“Did the weather slow you down getting to Clarissa’s?” I asked Inspector Winters as Hamlet handed me a mug of coffee and Rosie pulled the blanket up around my shoulders.
My Cracked Spine family was turning into my own personal group of nurses, but we weren’t in a hospital, we were at the bookshop, surrounded by the overstuffed shelves that were a part of the place that had become so much more than just a place to work. Elias, Rosie, Hector, Hamlet, and I had gathered. Inspector Winters joined us about an hour after Elias brought me back to the shop. My arm wasn’t broken. It was severely bruised and would hurt for some time, but I was going to be fine. I told Elias and Inspector Winters that I would run away and into the sea if they even tried to put me in an ambulance. They saw that all my limbs moved normally so they didn’t push it.
Edwin wasn’t with us. He still needed to spend some time with the police, apparently. I’d told Rosie not to call Tom yet, and Elias not to bother Aggie, since I was going to be okay.
“Aye, my car slipped off the road and got stuck in a most peculiar position. I called for others tae get tae you, but they arrived after I did. The snow caused us all some slowdowns, took down some mobiles, caught us off guard,” Inspector Winters replied.
Elias had already told me that they’d found the basement door quickly, and couldn’t think of any other place I might have gone.
“Had the police searched that back basement room for Clarissa before?” I asked.
“I don’t think so. Her cousin, Liza Marie, told them Clarissa had stepped out and hadn’t come home. Liza Marie was convincing and didn’t seem worried. Liam had apparently threatened tae harm her if she gave him up in any way. He told her tae stay upstairs and act normal. Nevertheless, she tried to get away from the house so she could call the police, and she fell. She didn’t hit her head but she just couldn’t get up and lost consciousness. She’s going to be fine, thanks to you and Elias. There was a dog too, and he’s fine as well. He was hiding in the bushes.”
“Elias saved Liza Marie,” I said.
“It was pure luck that the car slid tae a stop in front of the garden gate. The police would have found her when they arrived,” Elias added.
“She’ll be fine, but even a few moments more might have been too late,” Inspector Winters said.
“And the police thought Clarissa was missing?” I said.
“That’s what Edwin told me,” Rosie said.
“I don’t think the officers who brought Edwin in were worried about Clarissa at that point,” Inspector Winters said. “Edwin asked them tae check on her. They must have told him they didn’t talk tae her and he relayed the message to Rosie as she was missing. I’m glad the communication got mixed up the way it did, or that he sensed there might be something else wrong. I don’t know how much longer she and Gordon had down there. Liam was unhinging quickly.”
We were silent, sharing a moment of relief that Liza Marie and Clarissa were going to be fine. I knew about the latter because she insisted upon thanking and hugging me before they put her in the ambulance.
“What about Gordon?” Hamlet asked.
“We just don’t know. Before Delaney got there, he was hit over the head, just like his son was. The doctors weren’t sure yet,” Inspector Winters said with a slow shrug.
“Will he be arrested?” I asked.
“Already has been, in a manner of speaking. He’s in hospital though, getting the care he needs. If he comes tae, his circumstances will be made clear tae him.”
“What happened, Inspector Winters? Why did all of this happen?” I asked.
Even Rosie, who had been dabbing her eyes, turned her full attention to Inspector Winters as he stood next to the front desk, his coat still on and his demeanor both concerned and contrite. He felt responsible for me getting hurt, and I didn’t know how to ease his mind from that other than to act fine. I was going to be fine.
“Tae the best of our understanding, about a year ago Liam found some old things his mother had been keeping, articles and journals, and a dirk. He took the items tae his mother, and she broke down because of the sad and happy memories she claimed the items brought her. Oor Wullie comics had always been something they shared together, and amongst the things were some annuals. At that point apparently Liam liked that his mother had made something from her past a part of his life. However, when Liam got a SPEC tattoo like some of the men his mother spoke about, they ended up having a heated argument and she told Liam about the baby she gave away. Liam was always a complicated and difficult person, mentally ill I’m certain, but we’ll need a doctor tae confirm. It was during this heated argument that Clarissa not only told him about the baby, but said cruel things tae Liam, and told him that if he continued tae behave ‘so daft and mad,’ her words she claimed, she would not leave him any of her money. She would make sure tae give everything tae her other child.”
“Not a guid mother, a’tall,” Rosie said.
“Maybe he pushed her beyond her limits. It sounds like it was an unhappy house for a long time. She didn’t even know Liam was living in Edinburgh, working at the fish market, or volunteering in Stirling. She thought he was in Glasgow,” Inspector Winters said.
“Osgar at the fish market had Clarissa’s address for Liam.”
Inspector Winters shrugged. “Another way tae throw people off maybe.”
“Clarissa shouldnae have said such things to Liam,” Rosie said.
“Probably not,” Inspector Winters said. “Especially if she knew he wasn’t mentally well.”
“Was it really just a coincidence that both Billy and Liam were reenactors?” I asked.
“We think so, though we’re still working on timing.”
“Did he unravel from there? He killed Billy?” I asked.
“He admitted he killed Billy,” Inspector Winters said. “He was methodical though. We have his notes. He got tae know Billy at Stirling, tried tae be friends, but Billy was complicated too and didn’t allow many people into his life. Liam rode with Billy on a caravan out tae Castle Doune, convinced him to stay with him and wait for another one. His original plan was tae throw Billy off the castle, but he hit him in the head with a rock instead, not the bat he had in the basement.” He sighed. “This is what we understand so far—Gordon realized they were at Stirling together, and he told Liam he’d been university friends with his mother. He asked Liam to befriend his son and lay the groundwork for Gordon to contact Billy. Shortly after that contact had been made, Gordon told Liam more about the past connections. Liam found the items and confronted his mother. A confluence of events.
“It’s difficult tae understand because we don’t know Gordon’s side yet, but I think that Liam wormed his way so deeply into Gordon’s and Billy’s lives that he convinced Gordon to make contact with Edwin, try tae heal past wounds. We don’t even think Gordon knew that Liam had a dirk, but—follow me here—we think Liam told Billy tae give the dirk tae Edwin. I think Liam knew enough then about the past tae know the dirk might stir up some trouble. At least bring back old memories. I think there’s more tae learn about the dirk than anyone, Edwin included, is telling us.”
None of the rest of us acknowledged his observation.
I could see how the confusion regarding the meaning behind the dirk had occurred. If only Edwin and Gordon had talked to each other about it. But by that point, I didn’t think either of them trusted anyone from that time long ago.
“Did you find something different that told you a dirk did kill Moray Persley?” I asked.
“We’re looking more closely at it.”
“What about Leith Stanton? Did Liam kill him?”
“No, but he was planning on killing Edwin, after he took care of Billy and Gordon and Clarissa.”
“Did Liam try to break into Edwin’s house?” I asked.
Everyone looked at me. I continued, “Edwin thought someone tried to break in.”
“I don’t know. I’ll try tae find out,” Inspector Winters said.
I nodded.
“Comic books led tae him feeling betrayed?” Hamlet said.
“In a way,” Inspector Winters said. “They were something he thought he shared exclusively with his mother. When he found out that her very checkered past included them, he wanted tae better understand. But then he was shocked tae learn his mother had had another child, then devastated when tae him it seemed she cared more for that child than for him. Perhaps even a mentally stable person would have felt betrayed, though I doubt murderous.”
“How’s Grizel?” I asked.
“Ms. Sheehy is fine. You saved her life too. When she asked him about the tattoo, Liam thought Billy had told her something that might give away Liam’s manipulations. I’m sure he intended tae kill her.”
I shivered. “That’s horrifying.”
“But all’s weel with her, lass,” Elias said.
“What did Billy do for a living?” Rosie asked. “Did he have a job?”
“Nothing full time. His mother gave him most of his money. He was a handyman of sorts. He had troubles, mental health issues too. It was a difficult road for both of the Williams, but one became worse than the other.”
“Billy and Liam,” I said. “William Wallace. I should have figured that out. Oor Wullie. The name William was important to them all.”
The front door burst open.
“Delaney!” Tom said. “What happened?”
“I might have called him,” Rosie said.
“I’m glad you did,” I said as I looked at his concerned cobalt eyes and Hector barked a greeting in his direction.
I was very glad Rosie had called him.