would curse them. Why would she curse her friends?” I asked.
“Because we couldn’t get in there in time to save her.” Her answer was short and simple, maybe a little too simple.
“Hmm … well as you have probably guessed, we are reopening some cold cases and Muriel’s case is the first. Since you are the only witness still on the island, I’ll probably need to talk with you again.”
Janet gave me a weak smile. “I thought as much … though as I said, I don’t know what else I can add that would be helpful.”
“Who knows?” I shrugged. “Maybe now that you are thinking about it again, you will remember something that could be important.”
“Truthfully, I’m surprised you are not already familiar with the case … with Muriel being Stella’s sister and all.”
I was stunned.
Like everyone on the island, I’d heard the tales of Muriel’s murder and the haunting of Shipwreck Point, but I’d never heard anything about her being an Osborne.
Instead of admitting as much, I decided to play it off. “I just thought you would know more about the murder itself.”
“Of course I’ll help you out as much as I can … but if I were you, I’d stay away from those caves.”
Before I could ask any more questions, she jumped up to help some new customers.
8.
My thoughts were focused on the newest, Osborne family revelation when I walked into the ACMU basement office.
I was late, but just in time to run into Tim and Ayden as they were getting ready to leave.
“What’s up?” I asked, not even bothering to go to my desk.
A frown tugged at the corners of Ayden’s mouth. “Sheriff’s office called us about some items found in a dumpster near the South Point Beach State Park. It seems that some of the items have been identified as belonging to the recently deceased that were buried at Grace Point Memorial. I think we can assume there have been more grave robberies.”
It seems strange to dump these things on the opposite end of the island,” I commented, drawing my brows together.
Tim lifted his shoulders. “Let’s go see.”
My stomach knotted up at the thought of going to South Point Beach. It was way too close to the ship graveyard, which was where the ripper nearly killed me, and also where he’d kept Granny prisoner before she’d disappeared.
Pushing the feeling away, I followed the boss and Tim out the door. We had jurisdiction over the entire island, so if I were going to do my job effectively, I would need to get over my distaste for South Point.
I rode with Tim and Ayden to the state park where the items had been found. Since South Point Beach was only a couple miles from Storm Cove, we were there in no time.
One of the Sheriff’s deputies was standing guard over a dumpster.
“What do you have?” Ayden asked.
“Take a look see for yourself,” Bradley Perkins motioned toward the dumpster.
We all gazed into the dumpster at the same time, taking care not to touch it. There were some clothes and a fishing pole.
“What makes you think this stuff belongs to the recently departed?” Tim asked as he started taking pictures with his phone.
Leaning over the dumpster, Deputy Perkins pointed to the fishing pole. “That’s my gramp’s pole. He was buried with it.”
“Are you sure?” Ayden asked.
Perkins nodded. “His funeral was only a couple weeks ago. Anyway, I gave him that pole so I’m sure I’d recognize it?”
“And he was buried at Grace Memorial?”
The deputy nodded.
“Has anyone checked the cemetery yet to see if your grandfather’s grave has been disturbed?” Tim jumped in.
“Another deputy is on his way to do that now,” he replied.
“If they do find a problem there, make sure they get CSI to go over it,” Ayden reminded the Perkins.
The deputy nodded. “Sure will.”
While the boss got on his phone to call the state CSI unit to come out and process the scene, I pulled Tim aside.
“You know this has to be a necromancer. Whoever is
“Because we couldn’t get in there in time to save her.” Her answer was short and simple, maybe a little too simple.
“Hmm … well as you have probably guessed, we are reopening some cold cases and Muriel’s case is the first. Since you are the only witness still on the island, I’ll probably need to talk with you again.”
Janet gave me a weak smile. “I thought as much … though as I said, I don’t know what else I can add that would be helpful.”
“Who knows?” I shrugged. “Maybe now that you are thinking about it again, you will remember something that could be important.”
“Truthfully, I’m surprised you are not already familiar with the case … with Muriel being Stella’s sister and all.”
I was stunned.
Like everyone on the island, I’d heard the tales of Muriel’s murder and the haunting of Shipwreck Point, but I’d never heard anything about her being an Osborne.
Instead of admitting as much, I decided to play it off. “I just thought you would know more about the murder itself.”
“Of course I’ll help you out as much as I can … but if I were you, I’d stay away from those caves.”
Before I could ask any more questions, she jumped up to help some new customers.
8.
My thoughts were focused on the newest, Osborne family revelation when I walked into the ACMU basement office.
I was late, but just in time to run into Tim and Ayden as they were getting ready to leave.
“What’s up?” I asked, not even bothering to go to my desk.
A frown tugged at the corners of Ayden’s mouth. “Sheriff’s office called us about some items found in a dumpster near the South Point Beach State Park. It seems that some of the items have been identified as belonging to the recently deceased that were buried at Grace Point Memorial. I think we can assume there have been more grave robberies.”
It seems strange to dump these things on the opposite end of the island,” I commented, drawing my brows together.
Tim lifted his shoulders. “Let’s go see.”
My stomach knotted up at the thought of going to South Point Beach. It was way too close to the ship graveyard, which was where the ripper nearly killed me, and also where he’d kept Granny prisoner before she’d disappeared.
Pushing the feeling away, I followed the boss and Tim out the door. We had jurisdiction over the entire island, so if I were going to do my job effectively, I would need to get over my distaste for South Point.
I rode with Tim and Ayden to the state park where the items had been found. Since South Point Beach was only a couple miles from Storm Cove, we were there in no time.
One of the Sheriff’s deputies was standing guard over a dumpster.
“What do you have?” Ayden asked.
“Take a look see for yourself,” Bradley Perkins motioned toward the dumpster.
We all gazed into the dumpster at the same time, taking care not to touch it. There were some clothes and a fishing pole.
“What makes you think this stuff belongs to the recently departed?” Tim asked as he started taking pictures with his phone.
Leaning over the dumpster, Deputy Perkins pointed to the fishing pole. “That’s my gramp’s pole. He was buried with it.”
“Are you sure?” Ayden asked.
Perkins nodded. “His funeral was only a couple weeks ago. Anyway, I gave him that pole so I’m sure I’d recognize it?”
“And he was buried at Grace Memorial?”
The deputy nodded.
“Has anyone checked the cemetery yet to see if your grandfather’s grave has been disturbed?” Tim jumped in.
“Another deputy is on his way to do that now,” he replied.
“If they do find a problem there, make sure they get CSI to go over it,” Ayden reminded the Perkins.
The deputy nodded. “Sure will.”
While the boss got on his phone to call the state CSI unit to come out and process the scene, I pulled Tim aside.
“You know this has to be a necromancer. Whoever is
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