Celtic Christmas Read online

  “Yes. I did notice that in my research. In fact, I have both Donovan and O’Donnell blood myself. So, were you and Tyson close?”

  She shrugged. “I suppose we were at one time. We were close to the same age, so we had a lot of friends in common, although as we grew into adulthood, our core beliefs and philosophies took different paths. Still, I liked the guy okay. I know some people will have bad things to say about Ty, but I can assure you that he was a good man. A bit of a ladies man for sure, but a good man.”

  “I understand that he used to date Hillary.”

  She nodded. “Ty used to date a lot of women, me included.”

  I raised a brow.

  “Remember, we are distant cousins. In these parts, we tend to avoid relationships with first and even second cousins, but if you look beyond that, it would be hard to find anyone you aren’t related to. Anyway, what I had with Ty wasn’t serious. He wasn’t the sort to settle down, and tended to flutter from one flower to the next if you know what I mean.”

  I did know what she meant. “So, is the woman he brought to the dinner his current flower?” I asked, even though I knew it was really none of my business.

  “Heidi? No. Ty and Heidi were just friends. She wanted to come to the dinner and asked Ty to bring her as his date, so he did, but I’m pretty sure each went their own way once they arrived.”

  “So, she wasn’t staying here at the castle?” I asked.

  “She was planning to stay, but Ty told her that he had someone coming to his room that evening, and to make herself scarce, so she left early.”

  “I understand the bridge was closed last night.”

  “It was, but not until after Heidi left.”

  “And the rest of the village staff? Where did you all sleep?” I wondered.

  “There’s a bunk room for the village staff when the bridge to the village is inaccessible.”

  “And did everyone sleep there last night?”

  “I slept there, along with Maeve and Buford. I didn’t see Bobby, but he may have decided to bunk with either Ronan or Larson. They each have their own place outside the castle walls.”

  I made a mental note to determine exactly where Bobby had gone. Not that he was a suspect, but the fact that he hadn’t slept in the bunkroom with the other staff who lived in the village was notable. “So, I guess you must know everyone who was here last night that lives in the village.”

  She shrugged. “Sure. I guess. It’s a small village, and not only is most everyone related but even those who aren’t Donovans or O’Donnells pretty much know everyone else.”

  “Do you know if anyone from the village had a particular problem with Tyson?”

  “Danny Parker,” she answered decisively. It seemed like his name kept coming up. “Tyson was sweet on his girl, and that never ends well.”

  “Did you notice when Daniel left the party?” I asked.

  “No. After dinner, I was sent to the kitchen to help with the cleanup. I didn’t notice when anyone left. Buford made the drinks, and Maeve helped to serve them, so I imagine if you want to know what happened after everyone left the dining room, you should ask one of them.”

  After I made the sandwiches and cleaned up my mess, I headed up to the suite, where Alex was curled up in front of the fire, reading her book.

  “Oh, good. You’re back. I’m starving.”

  “I have turkey and roast beef; you can have your choice. I brought peanut butter and jam for Catherine when she wakes up.”

  “She’s been restless, so I imagine she won’t sleep long. How about we cut the turkey and roast beef in half, and we can each have some of each sandwich.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Did you hear anything more about the Christmas Market?” Alex asked as we ate.

  “I don’t think it is going to work to attend today. I’m hoping tomorrow. If you want, we can bundle Catherine up and take a short walk outdoors after she wakes up. The rain has stopped for the time being, and I don’t think you’ve left our suites since we’ve been here.”

  “A short walk would be nice.”

  “I was going to call Jeremy later anyway, and the cell service is much better outdoors than it is here in the castle. It’s too muddy for the stroller, but Zak brought the backpack. Maybe we can walk down to the stables. I’m sure Catherine would love to see the horses.”

  Chapter 5

  When Alex, Catherine, Charlie, and I walked through the castle toward the large front doors, I noticed that the door to the room the investigator was using was still closed. I supposed, given the number of people in attendance last night, it was going to take a good part of the day to talk to everyone. At this moment in time, based on the statements made by others, it seemed as if Daniel Parker was the prime suspect. Of course, I’d been involved in my share of murder investigations, so I knew that, more often than not, the first suspect to appear didn’t necessarily turn out to be the killer.

  “It looks like someone is walking along the moors,” Alex said after we set off down the trail that led to both the beach and the stables.

  “It looks like Walter Donovan. Walter is Adam’s uncle.”

  “Who is that with him?” she wondered.

  I squinted to better focus in. “It looks like Roderick Summerfield. Roderick is Alyssa’s father.”

  “I guess it makes sense that the two families would want to spend time getting to know each other. They might very well be spending Thanksgiving and Christmases together at some point.”

  “Perhaps, but it seems there may be some personality differences at play that might prevent a family get together.” Knowing what I did about the Donovans and Summerfields, I highly doubted there would be any huge family gatherings, although once a child was introduced into the mix, I supposed those at odds with one another might set aside their differences.

  “So, Alyssa’s father and mother are divorced, right?” Alex asked.

  “Yes. It seems as if the two separated quite a while ago. Alyssa’s father Roderick is here with a date named Victoria, and her mother, Carolina, came to the wedding alone.”

  “When I walked down to the arboretum to have a look this morning, I overheard two women talking. They said something about Alyssa’s father’s date being almost the same age as his daughter.”

  “There is a significant age difference between Roderick and Victoria,” I acknowledged. “Alyssa also has a half-sister, Tessa. She is the product of her father’s relationship with someone other than Alyssa’s mother. I also heard a rumor that Tessa and Walter might have had a thing going on at the engagement party.”

  “Tessa and Walter? Isn’t she in her twenties and he in his fifties?”

  “As far as I know, those ages seem accurate. If you ask me, the whole family seems to be living out roles in a complicated soap opera.”

  Alex chuckled. “It was brave of Adam and Alyssa to even try to have everyone together for the wedding. I think if my family had that many crazy relationships, I would have eloped.”

  “Right there with you.”

  By the time we reached the stables, the sun had actually peeked out from behind the clouds. I doubted it would stay out long, but it was nice to have the sun on my shoulders if only for a moment. The stable hand, Larson, was brushing a tall black horse with dark eyes when we entered the stable. I tightened my hold on Charlie’s leash, introduced myself, and let Catherine down out of her backpack.

  “Dat.” She screeched as she pointed at the horse.

  “That is a horse,” I said.

  “His name is Titan,” Larson informed us.

  I handed Charlie’s leash to Alex, slipped the baby pack I’d been wearing off, and picked Catherine up. We weren’t all that close to the horse, and Larson seemed to have a firm grip on his bridle, but I wasn’t taking any chances that my baby would get too close to those lethal hooves.

  “He’s so pretty,” Alex said. “Do you think we could ride while we’re here?”

  “Titan is Lord Dunphy�
�s personal horse, but we have some gentle mares you can try out if you’d like. It’s late today, but if the rain holds and your mother here says it is okay, I can find the perfect horse to take you on a stroll.”

  Alex looked at me. “Would it be okay?”

  “As long as the weather holds, I wouldn’t mind taking a ride. Maybe Zak will keep an eye on Catherine in the morning. I’ll ask him.”

  “Best to come early. I hear the storm will have rolled in by midafternoon,” Larson informed us.

  “How early are you here?” I asked.

  “I live here in the stable, so I’m always here, but I tend to be up and about by six. It won’t be light until later in the morning, but if you come by at eight, I can show you a real nice spot to watch the sunrise.”

  Sunrise over the sea sounded perfect. I just hoped the weather would cooperate.

  After we left the stable, we continued on to the beach. I set Catherine down so she could run around and play, while I called my assistant, Jeremy Fisher. Alex was a good babysitter, but I did remind her to stay well back from the rolling waves. You never really knew when a rogue wave might make its way ashore.

  “Hey, Jeremy, I’m just checking in,” I said after he answered.

  “How’s Ireland?”

  I looked out toward the dark sea. “It’s beautiful. We’ve had our share of rain, but that’s to be expected.”

  “And the Donovan clan? Have you met your overseas family?”

  “I have. At least the family members who are staying here at the castle. Adam is really nice. Just as nice as I expected he’d be, after exchanging emails and phone calls with him. And his fiancée seems really nice as well. The rest of the family is interesting, to say the least.”

  “Interesting how?”

  “Let’s just say the relationship dynamics between individual members of both families and the various friends who’ve shown up for the affair have been entertaining, although not necessarily entertaining in a good way. I’m afraid that after dinner last night, Adam’s brother was found dead.”

  “Dead?” Jeremy gasped. “What happened?”

  I explained things as I knew them to this point.

  “Wow. I’m so sorry. I’m sure that a death in the family has put a damper on things.”

  “Adam and his parents are, of course, very upset, but to tell you the truth, the others in attendance seem to be taking Tyson’s death with a grain of salt. It almost seems as if the whole thing is just some sort of huge inconvenience.”

  “That seems odd.”

  “I agree. Although, based on what I’ve learned, it appears that Tyson wasn’t a very popular guy.”

  “So, the wedding is still on?” he asked.

  “As far as I know, all the events are still on. Like I said, the overall vibe seems off to me, but I don’t really know these people, nor do I know why they might feel the way they do, so I’m just trying to do my part and stay out of things to the extent I can.”

  “Zoe Donovan is actually planning to stay out of things?” He chuckled.

  “To the extent I can,” I emphasized. “So, how are things at the Zoo?”

  Zoe’s Zoo was the wild and domestic rescue and rehabilitation center I owned, and Jeremy helped me operate.

  “Things are fine. The adoption clinic is this weekend, so Tiffany and Aspen have been working on getting ready for that. I’ve had a lot of new applications turned in this week, so we’re working on processing those as well. I’m hoping to get as many residents placed in permanent homes as I can before the holiday. I realize that dogs and cats don’t necessarily care about Christmas, but I do, and I hate to think of any of them spending the holiday in the shelter.”

  “Yeah, me too.” One of the reasons that Jeremy and I worked so well together was because we tended to look at the world in a similar manner. “Whatever happened with the litter of kittens you found just as I was leaving on my trip?”

  “Still no sign of the mom. The kittens are tiny but healthy. We’re all taking turns with the bottle-feeding. Even if the mom isn’t found, the babies should be fine, but I really would like to find her. It’s been three days, so the odds of her showing up are pretty low, but we set a live trap and have been checking it several times a day.”

  “I guess all we can do is try. Instead of food, try putting a blanket her babies have been lying on in the trap. Maybe she’ll smell them, and decide to check it out.”

  “Okay. Good idea. I’ll try that today.”

  “Text me with an update later. It would be so nice to reunite the mom and babies.”

  After I hung up with Jeremy, Alex, Catherine, Charlie, and I headed back to the castle. When we walked through the castle, things were quiet. It appeared as if the card tournament had wrapped up. I was curious to see if Zak and Nona had picked up any juicy tidbits relating to Tyson’s murder during the tournament. Not that I was really looking into it, because I wasn’t, but I did have to admit I was curious. Based on what I’d heard, it sounded like there were two or three decent suspects. It would be interesting to know what sort of conclusion local law enforcement had come to after a full day of interviews.

  Zak and Nona were chatting in the sitting area of our suite when we arrived. I unwrapped Catherine from the layers I’d piled on her in preparation for our walk while she chatted with Zak. Okay, maybe chatting was a generous term, but like her daddy, she had the genetic potential to be a genius, and actually had an excellent vocabulary for an almost-two-year-old.

  “Orse.” She said, grinning widely.

  Zak looked at me for help.

  “We saw a horse named Titan. Catherine was quite impressed with him.”

  “I bet you were.” Zak picked up his daughter and lifted her into the air. She giggled in delight when he pretended to nibble on her tummy.

  “Alex and I thought we might go for a sunrise ride if you don’t mind getting Catherine up in the morning,” I said to Zak.

  “I’m happy to. I actually think the clearing trend we are currently enjoying is supposed to last through tomorrow afternoon, so there may even be a sunrise.”

  “I really hoped to go to the Christmas Market tomorrow,” Nona said. “I spoke to Lord Dunphy about it, and he said he could arrange for a van to take us. I thought we might leave here around eleven, and then have lunch in the village.”

  “Alex and I will be back from our sunrise ride by then. I wouldn’t mind going to the market.” I glanced at Zak.

  “Sounds good to me.”

  “Do you know if the lockdown has been lifted?” I asked.

  He nodded. “We are free to come and go. While no one said as much, I think the man that was here has a strong suspect in the murder of Tyson Donovan. I noticed he asked Bobby Collins to go down to the station in the village with him, and someone mentioned that Daniel Parker had been picked up and taken in for an additional interview as well.”

  “Bobby Collins? Are you referring to the same Bobby who helped out with the serving and cleanup last night?”

  “I heard that Bobby and Tyson were childhood rivals,” Nona jumped in. “Both boys played sports, and both excelled academically, so they went head to head a lot of the time, but that sense of competition only seemed to strengthen their friendship.”

  “Excelled academically?” I asked. While Tyson had a body build that would indicate he might be good in sports, nothing about him indicated he might be smart. Although to be perfectly fair, I really hadn’t exchanged more than a few words with the guy.

  “According to Evette, Bobby and Tyson were the number one and two students in their high school. Both had plans to go off to college and make their mark in the world, but neither did. I asked her why she thought that was the case, and she said that Tyson used to date Bobby’s sister, Siobhan, and was quite serious about his relationship with her, but she died in an accident when they were in their last year of high school. Apparently, her death hit both Tyson and Bobby hard. For some reason, each blamed the other, and in Evette’s opini
on, their feud caused such a huge distraction in both their lives that neither went to college.”

  “So, they both still lived in the village.”

  “They did,” Nona confirmed. “Bobby took over his father’s print shop, and Tyson worked as a laborer for a construction company.”

  “And did the men ever make up?” I wondered.

  “Not according to Evette. Initially, she was surprised that Bobby was a suspect in Tyson’s murder, but after she thought about it, she decided that perhaps the anger Bobby had been holding at bay erupted, and he finally took out his anger on the man he blamed for his sister’s death.”

  “And why did Bobby blame Tyson?” I asked.

  “Bobby blamed Tyson because he felt it was an action taken by Tyson that led to the fight that caused his sister to leave a party with a friend, which resulted in her death,” Zak explained.

  I supposed he must have heard the same story.

  “Maybe you need to back up a bit,” I suggested.

  “On the night Siobhan died, Tyson had taken her to a party,” Zak began. “While they were at the party, Bobby showed up, and he and Tyson got into a fight about an activity Tyson had listed on his college application that he hadn’t actually participated in. Bobby called his rival a liar and a cheat. Tyson made it seem like it was no big deal that he’d padded his application, and he even called Bobby a few choice names for bringing it up, which made Bobby even madder. Eventually, a fistfight broke out, and Siobhan became angry with both her boyfriend and her brother and left with a friend. Shortly after Siobhan and the friend left the party, they were in an auto accident. Both died.”

  “Oh, no.” I gasped. “That is so tragic.”

  “It really was,” Zak agreed. “It seems to me that the fight and the accident destroyed a lot of lives.”

  “So, Bobby blamed Tyson for lying on his application, which started the fight that led to his sister’s death.”

  “That’s the way it seems,” Zak confirmed.

  “As far as motives go, I suppose that is a good one. Tyson is what twenty-five? If he was eighteen when Siobhan died, why would Bobby kill him now?” I wondered.