She watched as Chris walked to the gate at the end of the driveway and opened it. A few moments later she spied Hunny coming outside through the doggy door. Chris opened his vehicle’s passenger door for the dog, who then jumped into the car. Pearl continued to stand at the window. She watched Chris back his car out of the driveway a few minutes later, taking his dog and suitcases with him.
She turned from the window and picked up the newspaper she had set on her dresser earlier that morning. Turning to the article about her neighbor, she reread the piece. It was an interview with Walt Marlow. Apparently his book was actually being made into a movie, and in a few days the producer, director, several movie stars, and others were coming to Frederickport and staying at Marlow House.
“I don’t know why I bothered getting that darn bed and breakfast closed down,” Pearl said angrily as she tossed the newspaper in her wastebasket by the dresser. “They keep finding loopholes and continue to bring more unwanted traffic to the neighborhood.”
She looked back to the window, thinking about those suitcases she had seen Chris load into his car.
OFFICERS BRIAN HENDERSON and Joe Morelli sat in the police car, preparing to go out on patrol. Brian was about to slip the key in the ignition when Joe said, “There’s the Marlow Packard.”
Brian looked up and spied the vintage black Packard pulling into the police department parking lot. He sat there and watched as Walt and Danielle got out of the car a few minutes later. From what he could tell, they had not noticed him and Joe sitting in their vehicle.
“Why does he dress like that?” Joe asked in disgust.
Brian chuckled and glanced to Joe and then back to Walt and Danielle, who were now walking to the front door of the station. “I assume you’re talking about Walt Marlow?”
“For one thing, that hat. What is that about? Who wears hats like that anymore?”
Brian shrugged. “You have to admit it looks good on him.”
“What kind of hat is that, anyway?” Joe asked.
“I think it’s called a fedora.”
“And doesn’t he ever wear jeans like a normal person?” Joe asked.
“Jeans would look silly with a fedora,” Brian said. “Although, I’m fairly certain I’ve seen him wear jeans before.”
“Maybe. But most of the time he’s wearing a suit. Who wears a suit all the time if they don’t have to?”
“He’s not always wearing a suit.”
“Practically,” Joe grumbled.
“Why does it bug you so much? You don’t still have a thing for Danielle, do you?”
“No!” Joe snapped.
“Then what is it?” Brian asked.
After a moment of silence, Joe said, “It’s Kelly.”
“Kelly?”
“Yeah, the last time we went shopping in Portland, she dragged me into a shop selling men’s suits. I told her I didn’t need a new suit, and then she suggested I start dressing a little less casual when I’m off work.”
Brian started to laugh.
“Oh, shut up,” Joe snapped.
When Brian finally stopped laughing, he said, “You have to admit he always looks so natural—comfortable—dressed like that.”
“Looks like a gangster from the twenties.”
“Kind of reminds me of my grandfather,” Brian muttered, shoving the key into the ignition.
“Your grandfather? Your grandfather was a gangster?”
“No. My grandfather was a sharp dresser. He was probably born around the same time as the original Walt Marlow.”
“You’re calling Walt Marlow a sharp dresser?” Joe asked, sounding incredulous.
“You’ve got to give the guy credit; he’s playing up this author role to a T. Remember when we first met him, before his accident? He certainly didn’t dress this way back then.”
“So that’s what you think this is, him dressing for a part?” Joe asked.
“Maybe, it also goes with the Packard,” Brian said as he turned on the ignition. “Or maybe Clint has been possessed by the spirit of the original Walt Marlow.”
WALT AND DANIELLE sat in Police Chief MacDonald’s office with the door closed. They occupied the two chairs facing the chief, who sat behind his desk.
“A murder?” MacDonald repeated.
“He said there might be a murder—or several,” Danielle told him.
“Let me get this straight…” the chief began, his hands now folded on the desk before him as he straightened in his chair. “A ghost—of someone you have never seen before—barged into your kitchen this morning and told you someone—or several people might be murdered, yet he didn’t know who they might be, and that he himself had been murdered, but he didn’t want to tell you who the killer was—or who he is—because he didn’t want to get the killer in trouble?”
Danielle nodded. “Yeah, pretty much.”
The chief groaned.
“Chris is convinced this has something to do with the people who’ll be staying with us,” Danielle explained.
“The movie people,” the chief muttered.
“According to the ghost, this all started with my book. But none of it makes any sense,” Walt said.
“No, it doesn’t,” the chief agreed. “And I’m not sure what you expect me to do with any of this.”
“We wanted to give you a heads-up,” Danielle told him.
“I think you just want to torment me,” the chief grumbled.
“I’m sorry, Ed,” Walt said. “Danielle felt she needed to say something to you, but I told her there wasn’t anything you could do.”
“I figured we owe it to you to keep you in the loop,” Danielle argued.
“And this is pretty darn loopy,” the chief replied.
Danielle slumped back in the chair. “I wish there was something we could do, in case he’s right.”
“You could always ask them not to stay with you. But I doubt that’s the answer,” the chief said.
“No, it isn’t,” Danielle agreed. “Walt and I already discussed it. I don’t think we have enough to warrant canceling their trip—after all, this is only Chris’s theory. And how credible is the ghost?”
“And we also realize that if someone is intent on killing someone, they don’t need to be at Marlow House to do it. If we come up with an excuse, saying they can’t stay with us, it doesn’t mean we prevent a murder,” Walt added.
“Tell me again, who all are coming?” the chief asked.
“The producer and her husband, along with the director and his wife,” Walt began.
“The producer is a woman?” the chief asked.
“And why shouldn’t she be a woman?” Danielle asked.
The chief shrugged. “No reason.”
“Seraphina Bouchard,” Walt continued.
“Ahh yes, you mentioned that before.” The chief grinned. “She has an amazing voice.”
“I know. Walt’s agent was thrilled they got her to play the jazz singer. This will be her second movie,” Danielle said.
“Who else?” the chief asked.
“Beatrice Adair. She’s backing the film,” Walt explained.