A Nice Clean Murder Part 16

aYes,a Peter said and continued. aAccording to history, she plundered this Spanish ship and scuttled it against the Irish coast, on the Atlantica"that was her base of operations, if you will.

aAccording to the text, whatever was aboard was taken and hidden, but not by Grace, someone else took it. It had to be someone on Graceas ship or another Irish captain. Before it could be retrieved, they died and the whereabouts went with them.

aGrace OaMalley was imprisoned by the English. For how long, we donat know. Then she was given amnesty by Queen Elizabeth, probably because she respected Grace and admired her for being a woman in control of a manas world. As you can imagine, this was unheard of. In any event, she lived to a very old age, married several times, and had many children. She died never knowing who took it or where it was hidden.a aWho took what? What is aita Peter?a I asked.

aAccording to all the text, Phillip of Spain was returning a small trunk full of jewels that he plundered from one of Queen Elizabethas ships. As a show of good faith and not wantina a war, he threw in etchings by one of the Spanish artists not well known at the timea"his name was El Greco.a We all sat there staring at him. I voiced what I believed we all were thinking, aYou mean to tell me thereas a sixteenth-century masterpiece buried somewhere on this property?a Was my voice squeaking?

aAlong with a small trunk of jewels,a Charlie added with a great deal of skepticism and no squeak.

aI know it sounds fantastic, thatas why we were hesitant to tell ya,a Bridget said and looked to Peter.

He adjusted his gla.s.ses and continued. aBelieve me, itas true. Thatas why that big company is lookina to buy the mill. They believe itas here, too. Although, Iam not sure they know about the cavern. Yet,a he added.

aShould this be true and you find this treasure, what value are we talking here?a Charlie asked, still very skeptical.

Peter scratched his head. aItas not the monetary value Iam after.a aItas the monetary value someone is after, now how much? Give it your best guess,a I said, still trying to wrap my mind around this.

aWe have no idea about the jewels, the text is very vague,a Peter said. He took a deep breath and continued, aNo one knows exactly whatas in the trunk. We researched the British Naval records, and some records actually show the names of the ships, the dates they sailed, and their cargo. We know the paintings, or etchings, were on board this Spanish ship and most records show that the trunk was, as well. However, as I said, we donat know whatas in the trunk.a aIf anything,a I added.

Peter looked at me and was about to disagree but said, aI will be honest with all of ya, there could be nothing of any great monetary value. However, if there is some sort of artwork, and we are sure there is, itas priceless.a He looked at all of us. aHow do you put a price on a Raphael or Van Gogh? If I had to guess, millions. Iam no expert, but Professor Carroll had a friend who was, and that was his guess.a He rubbed his neck. aSo ya see why we need to find it before Russellas people do.a aHow did Brian fit into all this?a I asked, still not convinced.

Peter smiled. aI came here a year or so ago and became fast friends with him. He knew I was no horse trainer, as did you, Kate. He confronted me and I told him. Bridget advised against it, but I knew he would understand and he did. He met with Professor Carroll on several occasions, and they talked about the possibilities of what a find like this would mean for the museum and for Irelandas place in this world. They became good friends, and we all decided to keep it to ourselves.

aI would pose as his employee so I could stay here and investigate. Six months ago, we had a breakthrough. I found the cavern. I was so close. Then Professor Carroll had a heart attack and died. The funding stopped. Who could blame them? It took us five years just to find the right area. Now Iam on my own. Well, it was me, Bridget, and Russell.a He sighed and looked at Bridget.

Bridget continued, aRussell and I were married my last year at Trinity Law. Thatas when we all took Professor Carrollas cla.s.s. We were completely intrigued. At first, he told only Peter, but then they decided the more help they had, the quicker it might go. So Russell and I were told. It was a glorious time, we felt like we were doing somethina for our country. Then as we got closer, Russell started talking about finding the treasure and selling it.

aThat was last year. By then, our marriage had been annulled. It was a foolish young thing I did.a She sighed and continued. aNeedless to say, there was a tremendous fallina out and Russell left. We never saw him again until that big company came and offered Brian the money. Thatas when we realized he told them and was in it for the money. Heas been dodgina us and hara.s.sing you ever since. I donat believe he killed Brian, though. I really donat,a she said as if trying to convince herself, as well as us.

This whole time, I realized Tim Devereaux was listening but said nothing. It struck me as odd that he didnat think this was too fantastic. Well, I thought, the Irish and their pot oa gold, I guess theyave heard a great many stories about buried treasures.

Although, now he said, aWell, young lady, someone killed Brian. Who else do ya think it could be?a aHow about James, for one?a Peter sat on the edge of his chair. aHe stands to get something and so do you, Tim.a Tim took a step toward him and Peter stood up. Mac pushed Peter back down in his chair and Charlie put an arm on Tim. aEasy, fellas,a Mac said.

This was too fantastic, but my gut told me too fantastic not to be true. aOkay, letas try this scenario. Say all this is true. Brian knows about it and allows Peter to try and find this treasure, for lack of a better word, but then he changes his will. Why? Why not leave it to the villagers instead of giving it to Mac? Why give it to someone he barely knows? Why not leave it to the museum or to Peter?a I looked at Tim. aDid Brian confide in you at all about leaving everything to Mac?a aNo, he never mentioned a word to me,a Tim said.

I looked at Peter and Bridget. aDid he mention it to either one of you?a Peter shook his head. aDefinitely not. I had no idea until the day before he died. He handed me a ticket and told me to fetch Mac. That was all he would tell me. He thought Iad be abetter off not knowing.a Those were his exact words. That was the last time I saw him alive. I didnat come and fetch you till after the funeral,a he said tiredly.

Bridget spoke. aBeina his lawyer, yes, I knew. The lawyer-client privileges bound me. I told no one, not even Peter.a I believed her, then got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Instantly, I started sweating. I thought of Liz and how I believed her, and the memory once again flooded my senses. As I tried to control a wave of anxiety, I knew I had to get into the fresh air.

Maggie must have seen it. She gave me a worried look. My ears were ringing as I wiped my forehead. G.o.d, not again. aIall be right back,a I said quickly and excused myself in a controlled panic.

I left the library and went out the front door. I stood there not knowing in which direction to go. My breathing was shallow and the ringing was still in my ears. I put my hand to my foreheada"I was perspiring profusely. I ran my forearm over my face. I wanted to break into a dead run. Great, this thing has finally made me nuts.

I walked quickly down the path and I heard Maggieas voice calling me. Christ, I donat want her to see me falling apart. I turned and smiled as casually as I could.

aHey, Iam f-fine. Iall be right in,a I said, shivering.

She ran up to me and put her hand on my shoulder. aHereas your sweater, itas a bit chilly.a I took it from her and sat on the stone wall. She sat next to me and put her hand out. I quickly got up. aIam fine, I needed some air,a I said. My voice shook horribly. I took several deep breaths, the ringing in my ears stopped and my breathing returned to normal, although I was perspiring as if I had run a race.

aKate, sit down,a Maggie ordered. I sat a couple of feet away from her. aAnother one?a she asked.

aYep, Iam nuts,a I said and sat there taking a deep breath.

aBetter?a I took another deep breath, feeling normal again and stood up, shivering.

aPut on your sweater,a Maggie ordered and held it for me as I slipped into it. She ran her hands up and down my back. aOkay, get back in there,a she whispered in my ear and gave my shoulders a confident shake.

Mac and Teri looked at me when I came into the library. aI needed some air.a Peter and Bridget looked worse than I felt.

aI think thatas enough for the time being,a Maggie said as Peter stood on shaky legs. Bridget went over and steadied him.

aWhy donat you take him upstairs?a Maggie said. aPeter, you need to rest for the remainder of the day.a He nodded with a weak smile. He and Bridget walked out of the library.

aBuried treasure? Sixteenth-century masterpiece? Piracy on the high seas?a I said, shaking my head. aTheyave got to be kidding.a Mac nodded. aWhat about Kate getting tossed around in Donegal?a aAnd someone trying to set the cottage on fire,a Maggie reminded all of us.

aAnd a murder,a I said absently, staring out into the late afternoon fog.

Chapter 23.

The remainder of the afternoon was quiet and somber; the weather didnat help. When the dense fog lifted, the wind and rain started. I had hopes of going down to the cavern again, but that wasnat going to happen.

Mac and Teri were sitting on the couch talking. Maggie was sitting by the fire reading. Charlie was losing big money to Tim at the card table. Tim won yet another hand and picked up the pencil. aWell now, letas see, that makes it two pounds ten.a Charlie sat there with his chin resting on his hand. aI believe Irelandas currency is the euro.a Tim laughed and thought for a minute. aPardon me, the euro. Well then, thatas roughly, four euros. Double or nothina?a he asked with a sly grin.

aDeal,a Charlie said.

I watched Tim Devereaux. I knew very little about him. He was an in-law who inherited his share of the mill from his late wife, Colleen McAuliffe, Brianas sister. He was a Merchant Marine all his life, sailing around the world. Exciting stuff, I thought.

I thought of his brother-in-law, James; what a grump he must be. I wondered how far he might go to stop Brian. Strange we havenat seen him since his rude visit a couple of days before. I remember Tim had said they were together the night Brian was killed. Family might say anything to protect each other, especially a loyal Irishman. I lazily paced behind the couch, playing with that blasted key in my pocket.

There was a knock at the door. It was Sean Farrell. aGood afternoon, Kate.a aHi, Sean, camon in.a I stepped back and he came into the foyer and wiped his shoes.

aCan I ask a favor? Our phoneas been out for a few days. Can I make a call to my brother? Heas expectina one, and if I donat call him, thereall be h.e.l.l to pay.a I laughed quietly. aSure, down the hall.a He stopped and looked in the library and said, aGood afternoon, all.a Tim and Charlie were so intent on their gin rummy game he was never noticed. Mac and Teri talked with him for a while.

After he made his call, Mac walked him to the door. aThank you again for a grand dinner. Next time, itall be at our house,a Sean said.

aNice old guy,a Mac said as he closed the door. He put his arm around Teri. aHow about a nap, Lady McAuliffe?a He smiled wickedly and raised one eyebrow.

Teri matched his smile and sighed. aA nap sounds fine, my lord.a I groaned openly. aOh, grow up, you two.a aItas time you started napping again, Kate. It wouldnat hurt,a Teri said and looked at Maggie.

From the corner, Tim said, aWell, young man, I canat take your money any longer.a He got up and stretched. aThink Iall go to my room.a As he walked by, a thought stuck me, and I turned to him. aTim, have you called James at all? He must be angry that youare staying here.a Tim stopped and said, aHe was at first, Kate. Heall get over it. I called him from Seanas. Heas a gruff one, but heall come around.a I watched him for a moment. aGood, I hope he can stop by sometime. It would be good for him and Mac.a He nodded. aIndeed it would.a He continued up the stairs and into his room.

aThis is a lazy afternoon,a Charlie announced. aGuess Iall go to my room, as well. Donat forget to send the maid when dinneras ready.a Maggie was sitting alone on the couch, staring at the fire. I walked over and flopped down next to her. aThis has been an interesting day,a I said, staring at the fire.

aWheread everybody go?a Maggie asked.

aMac and Teri are taking a nap,a I said and rolled my eyes.

Maggie blushed and laughed. aWhatas wrong with napping? Youare not averse to it, are you? Or are you?a she asked and smiled sweetly.

aN-No, Iam not averse to it. I like napping as much as the next person,a I said. Suddenly the room got very warm.

aAm I interrupting?a I turned to see Bridget standing in the doorway. aIam sorry, were you busy?a aNo, no. Is everything all right? Howas Peter?a I asked, grateful to change from the topic of napping. I noticed Maggie abruptly walk over to the fireplace.

aHeas out like a light again. I thought Iad go back to Donegal. Peter wanted me to pick up his work. He wanted to show you all tonight. If you wouldnat mind, can I borrow your car? I shouldnat be more than an hour or so.a aYou shouldnat go alone. Iall drive you,a I offered.

aI donat want to be a bother,a she said and glanced at Maggie.

aItas no bother,a I said.

aIf ya donat mind. Iall just be a moment,a she said and went upstairs.

I noticed Maggie had left the library and was on the phone when I heard her getting flight information from the airport. I was surprised. She hung up and started for the stairs. I walked up behind her and grabbed her arm.

aAre you leaving?a I asked.

aEventually, yes. I have to get back to the clinic,a she said.

aBut you canat leave with all this going on. Surely you can stay for another few days,a I said and let go of her arm.

aI was only going to stay the weekend, remember?a she reminded.

aI know. I just thought youada"a aIad what?a she challenged, sounding completely exasperated.

aI donat know. I guess Iad thought youad stay until this was over. What about Peter? H-He needs you,a I said. aYou canat run off like this and leave him.a Maggie looked me right in the eye, which unnerved me to no end. aI donat know that Peter needs me. It seems he has Bridget.a She turned away.

I hate talking in code. First nappinga"now this. I ignored my inner voice, reminding me that I started the covert code. aMaggie, I donat needa"a Bridget interrupted Maggie as she walked down the stairs. aReady?a she smiled.

Maggie continued to her room. Bridget grabbed my arm and whisked me out the front door.

Peter had an enormous amount ofastuffa"boxes and boxes of it. Bridget and I loaded it into the trunk and backseat. aGood grief. This is a lot of junk.a aJunk, are ya crazy? This is four years of hard work, Kate. Junk, indeed,a she snorted and walked by.

I followed her out to the car, my arms full of hard work.

Bridget turned and smiled. aIam sorry. My temper again is short. Forgive me?a aSure, I understand. Itas getting pretty tense for everybody.a aItas no excuse for my being rude.a She took the box from me and loaded it in the car.

On the drive back, I could feel her looking at me. aSo can I ask ya a personal question, Kate?a No! aThat depends.a Bridget didnat even hesitate. She came right out with it. aAre you and Maggie involved? I only ask because Maggie and I had a wee bit of a discussion this morning about ya. She doesnat want to see ya hurt again. She told me she has no claim on ya. I wanted to make sure she was right.a aI see.a She gave me a wicked smile. aWhat are ya in the market for?a aSolving Brianas murder and making sure nothing happens to my family,a I said honestly.

Bridget handed me a box. aWhen youare in the market, let me know,a she whispered and leaned in and kissed me again. It had more oomph than the other did. I was stunned and I stood there like a dope with my hands full. She laughed and continued unloading the boxes.

Charlie came out to help. He carried in a huge box, as did Bridget, and set them on the dining room table.

aGood heavens,a he said, scratching the back of his head, and turned around to see Bridget come in with another box.

aIs this all of it?a he asked, looking at the boxes, not wanting to touch anything; some of the books looked quite old.

aYes, thatas it. Howas Peter?a she asked, taking off her coat.

Charlie took it from her. aIam sure heas still sleeping.a Bridget turned and walked out of the dining room and b.u.mped into Maggie.

aBack so soon?a Maggie said affably, though I heard the sarcasm. aGo on up, heas asleep.a Bridget said nothing and went upstairs. Maggie walked into the kitchen.

aBoy, there sure is a lot of stuff here,a I said and picked up one book. It was printed in 1892a"I quickly put it down. aGeez, donat touch anything till Peter gets up.a Charlie agreed as we stared at the boxes. I absently looked at the pictures. aMaggie, um, says sheas leaving soon.a aI know, she advised me of the same, quite angrily, I might add,a he said frankly. aNow why would she be angry?a aBecause sheas a stubborna"a Charlie raised his hand. aDonat even go there. Iave lived with that woman all my life. Itas your turn.a He pulled me up by the back of my shirt and pushed me toward the door. aGo, play nice,a he said and shoved me through the swinging door.

Maggie had her head in the refrigerator and looked up as I made my entrance.

aAre you that hungry?a I asked. Come to think of it, I was starving. aWhat are you going to make?a She gave me an incredulous look. aGood grief, you know I donat cook. I was hoping you would.a She picked up an apple and bit into it.

aWoman, how do you survive without cooking?a I pushed her out of the way.

aOrdering out, fast food, hospital food,a she said and sat down. aI suppose the only time I eat right is when you cook for me.a aThen I should cook for you all the time,a I said without thinking and stopped dead in my tracks. aHow can you eat like that and maintain that figure? Whatas your secret?a I pulled out the cheese and a bottle of wine.

aYouave noticed my figure?a she asked frankly.

aGet some gla.s.ses.a I uncorked the wine and Charlie poked his head in. aDid I hear a cork pop?a aYep. A little something to take the edge off our appet.i.tes.a I arranged a plate of apples, pears, and cheese. Charlie took the wine, Maggie got the gla.s.ses, and we sat at the dining room table enjoying our feast. One by one, they came down and soon we were all sitting staring at the boxes at the other end. We said nothing until Peter finally broke the silence. aWell, this is it. Six years of work,a he pulled out text after text, map after map. All pointed to Macas property. It was unbelievable. He even had photos taken from a plane.

aThis looks like something out of a World War II reconnaissance photo,a I said, looking at the topography photo.

aThatas exactly what it is. Professor Carroll got it from a friend of his at the War Department in Washington. They did a lot of that back then, took photos of everything. It took Professor Carroll two years to find that,a he said proudly.

I looked at the photo and saw a circled area. aThis is us?a I pointed to the circle.

aThatas us,a Bridget said. aThe ship was reported sunk a little farther south of here, by CountyClare.a Tim looked at the photo. aThe Atlantic is a rough ocean. Many a ship has been tossed and scuttled along these sh.o.r.es,a he said. aIave heard stories of all kinds.a I remembered he was a sailor. He must have heard some fantastic stories in his time and probably lived through quite a few, as well. aYouave never heard of this before in your voyages, Tim?a I asked curiously. Our eyes met, and I felt the same thing as I did with Petera"something was not right here.

He seemed to look right through me; his gaze was intense for some reason. aNo, Kate, nothing like this.a I shivered and Maggie glanced at me. I was spooked and I couldnat say why. I rubbed the back of my aching neck.

aYou certainly have an enormous amount of data,a Teri said and looked around the table. aAnd Iam sure all of you have an enormous appet.i.te.a After dinner, Peter announced his plan. aTomorrow, Iam going back to the cave. Iam too close to stop now, it has to be there,a he said and looked at Mac.

aTomorrow, we end this,a Mac said. aIf what you say is right and this treasure is in that cave, the quicker we find it the better.a I rested my head against the back of the chair and closed my eyes. aWe still have a small problem of a murder. Somebody killed Brian. He did not stumble and fall off that cliff. I think we all agree on that. Iam afraid the logical suspect is Russell. Have you seen him lately?a I asked. aPeter, do you think Russell knocked you out?a He paused for a moment, then took off his gla.s.ses and rubbed his eyes; he looked beat. aI donat know,a he said.

aWhoever it was wanted you dead, Peter,a I reminded him. aIf we hadnat decided to go down there, the tide would have come in and youad have drowned. You were already underwater.a I looked at him and he shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

aPeter, does Russell know where the cavern is?a I asked.

He shook his head. aNo. I donat think so. Iave been careful,a he started and stopped. aBut honestly, I donat know anything anymore.a aWhen we were at the pub, the older gentleman, Patrick, knew you were playing by the cliffs. I have a feeling he may have mentioned it. Word tends to spread around this village like wildfire,a I said.

aI think the police should be told about Russell,a Teri said evenly. aHeas got to be stopped.a aWe donat know itas him,a I said. aIt would be our word against his. I know he has a record, but thatas not evidence to hold him or even to talk to him. Heas a very clever guy. I would love to know where heas staying. He checked out of the inn.a I gave Bridget and Peter a questioning look.

aHonestly, I have no idea. I saw him early this morning,a Bridget said.

Peter agreed. aI havenat seen him in a day or two.a I watched them both. aWhat happened to Russell? You said before this, he was good and kind. How can someone change that much?a Bridget stared at the fire. aI met him my third year at Trinity. I was young and didnat know myself or anything else. Russell was outgoing, strong, and independent. A lot like yourself, Kate. I was wildly attracted to that and I thought I was in love. We married quickly. It wasnat until we had a breakthrough and knew exactly where the treasures were that Russell became greedy. He expressed his opinion about finding it and selling it. We were appalled and Professor Carroll told him to leave. We argued and we didnat see him for months.a She sighed and sat back.

Peter put his hand on her shoulder as he spoke to us. aRussell is a headstrong fella and he has quite a temper. We were worried for a time, but when we didnat see him for all those months, we figured he went back to Dublin. He didnat show up until after that company visited Brian for the first time.a I looked at Bridget. aSo you lied to me at ClewBay. You knew all along about the company and that the car from Dublin was Russellas.a She hung her head for a moment and looked up at me. aYes, I lied, and I would again, given the circ.u.mstances. I didnat know you or your family. We were not at all sure you wouldnat sell out to Omega. Weave done far too much work to be stopped. This is bigger than a lie to ya, Kate. This is a historical find of unbelievable proportion. Peter and I feel pa.s.sionately about this. Weave spent six years of our lives on it. Professor Carroll spent nearly forty and his professor before him, as well. So, yes, I lied to ya,a she said and looked right at me.