The Kelpie's Curse (book #1 in the Kelpie's Entrapment trilogy)

Day 3 pt. 5

***

When Renestrae came to she was aware of two things. The first was that the surface she was laid out on was uncomfortably hard and the second was that there were a lot of people staring down at her.

"You know pictures typically last longer," she groaned as she sat up. What had happened? Unfortunately as she asked herself that question it all came rushing back. The man's sightless blue eyes, the look of terror frozen on his face, and the open chest cavity, devoid of a heart.

"You gave us quite the scare there, sweetie," Evelyn admonished.

Renestrae chuckled but there was no humor behind it. "Tell you what. Next time I see a dead body I promise to stay perfectly calm."

"Let's hope it doesnae come tae tha'"

Renestrae looked ahead of her and noticed Constable O'Cain and, unfortunately, Constable Dean.

"Ye wouldnae have tae hope if ye'd just arrest her," Constable Dean growled.

"For th' last time, there is nae proof tha' th' lass had anything to do with this."

"She's been at both crime scenes!"

"That doesnae prove anything, Dean," Constable O'Cain snapped.

Renestrae watched as the two officers stared at each other for what felt like a long time before Constable Dean finally backed down.

"Fine, but I still think it's funny tha' people start dying when these outsiders come tae town." He shot Renestrae a final glare before storming off.

"Don't mind him, Miss Frank. He's retiring soon and he's none too happy about it."

She nodded, then sighed. "Ask away, Officer. I'd like to get this done and over with, if you don't mind."

"Right, can ye tell me what happened starting with th' moment ye first came into town?"

"Of course. Kaloria dropped me off here so that she could meet up with Ainslie Dunaid, and Evelyn said she was going to go shopping I believe. I spent about five hours going through the mythology books when Mr. MacArtair came over to talk to me." The man in question stood right beside her, so close that she could feel his presence but not quite close enough as to touch her. Still she couldn't decide if this was comforting or disconcerting and it confused her greatly. "It was during this conversation that we heard a scream from outside. I couldn't tell if I could recognize the scream or not so I ran to its source. That's when I..." She trailed off, wincing as the images flashed before her eyes again.

"Tha's enough, Lass," Dageus cut in. "As ye can see, Constable, it is exactly as th' lasses and I told ye. Renestrae could nae have committed this heinous crime."

Constable O'Cain scowled at the wealthy man. "I never said tha' she did commit this crime, Mr MacArtair. All angles have tae be investigated. I dinnae agree with Dean, but even ye have tae admit tha' her presence at both crime scenes is suspicious."

"But you do agree that, while suspicious, it doesn't mean that I committed the crime," Renestrae cut in, and they should have gathered from her tone if nothing else that she did not appreciate being talked about as if she weren't there.

"Nae, Miss Frank, I dinnae see how ye could have been th' one tae do this when several of th' witnesses admitted tae seeing ye here all day. Nor do I see how ye could have moved such a heavy man."

She should have been offended by that, she really should have, but to argue would have been pointless. "So you believe he was moved?" she asked.

"I believe th' report will give us th' same cause of death as th' last victim," Constable Gordan O'Cain answered stiffly.

"I see," Renestrae answered. "Well, Officer, if you have no more questions for me, I will get back to my research."

"Research, Miss Frank?" Gordan O'Cain asked.

She was probably hearing things but for a moment she swore she heard a catch in his voice. "Yes, research, Officer. You see there are quite a few gravestones in the shed at the de-sanctified church we're staying at that have 'drowned in the beck' as the cause of death. I find it intriguing."

"Intriguing?" This time the question came from Dageus MacArtair.

She smiled. "Yes, intriguing. You see, that many people drowning within days of each seems a bit, what was the word you used, Officer? Oh yes, suspicious. Now, gentlemen, if you no longer need me for anything else I have some reading to do."

That said, she turned around and headed straight for the section of the library where the librarian had told her the old newspapers were kept. If mythology had been a bust then she would just have to go with reality. Dageus probably didn't realize it, but all he had done was pique her interest. There was something going on here, she just knew it. After all, a whole town didn't develop a phobia of anything water related without a reason, and as much as she loved myths and legends, one tale was not a good enough reason for such paranoia.