Trove (The Katie Walsh Mysteries) (40 page)

“I may need Robert’s help, but he’s not unreasonable and he’s like a grandfather to me.” Katie yawned.

“You’re tired. I should let you get some rest,” Alec said.

She placed her hand on his thigh. “Are we going to try?”

He nodded. “Yes, but I think we should take things slow. How about we go out to dinner when you’re released?”

“Like a real date?” she asked.

“Yeah, like a real date.”

She laughed. “I’d love to.”

He kissed her forehead and left.

Katie pushed her food around the plate, swirling the chicken pieces into the mashed potatoes and then burying them underneath like hidden treasures. Occasionally she’d pop a bundle in her mouth. She pushed the broccoli off the plate and onto the tray, hoping it hadn’t touched her food. Just the sight of it reminded her of how much she despised the overpowering taste.

“Knock, knock,” someone called from the doorway.

Katie looked up and smiled. “Dr. Austin, please, come in. I’m so glad you stopped by.”

He walked over to the visitor chair, pulled it up next to bed and sat down. “Are they treating you well here at my medical clinic?”

She nodded. “Very well.”

“So why the sad face? You look as if you’ve just lost your best friend.” He reached out and lifted her chin. “And why the tears, Little One?”

She shrugged.

“You’re not a convincing liar, Katie. What’s wrong? Would it have anything to do with Dr. MacGowan?”

She pushed the tray away and faced Dr. Austin. “I have something to tell you and I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

Dr. Austin rose and walked to the door, shutting it before he returned to her side.

She rubbed her hand back and forth over her forehead and took a deep breath. “What I’m about to tell you is very difficult for me. I-I ask that you don’t interrupt me. And I ask that you repeat it to no one… ever. Would you promise me?”

He nodded. “I promise.”

She stared at the clock on the wall, focusing on the number seven as she told him about the blackmailer, his demands, his threat to ruin the Institute and finally about the video. She asked that he not fight her request to receive her royalties when they come due. In return she’d quietly resign and leave the Institute. When she finished she turned to look at him.

His eyes were hooded, narrowed, his eyebrows knitted together, and his mouth drawn tight. He sat back in the chair and rubbed his chin between his thumb and forefinger.

“I’m sorry that this monster has chosen to drag you into this and I’m sorry I couldn’t comply with his request and stop what he’ll probably unleash very soon. Nobody at the Institute deserves the notoriety, least of all you.” She twisted the sheet in her hand, his silence unnerving her.

“What hotel did this happen in?”

“The Uber Metro in London.”

“I see. And you’re sure Dr. MacGowan had no prior knowledge?”

She nodded. “I’d stake my life on it.”

He sat back in the chair, apparently absorbing the full impact of what she’d just told him. His stare focused on the window on the opposite wall, his fingers steepled, the forefingers tapping lightly against his lips. She watched him for a moment but looked away after noticing a distinct frown behind his fingers.

The silence was overwhelming and her discomfort grew more noticeable as the ticking clock provided the only sound in the room. She picked at the blanket, then rearranged the covers. After five minutes, she couldn’t stand it any longer. She glanced at Dr. Austin.

“You want me to resign?” she asked softly.

He laid his hands on his thighs. “
Absolutely not
. While I’m not happy that this cretin would impugn the fine reputation of the Institute by turning it into a tabloid soap opera, I’d be a fool to let you go. You’re much too valuable.”

“Thank you, Dr. Austin. I appreciate your vote of confidence.” She exhaled audibly. “I have something else to tell you.”

“Do I want to hear this?” he asked, as he eased back into the chair, his hands gripping the armrests.

“I discovered something when Josh and I were climbing through the mountain tunnel.”

He leaned in close enough so they would be no chance they’d be overheard even if someone abruptly charged into the room. “What was it?”

She told him of the glowing crystals and how they seemed to have been activated by the emerald blade, which he assured her was safe, hidden in his office. His eyes danced as she relayed the details of her conversation with Josh and how she believed they’d located Norland.

“You think the trove is there?”

She nodded. “Assuming that no one’s discovered it and I don’t think anyone has or we would have heard about it.”

He sat upright in the chair. “Did you tell anyone about this?”

She shook her head. “No, and when I translated the runes for Josh Mason, I didn’t quite translate them correctly.”

He narrowed his eyes.

“I provided him with a valid translation, one that would stand up to scrutiny, but I didn’t give him what I consider to be the correct one.”

He grinned. “I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me. I knew you were destined to find the trove.” He stood, leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Don’t tell anyone about what you’ve found and don’t resign. I need to set a few things in motion before anything else happens. Promise me.”

“I promise,” she stated, loud and clear. “What happens now?”

“I think we should act as if nothing’s happened. We continue with business as usual. I’ve already begun securing permits that will allow the Nordstrom Institute to be the lead researchers of the crystal cave, since Alec informed me what Josh had claimed he’d discovered.” He leaned closer. “A word of advice regarding the site. I haven’t released any information as to what we think we’ve uncovered. Without any hard evidence connecting this site to Atlantis, I would prefer to keep our speculations to ourselves. Hopefully, because I personally think it is related, we’ll be able to identify a link and then reveal our theories.”

She nodded. “I totally agree and I’d like to offer my services on site, if that’s okay with you?”

He chuckled. “I think you’re suffering from ‘Discovery Fever’ but I think that might not be a bad idea. It would get you away from the Institute, and due to the remoteness of the site, it would make it harder for the blackmailer to contact you. Besides, you are the expert in this matter.”

“Can I ask another favor?”

“Mm?”

“Can you assign Alec as the lead archaeologist? He does have expertise in excavations in the British Isles.”

He smiled warmly, his eyes reflecting his feelings for her. “He was actually the first team member I put on the list. I was hoping you’d want to join the expedition.”

“Are you sure the dagger I had on me is safe?”

“Are you asking about the Blade of Grass?”

She nodded.

“I took it and locked it up in my safe at the Institute. I’ll give it back to you when you leave here.”

“I’d like your opinion, Dr. Austin. Do you think it
is
the Blade of Grass?”

He nodded slowly. “Yes, and I must say that I’m jealous you bought it before I even knew it was available.”

She laughed. “I’ve had feelers out for a while. And,” she leaned forward, “I think I’ve found the Dirk of Skye.”

He whistled. “Are you planning on buying it?”

“I don’t think I could afford it. Maybe you can though. I believe that Lord Anthony Chester owns it and that it’s part of his massive collection of artifacts at Willowton, though I haven’t seen it yet. I don’t want to alert anyone to its potential significance at this point.”

“Katie, if you ever need a second career, you should seriously consider detective work.”

She smiled. “It’s not such a big stretch from investigative mythology, all things considered.” She covered her mouth with her good hand, trying to hide a yawn.

Dr. Austin stood. “Get some rest so we can get you released. The doctor thinks you’ll be able to go home tomorrow providing you rest a few more days before returning to work.”

“Thank you, Dr. Austin,” she called out as he left the room.

Dr. Austin glanced at the thermostat on the wall. It registered seventy-two degrees. He turned and faced the man seated in the visitor’s chair. The man, dressed in a navy blue Armani suit, had impeccably coiffed silver hair and ice blue eyes that seemed to lower the ambient temperature by at least ten degrees. “I just had to make sure it wasn’t really a cold day in hell.”

The man responded with a deep, rich laugh. “Samuel, it’s been too long. I miss the days when we worked side by side, founding the Institute, using our vast personal collections as a basis for what’s become a preeminent depository and research facility. Tell me, have you ever told anyone the story of the founding?”

Dr. Austin shook his head. “Never had a reason to. You always said that you wanted to be invisible when it came to the Institute. I’ve simply complied with your wishes, Marcus.”

“Well, I think it’s time that I stepped forward, assumed a visible presence here. The time to rejoin with the others is quickly approaching, and the changes that will generate make it the perfect time to set a new direction for the Institute.”

Samuel steepled his fingers. “Just what do you have in mind? I spent many years establishing and protecting the fine reputation.”

“Yes, you’ve done an excellent job, Samuel, and it will make an excellent cover as my pet project moves to the forefront. I am, however, very disappointed that you’ve assigned Katie to field work. Did you encourage her to get out of the office quickly because you know I need her?”

Dr. Austin said nothing, just continued to stare at him.

“You’ve always had a soft spot for her, Samuel. Too bad for you that’s she’s my flesh and blood.”

Samuel Austin barely restrained himself. His hands clenched behind the desk. In all likelihood this cold-hearted bastard, Katie’s own grandfather, was the monster who attempted to blackmail her. He knew, based on what Katie had told him about the Uber Metro, that the person responsible for the hidden camera in the hotel room could only be the owner, one Marcus Altun. His suspicions were solidified when she’d told him that Lord Chester strongly urged her to stay there. He held back a shudder as he thought about all the powerful people who’d stayed there and just how ruthless Marcus could be and how in all probability Chester was also under his control. Samuel Austin shook his head. “I, for one, will miss her.”

“Ah, the irony of it, Samuel. By all rights,
you
should be her grandfather, but alas, you were never strong enough to take control. You’ll always be the beta to my alpha,” he sneered.

Samuel glared at Marcus. “Do you ever plan to tell her who you are?”

“Would she recognize the name Marcus Altun?”

“Apart from being the co-founder of this
Institute, no, I don’t imagine she would. I don’t think many people here would, but that’s not what I was referring to. Are you ever going to tell her you’re her grandfather?”

“Why? I don’t acknowledge any relation to her except that she carries my DNA and the genetic marker. Her grandmother and I never lived our lives together. I’ve only watched Dr. Walsh remotely. I can’t recall ever meeting her in the flesh.” He drummed his fingers on the armrests. “She was doing so well until that nasty accident that took her parents.”

“You’re an inhuman bastard, Marcus,” Samuel hissed, knowing now that Marcus was in all probability responsible for her parents’ murders, not Josiah Mason as he’d believed for the last ten years. And murders they were because Anna Walsh, Katie’s mother and Marcus’s daughter, was hunting him, determined to take him out, stop him before he gained the key that would unlock Nordstrom, literally the Power of the North.

Marcus smiled. “You hurl that like I should be insulted. I, on the other hand, take that as a compliment. You forget, Samuel, I’m not capable of having emotional connections to people. The sooner you remember that the better.”

The following Monday Katie returned to work without her signature high heels. Instead, she was in running shoes and walking with a cane, and probably would be until her knee healed completely. Though she’d wrenched her knee when she fell, she was expected to make a full recovery within a few weeks. Her elbow was badly bruised but healing quickly.

She managed to hobble into the Celtic Lore office with some grace. It was a few minutes before seven as she headed for the kitchen and some coffee. She paused outside Alec’s office. His desk lamp was on. She’d seen him every day since she left the clinic, except Sunday when Laura spent the day with her. He’d appointed himself as her personal valet, making sure she lacked for nothing, even having her evening meals delivered from her favorite restaurant.