“I don’t think he believes we’re pathetic,” Leo said. “We certainly showed him we can take care of ourselves. However, I believe he sees our actions as vigilante.”
“Which they are,” Mungo added.
“You know as well as I that there are not enough peelers about when you need them. We’ve also established that Constable Plummy is harmless and entirely useless,” Leo added.
“Agreed,” Alex said. “But back to the detective. To me, he seemed most upset about Ellen being there, and he certainly had an appreciative look in his eye when he was staring at her.”
“Oh please,” Ellen scoffed, refusing to acknowledge the sudden thudding of her heart at her brother’s words. “There was no way you would have seen his eyes as you were fighting, and when you weren’t, you couldn’t see a foot in front of your face.”
The disturbing detective did not see her differently from any other woman.Did he?
“He’s a handsome man, and you have tolerable looks, I suppose. Surely you can’t believe that no man will have you,” Alex teased her.
Leo, who was still walking ahead of them, stopped, and Alex ran into his back.
“Ouch!” Alex grabbed his nose.
“Thank you, my favorite brother.”
“Welcome,” Leo said to Ellen. “And that cold, calculating detective is not getting near Ellen.”
She absolutely did not feel another flutter in her belly at the thought of getting close to the dark, handsome Grayson Fletcher.
“I wonder if he has any leads on George’s murder?” Ellen said.
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Alex said.
“Which will not bode well for any of us,” Mungo added. “You thinking always spells trouble.”
“The point is, someone used Uncle Bram’s knife and that means it involves us. Did they deliberately take it to implicate him? Or did they steal it from him, and he hasn’t realized it yet? You know how forgetful he is,” Leo added.
“We can’t really do much until he returns and we speak to him about it,” Alex said.
Ellen shivered at the thought of anything happening to the wonderful man who had saved them. He and Aunt Ivy had stepped in to gather up the distraught Nightingale siblings and given them a home. She would not allow him to be incarcerated for something he would never do.
There had to be another reason his knife was there in that bookshop.
“We’ve all made enemies at some stage in our lives, and it’s not always our fault,” Mungo said in his gruff Scottish burr. “But your uncle is the best man I know. He’d never intentionally hurt anyone.”
“I need to talk to George,” Alex said. “But so far, he’s not wanting to chat with me. Clearly, he is not quite settled in the spirit world. Your great uncle Hamish, however, Mungo. Now he is a constant visitor.”
“Well, ask him what his recipe for bannock is. He put something secret in them, and they always tasted the best.”
“I’ll try.”
“I’d like to get into that bookshop,” Leo said. “Have a look around.”
“I’m sure I can pick that lock,” Mungo said.
“Excellent. Then we shall do so tomorrow,” Leo added.
When they reached 11 Crabbett Close, the lights still shone from a few rooms. Clearly Bud had stayed up to await them. Letting themselves into the entranceway, Ellen heard a deep bark of laughter and started running, followed by her brothers.
Bursting into the parlor, they found their uncle and aunt seated before the fire. Bud was there too.
“Uncle Bram!” Ellen ran at him as he rose. His big arms settled around her.
Beside her, Leo and Alex hugged Aunt Ivy.
