Page 52 of Fatal Thrill
“Do you know anything about the Gypsies that travel east of town? Someone inside mentioned they sell tinctures. I feel a cold coming on and my mother always used an elderberry tincture to keep us kids healthy. Hated it, we did, but she would keep a potion of elderberry and honey in the fridge and said a swig a day keeps colds and flu away. I sure would like to find the Gypsies and buy abit.”
A frown creased the woman’s features, already darkened by the shadows. “Well, I don’t care for that lot, but I do admit to using their valerian tincture to help me sleep on occasion. I have anxiety, ye know, trying to run thisplace.”
Charlotte made sympathetic sounds while Jon kept an eye on the comings and goings around the pub and Colton and Miles shuffled theirfeet.
“Like I told yer friend here,” Lorna said, pointing at Jon, “the tinkers used to use Blackrock castle on and off for a landing place. That and a few other abandoned castles in the area. They don’t keep any kind of schedule, mind ya, but there’s a tea leaf reader—Elisabeth, her name is, but they call her Kelli. She comes to town once a week and brings her putsi bags and other products to sell to the tourists. Scams them she does, but I reckon she’ll be here on the morrow. You’ll see her by the rock wall down by the water at the end of thesquare.”
“Wonderful.” Charlotte practically bounced on the balls of her feet. “Thank you so much for yourhelp.”
They walked away, Lorna returning to the B&B. Miles and Charlotte accompanied Jon and Colton to thetruck.
Under her breath, Charlotte swore and called Mrs. Doyle a foul name. Charlotte, herself, was part Gypsy, and she’d led Miles on quite an adventure in Romania a while back. “Tinkers. How dare she use their products but have no respect forthem.”
“Nice acting job,” Colton smirked. “What the hell is a putsi bag? Soundsgross.”
“It’s a charm bag. Gypsies fill them with herbs, trinkets, and treasures for good luck, health, protection, you name it. They can be carried, placed under your pillow, hung from your rearview mirror or awindow.”
Colton scratched his head. “How does a bag of smelly herbs give you goodluck?”
“It’s no different than four-leaf clovers, horseshoes, or burying teeth in graveyards forluck.”
Colton’s eyes widened. “Buryingwhatingraveyards?”
“What did you find out inside?” Jon asked, ready to talk about anything other than graveyards. Colton would bring up ghosts next. “Anything about Fitzpatrick orSean?”
“That’s why I asked your friend there about the Gypsies,” Charlotte said. She stomped her booted feet in a warming gesture. “While we were inside, two men approached a guy who looked like PaddyDoyle.”
Miles rubbed her arms, helping her generate some heat. “Charlotte thinks they’re Gypsies. Doyle handed them a very fat envelope and one of them checked the contents. Looked like a lot ofmoney.”
“May not have a thing to do with Sean O’Sullivan or Finn.” Charlotte brought out her phone and fiddled with it. Showed them a picture. “But I think we should follow those two and see where they go. If Paddy found out Sean was searching for the cross and he knew anything about it and wanted the bounty for himself, he might have paid those men to do the dirty work. They might know where Sean is, or at the very leastFinn.”
Colton scratched his jaw. “You can tell they’re Gypsies just by looking atthem?”
Charlotte rolled her eyes. “I heard them talking after Paddy gave them the money. Gypsies use a very specific language, and although I couldn’t hear everything they said, one of them mentioned something about taking care of a big, hairy problem. I swear he said O’Sullivan, but it was loud in there and I could be wrong since their slang is different than the one I’m used to. Anyway, it’s very unlikely they’re still with their Gypsy families. Gypsies don’t go outside their own circles much and they’re not big on murder. Hexes, yes, murder no. These two are no doubt outcasts. If I can talk to this Kelli tomorrow, I can probably find out forsure.”
She then looked at Jon. “I sent you and Shelby the photos I took of both men discreetly while we were in there. Miles and I can stay here and follow them when they emerge. They might lead us to Sean or Finn. Meantime, Shelby’s running facial recognition on both men using Emit’s tracking system, thanks to Beatrice, so you guys can head back to the castle and keep an eye onJaya.”
“I have to find Finn,” Jon said. “That’s the reason I’mhere.”
Charlotte pocketed her phone and hooked her arm through one of Miles’s. “Beatrice said she wants you sticking close to Jaya fornow.”
“Oh, she does, does she?” Like he didn’t want to be with Jaya too, but it was his job to follow the men inside when they emerged since they had reason to suspect the two were involved with Sean’s disappearance and possibly Finn’skidnapping.
He was about to call Beatrice when her heard the crack of gunfire and Charlotte wentdown.
