Chapter Fourteen. #2
“No. It can’t. Lyle will be back.” I grabbed my phone and began scanning every paper in the pile Lyle had dropped onto the table. As soon as I emailed them to Joseph, I texted my three cousins to be careful. Lyle might go after one of them next. The sun was rising when I went to bed.
At nine o’clock my phone rang, and it was Joseph. “Tell me you didn’t sign anything?”
“No,” I replied sleepily.
“Thank God. If you had, you’d have lost everything.
Those papers authorised Lyle to take command of your share.
Lyle was being clever. He can’t challenge The Trust directly; he’s learned that from the past. But you can give Lyle the right to control your finances and so on.
That’s what he’d had drawn up. Lyra, you wouldn’t have a leg to stand on. ”
“Damn, the man’s ruthless.”
“Yup, and in your name, Lyle could have also made withdrawals from the fortune. In addition, he’d have had instant access to Sonia’s money she bequeathed you. There was also an agreement for you to sell Leafpoint and the land.”
“But that can’t happen!” I exclaimed.
“No. But had you signed that, it would have left you open to multiple charges, including fraud and misrepresentation. They could have sued you for everything. Why chase the land when they can sue the same value of cash out of you?” Joseph asked.
“Can we issue an injunction?”
“Yes, this paperwork is enough evidence. I’ll work on this today. If you’re signing anything, even a cheque, ensure it’s a single piece of paper, and nothing’s hidden underneath,” Joseph warned.
“Lyle will be back, won’t he?”
“Yes. Lyle has always been money crazy. Too wrapped up in what he can’t have instead of being grateful for what he had. Lyra, Leafpoint and the land are safe, as are the two Trusts. You aren’t. Sonia cut her sons off for a reason. Lyle was a vicious, spoiled man.”
“Oh, I saw that, Joseph when he tried to hit me.”
“I need a statement to add to the injunction. Lyra, this isn’t a surprise; my office has been expecting Lyle to raise his head. Now he has; we’ll deal with him. Lyle won’t get away with whatever he has planned,” Joseph declared reassuringly.
“I’m worried and a little scared. Lyle believes I owe him. Joseph, he’s no father to me; hell, I know Uncle Edmund better than him.”
“Yes, Edmund’s a good man. Stubborn like all Jaspers, but decent. Edmund and Simeon were the best of the bunch.”
“Thank you, Joseph,” I said. I ended the call and looked at William. He was furious; it was written all over his face.
“The Jasper line certainly did go bad at one point, thank heaven for you girls,” he said, drawing me into his arms. I leaned my head on his chest and sighed. This was what I wanted for life.
“Mum! That sodding P and Q are messing me up!” Avery hollered from the study. I laughed and grabbed William’s hand as we went to help our son.
I peered at the screen and hit print. As Avery worked on his letters, with William now helping him, I’d been doing some research online.
“William, Jane Trelawny—was she related to you?” I asked, picking up the printout.
William became stiff. “Why do you ask?”
“Because I found a notice of marriage,” I replied, holding up the small newspaper.
William stiffened further. “My family wasn’t rich enough for an announcement.”
He crossed the floor and gazed down. His eyes scanned the article, and he frowned. “No,” he breathed. “That couldn’t have happened.”
“Who is she?” I asked, worried.
“My sister. Jane was famous as a local beauty, and there’d been many suitors for her hand. She was much younger than me, a late child. She was eight and ten when I died. But this is dated four days after my murder. I would have known about this,” William hissed.
“Would your parents have hidden this from you?” I asked.
“Yes. Because I hated Allan Barnaby,” he agreed.
“The mayor?”
“Yes. Barnaby was a vile man, easily bribed and greedy. So damn penny-pinching. Jane would have been miserable with him. He was also ten years older than me. Everyone local knew not to cross him. And if you wanted a crime overlooked, grease Barnaby’s palm with silver.
He’d suddenly find you an alibi to get you released,” William growled.
“Oh, William!” I gasped, feeling sorry for Jane. That poor girl.
“Can you find more?” William asked, his eyes feverish.
“Yes.” I kept searching the newspaper records, then stiffened in surprise. I re-read the article before printing it and kept scrolling. I found two more and sat back as William caught my eye.
“What?”
“Jane never married Allan.”
William looked immensely relieved. “My parents called it off!”
“No. Allan died the same night as everyone else.” I dropped the bombshell.
“What?” William asked, turning his head to Avery, who was listening intently.
“Allan Barnaby’s body was never found, but his horse came back riderless.
There was blood covering it, so much so that Barnaby was declared dead within three days.
Physicians claimed no man could have survived that immense loss of blood.
In addition, near the coast road his purse was found and his cane.
” I handed William the article, and he snatched it.
“The Master.”
“Yes. I think so. Barnaby had a lot to lose if Avery had identified him.”
Avery cocked his head.
“Can you remember anything else?” William asked.
“Like what?” Avery demanded.
“Was he dressed well? Did he carry a cane? Did he speak in a posher accent?” I asked.
Avery scrunched his nose up, and I was worried that this might bring back bad memories.
“Master had a black cane with a special silver handle. It was a wolf’s head. He wore nice clothes, and he had a nob’s[1] accent,” Avery agreed.
“Blast and damnation. That bastard stared Charles Jasper in the face and agreed to support him. And Barnaby was betraying the Marquess the entire time,” William exclaimed.
“Jane did marry. Not Allan, obviously. It seems the paper was released weekly. The marriage announcement must have been placed before his death, and it was too late to pull it. The following week contained Allan’s death notice and an article on his mysterious death.
That was a busy week, as it also held articles about the lighthouse murders, the Damerell Gang’s disappearance, and the Jasper fire and deaths. ”
“Who did Jane marry?” William asked hoarsely.
“A man called Kenneth Irvine. He was a vicar, and they appeared to live a happy life. I located another clipping with one of Kenneth’s sermons, and he talks about his wife and children.
He praises Jane very much. Kenneth loved Jane; it was obvious.
” I handed over the last printout, and William read it silently.
“Thank God.” William sighed. I kept researching and found another one ten minutes later.
“William, here. Jane passed away in eighteen-forty. Kenneth was still alive, and he gave her this beautiful obituary. He died days after her; the article says Kenneth couldn’t live without Jane. She had children and grandchildren. William, you’ve family out there!”
William stared in shock. He’d never considered that. “How would I introduce myself to them? No, they are better off without me.”
“William,” I chided, and he shook his head.
“No, Lyra. It is best that they remain ignorant. If the mayor is trapped below—why? And how do we get rid of him?” William changed the subject.
“I’ve no idea. I’ll keep researching,” I mumbled.
Barnaby was going to be a problem. I knew he was.
William
I was reeling from the revelations while anger warred with relief that Jane had lived a happy life.
I couldn’t comprehend Barnaby’s level of deception.
Had he agreed to our murders? Had Barnaby betrayed the Jaspers?
If he had, who’d killed him? There were still unanswered questions.
If Barnaby were here now, I’d beat him for answers.
So many deaths, and for what? Money? The Damerell Gang had earned a fortune. And Barnaby had lived in a grand house. I still didn’t know how I’d died. Staring out over the roiling sea below me, I knew we didn’t have all the answers. Maybe we never would, and that just frustrated me beyond measure.