Trove (The Katie Walsh Mysteries)

by KJ Montgomery

  She practically leapt into the computer. “WHAT?”

  Eric’s grin filled the screen. “Aye, lassie, and wait till you see what I’ve discovered. I’m sending you a file. Open it when you get it and I’ll explain.”

  She refreshed her email a few times before it popped into her inbox. “Got it. Just let me open it.” The file loaded and she was looking at the odd symbols from Josh’s notes, but not the one on the dagger hilt. Beside each one was an Arabic numeral. “Okay, it’s open. Where did the numbers come from?”

  He flashed a huge grin. “Note how these odd symbols are very much alike.”

  Katie nodded. “So?”

  “Look closely, lassie. They’re only two symbols, though some are bigger than others, almost like capital letters.”

  She frowned. “I’m not getting it. What are you trying to tell me?”

  “I don’t think these are ancient symbols. Look close. There are just two basic symbols. One shaped like a sigma or ‘E’ and one shaped like a ‘T.’ The remaining two are just smaller versions of the larger ones.”

  She focused on what he was saying and he was right. There seemed to be only two basic symbols, with slight variations making them appear different. “So if I’m buying what you’re selling, what am I getting?”

  “The difference between the symbols are the lines contained within each. See the first one? See how it’s a large one?”

  Katie nodded. “And there are five lines on it.” She moved to the next one. “The next one is also large and has seven lines on it.” She noted the numbers Eric had inserted on the file corresponded to the count of the lines on each symbol. But what did it mean? “So, I’m looking at 5, 7, 6,8,4,2,5 and then the symbol changes and we have 6,3,4,6,9,7,6.” She huffed. “So we have two sets of numbers each seven digits.”

  “Aye.”

  She ran her hands through her hair. She could tell that he was so wanting her to figure out the meaning but she just couldn’t. She was a document person dealing with abstracts, more right-brained than left. She just couldn’t connect the dots. “Arrgggh,” she moaned, “I just don’t get it.”

  He laughed. She scowled.

  “Katie, you said you believe the runes to be from Scotland, possibly the Hebrides.”

  “Yes.” She was more convinced once Alec had told her about Josh and where he’d gone over the cliff. Josh was searching on Skye.

  “If I take those numbers and, for argument’s sake, interpret the numbers from the first large symbol I have 57. And then I take the smaller numbers of the same symbol, what do I have?”

  “I have no idea, but I have a headache,” she replied as she twirled a strand of hair around her finger.

  “Think, Katie. Large numbers, small numbers.” Eric waited.

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. Tell me, just tell me,” she whined.

  “Decimal points, lassie. The smaller numbers are to the right of the decimal.”

  She let his words sink into her brain. “So if that’s true, then we have 57.68425 and 6.346976 and that means… what? So help me, Eric, if you don’t tell—”

  “All right,” he said, cutting her off. “Maybe I have a slight advantage since I’ve been testing the GPS interface, but just—”

  It was her turn to cut him off. “GPS. Did you say GPS?”

  Eric smiled and nodded. “Aye.”

  “Then you think they’re coordinates.” Her heart raced as she asked, “Where exactly are these coordinates?”

  “Duntulm, on the Isle of Skye.”

  That was near Josh’s accident. It had to be correct. They were his notes, and the symbols weren’t runes. He was marking the site for anyone clever enough to figure it out. “Oh. My. God.”

  Katie sagged back in her chair, trying to absorb everything Eric had explained and showed her. Her mind was in overdrive thinking of the implications of his work.

  “Lassie? Are you all right?”

  She wrapped her hands around the ends of the armchair and hoisted herself forward. “I- I’m just having a hard time processing this. Give me a moment.” She propped her elbows on the table and dropped her head into her hands. Could it be possible after all this time that they stood an extremely good chance of finding evidence of Norland or maybe even the location itself? She shook her head and pushed off the table. “Eric, you’re absolutely sure about this?”

  “Aye. I’ve run and re-run the data multiple times and I get the same results each time.”

  “This Josh Mason was right. He’d indicated he was close. I just wonder if he realized how very close he was. He had the area tied down. He just needed some help, some technological help.”

  “Do you think his partner knew?” Eric asked.

  Katie shook her head. “No, at least I don’t think so. If he did, I’d think the research world would have heard about it or at least rumors of it.”

  “Do you think this doctor is a treasure hunter cutting corners, crossing the line between legal and illegal?”

  She nodded. “Yes. I think it’s quite possible that he’s responsible for Josh’s death. I think he’s quite capable of anything.”

  “So maybe he’s covering his tracks, operating a rogue excavation. And maybe he makes loose ends disappear and that’s why no one’s heard of anything.”

  Katie pursed her lips, tapping her forefinger against her mouth. So we could be walking right in on his covert operation, she thought. “You’re right. I guess this monster is capable of anything. So how can we find out?”

  “With all the technology at our disposal, we should be able to leverage something.”

  She burst out laughing. She couldn’t help herself, and she couldn’t stop. She grabbed her sides, it hurt so much.

  “Katie girl, have you lost your mind?”

  “No,” she managed to squeak out, “no.”

  Eric waited a few moments until she got herself under control. Finally when she quieted, he asked, “Now just what was so hilarious? I could use a good laugh myself.”

  She smiled into the webcam. “You don’t see it?”

  “Obviously not.”

  “What is it we’ve been working on, our project?”

  He shook his head. He looked confused. “Not sure where you’re headed, lassie.”

  “Eric, think about it. We’ve been developing a software program that peels back time…” Her voice trailed off, waiting for him to grasp what she was saying. She watched his face on the screen. Katie nodded her head the moment she saw his expression change from puzzlement to amazement.

  Eric laughed. “You’re a genius.”

  “We’re geniuses or is that genii?” She giggled.

  “Genii, I think?”

  She reflected for a moment. “Do you think that’s where the word ‘genie’ comes from?”

  Eric shrugged. “Who knows? I just know we are quite possibly about to discover Norland.”

  Katie nodded. “So here’s what I think we should do, and by that, I mean you since you’ve got a secure data line and heavy duty bandwidth into the Nordstrom computers. I think you should take those coordinates and pull satellite photos. Start with the most recent and move consistently back. I’m not sure how frequently that area gets snapped, but there should be enough to get us close. Roll it back, say, two years and then roll it forward. Document any changes however miniscule and then let me know what you find.”

  “It’ll probably take a few days. When are you headed back to Boston?”

  Katie shook her head. “I’m not. I’m going on a camping trip.”

  “You’re doing what? I could swear I thought you said ‘camping trip.’”

  “I did. I’m heading to Duntulm.”

  ****

  After ending her call with Eric, Katie checked her inbox one last time before logging off. There was a new message, but she didn’t recognize the sender. She was about to delete it when she read the subject line: THERE IS A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE MISSING RUNES AND YOUR PAST. She took a chance since there
were no attachments and opened it. The message was blank. She hit the reply button and typed back WHO THE HELL ARE YOU? then hit the send button.

  She didn’t have to wait long. The subject line: I’M CALLING YOUR CELL NOW. ANSWER IT.

  Damn! She didn’t have it. She’d left it upstairs in the bedroom. She quickly typed: I DON’T HAVE IT WITH ME. I NEED TO GET IT. SHOULD TAKE A MINUTE OR TWO.

  The answer flashed back at her: GET IT NOW.

  She flew out of the library and raced down the hall, stopping only long enough to make a ninety-degree turn at the base of the staircase. Halfway up the stairs, her leg muscles began to ache and freeze up. Damn, she thought, I really need to start working out more. She held the railing and used her arms to help her legs keep moving.

  Tears were welling in her eyes as she crested the last step. Her breathing was labored but she kept moving to the bedroom. She flung the door open, still trying to catch her breath. She grabbed her phone and turned it on. Had it been two minutes, five? Those stairs were killers. She looked at the missed call log. Private Caller was all it displayed. She shut the door and then collapsed on the bed.

  She jerked when the shrill tweet broke the silence. She looked at the screen. Private Caller. She hit the “Talk” button. “Hello?”

  The voice was mechanically distorted, but something made her think it was a male voice. Maybe it was the strength of the pronunciation. She wasn’t sure but if she’d had to bet, she’d pick male.

  “Dr. Walsh, you are a hard person to reach.”

  “Who are you?” Katie asked.

  “Not important. I have information.”

  “Why should I trust you, believe you?” she snapped. “You know who I am, but you hide behind games and threats.”

  “I’ve never threatened you. If I wanted to hurt you, it would just happen.”

  She swallowed and wrapped her free arm around her waist. For some reason, she believed him.

  An eerie distorted laugh followed. “Sorry about that misunderstanding in the North End the other morning.”

  She snapped, “You tried to abduct me. You’re a monster, a sick, evil monster.” She punched the “End” button. The moment she hung up on him, she regretted it. This bastard was probably Josh’s partner, maybe even his murderer. She had the only link to him and she’d just severed it.

  She tried to call the number back, but it had been blocked, leaving her with no choice but to wait until he contacted her again. She prayed he would.

  The phone chirped and she answered.

  “I will assume, Dr. Walsh, that there was a malfunction with the call and that you did not hang up on me.”

  Sounds good to me, she thought. She felt he was not one to argue with or there’d be a price to pay. She didn’t like this guy, but until she could figure out his game, she better play along.

  “As I emailed, I know that there is a strong connection between the runes and your past.”

  Katie couldn’t help herself. She knew what he meant, but she had to figure out how much he knew. “What runes?”

  He yelled, “DO NOT PLAY GAMES OR ELSE.”

  “What do you want?” she asked calmly, her voice not betraying her trembling hands.

  “I want the full translation the moment you figure it out.”

  “What makes you think I can do it and why would I just give it to you?”

  “If you can’t, I doubt anyone can.”

  Who would know this about me, she pondered. I haven’t published anything related to runes. The only people who know about my knowledge would be…

  She gasped. The answer took her breath away. It had to be someone at the Institute.

  “Dr. Walsh?” the distorted voice called. “Dr. Walsh, are you still there?”

  “Yes, yes, I’m still here.” She pulled on her hair. Concentrate, she chided. She hit the record button on the phone app, determined to save what she could of the conversation. She listened, trying to hear if there was anything in the background that would help her identify where the caller was or maybe who.

  “Will you do it?” he asked, sounding like a hissing snake in the distorted static.

  “Why? Tell me why I should. I don’t know who you are and the translation, assuming I can do it, may be nothing more than gibberish, a tantalizing glimpse into the past.”

  “If I prove to you, in a good faith manner, that the information I have is important to you, then will you agree to give me the translation immediately upon completion?”

  Katie exhaled. “So you’ll give your information first.”

  “Yes,” the distorted voice hissed.

  “Why would you do that? You give up your bargaining chip in exchange for the chance that I’ll up hold my end of the agreement. To put it politely, I could screw you royally.”

  “I know you won’t. I know because the daughter of Anna and Lincoln Walsh was not raised in that manner.”

  Katie gasped. “You knew my parents?” They’d been dead ten years. Who at the Institute would’ve known them? But this man intimated he knew them. He was a link to her past, her parents.

  “Will you or won’t you, Dr. Walsh?”

  She ran the scenarios in her head. What would she care if this nutcase got a copy of the translation? They were never straight forward and her interpretation might not be correct. He wasn’t asking for it to be valid. He was asking for her best faith translation. She’d never agreed to keep it confidential and the Institute would have access as part of the project notes, so she didn’t see a problem with forwarding the translation to the caller since he had to be connected to the Institute. She just needed to verify the person was attached to the Institute. “I need an honest answer from you.”

  “Proceed.”

  “Are you associated with the Institute? And if so, I need proof.” She waited almost a full minute for a response.

  “Yes, I am connected to the Institute, and in fact, you know of me.”

  She choked on an intake of air. “I knew it. I knew you had to be. I don’t suppose you’ll identify yourself?” Her skin crawled as the caller’s mechanically distorted laugh crackled in her ear. It was the eeriest, creepiest thing she’d heard. It belonged in a horror movie.

  “Excellent try, Dr. Walsh, but no. I will tell you this. I keep close tabs on you. As a matter of fact, I know that you and Dr. MacGowan were previously acquainted before he was hired.”

  She felt a pit in the hollow of her stomach as the butterflies fluttered, readying to take flight. “Yes, I met him in London last week.”

  “Don’t play coy with me, Dr. Walsh,” the caller snapped. “I know you picked him up in a bar at the Uber Metro Hotel five years ago and spent one wickedly sinful night together. I actually know much more about you if you’d like to hear. Perhaps you’d like some photos from that night, something to keep you company on a cold winter’s night. I must say, I enjoy them quite frequently, and I might add, you are extremely… agile.”

  Her knees buckled and she collapsed in a heap. “YOU SICK BASTARD,” she screamed before she flung the phone across the room.

  R

  Chapter Thirteen

  Alec knocked on the door. He thought he heard a murmured reply and opened it. He found her leaning against the window, arms crossed, staring out the window seemingly lost in thought. He knocked again on the now opened door to let her know he was there. He crossed the threshold into the room and stepped on her cell phone. He bent down and picked it up. The glass panel was cracked. He approached her slowly. “Katie? Is everything okay?”

  Katie didn’t answer. She just kept staring out the window. He inhaled. She’s zoned out. What the hell from? He reached out and stroked her hair. “Katie?” He watched as she came back into herself, the blank expression morphing into a frown.

  She jumped, startled by his nearness. “Alec. What… what is it?”

  “I’ve been looking for you. I wanted to let you know that the SUV and supplies should be here tonight. We can head out tomorrow.”

/>   She nodded.

  “What happened to your phone?”

  She reached for it then turned it over and examined it closely. “I think I killed it.”

  “No doubt, but why?”

  She shrugged. “I didn’t like what it was telling me, I guess.”

  “Cut the bull shit.” Alec lifted her chin with his hand. “No secrets, remember?”

  She exhaled and calmly told him that the caller wanted the translation passed to him immediately upon completion. She thrust her hands into her pockets. She then proceeded to tell him about the fact that the caller knew about the night she and Alec spent together five years ago and how he implied that there was photographic evidence of them. “Son of a bitch,” Alec bit out. “Do you think he was trying to blackmail you?”

  Katie shook her head. “Maybe. I don’t know. “I hit the ‘Record’ button toward the end, but I think I may have ruined it when I tossed it.”

  He chuckled. “You didn’t toss it. You slammed it.”

  Katie grinned. “Yeah, I guess I was a little upset.” She turned to face him. “Am I right thinking it’s someone at the Institute? He admitted as much and he did seem to know about me and my expertise. I mean, who else would know those things about me?” She scowled. “I bet Lucy Millar’s involved somehow.”

  He shook his head. “She’s not the monster you make her out to be. You should give her a chance. I think you might be surprised.”

  “Are you insane? Or did you hit your head? She’s been the bane of my existence since I started at the Institute. I don’t know what she told you, but she wants me out.”

  “People change, Katie.”

  “Not that much.”

  “I’m just saying give her a chance.”

  Katie shook her head. “Doesn’t matter. I won’t be there much longer. Any hope for my phone?”

  “It’s shot, but I think we can transfer the SIM card. I’ll see if we can send it express to Robert or maybe he can have someone here have a look. And we can have someone analyze the call, use some filters to clear the voice and any background noise. I’ll go give him a call.” He headed out the door. “Are you okay?”