Depth of Deception (A Titanic Murder Mystery) (31 page)

"
It was booby-trapped, should you have attempted to unlock it without the key.
"

"
How cloak-and-dagger of Granda,
"
Callum replied.

"
He did not have the luxury of being careless. The risk was too great,
"
Father Landon said
,
as Callum
started to open
the lid.
"
Wait.
"

Callum stopped as Father Landon started out the door toward the adjoining room.

"
You’re not staying?
"
Callum asked.

"
Your grandfather said it was for your eyes only, and I shall continue to respect his wishes until you have seen it. You can stay here in privacy as long as you need to go through it. The others will likely continue looking elsewhere. Once you’ve seen it, you can decide who sees it and who doesn’t.
"

"
Thank you,
"
Callum said quietly
as he watched the old p
riest exit the room and close the door behind him.

Callum looked at the iron box. The last time it was open, his grandfather had put his secrets in it. Callum took a deep breath and ever so carefully, he opened the lid.

Inside he first saw a sleek, rounded blade, attached to the false latch by some kind of mechanism. Callum was very happy to have avoided that trap, as he enjoyed having all his fingers intact. He turned his attention to the other contents. There was a plethora of notes and photos stacked fairly neatly. On the very top was a legal document ambered with age, folded crisply. Callum carefully unfolded it. His eye was first drawn to a red inked stamp in the centre of the page with the word: DRAFT

On the very top, written in a calligraphy script:

Last Will and Testament

Agatha Marion Gilcrest

Chapter
XLI

"
…Then this happened yesterday: a sleepy Glasgow neighbourhood was shaken to its core with a tremendous explosion…
"
said an overly dramatic reporter with a thick Scottish accent.

For years, Edward’s lake house had been too remote for the TV antenna to pick up a decent reception: the picture was always snowy and the audio would crackle in and out. The C-Band satellite dish changed all that. Although it was, without a doubt, an eyesore on the picturesque waterfront, it was essential for knowing what was happening in the outside world. The blizzard had made reception sketchy but now, as it seemed to be subsiding, Edward weathered the elements, brushed the accumulated snow from the dish, and tuned into the news to catch up on current events.

"
No word if any survivors have been recovered, but we have confirmed that it was the home of a local and well-loved resident named Dolanna Fergraith.
"

"
What?
"
Edward wasn’t certain he had heard correctly. He reached for the remote and turned the volume up, waking Myra from her slumber.

"
What is it?
"
she asked blearily.

"
It’s Dolanna…
"
Edward muttered, not taking his eyes off the screen, as he sank into the chair.
"
Something’s happened to her!
"

"
Oh my word!
"
exclaimed Myra as she sat bolt upright.
"
What happened?
"

I’ve lost her forever,
Edward thought.
I’ll never get the chance to talk to her ever again. Or find out what truly happened.

"
I was doing some spring cleaning,
"
a middle aged Scottish woman said as she was being interviewed on television.
"
That’s when I thought I heard what sounded like a gunshot, then KER-BLEWY! The explosion knocked me knick-knacks on the floor.
"

"
It knocked more than just the neighbour’s knick-knacks,
"
the reporter’s voiceover said ominously. The footage on the screen cut to a townhouse with the windows smashed outward and black smoke billowing out.

"
Is that Dolanna’s home?
"
Myra asked. Edward, still shocked, nodded slowly.

The reporter’s voice continued,
"
Everyone instantly assumed this was some sort of retaliation from Argentina, but the police were not so forthcoming.
"

A plain-clothes police officer appeared on the screen, trying to cross without being stopped, but to no avail.

"
Was this the work of radicals
,
or the Argentines retaliating?
"
a reporter asked as they shoved the microphone into his face.

Looking very annoyed he simply said,
"
It’s too early to comment one way or the other before the investigation is complete.
"

Edward shook his head. It made no sense. The Argentines, or any sort of fanatical group, for that matter, would not likely target a random suburban home. They would choose something larger or someone with a higher profile, like Buckingham Palace or the Queen. Not some poor woman from Glasgow, not Dolanna. He dropped the remote. He was shaking.

Myra gently put her cold hands upon his to calm him. He stared at his old engagement photo with a great sense of loss and regret. He looked into Myra’s eyes.

"
What if I’ve lost her forever?
"

. . .

Commander Pamela Toughill entered Dolanna Fergraith’s quarter of the Base’s infirmary and saw the sweet old lady sitting up, bundled in military-issued blankets, reading a magazine from the stack next to her bedside.

"
How are we doing today?
"
Pamela asked.

"
Very well,
"
Dolanna said.
"
Can you tell me what’s going on?
"

"
What do you remember?
"

"
I remember your husband came to see me,
"
replied Dolanna.

"
My husband?
"

"
I assume he
’s your husband,
"
she said as she pointed to the nametag on Pamela’s uniform.

Pamela smiled and nodded,
"
Ex-husband.
"

"
I see,"
Dolanna replied.

"
What else do you remember?
"
Pamela asked as she pulled up a chair and sat down next to the bed.

"
He said something about a gas leak,
"
Dolanna continued.
"
Then he pushed me out the back door, and then there was the explosion… everything else is a bit foggy after that. Can you tell me what’s going on?
"

"
In short, someone’s trying to kill you.
"

"
What? Why me?
"
Dolanna exclaimed.
"
I haven’t done anything to anyone.
"

"
No, not directly.
"

"
I don’t understand.
"

"
Let me ask you some questions first,
"
Pamela began.
"
Would you say your mother was wealthy?
"

Dolanna laughed.
"
No, not by any means. She had been a servant girl. My father died in a pub brawl, and she had
to
work in a nail factory as well as take in extra laundry to feed me and my brothers.
"

"
Yet you were engaged to someone wealthy. Why did you break it off?
"

Dolanna looked at her for a moment,
"
What are you getting at?
"

"
It may indirectly be the reason someone’s trying to kill you.
"

"
You don’t honestly think Edward would do anything so horrible,
"
Dolanna said
,
fidgeting nervously.
"
He’s not like that at all. There is goodness and an honesty in him that is not found in many men.
"

"
What can you tell me about him?
"

"
Well, he’s the CEO of…
"

"
No, I don’t need his résumé,
"
interrupted Pamela.
"
What can you tell me about him? As a person.
"

Dolanna softened,
"
He is a true gentleman. A philanthropist. A great conversationalist. Loves art and music. Knows everything there is to know about the
Titanic
. We both had an affinity for time travel stories…
"

Her voice drifted as she seemed a hundred miles away.

"
Yet you left him at the altar.
"

"
We never got that far,
"
replied Dolanna.
"
I left him at the blood bank… or whatever it was called then.
"

"
I don’t understand.
"

"
In New York, at least back then, they insisted on blood tests before they could issue a marriage license. If I recall correctly it was to verify that the applicants were not carrying syphilis.
"

"
Interesting. So, why did you break it off? Did you have syphilis or something?
"

"
Most certainly not!
"
Dolanna said in an indignant tone.
"
I know young folks today believe in free love but I was raised with ‘no hanky-panky until after you were married.’
"

Pamela couldn’t help but smile.

"
It’s no laughing matter. In my day, a respectable lady did not go out on a date with a young man without wearing a pair of white gloves and having a chaperone along.
"

"
So why did you break off the engagement?
"
asked Pamela, pointing to the engagement ring on the chain.
"
It’s clear you still have feelings for him.
"

"
Just like you still have feelings for your ex-husband?
"

"
We’re not talking about me,
"
interjected Pamela.

"
Why not? Why did you divorce your husband?
"

Pamela bit her bottom lip and said,
"
You’re very good at changing subjects and being evasive but I’ll tell you what. I’ll tell you why I left and you have to come clean with why you left.
"

Dolanna said nothing.

"
I’ll take your silence as a lack of objection,
"
Pamela said, then before Dolanna could interject, she added,
"
Callum and I were married to our work first. We never made time for each other… and I hate coffee.
"

Dolanna nodded.

"
Your turn,
"
Pamela said. Dolanna looked away. Softening a little, Pamela sat on the bed and said,
"
Please, what could be so horrible?
"

"
In short…
"
Dolanna spoke hesitantly.
"
Edward’s father threatened me.
"

"
Threatened you? In what way?
"

"
He had a dark secret about my mother and threatened to expose her if I didn’t leave Edward.
"

"
What secret?
"

Dolanna’s voice faltered, and then whispered,
"
That my mother had killed her former employer, Agatha Gilcrest.
"

Chapter
XLII

"
So let me get this straight,
"
de Kirkhaugh said into his phone.
"
Are you saying Dolanna Fergraith’s mother killed Agatha Gilcrest?
"