I don’t know how much you know about The Troubles, as we called the Northern Ireland Conflict. It wasn’t a new conflict. It had its seeds in the seventeenth century when English and Scottish planters were given territory in Northern Ireland. And the displaced locals objected. Sometimes, like so many others, I wondered why we didn’t just hand back the country. It was their home, after all.
But politics is a confusing and merciless activity, and there is rarely one side that is right and the other wrong. The fact there is a provision in the current peace accord that says that if the majority of Northern Ireland citizens vote to join the Republic of Ireland then we will let them. I have to assume that that means the bulk of the residents wish to remain with the UK as no such vote has ever occurred.
I suggest you find out as much as you can about the political situation and how the British forces were deployed at the time Rory was there, which was in the mid-seventies. Hugo may be able access Rory’s military record. You will not find my journals useful in regard to this Mystery. You will also need to undertake a trip to Ireland to interview people there, as well as any of Rory’s comrades here in the UK.
I’m not sure what will qualify as a solution to this Mystery. I think you’ll know better than I when you have solved it. Your honesty will guide you, as will Hugo’s impartial oversight.
Good luck with this one, my dear girl. Be careful. Not only is Winsley a problem, but who knows what hard feelings you may stir up when you begin digging. Do not put yourself in danger. I don’t want that. This is supposed to be a game, an interesting, if not pleasurable, game.
Until next time, my darling…
From your loving Aunt Minerva.
Adie turned off the video and sat back. She was caught between a quiet pride and pleasure at Minerva’s response to her success, and dread over what was to come. Mostly it was dread. The two week breather Hugo had given them didn’t feel anywhere near enough.
Cage had wanted to take her away for a vacation during those two weeks, now the weather was warming up. He suggested the Riviera. But Roland had spoiled that destination for her. Somehow, it had become tied up with Georgie’s death in her own mind. Visiting would have felt more like a memorial service than a vacation.
In the end, Adie had opted to stay home and keep working. Her fear for Jig was too great for her to be able to relax on some beach, while her dog faced death protecting her farm. One day, when Winsley was out of her hair, she’d welcome a trip away. Maybe a world trip, for the pure enjoyment of it. But not until then.
“I wonder what the Unsuccessful File said. Bad luck, better luck next time?” Cage said. “Want to watch it and compare?”
Adie shook her head. “No, I like to think that what she said in this one was what she really meant me to hear. The other was just a backup file in case I failed. It would have been filled with consoling words she didn’t really mean.”
Her mind turned to her new task. How would Cage handle digging into another military man’s past? Would it bring up his own past, which he guarded so carefully? Yes, she now understood a little of his issues where his dog was concerned, but she had a feeling that wasn’t the end of it for him. And if Rory’s story reflected his in any way it could prove disastrous. Cage had been healing. She knew he’d been healing. This might put that healing back.
She looked across at him, trying to read his thoughts and feelings from his expression. But his expression was closed. Granite features that were as approachable as a rocky escarpment.
Yet when did she back away from sensitive issues? Certainly not since she’d started gaining confidence in herself.
So, she’d address the elephant in the room.
“How do you feel about this Mystery? The Mystery of the Troubled Man. Minerva is hardly original in her titles. But I like the play on words,” she finally said, rubbing Jig’s head.
“Does it matter? My job is to help you solve the mystery. I don’t get a say in it,” he ground out, tapping the kitchen table with his fingertips in a sharp, staccato beat.
Adie shook her head emphatically. “Don’t be crazy! Of course you have a say in it. Rory was damaged by his war experiences and so were you. What if digging into his past brings up yours? No amount of money is worth touching on your wounds before they’re ready to be healed.”
Cage growled. “That’s crap. I don’t have any wounds! I left the war behind me years ago.”
She glared at him. “Says the man who crouched in a deserted lane and cried. When was that? Oh, right. A month ago. Not years ago!”
“I got maudlin because I’d been drinking,” he countered in annoyance. “It was no big deal.”
“You had two beers. I’m not accusing you of being weak or fragile or anything. You know I don’t see you that way. But I am aware of your issues. You can stand down on this one.”
Cage’s jaw hardened. “You need the kind of insights I can give you. What you read in a military record won’t tell you shit. Not even eye-witness accounts will give you what you need. I’m starting to see why I was picked for this job. It’s more than me being a decent PI and good at the security side of things. Dad probably suggested me for the job when he
