A SPY AT DUNHAVEN CASTLE (EBOOK)

Cate shivered despite the warmer spring weather.  She pulled her cardigan closer around her as she bit her lower lip.  

“It’s definitely human,” the police officer said, as he bent over a set of white bones exposed in the soil of Dunhaven Castle’s side garden.  

“We suspected as much,” Jack answered.  

The man stood and brushed the dirt from his fingertips.  “We’ll get someone up here to remove the remains.  I’m no expert, but I’d venture to say they’ve been here a while.  We’ll send them out for analysis, but I wouldn’t hold your breath on any major findings.  These cases are pretty difficult to make headway on.”

“Thanks, Ben,” Jack said, extending his hand for a shake.  

Ben Thomson nodded and offered to see himself off the estate, disappearing around the corner of the castle.  

Cate sighed and pressed her hand to her forehead.  “That poor person,” she lamented.  “Killed and buried in a garden like they were meaningless.”

“Well, they’ve been found now,” Jack said.  

“Yes, thanks to Riley and Bailey.”  The two small dogs, who had been shut inside the castle walls after digging up the skeleton, had made the gruesome discovery.  

Cate stared at the makeshift grave with its white bones poking through the dirt, contrasted by the bright spring grass.  She narrowed her eyes at it.

“Caaaate,” Jack warned.

“I wonder…”

“Caaaaaate,” Jack chided.

“Who it is,” Cate finished.

“Cate!  Now, don’t go starting your wondering.  Every time you wonder, we end up in a whole host of trouble.”

“My wondering has solved more than one mystery at Dunhaven Castle and has righted several wrongs.”

“And it’s also gotten you nearly drowned, both of us shot at, and you nearly killed when that psychopathic supernatural…” Jack stumbled around for the word, “creature,” he finally spat out, “put you inside a coffin!  We’ve done our fair share of righting wrongs.  Including the last wrong we righted.”

“Yes, at least we’re no longer in danger of disappearing into another century,” Cate agreed.  She stared down at the timepiece around her neck – a new pocket watch pendant. It had the ability to control the new universal time portal which had emerged within the castle walls.  

After months of slipping in and out of other eras at whim, Cate and Jack, with the help of an odd set of new friends from across the pond who called themselves the Shadow Slayers, managed to tame the time rips.  

Jack nodded in agreement.  “Yes, thanks to our other unique friends in the supernatural world.  Speaking of, did you get rid of that necklace?”  Jack referred to the ostentatious sapphire and diamond necklace Duke Marcus Northcott gave Cate when he had held her hostage in the 1700s.  Despite the negative memories associated with it, Cate kept it in her jewelry box.  She found herself unable to part with the priceless object, though this had little to do with the value.  For some reason, Cate felt a strong draw to it.  

Cate avoided his stare, scuffing her foot into the grass.  “Caaaaaate,” Jack prodded.

Cate pulled her lips back into a half-grimace.  “No, I didn’t.”

“Why not?  That madman nearly killed you!  Cate, get rid of it.”

“I will.  I just… I’ll give it to Mrs. Campbell for the auction at the Presidents’ Ball.  I’m sure she’ll be thrilled with it.”

“No,” Jack disagreed.  “Get rid of it now.  Chuck it in the bin, toss it in the loch, anything.  Just get it out of the castle.”

“If I do that, I’ll need a distraction, so, it’s a perfect time to dive into a normal mystery!”

Jack started to nod, then quickly turned his motion into a head shake.  He puckered his lips.  “Why would you need a distraction?”

“That necklace is…  I told you, I feel some connection to it.  Getting rid of it will be difficult.  So, I’ll need a distraction.  And this mystery is the perfect thing!”

“Now, Cate…”

“Jack!  There’s a body in my garden!  This will be the talk of the town.  And with the upcoming party, we need some answers!”