She chuckled and stuck her phone in her pocket. “Not exactly.” She thought about the book on local history and inspiration struck. “I did see a book on local history, though, and was reading about that big battle? The Hessian?”
“Oh, yes,” Kate said, grinning. “I thought you had the Look.”
“Guilty as charged.” She tried to look sheepish and was pretty sure she succeeded. “I just came from Salem yesterday. Trying to hit all the hotspots on the coast, you know.”
“I do know. I did something similar as a girl your age.” Kate nodded. “What did you want to know?”
“I’m not sure, really. I just saw something about a house that was close to the battlefield. The, uh… what was it… the Vin?—”
“The Vinke estate?”
“Yes, that’s it.” She hid her hand in her hoodie pocket, hoping its dampness wouldn’t sweat away what she’d written. “Do you know anything about it?”
“I do, but it doesn’t have anything to do with the Headless Horseman.” She reached below the line of vision of the desk, then laid a trifold brochure on the desk. An austere-looking but still elegant colonial-style building was framed by scrollwork and pretty script on the front. “You should take the tour.”
Her eyebrows rose. “The what?”
“The tour. The house is a museum now. It’s a perfect example of a farming mansion of the time. I know the van Tassels get all the fame because of the famous book, but the Vinkes did the real work around here growing the crops and raising sheep and cattle. It’s really interesting stuff.”
“Wow.” Esmie picked up the brochure and flipped it open, glancing over the text and pictures. It did look interesting, and she did need to get on the property. It was a golden opportunity. “I guess I know where I’m going next, huh?”
She checked the price and found it a perfectly reasonable fifteen dollars. She was a little disheartened that Kate said the Vinkes didn’t have anything to do with the Headless Horseman, but she thought Aaron’s instinct would prove true. The horse would surely have headed for the nearest food, drink, and shelter, and that was, according to the plat map, the Vinke estate.
“I’m so glad you came in this morning, Tilda.”
Smiling, she looked up from the brochure and, on impulse, reached across the desk for a shake. “Miss Kate, I am, too. Thanks so much for your help.”
The good lady shook, smiled, and nodded. Esmie took back her hand, waved the brochure, and left the library feeling like she had a direction. She’d intended to get the information and wait for midnight to meet up with the guys, but so much betterif she could just go to the estate and find the head herself, then meet them with it in hand. Wouldn’t that be a trip?
Grinning, she pulled up the Uber app, changed to her current location, then requested a ride to the Vinke estate and waited. The ride would cost more than the tour would, which ground her gears, but she had little choice. Her feet wouldn’t put up with much more walking around today. She had to save them for the lone walk back into the woods by the church tonight. Shehadto be alone for that part.
When her Uber arrived, it was driven by a lovely girl of color with natural hair, a large wad of neon green chewing gum, and a beautiful necklace with an ivory crescent moon pendant.
“The Vinke estate, huh? Tourist?”
“That obvious?” Esmie asked as she climbed into the back of the little Honda.
“I know the type. Around here, you’re either a Revolutionary War buff or a Headless Horseman buff. You either want to see the Vinke estate, for the history, or the old covered bridge, ‘for the history’,” she finished, making air quotes with her fingers.
Grinning, Esmie put on her seatbelt and asked, “So which are you?”
“Local.” The girl—Tatiana, if the name from the app could be trusted—glanced at her in the rear-view mirror. “Looks like you’ve had some trouble. You okay?”
“This?” She gestured at her face and huffed. “Tripped into some gravel. It hurt worse yesterday. It’s a lot better today.”
“Uh-huh. Honey, if I know one thing, it’s that no man is worth the aggravation.”
She blinked. “Huh?”
“Leave him, sweetheart. He ain’t worth it.”
Light dawned. “Oh! Oh, no, there’s no—I’m single. Painfully so, actually.” That was nothing but the truth. Her lastboyfriend… well. Joyfully in the past. “I literally fell in the gravel. Face first. That’s what I get for running. I should know better.”
Tatiana looked at her, eyes narrow, then seemed to approve of what she saw. “Well, as long as you’re alright. If you need any help, you just let me know.”
“Thank you. I promise I’m safe.”
With three Headless Horsemen who kidnapped me to the Between and with whom I’m working to find the real Headless Horseman’s head to free us all,she thought but didn’t say, for obvious reasons. But she grinned a little and looked away from the serious, probing eyes in the rear-view mirror.
