As he began to row, he watched Bea closely. This was the first day he’d felt alive again in a very long time and he hoped the next two weeks would be just as happy as today. Maybe things were beginning to change for him.
‘What’s the plan about the bottle?’ asked Bea.
‘I think my first stop might be the graveyard.’
She raised an eyebrow. ‘I wasn’t expecting that answer. Why do you say that?’
‘Think about it. How old would Patsy be? There’s a good chance she might have passed away.’
Bea knew that Nolan was possibly right.
He hesitated and stared straight at her. ‘If she is alive and I track her down, I have something for her.’
‘Besides the necklace? Tell me more.’ Bea was intrigued.
‘When my grandfather passed away, I began to restore The Hemingway and discovered a small box that was full of memorabilia, items I can only assume were memories from the summer they spent together.’
‘Like a memory box, how romantic! What sort of things?’
‘From what I remember there was a ticket to the bandstand at Primrose Park—’
‘Must have been a band playing,’ interrupted Bea.
‘My thoughts exactly. There were also shiny rocks, shells, a small notepad of sketches, postcards of Heartcross, a pack of cards, a small teddy bear, receipts ... but the thing that stood out the most was an unopened letter addressed to Patsy.’
Bea gave a tiny gasp. ‘And what did it say?’
‘I don’t know. I haven’t opened it. It’s not addressed to me.’
Bea was impressed; curiosity would most probably have gotten the better of her. ‘And do you think your grandfather wrote it after the summer they spent together?’
‘Yes, I do.’
‘And did the letter have her surname on it?’
Nolan shook his head. ‘But we know Patsy’s surname begins with a G.’
‘Do we?’ asked Bea, perplexed. ‘How do we know that?’
‘Because of the love heart written on the back of the letter in the bottle – MH & PG.’
‘You’re like Sherlock Holmes! I would never have even thought of that. But what are you going to do if you discover a grave with the name Patsy and a surname that begins with a G? Are you going to open the letter then?’
‘I’m not sure, but if I discover the grave, I might be able to track down a living relative. Who knows?’
‘Who knows indeed. This is all very exciting.’
‘I know there’s got to be a churchyard in Heartcross, so that’s my first stop tomorrow.’
‘Don’t go without me! We’re in this together now and I want to help to uncover the romantic love story of Morgan and Patsy, and find out what became of her.’ She flapped her hand between the two of them. ‘We need to come up with a name now we’re a brand-new detective duo.’
‘How about Nolan and Bea?’
Bea hooted. ‘Dead original.’
Nolan grinned. ‘Hemingway and…?’
‘Fernsby,’ Bea supplied.
