"Hi – am I on time?"

"In, in! Get outta the cold!" He urged her inside hastily, and shut the door behind her. "You’re on time," he added, grinning. "In fact, if you’d been any earlier, I might not have been here. I had to run an errand for Mom." Joe wrapped one arm about his girlfriend’s shoulders and pulled her close for a kiss. "Close your eyes," he requested, when the kiss ended, and watched her obey. He whipped his free hand from behind his back. "Now open."

Vanessa did so, assuming an expression of surprised delight as she beheld the single red rosebud Joe was holding in front of her. "Oh, it’s beautiful!" She guided his hand closer, so she could inhale the flower’s fragrance. "Mmmmm!" She took the rose from him. "Thank you!" she breathed, kissing his cheek. "It’s wonderful!" She took another deep breath, and Joe knew his little surprise was a hit. He was glad he’d happened to think of it – and glad that the supermarket had a florist section!

"We can put it in water and you can leave it here while we’re out at the lighthouse," he suggested. "You don’t want it to get wilted, do you? Mmmm, Babe, are you always this beautiful, or is there something special going on today?" he went on, sprinkling kisses down the side of Vanessa’s face.

She laughed softly and smoothed his wavy hair. "There’s nothing special, and thank you very, very much."

Joe grinned happily and filled a glass with water for the rosebud. Then he took Vanessa’s hand and led her towards the family room where Matt was lazily watching television.

"Hi, Matt!" Vanessa smiled down at him.

Matt got up from the couch, returning the smile. Joe glanced over at the TV screen, and saw credits rolling. Matt had been watching a program about photography – one which Joe had made a valiant effort to view with him, but had found totally boring after only a few minutes! He had been delighted when Laura had requested he run to the store for her. "Matt, you watched that whole show? How could you stand it?"

"Oh, the guy had some interesting techniques," his friend said. "Even though he was about as boring as an economics teacher. The ideas were still good."

Vanessa laughed. "You’ve had experience with boring econ teachers, I take it?"

"All of ‘em. Dead boring." Matt stated succinctly. "Then again, I never did all that well in lecture classes. I’m a doer, not a listener, mostly."

"So, what are we doing?" Vanessa asked then. "Are we all still going out to Stone Point? Where’s Frank?"

"Slight change of plans, Babe," Joe told her. "You and I are going out to Stone Point. Matt and Frank – when he gets back; he had to fly an emergency run for Jack this morning – are going to take the Sleuth out into the bay. That way we can do more research on the lighthouse, and hopefully find out more about that skeleton, too. We probably won’t have to go out there more than once or twice more, unless something else comes up."

"Oh – okay." Vanessa nodded thoughtfully.

"Matt and Frank might join us later," Joe continued. "I’d like some interior shots of the keeper’s cottage, and I’d like to do a diagram, for the report…we could show where the legendary jewels were originally found, and where Johannsen’s stuff was found – and the bones, of course."

"I can do the photos, no problem, dude," Matt assured him.

"And I can do the diagram," Vanessa added. "Pictures of each of the areas would be really cool, Matt!"

"Let’s get on it, then!" Joe urged, and went to get his coat. A few minutes later, he and Vanessa bid goodbye to Matt and Laura, and headed for the lighthouse in Joe’s car.

They found the way still quite muddy, from all the rain which had fallen, and not to their surprise, also found that they weren’t the only ones there. The Bayport police department forensics team was there too.

"They must still be either freeing the rest of the skeleton, or going over the room where it was found," Joe surmised.

"I don’t care which it is, we’re going to stay out of their way," Vanessa vowed, shuddering slightly. Joe nodded agreement, giving her arm a comforting pat as they walked towards the cottage. "Let’s try upstairs, Joe. I want to look up there – maybe we’ll find some more old documents, or something. Didn’t Cherise say…" She paused, and waved. "There’s Detective Riley."

As they entered the cottage, Con sauntered over and greeted them brusquely. "Here again?….You’ll stay out of the way, right?"

Joe frowned a little, and let his lower lip protrude slightly. "I’m hurt," he pronounced. "My feelings are wounded. Con, we always stay out of the way, don’t we?"

Riley snorted. "That’ll be the day," he muttered. But a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Chuckling, Joe took Vanessa’s hand and led her to the stairs, heading for the second floor of the cottage. They stopped in one of the rooms, one which had been a bedroom, but now bore signs of being a museum exhibit – and set about their search. Bureau drawers, table drawers, bookcases – all were inspected, with both Joe and Vanessa taking great pains not to disturb anything which looked too old or fragile to be touched. They discovered the books which Cherise had mentioned two days ago – the journals of the various light keepers, which were stored inside glass-topped cases.

"You can read them," Vanessa murmured, leaning over the case and peering down through the glass. "Look, there’s one of the earlier ones…Gunnar Bergstrom." She read silently for a moment, then her eyes grew wide, and she motioned to Joe. "Joe, come look – listen to this! It’s dated in November, like now, only….‘My daughter has left me. My Emily has run away. This is certain. She has gone from me because I could not protect her from the snake. The snake who would have her despite her feelings. She has left with the boy who loves her. I woke this morning to find she was gone. I found out that Erik was gone as well. They have gone to find their happiness elsewhere. I wish them both well.’"

Vanessa raised her eyes to Joe’s face. "Emily left! Emily…disappeared!"

Joe swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. "You don’t think…?" A tiny part in the back of his mind was recalling Frank’s description of the strange girl he had glimpsed. Old-fashioned…someone from the past….

Vanessa shook her head and shrugged a little. "I don’t know. Obviously her father thought she’d eloped, not died. But – it would be an awfully spooky coincidence if the bones were anyone else’s but Emily’s, don’t you think?" She motioned to the book beneath the glass. "And look at that part – about ‘the snake.’ What if ‘the snake,’ whoever it was, was responsible for Emily’s disappearance?"

"Well, maybe," Joe conceded. "But the odd part of that theory is that the boyfriend – Erik – disappeared at the same time. What are the chances that they would both be gone at the same time, unless they left together?"

"Unless they were both murdered," Vanessa whispered.

"But would ‘the snake’ have killed both her and the boyfriend? Or maybe he took Emily away, and the bones are from Erik!"

"Anything is possible, Joe. People can do very strange things." Vanessa shook herself. "Let’s keep reading some of these journals…."

They proceeded to do just that, intrigued by the entries. One of the newer ones caught Joe’s eye. "Listen to this one, Van – from the late fifties. Guy named Creely. He took over in 1949. He mentions several different times how ‘insane ship’s captains tend to ignore stern warnings when delivered to them.’" Joe laughed heartily. "Don’t you think he sounds like he’s related to Chief Collig?"

Vanessa giggled her agreement, but kept on writing. She was taking frantic notes, copying lines from the journal she was looking at while Joe jotted his own notes from another diary. "Joe," she commented after a moment, "why do you suppose these are here, rather than in the Historical Society archives? What if something happened to them?"

Joe leaned back and regarded her thoughtfully. "Good question. I suppose it’s because they want to give the place a feeling of historical accuracy. Having the light keepers’ journals here – well, it makes them seem very real and alive, don’t you think? Makes this more like a museum than just an old, seldom-used facility."

They went back to their data-gathering, but only a few minutes later, Vanessa shook her pen, scribbled on the margin of her notebook, then swore softly beneath her breath. She searched briefly in her bag, muttering further imprecations, and then tossed it down again. "Out of ink! Joe, do you have an extra pen with you? I don’t."

He shook his head. "Sorry, Babe, no. There’s a couple in the Aztek, though, I’m pretty sure."

"All right, I’ll go and get one. Do you need anything?"

"Nope, I’m good. I’m going to finish up notes from this journal, and then I’m going to scout around up here a little more," Joe replied, concentrating on the words he was scribbling down. Vanessa kissed the top of his head fondly, and left the room. She descended the stairs and went outside to find a replacement pen.

Just as she closed the car door, pen in hand, Vanessa paused, surprised to see another car pull up the driveway and park – not Frank’s car, not Cherise’s, and not Matt’s pickup. She waited, wondering if this was another police investigator.

A stylishly-dressed woman with shoulder-length blonde hair emerged, dressed warmly against the chilly day, but wearing dark glasses, even though the sun wasn’t shining. She approached Vanessa, a smile edging the corners of her mouth.

"Hello there! Can you tell me who is in charge of this lighthouse?"

"Well, yes, but – no one who might be in charge happens to be here just now," Vanessa replied slowly. "There is a police team here, investigating…something—" she didn’t want to go into detail on this subject, just in case it wasn’t open knowledge, "—and I’m here with my boyfriend, doing research for a college project. I don’t believe the caretaker is here right now….But I can give you a telephone number…."

"Do you suppose it would be all right if I looked around a little?" the woman asked. "I’m getting married next spring," she went on, confidingly, "and it’s always been a dream of mine to get married in or near a lighthouse! Lighthouses are so intriguing, don’t you think?" she gushed. "So much personality to them, that you can’t really find anywhere else! I just thought I might get a look around before finalizing things with the Historical Society – you know, see if it’s what I really like, or if I should look at some of the other lighthouses in the area."

And what does your prospective husband think about getting married in a lighthouse? Vanessa wondered. Oh well, it really wasn’t any of her business! "I suppose it would be all right," she said aloud. "So long as you don’t touch anything, and you stay out of the rooms where the police are conducting their investigation. I could show you around, if you’d like…?" Vanessa didn’t really feel comfortable letting this person simply roam about by herself. She could take a few minutes from the research project to act as an impromptu guide.

"Why, thank you! I’d appreciate that." The woman smiled and held out her right hand, which was encased in a sleek leather driving glove. "I’m Ellen Conrad, by the way. I’d love a quick tour – I promise, I’ll get out of your way as soon as possible, but I would so appreciate a chance for a look around!"

"Vanessa Bender." Vanessa shook the proffered hand briefly. "Would you like to go into the lighthouse itself?"

"Yes, very much." Ellen smiled demurely, nodding.

Vanessa led the way to the lighthouse entrance door. She keyed the alarm code into the security panel, conscientiously using her free hand to shield the pad from Ellen’s interested, intent gaze. Why’s she staring so hard…?

Once inside the conical structure, Vanessa led the way up the staircase, showing the other woman everything and trying to remember interesting details that Cherise LeGault had mentioned.

Although Vanessa had worried about having to remind Ellen not to handle things, she noticed that this wasn’t a problem. She watched…and stared at… everything, which made Vanessa slightly uncomfortable, but she didn’t attempt to touch a thing. When they finished looking over the lighthouse, Ellen made another request.

"Could I possibly look at the keeper’s cottage too? The lighthouse itself is so very beautiful – I’ve looked at it before, at night, and it’s simply gorgeous, when the light is shining. It would be so romantic to get married that way! But I can’t decide if I’d want it at night, with the light on, or during the day…."

"Well, let’s see what the investigators say. It ought to be all right," Vanessa temporized. She led the way back down the stairs and out of the lighthouse, carefully relocking the door behind them. They proceeded into the house, where it seemed that the police investigators were finally finished. They were packing up their equipment and heading for the cars.

"Vanessa—" Con Riley motioned her over. "Tell the guys that I’ll give them a call later. I don’t have time to talk to Joe right now. And remember, you all need to come down to the station and sign those reports, okay?"

"All right, I’ll tell Joe," she acquiesced.

Ellen Conrad watched the conversation with curious interest. Vanessa, in turn, watched Ellen Conrad with a slight qualm of uneasiness. She still hadn’t removed her dark glasses, Vanessa realized, and it seemed odd. Why would she keep those dark glasses on; it’s definitely not that bright in here!

As if reading the younger woman’s mind, Ellen spoke, as Con Riley took his departure. "I’m afraid it may be a little dark in here for me. I have an eye condition that nearly causes me to go blind – temporarily – any time an unexpected light flashes in my face. I wear these sunglasses all the time now, even indoors, to protect my eyes."

"I’m sorry to hear that," Vanessa said, accepting the explanation with relief. "Is it something that can be cured, Ms. Conrad?"

"No, unfortunately," Ellen said sadly. "But I’ve gotten used to it since being diagnosed. It’s not too bad so long as I take precautions."

"Well, let’s get started—" Vanessa was about to lead the way to the kitchen area, when she heard footsteps and a plaintive call from above:

"Babe? Vanessa? I’ve gotten all my notes finished. How long does it take to get a pen, anyhow?" Joe came down the stairs, frowning in confusion when he spied his girlfriend standing near the open door with a strange woman. "Oh – sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt…."

"It’s okay. Ms. Conrad, this is Joe Hardy; Joe, Ellen Conrad. She asked me to show her around the lighthouse and cottage."

Ellen smiled, and her eyebrows rose above the rims of her dark glasses, making it evident that her eyes had widened appreciatively. "How do you do, Mr. Hardy?" she purred, shaking hands. She remained standing near Joe…a little too near for Vanessa’s comfort! "As I told Vanessa, I’m going to be married in the spring, and I’ve decided that nothing will do except that the wedding must be held at a lighthouse! So I’ve been touring the various ones in the area…doesn’t that sound like a lovely idea, a wedding at a lighthouse? What would you think of having a wedding here?"

Joe, flustered, stumbled over his reply. "Uh – I suppose it – I’ve never thought all that much about – sure, it sounds like a good idea to me!" As quickly as he could without seeming rude, Joe stepped away from Ellen’s side and moved close to Vanessa, taking her hand in his and holding on to it tightly.

"Now you both can be my tour guides!" Ellen’s voice was bright and enthusiastic. Joe and Vanessa exchanged glances, each of them wondering how they’d managed to get into this situation!

They walked through the house, and eventually ended up in the back bedroom where the skeleton had been found. The fireplace which had concealed the body had been knocked down and the bricks removed – something which, both Joe and Vanessa were sure, would upset Cherise considerably, once she knew of it! Now the only things left were a few loose bricks and the original back wall of the house.

"Heavens, what a mess!" Ms. Conrad exclaimed in shock. "It looks like a bomb went off in here!"

Joe chuckled. "Not a bomb. Something almost as destructive, though – the Bayport Police Department forensics team!"

Ellen went through every room at least twice, and although she didn’t touch anything, as she had agreed, it seemed obvious – to Vanessa, at least – that the woman was looking for something. Whether it was merely information-gathering for her wedding, or something specific, Vanessa wasn’t sure. At last, however…

"I really like this place! I’ll call the Historical Society first thing this week, and see about the arrangements for holding the wedding here!" Ellen graced them with another bright smile. "Thanks again so much for showing me around. Nice to meet you both!"

"We were glad to do it," Joe replied courteously, and he and Vanessa walked Ellen to her car.

When the woman started the motor, she pulled down the sunglasses slightly, and peered over the top, closely observing the two young people who had walked over to the lighthouse and were standing in front of it, apparently absorbed in the view of the ocean. A small smile flashed on Ellen Conrad’s face as she put the car into Drive and pulled away.

"Later…" she murmured softly, watching Joe and Vanessa in her rear-view mirror. She removed the sunglasses and tossed them onto the seat beside her – and then pulled off the blonde wig, which joined the dark glasses. She shook out her dark chestnut hair, running her fingers through it with relief. Once out of sight of the lighthouse, she drew the car to the edge of the road and took a cell phone from her bag.

"I was there and got the two-bit tour. A couple more days of surveillance ought to do it – and if those kids are still hanging around when we decide to move in…well, too bad."