Chapter 32
“None of this makes sense,” Slate said as he passed the documents to Logan. “How sure are you that it exists, Reif?”
“Have I seen it? No. The only evidence that it’s real is in the documents I’ve collected,” Reif answered.
“Does it mention the name of the green diamond?” asked Zane.
“No,” Logan replied, scanning the document again.
“How did you know it was referring to the green diamond you’re looking for, Reif?” asked Ian.
“The man gave that to me and told me to find the green diamond described in it,” Reif answered.
“Is there a location of where the diamond was?” asked Dakota.
“Greece,” Logan replied.
“Did you look for it there, Reif?” Kieran asked.
“I couldn’t find any trace of it except a brief mention in an old manuscript about it being stolen and later turning up in Rome,” Reif answered.
“Right,” Logan said, picking up the next document. “This one is dated 1014.”
“After learning it turned up in Rome, I went there, and searched the museums, but again, there wasn’t a trace of it ever being there so I spent several months in different libraries doing research.
When I drew a blank, I was about to give up and tell the man the green diamond was lost until I found it mentioned in a diary,” Reif explained.
“Was this usual?” asked Brian. “Ye know, having to find what they wanted ye to steal?”
“Sometimes. Other times the man told me where the object was,” Reif replied.
“Who did the diary belong to?” asked Logan.
“A noblewoman. She wrote that her husband bought it for her as a gift but later she sold it,” Reif said.
“Why?” Theo asked Reif. “Didn’t she love her husband anymore?”
“According to the diary, she did it to pay a ransom to get him back after he was kidnapped,” Reif explained.
“Oh, pooh bear, that’s so romantic.” Theo leaned over and kissed Norman.
“Who did she sell it to?” asked Colton.
“I don’t know,” Reif said, “she only said that it was sold.”
“The trail ended,” said Logan, holding up the next document. “This has a date of 1249. How did you get this one?”
“Once again I was about to tell the man I’d run into a dead end but before I could he appeared and gave me that one…
a bill of sale for the green diamond to a general in the Roman Army.
It was sold just before the fall of the Roman Empire and I was able to track the general into Switzerland where his troops were stationed,” Reif explained.
“The Roman Empire ended around 1450, right?” asked Ian.
“1453,” Slate replied.
“What happened to the general? Did he go back to Rome?” asked Logan.
“No, he married a woman and stayed in Switzerland. I believe he gave it to her,” Reif answered.
“You believe?” asked Colton.
“Yes, I can’t say with certainty, but the next reference I found was in 1560 where it was listed as part of the estate that belonged to descendants of the woman’s brother,” Reif replied.
“Do you know if the woman and general had any children?” asked Kieran.
“None that I could find. I think the general gave it to her before she died which meant it was in her possession. She either gave it to her brother before her death or willed it to him afterwards,” Reif answered. “However, willing it to him would be a remote possibility.”
“Why?” asked Dakota.
“Because back then,” Slate interjected, “when a woman died, everything she owned immediately became her husband’s property.”
“Okay, let’s move on from 1560,” Logan said, as he pulled out the next document. “This one is dated 1676.”
“Yeah, another bill of sale by a wealthy merchant who sold it to a Frenchman who sold it to a Spaniard who sold it to an Irishman,” Reif recounted.
“Holy shit, that’s one well-traveled diamond.” Zane chuckled.
“I don’t see those last two sales reflected in your research.” Logan said, glancing through the remaining documents. “These are all dated after 1850.”
“Right,” said Reif. “Only the sale to the Frenchmen. I searched for months but couldn’t find any trace of it.
I told the man the whereabouts of the green diamond had been lost and asked him to have me and my people released since, despite being diligent in my mission, the diamond couldn’t be found. ”
“Obviously that did nae happen,” Brian murmured.
“A week later,” said Reif, “the man came back and told me about some other sales, and said I should go to Dublin and search there.” He glanced around the table before continuing.
“I went and found a cache of papers referring to the Serpent’s Teardrop, a green diamond sold to a wealthy Scotsman who lived in Loch Ness. ”
“That doesn’t make sense,” said Logan. “How could someone live in the lake?”
“I couldn’t figure it out either until I got here and found a sea serpent shifter,” Reif said, turning to look at Brian “I figured the document was referring to you so when you came across my scent, I was searching for your house under the water.”
~/~/~/~/~
Fionn was bored, as the testimony of the midwife droned on, but was impressed with how Penn questioned her leading to the last one—when she swore it was the same certificate she filled out after Fionn was born.
After Penn sat down, his uncle’s lawyer rose, and Fionn sniggered at his pompous shuffling of papers in front of him before addressing the witness.
“Mrs. Penelope Hudson, when was the last time you saw the baby named Fionn?”
“Two days after his birth. There was some abnormal bleeding so I stayed until Mrs. MacDùghlas had recovered.”
“Have you seen Fionn since then?”
“No.”
“Do you know if he died?”
“No.”
“Is the person whose birth you assisted at…as stated in Exhibit A…currently here in this courtroom?”
Fionn watched as Mrs. Hudson glanced his way, then, gritting his teeth he knew what was coming.
“I don’t know.”
Fuck! This was what Penn warned him about, but it didn’t help when it happened.
Bouncing his leg, Fionn balled his hands, trying to push back the anger threatening to erupt.
It certainly didn’t help any when he saw Walker give Penn a shit-eating grin.
Fionn felt Dylon’s hand on his thigh, reassuring him at the moment he needed it most.
Silently letting out the breath he’d been holding, Fionn looked at Dylon, giving a faint nod signifying he was in control of himself.
As he turned back, he noticed his uncle was carefully watching him.
Probably hoping to see me freak out. Fuck him!
Schooling his face so no emotion showed, Fionn sat quietly, resuming his focus on the proceedings.
“Mr. Anderson, is your next witness ready?”
“Yes, Your Honor.” Penn helped the bailiff move a large video screen into position so it was visible to everyone in the courtroom. Then dialing a number, he waited until it connected, showing a man in a suit sitting facing them.
“Thank you, Mr. Mallison.” Penn said to Fionn’s family attorney. “I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule.”
After the bailiff swore Mallison in, Fionn listened with fascination as each of Penn’s questions built on the last one, leaving no room for Walker to claim the gifts were meant for anyone other than he.
Sneaking a peek at his uncle who was whispering furiously with his attorney, Fionn frowned as a sense of foreboding settled in his gut.
His uncle definitely had something up his sleeve.
Nudging Dylon, he tilted his head towards his uncle.
Taking a quick glance, Dylon leaned over, whispering, “A two-asshole love fest.”
“My uncle’s planning something,” Fionn murmured.
“I’m sure. Just don’t react when it happens.”
Giving a tiny nod, Fionn looked down at Dylon’s hand on his thigh again, grounding him in this maelstrom he’d found himself in; he swore to himself it was going to be the last time.
Looking up as Penn sat down, Fionn realized what was coming next was going to be the hard part—listening to the bullshit his uncle’s lawyer was sure to spew.
“Mr. Walker, do you have any questions for Mr. Mallison?
“No, Your Honor.”
Nodding the judge said, “Thank you Mr. Mallison.” After the bailiff disconnected the video link, the judge said, “Mr. Anderson, you may call your next witness.”
“My witness is running late but will be here shortly. In order to prevent any delays, I would agree to Mr. Walker going ahead with his witnesses.”
Nodding, the judge said, “Mr. Walker, please call your first witness.”
Fionn’s eyes nearly popped when he heard Walker call his uncle to the stand.
What the fuck? He scrawled a note to Penn, then scowled when he read the response telling Fionn not to worry.
Right, it’s not his life on the line. Turning his attention back to Walker and his uncle, Fionn waited, anxious once more.
“Please state your full name,”
“Eideard MacDùghlas,” Fionn’s uncle answered.
“What relationship are you to Fionn MacDùghlas?” asked Walker.
“I’m his uncle. His father was my brother.”
“How close were you to your brother?”
“Very close. Artur was my best friend and I miss him terribly.”
“So, you were privy to the efforts of your brother and his wife in trying to have a child,” Walker asked.
“Yes…it was so sad. Every child they had died before the age of one. My brother was beside himself with grief,” Fionn’s uncle replied.
“I imagine when Fionn was born, your brother’s hope rose again.”
“Absolutely!”
“A boy to carry on the family name,” Walker stated. “Then what happened?”
“As it had happened before, the child died within a few months of his birth.”
Fury burned through Fionn’s veins as his uncle sat there lying under oath.
Clenching his jaw, Fionn’s leg began to bounce and his claws extended, cutting into his palms as his hands fisted; he was hanging on by only the merest of threads.
Then he heard Cody whisper in his ear as Dylon’s hand found its way to his thigh again, “Relax, Fionn. Your uncle is trying to force you to shift and reveal your white dragon. Don’t let that motherfucker win.
His lies will be useful to you as we move along… just let him finish.”
Jerking his head around, Fionn saw no one.
He glanced at Dylon who raised his eyebrows several times in quick succession and grinned.
Smiling back, Fionn uncurled his hands, retracting his claws as his fury faded.
Then, turning his eyes back to the witness stand, he saw the disappointment written on his uncle’s face.
Walker continued. “After the child died, what did your brother do?”
“He decided to name my son as his heir.”
“Why didn’t he and his wife continue to try to have a healthy child?” Walker asked.
“His wife, my sister-in-law, was told it was too dangerous for her to become pregnant again.”
“But she did, didn’t she?” asked Walker.
“Yes, several years later. It was a complete surprise to my brother.”
“Did she give birth?” Walker asked.
“Yes, another boy.”
“What name did your brother and his wife give to the child?” asked Walker.
“Fionn.”
“The same name they gave their previous child who died. Do you know why they did that?”
“My brother said his wife insisted. Claimed it was an old family name.”
“Did the child survive?” Walker asked.
“Yes.”
“Is that child in the courtroom today?” asked Walker.
“Yes, he is.”
“Please point him out.”
“There,” Eideard MacDùghlas said, jabbing a finger at Fionn.
“Let the record show the witness has identified the minor, Fionn MacDùghlas as the child who was the second child born carrying the name Fionn,” Walker stated. “One last question, Mr. MacDùghlas, why do you seek custody of Fionn?”
“Fionn and my brother were very close but then his wife became jealous of the time they spent together and she eventually drove a wedge between them so that Fionn grew up without knowing his father’s family.
After Fionn’s mother died, the lad blamed my brother for it…
refusing to have anything to do with him, even though my brother tried very hard to repair their relationship and reunite the family.
If the court grants custody of Fionn to me, he’ll have the opportunity to get to know his father’s family and his heritage. ”
Walker headed back to his seat with a smug look, passing Fionn who ignored him and, instead, was transfixed by the viciousness he found in his uncle’s eyes.
A shiver ran down his spine, remembering his father giving him the same look when Fionn woke in the cave, chained and unable to shift.
Startled when he heard Cody again whispering to him, he gave an imperceptible nod before grasping Dylon’s hand.
“Mr. Anderson, your witness.”
“Thank you, Your Honor, I have no questions for this witness.”
“You may step down, Mr. MacDùghlas. Mr. Walker, you may call your next witness.”
“Thank you, Your Honor. We have only one more witness. I call Fionn MacDùghlas to the stand.”
Penn jumped up, “Your Honor, I object. Mr. Walker didn’t inform me that he intended to call my client as a witness.”
Walker stood, “Your Honor, Mr. Anderson’s objection is without merit because, according to his filings, his client is an adult and therefore is free to be called without notice.”
“Mr. Walker, are you conceding that my client is an adult?”
“Of course not. I’m simply saying you’re claiming he is and therefore isn’t subject to the rules governing a minor,” Walker argued.
“Your Honor, in order for Mr. Walker’s argument to have merit, this Court would have had to rule that Fionn MacDùghlas was an adult prior to this hearing.
Without such a determination, my client is still a minor in the eyes of the court and therefore cannot be called as a witness without prior notification given to the minor’s attorney and his guardian who is present in the courtroom and can testify as to the lack of contact from Mr. Walker. ”
Holding his breath, Fionn watched the judge glance at his uncle and his attorney before asking Walker if he had proof he’d given notice to Penn and Dylon before the proceeding.
When Walker admitted he didn’t, the judge sustained Penn’s objection, and Fionn let out his breath.
Then Penn spoke. “Your Honor, I’ve just been informed my last witness has arrived and will be in the courtroom shortly. ”
Looking at the time, the judge asked, “Will this take long, Mr. Anderson?”
“No, Your Honor.”
“Very well. If your witness is not here in five minutes, the hearing will proceed without their testimony.”
“Yes, Your Honor.” Penn sat down, gathered his papers up, sorted through them, and pulled out two documents.
Wondering what was going on, Fionn leaned over to Dylon, whispering, “What’s Penn doing?” At that moment, he heard the courtroom door open. Swiveling around in his chair, his jawed dropped when he saw who Penn’s witness was.