by Cathy Ace
I simply said, “Thank you for telling me,” then I hugged Bud.
“I’m so proud of you, Wife,” he said. “I’d never have worked it all out like you did.” I glowed. “And s for working out where the papers were? Thank you.”
Jack and John also congratulated and thanked me, then Sheila and Jack hugged each other in the light of the dying flames, and the moon.
Lottie was bouncing from foot to foot. “I’m off,” she said. “I want to see whatever treasure Nina has hidden here. This is my only chance. Ever. I’ll get a taxi back to my hotel.”
John’s expression of joy faded a little. “You can stay at the estate with us tonight, if you like.” He seemed to want her to say yes.
“You’re joking, aren’t you?” Lottie snapped. “Insane, the lot of you. You knew how much I wanted to touch the skull again, to see Henry Morgan’s treasure, and not one of you let me have that satisfaction, did you? May you all rot in hell, and the sooner the better. Good bloody bye.” Lottie stomped off toward the sitting room.
“And good bloody riddance,” shouted Sheila after her.
The rest of us mumbled our agreement.
“So, you did what you needed to do, Cait, and we did what we needed to do, and tomorrow’s our penultimate full day here,” said Bud. “Anyone want to make any plans?”
“Have a lie in?” I said.
“Nap beside the pool,” suggested John.
“Wimp,” said Jack.
Sheila laughed. “We can all do exactly as we please, until we have to get ourselves to the airport just after lunchtime on Sunday. When’s your flight, John?”
John swore. “No idea, Lottie has the details. I’ll have to somehow get her to share that information with me. Maybe she’ll hate the idea of sitting next to me all the way back to London so much that she’ll sort out an alternative flight for herself. One can but hope.”
We began to walk back toward the main house.
“I wouldn’t mind a quick look at whatever Nina still has left of that treasure, too, but then let’s get back to the estate and get our heads down, for tonight,” I said. “I expect Amelia and Tarone will be glad to get home; Tarone is due to head off to Kingston tomorrow morning. Big weekend for him; trials for his running team,” I said. “I do hope they’ll be alright. There’s still no certainty about their situation, is there?”
Bud hugged me. “Cait, there’s only so much we can do. Sheila told me how you covered with the police for Amelia, regarding her feeding overripe ackee to Freddie. Well done. Of course we can all hope for the best for them, but – short of John’s brilliant plan for him to retire to the place, and them being kept on to care for him as he becomes more and more decrepit – I don’t know what to say.”
“Hey, that’s my idea, and I’m going to stick with it,” quipped John.
“Are you really going to call it a day?” Bud asked him.
“Don’t know, old friend. Really don’t know,” replied John, patting Bud on the back as we walked.
“None of you ever really give up, completely, do you?” said Sheila.
“I’m sorry to say I think you’re right about that,” I said.
“You’re acknowledging someone else is right about something, Wife?” said Bud, squeezing my waist. “That’s unusual.”
“Wonders will never cease, Husband,” I said.
“Now that’s something you’re definitely right about, Wife. Come on, let’s go and see that treasure.”
Acknowledgements
May, 2020
This book has been written during “unprecedented” times (my money’s on that word being recognized as one of “the” words of 2020). I don’t know when you’re reading this, of course, but I’m sure you’ll have your own recollections of what was happening in the world between mid-January and May 2020, which was when this book was written. If nothing else, what I have learned is that there’s no way to predict the course of the COVID-19 virus, nor the way nations will respond to its challenges. What I can be certain of, however, is that you’ll be reading this in a world that differs from the one in which I am living today.
All of that being said, the people who helped me get this book finished and out into the world will not have changed, and I want to acknowledge their contributions.
Unusually for me, I didn’t write this entire book at my desk. I fell behind (not so unusual) and had to finish writing it on a cruise ship. I was lucky – I was sharing the ship not only with my beloved husband, but also with a crew who did everything they could to ensure that our month-long trip was as safe, and delightful, as possible. With that in mind, there are a few people I want to thank here: the stalwart and delightful Ansel Williams, ably assisted by Double A and Sandip – without their constant attention I don’t think I’d have been able to finish this book; they helped keep me sane, and refreshed! Ansel and his fellow-countryman Nicholas also allowed me to double-check many facts with them, despite their longing to be back in Jamaica, rather than just talking about their home. One day I’ll be able to return to that lovely island, I hope, and to – somewhere, sometime – reconnect with that wonderful quartet of men who were our daily companions at sea.
I’d like to thank Nina Mazzo – yes, there is a real person named Nina Mazzo who bid at an auction held at Left Coast Crime in Vancouver, in March 2019, to have her name appear in one of my books. I was honoured to be the Toastmaster at the convention, and Nina’s generosity benefitted the charity One to One, a children’s literacy program that provides one-to-one tutoring to children in elementary schools during regular school hours. You can find out more about their wonderful work at: www.one-to-one.ca
When Nina placed the winning bid, I wasn’t sure which book I’d be writing next, but Nina was delighted that her name would be given to a character in a Cait Morgan Mystery. I hope she enjoys her “other life” in this book. Thanks for bidding, Nina.
My editor, Anna Harrisson, was grappling with homeschooling her children, as well as meeting deadlines, when she worked on this book – my thanks to Anna, and to her family, whose support meant she could keep going.
My copy editor, Sue Vincent, was also juggling new responsibilities, as well as working from home for her various clients, and she didn’t let one of us down! Thanks, Sue.
My thanks, too, to Janice Dumas, who gave me valuable insights and bolstered my confidence just when I needed it.
As ever, my husband’s support has allowed me to work on this book without losing my mind, and my sister and mother have both been incredibly patient as I have talked through the intricate details of plot and characters during our daily, lengthy, telephone calls. Also, I must thank Gemma and Kevin, to whom this book is dedicated; I am not stretching the truth at all when I say that, without their help, my husband and I would have lacked the necessities of life, which they have delivered to our front door, during lockdown, on a weekly basis. Trust me when I say the very least I can do is dedicate a book to them by way of thanks.
Then there are the people who are working within the seismically-shifting world of publishing at this time. I know bloggers, reviewers, librarians, and booksellers are all facing a slew of probably long-lasting challenges, with impacts none of us can imagine as I write. My gratitude is overflowing for those who have helped this reader find this book, somehow. Thank you.
Finally, thank YOU. As I said when I began, I have no idea when you’re reading this, but I hope you enjoy/enjoyed your trip to Jamaica with Cait, Bud, and the “gang”, and I hope you consider reading about all her other adventures. Thank you, and happy reading.
Cathy Ace
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Welsh Canadian author CATHY ACE was born and raised in Swansea, Wales, and now lives in British Columbia, Canada. She is the author of The Cait Morgan Mysteries, The WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries, the standalone novel of psychological suspense, The Wrong Boy, and collections of short stories and novellas. As well as being passionate about w
riting crime fiction, she’s also a keen gardener.
You can find out more about Cathy and her work at:
www.cathyace.com
PRAISE FOR THE CAIT MORGAN MYSTERIES
“In the finest tradition of Agatha Christie…Ace brings us the closed-room drama, with a dollop of romantic suspense and historical intrigue.” – Library Journal
“…touches of Christie or Marsh but with a bouquet of Kinsey Millhone.” – The Globe and Mail
“…a sparkling, well-plotted and quite devious mystery in the cozy tradition…” – Hamilton Spectator
“…a sympathetic amateur detective, a locked-room mystery, a small cast of colourful suspects, loving descriptions of food and drink, and a few red herrings thrown our way.”
– crimefictionlover
“This author always takes us on an adventure. She always makes us think. She always brings the setting to life. For those reasons this is one of my favorite series.”
– Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book
“…very enjoyable reading, really intriguing, a compelling ‘treasure hunt’…” – LibriAmoriMiei
“…perfect for those that love travel, food, and/or murder (reading it, not committing it).” – BOLO Books
“…Ace is, well, an ace when it comes to plot and description.” – The Globe and Mail
Other works by the same author
(Information for all works here: www.cathyace.com)
The Cait Morgan Mysteries
(Print published by TouchWood Editions,
digital published by Four Tails Publishing Ltd.)
The Corpse with the Silver Tongue
The Corpse with the Golden Nose
The Corpse with the Emerald Thumb
The Corpse with the Platinum Hair*
The Corpse with the Sapphire Eyes
The Corpse with the Diamond Hand
The Corpse with the Garnet Face
The Corpse with the Ruby Lips**
*Winner 2015 Bony Blithe Award for Best Canadian Light Mystery
**Finalist 2017 Bony Blithe Award for Best Canadian Light Mystery
The WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries
(Published by Severn House Publishers)
The Case of the Dotty Dowager
The Case of the Missing Morris Dancer
The Case of the Curious Cook
The Case of the Unsuitable Suitor***
***Finalist 2018 Bony Blithe Award for Best Canadian Light Mystery
Standalone novels
(Published by Four Tails Publishing Ltd.)
The Wrong Boy
Short Stories/Novellas
(Published by Four Tails Publishing Ltd.)
Murder Keeps No Calendar: a collection of 12 short stories/novellas
Murder Knows No Season: a collection of four novellas
(Published by Sisters in Crime, Toronto)
Steve’s Story in ‘The Whole She-Bang 3’****
(Published by Obscura Productions)
The Trouble with the Turkey in ‘Cooked to Death Vol. 3: Hell for the Holidays’
****Finalist 2017 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Short Story
