At least she and Nathan could have the weekend to themselves. Now all she had to do was decide whether the trip to Scotland was a good idea.
‘Ross and Sadie have invited us to dinner at their place.’ Nathan dropped the news into the conversation as Lexie coaxed Ruth to eat more of her meal and tried to stop Fiona from grabbing her favourite bits from Ruth’s plate.
‘What? When?’
‘Friday. I told Sadie I didn’t think we’d be able to go. You know, with the girls and everything. Sadie said they’d invited a couple of people, and she thought with your interest in Dominique Santos you might like to see their paintings.’
Lexie thought through the plans she’d made so far. ‘We could do it. I’ve arranged for Mum and Dad to have the girls and Max for the weekend. It would just mean dropping them off earlier on Friday. You know what the traffic can be like on a bank holiday weekend.’
‘What have you arranged?’
‘A surprise. You’ll just have to wait and find out.’
Lexie persuaded Nathan to leave work at lunchtime on Friday and kept the girls at home that morning. It was the first time they’d made the trip to her parents from Nettleford. Although it was about the same distance as the journey from London, it felt much longer. Their route took them through the New Forest National Park, and Lexie was relieved the traffic kept moving even though it was slow. Nathan absolutely hated sitting in traffic. It was the one time he was anything but relaxed, and he was likely to take a sudden turn onto a road without knowing where it went. Usually his detours ended up taking longer than remaining in the queue.
Lexie dropped the girls’ bags off in their room and quickly changed into a dark green dress for Ross and Sadie’s dinner party. Back downstairs, she gave her mother a quick rundown on the children’s latest likes and dislikes.
She hugged and kissed each of the girls and then her parents. ‘Thanks, Mum. Nathan and I really appreciate you and Dad looking after the girls.’
‘Don’t be silly. Have a great weekend.’
Lexie and Nathan went to the car. Max followed and then looked back at the girls.
Nathan bent down and rubbed his ears. ‘Don’t worry, we’ll be back in a couple of days. You stay with the girls, and be good.’
Max gave his version of a quiet woof and Tilly draped herself over him.
Lexie patted him. ‘I think you ought to tell the girls to behave. Max has better manners.’
‘Don’t worry about any of them,’ said Jean.
Once they were out of Winchester, the traffic flowed well as most of it was on the opposite carriageway, streaming out of London. Nathan still didn’t know where they were going for the weekend. Lexie had exerted more soul-searching and worry over this decision than on many others but had finally booked the cottage and flights to Inverness. Patrick had thought it was safe for him to make the trip, and Lexie tried not to think of finding his body. They, whoever they were, had guessed he would go to visit his mother, but Patrick had been certain no one knew about Caroline’s uncle, Alec Gillies.
However, she was still uncomfortable about the trip. That meant it probably wasn’t a good idea. What would Nathan think? He rarely got angry about anything, but this time she may have gone too far, even for him. Now they were actually on their way, it seemed like the worst idea she’d ever had.
‘Lex, whatever you’re dreaming about must be really interesting.’
‘What?’
‘Have you got the directions for Ross and Sadie’s place?’
Lexie rummaged through her bag and pulled out the written directions Nathan had given her before leaving. Even with a couple of minor detours when she didn’t see the street signs early enough, they arrived a few minutes early.
Ross greeted them at the door. ‘Hello, come in and have a drink. Sadie’s just getting changed.’
‘How are things going?’ Lexie asked Sadie when she appeared. ‘Do you need any help?’ She didn’t look at Nathan, as she knew he’d find it hard not to grin at her question.
‘Everything’s under control.’ Sadie took a glass of wine from Ross.
‘Is that one of Dominique’s?’ Lexie nodded at a painting on the wall to her left. There were two other pieces displayed, but she felt this was Dominique’s work. It had a mystic, other-worldly feel that reminded her of Portal.
‘Yes,’ said Sadie. ‘It’s called Melaerys.’
She and Lexie moved towards the painting, while Nathan and Ross talked work.
‘I liked it the minute I saw it,’ said Sadie. ‘I remember walking around the exhibition but always coming back to this one. Don’t get me wrong, all the paintings were amazing, but this one had something extra special for me.’
‘It is rather haunting,’ said Lexie.
‘Wait until you see Stargazer. I absolutely fell in love with it. Come on. Let’s leave them to their boring conversation.’
Lexie followed Sadie across the hall into another room. It had a much more homely feel to it with soft couches facing a flat-screen television on the wall. However, Lexie’s attention was taken by a painting on the wall opposite the door. She liked Melaerys, but this painting mesmerised her. The background hue was midnight blue, lightening slightly in places and subtly blending to hints and swirls of damson purple around the light centre. Lexie stared into the dark blue and purple. Within those shades, Dominique had created a perspective of such depth that Lexie felt she could fall into it. She pulled her gaze away and glanced at Sadie.
‘I knew you’d understand,’ said Sadie. ‘You feel it as well, don’t you?’
Lexie nodded. She wasn’t sure if Sadie meant this almost hypnotic trance-like feeling of wanting to walk into the painting, but she certainly felt something. ‘This was how I felt looking at Portal. You know, the piece down at Longcross.’
She turned back to Stargazer: Still Life and took in the central swirl of lilac, gold and lighter blues. Those shades were repeated in miniscule dots of colour within the midnight blue.
‘It’s incredible and that is such an understatement. This is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.’ She stepped closer and inspected the painting then moved back a few steps, unable to tear her gaze away from the canvas.
Sadie took a sip of her wine. ‘I wish I hadn’t listened to Ross and had bought the other one. Dominique once told us there are three in the series, although she only ever exhibited this one and Still Death. It was four or five times larger than this and would have taken all our savings at the time, but it would have been worth it. I won’t ever part with this one.’
Lexie could have spent the evening gazing at the painting, but when the other guests arrived she picked up her glass of wine and followed Sadie into the hall.
As they drove to Gatwick the following morning, Lexie told Nathan where they were spending the weekend. He’d find out anyway when they checked in, and she couldn’t keep it to herself any longer. Nathan would either guess it had something to do with Patrick and Caroline or be disappointed they weren’t going somewhere exotic. Worst of all, it might be both. She couldn’t remember if she’d told him about Patrick’s plans, but he didn’t look annoyed when she told him they were going to Inverness.
‘That’s great. I’ve always wanted to see the Caledonian Canal. I hope you’ve arranged for a viewing of the Loch Ness monster as a special birthday treat as well.’
Caledonian Canal? She vaguely remembered reading something about that on the website where she’d booked the cottage. Usually, she loved planning surprises for Nathan. He got as excited as the children over birthdays and trips away. This time the guilt outweighed the excitement, especially when Nathan squeezed her close as they stood in the queue to check in.
‘We’ll have a great time,’ he whispered.
She hadn’t exactly promised she wouldn’t do anything else, just that she wouldn’t do anything to put them in danger. No one knew about the copied files. She’d booked their flights and accommodation online, so there wasn’t any gossipy travel
agent involved. She glanced at Nathan and guessed from his quizzical expression she’d missed something he said.
‘I’ve booked a hire car and a lovely cottage next to the river. At least I hope it’s lovely, it looked it from the website.’ She gabbled on for a moment, hoping something she said answered his question.
She must have looked anxious as he kissed her again. ‘Knowing you, I’m sure it will be great.’
They picked up their hire car and found the cottage easily enough. The lady who owned it lived in the one next door, but the gardens were large and trees lined the boundary between the two cottages. She showed them around and suggested a few places they could visit.
After she left them, Nathan wandered out into the garden and down to the river. ‘As we’re this side of the city, I guess the first thing you had planned is a drive along Loch Ness to take some photos of the monster.’
Lexie had spent most of her time thinking up reasons to visit Tairnoch while they were there. ‘As long as that’s what you want to do, but first, I do have a present for you.’
‘A present as well as the weekend away.’
She pulled an envelope out of her bag. This was the one part of the weekend she knew would be a success. ‘I don’t know why I never thought of this before.’ She pulled him close and kissed him. ‘I love you, and I hope you have a great weekend.’
As soon as Nathan opened the envelope, he laughed and swung her around. ‘How do you always come up with something amazing?’
‘When you mentioned the flying club used the airfield, I gave them a call and asked if they did flying lessons. End of birthday present conundrum. Just don’t expect a plane for Christmas.’
They drove along the river, and Nathan surprised her with his knowledge of the Caledonian Canal, which flowed alongside the river for part of their drive. It was several degrees cooler than Nettleford, but the white clouds scudding past looked harmless. They stopped several times at different places, including Urquhart Castle, while Nathan took lots of photos of the loch and hills.
At Fort Augustus, Nathan spent a long time investigating the lock system between the Caledonian Canal and the loch. He started talking to an elderly man who seemed to know an inordinate amount about the canal, the locks, and the history of both. Lexie found a bench and sat down, pulling out her phone. At least there was Internet coverage. Nathan finally joined her and they found a café for lunch.
Back in Inverness, they wandered around the city and up to the castle to admire the view.
‘So what have you got planned for tomorrow?’ asked Nathan.
Lexie tried to keep her tone casual. ‘I thought perhaps a drive over to Ullapool, it’s about sixty miles but the scenery is stunning and it’s an interesting place to look around.’ Lexie was worried Nathan would guess her ulterior motive, so she hurried on. ‘Apparently the North Atlantic Drift passes Ullapool which means it’s got a temperate climate and even cabbage trees. It says they get mistaken for palm trees. There are lots of mountains so you’ll be able to take some great photos.’
Nathan smiled his lazy smile. ‘You sound like a tourist information site. I’m sure it’s wonderful, but how about we go back to the cottage for a while as we’re on our own. Then later we can choose somewhere to eat tonight.’
At least he didn’t suspect anything. ‘That’s a good idea.’ She tugged him close and they kissed. ‘We have to make the most of our opportunities these days.’
17
The drive to Ullapool was everything the tourist websites said it would be, helped along by another crisp, mostly clear day. Nathan persuaded Lexie to climb some of the smaller hills when they stopped for photo opportunities, and so it was late morning before they arrived in Ullapool. They looked around the town and ate lunch at a pub on the shores of the loch.
‘This is stunning,’ said Nathan. He gestured at the loch and the peaks on the far shore, then stretched back and linked his hands behind his head, watching the ferry load before its trip to Stornoway.
‘It is lovely.’ Lexie wouldn’t want to live somewhere as remote as this, but it was beautiful.
‘So where are we headed next?’ The look in Nathan’s eyes hinted at something more than just the words.
‘Wherever you want. It’s your trip.’
‘Come on, Lex. I know you better than that. You’ve planned something, you might as well tell me now. Your acting skills aren’t up to Oscar standards. At some point there’ll be a “what a coincidence” moment. Just get it over with and leave out trying to sound surprised.’
Did this man know everything about her? He grinned, as if in answer to her thought.
‘So?’
‘There’s a lovely little place further along the coast road. Not far, only a couple of miles.’
‘And why would we want to go there, apart from the scenery of course.’
Lexie sighed. ‘The place is called Tairnoch. Caroline’s uncle lives there.’
Nathan unlinked his hands and sat up ‘I thought we’d agreed not to do anything more about Patrick.’
‘I know we kind of agreed, but this is so far away from everywhere, and you went to look at that compound and found the old man.’
‘The compound doesn’t have anything to do with this. I work there and watched a plane come in. If we believe Patrick’s story, people have been murdered to keep something secret. And you still want to know what it is.’
His voice was low, but Lexie hadn’t seen him this angry for a long time.
‘Patrick planned to come here. He believed it was safe as Caroline never talked about her uncle. I thought it wouldn’t hurt if we drove there and saw him.’
‘Is he expecting us?’
‘No, I haven’t been in touch with him. I wasn’t sure if we should go through with this, or even if we’d get the opportunity.’
‘Whether I’d stop you, you mean.’
Lexie shrugged.
‘Not getting in touch with him is probably the only sensible thing you’ve done.’
‘So you think we shouldn’t go and see him.’
‘I think trying to find out anything else about Patrick and Caroline could be dangerous.’ He leaned forward, looking at the lake. Lexie couldn’t see his expression.
‘I’m sorry.’
He didn’t answer her and Lexie tentatively put her hand on his back.
‘We don’t have to go there. I don’t want to spoil your birthday weekend.’
He didn’t move, but he did answer her. ‘Since when have I ever been able to stop you doing something when you’ve made up your mind?’
Lexie still couldn’t see his face, but he didn’t sound as annoyed.
‘You make me sound awful and you like a poor, mistreated husband.’
Nathan shook his head. ‘I’m not mistreated, well not much, and you’re not awful. You could be right about no one knowing there is a connection, but if you believe Caroline’s death wasn’t an accident and Patrick wasn’t the driver, then anything we discover could be dangerous.’
So far she hadn’t found out anything, not even from Peter’s files. ‘If you think we shouldn’t go, that’s okay, and I promise I won’t remind you about it.’
Nathan rested his head in his hand and puckered his bottom lip. Lexie recognised the stance and didn’t say anything.
‘If there’s more than coincidence in all these so-called accidents, then I don’t think we should poke around. But we’re here, and as you say, it’s a long way from Nettleford. At the very least it’ll keep you quiet. How far is Tairnoch?’
Patrick hadn’t given her Alec Gillies’ address, but Tairnoch was a small place. They stopped at a local store, and Lexie asked for directions.
Nathan didn’t look as angry as he had, but the day had lost much of its pleasure. They drove along the road as the lady directed and then turned off onto a gravel road. The track led through a wooded area for about half a mile, gradually climbing all the way, before opening to a wide parking area in front of a sprawl
ing house with a magnificent view over the water.
They got out of the car and Lexie gazed at the view until she became aware of a man standing at the corner of the house.
‘Can I help you?’ The words were non-committal, and while the tone wasn’t threatening it wasn’t welcoming either. He moved to face them squarely, a gun over his arm. Lexie didn’t know much about guns but enough to realise it was a shotgun. It was the first time she’d ever seen one, and she couldn’t pull her eyes away from it or make herself speak.
‘Hello,’ said Nathan. He told Alec Gillies who they were and that they knew of Caroline in a roundabout way.
Alec didn’t exactly smile, but his posture relaxed a little. ‘Your accent tells me you’ve come a long way.’
Nathan told him they were in Inverness for a weekend trip and having come as far as Ullapool they thought they’d drive the extra few miles.
Alec hadn’t moved and didn’t sound particularly friendly. This wasn’t going the way Lexie had imagined it, but eventually he nodded his head at the house. ‘You might as well come in, I suppose.’
‘If it’s not convenient…’ said Lexie. This was the very worst idea she’d ever had.
‘What? Ye’ll come back another day.’ Alec looked at his gun then back at her. ‘Don’t worry about this, I only use it on pests of the non-human variety.’ He let the words hang for a moment then added, ‘Way too much police paperwork otherwise.’
Lexie wasn’t sure whether this was a joke or not and wanted to get back in the car. Alec could obviously read her better than she could him.
‘I was joking.’ The upward tilt of his mouth changed his expression completely.
Lexie wanted to grab hold of Nathan’s hand, but he walked ahead of her, his face devoid of his usual good humour. She followed them through the front door, along a short hall and into a large open-plan room. Once in the room, she couldn’t stop an exclamation at the brilliant blue of sky and vast stretch of water through the large French windows. When she managed to turn away from the view, she noticed the other walls were hung with more paintings than she’d ever seen in a lounge.
Still Death (A Lexie Wyatt murder mystery Book 1) Page 16
