wife.
“I heard about that.” Libby looked annoyed. “It was never determined where the money went. Unfortunately, Marguerite was let go from her position due to the issue.” Libby looked down at her hands. “If Marguerite hadn’t lost her job, she wouldn’t have been in Boston that day. She wouldn’t have been in that car crash. She’d be alive today.”
Lin said, “Leonard bears Martha Hillman a grudge, and rightly so.” She refilled her mug. “Martha seems to have a grudge against Leonard, too.”
“I don’t care for that woman.” Libby’s face muscles tensed and she seemed to be gritting her teeth. “We need to get to the bottom of this. The robbery reflects badly on the island and gives the wrong impression of who we are. The basket exhibition was a celebration of island craft and heritage. Someone marred the joy of that with their evil deed.”
The others were quiet not knowing what to say. Nicky and Queenie sat up in the chair and watched Libby from across the room. As if to punctuate Libby’s words, Queenie let out a long, deep hiss and the dog growled low in his throat. Everyone turned with surprise to look at the furry creatures.
“Well,” Anton blinked. “The animals seem to agree with you, Libby.”
Libby’s eyes softened and the tension drained from her body as Nicky jumped down, walked across the room, and leaned his head against her leg. She reached down and stroked the dog’s soft brown fur. The woman smiled. “With all of us working together, we’ll find the person who did this … and we’re going to find that basket, too.”
8
L in didn’t want to have to find a place to park her truck so she walked into town and headed for the cultural museum to meet Nathan Long to discuss the museum’s garden needs. Viv was dying to accompany her cousin to the meeting, but they couldn’t figure out how to explain why she was there so she stayed at the bookstore and pouted.
Just as she approached the museum, a handsome, tall, fit older man stepped out from the front door and came down the steps. Dressed in tan chinos and a starched long-sleeved button-down shirt, he noticed Lin and walked over to her. “Carolin Coffin?”
Lin reached out to shake hands with the man. “Call me Lin. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Long.”
“Please call me Nathan.” He thanked her for coming to see the backyard of the museum and led her around to the rear of the building. Lin’s eyebrows shot up when she saw the mess. She wasn’t expecting such a neglected yard and garden.
Nathan eyed her. “I hope the condition won’t deter you from considering the job.”
Lin’s heart sank at the prospect of restoring the yard. The old flower beds were overgrown with weeds and shrubs and bushes grew out of control and seemed to smother some of the spaces. Many of the bricks of the walkway and patio had been pushed up by years of winter frost and Lin had to be careful where she walked so she wouldn’t trip. Long vines grew helter skelter over the weedy grass … what there was of it, and they choked some of the perennials that were making a valiant effort to bloom.
“Well.” Lin looked all around.
“It’s not hopeless.” Nathan made an attempt at encouragement. “Is it?”
Lin chuckled. “No, it’s not hopeless. I’ve dealt with much worse. I’m just surprised by how far-gone it is back here.”
“The yard has been an afterthought for years. Money was an issue initially, but the museum has had some generous donations recently and the board thinks it’s time to take this space in hand.” Nathan walked with Lin around the space. The man bent to pick up some empty beer bottles. “Kids come back here some nights and smoke and drink. We’d like to put a fence around the garden and put up some security lights to discourage teens from hanging out.”
Lin could see a spot in the corner where the weeds had been trampled and squashed. Cigarette butts lay in the dirt and there were some charred logs
“I heard about that.” Libby looked annoyed. “It was never determined where the money went. Unfortunately, Marguerite was let go from her position due to the issue.” Libby looked down at her hands. “If Marguerite hadn’t lost her job, she wouldn’t have been in Boston that day. She wouldn’t have been in that car crash. She’d be alive today.”
Lin said, “Leonard bears Martha Hillman a grudge, and rightly so.” She refilled her mug. “Martha seems to have a grudge against Leonard, too.”
“I don’t care for that woman.” Libby’s face muscles tensed and she seemed to be gritting her teeth. “We need to get to the bottom of this. The robbery reflects badly on the island and gives the wrong impression of who we are. The basket exhibition was a celebration of island craft and heritage. Someone marred the joy of that with their evil deed.”
The others were quiet not knowing what to say. Nicky and Queenie sat up in the chair and watched Libby from across the room. As if to punctuate Libby’s words, Queenie let out a long, deep hiss and the dog growled low in his throat. Everyone turned with surprise to look at the furry creatures.
“Well,” Anton blinked. “The animals seem to agree with you, Libby.”
Libby’s eyes softened and the tension drained from her body as Nicky jumped down, walked across the room, and leaned his head against her leg. She reached down and stroked the dog’s soft brown fur. The woman smiled. “With all of us working together, we’ll find the person who did this … and we’re going to find that basket, too.”
8
L in didn’t want to have to find a place to park her truck so she walked into town and headed for the cultural museum to meet Nathan Long to discuss the museum’s garden needs. Viv was dying to accompany her cousin to the meeting, but they couldn’t figure out how to explain why she was there so she stayed at the bookstore and pouted.
Just as she approached the museum, a handsome, tall, fit older man stepped out from the front door and came down the steps. Dressed in tan chinos and a starched long-sleeved button-down shirt, he noticed Lin and walked over to her. “Carolin Coffin?”
Lin reached out to shake hands with the man. “Call me Lin. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Long.”
“Please call me Nathan.” He thanked her for coming to see the backyard of the museum and led her around to the rear of the building. Lin’s eyebrows shot up when she saw the mess. She wasn’t expecting such a neglected yard and garden.
Nathan eyed her. “I hope the condition won’t deter you from considering the job.”
Lin’s heart sank at the prospect of restoring the yard. The old flower beds were overgrown with weeds and shrubs and bushes grew out of control and seemed to smother some of the spaces. Many of the bricks of the walkway and patio had been pushed up by years of winter frost and Lin had to be careful where she walked so she wouldn’t trip. Long vines grew helter skelter over the weedy grass … what there was of it, and they choked some of the perennials that were making a valiant effort to bloom.
“Well.” Lin looked all around.
“It’s not hopeless.” Nathan made an attempt at encouragement. “Is it?”
Lin chuckled. “No, it’s not hopeless. I’ve dealt with much worse. I’m just surprised by how far-gone it is back here.”
“The yard has been an afterthought for years. Money was an issue initially, but the museum has had some generous donations recently and the board thinks it’s time to take this space in hand.” Nathan walked with Lin around the space. The man bent to pick up some empty beer bottles. “Kids come back here some nights and smoke and drink. We’d like to put a fence around the garden and put up some security lights to discourage teens from hanging out.”
Lin could see a spot in the corner where the weeds had been trampled and squashed. Cigarette butts lay in the dirt and there were some charred logs
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