The Cracked Spine (32 page)

She'd hidden the note. She'd noticed I hadn't mentioned it, and she knew I wanted to keep it a secret. I sent her a thank-you smile, and was overwhelmingly grateful.

“I have the book with the screwdriver still in it in my cab. I'll go get it for ye,” Elias said.

“The police don't know about the Folio?” Edwin said. “Why do they think Harry killed Jenny? For what reason?”

“Just a drug deal gone bad, I think,” Hamlet said. “It makes sense. Gregory will back up the story.”

“He will?” I said.

“Yes, he's very fond of Delaney, I think,” Hamlet said with a swollen-faced smile. “He likes her … fiery spirit he said.”

“I'm sorry you got hurt,” I said.

“I'm sorry you got hurt,” he said.

I had my own fair share of bruises and my right eye might not open all the way for a while, but I was going to be okay.

“I'm sorry you both got hurt,” Edwin said. “And I'm ashamed that I didn't know what was really going on in that building. I know it doesn't matter much now, but I did try tae get Jenny out of there a few times. She wanted tae stay. Perhaps it was the easy access tae the drugs. I should have known.”

“Och,” Aggie said. “Drugs turn people into the best actors. Ye cannae beat yerself up, Edwin. Your sister was old enough tae get her life figured oot. It was her fault only.”

Edwin looked at Aggie and nodded but didn't say anything.

“Harry had a lot of control over the people in the building,” Hamlet said. “He was their landlord as well as their dealer. He got away with a lot for a long time because he had so much dirty laundry on everyone. Gregory's a talker. While he was holding me prisoner, he told me about it but he was scared tae give me all the details. He also told me that he lied tae you and Elias, Delaney. He told you that he'd seen a man with a tuxedo go to Jenny's flat the night before she was killed. He'd only seen that man some time before, a week or so. He wanted to confuse everyone, until he heard your scream, that is. Then he seemed tae want tae come clean. It was quite the transformation.” He looked at Edwin. “I should have tried harder tae get Jenny out of there too, Edwin.”

“Oh, Hamlet, dear lad,” Edwin said as he put his hand on Hamlet's arm. “Ms. McKenna is correct. Jenny could have taken control of her life, but she was a mess, a complete wreck. You saved her many times. Rosie saved her. I did too. We all did, but she could never get it together. She was bound tae have a bad ending. I'm sorry about that, but we all did all we could—you did even more. Never regret anything that happened. You and Delaney are safe, and I am eternally grateful for that outcome.”

Hamlet nodded and then looked at me again. I kept my glance firm. I'd keep the secret about the note, the betrayal. We'd keep it together, forever.

“By the way,” Hamlet said. “Gregory also told me that he told you that Jenny was never sober. He lied about that too. He did it tae keep you wondering, maybe tae tell the police there was an inconsistency. Like I said, he liked you, the girl from Kansas in America.”

I didn't much like him at the moment, but he'd pay a fair price with some good jail time, I hoped. And he did probably save me from getting killed. Perhaps I'd forgive him eventually.

Elias brought in the Folio and handed it to Edwin.

“Oh no,” I said, my stomach plummeting. If my friends and family back in Kansas could see me
now
. “It's ruined. I'm so sorry.”

“Oh, it's not so bad,” Edwin said.

After a pause of collective disbelief, we all laughed small, unreal laughs. It was much worse than simply bad. It was destroyed. Millions of dollars. Destroyed.

“It's just a thing,” Edwin said. “Things aren't nearly as important as people. Not even close.”

And then he moved to the bed and pulled me into a fatherly hug. I suddenly wanted to cry but I didn't.

“Tea or coffee anyone?” Aggie said. “Goodness, is anyone hungry? Let me go gather some food.”

“That would be lovely,” Rosie said. “I'll help.”

“Me too,” Elias said.

“Let me help too,” Hamlet said.

“Perhaps I should offer assistance as well,” Edwin said, when he noticed that the only other person in the bedroom was Tom.

A moment later my intended date and I were alone.

“Mind if I sit next tae you?” Tom asked.

“Not at all. I'm sorry about the date,” I said.

“We'll have another chance,” Tom said.

“You look amazing in that kilt.”

Tom laughed. “Thank you. I'll keep it handy.” He placed his hand over mine. “Delaney, are you all right? Do you need anything? Do you want us all tae leave so you can rest?”

“Not quite yet. And I'm fine. I bet I'll still have a headache for a few days, but it's pretty dull at this point.”

“Do you want me tae call your family back home in Kansas? Do you want tae go home and see them?”

I thought about my parents' reaction when a dark-haired, cobalt-eyed, dashing Scot in a kilt, who I'd already kissed, was the one to call and tell them I'd gotten caught up in a murder investigation and had been accosted by the killer. A stir would definitely be caused; Kansas wheat might never be the same. The idea made me smile, but only briefly.

“No, I'll tell them. Later, when some time has passed. And I don't have plans to go back to Kansas for a while. Edinburgh is my home, at least for now.”

“I'm extremely glad tae hear that,” Tom said with concerned eyes and a half smile that I wanted to stare at for a long time.

I really hoped there was more kissing in our near future, but for now my other family, my Scottish family, was in the house. Edwin, Hamlet, Hector, Rosie, Aggie, and Elias were busy in the kitchen making coffee, tea, and snacks.

We ate, drank, and talked for a long time. When everyone left and I was alone in my cottage, the lights off and my headache even less awful, I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. It was difficult. There were no voices, but there were lots of scenes from my life since I'd gotten off the plane and found Elias's cab. Much had happened in a short time and it all suddenly seemed to be exactly what was supposed to have happened, even the part about being punched by a killer.

When my mind settled down and I was able to relax, the very last thought I had before I fell deeply asleep was that I was very glad I'd been laid off from the museum in Wichita, and that I'd happened upon a strange ad that promised I would go places I never imagined, that I'd have to be bold.

It seemed the journey had begun exactly as advertised.

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First of all, a giant thank-you to Lisa Shafer, a fellow writer who has spent a good amount of time in Scotland. I can't express how grateful I am to her for poring over maps with me, giving me insight into Edinburgh and all parts of Scotland, and answering all my crazy questions (she's still answering questions). From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Lisa, for your help and friendship.

The people of Scotland are just like I imagined them to be, even better actually. Thanks especially to: Alexandria Gibson and her mom, two lovely women who let me traipse through their cottage just so I could see its layout and the strange machine on the wall that supplies their electricity; the van drivers and the other passengers we met on the guided tours who were enormously patient as I asked questions and took notes. Thank you for putting up with me.

Because of some crazy circumstances we missed our first trip to Scotland and had to reschedule. When we finally arrived, our first stop was to The Cadies and Witchery Tours. Having heard about our previously cancelled trip, they had kept our names off to the side and didn't ask us to pay for another tour. I'm sure that they are that customer service–oriented all the time, but their attention to detail got our journey off to a perfect start and we loved their entertaining performances. Thank you.

There's a bookshop near the spot where I placed The Cracked Spine. It's not The Cracked Spine, but I used some of the décor from inside. The proprietors were lovely and didn't hesitate to give me the okay to take pictures. The Wee Pub, the smallest pub in Scotland, is also in Grassmarket. I used the name and the location, but I made up almost everything else.

There are a bunch of bookshops in Edinburgh. We didn't make it to them all, but we visited many. Every single bookseller was just fine with me roaming around and taking pictures. Thank you for making my research so much easier.

Thanks to everyone at Minotaur who has worked so hard on this book. Allison Ziegler in marketing; Shailyn Tavella in publicity; Alan Bradshaw in production; my copy editor, Jane Liddle; the cover designer, David Rotstein; text designer, Nicola Ferguson; and my creative and attentive editor, Hannah Braaten. I'm stunned by how you all do what you do.

Some of my favorite authors agreed to an early read and offered a quote for the cover. Thanks to them for being so kind and for writing books that make me want to keep working to be a better writer myself. Jenn McKinlay, Susan Furlong, Daryl Wood Gerber, Ellery Adams, and Erika Chase.

My husband, Charlie, and my son, Tyler, are the best. They cheerfully took on the Scavenger Hunt papers I handed them as we boarded the plane to Scotland, and they helped me find almost everything on the four-page list. I adore them.

The Cracked Spine
is a work of fiction, of course. I made up lots of stuff, but I also tried to weave in some real locations and details. It would be impossible for me to do Scotland justice. The country's beauty and the people's graciousness are beyond my words. Forgive any mistakes I made; they are totally on me.

 

ALSO BY
PAIGE SHELTON

COUNTRY COOKING SCHOOL MYSTERY SERIES

If Fried Chicken Could Fly

If Mashed Potatoes Could Dance

If Bread Could Rise to the Occasion

If Catfish Had Nine Lives

If Onions Could Spring Leeks

FARMERS' MARKET MYSTERY SERIES

Farm Fresh Murder

Fruit of All Evil

Crops and Robbers

Red Hot Deadly Peppers

A Killer Maize

Merry Market Murder

Bushel Full of Murder

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PAIGE SHELTON
had a nomadic childhood, as her father's job as a football coach took the family to seven different towns before she was even twelve years old. After college at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, she moved to Salt Lake City, where she thought she'd only stay a few years, but she fell in love with the mountains and a great guy who became her husband. After many decades in Utah, she and her family recently moved to Arizona.

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