“I’d be happy to, but they’ll like her if you like her,” I said.
“I don’t know, lass. I don’t always see the forest for the trees.”
I put my hand on his arm. He was genuinely nervous. “Are you at least ninety-five percent sure that you care for her?”
He fell into thought, but then looked at me seriously again. “About ninety, but heading toward more.”
Suddenly, I saw a youthful Edwin again. And, again, it was fleeting.
Love is such an ageless affliction.
“Okay.” I smiled back. “I can’t wait to meet her.”
“Good.” He crooked his elbow and I put my arm through as we continued inside.
In a way, it had been a setup. It didn’t take long to understand what was going on, and, frankly, I was touched. Even though Bruno was on duty, the gathering was small. Edwin; Birk Blackburn, one of Edwin’s oldest, richest, and most flamboyant friends and someone I’d also become close to over the last year; and Towsen Mullins, a gentleman I’d met for the first time at the last auction, were the only members present. Birk had made all his money in international trade, which seemed to give the other auction members confidence enough to trust him with logistics and specifics that might come with buying and selling. Towsen had inherited his money from a rich uncle who’d owned oil wells throughout the world. Towsen enjoyed sharing stories of his time with his uncle, but every time someone mentioned the money, he seemed uncomfortable.
There was one more member, of course. The newest one. Vanessa Morgan.
It seemed this auction had been set up mostly so I could meet Vanessa. It would be Edwin’s way. No simple dinner invitation for introductions, no grabbing a drink at a pub, but, here, where no one had to force any small talk, where we could all just see how it went. I suspected there was a meal planned, post-auction, and only if it seemed everyone was comfortable with everyone.
Birk had been called because he and Edwin were such good friends and it became clear quickly that he’d somehow been an integral part in the development of Edwin’s new relationship, though I didn’t get the specifics right away. Towsen was one of the sweetest men ever, so I suspected that he and Bruno were both asked to be there to keep this a “real” auction.
Towsen had probably figured it all out before I did, but he played his role perfectly.
“Ah, the lass from America. You are always such a delightful breath of fresh air among this stuffy crowd.” He lifted a bottle of beer and saluted me. He was one of the few members who didn’t drink whisky. He liked his bottled beer.
“Always good to see you, Towsen. Birk.”
When I made it to Vanessa, I extended my hand. “I’m Delaney.”
“Nice to meet you. I’ve heard only good things. I’m Vanessa,” she said with an Irish accent.
Vanessa Morgan had a youthful sparkle to her eyes that easily won the battle over her wrinkles and gray-haired ponytail. She wore all her features well, but the sparkle in those eyes only reinforced that no one ages the same way.
We held onto each other’s hands a bit too long as we looked at each other. Who had won my boss’s heart? I imagined she was wondering: Who is this woman the man I care for trusts so much?
In those few long beats, I knew that Vanessa and I were going to get along. What route the friendship would take was still a mystery, but at least I could already see the destination.
The items for auction were hers; some Russian nesting dolls. They had all the indications that made me think they were extremely valuable. One determining factor of the value was the number of dolls in the set, and this set had eight. I’d once seen a set with twelve, but eight wasn’t bad.
Edwin, still behaving as if this wasn’t a meeting with ulterior motives, stated that the reason there were so few people there to bid was because most of the other members were either busy or not interested. I silently predicted that Edwin would be the buyer, but Towsen genuinely wanted the dolls and ended up making the highest offer. Once bidding and paperwork were completed, Towsen and Bruno left, feigning other tasks that needed their attention, but Birk, Edwin, Vanessa, and I, all of us getting along very well, sat down to a hearty lunch of tatties and neeps, shorthand for potatoes and turnips, that Vanessa prepared herself. She did not include the haggis that typically came with the Scottish meal, making me like her even more.
“I introduced the two of them,” Birk said proudly before digging his fork into his turnips. “An Irish beauty preparing Scottish food in ways that very few Scots can accomplish. Then I had a conversation with her and knew. I knew she and Edwin would be a match.” Birk chewed and swallowed. “Delicious. I was a wee bit jealous too. I would have wooed her myself if I hadn’t thought the universe intended for her and Edwin tae be together.”
Vanessa smiled graciously and I decided that she and Birk must not have known each other well enough for her to quip back with sarcasm. Or maybe she didn’t do sarcasm.
She turned to me. “Delaney, I’ve been to Kansas. Kansas City, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri. I was traveling to California, and ended up with a two-day stop right in the middle of your country. My room was in a downtown skyscraper. I could see wide open land spread out from the crowded city.”
“There’s a lot of wide open country in Kansas, and the city you stayed in was probably on the Missouri side. The Kansas side isn’t quite the same thing.”
“That’s what one of the flight attendants told me. I liked it, the modern mixed with all the space.”
“It has its charms,” I said, feeling a pinch of longing for my parents and brother.
“Aye,” Vanessa said as she and Edwin shared a smile that made me feel like Birk and I were intruding. They didn’t intend to make anyone uncomfortable; it was just clear that they cared for each other. A twinge of glee forced me to smile goofily at them.
Birk caught my eyes with his and sent me his own smile with some raised eyebrows. He was pleased with his matchmaking prowess. I was too.
“These tatties and neeps are some of the best I’ve had, but please don’t tell my landlord Aggie I said so. She takes her neeps and tatties seriously.” I smiled.
“I heard about your wedding next week. Congratulations,” Vanessa said.
“Thank you.”
“I’ll be bringing Vanessa as my plus-one,” Edwin said.
“That’s wonderful!” I said.
“Well,” Vanessa said, “I don’t want to intrude. It will likely be my first time meeting Rosie and Hamlet, and I really want to make sure you’re all right with that. Attention should be only on you and Tom.”
“No! I mean, Tom and I would love to have you there. I think that’s perfect, actually.” I was impressed that she knew everyone’s names.
“Thank you. I look forward to being there.” She and Edwin shared another smile, but this one was conciliatory on her part, as if she was telling him he’d been correct in his guess to my reaction to her attending. She turned back to me. “Are you going tae remain in your house?”
I shook my head as my heart sunk a little. The decision had been made recently. “No, my fiancé has a house by the sea. I’m excited to move there, but I’m going to miss my cottage something fierce. I’m going to miss my landlords even more than that.”
“Elias, one of the couple and Aggie’s husband, is a cab driver. He said he’s going tae pick her up every morning and deliver her tae The Cracked Spine,” Edwin said.
“I’m torn between telling him that’s just too much work for him, and being thrilled he’s offered. We’ll see how it goes.”
“It’s lovely that you’ve become so close.”
“It is. I’ve been very lucky. When did you move here from Ireland, and,” I looked at Birk and back at Vanessa, “did Birk really introduce the two of you?”
“I moved here three years ago and bought this place. And Birk told the truth. He came in for dinner one evening, told me he had someone he wanted me to meet, and brought Edwin in the next night.”
“The rest, as they say, is history,” Edwin said.
I thought back over the last few months. Edwin had seemed … not happier, because he was naturally happy, but brighter, with a quicker smile. He’d always been a sharp dresser, but I had noticed a few new items of clothing, some of those also brighter than I was used to seeing him in. I suddenly remembered a peach-colored shirt that Rosie, Hamlet, and I had all commented on a few weeks back.
The signs had all been there. Maybe if I hadn’t been so caught up on my own love life and planning my wedding, I would have noticed.
Edwin sat up in his chair. “Have either of you heard the news about Norval Fraser and his great-nephew?”
Vanessa shook her head. “Who?”
“The Loch Ness Papers man?” Birk asked.
“Aye.”
“Not a word. What happened? Did he finally find the monster?” Birk laughed, but sobered when he saw the looks on Edwin’s and my faces. “Oh dear, what happened?”
“Delaney, perhaps you should share the details,” Edwin said.
All silverware was set down and three pairs of eyes watched me intently as I told the highlights of what had happened. I didn’t mention that Norval had given me a folder stuffed with interesting pieces of paper and a key.
“How terrible,” Vanessa said when I finished.
“That’s a blow,” Birk said. “I’ve met Norval a time or two, and, of course, I’d heard about him years before we crossed paths. He was well known about town. Odd, aye, but a sweet man. Losing his nephew will be rough.”
The image of Norval looking out the back of the police car filled my mind again. “I barely met him but he told me he’d seen Nessie more than once.”
“If anyone had, it would have been him,” Birk said. He suddenly sat up straighter. “Hang on, Gavin MacLeod?”
“Yes, he was the man who was murdered. Norval’s great-nephew.”
“Do you know if it’s the same Gavin MacLeod who runs a financial company?” Birk asked.
I had gathered Gavin’s card from my desk earlier; now I fished it out of my bag and handed it to Birk.
“Oh boy, this lad … he’s … I don’t know because I never invested with him, but I’ve heard rumors for months. In fact, someone was just talking about him recently … Who was that? I can’t remember right off but it will come tae me. Do you know what a Ponzi scheme is?”
Vanessa and Edwin nodded.
“I think so,” I said. “The investment records are fabricated, and the money just keeps chasing money. New investors end up paying returns to those people who invested early, but nothing is really earning like it’s portrayed. Something like that,” I said.
“Aye,” Birk said. “I think he was being investigated. I heard that many investors have lost significant sums of money. Oh dear, I wouldn’t be surprised if an unhappy investor killed Gavin MacLeod. I’m sure the police are on the case, but do you think I should call them just in case they don’t yet know his reputation? Goodness, I wish I could remember who was talking about him recently.”
“Yes, you should call the police,” I said. I looked at Edwin. “Is his name any more familiar to you now?”
“No, lass, I never invested with him and I don’t talk money with many people. Only Rosie, actually. She knows more about my money than I do.”
“Do you know the story of Norval’s childhood?” I asked Birk.
“No,” Birk answered. “I only know him as the Nessie hunter with all the papers.”
Again, I snared my rapt audience as I told them about Norval’s father and his disappearance.
“My goodness,” Vanessa said as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.
“That is fascinating,” Birk said. “I know some people who live up by Loch Ness. I’ve not heard of Wikenton.”
“I don’t know if it’s there anymore.”
“I’ll ask my friends,” Birk said. He looked at Edwin and back at me. “Would either of you consider selling Norval’s papers at auction? I think we’d all be interested if Norval still wants you tae have them.”
“No, if I take the papers, I won’t ever sell them,” I said.
“I wouldn’t sell them either,” Edwin said.
Birk shrugged. I wished I felt his detachment.
There was honor among the Fleshmarket members though. They would not intervene and try to get the papers before Edwin or I could. Well, I was sure that Birk wouldn’t. I could only hope I was reading Vanessa correctly.
The conversation continued, turning away from murder and onto normal chitchat. I considered mentioning Angus and the book he’d brought into the shop, but decided now wasn’t the time. There were still too many unknowns, and I thought Edwin was keeping some of that mystery to himself.
Still, it would have been fun to see Birk’s expression when he heard about the book. He’d be over the moon.
I was so caught off guard when Vanessa and Edwin kissed before we left that I was stuck staring. It was just a quick, friendly kiss, but I blinked and apologized as I made my way out to Edwin’s car to wait for him to join me.
I was happy it took him a few long minutes.
THIRTEEN
I read aloud: “Edinburgh resident and Loch Ness Monster Enthusiast, Norval Fraser, has been arrested for the murder of his great-nephew, Gavin MacLeod.”
I dropped the paper back to my lap and looked at Tom. “I really can’t believe it.”
“Aye,” Tom said as he pulled his car into a parking spot. “It’s shocking. The whole thing.”
It wasn’t front page news, but the story made it to page three of The Scotsman. The police evidently hadn’t told the reporter—a name I didn’t recognize—about Elias and me, but other details had been included. The early call to the police, the discovery of the body, the murder weapon. And then, the worst part. “Prints found on the knife matched those of Fraser.”
“Elias wondered if Norval was setting us up for something,” I said. “He must have been right.”
“I’m sorry, love,” Tom said.
“But setting us up for what? He didn’t frame us for the murder, at least as far as I can tell. And neither of us were further detained or called back in.”
“Just having another witness tae finding the body might have been enough in his mind.”
“But he forgot about possible fingerprints on the knife?”
Tom shrugged. “Impossible tae know, impossible tae understand, maybe.”
“Maybe,” I said.
It would have been impossible for Norval’s paranoia not to play through my mind. The police don’t like me. They don’t like my papers.
Could they dislike him enough to accuse him of a murder he didn’t commit? Frame him even? I hoped not.
But still, something wasn’t right.
“He lives close to here?” Tom asked.
“Yes, right down there.”
We were parked in the street, right next to the church and across from Norval’s building. As we both looked down to where I pointed, we were surprised to see someone leaving Norval’s flat.
“Oh,” I said as I sat up straighter in the passenger seat.
“Know her?” Tom asked.
“I do. That’s Reverend Nisa. That’s who we’re meeting.”
“I see. And she was in Norval’s flat?”
I looked closer to make sure she’d come out of the door next to the foil-covered window. “Yes, that’s his.”
“I think we should hop out of the car now so she knows we saw her leaving. Let’s go.”
I didn’t quite understand why he thought that was important, but we both got out of the car just as Nisa made it to the street.
“Hello,” I said.
She’d been deep in thought but looked up, startled. “Aye? Hello, yes, Delaney and … Tom. Welcome.”
She approached each of us and shook our hands, but she was distracted.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
She sighed and hesitated before she finally
spoke. “I’m afraid not. You’ll see it in the paper today, but Norval was arrested for … oh, goodness, the murder of his great-nephew.”
“I know,” I said. “I saw the article. It’s terrible.”
“It is. I hadn’t seen him since two mornings ago. After I saw the article this morning, I thought I should make sure he hadn’t left anything on in the flat—the cooker, the clothes dryer. I worry about those things. He’s forgetful.”
“Did he leave anything on?”
“No, in fact … well, the flat seemed tidied up a bit.”
Or she’d tidied it up, which was a terribly suspicious thing to think, even if I didn’t quite understand why or how the idea had come to me. I tried to push it away.
“That was very thoughtful of you to check,” Tom said.
“It’s the least I can do. I hope he’s okay…” She looked off toward Norval’s building.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
I didn’t know what else to say and I wasn’t going to tell her what else I knew, how I’d been at Gavin’s flat too, or even how I’d also met him. But I thought I understood why Tom had wanted us to get out of his car and let her know we’d seen her. To see her reaction. Had she in any way been behaving guiltily?
It had just been odd, that was it. At first glance it was strange to see her leaving Norval’s flat, but her explanation made complete sense. And there was no crime scene tape warning anyone away. She hadn’t done anything wrong.
The most random of thoughts flitted into my head. “I forgot the towels!”
“Don’t worry about them,” she said as she sent us each a smile and her demeanor switched gears. Whatever duty she’d just done at Norval’s, it was now time for Tom and me. “Welcome. Let’s go in.”
Under a clear blue sky, we followed her through the red door and to her pristine office. I looked at the spot where the two off-kilter books had been. They were no longer there. If they’d been shelved properly I couldn’t see where.
She began the conversation. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Tom. I know your father quite well, and he’s one of my favorite people. You look like your mother. I’ve seen pictures.”
The Loch Ness Papers Page 8