Trove (The Katie Walsh Mysteries)

by KJ Montgomery

  “Murray? Where the hell are you?” Alec asked, clearly confused.

  Katie pointed to her laptop on the table. “He’s on the webcam. We were having a conference call when you interrupted us.”

  He grabbed the laptop screen and turned it towards him. He bent down and looked at Eric. “Son of a bitch. Would you look at that?” In an instant he powered off the laptop.

  She shook her head. A smug grin spread across her mouth as she crossed her arms. “Won’t do you any good. The whole thing was recorded on my laptop and Eric’s. We do that as part of the documentation process.”

  She walked to the front door, opened it, and gestured for him to leave.

  He strode past her and exited without a word, leaving only his scent wafting through the air. She took a deep breath, telling herself she was only trying to calm her nerves. His touch was like an electrical charge disgorged from a raging storm. She could feel the aftershocks firing through her body. “How am I going to survive this, him? One more episode like that and I’ll be begging him to take me. And that is wrong on so many levels. What the hell is wrong with me? Is it because it’s been so long? Or is it because he makes me feel alive?”

  She powered up her laptop and reconnected with Eric.

  “Katie, are you all right? Did he leave?”

  “I’m fine, Eric. He left without any further discussion.”

  “I’m beginning to understand all your paranoia. That was really odd.”

  Part of her wanted to ask why it was odd. He was an attractive man and she knew she wasn’t Medusa, so why was it odd that he might find her attractive? But thinking it and saying it out loud would only drag her thoughts down a path she wasn’t ready to travel, at least not yet. If she did, she would have to deal with her response to his kiss. She didn’t want it to stop, even though he was keeping secrets

  “Katie? Katie, can you hear me?” Eric called as he rapped on his computer screen.

  Katie leaned forward. “Um, sorry, yes, Eric. The voice cut out for a moment,” she lied. “What were you saying?” Concentrate, Katie, concentrate.

  “Lass, I was saying that I am sending you an encrypted file with my work notes from yesterday. Why don’t you read them and call me back tomorrow?” He leaned back in his chair, relaxing for the first time since the conversation began.

  “I’ll try, Eric. I’m travelling tomorrow to Willowton. If it’s late, I’ll call you on Thursday,” she said, stifling a yawn.

  “Aye. I’ll be available.”

  “Eric, do you think you can take a look at some symbols for me?”

  He frowned. “Aye, though you’re the queen of symbols. If you can’t decipher them, why send them to me?”

  She glanced at the dossier and then back to Eric. “These aren’t runes, though they’re included in a file with runes. I just want a fresh, unbiased look at the odd symbols. Maybe you’ve seen them somewhere or maybe you can figure out what they might be.”

  He grinned. “Send them and I’ll take a look.”

  She smiled back. “Thanks, Eric.”

  Katie ended the webcam session and spent the next several hours reviewing Eric’s notes. She was quite happy with his latest conclusions. He had successfully validated the time variable functionality that she’d suggested. Now it was possible to enter a time, up to twenty thousand years ago and watch a time-lapse animation of geologic changes for specified latitude and longitude coordinates.

  On Monday, she would initiate the next phase, which would mean using satellite photos of specific coordinates and running the overlay program. This, fingers crossed, would allow them to identify human settlements and migrations over a certain period of time. The final phase would be to somehow cull the basis of various Celtic & Nordic myths and then attempt to marry the details with the overlay data to determine where they originated, when they originated, and just what the ancient people were trying to relay. She would unite the ancient myths with modern technology and prove once and for all her theory that these myths were true, though perhaps not in the way they were now interpreted.

  She emailed Alec and asked him about the runes, since they never got around to it earlier. She was surprised at his quick response. She figured he’d be passed out. His answer was brief. “We’ll discuss soon.”

  She huffed. “Yesterday it was ‘get that translation done ASAP, Katie.’ Today it’s as if it doesn’t matter.” She had an unsettling feeling that something was off, perhaps way off. Not just with his lack of candor, but with the runes themselves. She flexed her shoulders to relieve the tension that had settled there.

  At least she’d be away for a few days with something to whet her appetite. With her new gadget, the wand scanner, she planned to maximize her research time by scanning documents. She’d have plenty of time to organize and utilize the information once she downloaded the images. With the scanner, she’d have access to so much data that she might actually have to ask for help from her colleagues, and for the first time that thought didn’t make her cringe.

  Until Alec got around to discussing the possibility of the missing runes and how they would proceed, she was pretty much at stopping point. She called the car service and left a message informing them that they needed to pick her up at her condo instead of the Institute and then she started to pack.

  Along with her jeans, T-shirts, and sweaters, she made sure she packed her matching lingerie. Her guilty pleasure was nice silky underwear. No matter what she wore on the outside, she relished the thought of the sexy material caressing her skin. She placed her bag by the door after making sure that her new handheld wand scanner was tucked safely inside.

  Katie checked the wall clock. It was almost seven. Time to get some breakfast. She picked up her purse, slipped on her jacket, and headed out to the North End for some cannoli and coffee.

  It felt good to be outside in the air. The sun was shining and the sky clear blue. She breathed deeply, inhaling the salty tang of the wind blowing in off the harbor as she headed down Oceanside Avenue. One of the many charms of the North End was the way the streets seemed to meander around the buildings near the old wharfs. The North End pre-dated automobiles by a couple hundred years, resulting in very narrow streets and some pedestrian-only passages. The locals used the passages to avoid the inevitable traffic tie-ups as pedestrians and cars fought for control of the single-car-width streets. For the life of her she couldn’t understand why people insisted on driving through the winding maze of streets. It was so much faster on foot.

  Katie ducked onto Crest Lane and made a beeline for her favorite pastry shop. The shop on the corner of Adams Street and Hancock Way had the charm of an age gone by. The front door was wood framed with etched glass. The door handle, probably the original of the one-hundred-plus-year-old door, was etched brass, so well-worn that the only sign of the original design existed at the base of the handle where it was attached to the door. One of the reasons Katie loved this place was the century-old charm. It had a wonderful, calming ambiance. Well, that and the fact that they had the best cannoli.

  As she entered, she noticed there were only two other customers. An hour from now the line would be out the door. She greeted the young girl behind the counter. “Hi, Susie, how are you?”

  “Fine and you? What can I get for you today? The usual?”

  “Actually, I’d like a large coffee, cream only, and two cannoli.”

  “Two cannoli? What’s wrong?”

  “Just feeling a little low on sugar.”

  “Oh, I was thinking you had a rough night.”

  Katie thought about it. It was more odd than rough. But she really did have low blood sugar some mornings. Must be a side effect of her erratic sleep cycles, she thought.

  Susie set the coffee and cannoli on the counter, and Katie inhaled the rich coffee aroma as she paid for her breakfast. She scooped up her treasures and headed to a table near the window to settle in before she took the first sip.

  ****

  Alec looked in through t
he window and found her worshipping her coffee. He liked her smile. It was an honest, no-one-is-watching smile. Katie had simple tastes, but she was complicated. He’d like to freeze this unguarded moment, but time wasn’t on his side.

  He could no longer leave her alone, unprotected. He wasn’t sure she’d listen to him. She seemed to distrust him, though he only had himself to blame. Each time she asked him pointed questions, he evaded them. He wasn’t ready to tell her. Once he had her safely sequestered at Willowton, out of harm’s way, he’d tell her. He owed her that.

  In this brief interlude he just wanted to get to know the real Katie, the Katie Walsh that lay hidden beneath complex layers. The Katie Walsh that buried herself in her work and kept KitKat locked away. Something deep inside him made him itch to bring KitKat back, but another something made him want to free her forever, bring her out into the light, into Katie’s life where she belonged. He had to find a way to bring KitKat to the surface, show Katie that KitKat is who she was meant to be. She’d didn’t need to keep herself hidden. He took a deep breath and went in. She didn’t look up at him, but turned and looked out the window. He bought his coffee, walked over to her table, reached down and helped himself to one of her cannoli. “Thanks, KitKat.”

  She whipped her head around and scowled at him. “Put it back now.”

  He bit one end and half of it disappeared in his mouth. “Why don’t you come and get it?”

  “You’re disgusting, and so early in the morning. Are you still drunk?”

  He sat in the chair facing her. “Nope, completely sober.”

  “Good. Now get me another cannoli.”

  “You don’t need two.”

  “Are you saying I’m fat?”

  He froze. He’d stepped into dangerous territory, discussing a woman’s weight. “No… no, of course not. That’s not what I meant. I meant that…” He took a sip of his coffee, hoping that conversation would change. When it didn’t, he said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insinuate anything about your weight. You look like your weight is appropriate for your height.”

  “Appropriate? What exactly does that mean?” She glared at him.

  He looked at his hands, at his coffee, around the shop, everywhere but at her. Usually he found their silences comfortable, but this time…

  A muted laugh erupted from her mouth which was hidden behind her hand.

  He visibly relaxed. “I’m sorry. We always seem to be misunderstanding each other. I truly meant no offense.”

  “I know you didn’t. I was just having fun at your expense. But I do need another cannoli. When I don’t sleep well I tend to have low blood sugar in the morning. The cannoli are my spoonful of medicine.”

  He said nothing but left to get another cannoli. He returned with two and carefully placed one her plate. “I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

  “Thanks,” she said before taking a small bite to savor the sweet cheese filling and following it with a sip of coffee. “You know I don’t believe in coincidences,” she said after she swallowed, “so why don’t you tell me how you just happen to be here. Especially considering that only a few hours ago you were three sheets to the wind.”

  “I wasn’t drunk when I stopped by, when I kissed you.”

  She felt her face flame in response to his words.

  “Sorry,” he said, “I didn’t intend to make you to blush this time.”

  She studied his face. “I… I believe you.”

  He relaxed and took another sip of his coffee.

  “So, Alec,” she asked softly, “why are you here? Were you following me? And no BS. I want an honest answer. I deserve an honest answer.”

  “Well… yes, I was following you.”

  “And why would that be?” she asked before raising the coffee cup and sipping the hot liquid.

  “I have to admit that the letter, the one left at your door… I’m worried that someone’s watching you.”

  She smiled. “You mean someone besides you?”

  He nodded.

  She leaned back, settling into the well-worn booth cushion, and eyed him carefully. “What the hell is going on, Alec? It doesn’t make sense… unless there’s much, much more going on.”

  He didn’t answer her.

  “Okay, let me ask you about yesterday.”

  “Yesterday?”

  “Yes, you know, when you basically expelled me from the Institute. I’d done nothing wrong, yet you hauled me to the principal’s office and expelled me. And you had the nerve to take Lucy’s side over mine.”

  He shifted in the seat, looking past her.

  She continued. “I’m guessing you needed me out of the building. My question is why?”

  He sipped his coffee, using the moment to choose his words. He set the cup on the table, his hands wrapped around it. “You’re right. I needed you out of the building or, more correctly, I needed you contained in one place.”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “Contained? Am I contagious or something?”

  He shook his head. “No, not at all. I need to keep you safe. I figured you’d be so mad that you’d spend all day working on the translation, if only to throw it back in my face.”

  She coughed, choking on nothing but air.

  “By sending you home, I limited any interactions you might have and pretty much kept you in one place. And just in case, Willie was keeping an eye on you.”

  “Why, Alec? What the hell is going on and how am I involved?”

  “When I saw that anonymous letter, I panicked. Someone knows you’re working on the translation and I’m afraid…” He reached over and captured her hand in his. “I’m afraid someone might be after you.” He felt her pulse race.

  “You’re really serious, aren’t you?” she said.

  “Afraid so.” He withdrew his hand and raked it through his hair. “So help me, Katie, I didn’t mean to lay this at your doorstep—”

  “Literally,” she interrupted him. She sighed. She looked around. “Looks the morning rush is in full swing. Let’s go home and you can tell me there.”

  “Fine, just let me get my pastries and we’ll go,” he said as he went to the counter to pick up a package that had been set aside. Katie cleaned the table and deposited the trash in the receptacle by the door. She slipped her purse cross-wise across her torso and grabbed her coffee to meet him at the door.

  “Ready?” he asked as he opened the door and motioned her to exit.

  “What’s in the pastry box?” she asked.

  He grinned. “If you’re good, maybe I’ll share with you later.”

  “What if I don’t like it?”

  He winked at her. “I promise you, KitKat, you’ll like it.”

  He started to cross Adams and head for Oceanside. She stayed on Adams and headed for Crest Lane. He turned toward her when he realized she wasn’t with him. He saw her and called, “Hey, this way, where are you going?”

  “I’m headed for Crest.”

  “Walk with me, Katie,” he said, motioning to her with his hand.

  She stopped, changed direction, then stepped to the curb, getting ready to cross Adams and join him on the other side.

  He heard the car before he saw it. The engine was revving and heading straight down Adams. It slammed to a stop beside her and a huge gorilla of a man stepped partially out, keeping one concrete post of a leg in the car, and grabbed her arm. He was trying to drag her into the back of the late-model sedan with its blackened windows when Alec ran around behind the car in an effort to reach her before she was swallowed by the gorilla. He saw her trying to dig her heels into the pavement to slow the forward momentum of the man pulling on her arm. Alec was almost within reach when the ape-man stepped completely out of the car and wrapped an arm around her waist, lifting her feet off the pavement. The ape-man turned and stepped back toward the car, the open door yawning like the mouth of a behemoth waiting to be fed.

  Because ape-man had her by her waist, her hands were free. In her left hand were the remains of her c
offee. She reached over with her right hand and whipped the cover off, letting it drop, the plastic lid bouncing on the pavement. She transferred the cup to her right hand and let the liquid fly.

  He instinctively released her, bringing both hands to his eyes. “You bitch.”

  Alec was there to catch her as ape-man let her drop. He grabbed her hand and started back across Adams. She tugged on his hand, holding tight, and said, “This way. He can’t follow in the car.”

  She led them into the narrow pedestrian passage that was Crest Lane. Here, only a motorbike or someone on foot would be able to follow. They raced toward Oceanside, glancing back only once to see no one following. They kept running and reached Oceanside in record time. They crossed Oceanside and headed toward Colonial Wharf and their condo building. She was totally out of breath and slowing. He could see her starting to falter “I… I can’t… keep the pace,” she gasped.

  “Come on, Katie. We’re almost there.”

  She tried to keep up but caught her foot on the brick walkway on Colonial Wharf and fell hard, landing on her hands and knees before collapsing on the bricks. “Alec,” she yelled.

  He stopped and turned. Katie was sprawled on the ground trying to get up, struggling as she was clearly out of breath. He scanned the people walking along the street end of the wharf, checking for signs of ape-man. He ran to her and helped her stand. Taking no chances by staying outside in the open, he scooped her up and headed quickly to the front door.

  He set her down only when they were in the elevator. She was still trying to catch her breath when the elevator lurched to a stop. He led her out by the hand, heading towards his condo. She offered no resistance.

  He gently pushed her into his condo and led her over to the sofa. She sank down in the soft cushions. As her breathing returned to near normal, she reached up and brushed her sweat-dampened hair off her face. Her breathing was raspy. Without asking, Alec handed her a glass of cool water. She gulped noisily, slurping every last drop.

  “Can I… can I have another?” she asked, offering up the empty glass.