The Haunted Fire (A Lin Coffin Mystery Book 17) by J A Whiting

Author:J A Whiting [Whiting, J A]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: J A Whiting Books and Whitemark Publishing
Published: 2023-10-06T16:00:00+00:00

13

The young woman navigated the quaint Nantucket streets with Nicky trotting next to her. Lin, with her hair pulled back into a ponytail, walked at a brisk pace toward Viv's house for dinner. Jeff and John were working late so the cousins decided to eat on Viv’s deck and enjoy the evening together. Lin was eager to spend some quiet time relaxing with Viv.

As Lin and the dog turned the corner into her cousin's neighborhood, she glanced at the burned house just a few doors up from her destination. The home’s blackened walls caused her heart to beat a little faster, and she felt a chill in the air despite the warmth of the late May evening.

The scent of charred wood and smoke still lingered even though the fire had been extinguished days before. It was an unsettling reminder of how quickly tragedy could strike in their small island community. As Lin moved closer, she saw that the once vibrant garden surrounding the home was now suffocated by ash and soot.

From across the street, she paused for a moment, studying the wreckage. The skeletal remains of the house stood like a dark sentinel against the peaceful backdrop of the setting sun. Windows stared back at her, shattered and empty, as if the house itself were mourning its loss. The jagged remnants of the roof jutted out at odd angles, evidence of the raging inferno that had consumed it.

Her heart sank as she tried to shake off the heaviness of the scene. Lin breathed in deeply, attempting to focus on enjoying a nice evening with Viv. Just as she was about to head toward her cousin’s house, movement caught her eye and she spotted a slender man standing near the burned house, seemingly absorbed in examining the charred remains. Intrigued, she paused and watched him from where she and Nicky stood across the street.

The man appeared to be in his late thirties or early forties. He had sharp cheekbones and his ash-blond hair fell across his forehead, partially obscuring his eyes. He wore a long, dark sweater that seemed out of place on such a warm evening. His posture seemed tense with his hands buried deep in his pockets, weight shifting uneasily from one foot to the other, as though he could not decide whether he should stay or go.

Why would someone be so engrossed in the burned ruins of a house? Maybe he was a journalist looking to document the aftermath of the fire for a news story, or maybe he was a neighbor, mourning the loss of his friends’ house … although Lin didn’t think she’d ever seen him before.

As she watched, she noticed that the man would occasionally glance around as if checking to make sure no one was watching him. His demeanor suggested something more than mere journalistic interest or neighborly concern.

Her thoughts raced, and as she continued to observe him from a distance, she felt a growing sense of unease. Was it her imagination or did

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