Kelsey was quickly over by the pair. “Your uncle owns the place, Katie. You go get more drinks, and I’ll help pick up.”
“I know where to find the broom,” Liam said, rising and walking past Clarinda. She stared at him, wide-eyed, and he suddenly found himself wondering if she was suspicious of Jonas herself.
Was she afraid that the picture, when cleaned up via computer image, would show them a clear shot of Jonas?
He swept, the girls collected large glass fragments and Katie came out with more drinks and their sandwiches.
Liam was determined not to betray his suspicions in any way, and while they sat around and ate, he asked Kelsey how she liked the alarm system.
“I’ll get used to it,” she said. “Believe it or not, I’ve never had one before. But it’s good. It’s a very good idea.”
“You had an alarm system put on the house today?” Ted asked.
“Yes. Well, Liam took care of it,” Kelsey said.
“And your friend Avery is all right?” Jaden asked. “Vanessa is staying up with him?”
“Yes, and I’m sure they’re getting along fine. He’s an animator, and she’s a scriptwriter, editor—they’ll be fine,” Katie said, waving a hand in the air. “Oh, Kelsey, we don’t have to go up and get them tomorrow—Sean is going to go.” She laughed softly. “I guess my brother wants to make sure he gets the love of his life back.”
“That’s great,” Kelsey said.
“You’re busy, huh?” Clarinda asked.
Kelsey nodded. “I’m going through my grandfather’s logs. I’m going to find out everything he has, and exactly what he wants done with it all.”
Liam noted that she didn’t mention the reliquary.
That night, when they finished eating, they were ready to head out. Clarinda was still working, so they bid her good-night and went in to say good-night to Jamie O’Hara.
Bartholomew was standing on Duval when they emerged from the pub. He was waiting for an elegant woman. She was his lady in white, Lucinda, not the woman he had died for, but the love he had found in the afterlife.
He bowed low as she came to him; he straightened, and she accepted his arm.
He looked back, aware that Liam was watching him. He smiled. “Good evening, friend. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He nodded. Katie saw Bartholomew, but Ted and Jaden, anyone on the street, and Kelsey would surely consider him mad.
He turned away from Bartholomew, glad of the glow of warmth and love that seemed like an aura around the two.
Ted and Jaden went their way—after he’d paid Jaden—and he and Kelsey drove Katie back to the Beckett house.
“Oh,” Katie said, getting out of the car. “Kelsey, tell Liam about the phone calls.”
“Pranks,” Kelsey said, waving a hand in the air.
“Tell me,” Liam said.
“Some idiot is calling me. First he called and breathed. Then he called and told me he was watching me. Then he called and said something about me not getting wet.”
“Not getting wet?” Liam asked.
“We had just walked out on the dock,” Katie said.
“Let me see your phone,” Liam told her.
Kelsey dug in her pocket and handed it to him. He saw the calls listed from Private Number and then the exchange and number on the other.
“The call with the actual number came after you’d gone out on the dock?” he asked. Kelsey nodded.
“I’m calling this in tonight. Maybe the graveyard shift can help,” he said.
He called in; none of the day crew was working overtime, but he knew Tony Santini, working the research desk. He gave Santini the number and handed Kelsey back her phone.
“Good,” Katie said, satisfied. She bid them all good-night.
Liam waited until she got to the door; David opened it before she knocked, and waved to them as Katie went in.
They drove on to the Merlin house.
Lights burned from the parlor and the porch. The house seemed welcoming.
Amazing what a good alarm could do. Peace of mind.
Perception, Liam thought. Maybe life was all in the mind, all perception.
No, he’d been a cop too long to believe that.
“I was trying not to be obvious with the code,” Kelsey told him as they exited the car. So I chose Avery’s birth date, 1130, to get in, and backward to close up at night.”
“We just have to remember to set it; an alarm is only good when it’s set,” he told her.
She twisted the key, stepped in and punched in the numbers on the alarm pad. Liam came in behind her, and Kelsey grinned and reset the alarm.
She turned into him. “Liam, I found another note today. I have a feeling that it might be the last I’ll find in the book, but I think that I can find out what he’s saying to me if I keep studying it. It’s as if the answer is there—I just have to really put my finger on it.”
He was suddenly, overwhelmingly tired. “Tomorrow,” he said softly.