Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
I was sitting hoovering up one of Kathleen’s amazing Highland cooked breakfasts at just after eight o’clock the next morning.
This was all new to me. Seeing this time of the morning and waking up feeling invigorated after a solid night’s sleep. Skye’s fresh, bracing air, that must be it.
My loaded plate consisted of shiny button mushrooms, a couple of rashers of streaky bacon, a fried egg and a slice of juicy tomato, and I was eating with relish when a figure strolled into the dining room.
It took me a few seconds to realise that the fresh-faced older gentleman, dressed in black denims and a pastel pink jumper, was none other than Campbell.
Gone was the dark, privet hedge beard, he looked like he’d had the best sleep he’d had in months.
Most of the other early riser guests had already eaten their breakfast and were setting off on excursions for the day, while the more relaxed still had to appear, so there was only one other table occupied, the elderly couple who were seated there arguing over a map.
Campbell straightened his jumper as he sat down opposite me. ‘Good morning!’ He beamed across the table. ‘Sleep well?’
‘Yes, thanks.’ I faltered, still taking in his sharp jaw. ‘You look ten years younger now.’
‘I was hoping for fifteen, but that’ll have to do.’
I gestured to his face as I raised my cup of tea to my lips. ‘Change of image?’
‘New start,’ he confirmed with a smile that showed off his white, if slightly crooked, teeth. ‘I’m feeling very optimistic about everything.’
‘Well, that’s good.’
Campbell pointed at his hair. ‘I’ll get to the local barber for a haircut next.’
I cocked my head at him. ‘You have a really interesting face. You’d make a great subject for a portrait picture, especially if I were to focus on your eyes.’
Campbell rolled said eyes good-naturedly. ‘I’ll take that as a compliment.’
He admired my breakfast and as soon as Julie glided up to the table to take his order, he pointed at my plate. ‘The same as this discerning young lady, please, Julie.’
Once she had gone, he gestured to his clothes. ‘Kathleen very kindly lent me some of Pete’s clothes. Luckily, he had a similar build. I hoped that once we’ve had breakfast, we could go and pay your young man a visit?’
I prickled. ‘He’s not my young man. I’ve told you that.’
A newly invigorated Campbell merely winked at me from across the salt and pepper pots.
‘Logan is supposed to be picking me up from here at half past nine this morning.’ I glanced down at my watch. ‘Tell you what, you have your breakfast and then we can both head over to his flat instead. How does that sound?’
Campbell’s eyes shone. ‘That sounds like a plan.’
I reached down by my chair for my bag and quickly rang Logan. ‘You don’t need to collect me at half nine. I’ll come over to your apartment shortly. I’ve got a surprise for you.’
‘I hope you aren’t trying to make a grown man’s blood pressure hit the roof.’ There was that teasing, mischievous tone I’d come to expect in Logan’s voice.
I tutted and hoped I wasn’t blushing too much in front of an amused-looking Campbell across the breakfast table. ‘In your dreams.’
* * *
Logan stared incredulously from me to Campbell and back again.
He was holding open his flat door. ‘What the…?’ He blinked at Campbell again. ‘So, I was right. I knew it was you. I mean, I thought it was…’ His voice vanished into a confused whisper.
Campbell shot me an amused expression as I stood beside him. ‘Is he always this coherent?’
‘You’re one of his childhood heroes,’ I explained. ‘It’d be like me meeting Lady Gaga. Give him a second or two to recover.’
Logan continued to gawp. ‘So … um … Mr Adams…’
‘Campbell. Please. Now, do you think we could come in?’
Logan rubbed at his stubble and gathered himself. ‘Aye. Of course.’ He stepped back, pulling his door wider and encouraged us both inside.
Logan directed Campbell to his sitting room. ‘What the hell is going on, Darcie?’ he whispered, clearly struggling to contain his disbelief.
‘He was hanging around outside The Gorse last night and spoke to me once you’d driven off.’ I paused, thinking again about Logan trying to look nonplussed about me making excuses and calling an abrupt halt to our evening.
Regret nipped at me, but I returned to the topic of Campbell. ‘He said he wants our help.’
‘With what?’
‘Finding the Skye Lovers’ Cross. He’s sure it does exist and that it’s located somewhere here on the island.’
Logan looked at me as though I’d just started speaking Cantonese. ‘Are you joking?’
I shook my head.
Logan encouraged me to follow him into the lounge, where Campbell was sitting. Again, I tried not to think about last night when I’d been sitting in here contemplating taking the next step with Logan, before convincing myself it was a disastrous idea and donning a protective shield.
Logan was wearing a tight-fitting, vanilla V-neck sweater that made his eyes look even lighter and more transparent than normal, and I felt my resolve weakening yet again.
He sat down on his sofa next to me and I found myself wishing he had chosen to sit anywhere else, because all I could focus on now, were his amazing thighs in those black jeans and the wafts of his woody cologne that were flowing my way.
I gave myself a mental slap and trained my attention back on Campbell sitting opposite me, perched on one of Logan’s armchairs.
Campbell scratched his beardless chin. ‘I haven’t told Darcie this yet, but someone delivered a letter to The Gorse this morning, addressed to me.’
‘A letter?’ repeated Logan, still appearing overawed that his archaeological hero was sitting talking to him in his own flat.
‘Aye. I’d been sleeping in a tent just outside Portree, until Kathleen insisted I stay at The Gorse instead. I don’t have a proper room there as they’re fully booked, but they have a big linen store room…’
‘Why? How long for?’ pushed Logan. ‘I mean, how long have you been camping for?’
‘I’ve got nowhere else to go. Been sleeping in the beauty of Skye’s natural wonder for about ten days now.’
There was an embarrassed silence before Logan took up the questions again. ‘So, you said someone’s written you a letter? Who? And about what?’
Campbell shrugged. ‘I’ve no idea who sent it as it isn’t signed. Julie Allwood said it was lying on the front door mat first thing this morning, and as it has no stamp, I know it hadn’t been mailed. Someone obviously knows I’m staying there and popped it through their letterbox.’
His dark brown eyes glittered as he dived one hand into his coat pocket and produced a white envelope.
He handed it over to Logan, who glanced at the front where Campbell Adams was scrawled across the paper in floaty black pen.
Logan flipped open the envelope and tugged out the folded letter. It was written on expensive, pale lemon writing paper. The handwriting raced across the single sheet of paper in black biro.
It said:
Dear Mr Adams,
Your career has been affected by your search for the Skye Lovers’ Cross. Folks on the island have accused you of being a fantasist, an exhibitionist, obsessed with finding something that never existed in the first place.
I have to tell you that in my opinion, I think you were right all along.
I believe the Skye Lovers’ Cross does exist and I’m not the only person here on Skye who thinks the same. It’s just a case of proving it.
Goodness knows what’s happened to it, but I know with your professional expertise, you’ll be able to track it down.
You need to speak to Gabriel Jamieson. Something tells me he’d be a good place to start.
Wishing you luck,
A fellow islander.
Logan read the letter over for a second time, before passing it to me. ‘Who’s Gabriel Jamieson?’ I asked, looking up from the letter.
‘Local librarian,’ replied Logan. ‘Bit of a dour bugger.’
I handed the letter back to Logan, whose brows were furrowed in thought. ‘Could this be a hoax, Mr Adams?’ asked Logan. ‘Maybe someone on the wind-up? They don’t give any details about where it could be or any evidence that it does exist.’
Campbell shook his head. ‘I very much doubt it. Someone’s made a point of writing that letter and getting it to me. And how did they know I was back on Skye? I’ve been very circumspect. Deliberately so.’
His face grew more confident. ‘I think this letter’s genuine.’ He flapped out the hem of his coat, settling further into the chair. ‘And please, young man, call me Campbell.’
Logan grinned as if his favourite footballer had just offered to have a kickabout with him.
Campbell carried on, enthused. ‘Logan, I don’t have to tell you that I’m seen as some sort of eccentric here on Skye.’ He hesitated. ‘But I’ve read up about you. You’re an excellent geologist. You know this island inside out and upside down.’
‘But so do you,’ batted back Logan.
‘Aye. I do. But you’re not viewed as a stupid old tit, whose wife left him because of his obsession with hidden treasure.’
Campbell glanced around Logan’s sitting room with its scattered rugs and black and white prints of Skye landscapes dotted on its walls. ‘My reputation would be restored if I can prove the cross is real, but I can’t do this alone. So, will you both help me find it?’
Logan indicated to me. ‘I’m supposed to be helping Darcie compile information for her travel guide.’
My cheeks zipped with guilty embarrassment. ‘I still have another couple of weeks here and anyway, you’d be doing your childhood hero a big favour.’
I couldn’t tell Logan that the prospect of finding the Skye Lovers’ Cross was something that would benefit me too as not only would it give a huge injection of publicity to my travel guide, but it would really boost my career as a whole. It could be a win-win-win situation for all three of us, but knowing how little Logan thought of my career as an influencer, I knew he might not want to participate if it meant giving me even more reason to be constantly on my phone while I was here on Skye.
Campbell grinned over at Logan. ‘I was your childhood hero? Seriously?’
Logan let out a self-conscious laugh. ‘Yes, you were. I had you up on a pedestal beside Indiana Jones.’
‘Hence the movie poster in Logan’s hallway,’ I added.
Logan went pink under his stubble.
‘It’s nothing to be ashamed of,’ I assured him.
Campbell’s mouth quivered. ‘All the more reason for you to jump at the chance to work with me then.’
Logan mulled over everything that Campbell had said. ‘I’m going to be honest. I’m still a little sceptical about this cross story.’
‘Oh, go on,’ I urged him. ‘You know Indy would jump at the chance to solve a centuries old mystery.’
Logan gave me a playful nudge. ‘Have you quite finished giving all my secrets away?’
‘Depends how many you have.’
Logan’s eyes sparkled at me. ‘You’ll need to find out.’
A blush crawled up my neck. I shifted beside him.
Campbell appraised us both with a not-so-secret smile. ‘So, can I rely on you both to help this old fart resurrect what’s left of his career?’
‘But why us?’ persisted Logan.
‘Because, like I said, my career’s taken a real hammering over the years over this. Some folks might not be so keen to talk to me, but they might be more amenable to speaking to both of you.’ He gave Logan a small smile. ‘You know this island and you have a great reputation in geology.’
He clasped his hands together on his lap. ‘I can’t do this on my own. Believe me, I tried years ago and look where it got me.’ Campbell sighed. ‘I know it’s out there and I know that I can find it, but I need you two with me.’
Logan arched one attractive brow at me in questioning mode.
‘Like I told you last night, Campbell, I’m in. But I’ve only got another two weeks here on Skye and then I return to London.’ When I’d first arrived, the prospect of seeing the red London buses and meandering around the posh little coffee shops again had made my chest ache with longing, but it wasn’t having the same effect anymore. What was happening to me? Why wasn’t I as buoyed about London and returning home as I was before?
‘Then that’s all the more reason to get cracking and trying to find it.’ Campbell’s ink-black eyes brimmed with excitement. ‘I always wanted to write a book about my search for it.’
A lump of guilt sat heavy in my stomach, realising he was willing to hand that dream over to me if it meant I’d agree to help.
‘So,’ encouraged Campbell, leaning forward in Logan’s armchair. ‘Wha’s the answer going to be? Are you two just going to jog along with what you’re doing or are you going to throw caution to the wind and join me?’ He gave a wink. ‘I think the three of us know what Indiana Jones would do.’
I turned to look at Logan beside me. His expression was thoughtful. Then he broke into a slow, wide grin. ‘It looks like it’s down to the three musketeers to prove everyone wrong. So, when do we start our treasure hunt?’