Beach House Mystery

Chapter 2

The wind was strong, filled with the scent of salt from the crashing waves, and Morgan Seaver looked out at the beautiful ocean with a soul-gripping hunger. She knew her feet would always keep her on dry ground; her fear of being in the water anchored her to the ground like a tree’s roots. But she didn’t mind all that much. She had the family beach house, the gardens, and a beautiful beach to call her own.

A strong gust of wind blew, and Morgan reached up, continuing her fight with the wind to keep her hair out of her eyes. The aqua strands of hair that ran across the front of her face created an eye-catching contrast to her dark hair. She had added the color on a whim, and, like so many things in her life lately, the whim had gone wrong. The color had remained permanent, changing to a brighter color as time wore on, rather than getting duller. Even the hair at the roots was still growing in the same aqua color. She couldn"t explain it, but she knew it had something to do with being back on Pearl Island and her heritage as a Seaver.

Morgan was standing on the third floor of the Seaver beach house, her family home. She stood in the middle of the widow"s walk, which gave her a bird"s-eye view of the surrounding island. To one side, Morgan could see the beautiful turquoise waters of the ocean and its beaches of white glistening sand dotted by the occasional outcroppings of large rocks. On the other side, she saw lush tropical foliage, brilliant flower colors, and her neighbors’ homes. If she listened hard, she could hear the cry of the peacocks in the garden, but today the sound of the surf muffled their cries.

"Surveying your kingdom?" an amused woman"s voice asked.

Morgan smiled to herself and felt a wave of relief wash over her. It had been several weeks since she had heard the voice, and she had been secretly afraid she would never listen to it again. As she drew in a deep breath to answer her Aunt Meredith, Morgan swore she smelled the sweet scent of her aunt"s favorite perfume mixed with the salty air.

Morgan turned to answer the shimmering form of Meredith Seaver, who sat on the bench behind her. "The island seems peaceful today. This is the way I remember starting my mornings when I was here visiting as a child."

"But you"re not a visitor anymore, are you?"

"No, I"m here to stay. Pearl Island, and all its responsibilities, is now my home."

Meredith"s shoulders rose and fell as she took a deep breath and relaxed. Morgan"s reply answered the question that had been unspoken for weeks. Ever since Morgan had responded to her aunt"s request and returned to her family home, they had both wondered if she would claim her heritage.

"I haven"t seen you in a while. I was beginning to worry you had abandoned me," Morgan said to her shimmering aunt"s form.

"I told you I would always be here when you needed me, but you haven"t needed me. You"ve been doing exactly what I would have done: getting to know the island and making new friends. Those connections are good to have. And even if you haven"t seen me, I"ve been here quietly watching,"

There was a demanding meow from the doorway of the widow’s walk, and Morgan turned to see what the fuss was about. Standing there, staring back at her, was Morgan"s long-haired tabby. The kitten was a stray who had appeared at the beach house at the same time Morgan had. They had made an immediate connection and became housemates. They called the kitten Misty because she had appeared out of the mist that first night. Although now Morgan was sure "Thief" was a more appropriate name. Misty had a bad habit of stealing shiny items that caught her eye, and Morgan had learned quickly not to leave things lying around.

"Misty knows I"ve been watching, don"t you, sweet thing?" Meredith cooed at the kitten as she walked out to stand next to Morgan, her figure almost transparent.

Morgan smiled at the sing-song voice; it was not one she often heard from her aunt. Misty seemed to nod and then reached out to swat at the hem of Meredith"s dress as it blew in the breeze. The extra toe on the kitten"s paw was visible with the movement, giving her paw the appearance of having a thumb.

"Silly cat." Morgan laughed at the expression on Misty"s face as her paw moved through the hem, catching only open air. Meredith wasn"t there in a physical form. She couldn"t be; she was dead. It was her spirit that shared the widow’s walk with Morgan and her cat.

Morgan"s attention darted from Misty and her tricks to a shout from down below. Leaning over the railing, she waved at the young man looking up at her. In one hand, he held a violin, and with the other hand he held up a brown bag. Even though there was some distance between them, Morgan knew what that brown bag contained. Gabe had been to the mainland, picking up some of her favorite bagels from a shop they both enjoyed. Although the pastry shop here on the island was fantastic, they just didn"t do bagels as this other store did.

"I see you two have the same taste for bagels as Gabe"s Uncle Dylan and I did," Meredith said. She had moved to stand next to the railing, looking over at Gabe. Her form wasn"t substantial enough for him to see from a distance; to Gabe, it would just look like a trick of the light.

"He"s adjusted well to the loss of Dylan. I think Gabe sometimes wonders why Dylan doesn"t appear to him as you do to me, but I told him what you said: that his mission in life was accomplished, while yours isn"t. That seemed to help.”

Morgan"s smile faded as she thought of the tragic death of Gabe"s Uncle Dylan. He had died trying to save her, and the guilt still haunted her.

As if she could read her mind, Meredith shook her head, reprimanding her niece. "You can"t change what has happened. Morgan, you can only go forward and follow the steps where your destiny will take you. You took the first step by making the island your home. And you have faced Cora and not backed down."

At the mention of Cora, Morgan involuntarily shivered. Twice she had confronted her, and she knew there was more to come. The legends of Pearl Island and her ancestors demanded it.

"Is that why you"re back? Is Cora up to something?" Morgan asked as she suddenly put the two things together.

Meredith slowly shook her head and looked out to sea.

"There is a disturbance in the sea, but I don"t think Cora is the cause. I feel you might need some guidance, but I"m not sure about what. We must wait and see." Turning her back to the sea, the shimmering woman spread her arms wide and smiled. "But until then, it"s a beautiful day, and you have someone waiting for you. Go, have fun. Things will happen when the time is right."

As she spoke her last words, Meredith disappeared, leaving Misty swatting at the air where she had stood.