“So you’re saying someone broke into your house just to start a fire in the fireplace?” the officer asked, not bothering to veil his skepticism.
Maeve bit her tongue. She couldn’t mention the presence of emeralds and rubies, because she didn’t know whom she could trust in this town just yet. At the risk of sounding loony, she answered, “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
The officer shut his little notebook. “Can you think of anyone who might do such a thing?”
“Well, there is ole Larry from across the cornfield. Seems he’s always lingering near my house.”
The officer’s brow furrowed. “Larry Huskin?”
Maeve snorted. “Appropriate surname.”
Crossing his arms, he informed her, “Larry’s a good man. Always ready to help a neighbor out. Do you have a problem with him I should know about?”
Sensing she had offended him, she hesitated to tell the truth. Finally, she mumbled, “I’m just not used to people showing up unexpectedly and putting pumpkins all over my porch.”
A smile spread across the officer’s face. “Ah, he gourded you.”
“Is that a thing?”
“Means he likes you.” He walked toward the door. “I’ll be on my way now.”
“Wait! You’re not gonna talk to Larry about breaking in my house?”
He shrugged. “You have no proof it was him. I’m certainly not going to accuse one of the nicest men I know of breaking and entering.”
“You forgot arson,” Maeve added.
“If he did set the fire, he intended no harm. Whoever did it must’ve wanted you to stay warm.” He paused on the threshold and held her with his stare. “Mapletown is a friendly community, Ms. Walton. I suggest you accept our hospitality.”
Her jaw dropped as he shut the door. To no one but Ghost, she said, “Unbelievable!”
As the cruiser pulled away, Maeve flipped not only the lock on the doorknob, but also the deadbolt. She considered pulling a heavy piece of furniture in front of the door but decided to wait until right before bedtime.
She came to stand directly in front of the fiery hearth. “I can’t very well go treasure hunting now.” Not wanting to waste the firewood, she would wait for the flames to die out and the area to cool down before she went poking around in there.
“It’s just as well. I need to go grocery shopping, anyway.” Glancing at Ghost, she said, “Can’t have you eating tuna every night, now can I? I’ll see what kind of cat food looks good.”
Ghost mewled his tentative approval.
Maeve headed toward the nearest grocery store about ten minutes away. Pumpkins, hay bales, and mums lined the exterior of the building. Inside the door, she grabbed a cart and began shopping.
Every time she looked up from her task, she noticed a different shopper watching her. Not one person in the place minded the unspoken code of keeping your eyes to yourself while looking for groceries. Their gazes weren’t necessarily unfriendly. They appeared more curious than anything.
Even the cashier studied her as she placed her items on the conveyor belt. When the woman picked up the bag of cat food to scan, she smiled and said, “You must’ve met Ghost.”
Maeve’s eyes shot up in surprise. “How do you know where I live?”
With a smirk, the cashier, whose nametag read ‘Sharon’, replied, “Everyone knows where you live. You’re the brave soul who bought the Jamison house.”
Maeve narrowed her eyes. “Why do you word it like that?”
Sharon stared at her for several seconds, as if gauging how much she should say. “Several reasons.”
Maeve lifted her brows to ask for more information.
Sharon allowed a smile to form on her face. “It’s quite the project, isn’t it?”
Was that really all she meant? “I’ll admit, I’ve done a ton of work on it already, and there’s still so much to do.”
“And then there’s the stories.”
Maeve cocked her head. “What stories?”
“Old Man Jamison was rumored to be a very rich person living like he was middle class. Everyone says that he hid money all over his house because he didn’t trust banks.”
Maeve blinked to hide her surprise. “Well did anyone look in there after he died?”
“Oh, a lot of folks did. No one found anything, though. He must’ve hid it real good.”
Something about that didn’t seem right. “Did he not have any relatives to leave his money to?”
Sharon shook her head. “He drove them all away with his growing paranoia. He thought someone was breaking into his house every day. He accused all his relatives, plus just about everyone in town. They all withdrew from him.”
Maeve felt a chill course her spine. “That’s sad.”
“Sad, indeed.”
Sharon scanned the last item and announced, “That’ll be $42.85.”
Maeve handed over her card. “Did he ever find out who was breaking into his house?”
Sharon gave her an incredulous look. “No one was. He imagined it.”
Maeve paled at the revelation.
Sharon handed her the receipt. Taking note of the shift in her complexion, she asked, “Are you alright?”
“Yes. I’m fine. Thank you.” She gathered her wits, as well as her groceries, and headed for her car.