The Ghost from the Sea (12 page)

G
ripping
anger used to make Danielle cry. When debating topics she felt passionate about, tears would swell. It was a trait she loathed—one she had worked years to suppress. Yet now, sitting at the table in the back office of the Frederickport Museum, she battled tears. How could she ever explain her outrage at their slander of her dear friend, Walt Marlow? A man who had died before anyone at this table had even been born.

Taking a deep breath, Danielle willed herself to calm down. Her heart continued its rapid beating, but the threat of tears receded. Once again, she was in control of her emotions.

“I guess I'll have to read that diary myself,” Danielle said with supreme calm.

“Then you'll see what I'm saying,” Jolene piped up.

Ignoring Jolene, Danielle looked at Ben and said, “I've decided it would be best if I loan the emerald to the museum for their exhibit.”

“Loan it? Are you saying you no longer intend to donate it?” Steve asked.

“I may eventually. Just not now.” Danielle smiled politely.

Jolene looked from Millie to Ben. “I don't understand. I thought you said she was donating the emerald, not loaning it.”

Ben studied Danielle for a moment. When their eyes met, he gave her a smile. “The emerald belongs to Danielle; she's obviously free to do with it whatever she wants. It'll be a wonderful exhibit for the museum, even if it's just on loan. That's not really so unusual.”

“Maybe not unusual, but we can hardly purchase land for a new museum with someone else's emerald,” Jolene snapped. All eyes flashed to her.

“Excuse me? Who said anything about selling the emerald to buy land?” Danielle asked. “The understanding was the emerald would be on display with the Eva Thorndike portrait.”

“And it would. But eventually, if we found a buyer for it, I'm sure even Eva Thorndike would rather see the emerald put to better use. If we're lucky, the buyer might be willing to keep it on display for a while. Displays rotate all the time at museums. Certainly, you didn't expect the historical society to hold onto the emerald indefinitely, did you?” Jolene asked.

“Of course we were going to talk to you about it first,” Steve assured her. “We would never accept such a donation without full disclosure of our intentions. In fact, that's why we're here today. To discuss what we had in mind for your most generous donation.”

Millie added, “I know your bed and breakfast is in Walt Marlow's home, and you have a sense of loyalty to his memory. But we can't really rewrite history to fit what we wish it was. That would be going against everything the historical society stands for.”

“I agree,” Danielle said with a nod. “I would never expect the museum to present fairytales to its visitors. But the information I've uncovered about Walt Marlow's death does not support suicide. Talk to Joe Morelli. He reviewed the coroner's report. Walt Marlow was murdered. Even Emma Jackson verified the fact Walt Marlow's brother-in-law was in Frederickport when Walt was murdered.”

“That old colored woman?” Jolene said with a snort. “What is she, 120 or something?”

“I don't think they call them colored anymore,” Millie said with a gentle scold.

“Oh pshaw. Fact is, Emma Jackson had no business living in Oregon back then. Nothing but a lawbreaker. Not someone whose word I'm going to take,” Jolene insisted.

Danielle noted the uncomfortable glances exchanged between the other board members as they looked from Jolene to Danielle.

“You aren't seriously condoning a law that made it illegal for black people to live in Oregon, are you?” Danielle asked incredulously.

Jolene shrugged indifferently. “I had nothing to do with that law; I wasn't even born yet. But it was the law at the time, and the fact she was living in Oregon when it was in effect makes her a lawbreaker. It may be unpleasant, but it's true. Just like with Walt Marlow. Just because you'd rather believe he was murdered than did something as sinful as commit suicide doesn't change the facts.”

“No, the facts support murder, not suicide,” Danielle said with forced calm.

Jolene stood abruptly and looked at Danielle. “I won't belabor our obvious differences in opinion regarding historical fact and conjecture.” She turned her attention to the other board members. “If Ms. Boatman won't be donating the emerald to the historical society, I see no reason for me to stay. You certainly don't need me to confer on a simple loan to the museum. Although, I'm not sure why we spent so much money for a display case for something she can remove at any time.”

“
T
hat was pleasant
,” Ben said dryly after Jolene left the office a few minutes later.

Millie let out a weary sigh. “I forgot how Jolene can be a little difficult sometimes.”

“I really did not expect it to go this way today,” Steve added. “I don't know Jolene that well. She moved from Frederickport not long after I moved here. I really thought she'd be an asset to the historical society, considering her ancestors were Frederickport pioneers. But I really was surprised at her defense of Clarence Renton. I'm sorry, Danielle. I had no idea she'd carry on like that.”

“I have to admit, that surprised me too,” Millie conceded.

“I wish I could say I was surprised,” Ben confessed. “Fact is, I was a little concerned about what she might say if Clarence was brought up.”

“Why didn't you say anything?” Millie asked.

Ben shrugged in response.

“I'm not trying to be difficult about the Thorndike emerald,” Danielle spoke up. “I hope you can understand, but I do feel a loyalty toward Walt Marlow, and if the museum portrays him unfairly—then I have to reevaluate my support of the historical society.”

“Are you saying you won't support the historical society if you don't get your way?” Millie asked.

“Absolutely not. But Millie, you know the facts are there. Walt Marlow did not commit suicide. To tweak the story because you imagine it might increase traffic to the museum is just as wrong as me expecting the museum to alter history because I prefer another version.”

“To be honest, I think Danielle's version is more interesting,” Steve spoke up.

“And what is Danielle's version?” Millie asked impatiently.

“That for years everyone believed Marlow killed himself, and then Danielle uncovered new information that suggested Marlow's wife and brother-in-law conspired to kill him,” Steve explained.

“But isn't that what we're saying?” Millie asked.

“Not exactly,” Ben admitted. “We have been leaning a bit back to the suicide story—suggesting to our visitors its still an unsolved mystery.”

“It is,” Millie said stubbornly.

Danielle shook her head. “No it's not, Millie.”

Steve let out a sigh and glanced at his watch. “I really need to get going. I promised my wife I'd finish painting the den.”

“I need to go too. What did you decide about the emerald?” Millie asked.

Danielle glanced from Millie to Steve, considering the question.

Ben stood up. “Why don't you two go? I'll stay here and discuss the emerald with Danielle. I think for now it would be best if it was simply on loan with the museum, until Danielle feels more comfortable.”

“I also have some questions for you about that diary,” Danielle told him.

“
S
o what do
you want to know about the diary?” Ben asked Danielle after Millie and Steve left. The two sat alone in the museum office.

“Why do you think Walt Marlow killed those people?” Danielle asked. “I can't believe he would do something like that. You mentioned you read something in the diary that supports that theory. What?”

“The diary belonged to Ethel Pearson, a close friend of Thelma Templeton,” Ben began. “One of the women who was killed on the Eva Aphrodite.”

“I guess the chief has talked to you about what they found.”

“Yes. Those people had been shot. Murdered.”

“Thelma is related to Jolene?”

“Yes, by marriage. Jolene's paternal grandfather was Ralph Templeton. Ralph's brother was Howard Templeton. Howard was married to Thelma. Howard and Thelma were on the Eva Aphrodite when it went down.”

“What does Ethel's diary have to do with any of this?”

“There was an estate sale a few months back. Someone came across the diary, realized its author had lived in Frederickport during the year she wrote in it, so they donated it to the museum.”

“Certainly Ethel didn't know Thelma had been murdered.”

“No. And I didn't either when I first read the diary. But after Chief MacDonald came into the museum asking about the Eva Aphrodite, I told him about what I'd read in the diary.”

“Which was?”

“Ethel suspected Thelma was having an affair. She confronted her several times, and finally Thelma confessed, telling her she was secretly seeing Walt Marlow.”

“How does that make Walt a killer?”

“According to Ethel, Thelma's lover had gotten violent. Apparently, Ethel walked in on her when she was dressing, and she was covered with bruises. At first, she thought Howard was responsible. This was before Ethel knew of Thelma's affair.”

“Are you saying Walt Marlow was physically abusive to his lover?”

“It does happen.”

Danielle shook her head. “I don't believe that. Walt would never hit a woman.”

Ben laughed. Noting Danielle's lack of shared amusement, Ben stopped laughing. “I'm sorry Danielle, but you have to admit, your defense of a man who died almost a hundred years ago is a little amusing. Perhaps even a little disturbing.”

“Disturbing, how?”

“For one thing, you're living in his house. Perhaps you're a little too wrapped in the past. Whatever Walt Marlow may have done is ancient history. While I'm a lover of history, I find it best to look back with a critical, objective eye. If not, then those sins of our fathers will do nothing but weigh us down.”

“Fine.” Danielle let out a deep breath. “Let's say Walt Marlow was having an affair with Thelma Templeton, and he liked to smack her around. Where does that lead to him ordering the hit—assuming he didn't do the job himself—of his yacht's crew and all its passengers?”

“For one thing, according to Ethel, Thelma was upset because Walt was trying to break it off. She told Ethel, he didn't know who he was dealing with.”

“So? Walt wanted to end the affair. Why kill Thelma?”

“According to her diary, Ethel couldn't understand why her friend was so upset about losing a lover who beat her. She also wrote about how Thelma had the upper hand, considering Ralph's involvement with Walt Marlow.”

“Ralph? Jolene's grandfather? What do you mean his involvement with Walt?”

“Ralph and his brother Howard had inherited their family's business. That's where Jolene inherited her money. When Jolene said her husband loved to fish, she wasn't kidding. He was never much of an attorney. But considering Jolene's family money, he didn't need to be.”

“You're losing me here; what does this have to do with Walt?”

“It was common knowledge, according to the diary, that Walt and Ralph—Jolene's grandfather—were working on some business deal, and Howard wasn't sold on it. Had Thelma gone to her brother-in-law, confessed the affair, convinced Ralph that Walt had seduced her, he would have probably ended the business association with Walt, and possibly done more to hurt him. Jolene's grandfather was known for being rather ruthless.”

“So you think Walt killed all those people, so Ralph wouldn't discover his affair with his sister-in-law?”

“It also got Howard out of the way. He was not in favor of the business alliance between his family and Walt. He may have been an occasional customer on Walt's party boat; they weren't friends. And after the Eva Aphrodite went missing and everyone on board was declared dead, Walt and Ralph formed a brief business alliance.”