The Corpse with the Crystal Skull

by Cathy Ace

  Possibly because he saw I was distracted, Bud picked up the conversation. “Your late husband must have been an extraordinary man, Nina. Is that a photograph of your wedding?” It was his turn to stand and he picked up a silver-framed photograph that sat atop a Steinway grand piano; at Nina’s bidding he brought it across the room to her.

  She took it from him, and gazed at it with a sad smile. “Such a man. Yes, my Luca.” She returned the photo to Bud, who showed it to John and Jack. “He was older than me, of course, but good for me. I never wanted for anything with him. I was always his first thought. My life ended when he died.”

  Posh mausoleum, I thought.

  We all nodded sympathetically. “How did you meet?” asked Bud, using his most charming tone.

  Nina replied, “You do not want to hear this story.” Her sparkling eyes and coquettish smile screamed that she was desperate to tell it.

  We all encouraged her, and her body language told me she was loving every moment of attention. Arnold refilled her glass, and moved among us, topping up ours as he passed. Nina settled herself and launched into what I expected would be a much-told tale.

  “It was 1956, and I was sixteen, just a girl, really. I was walking along the road from the village to my home when a large car stopped and a man in a silk suit got out. He asked for directions, then asked my name. He then enquired where I was going, and invited me to ride to my house in his car. I accepted.” She paused and cocked her head. “I was a simple village girl, you see, I did not know that I shouldn’t get into a car with a man in a silk suit. This was not something my parents had ever told me to not do.” She smiled impishly.

  We all laughed politely. I had a feeling this was an even more well-worn account than I’d initially imagined.

  She continued, “The man spoke with my parents, and it was agreed that I was to travel to Roma with him to work in the movies. He knew everyone, he said, and I would become a great star.” She shrugged. “This is not how things went, of course. My parents and I were naïve. I had to endure much when I arrived in Roma. But that is not of any importance. What is important is that I managed, by doing what I had to do, to get myself into movies, in small parts. I knew that once I could show people how I looked on screen that they would want to put me there more and more. And so it went. I worked a good deal, and I became popular at parties, too, because all of us who worked at the Cinecittà Studios lived this way – work and fun. We were young, we were beautiful; it was before Fellini made La Dolce Vita by a few years, but his movie was certainly inspired by the lives we were all leading at that time. It captured the spirit of those days very well. It was at one of the parties we girls would be invited to attend that I met Luca. He stood away from the crowd, and I found that interesting. He found me interesting too. We clicked. It was love! We began to see each other from then on – just each other, no other people – and he spoiled me with so many wonderful gifts. When he asked me to marry him a few months later I agreed, and I also agreed that I would give up my acting career to be his wife. We would build a home together, and live happily with many, many children. But the children never arrived, so we decided to enjoy a different type of life. As you see, we did just that.”

  We all acknowledged how wonderful the story was, and how marvellous it must be to experience love at first sight.

  “Why here?” asked Jack. “I mean, of course, Jamaica’s a beautiful place, but how did you come to choose this island, and this spot?”

  Nina was in her element. “We rented apartments in Rome, then Paris, then Zurich. We moved about, always with Luca working, working. He traded goods everywhere, and constantly flew all over the world. But I was bored; I knew we had enough money for him to not work as much, but I did not know how to get him away from all his business contacts. Then we came here to stay with some people Luca had met on one of his many trips to Washington, in America. They had built a new house just along the coast, on the hillside. They liked the view, and the winds, and did not care for the beach, you see. I adore the beach, and the sea, and quickly discovered I did not care for them, but they had wonderful neighbors, and the parties were very enjoyable. There was a great deal of freedom here, more than in Europe. People could be themselves – their true selves – in Jamaica, so they were happier all the time. I convinced Luca we should buy land and build our home here. This parcel became available, and we began our Great Project. I still love this place, though I am happier when I have guests than when I am alone.”

  “It’s a wonderful house, sure enough,” said Sheila. “You should see the pool outside, Jack. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “I bet the inside’s pretty special too,” said Jack. “I guess there’s no chance of a sort of a tour, is there? I hope it’s not impolite to ask, but we live in a little old house on a hillside in Canada – this isn’t the sort of thing we get to see very often.” He played the country hick quite convincingly.

  Nina glowed. “It would be my pleasure. Arnold.” Arnold raced to her side and offered his arm. It was a duty he performed with grace, and a warm smile. She took it and rose from the sofa.

  Her green chiffon gown floated around her tiny body, and it was only once she stood that I realized she was wearing one of those outfits you see in 1960s films – where there’s a pair of pants beneath a skirt that’s open at the front. I’ve always loved those things, though I know I could never wear one myself. I wondered if it had been made for her back then, and that she’d kept it. I had no way of knowing, but I could tell the chiffon was silk, and that the outfit must have cost a great deal of money whenever it had been made. The satin of her shoes matched the gown perfectly. I sighed inwardly.

  Nina led us to what I thought would be an anteroom to the main salon, but it turned out to be a library, of gigantic proportions. “This is where the men would retire with their brandy and cigars,” said Nina airily. “Talked a lot of nonsense in here, most of the time. We girls would have to come in to break up the conversation if they became too boring.”

  “There are a lot of old-looking documents in here,” said Bud, pointing to a glass-fronted cabinet, filled with scrolls and bundles of papers. “Look, Cait, this is the sort of stuff you love, isn’t it?”

  I tried to hide my surprise and gushed, “Oh yes, I do. Was Luca a collector, Nina?”

  She shrugged. “Not so much. He preferred things that looked interesting, rather than things that were interesting. He did not read many books.” She waved an arm at the hundreds that lined the room. “I do not know what most of these books are about. Or where they came from. They just arrived, in boxes, and the shelves were filled.”

  “Could I have a look at some of these?” I asked, still trying to be bubbly. “That scroll there, with the blue ribbon, looks especially enticing.”

  Nina appeared to be surprised by my enthusiasm, but opened the cabinet door and handed me the scroll nonetheless. “Be my guest,” she said. “There are many tables where you can open this to see what it contains. I have no idea.”

  I examined the blue ribbon as I untied it. It really did seem to be the same as that which I’d seen on Freddie’s desk when I’d peered through the keyhole. The scroll comprised several sheets, all of which were protecting one aged map of Jamaica. The paper was extremely old; the lettering wasn’t modern script, but the words were nonetheless legible. The map was dated 1690; I could make out the Laughlands River and the Cistern River. I pointed out an area to Bud. “There’s a place just there now called Llandovery, named after the original town in Wales. Famous for rum at one time, but now derelict.” I scanned the map more closely. “Look, there’s the Captain’s Lookout tower, clearly marked. This map shows the location of all Henry Morgan’s lands on this part of the island. See?”

  Nina came closer. “This is our home – at least, it is where our home is now.” She smiled. “I did not know I had this map, and I did not know there had been a building here before our home.”

  We all huddl
ed closer.

  “Look Bud,” I said, “you can make out just how much land fell into the sea in the 1692 earthquake. And Nina’s right, there was something built generally where this house now stands, and it has a Welsh name. Ty Gwerthfawr. If that’s what it says – and I admit the writing’s a bit small and squiggly – that would mean Precious House.”

  “Maybe that’s where Henry Morgan’s lover lived then, not at the tower at all. Maybe the tower was just for him to sit in, and look at the sea, and this was where his precious lover lived,” said Bud. “Look, there’s even a dotted line connecting the two – maybe a path the lovers used for their daily trysts?”

  “No, Morgan had a proper house out on his plantation lands,” said Lottie. “That’s where he lived, there, not here. The tower was just his hidey-hole by the sea.” She sounded unreasonably annoyed.

  “I think it’s a lovely map,” said Nina. “It should be on display, how much fun that would be. I shall have it framed.”

  “Where is everybody? Nina, Nina my darling, we got it for less than ten million. Break open the bubbly, we did it!”

  We all turned as Niall Jackson entered the room.

  An Illuminating Luncheon

  “Luncheon is served,” announced Arnold, entering the room silently behind Niall Jackson, who almost jumped out of his skin when the butler spoke.

  Niall cleared his throat, too dramatically. “It seems I’m just in time. Room for one more, Nina?”

  Nina smiled and tottered over to Niall; he bent down to allow her to kiss him on the check. I realized I didn’t have to wonder any longer about why such an elderly woman was still indulging in Botox and the odd bit of plumping. To be fair, Niall wasn’t a bad-looking bloke – in fact, he was a startling-looking man. He had blue eyes and red hair, a million freckles were visible though his tan, and he was lanky, rather than overly tall; a bit weedy looking for a man in his late thirties. But the age difference between him and Nina was stark; despite her fabulous wardrobe, jewels, and the efforts of possibly several beauticians, Nina looked her age – well, maybe she looked ten years younger, but there comes a point where that hardly matters.

  “Has my clever boy managed to strike a deal?” Nina gushed.

  Niall shifted from one foot to another. “Maybe this isn’t the right place, Nina?”

  “Nonsense,” replied the octogenarian, “these are the lovely people I was telling you about, the ones who rented Freddie’s bungalows for a month. They won’t care, but they can help us celebrate. So, what did they agree to?”

  A less enthusiastic Niall said, “Nine and a half million. Immediate possession. I have the papers for you to see. I signed them on your behalf, as you agreed I should. But you’ll have to sign the final transfer yourself.”

  “Isn’t he marvellous,” said Nina, beaming. “I have just bought the Captain’s Lookout estate. It’s so strange that we were looking at that map when Niall arrived. It is as though I will be putting back together what was taken apart. The land will all be mine, now, as it was Henry Morgan’s.”

  “Except the land immediately around the tower, Nina,” said Niall.

  “Ah, the tower. It does not matter. At least Freddie is no longer singing from it every day – ha! Singing? This is not the correct word at all. Howling. This is more accurate. I do not miss this at all.”

  “What will you do with it all?” asked Bud.

  Nina looked surprised. “Do with it? Nothing. I just have it, this is enough. I do not want anyone else to do anything with it, this is why I want it. Now I have it, I can enjoy my home without anyone else spoiling it. Freddie’s wicked plans will not happen, I can remain here in peace, until I die.”

  “Was Freddie planning to develop his estate?” asked John, sounding as innocent as a baby. “He didn’t mention anything to us. We said we might all come back again next year, make this a sort of annual jaunt. I even discussed dates with him, the evening he died.” He lied quite convincingly.

  Nina waved her hand as if swatting a fly. “You would never have had the chance to stay at that estate again, unless you wanted to be overrun by people. Freddie had decided. And he had powerful contacts everywhere on this island. They might stop other people from doing what they want – like poor Niall, who wants very much to make changes at his resort in Montego Bay – but no one would have stopped Freddie. I had nightmares about what might rise up beside me. All those people? All that noise? Horrific.” She waved her hand in front of her face as if brushing aside the vision. “Now, luncheon. We must celebrate. Come.”

  We walked across the great room, and into the magnificent dining room that was the mirror image of the library. The gleaming mahogany table was set with silver and crystal, and three servers, all in dove gray dresses, stood at attention alongside Arnold. Lottie, Sheila, and I were helped into our seats by a server each, with Arnold attending to Nina. He fussed over her, shifting her seat an inch at a time, until she was perfectly positioned. It was all incredibly swish, and I had no doubt the food would be phenomenal. However, the profusion of glasses on the table did give me pause – I suspected the champagne we’d already drunk was just the start of what could be a problematically boozy meal.

  The first course was served, and more champagne was poured. I looked sadly at the light, bright salad in front of me, dotted with slivers of grapefruit and pomegranate seeds – neither of which I care for; I pretended to eat it, like the polite guest I was. As I pushed food around in the tantalizingly speckled dressing, I reckoned that if the map I’d just examined in Nina’s library had been on Freddie’s desk when he died, somebody had really had a very bright idea to hide it in plain sight. That person must have had access to Freddie’s tower, and Nina’s home, aa well as a knowledge of Nina’s lack of interest in papers, to allow them to come up with the idea.

  Niall Jackson was the obvious candidate, and I made it my mission to study both Nina and Niall throughout lunch. Nina was the perfect hostess, and Niall and she seemed comfortable together, even when Bud returned to his mission, aided by his tag-team of Jack and John, of trying to find out more about Nina’s late husband.

  “You said you met Luca in Rome, and it all sounds so romantic, Nina. You were in the movies at the time, and you said Luca traded things? Was that what he did? He was…what? Into import and export?” Bud managed to sound both interested and befuddled.

  Nina was doing the same as me, moving bits of food around her plate, but eating almost nothing. At Bud’s question, she cocked her head, continued to play with her food, but gave her attention to him. “I shall be honest, Luca’s business never interested me. He did not speak of it. I was his escape from business. But I know he was well respected, because wherever we lived we always socialized with good people. People with taste and refinement. People who knew how to enjoy life.”

  “Then you chose the right island to settle on,” I said, keen to support my husband. “Jamaica’s always been a place of trade; sometimes it’s been questionable trade, sometimes downright illegal trade, but it’s always been a busy port, used by nations and peoples from around the world. Luca must have felt at home here, with so many people trading so many things. It must have been good for him to be able to mix with people who understood that way of life.”

  “We did not mix very much with business people here; they came to dine, of course, but they were not fun. I preferred the actors and actresses who visited. They were great fun. We tried to mix the two groups sometimes, but the business people seemed to be so easily shocked. I don’t know why. A great many of them made a show of attending church, maybe that was why they were so straight-laced. But the others? We had some wonderful times. People would stay at our guest houses, and we’d swim under the moonlight. I was beautiful then, and young. Now? I keep my old body covered. I am not beautiful anymore.”

  She was fishing for a compliment or two, and got plenty. Niall was most effusive, to the point of becoming a leering mess. It wasn’t a pretty sight, but Nina l
apped it up.

  Jack was next up to bat for the team, it seemed. “Did Luca manage to have any get-togethers with old war buddies during his time here? I know so many people of my father’s generation – which your husband must have been, not you, of course, Nina – they all liked to meet up and discuss the old days. My father gained a great deal of comfort from it. I can only imagine the Italian war experience must have been difficult.”

  Nina dramatically clutched at her breast, “But yes, it was a terrible time. I was very young when the war ended, of course, but even afterwards life was difficult in Italy. Outside the cities maybe we had a better recovery, because we could grow our own food, raise our own animals. Rural life always returns to normal more quickly after a war, it seems. But Luca was in the city. It was hard for him. He spoke of it rarely. I never met anyone he served with. Of course, the Italians had to do some terrible things in those dark days. I think he felt happier to not remember such times.”

  “Did you spend a lot of time with Freddie when you first moved here?” Obviously, John had decided to adopt a different approach.

  “We did.” Nina’s tone was brittle. “We thought he was good company. A generous man. But it seems we did not know him properly at that time; he managed to hide his true nature from us quite successfully.”

  Nina scanned the table and nodded at Arnold. The servers cleared our plates and filled our water glasses. Then they presented us with small plates of ceviche, which glistened in the sunlight filtering through the voile-covered windows. The slivers of white fish on the plate were translucent, drenched in zesty lime juice, and lightly dusted with black pepper. There wasn’t much of it, but it was delicious; succulent, and truly mouth-watering.

  As I ate, I watched Niall like a hawk; he seemed to be preoccupied, which didn’t surprise me. I needed to come up with some way to get him to talk, but Lottie beat me to it.

  “You’re still getting involved with other people’s business, then Niall,” she said. “Still got the restaurant, what about the resort, and the boats? Still got them?”