“Coming from Jensen, yes,” The Raven said. “No one questions that man.”
* * *
Graeme tossed the letter onto the desk, then paced the small study like a caged beast.
“How did he even know that Braden was here?” Vanessa asked. She picked up the letter and glanced down at the florid penmanship.
“Jensen has his ways. He always seems to know what is going on,” Graeme said.
“So this isn’t completely unusual?” Vanessa looked up, but Graeme’s pacing made her nervous.
“No, not in the least. Just as when he appeared here that one night. He has all manners through which he acquires information.” Graeme stopped and braced his hands on the back of a chair.
Vanessa set down the letter. “Do you trust him?”
Graeme met her gaze. “Jensen? Absolutely.”
“Then we should heed his advice.” She nodded with resolution.
He pushed away from the chair. “His logic is sound. We don’t yet have other members of Solomon’s here with us, and I don’t think we have time to wait for Fielding and Esme. We might need some assistance if the residents of the castle don’t take kindly to unwanted visitors.”
“Indeed,” Vanessa said. “Additionally, if Braden and his men were working with The Raven, then he wouldn’t have killed Fitch.”
Graeme was silent for several moments as if considering her words, then slowly he nodded. “Then I suppose we have some new partners.”
Convincing Braden to join their merry quest had been as simple as offering him a sum of money. Graeme opted to go with what the man knew instead of attempting to appeal to any sense of honor. It had worked, and now Graeme and Vanessa, along with Braden and Sam, walked quietly toward Cawdor Castle. The moon hung low and heavy, illuminating the landscape before them.
Unlike the ruins of Urquhart, Cawdor was a fully functioning estate for the Earl of Cawdor. The manicured lawn led to the gray stone fortress. A drawbridge led into the main gate and overlooked a dry moat. Thickly wooded trees lined the back of the castle.
“Where do we look first?” Braden asked.
“Evidently the Cawdor family has protected King William’s stone for centuries,” Graeme said.
“So it will be heavily guarded,” Braden said.
Graeme nodded. “More than likely. We’ll try the non-sleeping quarters first to avoid rousing the residents.”
Walking straight up through the main entry gate didn’t seem the best way to remain undetected, so they searched for an alternate entrance. They found one on the east side of the castle. Before Graeme could withdraw his tools to unlatch the lock, Sam had shouldered the door and broken the bolt. Effective, but not with as much finesse as Graeme preferred.
Graeme exhaled slowly. He still didn’t trust Braden or his associate Sam. He could adhere to Jensen’s advice without completely agreeing with it. Besides, Jensen would have wanted Graeme to be cautious.
They stood quietly in the dark for several moments waiting to see if they’d drawn any attention, but no one came.
“We’ll take this side; you and your woman go search the other wing,” Braden said.
Graeme was not accustomed to working with other people, especially ones who wanted to dictate his moves. But now was not the time to argue about it, and searching separately they would cover more ground faster. He took Vanessa’s hand and pulled her toward the hall.
Soon they’d come to the main entrance of the castle, a grand foyer with a staircase at the end and a balcony overlooking the first floor. No doubt the earl had hosted more than one ball in this very area. They moved out of the wide-open space and into the opposite wing.
Every room Graeme and Vanessa came to, they’d search, opening cabinets and drawers, peeking in vases, and moving books and pictures.
“Do you know they refer to this as MacBeth’s castle?” Vanessa whispered. They walked through a small dining room and into a parlor.
“Indeed?” Graeme said.
“True. In the play, the three witches tell MacBeth that he will become Thane of Cawdor, and it is the first of their prophecies to come true. It is what sends him on his quest to overtake King Duncan and steal the throne.” She gasped, then stopped walking.
“What?” Graeme glanced around to try and see what had grabbed her attention.
