Part 38 (1/2)
Bruce saw them and headed toward the table.
”Hi!” she murmured, trying to sound casual.
”h.e.l.lo,” he said, and looked to the couple across from her. ”I saw you two last night, right?”
”Yes. Strange, isn't it?” Toni said cheerfully. ”Matt and Darcy Stone, this is the real Laird MacNiall. Bruce, Matt and Darcy.”
”Nice to meet you. Our constable, Jonathan Tavish,” Bruce said, and Jonathan, too, exchanged pleasantries.
”Did you know one another in the States?” Jonathan asked. To Toni's ears, he sounded suspicious.
”Toni didn't remember until I talked to her last night,” Darcy said easily. ”Mart's family home is in northern Virginia, so we often go into D.C. for the theater. We were there for one of Toni's performances of Queen Varina. We're staying in this delightful village for a few weeks, so, naturally, I begged her to join us for lunch.”
There wasn't a lie in her words. Toni admired her smooth narration.
”Ah, so you're joining us in the village for a wee bit?” Jonathan said, pleased.
”It's gorgeous,” Matt said.
”We've rented the Cameron cottage,” Darcy told him.
”Well, we'll let you get back to your meal,” Bruce said.
”Join us,” Matt suggested.
”We've a bit of business,” Jonathan said, ”so we'll be beggin' out, if you don't mind. Another time?”
”Certainly,” Darcy said politely.
”Seems the castle is bringing in the lunchtime rush,” Bruce murmured.
Toni twisted in her seat. She was surprised to see Thayer just a booth away, lunching with Lizzie and Trish. And three booths back, Kevin, David, Ryan and Gina were biting into what looked like servings of lamb.
”See? It's all good for business,” Jonathan told Bruce.
”Apparently,” Bruce said pleasantly. ”Well, excuse us, then. We'll say a quick h.e.l.lo to the others and have lunch, as well.”
With a wave, he turned. The barmaid apparently knew both him and Jonathan well, for she jovially told them that their ”usual” booth was available.
”Hail, hail, yes, the gang is all here!” Toni murmured as he moved away.
”Great,” Matt said. ”I'm anxious to talk to them all. So is Darcy, right?”
”Oh, yes,” Darcy said. ”Definitely.”
Bruce let it go for the evening, and all through that night's performance.
But after he'd stabled Shaunessy, he went upstairs, built a fire and sat before it--waiting.
In time, Toni came into the room.
”What's wrong?” she asked him.
He turned to her politely. ”Friends from the States, eh?”
”Yes,” she said carefully. ”Well, acquaintances, you know.”
”You called a psychic?”
”What?” He could see her mind racing as she tried to figure out how he could possibly know.
”Small place,” he told her, deciding to spare her and cut to the chase. ”Jonathan looked them up.”
”Jonathan looked them up?”
”Pa.s.sports,” he reminded her. ”You are all visitors in a foreign land,” he reminded her. ”And with computers these days.. .well, it can be quite easy to find out almost anything.”
”I didn't call a psychic and ask her to come,” Toni said.
”You didn't?”
”Well, I called her. Actually, I didn't call her, I called a friend. And--”
”Planning on adding tarot readings to the tour?” he demanded. She was floundering. She had done it.
”You're being sarcastic and--and horrible!” she told him. She was staring at him wide-eyed--caught, one might say. And yet those sapphire eyes accused him. She was still Annalise, dressed in the ancient white gown. A flicker of something pa.s.sed through him then. She must actually be a lot like Annalise was, slim, blond hair cascading down her back, those eyes....
He brushed away the thought, angry again that she was so convinced there had to be a ghost. The d.a.m.ned place wasn't haunted. Although he was glad his ancestor had been vindicated--and he didn't mind a good historical place--he sure as h.e.l.l didn't want the family home to be ridiculed, chronicled on Ripley's Believe It Or Not or a novelty in a ghost segment of the Travel Channel.
”This is still my property, my home,” he said icily. ”And I don't want a seance here, or a woman reading a crystal ball, or anyone making light of the history of my home. Do you understand what I'm saying?”
”Yes, I understand,” she said. ”Don't worry. And don't blame the others. I'll see to it that neither Darcy nor her husband ever darken your door again. Frankly, they're here to help. But then, you don't need any help, do you? After all, you were a great cop. You've got a friend who's a constable, and another who is a detective. So, what the h.e.l.l, you would never need the help of anyone who might in the least tamper with the great dignity of the place! I understand. But if you had even begun to understand me, and taken the slightest chance of believing something that I said, we wouldn't be having this conversation now. But like I said, there's nothing to worry about. I'll never mention the word ghost to you again, or your ancestors, as matter of fact h.e.l.l, do what you want with the remains of Annalise! Sell them to a museum, indulge posterity, whatever. You've no right to be angry with me because you really don't understand anything at all!”
”They were here, weren't they?” he asked.
”Yes. But I didn't ask anyone to come here. In fact, I specifically asked that she not. We all know that we've kept this going by your great bounty alone,” she said, and there was definite sarcasm in her tone. ”I don't know why I'm bothering. Obviously, you don't believe anything that I'm saying.”
”Should I believe you?” he asked. ”On what basis? I mean, do we really even know one another?”
She stiffened. ”I thought I knew you,” she said.
”And I thought I could trust you.”
”Trust me? You know you can trust me! And if you were willing to take the least chance on me--and yourself!--you'd give me the benefit of the doubt. Apparently there have been times in your life when some kind of a sixth sense kicked in. That's why you were such a great cop.”
”What?”
”Are you afraid to admit there just might be something in the world beyond what you can see?”
He was going to get angry. He was going to deny her words again. And yet...