“Of course. I … in fact, I should have come to talk to you myself. I just … well, I’ve been so busy. Anyway, I’m sorry for what has happened.”
Edwin and I shared a look. Clearly, this wasn’t going as Edwin might have expected. Me either, but I didn’t know what I’d expected.
“Lyle,” Edwin said. “I need you to tell me exactly what you’re talking about. I’m not sure if it’s the same thing we’re here about, but I need you to be as forthcoming as you can be. All right?”
Lyle’s eyes grew wide. In that instant, we could see his surprise too. We’d all come together with different levels of knowledge about something that was somehow connected. It was important that we all get up to the same speed as quickly as possible. Lyle clearly thought it unfortunate that he was going to have to be the one to do the work. But there was no getting out of it now. I sensed that if he tried to leave the room, Edwin would block all exits, if he got to them before I did.
Lyle sighed. “I’m talking about the revocation of the bookshop’s business license, because of the failed building inspection, of course, Edwin. I’m so sorry for the turn of events.”
Edwin stared at Lyle as he fell into concentrated thought. He spoke soon enough though.
“Lyle, until I received a phone call about a week ago, I had no idea there were potential problems with the bookshop’s buildings. Can you please shed some light on what has happened?”
Lyle’s face fell. “Oh dear, this is all so dicey.”
“Nevertheless, I need you to tell me everything.”
I didn’t know what Edwin had on Lyle, but the man on the other side of the desk didn’t fight. In fact, he seemed momentarily ashamed.
Lyle sighed. “We sent out formal notice in letter form, Edwin.”
“No letter was received,” Edwin said. “Did you ask for a signature or serve me legal papers?”
“Well, I thought we did.”
No one was more vigilant than Rosie. She oversaw the bookshop’s mail and was the one there, attending to customers, more than the rest of us. She opened and read everything, and then shredded whatever didn’t need her or someone else’s attention. If a notice had come by mail, Rosie would have sounded alarm bells. Those bells would have rung even louder if she’d been served legal papers.
“Things get lost in … oh, I don’t know what might have happened but bottom line, we’ve had to crack down on rules and regulations already in place, Edwin. The bookshop—the stairs you put in between the two buildings to connect them, to be specific—is not in code, or something like that. The business license is to be revoked. The shop will have to close as of the end of next month.”
The words had come out in a jumble, but they were easy to understand, and, frankly, it was good to have a tiny bit of clarification. Okay, it was the spot in between the buildings that was the problem. Maybe we could still work with that.
“Lyle, I will simply fix whatever is out of code. I would have done so a long time ago if someone had just talked to me,” Edwin said.
Edwin didn’t say the words, “you fools” but they rang in my mind. I clamped my mouth closed.
And then Lyle shook his head. “No, Edwin, there’s no fixing it. An inspector, apparently, deemed it too dangerous to try to fix.”
“This is not good, Lyle.”
“No, I suppose it isn’t.”
“I did receive approval to build the walkway, the stairs. I went through the proper channels, years ago when I first did the remodel.”
“Aye?”
“Aye, I did. This was a long time ago, Lyle, but I remember the process we had to go though. We received the approval. I would never have taken on the project without approvals.”
Lyle’s eyes lit and he sat forward, placing his arms on the desk. “Do you still have the paperwork? Was there paperwork?”
“I believe there was, but I’m not sure where it would be now. I will find it. I will find it if that’s what’s needed.”
“Good, well, that might help.”
“Might?”
“It has been deemed that the safety of your two buildings has been compromised. Even if you received approval, that was a long time ago and the inspection showed issues. Times, expectations change.”
“Have you seen the inspection?” I interrupted. “Can we see it.”
“Oh. No, I haven’t seen it and I don’t have a copy, but the council has, or we wouldn’t be at this point.”
“Lyle, nothing has so much as settled with the structures in between the buildings,” Edwin said. “I made sure it was built well, and built to last forever. However, we can do whatever we need to do to come back up to code, or appease the inspector. Whatever might be needed.”
“It’s too late, Edwin, the process has been set in motion. Your buildings are set to be torn down. If the vote goes through, there’s no stopping it.”
“What? That’s unheard of. We value our old buildings. We keep them, take care of them. None of them gets torn down on purpose!” Edwin exclaimed.
Lyle lifted his hands. “And this is why I should have come to talk to you. I thought you were more in the loop.”
“More in the loop? I should have been the loop. This is ridiculous, Lyle, and I think you know that.”
I cleared my throat. The two men looked at me. “Henry Stewart. The man who was killed in the bombing two days ago. He was the one who set this in motion,” I said. Lyle nodded. “He’s been killed. I think that if for no other reason than respect, this should all be moved further down the council’s calendar.” It was maybe a heartless move, unsympathetic to Henry’s murder, but I had to try, and I hoped to diffuse Edwin’s anger for a moment.
“I don’t disagree with you, lass, but I’m not the one to decide that. That’s for the council.” Lyle paused as he looked at Edwin. “I’m so sorry for all of this, and I really should have come to talk to you. I apologize.”
“There are no other meetings until next week?” Edwin said, anger still lining his words, but at least it wasn’t quite as heated.
“Not that I’m aware of,” Lyle said with a shrug.
Round and round we go, I thought.
It took a moment for us all to gather ourselves. The air was rife with anger and confusion. Almost in unison, we took deep, cleansing breaths.
Lyle was the first one to speak. He looked at me. “You look so much like her, you know. I was momentarily confused. Why would Edwin be walking into my office with Mary Stewart, the woman married to the man who wants, wanted, to tear down his bookshop? You are younger.”
“We do look alike,” I said. “How do you know her? Through knowing Henry?”
“Oh. Many people know Mary. She’s vocal about her past lives.” Lyle laughed.
“What does she know about the bookshop buildings being torn down?” I asked.
“I have no idea,” Lyle said.
I would have bet Tom’s wedding kilt that Lyle Mercado was lying. His face reddened ever so slightly, and he closed his mouth tightly, as if he wanted to keep truthful words locked inside.
Edwin and I didn’t even try to hide our shared doubtful glances.
“How well did you know Henry?” Edwin asked.
Lyle paused, tapped his finger on the edge of his desk. “Henry and I got on all right. Until all of this occurred at least. I wasn’t in agreement with the decisions being made. But you have to understand how these things work. Though I have power in my office, I can’t make policies or laws.”
“Lyle, what if I tore down and then rebuilt everything? I would do that if it came to it. I would hate every second of it, but I would do it.”
“I’m sure, but … I just don’t know, Edwin. The council is making the decisions here.”
“Lyle,” Edwin admonished. “This isn’t making sense, and you know it. You also know that I have friends in high places. I will contact all of them and get to the bottom of this. It would behoove you to tell me what’s really going on.”
The more we le
arned, the less any of it made sense. Until something came to me, maybe the obvious thing.
“Lyle, someone wants that land. They want that space specifically,” I said. “This is bigger than just some building codes, isn’t it?”
“Not that I’m aware of, lass.”
I thought as quickly as I could. “Does that spot have any sort of historic significance to Mary, Queen of Scots?”
“I guess I don’t know,” Lyle said.
“Nothing recorded,” Edwin said.
“You think Henry might have been doing this for his wife?” Lyle said, sounding truly unsure.
“I think it’s a possibility. Until we have an answer, it’s a thought at least,” I said.
Lyle looked at me a long moment. “I … I don’t think Henry and Mary are like that.”
“Like what?” Edwin said.
“I don’t think they would ruin someone’s livelihood, take someone’s life’s work just because Mary, Queen of Scots, happened to be at that location at one time. No, they’d be more inclined to get to know you first and then turn it into a party or something. Then try to get you to give them what they want.”
Isn’t that what had been set into motion?
I looked at Edwin. He thought the same thing. There had been a chance meeting, there had been a party. Maybe we hadn’t made it far enough. Maybe getting what they wanted would have come next if Henry hadn’t been killed.
But Edwin didn’t want to point that out to Lyle. He changed the course of the conversation. “Did Henry have enemies that you know of, Lyle? Anyone who might want him killed?”
“Goodness, with all of this and his grand ideas, he might have had some disagreements,” Lyle said. “I’m not aware of any enemies, but I really didn’t know him that well.” He looked at Edwin and then back at me and then back at Edwin. He cleared his throat. “This might sound terribly unfair, Edwin, but when I first heard about Henry, I thought that maybe you had something to do with his death … well, you have connections and all. I’m sorry, but it is what I considered.”
“I’m sure the police will consider it too,” Edwin said.
“For whatever it’s worth, I’d be happy to vouch for you. We’ve had good tidings over the years.”
“Well, if they speak with you, I wouldn’t want anything more than the truth to be told. A killer needs to be found.”
“There’s nothing you can do to help fix this?” I said to Lyle.
“The best I can do is look into it and let you know.” Lyle worked hard not to sound defeated.
“That would be appreciated,” Edwin said.
Lyle nodded sadly. “All right. I’m sorry you didn’t know more. Something’s gone wrong here, and any part my office played in that is regrettable. I’m sorry about Henry. No matter that I might have disagreed with him regarding some things, he didn’t deserve to be killed. It’s a sad thing.”
I looked at Lyle over the desk. I wasn’t sure which side he was on.
We didn’t learn much more from him. In fact, Edwin became so distracted by his own thoughts I decided he wasn’t really listening anymore, and we just needed to leave.
Making excuses that we had to go, I led us out of the offices, but just as we stepped outside, I had to regroup again.
FOURTEEN
“Dina?” I said as I opened an umbrella.
Her head was down looking at some papers she was holding. The rain was light but she didn’t have an umbrella and I could see water spots on the papers. She looked up and moved her hair off her forehead. “Oh … Delaney, hello.”
Her eyes were rimmed in red and her nose was swollen.
“This is my boss, Edwin, we’re both so sorry about your uncle.”
“Thank you.” She sniffed. “It’s so terribly awful.”
“Lass, deepest condolences,” Edwin said with a polite nod of his head.
Dina wiped her hand under her nose and sniffed again. “And life goes on.” She looked around, but I couldn’t tell if she was looking for something specific or if she just needed a second. We waited patiently. “I forgot to pay my yearly fee. I’m late. Just got this late notice today.” She waved the papers but I couldn’t make out any specific writing. “I had no choice but to hurry down and take care of it.” She looked at me. “But I can’t stop crying. I’m…”
I reached out to put my hand on her arm, but she pulled it away. She sniffed again and then walked around us.
“Please don’t mind me,” she said over her shoulder. “I’m embarrassed, but I’m all right.”
Edwin and I watched her hurry inside.
“Should I go after her?” I said.
“I don’t know,” Edwin said.
“Wait for me a second?” I said and handed Edwin the umbrella.
I hurried back inside, speed-walked down the hallway, and pulled open the door we’d gone through. The room was much fuller now, customers were filed into two crowded lines. I didn’t see Dina, and there wasn’t a way to ask anyone if they’d seen an upset woman. I left and looked around the hallway, spying the loo a few doors away. I went to turn the knob, but the door was locked. I lifted my hand to knock, but I hesitated. Maybe she did just need a moment. I wasn’t even sure she was inside, but I thought she probably was.
I opened my mouth to say something but we didn’t know each other well enough for me to find the right words. Finally, I just placed my hand on the door and sighed. I wanted to see her antique shop anyway. I would track her down later and see if there was anything I could do for her. Sometimes people just need to break down a little without being held responsible for it.
With one last look down the hallway, I finally rejoined Edwin outside.
“How’d it go?” He moved the brollie so it was over me more than him.
I shook my head. “Didn’t see her. I think she went into the loo, locked the door.”
“Understandable.”
“She has an antique shop. We probably have a lot in common. I might go see her later.”
“Aye?” he said. “Where’s the shop?”
“Cowgate.”
“I knew she looked familiar. She and I and her husband, I believe, had some dealings some years back. They are a lovely couple.”
But I blinked at his tone. “It sounds like you aren’t sure about something. The dealings or if they’re a lovely couple?”
“No, I’m sure about both, I just can’t remember what the ultimate result of our time together was. I sense there was some contention. I’ll think about it.”
“Okay. Let me know.”
“I will. All right, let’s go talk to Rosie, see if she’s forgotten to give me any mail, or if, by chance, she has that construction paperwork from all those years ago. I need to be armed with as much as I can, and she’ll be good at helping with that. Any luck with the Burgess Ticket?”
“None, but I haven’t given it my all yet. I will. I see why it might be good to have.”
“Ta, lass.”
I remembered that I still hadn’t called Mary. But now I wanted to talk to Rosie first. Despite the tragedy Mary was living, I still didn’t want to believe I had somehow been set up for something. Just like Edwin, I wanted more information.
I hoped Rosie could offer some certainty, but I didn’t count on it.
* * *
“No! We have never, ever received such a notice. I’m certain of it,” Rosie exclaimed.
“I didn’t think so, Rosie love,” Edwin said.
We were all in the front of the shop, Rosie sitting behind her desk. I was pacing. Hamlet had already sent me a couple of frowns, probably wishing I would stop moving so much. I’d tried, I really had, but I couldn’t stop.
I’d heard Edwin use the term of endearment for Rosie only one other time since I’d been in Scotland. She’d been upset about something then too, though I didn’t remember what it had been.
“And I will find the paperwork for the approval of the construction,” she continued. “I don’t know where it is offh
and. It was ages ago. But I never throw anything away.”
“I know,” Edwin said.
“This is ridiculous,” she said. “They simply cannae have the power tae do such a thing.”
“It is bizarre,” Hamlet added. “There must be some sort of law that will protect our rights to do business here, particularly if the buildings are out of code and you agree to fix them. I really don’t get it. I will see if we’ve missed something from a legal perspective.”
“Something’s going on,” I said. “Something we can’t understand because we don’t have all the pieces. Things have been kept from us, purposefully. We’ll figure it out.”
Though I was having a hard time standing still, I’d calmed down a bit on the walk back to the bookshop. The buildings that housed both sides, the dark and the light, were still standing. And while they were still there, there was a chance we could find a way to save them. But we needed to hurry.
Hope was coming back little bit by little bit. We would figure this out.
“Aye, Hamlet, research the laws, but we need an attorney. A good one. A mean one,” Rosie said. “Ruthless.”
“Aye,” Edwin said. “I think I have just the man in mind. Excuse me while I make a couple phone calls.”
Edwin stood and took the stairs up and over to the dark side. I watched him, watched the floor he walked on, the walls he walked next to. I’d never once felt like anything was unstable. Nothing was uneven, everything was straight, level. Nothing was wrong with any of the structures’ integrity.
After he went through the door, I turned to Hamlet. “While you’re researching, is there any way for you to find out if this place, this location once had anything to do with Mary, Queen of Scots? Did she like the view of the castle from here? Did she have tea here? Did she sneeze in the vicinity? Something, anything.”
“I see where ye’re going,” Rosie said. “Mary Stewart wanted this place for something and her husband was going to get it.”
“I can try,” Hamlet said, “but it’s highly unlikely that anything would be noted that way. We don’t know as much about our historical figures as we claim to. But I’ll scour whatever I can find.”
The Stolen Letter Page 9
