Shamrock Shenanigans (Zoe Donovan Mystery Book 19) (9 page)

“Of course a murder has occurred. Why would we lie?”

“I don’t know. Why would you?”

“I wouldn’t. Zak wouldn’t either.”

“That may very well be, but so far, in spite of an exhaustive search, we have found no body, no blood, no gun, and no evidence of any type that there really was a murder. The best we can do is to file a missing person’s report and hope something turns up.”

The guy couldn’t be serious. I looked around the table. It appeared as if the others were seriously considering Lord Dunphy’s argument.

“How can he just be missing? We’re on a very small island with no way off. As you already indicated, you’ve searched the entire area. If he’s simply missing, where is he?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know. I’m sure when the bridge opens everything will get straightened out.”

His lordship was either in complete denial or he was lying to cover up his own part in the murder. I wanted to say more, but Zak squeezed my hand under the table as a warning not to give too much away. So far it seemed we were the only ones to take the murder seriously. I supposed it would be up to us to solve the crime; no one else seemed to be working on it. The problem was that after the bridge opened we really had no reason to stay. We were running out of time.

The rain had stopped by the time dinner was over. The clouds had parted and the stars were shining brightly. I needed to take Charlie for his evening constitutional, so Zak and I bundled up and headed out into the chilly air. It really was beautiful, with millions of tiny stars shining in the dark sky. The sea was still fairly rough, but the moon shone down onto its choppy surface, giving the night a feeling of romance.

This hadn’t been the most romantic of trips in spite of the fact that the next day was Valentine’s Day. I had to wonder what exactly was at work in the universe to create so many situations in which Zak and I always seemed to be caught up in one murder or another, even when we were on vacation. Was being thrown into so many murder investigations our curse or our destiny?

“Maybe we should have just stayed home,” I commented. “The weekend sounded like fun, but at least in Ashton Falls we could have enjoyed our first Valentine’s Day as husband and wife without all this drama.”

Zak put his arm around me and pulled me against his side as we continued to walk. There was something about his strong embrace that always made me feel safe and content.

“Things didn’t turn out the way I’d hoped, but in spite of the fact that pretty much everyone seems to think we made Brent’s murder up, I’ve still had a nice time. Any time with you is perfect no matter what the situation.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet.”

Zak kissed the top of my head. I leaned my head against his side as I watched Charlie chasing an imaginary foe. It always comforted me when Charlie was happy, and luckily he was a pretty happy little dog.

“Do you think we’ll be able to get Internet when we get back to the castle?” I asked.

“Maybe. I was able to log on the last time it cleared, so I’m hopeful I can get a connection this time as well. I’m hoping to get an e-mail off to my CIA contact. I have a suspicion Brent might have been involved in something international.”

“Like spying?”

“Maybe. It’s hard to say, but he had something going on with all those passports. What I can’t figure out is why he brought them all with him on this trip.”

“There were three large suitcases in his room,” I reminded Zak. “My guess is he came to the island as part of a longer trip. Maybe he was meeting someone here; maybe whoever killed him.”

“I guess that’s as good a theory as any. If Piper is to be believed, Lord Dunphy is hard up for money. Maybe he got himself into the middle of something he ought not to have.”

“Yeah, but why invite so many people if he and Brent were meeting? It would make more sense that Brent was here to meet up with one of the other guests and Dunphy’s involvement is limited to trying to downplay the murder angle in order to avoid a scandal.”

“Maybe. I guess we’d have to put all the pieces together for any of it to make sense. As beautiful as this is, maybe we should head back. It’s late, I’m tired, and I do want to get that e-mail off before we turn in if I can get a connection.”

“Okay.” I stopped walking and looked toward the field where Charlie was running around. “Charlie,” I called.

He turned, looked at me, and came running as fast as his tiny legs would carry him.

“Time to head back, buddy,” I said to my furry friend, who was going to need yet another bath.

“Maybe we can sneak back in and check out the dungeons tomorrow,” I suggested. “I’m not sure why I’m so fascinated with them, but I am.”

“I suppose there’s a lot of history in those dark caverns. Dark and ugly history, but history nonetheless.”

Once we returned to the room, I gave Charlie a good rinse while Zak worked on the Internet. Now that the storm had passed maybe the phone lines would come up as well. Zak seemed to think he could patch into the satellite signal if it was strong enough, and I really did want to check in with everyone at home.

I got Charlie dried off and settled him onto the rug near the fire. The poor little guy was exhausted and went directly to sleep.

“Any luck?” I asked.

“I got onto the Internet. The connection is weak, but I managed to get an e-mail off with the names we found on the passports. Hopefully my contact will be able to shed some light on who Brent Silverwood really is. The signal is too week to Skype, but you might be able to get an e-mail off to Ellie and the kids if you want.”

“I want.”

I sat down and hastily typed out e-mails to Ellie and each of the three children in my life. Something was up back home and I intended to find out what it was. Being unable to communicate with those you love when you know in your gut there’s a problem is both frustrating and terrifying.

The following morning Zak’s contact returned his e-mail with instructions for accessing a secure line. Once he’d accessed it he was able to find out that Brent Silverwood was actually an Interpol agent who had come to the island after receiving intel that a nameless, faceless person who had been selling stolen art and jewels to the highest bidder had set up a meeting with a buyer during the murder mystery weekend. The contact didn’t know the identity of either the buyer or the seller.

My thoughts immediately turned to Charles Belmont. Piper had as much as admitted that Charles made his money by matching those who had something to sell with those who wanted to buy. Could he be behind whatever it was that was supposed to go down this weekend? Piper had been the one to invite the guests, and she’d already told me that both Sam and Armand had been referred to her by Charles.

The question in my mind was why meet here in such a public place? If I had stolen art to sell, or if I was in the market for purchasing stolen art, wouldn’t I simply meet the person I’d been “matched” with in a dark alley or some equally quiet place? Why come to a castle where twelve people had gathered to make the exchange? There had to be more to it. I just had to figure out what that was.

I still hadn’t heard back from any of the kids, and Ellie’s response to my e-mail simply had been to assure me that everything was spectacular and she hoped we were having a wonderful time. Something was definitely up. It wasn’t like Ellie to be quite so vague or quite so cheery.

“So what do we do now?” I asked Zak as we dressed for breakfast.

“I’m not sure. It seems like one or both of the people involved in the illegal sale must have realized who Brent was and shot him. We need to go back over the individuals on the island and take another look at them as potential suspects. Now that we know why Brent was killed—or at least why he was involved in the weekend—we might be able to focus on someone.”

“Haven’t we already done that?”

“We have, but let’s start again. We might very well have missed something.”

“After breakfast?” I hoped. I was famished in spite of the huge meal we’d consumed the previous evening.

“After breakfast.”

Surprisingly enough, almost everyone showed up for breakfast. Lord Dunphy wasn’t in attendance, but everyone else was sitting at the dining table when we arrived downstairs.

“Isn’t it the most divine day?” Piper commented to the group. “Sunny and relatively warm. The bridge is still closed, but the water is receding. I think it is the perfect day for a ride along the beach. Would anyone like to join me?”

“I’d like to come along,” Millie answered.

“Me too,” Drew added. “I might as well have a little fun because my story is going nowhere.”

“I wouldn’t mind a ride along the beach,” Susan informed the others.

“Why don’t we all go?” Jessica suggested. “We can bring a picnic and make a day of it.”

“I’m afraid I have work to attend to in the library,” Armand declined.

“And I really hate horses with quite a passion,” Sam informed them. “I think I’ll take a walk instead.”

“I’ll join you,” Luke joined in. “I’m afraid horses are not my cup of tea, but I would enjoy some fresh air.”

Everyone looked at Zak and me. We were the only ones who hadn’t responded. I glanced at Zak. He winked.

“Although a ride or walk along the beach sounds enjoyable, it
is
Valentine’s Day. I think my wife and I will spend the morning alone,” Zak answered.

I blushed when everyone began to snicker. I knew Zak was simply buying us time to do a little sleuthing, but I couldn’t help but be embarrassed when everyone looked at us with knowing glances.

“Couldn’t you have just said you had a headache and wanted to stay in?” I complained to him after we went back to our room. “Everyone thinks we’re…well, you know.”

“We’re a married couple celebrating our first Valentine’s Day. What do you care what people think?”

Zak was right. Why did I care? Spending alone time with your spouse on the one day of the year devoted to romance wasn’t only acceptable, it was almost expected.

“I guess you’re right.” I smiled. “It really is too bad we need to spend our morning redoing our suspect list.”

Zak pulled me into his arms. “We may need to spend the morning sleuthing, but I can assure you, Mrs. Zimmerman, I have quite different plans for the evening.”

I smiled. “You have plans?”

“I do.”

I wrapped my arms around Zak’s neck. “It’s early. The others will be gone for hours. Maybe a preview of coming attractions?”

Zak captured my lips with his. He pulled me onto the bed and it was a very long time before we got around to that suspect list.

“Okay, read it back to me,” Zak said later that morning. “At this point let’s just take into account who was present at the party when Brent was killed and who wasn’t. We’ll look at the alibis we’ve uncovered and the motives we’ve hypothesized later.”

“I guess that makes sense. As for the guests: Piper left the party early, as did Armand, Luke, and Susan. Jessica was chatting with Sam when Brent was shot and I don’t remember either of them leaving. Millie was chatting with Cassandra and Drew, although Millie left to go to the ladies’ room at one point. Drew left for a few minutes as well. As for the staff: Liam wasn’t present in the castle at all as far as we know. Liza likewise wasn’t around that evening. Lord Dunphy excused himself early. The cook was in the kitchen the entire evening, so I doubt she would have had the chance to shoot Brent. Byron moved over to act as bartender after he finished serving the meal, so I don’t believe it could have been him.”

“And we’ve already eliminated Jessica, Sam, Cassandra, the cook, and Byron, which leaves us with Piper, Armand, Luke, Susan, Millie, Drew, Liam, Lord Dunphy, and Liza as possible killers?”

“Correct.”

“Who from this group had a firm and verifiable alibi?” Zak asked.

“Drew went into the kitchen for a glass of milk, which the cook verified, and Susan had the flu, which I verified the following day when I witnessed her tossing her cookies.”

“Which leaves Millie, Piper, Armand, Luke, Liza, Liam, and Lord Dunphy,” Zak summarized.

“Exactly.”

“Who have you eliminated for reasons other than lack of opportunity?” Zak asked.

I looked down at the list in my hand. “I don’t have anything concrete, but my gut tells me it wasn’t Armand, Piper, Liza, or Millie. They all seem so nice, and exactly who they claim to be. I suppose that isn’t a good enough reason to totally eliminate them, but if time is of the essence I’d take a hard look at Luke, Liam, and Lord Dunphy. Initially I didn’t think Dunphy had a motive, but after what we heard in the workroom I’m not so sure.”

“Almost everyone is away from the castle today. How about we take a look in the rooms of the guests we can’t definitively eliminate? I’ll take Armand and Luke and you take Piper and Millie. We’ll meet back here when we’re done.”

It was a good idea not to eliminate anyone based on a gut feeling alone, but I did feel a little odd searching Millie and Piper’s rooms. They were right next door to each other, making it easy to take a peek in each room without the need to spend too much time in the hall, where one of the staff might see me lurking around.

Piper’s room was almost twice as large as Zak and mine, although ours was plenty big. I supposed Lord Dunphy had let Piper select her room because she was helping him with the project. Initially I wouldn’t have imagined the sweet and slightly wacky woman Zak and I had met on our honeymoon could ever be a killer, but it was nagging me that she had been behind the invites, including, most likely, of both the seller and the buyer Brent had attended the event to find. Could Charles’s matchmaking extend to the black market, and was Piper part of the operation or simply a clueless pawn?

My initial investigation didn’t find anything odd. Empty suitcases under the bed, clothing in the dresser and closet, one of Jessica’s books next to the bed, toiletries in the bathroom. There was absolutely nothing to suggest that Piper was up to anything other than vacationing. There was a notepad next to the phone, which hadn’t been working since the first day we’d been there. The top sheet of paper on the notepad was blank, but I put the whole thing in the pocket of my sweatshirt anyway. When I got back to my room I’d take a closer look at all the pages to see if anything was written on a page toward the middle, which is what I would have done if I’d been trying to hide a message.

I sifted through the drawer located in the table at the side of the bed. Piper’s passport was in the drawer. I opened it to find a book full of stamps, the most recent of which were for trips to Barcelona, Paris, and Moscow. I had to wonder if it was a coincidence that those were cities where three of Brent’s fake passports claimed he lived. Of course all three were major cities and Piper had never made a secret of the fact that she traveled widely and often.

I jotted down the dates just in case.

I really didn’t see anything out of place, so I decided to head next door to Millie’s room. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was an envelope on the bed with my name written on it next to a small flashlight. I opened the envelope and pulled out two pieces of paper.

Dear Zoe,

My intuition told me you’d be by this morning. Not to worry; I am not upset that you needed to take a second look. I know you know that I did not kill Brent, but I also know there are times when you let your mind question what you know in your heart to be true.

I have included in this envelope my journal entry from the day we all arrived. I believe it may help you to sort things out.

Oh, and take the flashlight I left on the bed when you leave. You will need it.

Hugs, Millie

I slipped the flashlight into my pocket and looked at the second sheet of paper. It had been torn along one side, as if she had literally ripped it from her journal.

February 11

Such an interesting group we have assembled here at the castle. I can feel the energy change just a bit as each new guest arrives. I thought this might be a boring weekend, but I can see that I am in for a rollicking good time. Piper and I were the first to arrive, followed by Jessica Fielding and her niece, Cassandra. Piper is positively glowing with excitement as she meets her favorite author for the first time.

Professor Armand Waller and his guest, Luke, arrived next. Armand has already drifted away mentally as he ponders the significance of each and every artifact within these ancient walls, but I can see that his friend Luke bears a secret. A dark secret that provides a harshness to the otherwise cheerful mood.

I already knew Luke was somehow wrapped up in this whole thing; now I just needed to figure out how exactly. I continued to read.

Sam Spalding and Susan Langtree are the next to arrive. Neither are who they claim to be. Sam’s energy is all wrong for the role he professes to play. I believe that in time his truth will be revealed. He seems harmless enough; I just wish I could say the same thing about Susan. Her energy is dark and unsettled. All is not well.

I supposed the “dark and unsettled” energy Millie was picking up on could have been the illness that would inflict itself upon the woman claiming to be Susan Langtree later that day.

Drew Baltimore has an aggressive energy that at the moment seems to be passive, bordering on melancholy. She is smiling, but her smile does not reflect her inner state. I do not sense a specific threat from her, but I also sense a restless energy that is demanding to be satisfied.

I am most worried about the man who calls himself Brent. He is not at all who he appears to be. He professes to live in the spotlight, but I can see he lives in the shadows. I sense a darkness surrounding him, although unlike Luke and Susan, whose energy is dark from within, I feel an external darkness surrounding Brent.

It was almost as if Millie knew how things would play out. I wondered if she’d tried to warn Brent about this external threat. I also wondered if he would have listened to her had she tried.

And last but not least, we have the charming Zoe Donovan and her handsome husband. Zak is exactly who he professes to be: a man with a pure and giving heart who is deeply in love with a woman he can’t seem to keep his eyes off of. Zoe, however… Perhaps it is not my place to say.

“Say what?” I said aloud, to no one in particular. I looked in the envelope for another journal page, but there was nothing there. I had an overwhelming urge to tear the place apart, looking for the book the entry had originally been recorded in, but deep inside I knew there was nothing more to find. One thing was for sure: I was going to ask Millie what she meant before we left the island.

I was about to head back to our room to meet with Zak, but at the last minute I decided to check out Susan’s room. I had eliminated her from the suspect list because she’d said she was sick on Thursday evening and I’d witnessed her vomiting on Friday, but I kept thinking that Millie had said her energy was dark and unsettled.