Haunting at High Tide Page 13

  "Yeah," I said, feeling like I was in the middle of a whirlwind. "I'll make sure to let Johnny know."

  "Well, it really is the only way," Tango pressed. "I mean, it's not like he has anyone to take over."

  "Oh, you'd be surprised. Johnny gives a great tour."

  Tango darkened. "What? You think Johnny will take over leading the tours."

  "Yeah. Maybe him. Or me," I said as I rang him up and gave him back his change, which he put in his pocket and not the tip jar.

  "That wasn't part of the deal," Tango said.

  That caused red flags to go up. "What deal is that?"

  I could see that Tango realized he had been caught in something, but before he could figure out what lie to spin to me, the door opened and in walked Sandy and her two children Oliver and Nina.

  "Oh! Thank goodness you're open!" she exclaimed. "I was about to lose it."

  Tango knocked the glass top with his knuckles. "Thanks for the coffee, Paige. See ya later! Tell Johnny."

  I glowered at him, realizing he had gotten a lifeline and was now bailing out before he had to answer any questions. I pushed down my frustration and turned to Sandy.

  "What can I get for you?" I asked, trying to keep a cheerful face.

  "Four cookies," she said, frazzled. "We're in the midst of closing up my parents' old place and I need bribes."

  I laughed as I got out a bag and put some of the sugar cookies in there. I guess that Tango causing me to reopen wasn't the worst thing in the world.

  Oliver started wandering through the bookshelves, picking up every expensive item we had on display, while his sister decided to ramble on about all the things that she wanted inside of the pastry counter. "I want a witch's hat and a chocolate chip cookie and a mummy finger and a Frankenstein head sugar cookie..."

  Sandy was so overwhelmed, her kids didn't even register. "What a day..."

  Oliver picked up the book of Seaside history. "Mom? Can I have this?"

  "Sure... sure..." she said digging through her purse for her wallet, distractedly.

  "That book might be a little hard—" I started to point out.

  But Nina interrupted me. "If Oliver gets something, I want to get something, too!"

  Sandy rolled her eyes. "Sure. You pick out something, too." She then shouted after her daughter as she ran into the book stacks. "Something SMALL!" Sandy shook her head. "These kids." She pulled out her credit card. "And thank you for that raffle basket!"

  "What?" I asked.

  "Oh! Your grandmother must not have shared it with you. We won!" Sandy said with a smile. "We're all SO excited." She looked at her kids as they ran around. "I, for one, can't think of anything nicer than a museum for these kids."

  "I WANT TO PLAY CHECKERS!" Nina shouted as she ran over to the checkerboard table.

  "Something to occupy their little minds," Sandy added, exhausted. She leaned forward. "Quick, ring me up before they remember that I told them I'd buy them something."

  I gave her a smile and quickly ran her card through. As Oliver and Nina played around the shop, though, I couldn't help but think how much the island really needed this dream of Richard and Granny's. We did need a place that kids could run around and learn. Who had been so desperate to stop it that they had cut the board in Ralph's shop? And then, why did they sabotage the cannery? Was it the rivalry between Echo and Tango? It just didn't sit right. Was it some sort of revenge aimed at Ralph? Or Johnny? Why would someone want to take away something that benefited the island's families? It was wrong. And the more I thought about it, the madder I got.

  "CAT!" shouted Oliver, spotting Captain.

  Captain gave a little helpless meow as the kids descended upon him. I figured he'd let them know, as cats do, if he had enough of them.

  But before Captain could put them in their place, Sandy called out, "Leave the cat alone!" She gathered up all her things. "We better get out of here before they destroy your shop and tell me they want a pet. Thank your grandmother for me! Tell her I'll stop by later to pick the basket up. KIDS! We're leaving!"

  Nate chose that moment to come inside, however. We had a date for a late lunch, and I guess he got tired of waiting outside. Sucker. I would have told him to save himself. Oliver and Nina ran screaming around him like he was a May pole.

  "KIDS!" Sandy shouted as she got to the front door. "I am so sorry, Nate," she apologized.

  But instead of trying to extricate himself, he picked up Nina and Oliver under each of his arms and hauled them as they screamed with delight, depositing them on the boardwalk in front of the shop next to their mom.

  I couldn't help but smile as a warm feeling blossomed in my chest.

  The silence after they left, however, was so sweet. Nate came in, still laughing as he glanced over his shoulder at the kids, but they were pressing their faces against the glass at him. Now, the only thing to be done in such a situation is to give back in kind. So, Nate put his mouth on the glass and blew out his cheeks. I could hear Oliver and Nina screaming happily as they jumped up and down. Sandy rolled her eyes, both tickled that Nate was playing with her kids, but also doing the mental math of settling them down after he had riled them up.

  "You are trouble," I laughed at him as Sandy was finally able to herd her children down the street.

  "That's what my mom always told me," he replied, walking over to the counter. "So, how's my favorite girl doing this afternoon?"

  I leaned across and gave him a kiss. "Highly caffeinated and ready to take on the world."

  "Well, you've got me beat on both fronts."

  "Let me see what I can do about that," I said with a wink. I turned to the espresso machine and started pulling a shot for his Americano. I was thinking that maybe it just made more sense to have lunch here at the shop. "Flip the sign to 'Closed' for me, would you?"

  "You're the boss, boss!" he said, heading back over. He gave Captain a reassuring scratch to let him know that the monsters in the coffee shop were gone. Captain rewarded him with a grateful purr.

  "Did you hear that Stan arrested Echo?" I asked.

  Nate groaned. "Echo? That guy wouldn't risk his entire career for a stunt like that."

  "Maybe he got jealous of Tango...?" I hazarded, not believing it myself.

  "Or maybe Madison got sick of trying to convince me the old cannery was derelict and should be sold to the highest bidder and decided to do something to push the point, instead." He came back over to me. "How long would it take for Madison to saw through steel with her manicure set?"

  "Madison wouldn't know how to unscrew those bolts if her favorite influencer did a YouTube instructional video about it," I pointed out.

  "Wouldn't it be great if Stan and Fred arrested Madison for something?" He rested his chin in his hands dreamily. "That would be so great. Can we nominate her?"

  "Sad news, my friend. I don't think that's the way the justice system works."

  "What a shame."

  I added the hot water to his drink. "Now, Tango. Tango came in here and asked me to send any clients his way."

  "Is it a tit-for-tat? I mean, if we're going to spin conspiracy theories, did Echo saw that floorboard that collapsed under Tango?"

  "But would they really escalate to killing someone for a bunch of $20 tours?" I shook my head. "No, there has got to be something bigger behind this."

  "This is a great game of conspiracy theories," Nate said, teasing me and also reminding me to come back to reality. "Who do you think it is behind it all? The Illuminati?"

  I gave him a laugh and a friendly shove. "You're right. This is way above our pay grade." I pushed his cup across the counter. "In the meantime, Johnny doesn't have anyone to lead his tours, and between you and me, I really don't want to see Trevor get all of the business from this. I'm thinking I'll head over and see Echo to see how we can keep this party going."

  "Do I see sense some perfectly reasonable but also mildly petty professional jealousy?" Nate asked, with a twinkling side eye. "Because I'm not abo
ve pointing out you're going to feel pretty lousy saving Echo's business if it turns out he tried to smoosh us."

  "I'm SURE it wasn't Echo," I replied.

  "You suuuuure?"

  "I just have a feeling."

  "Okay!" said Nate, holding up his hands in surrender. "But I'm not above saying I told you so."

  "It is not just the tours, it's the after party," I explained. I motioned around Bitter Beans. "Those tours really helped keep us net positive. We're becoming a 'go to' place after the tours for people who don't want to have their conversation drowned out by shanty music."

  "Well," said Nate with a sly smile. "I guess we're just going to have to keep these tours in the family."

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  I walked over to the police station to see Echo. This time, Fred didn't even pretend to give me a hard time about visiting one of their prisoners. It was becoming par for the course. With a bored look, he buzzed me in, I dropped the cinnamon rolls on his desk, and he walked me over to the holding cell.

  "You know, this probably wouldn't have happened if Stan wasn't up for that promotion," he said, rattling around with his keys. "It is just that he can get so focused, he has a tough time seeing maybe the case isn't open and shut."

  I observed Fred with just a twinge of curiosity. Could this be disloyalty? Could it be that he was starting to see the light?

  As he put the key into the door, he shook his head. "I can't believe he took the ghost cookie."

  Well, maybe less, "seen the light" and more "bitter revenge."

  "Thanks, Fred," I said, patting him on his bony back. He gave me a sheepish, twitchy smile under his mustache.

  I walked into the white, cinderblock room. It smelled of bleach and disinfectant. There was the dull hum of the overhead florescent lights. Echo was lying in the old holding cell on a cot, one leg crossed over the other. He was still wearing his black pants and black shirt, but they had taken away his heavy boots and replaced them with fuzzy socks. There were dark circles under his eyes, which added to his Goth aesthetic, no makeup required. Bored, he deigned to cast his eyes over at me.

  "Hey!" I said, trying to open up the conversation. "How are you doing?"

  "I can't believe I'm stuck in this backwater island," he replied with disgust. He ran his fingers through his dyed black hair, just adding to the bed head situation.

  "I promise we will get this all cleared up and you'll be walking out a free man." I watched him carefully. "You are innocent, right?"

  He sat up, insulted. "Of course I am innocent. I wouldn't go sabotaging my own tour! Much less kill the family members of my employer!" Frustrated, he banged his fist on the plastic of the mattress.

  "Yeah, we figured that was kind of the case." I walked closer to the bars. "Listen, they can't hold you for longer than 72-hours, and there isn't any sort of evidence to indict you. You'll be out soon."

  "I never should have taken this stupid job..." he said, his face twisting with misery. "Someone is out to get me and I can hardly wait to get out of here to find out who."

  "I was thinking the same thing," I said. "Who do you think tried to frame you?"

  "You mean aside from Tango, trying to steal all my business and customers?" he replied, like I was an idiot for even asking.

  "I mean, anyone beside that?"

  "No," he said. "I don't have an enemy in the world, aside from that guy."

  I held my tongue that maybe he wasn't as well liked as he thought himself to be.

  "Well, if you can think of anything, let me know," I finally said diplomatically.

  "I guess the one positive is that it saves me some money on ferry rides." He shook his head. "You guys really should have more housing options than the Grand Hotel and those cottages."

  "Well, they seem to serve their purpose well enough—" I started to point out.

  But Echo was just getting riled up. He cut me off with his rant. "I mean, here's this perfect little island. You could be making a killing with the tourist trade, and yet, you stick to this old timey feel? And that rattrap of a hotel? You guys need a chain hotel or something."

  Now, I knew that he was angry and stuff, but this was such an odd tangent for the conversation to take. It was some of the same stuff Madison had been parroting whenever she wanted Nate to reconsider selling the island.

  Echo continued. "I mean, that cannery was literally falling down around our ears. It should be bulldozed. Or at least refurbished as work lofts or something. This whole island could really use an update."

  "We're trying the best we can," I said cautiously, confused by where all of his ramblings were going. "It's why we hired you."

  "Well, you shouldn't have," he snapped, lying back on his bed. "There's nothing I can do to save this island. You guys need a real estate developer and a bulldozer."

  Suddenly, the door opened and Fred ducked his head inside. "Visiting hours are over. Gonna have to ask you to leave, Paige."

  "Good," said Echo, refusing to look at me. "I don't want anything to do with you or Johnny or Nate or anyone else in your crazy family. Working for you has ruined my life."

  "Sorry that you feel that way," I replied.

  He just rolled over on his side to ignore me even louder.

  "Well," I replied, backing away, "great seeing you. I'll be back tomorrow in case you need anything."

  "All I need is for you to leave me alone."

  Chapter Thirty

  Granny came in from the kitchen, all smiles, as I returned to Bitter Beans. She was carrying a bright yellow cake with chocolate dripped down the sides. On the top there were chocolate covered cookies and chocolate shards, finished with a sprinkling of candy corn.

  "That is GORGEOUS!" I said, admiring her handiwork. "We're going to have people busting down our door for a slice."

  "Oh, this isn't for customers," she said, putting it into a box. "Would you mind carrying this over to Ralph?"

  "What's the occasion?" I asked.

  "Aside from that jailbird being sprung from the hoosegow?" she stated. "Well, the inspector wants to come sometime this week," she confided. "And Ralph's been through so much, what with Stan and Fred accusing him of cutting that board and him spending any time at all in that cell. I'm hoping to remind him that selling the hardware store is a good thing. And maybe bribe him into sweeping out the cobwebs before that inspector goes crawling around."

  I grabbed the box. "Gladly!"

  I strolled over to the hardware store. With the days getting shorter, the sun was already starting to set.

  Nate was arranging the sandwich board at the top of the hill, pointing to Johnny's surf shack. He saw me balancing the box and gallantly took it from me. "Carry that for you, miss?"

  "Thank you, my knight in shining armor!" I replied, shaking out my arm and pointing up the hill toward the hardware store. "Granny wants to bribe Ralph without it seeming like she is bribing him, bribing him."

  "I do love a bit of Seaside meddling," Nate laughed.

  I motioned to the sandwich board. "So, Johnny's going to do the tours?"

  A seagull cried out and landed on the street next to us. I guess even the wildlife had figured out a Bitter Beans box meant that there was something tasty inside.

  As the seagull waddled along behind, Nate nodded. "Johnny was worried that he was infringing on Echo's business, but when I explained that it would help out you and your Granny, he warmed up to the idea. He's still figuring out exactly what to do, but he's onboard."

  I smiled thinking of all the effort Johnny had gone to decorating his surf shack and getting a party bus. "I'm sure whatever he does, it is going to be incredible."

  We arrived at the hardware store and Nate handed the cake to me while he opened the door. Proudly I walked in. Ralph was sitting behind the counter snoozing, but jerked awake as the door alarm went off.

  He adjusted his hearing aids. "What can I do you for?"

  "Oh, Granny just wanted to make you a little something," I replied, sliding the cake on
to the counter.

  "What for?" he asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

  "She was worried you might be skin and bones after that jail grub," I teased. "Also, the inspector will be calling to set up the appointment."

  Guess Granny didn't have anything to worry about. His face brightened. "Ah! Well, if that isn't just the nicest thing." He reached over to take the box. "Sure do appreciate it. It was a standup thing for that fiancé of hers to spring me from the joint." He smiled as he joked. "I don't know if my old joints would have been springing if I had to stay much longer." He laughed at his wit and then continued, "Truth be told, I was sitting there in that cell thinking I should just cancel the whole thing. Real standup of that Richard to do, I tell ya. Real standup. Glad to hear they caught the guy who might have actually been responsible. That other ghost tour guide?" He shook his head. "Shame about kids these days..."

  "How did you hear about Echo?" Nate asked. He still seemed surprised by how quickly news spreads on the island.

  "That Tango character came over, trying to get me to open up the shop for his séances again. Tried to spin how we were both victims to circumstances." Ralph leaned over. "I'm not a victim to anything and that's what I have to say about that!"

  But suddenly, the bell over the door sounded again. As if summoned, Tango and Madison walked in. They looked awfully chummy. Madison squeezed Tango's bicep for some reason and downright giggled as she flipped her long ponytail. I wondered if Trevor was aware of her velcroing onto another man.

  However, Tango wasn't in a flirty mood. He walked up to the counter. "I need some clothesline," he said.

  Ralph pointed him to the back. "In the corner."

  As he disappeared down the aisle, I turned to Madison. Nate jerked his head, indicating that we should use their entrance as an excuse to leave, but hey, guess I'm a glutton for punishment. If Johnny was going to take over the tour, I wanted to get some intel on the enemy. "Adding more ghosts to your haunted forest?"