“Why?” Devin asked.
“The million dollar question,” Rocky murmured. “Come on; the coffin is in the ambulance. We’ll follow it to the county morgue—into Kat’s hands.”
They did. Kat greeted them there and assured them that Will was watching over Brendan, Seamus, and Kelly.
It had grown late. With the body safely in her hands and Kat and the county examiner ready to work, the two of them left, returning to the castle.
They were exhausted and famished and headed to the pub. Allen was behind the bar; Siobhan was working the floor. She seemed not irritable, but distracted that night.
“All this going on—it gives the body a chill, that’s a fact!” she told them. “And, of course, with St. Patrick’s tomorrow, it’s like a zoo here, people squawking for this and that and not a wee bit of manners among them!”
“We’ll get our drinks from Allen,” Rocky assured her.
“Aye, and thank you on that!” Siobhan said.
Rocky and Devin went to the bar. Allen was harried as well; he still managed to pour a perfect pair of pints for them.
“If you need help, I can hop back there with you,” Rocky offered.
Allen gave him a grin. “I may call on you. We’re really moving. Believe it or not, several of the vendors ran out of beer. That’s—that’s sacrilege in Ireland!”
“Call me if you need me,” Rocky told him.
“Ah, but you’re a lawman,” Allen said.
“I had lots of jobs before I became one,” Rocky assured him.
Allen grinned. Rocky and Devin returned to their table.
Devin had purposely chosen a booth in the old chapel section.
“We were right beneath here today,” she told Rocky. She leaned closer to him. “There has to be a hiding spot we don’t know. Either it is someone who belongs at the castle and has a room here—like Allen—or it’s someone who knows where to put things out of sight. And not in the crypt, as one might think.”
“I believe that whatever is being used actually leaves the castle walls,” Rocky said. “But, how? That’s the question!”
“I’m sure we can find an answer,” Devin told him. “So many vendors have come and gone—maybe they’re using a vendor?”
Their food came and they ate. Rocky had just taken his last bite when Siobhan stopped by the table. “Allen says that if you’re certain you don’t mind, he’d love some help behind the bar,” she said.
“All right, then,” Rocky said, rising. He looked at Devin.
She smiled. “I’m fine. I’ll be thinking—and watching.” And she would be. She’d noted that Michael and Aidan had just come into the bar. Aidan seemed distracted. Michael was calm and collected.
Rocky went behind the bar. Devin pulled out her phone and pretended to give it her attention.
She watched Aidan. He seemed dejected. But, as she watched him, she felt that she was drawn to watch Siobhan again. Every time the waitress came into the chapel area, she seemed distracted.
“What bothers you here?” Devin asked her, catching her when she would have hurried by.
Siobhan crossed herself. “We’re over the dead!” she told her.
She didn’t get a chance to say more. She dropped the heavy glass beer mug she had been carrying as sound suddenly ripped through the castle.
The great clock was beginning to chime the midnight hour.
And along with it had come another sound.
The banshee’s wail. The same sound they had heard just a night ago.
Rocky looked her way. He leapt over the bar and went racing out of the pub toward the center tower.
Devin jumped to her feet, as well, to follow him.
Yet, even as she reached the great hall, she saw that Michael was following Rocky—and Aidan was following him.
But Aidan suddenly stopped and headed out the main doors.
Devin stood for just a moment’s indecision.
Then, she followed Aidan.
Rocky swore, ruing the fact that they’d actually managed to get Collum to autopsy that day.
Kat would have still been with Seamus and Kelly, and Will would have been with him.
But, as he tore past the velvet chain, jerked open the door and ran down the steps, he realized that the sound was already gone.
When he flicked on the light and reached the dungeon, it was empty.
There was something there, though. Someone had been there. Someone had just been there! He could sense it—feel it!
There was a noise behind him and he spun around. Devin?
No.
It was Michael Karney.
Karney looked at him impatiently and started on through to the crypts.
“Dammit!” he swore.
He turned in the shadows there and looked at Rocky. “Someone comes here. I know they come here.”