slowly. “But what can I do? The police will start an investigation. They’re far better equipped to look into it.”

“Well, Emily must want you to do something about it.” Viv went to check on the burritos in the oven.

Lin looked out over the garden spilling with perennial and annual flowers. Her cousin definitely had a green thumb. The sun had slipped behind the tops of the tallest trees and the day’s heat began to lessen its grip. When Viv returned to the deck, Lin complimented her on how nice the garden looked. “Maybe you should give up running the bookstore and join me and Leonard in the landscaping business.”

Viv rolled her blue eyes and groaned. “That would require too much physical labor.” She shook her head. “Nope, not my cup of tea.” Placing a tray with salad and salad plates onto the deck table, she said, “I prefer to be inside in the nice, cool air conditioned space, not rolling around in the dirt in the heat of the day. Besides, I can dress cute at the bookstore and I don’t look great in shorts and a tank top.”

“I would disagree.” Lin smiled. “I bet John would disagree, too.”

“Love is blind.” Viv headed back into the house and Lin followed to help carry the dinner plates and silverware outside.

When they were settled in their chairs with hearty portions of salad and burritos, they dug in to the delicious Mexican food. After munching in silence for a few minutes, Lin leaned back in her seat. “Jeff and I met for lunch today.”

“Oohh. Where did you go? Somewhere nice by the water?”

Lin grinned. “We ate on a blanket under a tree in Mid-Island Cemetery.”

“Really?” Viv tilted her head to the side, a look of distaste on her face. “How romantic.”

“It was actually very nice and peaceful. It was the spur of the moment. I was scheduled to mow the cemetery lawn so Jeff met me there.” A cloud passed over Lin’s face.

“Usually when you talk about Jeff you smile.” Viv eyed her cousin. “What happened?”

Lin shook herself. “Nothing. We had a nice time.”

“But, what?” Viv cut a piece of her burrito and gave some to Nicky and the cat.

“Well….” Lin paused.

“I knew it.” Viv crossed her arms on the table and leaned forward. “What happened?”

Lin sucked in a breath. “Jeff and I walked back to our trucks through the woods along a trail that leads to the road. We left the trucks there. We didn’t want to park inside the cemetery entrance since it’s so small. It’s a tight little lane and I didn’t want to block it. I have to park inside the gate when I work and I pull the truck way over to the side.”

Viv’s eyebrow went up. “You don’t need to go on and on about where you parked.”

“I’m telling you why we happened to be on the trail.”

Viv waved her hand to encourage Lin to go on with the story.

“So, when we were walking along the path going back to the trucks, I got a really weird sensation.”

Viv’s lips pursed and eyes went wide. “What kind of a sensation?” Her voice was cautious.

“I felt dizzy. Like the woods were spinning.” Lin put her hand on her temple and rubbed. She looked at Viv, her heart starting to pound. “I felt like someone was watching me.”

“Maybe it was Emily?”

Lin shook her head. “It wasn’t her. It wasn’t the same feeling.”

“Did you look around? Maybe someone was walking in the woods.”

Lin let out a sigh. “I did glance around. I didn’t see anyone.”

The girls sat thinking in silence. Nicky let out a loud, sudden whine and the two cousins jumped. Viv chuckled. “We’re not nervous at all, are we?” She reached down and gave the dog a pat. “Funny dog.”

When Viv straightened up, she saw Lin staring at her. “What?” Viv’s cheek twitched. “Oh, no. I know what you’re thinking.”

“What am I thinking?”

“You want to go back to that cemetery and look around.”

A smile crept over Lin’s lips. “I guess you know me pretty well.”

Viv squared her shoulders. “I’m not going. No.”

“Come on. I don’t want to go there alone.”

“Take Nicky and Queenie. They’ll protect you.”

Lin didn’t say anything.

Viv said, “It’s dark. You won’t be able to see a thing.”

“I have a flashlight.” Lin focused her gaze on her cousin.

“Why does everything have to happen at night?” Viv pushed her hair behind her ear. “Why don’t we go during the day when other people are around?”

“Because you work in the bookstore all day and I have lawns to mow and flowers to plant,” Lin said.

“Oh, okay.” Viv lifted her fork with a heavy sigh. “At least let me finish my meal.”

“Thank you.” Lin smiled. “I really didn’t want to go there alone.”

Viv placed a dollop of sour cream on top of her burrito. “I know I’ll end up regretting this.”

“Eating the sour cream?” Lin kidded.

“No.” Viv leveled her eyes. “Our moonlight cemetery visit.”

Lin chuckled and finished the last swallow of her lemonade-iced tea. “I’ll go clean up the kitchen while you finish eating.” She called to the cat and dog to follow her inside. “We’re all going on an outing,” she told them with a big smile.

Viv groaned.

B
y the time
the dishes were loaded into the dishwasher, the leftovers were put away, and the foursome climbed into Lin’s truck, the sun had set and darkness covered the island. After a twenty-minute drive, Lin pulled the vehicle to the side of the road near the trail she parked next to earlier in the day with Jeff. “Here we are.”

Viv stared out of the passenger side window. “It is pitch black out here. We’re going to walk in the woods?”

Lin opened her door and slid out. “We were about halfway down the path when I got the odd feeling.” She removed a large black flashlight from her toolbox that was kept in the truck bed and clicked it on. The white-yellow light brightened a spot on the path and Lin and Viv started down the trail. Nicky and Queenie had their noses to the ground as they scurried along, sniffing. Some moonlight filtered through the trees’ branches and pooled here and there on the ground.

Viv looked over her shoulder and rubbed her arms with her hands. “It’s cool.”

“It’s just your fear,” Lin teased her cousin to lighten the atmosphere since she didn’t want to admit how nervous and uneasy she was feeling about their evening stroll.

Some twigs scrunched underfoot. An animal could be heard moving in the wooded section next to them.

“You don’t think it’s a bear, do you?” Viv whispered. She squinted towards the sound.

“Probably just a serial killer.” Lin got an elbow in the ribs for that comment.

As they proceeded down the dark path, Lin’s skin shivered from the sensation of cold. “I feel cold air.”

“Do you see any ghosts?” Viv kept her voice down.

Lin glanced around while shining the flashlight beam between the trees. “Not yet.” Continuing further along the trail, Lin suddenly reached her hand out and grabbed her cousin’s arm. “I feel it. I feel dizzy again.” They halted.

Viv’s head spun side to side trying to see the cause of her cousin’s distress. “I don’t see anything.” She held tight to Lin’s arm.

“Let’s keep walking. See if the feeling gets stronger.”

They emerged out of the woods and onto the edge of the cemetery. “I can feel it here, too. It’s just as strong. I bet when I come back to work here, I’ll have the sensation wherever I am in the cemetery. I guess we can go home now that I know the feeling wasn’t a one-time thing.”

“Wait. There’s a light on over there.” Viv pointed.

Lin turned towards the cottage that the manager used as an office. A light was on at the back of the small house. “Quinn must be working late. He’s the manager. Let’s go. I don’t want him to see me here.”

The girls moved down the path to return to the truck and as they got closer to the middle of the path, Lin stopped and turned around slowly in a circle using the beam of the flashlight to illuminate the area around them.

“How do you feel?” Viv was ready to reach out her hand to steady her cousin.

“Dizzy still, but I’m getting used to the sensation. If I move slowly, then I feel steadier.” Lin narrowed her eyes trying to make out anything at all that might be related to what was troubling her, but she didn’t know what could be messing with her equilibrium. “Do you feel it at all?”

Viv’s eyes went wide. “Me? No? And if I did, I would be
out
of here.”

“It’s strange. I’ve never felt anything like this before. It’s almost like I can feel someone staring at me … like someone wants something from me.”

“You’re scaring me.” Viv looked up into the branches overhead afraid she might see someone up in the tree peering down at them. “I think I’ve had enough. Let’s get out of here.” She tugged on Lin’s arm and the girls hurried to the truck like someone was after them.

Viv called for the animals and the two came scurrying out the woods and jumped into the cramped rear seat of the cab. Viv slammed the door, climbed into the passenger side, and slumped against the seat back. “So that was good for nothing.” Her breath was quick and shallow.

“I’m glad we came.” Lin looked through the windshield towards the woods. “Our visit told me that I didn’t imagine the sensation from lunchtime and that I wasn’t dizzy because I was dehydrated.” She faced Viv. “And now I feel the sensation in the main part of the cemetery, too. It doesn’t just feel like a ghost though. It feels like someone needs my help.” Her heart pounded as she looked through the window at the dark woods. “What is it? Who’s trying to communicate with me?”

L
in tossed
the last of the tools into the back of her truck and wiped the sweat from her brow with her forearm which left a streak of dirt on her head. It had been a long day working outside in the heat. She took a drink from her water bottle as she opened the door for the dog. Nicky jumped in and wagged his little stub of a tail.

“How are you still full of energy?” Lin smiled and scratched the dog’s ears. “I need some of what you’ve got powering you.”

The dog spent each day at work with Lin trotting about the clients’ properties sniffing and searching the lawns and wooded areas discovering what animals had passed through since his last visit. Lin had trained him not to disturb flowers or greenery and he kept on his best behavior.

Lin stretched. “I need a long, hot shower.” She also needed to make a potato salad and a green salad to take to Viv’s house for dinner. The girls and their boyfriends had planned a cookout for later in the evening.

The mechanical rumble of an engine caused Lin to look to the road and she saw Leonard pull up to the curb. He leaned out of the window. “Hey, Coffin.”

At the sound of Leonard’s voice, Nicky jumped out of Lin’s truck and he and Lin headed over to where the man had parked.

“I’ve got six extra rolls of sod in the back.” He gestured with his thumb. “Why don’t you take them for the Gordon’s lawn. You said you wanted to replace some of the grass near their walkway.” Leonard got out of the truck. “You’ve got dirt on your face.”

Lin shrugged. “I’ve got dirt all over me.”

The two removed the sod rolls and carried them to the bed of Lin’s truck.

“I watered them this morning,” Leonard said. “They’ll be fine until you roll them out tomorrow.”

“Any news on the farmhouse?” Lin pushed the last strip of sod into the truck bed.

“We don’t have the all clear yet.” Leonard leaned against the truck. “Hope they don’t take forever investigating.”

“What’s the story with that house? What about the new owners?”

“The McDonalds haven’t really even moved in yet. The house was for sale for a year. It was empty during that time. The couple has a few pieces of furniture in the house, but that’s it.”

“What are they like?”

“Young couple. Both docs. Anesthesiologists, I think. No kids. Once we finish the landscaping, they’ll fly in most weekends from New York. The husband seems kind of uptight. He won’t stay there for more than a couple of days until the yard is finished.” Leonard chuckled. “He said he didn’t like things in disarray. A chaotic setting was disturbing. Those were his words.” Leonard gave Lin a questioning look. “You don’t think they’re to blame for the bone?”

Lin’s shoulder shrugged. “Well, they own the house.”

“They haven’t for very long. Who knows how long that bone has been there?”

Lin didn’t say anything.

“What?” Leonard raised an eyebrow. “You think when they make a medical mistake they bring the bones to Nantucket to dispose of them?”

“No, of course not,” Lin said. “Well, unless they have a private plane.”

Leonard was about to speak when Lin told him she was just joking. “But they could have killed someone while on-island. There are two of them. They’re doctors. They must have medical instruments. The body gets cut up and they dispose of the parts here and there.”

Leonard’s eyes widened. “The McDonalds are anesthesiologists. They put people to sleep, they don’t cut people up.”

“They put people to sleep alright.” Lin crossed her arms. “They’re legitimate suspects.”

“Unless the bone is old.”

“If it
is
old, then I’ll cross them off the list.” Lin took two granola bars out of her cooler and handed one to Leonard. “I’d love to see what’s going on at the farmhouse with the investigators.” She peeled the wrapper back and took a bite.

“They won’t let anyone near.” Leonard chomped on the bar and chewed. While he was still chewing, he said, “There’s a trail behind the house through the woods. It leads to a hill that might overlook the yard.”

Lin perked up. “Really? How do you know?”

“My wife and I used to hike there a lot. It’s conservation land … for passive recreation.”

“You think you could see into the yard from there?” Lin’s voice was excited.

“I think so. I haven’t been there for a couple of years though. It could be overgrown now, block out the view.”

“Let’s go look.” Lin crumpled the granola wrapper and put it into the cooler. “Can you go now? Want to go see?”

Leonard agreed and they piled into his truck. They drove twenty minutes to the park and conservation area and the dog led the way down a winding trail through the woods.

“That dog can cover a lot of ground for a small fry,” Leonard observed.

The trail began to incline and before long, they were climbing a steep hill.

“Ugh.” Sweat covered Lin’s brow. “This isn’t the most welcome climb after a hard day of work. Why aren’t you puffing?”

“The real question is,” Leonard said, “why are
you
puffing? I’m more than thirty years older than you, Coffin. Try to keep up.”

After ten more minutes of uphill walking, they broke through the trees and entered a huge field.

“This is beautiful.” Lin could see the ocean off in the distance on one side and on the other side, the rooftops of town peeked out between the trees.

Leonard pointed. “We might be able to see into the yards if we walk over that way.” They headed to the left side of the field.

“Look.” Lin’s voice was excited. “There it is.” The back of the farmhouse was in full view from their position on the hill. “The investigators are still working.”

Several police officers stood around the space while other people, some in jumpsuits, milled about, took photos, or used tools to sift through the dirt. A leashed dog, his nose to the ground, moved back and forth over the rear yard.

“Cadaver dog?” Leonard speculated.

Nicky gave a whine when he spotted the other creature.

“I didn’t realize that all these people would be involved.” Lin watched the activity below them.

“If they find more bones, it might be a while before we can get that project underway.”

“If they find more bones….” Lin said warily. She sank down and sat on the grass. “What will that mean? Is there a murderer on the loose?” She looked up at Leonard. “Is there someone who has gone missing on the island?”

“That I don’t know.” Leonard continued to follow the activity in the yard.

Lin’s mind was racing. “You said the farmhouse was empty for about a year?”

“Uh, huh. That’s what the McDonalds told me.”

“An empty house. A lot can happen in a year with no one around.”

“What do you mean?”

“No one was keeping tabs on the place. Well, maybe a Realtor came by once a week or a property manager or whatever. But that’s a good amount of time that the house was just sitting there.” Lin made eye contact with Leonard. “Someone who had no business there could have gone by, lurked around the back of the property. Maybe buried some bones.”

“You’ve got a point.”

Nicky barked and Lin turned to see a woman walking with a yellow Lab in the field behind them. “Stay here, Nick.” The woman waved and Lin returned the gesture of greeting.

Lin stood and glanced around wondering if the farmhouse’s neighbors might have noticed anything during the time the house was vacant. The trees surrounding the place made it difficult for the people living next door to see the back of the property but, in the winter when the branches were bare, there might be decent visibility from house to house. A skitter of anxiety washed over Lin remembering the odd feeling she had when Nicky found the bone. “I wonder if the neighbors would be willing to talk to me.”

Leonard gave her the eye. “Why would you want to talk to the neighbors? The police must have talked to them. We don’t have any business asking questions.”

“I found the bone.”

“You aren’t an investigator.” Leonard ran his hand over his hair. “Best leave it to the police.”

Lin sighed. She recalled the feeling she had when Emily Coffin made eye contact with her the other evening when Nicky uncovered the bone. Standing at the edge of the field with Leonard, her fingers could almost feel the little sparks that had picked at her hand when she held it.

Lin knew why Emily was watching. Emily wanted her to get involved. But she also knew that there was a reason to investigate that was even more important than that.

The bone wanted Lin to get involved.