Celtic Christmas

by Kathi Daley

  “That much is true. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that a third of the people currently living in the village have the last name Donovan or O’Donnell. So, I am assuming you are descended from Aislinn and Keegan.”

  “Yes. Aislinn and Keegan had five sons. The eldest son was named Kieran Donovan, and I’m descended from Kieran.”

  “Have you met any of your Irish relations other than those at the dinner last night?”

  “No, but I hope to. I’d love to make a trip to the village once we are able to leave the castle.”

  “And when exactly did you arrive at the castle?”

  I paused to think back. “I guess it must have been around five o’clock yesterday afternoon. We flew in from the US on an overnight flight, which was grueling, grabbed a limo, and made the trip north from Dublin. I know it was dark when we arrived. The dinner was at nine, and the guests began gathering in the parlor for a drink around eight. I guess we might have arrived at the castle as late as six. I really didn’t look at the clock, and to be honest, I was so exhausted by that point, I’m surprised I even managed to make it through the dinner without falling asleep.”

  “And what time did you leave the gathering to return to your room?”

  “I guess it was around eleven-thirty. Maybe a little later. We returned to our suite, and my husband, Zak, walked our daughter, Alex, back to her suite. She’d been hanging out in ours to keep an eye on our almost-two-year-old daughter, Catherine.” I decided not to explain the complicated relationship that was associated with the label of “daughter” I’d attached to Alex. I figured it wasn’t important to the story. “When he returned, I offered to take our little dog, Charlie, out for a final bathroom break since I figured we’d probably sleep in a bit the next morning. I noticed it was just after midnight when I was standing out on the back patio waiting for Charlie since I’d looked at the time on my phone and decided to call my parents. They’d asked me to call and let them know I had arrived okay. I was supposed to do that when we landed, but I forgot.”

  “And then. After you spoke to your parents?” the man asked.

  “Charlie and I returned to the castle. We came in through the side door since it was closest to where we’d taken our walk. I got turned around on the way back to the staircase that leads to the second story and opened the doorway that leads to the uninhabited part of the castle. Before I could close the door, Charlie scooted in, so I had to go after him.”

  “That section of the castle is dark and dangerous. How were you able to get around?”

  “I have a flashlight app on my phone, plus I’d been in the closed-off section of the castle once before. Zak and I were here four years ago. In fact, I’m the one who found the gems that allowed Lord Dunphy to keep the castle and not to lose it to developers.”

  The man’s brow furrowed. He didn’t say anything, but I could see that he was processing what I’d just said. Eventually, he continued. “So, tell me what happened after you entered the closed-off section of the castle.”

  “I wandered around a bit, trying to keep up with Charlie. I actually ended up in the same room where I’d first learned that Lady Catherine was actually my ancestor. The events leading up to that discovery is a long story, which I can tell you at another time if you’d like. Anyway, I knew Zak would be worried, so I headed back toward our suite, and it was when I was on my way back that I heard voices. I thought they might have been voices from the past.”

  “Voices from the past?” he raised a brow.

  “You know. The echoes of those who have been this way before. Anyway, I also heard a noise that was something other than voices. Charlie heard it too and took off toward the noise. I eventually caught up with him in the hallway, where we found the body of Tyson Donovan. By the time we got there, the noises had stopped, and the place was deserted.”

  “Do you believe the noise you heard could have been the killer dumping the body?” the man asked.

  “Maybe. I don’t know for sure. No one passed me coming out as I went toward the body, so if it was the killer I heard, he or she left through the dungeons.”

  “The dungeons?”

  I nodded. “There’s a maze of hallways in the old section of the castle. One of them leads to an underground level where the old Lords kept dungeons. The dungeons are no longer used, of course, but they are accessible from the castle if you know which hallways to take.”

  “And you’ve accessed these dungeons in the past?”

  I nodded. “Lord Dunphy and I were locked up in one when I was here four years ago. Again, another long story, but one I am willing to tell if you’d like.”

  The man jotted down some notes but didn’t alter his facial expression in any way, which was curious, since, in my mind, the fact that Lord Dunphy and I had been locked in the dungeons was a pretty juicy piece of information.

  “Do you believe that what occurred four years ago has any relevance to what is going on now?” he asked.

  “No. Not at all.”

  “Then I think we’ll move on.”

  Nope, not the curious sort, which again, was odd given his job description. I watched as he jotted down a few more notes.

  “So, what did you do after you found Mr. Donovan’s body?”

  “I picked Charlie up and hightailed it back to our suite,” I answered. “When we arrived, I told Zak what I’d found, and he went and tracked down Lord Dunphy. I guess Lord Dunphy must have called you since here you are.”

  “Did you notice anyone lurking around after you came in from taking your dog out? Maybe someone in the kitchen or party-goers who hadn’t gone up to their rooms yet?”

  I slowly shook my head. “Like I said, I came in through the side door, so I didn’t walk through the main living area of the first floor. I suppose you can ask the others what sort of timetable everyone kept.”

  He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, still holding the pen and small note pad. He paused, looked me in the eye, and then continued. “So, did you notice Tyson Donovan interacting with anyone at the dinner last night?”

  “Yes. He actually spoke to several people, mostly staff. I only spoke to him briefly after Adam introduced me to him. He didn’t seem interested in my story about my ancestry, and I wasn’t interested in the conversation that he was having with the bartender about some sort of tax. Or maybe he said text. I’m really not sure. What I do know is that I said my hello’s and moved on.”

  “The bartender. Are you referring to Buford?”

  “I am. He tended bar before and after the meal and helped serve during the meal, which was excellent, by the way.”

  “And you think that Tyson and Buford were discussing a tax or possibly a text?”

  I lifted a shoulder. “I think so. I’m not really sure. Like I said, I didn’t stop to listen. When Adam walked up to Tyson to introduce Zak and me, I heard him mention something about a tax or a text, and then he stopped talking. Actually, a text probably makes more sense now that I think about it. Anyway, as I’ve already indicated, after a very brief hello, Zak and I followed Adam to meet Walter, and I never spoke to Tyson again.”

  “Walter Donovan?”

  “Yes. I understand he’s Harry Donovan’s brother.”

  “And did you spend much time chatting with him?”

  I slowly moved my head back and forth. “No. Not really. He was already pretty drunk by the time we met him.”

  The man took a full two minutes to gather his thoughts before he continued. I had to admit his silence made me squirrely.

  “Other than Buford, who did you notice Tyson Donovan talking to last night?”

  “Zak and I were late joining the group, and by the time we arrived, Tyson was already chatting with the bartender. He sat next to Tessa Summerfield during the meal, even though he’d brought someone named Heidi to the event as his date. After the meal, everyone retired to the parlor for an after-dinner drink. I noticed him chatting with one of the staff, Lizbeth. She’d come in to clean up a bit, an
d the two of them entered into a conversation. It seemed like they knew each other well.”

  “Both Tyson and Lizbeth lived in the village, so I would imagine they did know each other. Did you see him speak to anyone else?”

  “No, not that I can think of offhand. I heard that he spent some time with Hillary, but I didn’t personally witness that. To be honest, I’d barely met the guy, and I wasn’t paying attention who he spoke with. If I’d have known what was going to happen, I might have paid more attention to the events of the evening.”

  The officer sat back in his chair. He clicked his pen opened and closed as he stared at me as if trying to make up his mind about something. After a moment, he spoke. “Do you remember seeing where Heidi Farley was during the evening?”

  I paused to consider this. “No. I remember someone telling me that she’d come to the dinner as Tyson’s guest, and I do remember that Adam pointed her out to us when Zak and I arrived at the cocktail hour, but I never had the chance to speak to her. She was seated at the opposite end of the table from Tyson during dinner, and I don’t remember her being in the parlor after dinner when the rest of the group gathered for drinks. She may have left early. If she did, I don’t blame her. It sounds like Tyson spent the entire evening flirting with other women.”

  “Such as?” the man asked.

  “I personally saw him chatting with Victoria on more than one occasion. I also noticed him speaking to Tessa after dinner. Others have mentioned that he was with Hillary in the arboretum, and I remember someone saying that Tyson left the party with Lizbeth, but I don’t know that for certain since I haven’t been able to verify anything I didn’t witness personally.”

  “Were you still at the party when Tyson left?”

  I frowned and tried to remember. “Honestly, I’m not sure. We left the party toward the middle. Some had left, and some hadn’t when we said our goodbyes to Adam.”

  He closed his notebook. “Okay. I guess that is about it for now. How long will you be staying here in Ireland?”

  “We leave on Sunday.”

  “And will you be staying here at the castle the entire time?”

  “We will. We might make a day trip to see the Christmas Market, but we’ll mostly be here.”

  “Okay. I’ll contact you if I have follow-up questions.”

  “Okay.”

  I’d stood up to leave when the man voiced one final question. “Just out of curiosity, who do you think killed Tyson Donovan?”

  Chapter 4

  Who did I think killed Tyson? “I really don’t know at this point. On the surface, it appears that Tyson was a bit of a ladies man, and I suppose that fact, in and of itself, would provide plenty of motive for the men in the room to want him out of the way. I spent some time observing the group as a whole, and it seems to me that there was a lot more going on than might have been evident on the surface.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “In my opinion, Tyson was a bit of a black sheep who’d managed to make a lot of people angry for one reason or another. If you want to know who killed him, it’s my opinion that you should cast a wide net when looking at suspects. I tend to have a sense about these things, and my sense is telling me that the killer won’t turn out to be someone as obvious as a jealous boyfriend.”

  The man frowned at me as I left the room. Why was it that no matter where in the world I was, I seemed to find myself smack dab in the middle of a murder investigation?

  After my interview was finished, I headed to the main lobby area where I knew the group had divided into teams for the card tournament. The teams had already been selected, and the tournament was underway when I arrived, so I decided to head up and check on Alex and Catherine, and maybe grab Charlie and take him for a walk. Nona was at one table, and Zak was at another, so I figured we could meet later and discuss whatever they managed to find out during the tournament. I texted Zak and let him know what I was doing and then headed toward the stairs.

  “That was fast,” Alex said.

  “I was pulled away for an interview, so I didn’t get placed on one of the teams for the tournament. I’m sure they would have found me a place if I would have asked, but I realized I’d rather get some fresh air. I think I’m going to take Charlie for a walk. Is Catherine sleeping?”

  She nodded. “She just went down. Like two minutes ago, so I’m sure if you want to poke your head in, she’ll still be awake.”

  “No. If she sees me, she’ll want to get up. Are you okay staying here with her while I walk Charlie?”

  “More than okay. The book Ellie gave me is really good. I could use something to eat, though.”

  “I’ll stop at the kitchen and pick up a sandwich on my way back in. I’ll have my phone, so text me if you need me.”

  “I will. And have fun. It looks like the break in the rain is going to be a short one.”

  Alex was right about that. It wasn’t currently raining, but it had been raining off and on since we’d been here, and the sky was still dark and heavy with moisture. I figured Charlie and I would stay close to the castle just in case the sky opened up, and we needed to make a dash for it. In spite of the heavy overcast, the temperature really wasn’t that bad, which made for a pleasant stroll.

  I didn’t have a direction in mind, but somehow I found myself at the cottage where Zak and I had found a dead body the last time we were here. Back then, the cottage had been unoccupied, but I could see that someone was in residence now, given the stream of smoke coming from the old stone chimney. I paused to consider who might be living in the cottage. Perhaps one of the staff? The last time we’d been here, the stable hand resided in a room within the stable, but perhaps someone serving as a groundskeeper or even security occupied the quaint little structure.

  “Can I help you?” A short man with a little round frame and bushy beard and eyebrows asked after coming out onto the front porch. I supposed he must have noticed me standing in the distance, staring at the structure.

  I took a few steps forward. “I’m sorry for staring. My name is Zoe. I’m out walking my dog, Charlie. I was actually here four years ago and remembered the cottage, which I guess gave me pause.”

  “My name is Ronan. I take care of the grounds and repairs and such. Are you part of the wedding party staying in the castle?”

  I nodded. “Adam Donovan is a distant cousin.” I glanced at the ocean just beyond the cottage. “This is a beautiful spot you have here.”

  “Yes, I consider myself to be quite lucky. I don’t mind the work, and the peace and quiet suit me. Can I offer you some tea? Perhaps a whiskey?”

  “That is very kind, but I really should get back to the castle.” I paused. “I guess you heard about the murder.”

  “I did. Lord Dunphy was by to speak to me earlier. He wanted to know if I noticed anyone lurking about last night.”

  “He thought the killer might have come all the way over here?”

  The man glanced off into the distance. “I guess the body was found in the old castle ruins at the end of a hallway that leads to the passage that leads down to the dungeon. There has been some speculation that the killer actually escaped through the dungeon. If they had, he or she would have needed to pass by the cottage on their way from the beach, where the entrance to the dungeon is located.”

  “I guess that is true.” I glanced at the narrow footpath that led down the moor to the beach. “I remember taking that same path myself the last time I was here.” I turned and looked behind me to make certain that Charlie was still sniffing at the base of the same tree he’d been sniffing at the last time I’d checked. “So, did you see anyone?”

  “Actually, I did. Two people. It was much too dark to make out faces or other distinguishing features, but I am going to guess that it was a man and a woman who passed by based on height.”

  A man and a woman. Interesting. Could there have been two killers?

  I spoke to the man for a few more minutes, called Charlie, and then returned to the
castle, where I headed toward the kitchen to get sandwiches for Alex, Catherine, and myself. When I arrived in the kitchen, I found it deserted except for Lizbeth, the chambermaid, who was sitting at a table drinking a cup of tea.

  “I don’t think we were formally introduced last night,” I jumped right in. “I’m Zoe, and this is Charlie.”

  “Happy to meet you. My name is Lizbeth. I hope you won’t tell Bonnie that you found me in here. It won’t be my break time for another hour, but I feel a bit under the weather today and needed to spend a few minutes off my feet.”

  “Your secret is safe with me. I hope you aren’t getting ill.”

  “No. Not ill. I just strained my back. I’m sure I’ll be fine in a day or two. Can I help you with something?”

  “I’m actually here for a couple of sandwiches for my daughters and myself.”

  “Food has been served in the lobby where the card game is taking place,” she informed me.

  “I was being interviewed when the groups were selected, so I decided to skip the tournament. Do you think Bonnie would mind if I made something to take up to my room?”

  “Not at all. Would you like some help?”

  “I can make the sandwiches, but I might need help finding everything.”

  Lizbeth got up and headed toward the large refrigeration unit. She began pulling out meat and cheese, olives and pickles.

  “I was sorry to find out about Tyson,” I said as I began slicing bread. “I understand the two of you were friends.”

  “Distant cousins, actually.”

  “Really. And how are you related?” I asked.

  “I’m an O’Donnell, and he was a Donovan. There has been a lot of intermarriage between the O’Donnells and Donovans in the past, which means there are a number of residents from both families living in the village in current times.”