Something is still not making sense to Melody, “So, why would he just split?”
“Like I said, men like that don’t get rich off of nothing you know. It looked to me like he evaded a tax battle with HMRC.”
“Who?”
“Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. Your Uncle Sam in America is what we call HMRC.”
“So tax evasion? That’s why he disappeared?” Now, Melody has completely stopped eating.
“Yes, taxes are taken very seriously here as well. I can’t legally go into more detail, but he was being audited and once he disappeared, the investigation was prematurely ended. Normally, the children would have been included in the audit as his business partners, but all his assets were in his name at the time. His children were only listed as beneficiaries.”
“So, you’re sure that he left to absolve himself of an upcoming tax battle?”
“Yes, and my guess is he is probably relaxing in some country somewhere where he has immunity from British jurisdiction.” He picks up his plate again, “So Miss Winter, you have nothing to worry about. While I’m thankful you joined me for dinner, it was probably a wasted trip for your research project.”
“But isn’t it strange to you that both the woman and the reporter just disappeared after making those claims?” Melody is hoping to press for more information.
“Not really, it tells me that they were probably in on it together. And like most con artists, they skip out when a deal goes bad. Why, do you think something happened to them?”
“That’s what I was hoping to find out.”
“If something had, I would know it by now. I didn’t find anything out of the ordinary with the case, just a rich man trying to run from taxes. I’m sure you know how common that is.”
They finish their meal, then Melody excuses herself. As she walks towards the door, she turns to Officer Higgins and says, “You may want to check out the red barn on the hill for trouble. I’m hearing there’s some strange activity going on there.”
“What, you mean Tam’s barn?” He looks surprised at the suggestion. “So far, it’s been a glorified clubhouse for grown men. But sure, I’ll check it out. Goodnight Miss Winter.”
In the cool of the night, Melody walks back to the Howling Dog inn. The wind chill has increased and she walks faster clinging onto her sweater. She is beginning to see why the locals often tell her to dress for all four seasons in a day. Some of the locals are now walking back to their homes from the Howling Dog and they greet her as they pass her.
She thinks about the officer’s claim that the Deacons have many enemies. The way the townspeople talk about them, she’s not surprised. It wouldn’t even shock her if the officer is one of the many enemies going after Mr. Deacon. She wouldn’t blame him for feeling animosity towards him after Mr. Deacon shut down his entire police station. But that is not what’s bothering Melody.
From the way Rebecca described her grandfather to her, she is convinced that Mr. Deacon is not the type to just run from responsibility, whether people like his business decisions or not. Even Morrison spoke to the same effect when she first arrived. He talked about landowners hating Mr. Deacon for buying up the island then charging them to grow food on what was once free land. All those years he made enemies yet, he never ran, why now?
Melody may not have all the answers yet, but she is determined to find them.
Chapter 2
“Morrison said he’s running behind a wee bit, Miss.” Tam, who moments ago walked in from tending to the courtyard and picked up the phone to take a message from Morrison, announces in his signature tweed suit and Wellington boots. “It’s a wee bit chilly outside the noo. Maybe ye can wait in the sitting area and stay warm by the fireplace. I’ll get it going fae ye.”
“Thank you, Tam.” It’s already been a long day for Melody. After her meeting with the police officer yesterday, she barely slept. Her mind was spinning, wondering what really happened to Mr. Deacon and if it had anything to do with her father.
Then, today, Rebecca had a rough day. She struggled to concentrate and stay calm during her lessons. Melody thought she may have been fed a bucket of sugar for breakfast, but Tam assured her she had a balanced breakfast as per usual.
They managed to make it through the school day, but not without a few casualties – two timeouts, a quiet time session and her doll, Sarah, had to be taken away for History class.
Now, waiting for Morrison, Melody figures it’s just the natural ending to an already eventful day. So, she walks into the living room to take a seat and wait.
“I’ll keep you company.” It is Maxmillian Deacon who greets her in the living room. He sits on the couch comfortably in his black slacks and lavender dress shirt slightly buttoned down like someone who is ready to relax after a long day of work. He is holding a glistening glass of some golden brown drink and soon Melody sees that Max already has a fire going. The glistening is coming from hot ember glows reflecting on his glass and adding to the serene ambience of the room.
“Wonderful.” Tam exclaims then leaves the room to finish his work before the sun sets.
Melody takes a seat across the room from Max. It’s uncharacteristic of him to be here. She is used to hearing that
