Artful Deceit: An addictive cosy mystery set on the Isles of Scilly (Lily Larkin Mysteries Book 6) by Hannah Ellis

Author:Hannah Ellis [Ellis, Hannah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hannah Ellis
Published: 2025-11-28T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

Slowing her pace as she reached Hugh Town, it occurred to Lily that she needed a plan. Len wouldn’t be moving her backpack off the island. It would be the stolen jewellery he needed to get rid of. When she found him with it, what would she do then?

Breathless from her run, she struggled to think straight. She wanted to deal with everything alone until she had her passports, but maybe that wasn’t realistic.

Deciding she needed the police on hand, she called Flynn as she rushed towards the harbour.

“I need you to meet me,” she said after a quick greeting.

“The sergeant isn’t here yet.”

“Is he okay?”

“Yeah. I spoke to him. He’s fine, just running late. Which is weird, but I can’t really leave at the moment.”

“It’s a police matter,” she said.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s about the conversation I overheard – Len Marrack saying he was moving goods to the mainland.”

“You don’t seriously think it’s Len, do you?”

“Yes. I think he’s planning on moving his stolen goods off the island this morning via the ferry, and I need you here to arrest him when I expose him.” Once Flynn carted him off, Lily could go and search his place for her backpack.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Flynn said. “He’ll know we’re making extra checks at the ferry.”

“But you’re checking anyone who looks suspicious. No one is going to suspect Len. Plus, he’s working with a guy at the ferry. Can you please just come down here?”

“Yeah.” He sounded hesitant. “Okay.”

Lily told him she’d see him soon and hung up. The harbour was already busy with people boarding the ferry. Moving closer to the ship, her eyes scanned the crowd, but she couldn’t pick Len out.

There was still no sign of him when Flynn appeared beside her five minutes later.

“I don’t know if I’ve missed him,” she said.

“You haven’t.” Flynn looked back the way he’d come. “He’s here now.”

“And there’s his box of stolen goods,” Lily said, eyes on the large cardboard box he was wheeling along on a sack barrow.

Flynn frowned. “Len’s a nice guy, and he has a good reputation.”

“I know. We talked about this yesterday. It’s a brilliant cover. No one would suspect him. But he also knows people’s schedules, and he knows who leaves their doors unlocked. No one would ever think it suspicious if he was hanging around people’s property.”

“Did you definitely overhear him talking about shifting stolen goods off the island?” Flynn asked sceptically.

Lily thought back. “He was saying he needed to shift stuff off the island and that he had a buyer at the other end. He sounded stressed, and he mentioned giving the guy he was talking to his usual cut.”

“I can’t just accuse him of being a thief,” Flynn said.

“You don’t need to,” Lily muttered as Len got near. “I’ll do it.” She stepped into Len’s path.

“Morning!” Len called, then glanced overhead. “Hopefully, the sun comes out for you later. It’s not exactly ice cream weather now with all these grey clouds.”

Ignoring his jovial chatter, Lily’s eyes went to the box.

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