that maintenance worker?” Gilley insisted. “I mean, that man looked scared to death. Literally! ”
I sighed heavily as we pulled into the inn’s parking lot. “Of course he was scared!” I yelled a bit louder than I’d intended, and I saw John’s eyes glance at me in the rearview mirror. “The man was having a major heart attack down in some dark cavern where no one could help him, Gil. He was probably terrified that his worst fear was coming true!”
“Or his worst fear was coming right at him,” Gil mumbled.
“Didn’t Bonnie say that the witch’s lover was run down by the mob? That he was chased until he collapsed and died?” Heath said.
“Just like the maintenance worker!” Gil exclaimed, pointing at Heath like he was Sherlock Holmes.
I rolled my eyes. “Well, there’s an easy way to put an end to the mystery,” I said. “All we need to do is find out the last name of the maintenance worker. If it’s something other than Lancaster, Hill, McLaren, or Gillespie, we know it was just a coincidence.”
“It was McLaren,” John called from the front seat as he put the van into park. “While you guys were in the crystal shop, I went for coffee, and the locals are all talking about it. Jack McLaren was the name of the maintenance worker who collapsed and died down in the close.”
Gilley made another squeaking sound and thrust his fist into his mouth. “Terrific,” I sighed. “Juuuust terrific.”
Chapter 5
“Why is he packing?” Gopher asked as we all huddled in Gilley’s room while my partner ran around like a frightened hen, frantically stuffing articles of clothing into his suitcase.
“There’s been a development,” I said, then went on to explain everything we’d learned from Bonnie at the Crystal Emporium. Gilley hadn’t even heard the whole story and I noticed him pausing at times as I retold it for Gopher. Still, by the time I’d finished, Gil was zipping up his suitcase, ready to head for the airport.
“I still don’t get why Gilley’s packing,” Gopher said, scratching his head.
“Weren’t you listening?” Gilley screeched.
Gopher winced. “Yes, Gil, I was listening. But that doesn’t mean your family is from the exact same part of Edinburgh, does it? I mean, it’s a big city. They could have come from any village on the edge of it.”
But Gil was shaking his head. “It’s the same place,” he said. “I’ve already looked up my grandfather’s name on Ancestry.com . Both he and my grandmother were born just a few streets away, within one block of each other!”
Gopher sat down in a chair near the window. “Okay, okay, but, Gilley, you’re not from here! You’re from America. And maybe this witch will just assume once she hears you talk that you’re just another American tourist.”
But Gilley was shaking his head. “Nope,” he said, heaving his suitcase off the bed. “I’m not taking any chances. I’ll rendezvous with you guys at the next location. Good luck.”
As Gil tried to walk out the door, Gopher called him back. “You realize you’ll be in breach of contract, right?”
Gilley halted in the doorway and turned to look back at Gopher. “Say what?”
Gopher stuffed his hands into his pockets, clearly uncomfortable. “The network likes you, buddy. They think you’re one of the more-colorful members of the team. I sent them the footage from yesterday and they ate it up when you went running to M. J. and Heath’s rescue. I’d hate to think what they’d do if they found out you’d left the shoot.”
I narrowed my eyes at Gopher. “You wouldn’t !”
Gopher pulled his hands out of his pockets and held them up in surrender. “Hey, don’t blame me,” he said. “It’s out of my control. Gilley signed a contract and if he walks, then he’s in breach, and the network won’t look favorably on that. I’m convinced they’ll sue.”
“How vigorously?” I asked. I’d read that contract backward and forward. All the
I sighed heavily as we pulled into the inn’s parking lot. “Of course he was scared!” I yelled a bit louder than I’d intended, and I saw John’s eyes glance at me in the rearview mirror. “The man was having a major heart attack down in some dark cavern where no one could help him, Gil. He was probably terrified that his worst fear was coming true!”
“Or his worst fear was coming right at him,” Gil mumbled.
“Didn’t Bonnie say that the witch’s lover was run down by the mob? That he was chased until he collapsed and died?” Heath said.
“Just like the maintenance worker!” Gil exclaimed, pointing at Heath like he was Sherlock Holmes.
I rolled my eyes. “Well, there’s an easy way to put an end to the mystery,” I said. “All we need to do is find out the last name of the maintenance worker. If it’s something other than Lancaster, Hill, McLaren, or Gillespie, we know it was just a coincidence.”
“It was McLaren,” John called from the front seat as he put the van into park. “While you guys were in the crystal shop, I went for coffee, and the locals are all talking about it. Jack McLaren was the name of the maintenance worker who collapsed and died down in the close.”
Gilley made another squeaking sound and thrust his fist into his mouth. “Terrific,” I sighed. “Juuuust terrific.”
Chapter 5
“Why is he packing?” Gopher asked as we all huddled in Gilley’s room while my partner ran around like a frightened hen, frantically stuffing articles of clothing into his suitcase.
“There’s been a development,” I said, then went on to explain everything we’d learned from Bonnie at the Crystal Emporium. Gilley hadn’t even heard the whole story and I noticed him pausing at times as I retold it for Gopher. Still, by the time I’d finished, Gil was zipping up his suitcase, ready to head for the airport.
“I still don’t get why Gilley’s packing,” Gopher said, scratching his head.
“Weren’t you listening?” Gilley screeched.
Gopher winced. “Yes, Gil, I was listening. But that doesn’t mean your family is from the exact same part of Edinburgh, does it? I mean, it’s a big city. They could have come from any village on the edge of it.”
But Gil was shaking his head. “It’s the same place,” he said. “I’ve already looked up my grandfather’s name on Ancestry.com . Both he and my grandmother were born just a few streets away, within one block of each other!”
Gopher sat down in a chair near the window. “Okay, okay, but, Gilley, you’re not from here! You’re from America. And maybe this witch will just assume once she hears you talk that you’re just another American tourist.”
But Gilley was shaking his head. “Nope,” he said, heaving his suitcase off the bed. “I’m not taking any chances. I’ll rendezvous with you guys at the next location. Good luck.”
As Gil tried to walk out the door, Gopher called him back. “You realize you’ll be in breach of contract, right?”
Gilley halted in the doorway and turned to look back at Gopher. “Say what?”
Gopher stuffed his hands into his pockets, clearly uncomfortable. “The network likes you, buddy. They think you’re one of the more-colorful members of the team. I sent them the footage from yesterday and they ate it up when you went running to M. J. and Heath’s rescue. I’d hate to think what they’d do if they found out you’d left the shoot.”
I narrowed my eyes at Gopher. “You wouldn’t !”
Gopher pulled his hands out of his pockets and held them up in surrender. “Hey, don’t blame me,” he said. “It’s out of my control. Gilley signed a contract and if he walks, then he’s in breach, and the network won’t look favorably on that. I’m convinced they’ll sue.”
“How vigorously?” I asked. I’d read that contract backward and forward. All the
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