“Sorry,” I said, though it felt totally inadequate.
“Hopefully, he’ll get the message soon enough.”
We arrived at the Blackwing Cafe, and I managed to snag the last spot in the tiny parking lot, wedging Fletcher’s Renault in between two cars that seemed to think the white lines were mere suggestions.
“My mum is also very intense,” I warned Lena as we got out and headed for the door. “So be warned.”
Lena laughed, and I was glad to see some more of the tension lift from her face. I didn’t see that long black car anywhere, so I figured we were in the clear, and I smiled as I held the door open for Lena, ignoring the wiggle of guilt I felt because I was going out for lunch while a kid was still missing. But I was hoping my mother might have some insights for us.
Eleanor MacBain was already there as she believed on time was late and early was on time, and speaking with Ainslee had taken slightly longer than I’d planned. Eleanor sat at our usual table, tucked into the corner by the bay windows at the back of the cafe, an untouched glass of white wine in front of her. She was staring out the window as we approached, but heard our footsteps and turned her head slowly to watch us cross the last few steps.
“Callum,” she said. “You brought a friend.” She stood so I could give her a quick hug and then held her hand out to Lena.
“Mum, this is Lena. She’s having a spot of trouble with her ex, so I thought it would be best if I didn’t send her off alone. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course, it is.” Eleanor patted Lena’s hand as they shook, and then she motioned for the two of us to take a seat. “Callum, you look like hell,” she continued as she looked me over.
“Thank you, Mother,” I sighed. I was getting a bit tired of people pointing that out to me.
Eleanor, on the other hand, looked as impeccable as always. She wore her greying hair short and swept back from her face so that her sharp blue eyes could bore into their target with nothing to distract from them. I got my height from her, as well as my inability to let things go. Even though she was just out to lunch with her son, she wore a suit coat and trousers, black tie knotted pristinely around her neck. She firmly believed in dressing to the nines, no matter the occasion.
The waiter came by, and Lena and I ordered drinks, both sparkling waters since she had rehearsal later, and I was technically on duty. “Tell me about your case,” Eleanor said. I hadn’t had a chance to tell her I was on a case yet, but she still had friends and contacts at the station that kept her informed.
I filled her in on everything we knew. She listened intently, sipping at her white wine and nodded as she absorbed the information. Lena picked a piece of bread apart but didn’t eat it, just left the chunks scattered across the small plate in front of her.
“Did you come across any big money criminals in your time on the force?” I asked as I finished.
“Ones interested in castles in the middle of nowhere? No.” Eleanor shook her head. “I did have a run-in with Seamus O’Connell while I was an inspector. He was trying to bribe a local councilman, though his lawyers got him off before we could figure out why, and the councilman got very tight-lipped and resigned not long after.”
“What about a charity foundation called Allraise Ventures?”
“They promote literacy, right?” Eleanor asked, and I nodded. “I think we went after them for embezzlement, maybe some sexual harassment, but we couldn’t get anything to stick. Powerful lawyers.”
“You told Ainslee that it was an anonymous tip,” Lena interrupted, her brow furrowed. She’d perked up as I said Alec MacGowan was Finn’s father.
“He asked us not to tell her,” I explained. “He doesn’t want her knowing about his double life. I’d appreciate it if you kept his secret, too.”
“Sure,” she agreed, though something twisted in her face for just a moment, but it vanished so fast I thought I’d imagined it.
The waiter came back with our drinks and asked us if we were ready to eat. The Blackwing Cafe was well known for its sandwiches, and I ordered one with as many ingredients on it as conceivably possible. I was suddenly ravenous. It had been a whirlwind couple of days, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten.
“Speaking of fathers,” Eleanor said once the waiter left, and I groaned, hiding my face in my hands. I did not want to have this conversation with Lena sitting at the table. She didn’t need to be introduced to the complicated drama that was my deadbeat father before we’d even started to get to know each other. “Sam said she found something of your dad’s? She sounded very excited over the phone.”
“Yes.” Unfortunately, I couldn’t lie to my mother or even hint at her that we should talk about this later. Thirty-odd years on the force had made her far too astute and direct. “She was looking through his briefcase, and she found a photo he took of the,” I hesitated and shuddered slightly, “Loch Ness Monster.”
Lena choked on her water. “I’m sorry, what?”
Eleanor handed her a napkin to mop up the spill. “Callum’s father was obsessed with the myth of the Loch Ness Monster. He was always hatching plans to prove it really existed. Callum’s sister, Sam, believes this has something to do with why he left. This is, obviously, utter nonsense.” She shook her head and smiled indulgently. “Alasdair worked as a data analyst for Far Reach Industries, the security
