Allegra Fairweather_ Paranormal Investigator - Janni Nell [17]
Had McEwen become Leith’s victim? Last night McEwen had been so drunk he could easily have wandered too close to the cairn. My mind raced backwards, trying to remember the state of his body. If his heart had been taken there would have been a gaping wound in his chest. I couldn’t remember seeing one but maybe Douglas had. I asked him.
His face blanched at the mention of McEwen. “I dinnae look that close.” He was silent for a while, and then he said, “If Leith did take McEwen’s heart, he’ll no longer be haunting his cairn. Once he has a heart, so the legend goes, he can rest in peace.”
“If he took McEwen’s heart…”
Douglas shook his head. “According to the legend, Leith must take a warrior’s heart.”
McEwen wasn’t exactly warrior material. At least not on the surface. But who knew what lay beneath?
Was this case going to be solved so easily? Somehow I doubted it. As far as I could tell, McEwen had died a long way from Leith’s Cairn, but in the interests of this investigation I was obliged to visit the cairn. It was the only one way to discover whether Leith was now resting in peace.
“I think I’ll take a trip to Beag Glen,” I said. Then, remembering the name Mrs. Ferguson had given me, I asked, “Do you know Jenny Clark’s address?”
Douglas fixed worried eyes on me. “Don’t go to the cairn, Allegra. It’s not safe.”
“It’s my job. I have to investigate these things. Besides, if Leith is looking for a warrior’s heart, I’ll be perfectly safe.”
He gave an exasperated sigh but he asked nobly, “Do you want some company?”
“I think it’s best if I go alone.” But that wasn’t the way it happened.
As I got into my car, Casper appeared and got into the passenger seat beside me.
“Off for a drive in the country?” he asked brightly.
I turned to him. He looked particularly rugged and square-jawed this afternoon.
“You must know I’m going somewhere potentially dangerous,” I said. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be here.”
“Touché.” He buckled his seatbelt and said, “Let’s go.”
I glanced at the seatbelt and said, “Why bother with that? You can’t be hurt in a crash. Strictly speaking you’re already dead.”
“I’m setting an example,” he said with a grin. “It’s what Guardian Angels do.”
“As well as protecting their morsubs,” I said. Morsubs is angelspeak for mortal subjects.
“Yep,” said Casper.
I turned on the ignition and took the road to Beag Glen. We had to stop twice to deal with Casper’s car sickness. Soon he felt so ill he had to get out and fly the rest of the way. Invisibly, of course. We met up again on the outskirts of Beag Glen.
The village nestled, appropriately enough, in a narrow valley in view of Loch Furness. After asking directions, we found Jenny Clark’s house squatting in the middle of a wild, overgrown garden. Clearly there were no brownies here. It was a relief to reach the front door without breaking an ankle.
I knocked once. And waited. I could hear shuffling inside but the door didn’t open. I knocked again.
“Won’t be a moment,” called a deep female voice in a very English accent.
Inside, something banged against the door. This was followed by a stream of obscenities before the door swung open.
Jenny Clark was a big woman. Not as tall as me, but solid, with square shoulders and large hips. A pair of glasses perched on her nose. Masses of wavy grey hair framed her face.
“I hope this is important, I’m in the middle of—”
“Allegra Fairweather, paranormal investigator,” I said extending my hand. “And this is my partner, Casper.”
Jenny’s eyes widened. Then she smiled. “How exciting. Do come in. Have you come about Leith’s Cairn?”
When I confirmed that we had, she continued, “Did you know I’m the keeper of his cairn? Most people around here think I’m crazy. It’s fear, of course. They see Leith as a bloodthirsty murderer. But he wasn’t, he was a hero.”
Her eyes glowed like a young woman in love. I glanced at her left hand. No wedding band.
While she had been talking, she had led us down a hall and into her living room. Every surface was covered in books and handwritten notes. Several of the notes