The trio smiled like death-warmed-over when I greeted them in a cool manner.
“Can I help you?” I asked.
One of them bobbed and weaved back and forth in an effort to see what lay beyond me. I pulled the door close to the closed mark and blocked any possible view with my body. A look of disappointment crossed his features. The tall man in the middle gave me a grin and asked if they could come in for a chat.
“I’m afraid now isn’t a good time. What is it you’d like to talk about?” I returned.
“The dragons are important to us, and we’d like to have a look at them before discussing a purchase.”
“No deals, no purchases, no entry, good-bye.” I slammed the door in their faces, flipped the lock, and marched toward the rear of the house
I hadn’t gone far, when Cullen stepped into the room and said, “Made quick work of them, I see. You’re making enemies faster than I’d thought possible, Linty.
In a belligerent tone, I asked, “Now you think I should invite then in for tea so they can case the place for a robbery? Please, spare me.”
His left brow hiked as he stared at me. I couldn’t read his expression and gave up trying.
“Stop reading things into whatever I say. I merely said you’re not making friends, and at a quick pace. I have no doubt that would be the end result no matter how much tea you plied them with.” Cullen smirked and reached a hand out to me. “Come on, let’s go back outside. I think they’re gone, though they might come back in larger numbers next time.”
“Okay, okay, I’m just unprepared for this constant barrage of buyers. I thought I’d have more time. On top of that, solving Gran’s suspicious death is of great importance to me. I’m waiting to hear from Smythe to see what the second set of lab results are, if he had them done. I’d also hoped there might be a clue in the locked room, but all I found were dust bunnies, old things that must have had meaning to others and a treasure trove of jewelry that needs appraising at some point.” I heaved a sigh, plunked into a lounge chair, and absentmindedly fiddled with a lock of my hair.
His soft laugh gave me pause and I looked in his direction. “You are prickly this morning.”
“I know, sorry. So much needs to be addressed and I feel like I’m in a race for time. Once I find the book, and solve Gran’s mystery, I’ll have a better outlook on life in general. Everything has happened so fast that I’m not sure what to think about it all.”
“The main issue should be what to do about the dragons. While we do that we can work on Essie’s death. I’m as concerned about her demise as you are, for if she was truly murdered, someone will have to pay the price for that,” Cullen said flatly with a cold gleam in his eyes.
“Indeed, you and I both know Gran was a fighter, a woman who did what was necessary, and dealt with what came her way. How she could have been poisoned without knowing it, or who was behind it, is quite worrying.”
“Show me the instructions you received for caring for the dragons. I’m interested in assisting in the matter,” Cullen remarked.
Wariness swiftly blanketed me as I hesitated.
“Not to worry, if you’d rather I didn’t see it, then that’s fine. I only asked so I’m prepared for what may come next. You should install an alarm system, Linty, that way you’ll be aware of what’s going on should you have an unwanted and unexpected visitor during the night. I hardly think thieves will make an attempt in daylight.”
I rose from the chair, gave him a nod and went into the kitchen where I’d left the letter Smythe had given me. Before I reached the rear door, I stopped and listened to Cullen murmur, “She won’t be easy to turn, but it can be done. Don’t worry, I’ll deal with her in my own way.”
I took a few steps backwards, called out and asked if he wanted more coffee. While I expected him to enter the house, all he said was no. Sure that I’d bring the letter to him, Cullen waited on the patio for me to return. I stuck the letter inside a cabinet, picked up the coffee pot and went outside.
His eyes narrowed a tad before he gave me a slight smile. I poured coffee into my cup and set the pot on a mat beside the milk and sugar. “Are you sure you don’t want more?” I asked sweetly.
Loftily, Cullen answered, “No, no, I’m all set, thanks. I should be going, I have business to attend and my paperwork is at the inn.”
After he’d gone, I plucked the letter from its hiding place. Undecided on where to stash it, I wandered the library and then pulled one of Gran’s books from the shelf, stuffed the letter inside, and slid the book back into place for safekeeping.
A phone book lay under the book stand and I flipped through the pages in search of a company to install a home security system. A company in Aberdeen was the closest to Mevie and I dialed the number. Asking questions in regard to their business, I ordered a system and set up the installation for a week from now. I leaned back in the chair, let my mind wander over Cullen’s phone conversation, and worried if I was the woman he was going to turn. Turn to what? I had no clue, but nobody would take the dragons, not ever.
I collected cleaning supplies from the kitchen and went to the cottage. Everything was covered with years of grime, lots of it. I turned the faucet on to find the water supply had been shut down. The bathroom toilet had no water in it either. Winterized, the place now needed to be brought to life. I began with the water supply and worked from there.
Hours later, after I’d made two of the rooms habitable, I gave up for the day. Hungry, dirty, and tired, I closed the door behind me and returned to the main house for a shower. The wind had picked up, heavy droplets of rain pelted my shirt and dribbled down my face. Before I reached the house, my hair was wet. It would be a stormy night, as only the highlands can have.
The back door was unlocked as I’d left it. Imagine my astonishment when I stepped into the kitchen and found Mr. Smythe sitting at the table. In the future, it would serve me better to lock up whenever I went out.
“When did you get here? I didn’t hear you arrive,” I asked.
“Not long ago. The front door was locked so I thought I’d give this one a try. You’ve been scrubbing, I see.” A look of distaste crossed his face and I knew I must be a right mess.
“The cottage will soon become my office. The conservatory secretary has taken care of shipping my things here, and I should be ready to get to work by next week. Can I offer you something to drink?”
He shook his head and said, “Sit down, Linty.” The look on his face told me he had news, and I probably wouldn’t like what he had to say. Good Christmas.
“The second report from the lab came in this morning. Your grandmother was not poisoned. She died of natural causes brought on by heart failure. There is no murder to solve, Linty. I thought you should know straightaway, and that the news would put your mind to rest.”
Why didn’t I believe him? He was lying. I just knew it. She was poisoned, she’d said so. I’d believe Gran above anyone else. She’d been my port in a storm, the rock I’d clung to when no one else had been willing to fill the role, and I wouldn’t take anyone else’s words as truth until I knew for sure that she hadn’t been killed by someone she knew. It would be unlikely she’d been killed by a stranger, she wouldn’t have let them into the house, I was sure of it. The list was so short, I could count those people on one hand.
“Are you certain?” I asked softly.
“I am.”
“Will there be an inquest over her death?”
“Not at this point, no. Essie’s blood tests showed no toxins in her system. Not one, so there’d be no grounds for such an investigation. Why are you so sure she was poisoned?”
“In a letter she’d left for me, Gran was quite adamant over the fact that she’d been poisoned. Could she have been refusing to face the idea that she was dying and needed to lay blame?”
“It’s possible. She was quite ill, yet sound of mind. I’ll go over everything once more and you can speak with her doctors if you’d like. They might be able
to allay your fears.” He reached across the table, took my hand in his and gave it a squeeze. “I know this is difficult for you, if there’s anything I can do to help, just ask.”
He rose from the chair and bid me goodnight with a promise to stay in touch. His sudden warmth toward me raised an alarm, but I cast my suspicions aside. Smythe might just be feeling sorry for me. I considered that thought for a mere second and decided against it. This man didn’t have a sympathetic bone in his body, I was sure of it. He had lied, though I couldn’t prove it.
We walked to his car and I watched him drive off before going indoors to retrieve the letter from its hiding place. In the library, I plucked the letter from the book and secured it inside one of Gran’s photo albums on the sofa and then gathered the albums together to return them to the closet shelf in her room.
I closed the closet door, and gazed around Gran’s bedroom. I looked through her dresser drawers, poked through her jewelry box hoping to find a secret something-or-other stashed away, and came up empty handed. A couple of dated magazines stood in a basket near her bed. I flipped through each one, learning nothing and finding less. That job done, my anxiety mounted over the dragons and I headed downstairs.
While I stared at Drake, who was silent, thank goodness, and then studied the others who were as unmoving as ever, I considered what would happen if they were released from their stone covered bodies? Could they be brought back to life? Was it as dangerous as I perceived it to be? What about Drake? Could I handle him once he returned to the living from his jade prison? How had all the dragons been transformed? Who was responsible and why had it been done? As the questions mounted, so did the mystery of it all. I locked the door behind me and walked out onto the patio, straight toward the heather covered fields that lay beyond the edge of the forest, in an effort to clear my head and allow jumbled thoughts to align and make sense.
With a few deep breaths, my angst eased. Energy flowed as I walked at a good pace through the sweet scented heather, while the sight and music of the birds surrounded me and relaxed me even more. Though the skies were gray, the rain had ceased, for now. Puffy dark clouds hovered and it was a sure bet the entire night would be a wet one. The landscape of green and purple was pleasant to the eye, but then, the Highlands got plenty of moisture which kept all of nature abundant.
Settled on an outcrop of stone, the wind whipped through my shoulder length hair. It blustered around me, freeing any remaining anxiety that had begun to rule my life. If this kept up, I’d be a train wreck in no time at all, and that wasn’t an option.
Rain swept across the field as thunder clapped and lightening flashed in the distance. Flat out, I ran for the house, was soaked to the skin by the time I reached it, and noticed a lone, empty car in the yard. I sighed and knew another round of fire from my aunt and uncle would surely ensue. Holy Christmas.
Braced for an argument, I strode into the house and caught Uncle Charles closing the dragon cabinet. In his hand lay an Asian dragon.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing and how did you get in?” I snapped. “Put that dragon back where you got it, right now.”
Caught out, Charles had the grace to look guilty, and with haste, he set the dragon in its place. “We have a key, as does your father. I only wanted to study the dragon, Linty.”
“That’s your story, then?”
“Are you implying I’m a liar?” Charles asked in a haughty tone.
“Not implying, saying it outright. You have no business with those dragons. They’re mine, and you might want to remember that. By the way, I’d like your house key.”
“I’ve had a house key ever since I left for private school as a lad, I shouldn’t have to give it up now,” Charles blustered. “Elizabeth and I think you’re in danger of becoming unhinged like Mother was. You’re taking this dragon care position too seriously, they’re only statues, for heaven’s sake.”
Satisfied that I’d caught him off-guard by demanding he give up his house key, his well-meant fears didn’t fool me for a second, and I wondered how long he could keep it up.
“This is no longer your home, or Gran’s, it belongs to me, and I refuse to have all and sundry walking around with a key to my house.” I stepped closer, took the key from him and placed it in my pocket. It needed a better place for keeping if I was to prevent him or anyone else from removing the dragons from the cabinet. There was always the off chance the glass would be smashed and the dragons taken, but unless it was a thief, I was sure care would be taken to not damage the dragons or the glass doors.
“What are you doing here?” I asked of them. Aunt Elizabeth hovered in the background, wringing her hands, while her husband hesitated to answer my query.
“Well?” I demanded.
“Like I said, I wanted to study this particular dragon.” Charles pointed to the creature.
“Why that one?” I turned my gaze to it and considered its beauty, value, and provenance.
Enthralled by the animal, Charles said in an awe-filled voice, “I’ve always been fond of this dragon, right from childhood. He’s a beauty, don’t you think?”
I couldn’t fault him for that, especially since I’d felt the same way for the entire collection. But it was Drake who’d always held a special place in my heart, and would forever.
I smiled as I stared at the dragons in their various poses, and then turned to Drake. His eyes were dim, no fire, no smoke, nothing to indicate a reason for alarm. I gawked openly at him and heard him whisper, “You arrived in time. Fear not, he’d never have taken him.
I gave him a slight nod and asked Elizabeth if she thought I’d go round the bend as they insisted Gran had. Startled, she glanced at Charles and then said, “You must do what you’ve been charged with. You shouldn’t let it ruin your life, or have it take over completely, Linty. It’s unhealthy to allow something to consume you. Essie did so, and no matter how we tried, we couldn’t get her to leave the estate for long. She was fearful interlopers would steal these creatures. She never said why she felt that way, but in the end, I believe it was her undoing.”
“Mr. Smythe said she was of sound mind, you do know that, don’t you?” I glanced at husband and wife, caught the quick glances between them and knew there was more to their story. I was certain Charles had planned to abscond with the dragon. Would one dragon be enough to set him up financially or had he planned to steal one at a time? Did he have buyers for them? What then? He did strike me as a greedy sort. Maybe a look into Charles’s financial status would reveal why he’d be interested in taking the dragons from the estate, or was I drawing unfounded conclusions?
“We stopped by to see if you’ve settled in,” he said with a smile.
Joviality wouldn’t get him far, but I would play along to find out what he was planning.
“You’ve seen that I’ve done so, now you can leave. It’s been a trying day, and I’m exhausted. In the future, you might try calling ahead before you stop by.” I showed them to the door.
Disgruntled, but unable to come up with a reason to linger, Charles and Elizabeth bade me goodbye.
Chapter 12
It was late when I drifted off, only to awaken to the sound of shattered glass. I bolted upright, flung the blankets aside, and grabbed a bat I’d kept from my teen years of playing softball. I had left it in a place of honor ever since returning home from the academy where I’d attended high school and never considered how handy it might become.
With a tight grasp on the handle and clad in lightweight pajamas, I crept down the stairs and tiptoed into the living room. I hadn’t taken time for slippers or a robe, and hadn’t realized I’d step on shards of glass until I did that very thing. Two pieces stabbed into the ball of my right foot. I drew back quickly and squelched sounds of pain.
Footfalls crossed in front of the dragon cabinet. From the pale glow of Drake’s eyes, I saw the form of my intruder. I stood with my back against the wall, felt for the glass, and plucked slivers from my foot. Tossing them
away, I took a few steps toward the thief. He must have sensed me because he turned, swung his arm out at the same moment I swung the bat and we connected.
He swore, went to shove me and I swung the bat a second time. When it struck him, I heard a snap. He howled and before I could strike him again, he pushed me hard. I landed on the floor, the bat flew from my hand and the man ran past. I was up and after him in a second. He’d come through a window in the living room and left the same way.
Unbolting the front door, I chased him. He was fast on his feet and left me far behind. Winded and in pain from the injury to my foot, I turned toward the house, cursed out loud, and wished I’d never been called back to Mevie.
I rang the local constable to report the break-in and was assured he’d arrive shortly. Then I gave Vaughn a call. He answered instantly and said he’d be right over. I waited for the two men to show up and nursed my foot in the interim. I glanced about and saw broken glass splayed across the floor. Luckily, I hadn’t been injured more seriously.
Lights flashed and cars rolled to a stop outside the front door. Both men, followed by another officer charged up the steps and into the foyer. Vaughn stood back, his face a mask of something. Whatever his thoughts were, they couldn’t have been good.
“Miss Dragon?” The constable enquired.
I nodded and wiped blood that continued to flow from the wounds. Vaughn stared, came to my side and said, “Let me have a look at that.” I lifted the foot to him and he took over from there.
All this was taken in by the constable and his fellow officer. He asked, “Did you see who broke in?”
“I didn’t get a look at him, it was too dark. I was kind of shadow boxing, if you will.” I pointed to the bat that lay on the floor in the corner.
The constable glanced back, saw the bat and said with a smirk, “Not boxing, exactly, but near enough. Tell me what happened.”
My explanation was brief, not much to tell, actually, and the constable took stock of the room and nodded toward the window. “You’ll need to get that fixed.”
Dragon's Touch (Book 1 Linty Dragon Series) Page 12