The next morning she was up early. She was expected at the R and D department by nine and she had no idea how long it would take to get through security. She left the curtains closed. She wasn’t sure she was ready to see MacGregor Castle yet.
She breakfasted alone. “No other guests?” she asked when Edie brought a plate of eggs through from the kitchen.
“Just you at the moment. We’re always quiet this time of year though. Means all the more toast for you. Shall I do another round?”
“No thank you, I must be going.”
“Will you be back for tea?”
“I’m not sure.”
“No bother. Last call for tea is seven. If you’re back after that I can always put some sandwiches or something together for you.”
“Thanks.”
Once breakfast was over, Heather headed out to her car. Looking up, she saw the castle for the first time in person. It was strange to see something she’d seen in a painting so often. There it was.
She was surprised to find she felt nothing. Maybe one day she’d be able to let her emotions out but this was not that day.
How would it look if she turned up at the R and D building in floods of tears? Why are you crying? Because I’m still upset that an ancestor of mine was murdered seven hundred years ago. Anyway, nice to meet you.
As she drove she found herself wondering where it happened. The history books weren’t certain. All they specified was that peace treaty negotiations took place somewhere between MacGregor Castle and Frazer Castle, half a day’s walk from either location.
It might be right under the road she was on. That was a weird thought.
The GPS came to life, telling her to turn onto a track marked “Private.”
About a hundred yards along the track a security barrier blocked the road. Beside it a man in a black suit held a clipboard, looking into the back of her car as she stopped. Behind him a little wooden booth contained a desk and computer. He walked over to her window a moment later.
“Name,” he said, pen at the ready.
“Heather Frazer. I’m here to see Tony Carson.”
“Down the hill. He’s waiting.”
She did as she was told, making her way around a sweeping curve until the main road vanished behind a row of pine trees. Another minute and she was heading down a hillside and then there it was.
It was like something out of a government conspiracy. A solid black building with no visible windows, just a block of metal dumped in the middle of a valley, completely hidden from view unless you knew where you were going. It was surrounded by a barbed wire fence. There was only one opening.
In front of it a man in a white lab coat waved at her as she came to a stop. He was about fifty, very tall and thin, his face half hidden behind a thick black beard.
“Heather?” he asked, pulling her door open for her. “Tony Carson. Great to see you. Come on inside.”
“Nice place you’ve got here,” Heather replied as she climbed out of the car. “Reminds me a lot of a black hole.”
They walked over to the only visible door in the building. “Oh, I know it looks a bit creepy but there is a reason for it.”
“Couldn’t afford to have windows put in? Sale on black paint?”
“Both.” He smiled. “How much did Boris tell you?”
“He was supposed to email me the details but-”
“But he didn’t tell you much. That’s fine. To be honest he doesn’t know that much about what we get up to here.” He pulled the door to the building open, stepping aside for Heather to enter first.
“And just what is it you do here?” she asked as she walked inside.
“Lots of things,” he replied, the smile still fixed on his face. “This way.”
