The Haunted Valentine (A Lin Coffin Mystery Book 7) by J A Whiting

Author:J A Whiting [Whiting, J A]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Whitemark Publishing
Published: 2017-08-15T23:00:00+00:00

14

At the Whaling Museum in Nantucket town, Lin and Jeff mingled with some people they knew at the evening charity event held to support the island arts community. The building that housed the museum was built around 1846 and was originally a candle factory. The museum was created to display whaling artifacts and to provide information on the history of the whaling industry. In the beautifully restored building, a 46-foot skeleton of a Sperm whale hung suspended from the ceiling in the main exhibition hall. No matter how many times Lin had visited the museum, the sight of the breathtaking skeleton still inspired awe, mixed with a little bit of an eerie feeling from witnessing the whale in such an unnatural location, seemingly swimming through the air.

Wearing a yellow and white sleeveless dress, Lin held Jeff’s arm as they walked around greeting friends and acquaintances in the hall of white cloth-covered tables and chairs. The room was decorated with an abundance of floral arrangements and small, glimmering tin lanterns had been placed on the tables and hung here and there along the walls. Waitstaff carried silver trays with drinks and appetizers and several stopped to offer some of the selections to the couple.

Viv, John, and their band had been booked to provide one of the three musical performances of the evening. As the guests enjoyed the drinks, appetizers, and desserts, their band finished the set to rousing applause and Viv, breathless, hurried over to join her cousin.

“Gosh, that went great. I’m so pleased.” Viv brushed her bangs back from her forehead and her blue eyes sparkled. “I was so nervous when we started.”

“You were terrific.” Lin beamed with pride at her cousin’s musical ability. “I’ve never heard you sing better. The crowd really enjoyed the set.”

“Now I can relax.” With a smile, Viv took a glass of sparkling champagne from the waiter’s silver tray and took a long sip as she surveyed the chattering crowd. When she spotted Jeff and John engrossed in conversation with an older man, she asked, “Who are Jeff and John talking with?”

Lin glanced in the direction that Viv was looking. “He’s a developer. Joseph something-or-other. He does a lot of restoration of historic homes. They’re all talking about working together.”

Viv let out a soft squeal. “John’s talked to me about him. His name is Joseph Hickey. He’s a multi-millionaire businessman. If they can team up with that guy, it would be very lucrative for them.”

A tall, thin, older man in his late sixties wearing a dark suit approached the young women. His blue eyes were light in color and his brown hair, cut close to his head, was mixed with silver. The man’s face was kind and he had a gentle manner as he gave Viv a smile and a nod.

“I enjoyed your music,” he said softly. “You have a lovely voice.”

Viv blushed and extended her hand. “Thank you so much. I’m Vivian Coffin.”

“I used to play the violin.” The man shook his head slowly with a look of regret on his face.

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