“Seems like a strange type of guy to get sideways with the Mafia,” Ben mused. “Small fish. Murder is messy. If he pissed someone off, they’d be more likely to blow up his car or burn down his office to send a message.”
Hendricks rolled his eyes. “You’re hip deep in mobsters too. You know, this used to be a quiet little town.”
“I’ve told you everything I know,” Erik said. “And whether or not you believe us, we both do our best to leave those old undercover connections behind. There’s no inside information. Randolph’s murder probably had nothing to do with the window, and it’s just a coincidence or a red herring.”
“Maybe,” Hendricks allowed grudgingly. “But we’re going to dig anyhow. Protect the window. At some point, we’ll need to see it and enter a photo into evidence.”
“Please let us leave it in the safe,” Erik said. “That’s got special protections for fragile artwork, and we have an excellent security system.”
“That’s fine, for now. We’ll see where the investigation takes us. Just don’t take it out of the store until we look into the matter,” Hendricks replied. “It stays in Cape May until it’s cleared.”
Ben saw the way Erik’s jaw twitched and knew his partner didn’t like the order, but Erik nodded. “It will stay locked up until you give us the okay,” he agreed.
“And you probably already knew this, but don’t leave town,” Hendricks added.
“Darn, and there goes our round-the-world vacation,” Ben deadpanned.
“I’ll have someone watch the shop, just in case. When I know more, I’ll be in touch. Try to keep out of trouble.”
“Don’t worry. We weren’t going anywhere,” Erik added. He walked Hendricks out and locked the door behind him, since the shop wasn’t open yet.
Erik muttered under his breath. Ben didn’t hear the exact words, but the meaning was clear anyway.
“Come on. Let’s get showers, dressed, and eat something.” Ben herded his partner toward the steps.”
He felt vastly better after a shower, especially one that included soap-slicked hand jobs. Erik remained grumpy, but even he had relented a little.
Erik checked his watch. “Alessia and Haley should be here soon.”
“I’ll make a fresh pot of coffee,” Ben volunteered. He couldn’t hide his curiosity about working with the newly arrived medium again and hoped she proved to be an ally like Alessia.
“I’m going to get things set up so we’re ready when they get here,” he told Ben. “And now we can ask if there’s magic attached to the haunted window as well.”
Before he went to retrieve theMohawkrelics he’d found, Erik paused to draw a warded circle around the table and activate its protective magic. He draped the warded cloth over the table and grabbed the special gloves.
Erik headed into the storage room, grateful that all the items were well-marked. Rotating the inventory on display kept the stock fresh for visitors who liked to explore. He found the small box tagged with the items from the computer record, and paused when he put his hand on top.
“Lila, if you’re out there and trapped here, maybe we can help you find your way home,”he sent silently, although he doubted that the ghost could hear him.
Once he returned to the table and its protections, Erik closed his eyes, trying to pick up on the resonance of the pieces. Strong emotions could remain with an object for a long time, and he suspected that Lila’s ill-fated journey could evoke memories.
The images came in a jumble. He glimpsed a ship that he guessed was theMohawk. After that, he saw flames and smoke, then icy water, and the vision ended.
“I saw fragments of memories attached to the items,” Erik told Ben when he opened his eyes.
“Let’s see what Alessia picks up.” Ben glanced at the table. “You decided to leave the stained-glass window in the safe for now?”
Erik nodded. “One problem at a time.”
The doorbell rang, and Erik went to check, with Ben close behind. Alessia stood on the front steps. She was in her early forties, with olive skin, black hair, and dark brown eyes. “Come on in. We have a fresh pot of coffee,” Erik greeted her
“Good, because I’m not really a morning person,” Alessia said.
“How do you take it?” Ben asked.
“Black with sweetener,” she replied. “Although I’m not fussy.”
“Coming right up,” Ben promised. “As you can see, Haley’s not here yet.”
