“No great finds this week,” Andie joked. “It’s actually kind of slow. Do you guys know the house out on Ledge Road that’s been boarded up for years?”
Jane knew the house well. It was a big old Victorian with chipped paint, shutters hanging on their hinges, and spindles missing on the porch. “If I recall, there was some sort of mystery surrounding that house, wasn’t there?” Jane asked.
Andy nodded. “Yeah. Something about a missing woman. I’m not really sure exactly, anyway, but a woman came in saying that she owns it and she’s moving out here from Ohio. Apparently, it’s full of stuff, and she was wondering if I would look at some of it.”
Jane could sense Andie’s excitement. There was nothing her sister loved more than old houses full of stuff.
“Really?” Rob asked. “I thought that house had been boarded up for decades. You mean no one has gotten in there to ruin it yet?”
“I guess not. Maybe the rumor about it being haunted has kept people away.”
Everyone laughed at Andie’s joke. When they were kids, someone had still lived there, even though Jane seemed to recall it was quite dilapidated even back then.
The waitress came by, and they all ordered. Jane chose her usual lobster roll. She liked the way they made it with little bits of celery on a toasted hotdog bun.
As they waited for the meal, they settled into the familiar banter of old friends, catching up on town happenings and what each of them had done during the week.
“I noticed you put a place up for people to tie their dogs outside Sandcastles. Do you have anything for cats?” James joked. Maxi and James had two kittens, Rembrandt and Picasso, that they adored.
“If you think your cats will stay tied up to a post, you’re welcome to bring them.” Claire laughed. “But people seem to really appreciate it. Everyone got used to bringing their dogs with them to sit out on the patio this summer, but now that it’s been too cold to sit out most of the time, at least they can have them right outside.”
“I noticed Sam Campbell’s dog out there. It’s good to see them getting out,” Maxi said.
Claire smiled. “Isn’t it? He’s been in such a funk after Jean’s passing. Barely even left the house, from what I hear. Hardly saw him at the bakery, but he’s been in a few times this week, and his spirits seem to be picking up. He was even asking about Bunny Howard.”
“He was? Maybe it is a little romance there.” Andie wiggled her eyebrows.
“I think they’d make a cute couple. Maybe that will take Bunny’s mind off Mr. Smith. She does seem a little obsessed with proving that he is up to something,” Claire said.
“Liz said that Bunny has been talking about him too. Poor Mr. Smith. He’s probably just a regular guy that only wants some peace and quiet. I do hope she doesn’t do anything drastic that could get her into trouble.”
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
Bunny wasn’t going to do anything drastic that would get her into trouble. She was simply going to observe. Of course, she might have to intervene if Mr. Smith tried any funny business on his companion. What she would do to intervene, she had no idea. Perhaps she would be able to detain him and call 911. Though Mr. Smith was a bit younger, taller, and stronger than her, she wasn’t afraid.
She’d arrived well ahead of dusk and parked in an inconspicuous spot down the road. She then headed into the woods to wait for Mr. Smith’s arrival. She didn’t mind waiting. While she was there, she would take advantage of the beautiful scenery. The leaves were starting to turn, and there were splashes of bright orange, yellow, and scarlet mixed in with the lush green on the trees.
The refuge was filled with trails, and she was happy to explore them, taking pictures of the colorful flowers and fall foliage for her painting endeavors as she waited for Mr. Smith to show up.
She was careful to always stay within sight of the parking lot so she could be alerted when Mr. Smith’s car came in, and it did about an hour later. Soon, another car pulled up behind him. That looked like a clandestine meeting if she’d ever seen one.
She watched as the two men disappeared down the trail. They seemed to be talking amicably. Perhaps Mr. Smith was lulling his victim into complacency.
Bunny was quite familiar with all the trails and where they led, so she was able to follow Mr. Smith on a parallel trail without being seen. After a few minutes, she saw them come to a small clearing and sit on a bench that overlooked a marshy area. To her disappointment, they simply continued talking.
Bunny considered her options. She could wait for Mr. Smith to make his move and then intervene, or she could try to warn his companion. The latter option seemed the safest, but if she did that, she wouldn’t be able to get any evidence, and Mr. Smith might just deny he was up to something.
She wished she could overhear what they were talking about. Perhaps she should creep closer. But the sun was setting, and the light was fading. Everything was turning to a gloomy stone-gray color.
She could take the southeastern path and come around behind them. The forest was a little denser over there, and it was getting darker. Perhaps this really was just an innocent meeting between Mr. Smith and his companion.
But wait a minute! What was that flash in the woods?It looked like the sun glinting off the lenses of a pair of binoculars.
She shrunk back behind a tree. What if Mr. Smith had an accomplice? She hadn’t considered that, but that might explain why Mr. Smith was being so slow in doing anything to his victim. He was waiting for the accomplice, and they were probably both waiting for it to become completely dark.
Bunny couldn’t be dissuaded that easily, though. She knew of a path where she could keep her eye on Mr. Smith and circle behind the accomplice. Maybe then she could find out what they were really up to.
* * *
