Allegra Fairweather: Paranormal Investigator

by Janni Nell

  Bang!

  I rolled to the side, dodging the bullet. As I rolled, the hard cylinder of my flashlight pressed into my side. I closed my hand around it. Easing it out of my pocket, I waited for Sir Alastair to take aim again. Then I pointed it at his eyes and flicked it on. He blinked in the sudden bright light. There was another bang but the shot went wild.

  How many shots did he have left? I had no idea. But I wasn’t going to take any chances.

  Deciding not to try and wrestle the gun from him, I figured my best chance was to run. If I zigzagged down the hill there was a slim chance he might not hit me. My chances would improve if I tripped him up before I ran. Okay, it wasn’t a great plan. Maybe not even a good one. But it was the best I could do under very difficult circumstances.

  Keeping the flashlight in his eyes, I circled around until we had changed position. Now I was facing the cairn while Sir Alastair, who was facing me, had his back to it. There was nothing between me and a clear run down the hill to Beag Glen. But before I ran I had to make him trip.

  Keeping the light in his eyes, I forced him backward until he reached a ridge in the uneven ground. He hesitated. Slowed. He could feel the ridge. He stopped dead, apparently guessing my plan. Granted, I wouldn’t gain the advantage of making him trip, but I could still run and zigzag. I’d be fine. I could do it. Go now. Before you lose your nerve. That’s when I saw a flash of tartan.

  Sir Alastair was grabbed from behind. At first I thought it was Casper, healed and ready to do battle for me, but I was wrong.

  Leith tackled Sir Alastair to the ground. He ripped the gun out of his hand and cast it aside. Then he straddled Sir Alastair and raised his dirk. He slashed downwards, opening a hole in Sir Alastair’s chest. Blood spurted out. With a single punch, Leith smashed Sir Alastair’s ribs. He reached in searching for the heart. Seconds later he drew the bloody organ from Sir Alastair’s body.

  Getting to his feet, Leith tore open his own shirt exposing the gaping hole in his chest. With a cry of triumph, he shoved Sir Alastair’s heart into the hole. Immediately Leith’s skin closed over it. There wasn’t even a scar.

  Leith turned toward his cairn. Something was happening near the pile of rocks. It looked like waves of heat shimmering on asphalt. My toe itched like crazy. Slowly a woman appeared, misty and ethereal.

  “Vanora!” He crossed the ground between them in a few strides. When he took her in his arms, the entire hillside seemed to sigh with ecstasy.

  He kissed her deep and long. A forever kiss.

  Tiny tendrils of mist curled up from the cairn, encircling the lovers. Leith’s solid body began to fade until it was as misty as Vanora’s. For a moment the two of them stood suspended in time. Then they were gone.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  I caught up with Justina at the bottom of the hill. She was sitting on a rock, struggling to catch her breath. She looked even paler than usual.

  “Where’s Sir Alastair?” she asked, looking anxiously up the hill behind me.

  “He won’t bother you again. Leith took his heart.” I couldn’t resist adding. “Apparently Sir Alastair had one. Who knew?”

  “I’m glad he’s dead,” she said with a grim smile. Then her smile faded. “Do you think the selkies and humans will ever live in peace again?”

  “Not if Stuart gossips about what the selkies did to McEwen.” I wished I could do something to put things right, but I couldn’t think of anything that would help unless… “Tell you what, I’ll spread the rumor that Sir Alastair killed Malcolm and McEwen.”

  It wasn’t even a lie, not really. If Sir Alastair hadn’t captured Justina, the selkies wouldn’t have accidentally killed McEwen.

  She hugged me. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

  Well, you could double what Douglas is paying me; give me an all expenses paid trip to the Caribbean; make Casper mortal again.

  I didn’t say any of those things. Like a true and noble heroine—yeah, right—I said, “Returning you to your people is enough thanks for me.”

  Then I took her to Scarlett Gordon’s house.

  Scarlett wasn’t happy to see us and I couldn’t really blame her. She was losing a selkie lover, not gaining a selkie sister-in-law. I tried to reassure her that Harq would still come to visit, but after living with him for the last week, she couldn’t bear to see him returned to the loch. She stayed inside while I accompanied the selkies to the shore.

  Scarlett’s property was surrounded by tall shrubs, so there were no curious neighbors peeping over the fence. I did a little peeping of my own as Harq stripped off his clothes, but soon both he and Justina had pulled on their skins.

  Justina was no longer the saddest woman in the world, she was a beautiful sleek seal easing herself into the water. She dived under then surfaced nearby to nuzzle Harq. They both turned to acknowledge me. Then the two of them dived together.

  When I returned to the house, I offered to stay with Scarlett for a while. She thanked me but said it wasn’t necessary. Her study door was open and I knew it was time to leave when she cast a longing glance at her computer. After she had walked me to the front door, I said good-bye, but I don’t think she heard me. Leaving her with Giorgio and Kate, I returned to my car.

  It was damaged from the collision with Sir Alastair’s Rolls, but I thought the insurance would cover the repairs if I could prove he had run me off the road. I imagined telling the insurance company my witnesses were a selkie and a guardian angel.

  Resigning myself to paying for the damage, I got into the car and headed back to Furness. After rewarding myself with two days of R and R, I said goodbye to Douglas and Bess.

  “Are you sure you won’t stay longer?” he asked eagerly.

  I declined. Douglas was cute, but he wasn’t right for me. Luckily he was a sweet guy and didn’t bear a grudge. He carried my suitcase to the rental car and put it in the trunk.

  “I’ll miss you, Allegra.”

  “Thanks for giving me the chance to see the Dedfield Rose. It’s an experience I’ll treasure—well maybe not treasure, but I won’t forget it.” I leaned forward to kiss his cheek, but he turned at the last minute and our lips met. The best kisser in the UK and I didn’t feel anything for him but friendship. Go figure.

  I was climbing into the car when a group of villagers marched down the street toward us. Were they planning on lynching me after all?

  They formed a circle around me. Stuart and Anne, Jason from the baitshop, Dr. Williamson, Mrs. Ferguson and more than a dozen others, including Douglas.

  Mrs. Ferguson, who had always supported me, stepped forward and handed me a small, beautifully wrapped gift. “From all of us—the whole village—to thank you for restoring peace to the loch.”

  Genuinely touched, I murmured, “Thanks.”

  Mrs. Ferguson hugged me. “You deserve it.” Then everyone in the group came forward to shake my hand or kiss my cheek. When they were done and Mrs. Ferguson had wiped three different colors of lipstick off my cheek, she said, “You can’t leave until you’ve opened your gift.

  “I thought maybe later. I’m in kind of a hurry.” Truthfully, I prefer to open gifts in private. Just in case I hate them. Don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. But Mrs. Ferguson and the villagers insisted, so I really had no choice.

  Pulling off the pink paper, I found a velvety box that contained a beautiful silver thistle brooch. The initials AF were engraved on the front. On the back it read: Tapadh leat.

  Mrs. Ferguson translated. “It means thank you.”

  As I pinned the brooch on the lapel of my jacket, my eyes filled with happy tears.

  “Och, there’s no need to cry, lassie.”

  “I’m not crying. I have allergies.”

  “Aye, allergies.” She nodded, knowing I was lying.

  The villagers gave me a round of applause. Blushing—and I hardly ever blush—I climbed into the car. As I headed down Loch Road I glanced in my rearview mirror. They were all waving and smiling. I felt wa
rm and fuzzy and appreciated. It felt good.

  A short drive from Furness, I stopped near the track that led to the Dedfield Rose, got out and made my way to the place where this had all begun. I wasn’t surprised by what I saw.

  The rosebush was no longer stunted. The buds that had refused to open were beginning to spread their petals. As I reached out to touch one, someone said, “I thought I’d find you here.”

  “Casper.” Without thinking, I sprinted forward and threw my arms around him. He reciprocated, hugging me tight. In unison, we realized what we had done and jumped apart.

  I looked down at his bloody shirt but I didn’t touch the healed skin beneath.

  I said, “You’re all better.”

  He nodded. “Sorry it took so long. But you seemed to manage quite well without me.”

  “What do you mean quite well?” I ticked off my accomplishments on my fingers. “I returned Justina to the loch, destroyed Sir Alastair, provided Leith with a new heart and reunited him with Vanora. Not a bad morning’s work.”

  He smiled at me. “You did good, Allegra.”

  “There’s just one thing I don’t understand,” I said, thinking of the legend of the Dedfield Rose and how it usually disappeared after the disaster. “What happens when disaster has been averted? Does it continue to grow? Because it’s really in the wrong place for a rose. People will notice.”

  “Oh that,” he said easily. “That’s very simple.”

  “You’re going to tell me? Isn’t that considered help?”

  “Not when the case is over. It’s just tying up loose ends.” Like a magician revealing a trick—a very muscular, very handsome magician—he picked one of the roses and put it in my hand. The rich red petals were smooth as velvet and as sweet-smelling as roses should be. I cradled it in my hands as the petals fully opened.

  “Crush it and throw the petals into the air,” said Casper.

  “But it’s so beautiful.”

  He smiled. “Do what I say. It’ll complete the circle of healing.”

  Half expecting to get splattered with blood, I crushed the petals between my palms. There was no blood. But there was an exquisite perfume. Like a whole garden filled with roses.

  Smiling, I threw the petals into the air. As they descended they became a galaxy of tiny twinkling stars. I stared in wonder as they swirled and sparkled around me. I caught one on the palm of my hand. The others fell to earth disappearing as they hit the ground.

  Casper was no longer standing beside me.

  “Where are you?” I cried.

  I glanced around, searching for him, but he was no longer there. He had disappeared quite literally in a shower of stars.

  The star on my palm twinkled and sparkled like a small piece of heaven. I raised it to my lips. Then I let it fall. It twinkled all the way to the ground and disappeared.

  “Goodbye Casper,” I whispered, wondering when I’d see him again.

  After retracing my steps, I got in the car. I was heading for the nearest airport when my cell phone rang. It was Mom.

  “Come home immediately,” she demanded. Then she lowered her voice as though she was saying something shameful. “Strange things are happening here. Paranormal things.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  Her voice trembled a warning. “It’s dangerous.”

  “I’m used to facing danger, Mom, it’s what I do.” When I ended the call, I was smiling. “Don’t get too comfortable on Cloud 9, Casper. I might need you sooner than you think.”

  About the Author

  Janni Nell grew up in a beachside suburb of Sydney, Australia. After traveling and working in the UK she returned to Sydney where she now lives with her family. Allegra Fairweather: Paranormal Investigator is her first novel.

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  ISBN: 978-1-4268-9011-6

  Copyright © 2010 by Janni Nell

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  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

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