Page 48 of A Simple Mistake
Theweek-longcampingtriphad been Aidan’s idea, and Dartmoor in early August repaid them with glorious blue skies and warm weather.They’d climbed rocky tors, hunted the Hound of the Baskervilles, and swum in the sea.They’d banned all talk of work and investigations, and enjoyed time together until Aidan’s job had interrupted his break.He’d be leaving in the morning for a court appearance in the afternoon, and Nico had been quizzing him about how that would work.
“Spare clothes in my chambers, and excellent notes from my associate, which I’ll review on the drive into town.”
Gareth still didn’t know who’d made the first move, or if they thought going camping with Gareth and the boys would help them figure things out.Not that he was going to ask.“You’re letting Alex drive you back?”he teased.
“It wouldn’t be the first time.”Alex joined them by the fire, beers in hand.“And since we’re off the work and investigations embargo, I think Nico’s been wanting to ask a question.”
Nico gasped.“You’re a ninja.How do you always know?”
“Observation and instinct.It also helps when you know someone.You and Daniel do it all the time.”
“But we— Yes, of course.”He grinned.“So can I talk about Mrs McTavish now?”
“How do you even know about that case?”Aidan groaned.
“Jack told me.I want to help him hunt, and he said this would be a good case to learn.I’ve been looking at her online profiles, and the people she interacted with.And then Daniel found her journal.”
“She had a journal?”That bit of news had slipped Gareth’s net.
“An online one.A personal blog,” Daniel said.“It explained why she looks sad in many of the photos Nico found.”
“And why her nephews and nieces are all from her husband’s side of the family.”
“She didn’t get on with her own,” Alex murmured.
“No,” Nico agreed.“She says in her blog that her mother always preferred her twin sister.That she could never please her however much she tried.And that her sister was mean and manipulative.”
He turned to Aidan, then, and Gareth was struck by how much older he appeared.Not that either of the boys had ever been childish, but this was something else, a new maturity.Gareth wished he could bottle the moment to share with Jack.
“After reading this, I’m wondering if the dead lady actuallywasMrs McTavish.”
Aidan blinked.“Who else would it have been?”
“The twin sister?All these discrepancies Skylar noted—that the coroner’s description doesn’t tally with the picture of the lady he got from her flat.That she wasn’t wearing the ring the niece said she never took off.That clothes were missing from her wardrobe.What if the woman in the bed wasn’t Mrs McTavish but her twin sister?”
“Interesting.”Aidan fell silent and studied the fire.
“Didn’t you say the family identified her?”Gareth asked.
“Yes.But they are really her late husband’s family, right?Maybe they didn’t see her often and didn’t know she had a twin.”
“They didn’t expect Aunt Margot not to be Aunt Margot,” Alex chipped in.“Identifying a body isn’t something people are familiar with.When they have to do it, they’re often in shock or grieving.Do they even look properly?”
“I don’t understand why the real Margot McTavish would go to such lengths.”Nico sounded frustrated.“Put her sister in her bed and disappear, I mean.Jack said the dead lady died of a heart attack.Surely…”
“Welcome to the wonderful world of investigation,” Aidan drawled.“Why do people do crackbrained things?”
He was teasing, but Daniel and Nico took the question at face value.“Money.Revenge,” Daniel said.
“Hurt pride.Maybe she wanted a fresh start,” Nico added.“Or perhaps it’s a scam.Something in a will?”
“There’s nothing special in her will,” Aidan said.
“Not in hers,” Nico said.“In someone else’s.You know those clauses you get in wills?When A dies before B, then the money goes to X.When B dies before A, then the money goes to Y.”
“You’re reading far too much mystery fiction,” Aidan drawled, though Gareth saw his mind going a mile a minute.“I wish Horwood was here.”
“Any particular reason?”
