Wilmington, NC 03 - Murder On The Ghost Walk

"I'm not planning on moving into my mother's house," I told him. "My sister thinks we should sell it."
    I recalled what Melanie said after our interview at the Magnolia Manor long-term care nursing facility. "That waterfront property will bring a couple of mil, easy."
    How, I wondered, could Melanie relinquish our mother and our family home so easily? If I couldn't hold onto Mama, I at least wanted to hang onto our family home for a while. Yet, I acknowledged that it would have to be sold to pay Mama's medical bills.
    "I know who your sister by reputation . A sharp realtor."
    The waiter brought our food. My Merlot was slightly cooler than room t emperature, just the way I like it. "How's the grouper?" I asked as I cut into my crab cake with a fork.
    "Perfect," he replied. "I like this place. I eat here often."
    For a while, we ate in silence. I felt comfortable with him and with the silence.
    Then Nick said, "Must be great living out here on the Waterway . I've thought about selling my place and buying something out here.” He smiled, showing those fatal dimples. “Actually, my dream is to live on a houseboat. Yet, that would mean that I've given up hope my dad will come home. I'm not ready to do that. Maybe they'll discover a miracle cure before it's too late for my dad and your mother." He shrugged magnificent shoulders. " Part of me knows that’s not going to happen. He's never coming home."
    We shared a common worry . I liked the way he expressed himself. I liked the way he looked. I liked the way he looked at me. I'm falling for this guy, I realized with a shock. I couldn't believe I was confiding in him, or that he was sharing his deepest feelings with me. I couldn't believe how much I liked him. But he's nice, I thought. He'd taken the trouble to shave and ch ange into a fresh shirt. I like a man who care s about his appearance.
    He interrupted my musings. "I've decided to take you up on your offer to help with the investigation. What I want you to do is safe and simple, nothing risky. That is, if you still want to help."
    Did I? There was no need for me to involve myself with a matter that might prove dangerous. Still, what better way to get an inside track on the police investigation and to learn what Nick knew. I did have a personal stake in the case: I was the one who discovered the skeletons. I felt possessive about Campbell House. And what a perfect excuse to see more of Nick.
    "Sure. I'll be glad to help in any way I can. Have you identified the victims?"
    He arched an eyebrow. He's used to being in charge. I suppressed a chuckle.
    His cell phone chirped. "Excuse me. I've got to take this."
    "Yost," he said into the phone. A few yeps followed, then, "Later."
    "Sorry about that," he said to me. "Now where were we? Oh, ye s . The murder victims. Guess it won't do any harm to tell you. That was my office. It ’ll be on the eleven o'clock news."
    "You have identified them."
    "Yes. Reggie and Shelby Campbell, the couple who owned the house."
    "So Melanie was right."
    "Well, that would be the obvious assumption, wouldn't it?"
    "Are you sure?"
    "We're sure. We were able to make positive identifications by comparing our dental X rays and bone X rays with those at a local dentist's office and with a sports medicine doctor."
    I pushed my plate away, no longer hungry. I felt a sudden chill and gulped red wine, hoping it would warm m y insides . The details of the case were grisly. Somehow hearing about the murders from the police perspective made them seem more real and menacing. Somewhere out there, a murderer was walking around scot free, a killer who had gotten away with the savage murder of two of the town's wealthiest citizens. Was the motive robbery? Was the killer someone I knew? And how dangerous would he become when the police got close?

14

    Our table overlooked the marina where yacht lights twinkled in the darkness like a swarm of lightning bugs. Across the channel, Blue Water Restaurant was lit up like a cruise ship .
    "What else have you learned?" I asked.
    He gave me a long, level look as if weighing how much he wanted to reveal.
    " OK . We canvassed Orange Street. Lucky for us, most of the homeowners who lived there six years ago are still there today, although two people did die."
    Noting my look of inquiry, he reassured me with, "Of natural causes."
    "Go on. You learned something."
    "Six years is a long time to remember the details of a particular night, that's why it's especially helpful