Maddy shrieked in genuine fear.
Wilder’s cane dropped from her hand. Her smile disappeared. For the first time since she stepped foot on the Calvert property, she looked genuinely scared.
A dog from somewhere on the property began barking furiously.
"That’s....that’s...." Mr. Calvert couldn’t finish his words. He turned and fled.
Rochelle grabbed Wilder and Maddy’s hands. "What are you waiting for? Run. That’s Big Bone Mac; we buried him last week. There really are ghosts here."
The buyer’s face turned white. Then he let out a noise that sounded like a strangled goose.
"This place is weird. I don’t want it anymore." He spun and sprinted toward his luxury car. He was so fast that he passed the two old women, Maddy and Mr. Calvert who had fallen twice while escaping.
He made it to his car and screamed at the driver. "Drive, hurry. Get me out of here."
As soon as he closed the car door, the car fishtailed through the gravel like it was escaping an alien invasion.
When his vehicle disappeared down the road, the women stopped running.
"Why are we stopping?" Maddy screamed.
Wilder scoffed. "Because I don’t believe in ghosts or zombies. Mermaids are real, but not that other nonsense. Besides, if Big Bone Mac truly came back as a ghost, he would not haunt the Calvert property, he would go after Betsy Wong, his wife. Just two days after his funeral and she moved in with Mr. Lang who owns the paint shop on 24th street. They must have been cuddling long before he died."
The old women walked back with determined looks in their eyes. Maddy, who was trembling, had no choice but to follow.
Indeed, when they returned, they found the figure in the woods peeling off a fake beard.
Maddy blinked. "Dad?"
Victor grinned. He shrugged off the dirty coat. "I drove here as soon as Donovan told me what you were up to. He figured you would use the haunting excuse. I arrived when Maddy was in tears and figured out that your plan was not going as expected."
Rochelle shook her head, grinning widely. "I almost jumped out of my own skin!"
Wilder burst out laughing. "Hot damn! We scared poor Calvert and his buyer right into next week."
Victor shook his head and chuckled. "The things we do for family."
They all laughed for a moment because they too thought what they had done was crazy. Then, they left the Calvert property. A silent agreement was made in the car. Until Claire owned the land, they would have to keep playing games to dissuade other buyers.
Was it honorable?
No.
Was it worth it?
Yes.
**
After tying her boat at the dock, Claire waved at her grandfather Donovan. She was smiling as well--but it was a tired smile. Her fishing trip had lasted longer than she originally planned. It was already past lunch and her stomach was rumbling in distress.
Hardly had she taken a step towards Donovan when a group of people led by Apollo filled the space. Behind them, another group was rushing over. There was also a third group, just three men in suits who were trying to outrun each other.
"Miss Dane, over here," someone shouted.
"I just want all your shrimp. Leave the shrimp for me," another screamed.
As a seller, Claire was of course excited to see eager buyers. This meant ready money. It meant word about her premium products was spreading and she wouldn’t need to run around searching for buyers anymore.
Donovan climbed onto the boat. He stood on the deck with a megaphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, no shoving. We are civilized humans, not a pack of starving wolves. "This is not a giant fishing vessel so there is only so much to go around. Why doesn’t Claire tell you what she has, and you can all decide how to divide it among yourselves."
Grumbles of discontent filled the air.
"Money should talk. The deepest pockets should have first pick," a woman in a chef’s uniform said loudly.
Claire recognized her from the fishing auction. This same chef had been outbid on shrimp by the same man that was now shouting about how he wanted all her shrimp.
Apollo stepped up, proud and bored. "If money is talking, the Ashford group will go first then. I am sorry to disappoint you, but we are taking everything. We already had a deal with Miss Dane and a ready contract that is only lacking her signature. I don’t know how the rest of you found out that she would be here, but you have sunbathed for nothing." He spread his arms out. "Don’t blame your loss on money, blame it on your lack of good looks and charm. Miss Dane has me as her man. She goes to the sea; I buy what she catches. At night, we count our money and ---"
Claire whacked him over the head, cutting off his stupid speech effectively. "I will throw you into the water and fish you out with a net," she hissed.
Apollo replied smugly, snaking his hand around her waist. "Babe, I don’t think that threat is as scary as it sounds in your mind." He looked at the hopeful buyers that were still glaring at him. "See what a good relationship we have? I bet your wives or husbands don’t look at you the way she looks at me."
Donovan rolled his eyes.
A voice came from the crowd. "She looks like she wants to kill you."
Apollo lowered his sunglasses to the tip of his nose. "Kill me with love, you mean." He chuckled. "Don’t be bitter because you don’t have the kind of connections to Claire I do." He blew a kiss at the crowd, like a singer whose concert had just ended with a staggering applause.
In that moment, a good number of people wanted to whack Apollo the same way Claire had done.
Claire bared her teeth at Apollo. "One more word..."
Apollo backed away, but he kept that sly grin on his face. "We want seventy percent of your catch." He raised his voice. "Top dollar everyone. No cheating my wife. No bargaining. Yes, she is my wife, remember that when you come to do business with her. Those wishing to engage in long term business should consider signing contracts with her. Next time, the Ashford group will not give up the goods it rightfully bargained for."
Claire’s hands shook with a desire to give him another beating. And yet, as annoying as he was, Apollo was still spot on with the need for contracts. Rather than drive to the sea food terminal, hoping to find buyers, it was best to have ready buyers. He was helping her build her own formal business channels.
And he was also loudly proclaiming that the Ashford group was backing her. It was a warning.
Still, she really wanted to whack him over the head again.