Chapter 28
Oliver Penhelion, modern-day pirate extraordinaire, shrieks and cries like a baby. I jump out of Bess’s bed and crunch over the broken glass towards him. Alex, too, rushes over to his boss and bends over him, trying to calm him down. Then, unbelievably, he pulls out his phone and takes a photo.
But even as I say it, I hear a wail of distant sirens.
My heart lifts in hope. Are they coming for us?
Or… My heart clenches in terror. Has there been another mishap?
Cliff’s boat sunk on the rocks with two bodies – a man and girl – trapped inside, drowned?
Will… I wish, more than anything, that he was here.
Hearing the siren, Alex jerks to alertness.
He looks like he’s going to run too, but I reach out and grab him.
‘Oh no you don’t,’ I say. I gesture to Connor to bring a coil of rope from one of the wax pirates.
Alex could probably overpower us, but he seems resigned to the fact that there’s nowhere he can escape to, and I bind his hands without much trouble.
Then I turn to Med. He’s huddled on the ground shaking, his hands bloody – I go over to him and put my arms around him.
‘Shh,’ I say. ‘It’s going to be OK.’
‘I stabbed the man,’ he says. ‘Is he going to die?’
‘Not from the sound of it,’ I say, as Ollie continues to whimper.
‘Am I going to go to jail?’
I squeeze him tightly. ‘No,’ I say with certainty. ‘If you hadn’t acted, he would have hurt us – maybe even killed us. It was self-defence.’
‘I’m sorry,’ he says. ‘For all of it.’
‘Don’t be,’ I say. ‘None of this is your fault. Except the fact that we’re alive.’ I smile at him. ‘That’s all down to you.’
‘Thanks,’ he says.
‘And really, Med, it’s an honour to meet you. Connor’s told me… well, very little, actually. But I know you’ve been through a lot.’
He hangs his head. ‘I’m sorry for sneaking around. It’s just… my sister. Aisha. I wanted her to be safe.’
‘I know – and she will be.’ I adopt a tone of confidence. ‘Everything’s going to be—’
A loud bang startles us both and he jerks away. Someone is breaking down the door between the museum and the cave.
‘I think they’re in there,’ a voice says. It’s Bridget. ‘Can you hurry up? I heard a gunshot.’
Seconds later, the cavalry rushes in: five firearm officers carrying shields and weapons. Following them is my daughter, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and elation. My daughter… her teenage years have been painful for us both, but she’s come through when it matters most.
The police officers survey the situation and try to take charge, but as soon as Bridget sees Alex, she shrieks. ‘You bastard!’ she says. ‘You stood me up for this?’
‘Look, I’m sorry,’ Alex says. ‘I really like you, babe.’
‘Don’t “babe” me—’
‘Miss, can you please step back,’ a tall officer says. ‘We need to secure the scene.’
‘I’ll step back when I’m— Hey, stop that.’
‘Come back upstairs.’ A female officer takes Bridget’s arm and leads her away, protesting and cursing Alex over her shoulder.
More officers enter, asking about the refugees.
I point the way through the caves, glad that help has arrived for them.
Meanwhile, a plainclothes detective comes in and stands before Ollie.
He glares down at the prisoner, a wry smile on his face.
‘What have we here?’ the detective says. ‘If it isn’t the Pirate King himself.’
‘Shut up,’ Ollie says. ‘And get me an ambulance. That kid tried to murder me.’ He lifts a weak hand to point at Med. ‘And for the record, I’ve done nothing wrong.’
‘Nothing wrong?’ I turn to face him, hands on my hips. ‘You’re a rogue and a trafficker. You prey on innocent people’s hopes and dreams and then extort them, take what little they have… even kill them.’
‘That’s not true,’ Ollie protests. ‘I’m just the middleman.’ He looks genuinely wounded. ‘I’m in logistics. Paid to transport passengers from one place to another. It’s no different than taking out a load of drunken bankers on a pleasure cruise. There’s nothing illegal about it.’
‘Nothing illegal?’ I say. ‘A man washed up on the beach. He died because of you.’
‘He jumped off the boat.’ Ollie doesn’t meet my eyes. ‘That’s on him. It’s not my fault he wasn’t a better swimmer.’
I clench my fists, barely resisting the urge to punch him.
‘Is that really your excuse?’ I say.
Ollie laughs. ‘Look, Juno, I liked you. We could have had a lucrative operation here if you hadn’t gone and got involved with Mr High-and-Mighty. Us Penhelion men don’t like a cheat, you know – but I’m sure Will’s already told you how much his wife loved to go sailing with me.’
This time, the officer has to restrain me.
‘I hope you rot in jail,’ I say.
‘That’s very possible,’ the detective says, drawing me away.
‘As the song goes: “A policeman’s lot is not a happy one” – which is how it’s been up to now.
We’ve been after our good pirate for quite some time, but he’s always managed to wiggle out of the noose.
But this time – thanks to you – it looks like we’ve got our man. We’ll take care of things from here.’
‘Great,’ I say. Leaving him and his officers to oversee the prisoners, I go over to join the boys. Connor is sitting next to Med, leaning against him for strength and moral support. The female officer has taken the blanket from the Bess tableau and draped it around their shoulders.
‘You boys OK?’ I say.
Med’s teeth are chattering. Connor gets up and holds out a hand, helping him to his feet.
‘I’m hungry, Mum,’ he says. ‘Can you make us something to eat?’
In spite of everything, I laugh. Connor’s hungry – he’s going to be fine. ‘Absolutely,’ I say. ‘Just let me finish up here.’ I turn to the police officers. ‘Are we free to go?’
The policeman nods. ‘We may need a statement from you later, but for now, leave this with us. The cave will be off limits while forensics gather the evidence they need.’
‘Fine,’ I say. ‘We’re in no hurry to come back down here.’
The detective looks around him. ‘Actually, this place is pretty cool. You know – it’s creepy, but in a good way. If you fixed it up, it could become quite the tourist attraction. My kids would love it, for sure.’
‘I’ll keep that in mind.’
Ollie and Alex are handcuffed and led away upstairs.
Two other officers stay behind to liaise by walkie-talkie with the officers who went through the cave to help the refugees.
I hear them talking and awaiting the coastguard.
From what I gather, the refugees are weak and frightened, but all of them are unharmed and accounted for.
All except Aisha… All I can do now is pray that she and Will are safe.
As I’m leaving the cave, I walk gingerly on the broken glass back to the Bess display.
The ship in a bottle lies broken: the glass shattered, the three masts snapped like matchsticks, and the hull splintered from the bullet that passed through like a cannonball.
I pick up the stand and read the name engraved on a little brass plate in front.
The Halcyon. Is this Bess’s original ship?
Did Victoria place it here, ‘hiding in plain sight’ under our noses all along?
Seeing it in that state makes me unaccountably sad.
I can’t imagine what it’s seen, what it’s survived.
Is this really a fitting end? I’m about to pick it up to see if it’s salvageable, but an officer tells me not to touch anything.
‘Sorry,’ I mutter, and follow Connor and Med up the stairs to the museum.
Elspeth is going to need some help to clean up after the shenanigans in the cave and the armed response unit tramping through the museum.
It’s all I need to focus on for now. Not the rest.
As I exit the museum into a car park that’s packed with vehicles and lit up as bright as day from flashing blue lights, I feel weak and overwhelmed.
Connor and Med are being checked over by a paramedic, and Bridget is with them.
Even though they’re safe, my heart continues to race with panic. I look out to sea… and pray.
Maybe it’s the fated ancestors looking out for us, but only a few minutes later, a dark figure makes its way up the cliff path from the cove, hunched and limping.
At first, I feel a jolt of fright that it’s the ghost of Old John Dog come for real this time.
But as he shuffles closer, and another smaller figure comes up beside him, I realise that my prayers have been answered.
‘Will!’ I shout. The rush of adrenalin makes me weak in the knees. ‘You’re alive. But… hurt.’ In the headlights of the police cars, I can see a dark stain soaking the outside of his trouser leg. Ollie’s shot must have hit him in the thigh.
‘The bullet only grazed me,’ he says. ‘I’ll be OK.’
The next thing I know, I’m in his arms. Or rather, he’s in mine, sagging against me, about to collapse from the ordeal and the gunshot wound. I cling to him as the girl comes forward, her dark eyes huge and scared.
‘This is Aisha,’ Will says. ‘She’s Ahmed’s—’
Before he can finish the introduction, the girl catches sight of Med and Connor. She rushes up to her brother and a tearful reunion ensues. Brother and sister speak together in their own language, as Connor moves aside to stand next to Bridget.
Taking Will’s hand, we go over to them. I open my arms and my children come to me. ‘I’m just so glad you’re both safe,’ I sob.
‘We’re fine, Mum,’ Bridget says, ‘but it’s late. And they’ve got to go to hospital to get checked out.’ She points at Will and Aisha. ‘And Connor and Med need something to eat, and I want to have a bath.’
‘OK…’
‘I guess I’d better do what she says.’ Will smiles.
He takes Aisha’s arm and she helps him hobble over to the waiting ambulance, where Ollie is sitting on a stretcher waiting for his wound to be packed and bandaged.
As soon as he catches sight of Will, he clenches his fists and tries to break free, requiring two more officers to come over to subdue him.
‘This is all your fault!’ he shouts at his cousin.
Will frowns. ‘I think you’re going to have to explain that one, Ollie. Hopefully from behind bars.’
‘You’d love that, wouldn’t you?’ Ollie says. ‘You’ve always resented me.’
‘I hero-worshipped you,’ Will said. ‘And you know it. But you didn’t deserve my admiration. I bailed you out time and time again, but you never even tried to make good.’ He shakes his head. ‘When it comes to you, my conscience is clear.’
‘Good for you,’ Ollie says. He doubles over, clutching his side.
‘Come on,’ the paramedic says. ‘Let’s get you on a stretcher.’
‘You’re in good hands, Ollie,’ Will says. ‘And from the look of it, I don’t think anything vital was hit. You might lose your spleen, but you can live without that.’
‘My spleen! What’s that?’
Will smiles wryly as Ollie is led away. The first of the ambulances is loaded to take Aisha to hospital.
Med tries to stay with his sister, but he’s reassured that she’ll be looked after, and I agree with the officers that I’ll take charge of him until his uncle can be contacted and further arrangements made.
When everything’s sorted, I turn back to Connor and Med. ‘You two go back to the inn with Bridget. I’ll be there in a few minutes. Get some dry clothes on, and I’ll make supper.’
‘Spaghetti?’ Connor says hopefully.
‘Sure.’ I smile and ruffle his hair. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’
When the kids are gone, I go over to the ambulance where Will is having his leg bandaged by the paramedic, protesting the idea of going to hospital.
‘They say doctors make the worst patients,’ I say.
He lowers his eyelids in a way that makes my entire body melt like hot wax.
‘Yeah, but we’re good at other things.’
‘Is that so?’ I sit next to him at the back of the vehicle. The paramedic finishes up and goes to speak to the police detective on the case.
He takes my hand, running his finger over my pulse point.
‘I think so,’ he says. ‘Though I’m not a patch on my cousin.’
‘Now that’s where you’re wrong.’
Turning to him, I put my hands around his neck and pull him to me. Before the watchful eye of our ancestors and the ghosts who haunt the Cross Keys, I kiss him silly.
It’s joyful and overwhelming, and most of all, it feels… right.
When finally we come up for air, both of us are breathing hard.
‘I must say,’ he says, ‘right now, I’m feeling pretty grateful to Victoria – for finding you.’
I laugh. ‘I still don’t know how I’m related to anyone here, and maybe I never will. But I’m grateful too,’ I say. ‘Though… if you turn out to be a rogue, then that’s it. I’ve learned my lesson. What I want now is a nice, upstanding, boring man.’
He laughs. ‘Thanks, I think. Though, maybe I’m just a little roguish here and there.’
He draws me back to him, finding my lips again. But just then, Bridget storms back from the inn and stands before us, her hands on her hips. ‘Mum,’ she says. ‘There’s no hot water.’
‘Of course there isn’t!’ I say, laughing. Reluctantly, I pull away from Will. ‘I’m afraid duty calls.’
He leans in conspiratorially. ‘Maybe I could help you. Boring guys like me are good at fixing boilers and things. And I could hide out in your cellar and avoid the hospital.’
The paramedic comes back over, having overheard his remark. ‘Not tonight, doctor. You’re coming with us.’
‘Sorry.’ He gives me a sheepish shrug. ‘Maybe another time.’
‘No worries,’ I say, laughing. ‘I’m sure the boiler will oblige by breaking down again. And as soon as you’re match fit, there’s a wrecked pirate cave to salvage.’
He smiles and runs his finger over my lips. ‘Say no more. Wrecking and salvage is in the blood of us Cornishmen. I’ll be round as soon as I can.’
‘I’ll hold you to that.’
I’m smiling as he gets into the ambulance and I walk back up to the inn. The bad guys (for the most part) are caught, and we’re safe for now. I’ve got a new romance shimmering like the moon over the horizon. And right now, I’ve got a blasted boiler to fix.
I go down to the cellar and get to it.