The Celtic Riddle by Lyn Hamilton Page B

with emigration rates and such, has a
population 5percent of which is under the age of twenty-five, pretty
much a paradise for forty-somethingish guys like Rob.
    But I digress. The final and deciding factor in my renewed
resolution to find the treasure was a series of events that took place
as Alex and I left Second Chance after our unpleasant session with the
inhabitants, to head back to the village. It was late afternoon as I
negotiated the rental car down the long driveway toward the main road.
It had begun to rain quite hard, and Michael was nowhere to be seen,
having presumably gone indoors for shelter. The windshield wipers were
waving hypnotically in front of me, and the defroster was working
overtime to clear the fog from the windshield. As I rounded a turn a
hooded figure stepped out from dense brush at the side of the road and
into the path of the car. I slammed on the brakes but, forgetting I was
driving a standard shift, didn't depress the clutch in my hurry. The
car jerked along then stalled a few feet from the figure.
    I rolled down the window and peered out at the face under the hood.
It was Deirdre, and she looked genuinely frightened, a trembling little
bird on scrawny legs, her hair matted from the rain, despite the hood.
"Stay away from Second Chance," she said breathlessly. "You have no
idea what's going on here. This family is cursed!" Then she looked over
her shoulder and quickly stepped back into the brush and disappeared.
    Then I saw what might have startled her. Sean McHugh, son-in-law
number one, was walking down the drive toward the house. He was, like
his brother-in-law, fair, but a little softer looking, a little jowly
perhaps, and less threatening in demeanor, though not, in this case, in
stance. He was still in his tweeds and high boots, but he'd added a
rain cape swirling behind him-the aforementioned country gentleman
look- except that he wasn't looking particularly gentlemanly. He was
carrying a gun, a rifle, slung over one shoulder. Even though it wasn't
pointed at us, it was an unpleasant moment.
    "What are you doing here?" he demanded.
    "We've had tea at the house," I replied.
    "What are you doing snooping around on the road?"
    "I'm not snooping," I replied haughtily. "The car stalled. A rabbit
ran in front of us, and I had to stop suddenly." I was speaking, I
suppose, metaphorically. There had been more than a little of the
frightened rabbit in Deirdre.
    "Get moving," McHugh said, looking as if he didn't believe me for a
moment. Maybe there weren't any rabbits around here. Regardless, we did
what we were told. I consider it a good rule not to argue with a man
who holds a gun.I looked over at Alex. "All rather Gothic, wouldn't you
say?"
    "Gothic, yes, but part of it is true," he said. "To Deirdre's point,
I have no idea what is going on here."
    "I feel sorry for Vigs," I said. "I figure he's doomed. What do you
think she'll do to him? He's too big to flush down the toilet."
    "I don't even want to think," Alex murmured. "We should have brought
him with us."
    "Maybe we should have brought Deirdre, too," I replied. Alex smiled.
    "We're going to have to do something about a road into Rose
Cottage," I said, seriously. "We can't have Sean McHugh waving a rifle
at you every time you try to get there."
    "I'll think about it," Alex said. "I haven't decided what to do
about the cottage just yet."
    "But you know you love it," I said. "And we can't let those awful
people intimidate you out of your inheritance!"
    Alex just shrugged and took to looking at the scenery. I gathered
this was a topic he didn't wish to pursue at the moment.
    "Pull over," he said suddenly. "Can you back up? About a hundred
yards?"
    Surprised, I complied. "What is it?" I exclaimed.
    Alex pointed down a little road off to the right. I looked but
couldn't figure out what he was talking about. It was just another
lane, as far as I could see.
    "What?" I said to him, mystified.
    "Look at the signs," he said. There were a number of