“Where would he have taken it?” Sean asked. “If Eddie found it, what did he do with it?”
“I think he hid it somewhere, and then he died with the secret,” Zach said.
“Poor Eddie,” Marni said. “To find his treasure…and then…”
Clara gasped, stood up and left the room. Tom hurriedly followed his wife.
Aidan came back into the room a minute later. “I’m going to drive to Boston tomorrow. I spoke with the man who made the ornament. I’m not sure he can help, but I’ll go talk to him anyway. Maybe Eddie told him something.”
“Right,” Zach said, and thanked him.
“I need another drink,” Amanda said.
“I’ll get you one,” Sean offered.
“That’s all right. I’ll get it myself. And I’m not bothering with the tea this time, either. I’ll take my whiskey straight, thanks.”
She wandered off to the kitchen.
Cal cleared his throat. “Um, Sean. The flotilla. Are we…are we still going to go out?”
“You bet. We’ll take out the Sea Maiden. In Bridey’s honor. And Eddie’s,” Sean said thickly.
The room fell silent again, until finally Rowenna Flynn rose. “Well, shall we finish the tree?” she asked, breaking the tension.
“Sure,” Jeremy said, and rose to join her.
Sean stood and looked about to speak, but then, as if he couldn’t say a word, he just waved and headed out.
“I think we’ll be going home,” Marni said. “Cal, I just feel…worn out all of a sudden.”
“Sure. Whatever you say.” Cal went over and put a supportive arm around her shoulders.
“Good night, then,” Marni said.
They left, and then it was down to just the Flynns, Caer and Kat.
“Turn some music on,” Aidan suggested.
“Good idea,” Zach said.
Kat shrugged unenthusiastically, but she went over and put on some Christmas music.
“O Little Town of Bethlehem” was the first cut, and Zach thought it seemed somehow strange and out of place.
“All right,” Aidan said, sitting down and starting to untangle a string of lights, “where could Eddie have hidden the treasure?” He turned to Zach. “Assuming you really think he took it off the island and weren’t just saying that to see who you could stir up.”
“I really think so,” Zach said. “Eddie was leaving clues to where he found it, but he must have become nervous. Maybe someone was asking him too many questions, who knows? But I’m sure he moved it, and equally sure whoever killed him didn’t know that. Someone besides me had been digging out on Cow Cay.”
“Of course. Eddie,” Kat said.
Zach shook his head. “Someone else. The ground was freshly disturbed. The thing is, for the moment, the killer still thinks the treasure’s on the island. That’s why the guard was killed. Okay, the killer did away with Eddie, tried to get to Sean and tampered with the blueberries. The blueberry jars—only three of them—were tampered with here, either taken from the store and returned, or else the killer managed to tamper with them and then reseal them right in the store. I don’t think anyone was meant to die because of the blueberries, though.”
“You’re losing me completely,” Kat said.
Zach grinned at her. “It’s all right. I keep losing myself. But in a nutshell, I think the blueberries were a red herring.”
“A red herring?” Rowenna repeated questioningly.
“You don’t read enough mystery novels,” Jeremy teased her.
“I know what it is, I don’t know what you mean,” Rowenna said.
“Whoever did away with Eddie and Gary Swipes is smart, and he knew he would be caught on the grocery store’s camera. He wanted the blueberries to be found so someone would check the tapes and he would be seen—seen wearing the disguise he wore when he went out to kill Eddie. That way, everyone starts looking for someone who doesn’t look anything like the killer really looks.”
“In other words,” Aidan said, “the killer is someone close, someone Eddie and Sean would have recognized.” He paused, then asked, “Zach, who knew about the island being dug up when Gary Swipes was killed? Let’s go over it again.”
“The family, basically. And the cops.”
“The cops?” Kat said. “My God, you’re not suggesting that…”
“We need to find out everything we can about Morrissey and the rest of the men working the case,” Aidan said.
“I’ve got an idea,” Jeremy said to Aidan. “You can investigate the cops, and I’ll drive to Boston with Rowenna. You have the most friends in high places,” he reminded his brother.
“Sounds good,” Zach said, and Aidan nodded his agreement.
“I’ll stay here and keep an eye on my dad,” Kat said, then shivered. “She’s trying to seduce him, you know. Amanda, I mean. What if she’s trying to kill him…that way, since nothing else worked?”