“Charles was disappointed but seemed to accept there was no romantic future for us, and we were able to work amicably together for the remainder of our time at the university and actually became close friends. Some months after I joined the department, he found the map and manuscript at the dig and then, after carbon dating it for authenticity, spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out exactly where the supposed treasure was located. The drawing was crude, and the manuscript alluded to a spit of land settled after the American Revolution by Dutch and French Colonists on the southern shores of Lake Ontario in New York.”
“Did you contact anyone in Great Britain about partnering with you on a dig in New York after what you found?”
“No, not at that time. We all knew that a ship carrying British royals and their valuables went down in a storm on the lake in the late 1700s, but we wanted to make sure Battleforth’s story had credibility before contacting them.”
“What happened next?”
“Charles arranged a meeting with his teaching assistant, a local surveyor, and a geologist on our faculty and together they determined that the shoreline around Lighthouse Cove was the most likely spot. He called the historical society there early in November, but the message on the answering machine indicated it had closed for the season. Once we got back to Toronto he called again, and this time left a message, hoping someone would retrieve it. No one returned his call––we discovered later that the director had resigned and returned to her home in England––the four decided to make an exploratory trip to Lighthouse Cove along with a student who was writing a feature article about Charles for the university newspaper.
“We had planned to approach the historical society board in Lighthouse Cove about working on a joint venture, but once they got to the site, the geologist and surveyor concluded it had been a wild goose chase. Measuring off the land from its edge to the “X” on the map where the treasure was supposedly buried would have located it directly inside the museum.
“But over the past couple of centuries or more the bluff has eroded, the coastline has dramatically shifted, and we know the original lighthouse was rebuilt and moved farther back from the bluff. They determined that the treasure, if it truly hadn’t gone down with the ship, couldn’t possibly be inside the building and it would be a complete exercise in futility to try and find it on the land where the museum stood or buried somewhere in the sand.
“The TA disagreed with the decision and tried to persuade the others that there was compelling scientific evidence proving that the treasure could be inside the building. Although terribly disappointed for reasons I’ll tell you about in a second, Charles had the final word, trusted the others on the team and supported them.”
“Might he think you or some of the others might be involved in the break-in or Emily’s murder?”
“Charles knew how disappointed both Pamela and I were at not being able to move forward with the project. Finding treasure like that described in the manuscript would have been a huge coup for the University. We would have sent the artifacts back to England, of course, and as a result our department’s reputation would have soared in archaeological circles. Still, it would be a stretch to think that Charles would lie about the map or cover for one of us because he believed we had decided to go back to Lighthouse Cove to try and find the treasure on our own.”
She continued, “Charles knows as well as I do that doing even a simple excavation would require certain professional tools that aren’t terribly easy to cart around. Perhaps the simplest answer to why Charles got shaky when your wife handed him the map is that he didn’t expect to see it there and was shocked and surprised but for reasons unbeknown to us, decided to not say anything about it until he thought a bit more about why it might have been there in the first place.”
“Charles is having some health problems, Angelica. He may not have been thinking rationally.” He told her about Charles’ heart condition and Parkinson’s disease and his decision to move back to Toronto.
“I’m so sorry to hear that. I must reach out to him and let him know that Miles and I are here for him, once he moves back to Canada. Now that I know Charles is ill there’s another possibility, and this may make more sense. It may have something to do with his wanting to right a wrong he believes was done by his family centuries ago.
“It’s complicated, but once you read Battleforth’s manuscript you’ll understand. What doesn’t make sense is why he wouldn’t have gone to the historical society board to let them know he suspected the map might be buried underneath the museum, unless he was afraid they wouldn’t believe him or if they did and an excavation didn’t pan out that he’d lose face.”
“Angelica, is it remotely possible he could have decided to go into the museum at night or early morning when others weren’t around, just to do some exploring to make sure he could build a case for doing some sort of excavation before going to the board?”
“Perhaps, but it’s a bit of a stretch to imagine. Maybe Charles did go to the museum early in the morning of the murder and either found your victim already dead or may have been involved in what was possibly a very tragic accident. In that case, though, even with his illness and the possibility he might not have been thinking clearly, it’s inconceivable to me that he wouldn’t have called for help.”
Ed asked, “I know about the treasure being lost, but can you tell me what type of treasure we’re talking about?”
“Please read the manuscript, it’s quite fascinating and will give you some of the answers you seek, but I can tell you that Battleforth claims that he, at one time, was in possession of jewelry and other valuables that he’d stolen from the British royal family and buried somewhere within the vicinity of the land your museum in Lighthouse Cove stands on. If that’s true, then today it would be worth millions of dollars.
“Why isn’t this common knowledge?”
“We were able to find written records indicating that the royals made the journey with valuables, but no records exist listing what they were. After making the trip to Lighthouse Cove, we decided we simply didn’t have enough proof that they were buried somewhere within the vicinity of your museum to contact officials in England.”
“Given what you’ve told me, I’m becoming certain that Charles may have been involved in Emily’s death or be covering for someone who was responsible. If the latter is true, then I must ask you this as a formality, can you tell me where you were the night of the murder?”
“I know you do. Miles and I were at a fund-raising gala for the Shaw Festival that night. I’ll give you the name of the board president and some others who were there if you like.”
“What about the others on the team? Could any of them have changed their mind and gone to Lighthouse Cove to do some exploring?”
“I doubt it. The geologist, Kate Chu, moved away and is now living in British Columbia. I believe that Barry Eaton, the surveyor, still works for the planning commission in Toronto. But remember, they were the ones who cautioned against pursuing the matter any further, believing it would be an exercise in futility. I doubt they’ve changed their minds.
“The teaching assistant, Pamela Huntsman, is now an associate professor in our department. I can give you her phone number and email address. She’s married with young children, and while she’s ambitious, she’s also quite steady. Since she was with the group who traveled to Lighthouse Cove, she may have some insights about the trip that I don’t.
“I can’t remember the student’s name, and while he wanted to see us pursue the dig, my sense was that it was only because it would make a great feature story for the newspaper. I don’t think he was all that invested otherwise, and he wasn’t present during the discussion when we determined to not move ahead with the project. Pam may remember who he was and might be able to get you his contact information as well as the others if you want to try and contact them.”
Angelica wrote Pamela’s phone number on a small piece of paper and gave it to Ed. “Her
e’s her number. I don’t think she’d mind you calling her. I just can’t believe any of the team would break into your museum in the dead of night to try and locate treasure that most likely was never there in the first place. How the map got there may always remain a mystery.”
Ed glanced at his watch. It was getting late, and he had at least an hour’s drive back to Toronto.
He rose and said, “I need to get going. My wife came with me on this trip and is shopping and sightseeing in Yorkville. I’ve promised the evening to her and want to make sure I get back in time to change before dinner. Thank you so much for your help. You’ve filled in some blanks for me, and I have a lot to think about.”
They clasped hands. “Please call me anytime, Ed, especially if you have questions after you read the manuscript.”
Chapter 36
Ed called Annie. “Hi, honey. I’m in Niagara-on-the-Lake but getting ready to head back to Toronto. Long story, which I will tell you about tonight at dinner. Were you able to make a dinner reservation somewhere?”
“I was, but not until 8:00 and the restaurant, Au Jour Le Jour, is only a few doors down from the hotel, so take your time. We’re in room 403. There’s a key waiting for you at the front desk. I have a few more things I want to do, so I’ll see you later.”
On his way out the door, he heard the chiming of an incoming text message. It was from Carrie. “Call me. It’s important.”
“Hmm. Wonder if something’s broken with the case.” He phoned Carrie.
“Hi, Carrie. It’s Ed. What’s up?”
“We may have closed the case, Ed. Charles came in to see me a little while ago and confessed to killing Emily.”
Ed shook his head and responded, “I don’t believe it. I should be very pleased about his confession, Carrie, since I was the one who thought all along that he most likely was Emily’s murderer. Now I’m not so sure. I just finished interviewing the current and former deans of his department at the university, and after talking with them it seems more and more plausible that he may be covering for someone else. What did he tell you?”
“He admitted he lied about the map. Like we thought, it’s a copy of a real one that’s displayed among other historical documents at the University of Toronto, and the one Annie showed him was his. He said he had two copies of the original, one he kept at home and one in the false bottom of a drawer in the antique desk in Emily’s office. He knew about the drawer because she’d shown it to him.”
“Why would he keep a copy of it in the museum? That doesn’t make sense. Why not in a safe deposit box?”
Carrie answered, “I asked him why he hadn’t kept it in a safe deposit box. He said he didn’t think he needed to because he had two copies and could always get another from the university, but he didn’t want to keep them at home for some reason.”
“This is sounding a bit far-fetched, don’t you think? What happened next?”
“He started having second thoughts about his decision to not go ahead with the excavation. He’d taken out the copy he kept at home to look at again but, because of the Parkinson’s, spilled coffee on it.
“He hadn’t been sleeping well so went into the museum around 6:00 on the morning Emily was murdered to get the copy hidden in the desk because he didn’t want to have to explain why it was there in the first place. He’d planned to approach Annie to see about the possibility of doing an archaeological excavation. He said his purpose would have been to get the treasure back to its rightful owner. I asked him what he meant about that, and he mumbled something about his family being responsible for its disappearance. Do you know what he’s talking about?”
Ed told her about the manuscript and the authentic map plus what he had learned about the treasure.
“Angelica Hawthorn indicated that Charles may have wanted to right a wrong done by one of his ancestors, I’m assuming that person was this man, Battleforth. She said the story was complicated, so I’d have to read the manuscript to get the answers we need, but I haven’t had time yet. Did he tell you what happened with Emily?”
“He did. He said he heard her come in while he was going through the desk, and scared that it was an intruder went into the basement to hide. He had just enough time to grab the map and close the desk drawer. He said he saw someone come down the cellar steps with a lighted flashlight in hand but didn’t recognize Emily until she got closer.
“It was very dark in the basement, and when Emily saw Charles she screamed, not recognizing him, then tripped and fell. She got up, bruised and scared, and ran towards the steps. He said he called out to her and identified himself, but she was so terrified that he thinks she didn’t hear him and ran up the steps to get away. He followed her, identifying himself again, but when he reached for her, she pushed him away, he grabbed for her and she fell again, hitting her head against the radiator in her office and losing consciousness.
“He said he tried to revive her, but she didn’t gain consciousness, and thinking she was dead he panicked. Dragging her body to the bluff, he threw it over, forgetting about her coat and purse. He said he wasn’t in his right mind. He reminded me that he’s been ill and that both the heart condition and the Parkinson’s have been affecting him emotionally, plus mental confusion and paranoia can be side effects of one of the meds he’s on. He admitted he knew he should have called 911. When he got back to the museum to clean up, he saw her coat and purse and staged what looked like an attempted burglary to get the police off track.”
“He knows enough about what happened to Emily that he could have put some of the other pieces together to come up with a plausible story,” Ed remarked. “Did he offer any information about the map and why it was placed between the two boxes?”
“He said he had dropped the map in the struggle and when it didn’t show up when Annie cleaned up after the bogus burglary he thought it had been destroyed or tossed. He didn’t know what had happened to it until he learned, some weeks later, that Annie discovered it when you and she went to down to the basement the day she showed it to him. He denied putting it there.
“He admitted he lied to you and Annie that day because it would have implicated him in Emily’s murder and that he was in shock and denial over what he had done. He rationalized that her death wasn’t his fault but the result of a tragic accident. Since then his conscience hasn’t stopped bothering him, causing sleeplessness and worsening his health, thus the confession.”
“I suppose if the cellar door were open the map could have landed in the basement,” replied Ed. “What I don’t understand is why we found it between the two boxes. Is there any possibility that Luke or one of the forensic technologists found it and not thinking it was related to the crime but assuming it might be something that Annie might need, put it between the boxes for safe keeping?”
“I asked them. No one remembers doing anything like that, but in fairness they said the building was such a mess that one of them could easily have put it there without thinking. Still, that no one remembers is kind of odd.”
“What about the hole in the floor in the basement?”
“When questioned, Charles said he didn’t know anything about it, and seemed truly puzzled. I believe him. I suppose our initial premise could be correct that some workers had dug up old pipes and put the boxes over the hole until they could come back to finish the job but never did and that someone else saw the hole and covered it.”
“Something else confuses me about his confession, Carrie,” remarked Ed. “The crime lab reported that the coal scuttle had DNA from Emily’s scalp, which made us sure it was the murder weapon. Charles didn’t say what Emily fell against in the basement, and it very well may have been the scuttle, but when someone trips they usually fall forward, and we know for sure her injuries were on the back of the head. I can’t remember the report indicating lacerations or dirt on her face from a fall forward or reading anything about evidence being found on the radiator.”
“She did have dirt on her face, Ed, and lacerations
that we assumed were the result of being thrown over the bluff. But you’re right, there was no mention of the radiator. I guess it is possible Emily walked into something in the basement, like a low hanging pipe, lost her balance and fell backward, hitting her head against the scuttle but she didn’t lose consciousness,” Carrie surmised.
“It’s also possible Charles only thought her head hit the radiator, but it didn’t, which would explain why the techs found strands of Emily’s hair on the floor in her office. His eyesight isn’t good, and there was almost no light in the basement and only a small low-watt lamp on her desk, so he could have been confused. It’s doubtful that tripping and falling in the basement or falling against the radiator would have resulted in a skull fracture, unless she took an especially hard blow.”
“And you’re sure they checked the radiator?”
“Yes. There was absolutely no mention in their report of hair or cells on the radiator,” replied Carrie.
“Carrie, despite Charles’ confession, my instincts are telling me he wasn’t completely truthful with you. I’m starting to believe he may be covering for someone.
“Emily’s reaction and Charles’ response just doesn’t seem in character for either of them. Yes, she would have been scared, but as soon as she recognized Charles or heard him call out to her, she would have calmed down, even given her heightened sense of alertness based on what we know of her state of mind at that time.”
“I agree with you, Ed. I truly believe Charles would have done everything he could to save Emily. He seems like a responsible man and, once Emily went down, he would have called 911. We would have viewed what happened as an accident, and by calling us he may have been able to save her life. Unfortunately, we have no other suspects so unless someone else comes forward to confess to the murder we may have no choice but to consider the case closed.”
Murder in the Museum_Edmund DeCleryk Mysteries Page 12