“Here! Behind the weeping angel.”
“Did you want to—” Ellery began.
Julian shook his head. “He’s not buried over there.” His smile was odd in the moonlight. “That’s Thomas Bloodworth the Third. Captain Blood isn’t buried anywhere. He went down with his ship—the Blood Red Rose.”
“That’s right.” Ellery remembered Nora’s story of how Blood’s young bride had jumped into the ocean after his ship sank.
Julian said dreamily, “According to legend, the Blood Red Rose rises from the sea on the first clear full moon after the summer solstice. She sails into the Buccaneer’s Bay, all misty silver like a cloud, and you can see Captain Blood walking her decks.”
“That would be something to see,” Ellery agreed. “Do the sightings only occur on the first clear moon after the solstice?”
“Yes. And when a member of the Bloodworth clan dies.”
Yikes.
“Then if we’re not hunting for Captain Blood, who are we hunting for?”
Julian shrugged. “We’ve got lots of family ghosts.” He added meaningfully, “And lots of family skeletons.”
“Ha.” Ellery didn’t doubt it.
“Besides. The Bloodworths don’t have a monopoly on the spirits in this graveyard. You can take your pick.”
“Believe it or not, I’m not up on all the ghosts in Pirate’s Cove.”
“To start with, there’s John Mansfield and Ann Rathbone. Rathbone jumped into the sea near Skull House after murdering Mansfield.”
“Okay, yes, I’m familiar with that story.”
“Of course. You solved the murder of Brandon Abbott.”
“Yeeah,” Ellery said uncomfortably. “I wouldn’t really say—”
Julian wasn’t listening. “There’s Rufus Blackwell. He was betrayed by his brother and hung in 1723. If you want more recent ghosts, there’s Tristan Wallace, the multimillionaire oil-and-gas magnate who disappeared off his boat about twenty years ago right off this coast. His ghost is supposed to haunt the harbor pier.”
“You certainly know a lot about the island’s ghosts.”
Julian said, “Yes. One of these days, I’m planning to write a book about all Buck Island’s hauntings.”
Ellery smiled. “Great. You can have your first signing at the Crow’s Nest.”
“I would love that.” Julian wrapped his arm around Ellery’s shoulders and gave him a quick hug. He whispered, “You want to see the family crypt?”
Ellery laughed. As romantic invitations went, Julian could afford to brush up on his technique. “Um, well… Don’t you want to look for some ghosts?”
“We can look up there.” Julian pointed to the small marble structure atop the hillock. “There’s a bench with a perfect view of the cove. If Captain Blood should decide to make an appearance tonight, we’ll have a front row view.”
“Wouldn’t that mean someone in the Bloodworth clan has to die?”
Julian said bleakly, “I can think of someone I wouldn’t mind not seeing at breakfast tomorrow. Not that he’s ever up for breakfast.”
Ellery had no response to that, and he didn’t resist the gentle tug Julian gave him.
They wandered through the headstones, not speaking. Julian seemed to know his way even in the dark. That wasn’t exactly amazing. Not only was his family buried here, he had probably played in the old cemetery growing up. Kids would find it a cool place, with all the old statues of marble angels and robed mourners and tall stone crosses.
“What’s that?” someone called from a few yards away.
“Where?”
“Over there. I see a figure.”
“It’s just the mist.”
“No. No, look. It’s a figure. By that stone coffin. It’s moving. It’s trying to hide!”
Ellery began, “I think they mean us—”
But his words were cut off as Julian kissed him.
It wasn’t totally a surprise. He could hardly have missed Julian’s continued efforts to position himself, the octopusian meanderings of his arm, the way he leaned in and out as he tried to decide between whispering sweet nothings or just going for it. Inevitably, he was going to go for it, and Ellery was okay with that. They were in a pretty good place for it, sheltered as they were between a stalwart bronze of one of Pirate Cove’s founding fathers and a narrow tomb about the size of a small toolshed.
Ellery liked Julian and found him attractive, but he had pretty much already made up his mind that Julian was not for him. The last half hour of wandering through the graveyard while Julian made cryptic pronouncements had cemented his feelings.
However, he was curious, so he let Julian kiss him—and he kissed Julian back.
It was nice. A sweet kiss. Julian was eager but tentative, and even when he got encouragement, he was very gentle, maybe a little shy. There was nothing not to like in that warm, diffident press of mouth to mouth.
“I can’t believe you’re really here,” Julian whispered when their lips parted.
Which, frankly, neither could Ellery. Not that he hadn’t done plenty of kissing in graveyards—those scenes were a staple of the Happy Halloween! You’re Dead flicks—but it was definitely different with lights and reflectors and cameras and crew.
He opened his mouth to say something tactful when, just like in the Happy Halloween! You’re Dead movies, a figure seemed to materialize from the shadows. However, unlike in the movies, it was not a vengeful ghost or an ax-wielding maniac. Oh no, it was much worse.
It was Jack.
Julian jumped guiltily. “I didn’t see you there, Chief!”
Jack ignored him. “Man overboard?” he suggested to Ellery. His tone was wry.
Where did Jack get off being wry about Ellery’s dating decisions? Ellery demanded, “What the heck are you doing lurking there, Jack?”
“Trying to avoid the two of you.” Jack sounded nettled, “And I wasn’t lurking. I tried clearing my throat.”
“I-I thought you were a yellow-crowned night heron…” Julian faltered, and Ellery began to splutter.
Jack, being Jack, couldn’t be discomfited for long. Even so, there was a note of something in his curt, “Apologies. I didn’t mean to intrude.” His figure melted into the shadows.
Was that hurt he heard in Jack’s tone? No way. Not Jack.
It took Julian a moment to regain his composure. He gave a shaky chuckle. “He scared the hell out of me. I thought he was Captain Blood’s ghost for sure.”
Ellery forced a laugh. It was a ridiculous situation, yet he felt awkward, almost guilty. Which made no sense, given how clearly Jack had indicated he wasn’t interested in kissing Ellery.
Julian captured Ellery’s hand again, and they continued up the stone walk to the baroque marble structure at the top.
The Bloodworth crypt was larger than Ellery had expected. In fact, it was technically a mausoleum, with half the structure built underground. The aboveground portion was a grand design of square columns and curved walls. A pair of weirdly devious-looking angels seemed to shelter in the two front niches flanking the arched stone door within its dim recess.