Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea by Nancy Atherton

Author:Nancy Atherton [Atherton, Nancy]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Suspense
ISBN: 9780786285181
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2006-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Thirteen

I’ve seldom enjoyed a meal more. The fact that we were sitting down was a huge plus, but the pleasant company, the beautiful setting, the exquisite weather, and the superior quality of the food helped a lot, too. Even so, I couldn’t keep myself from casting a suspicious glance at the sky every now and then.The previous day’s deluge was still fresh in my memory. I didn’t relish the thought of being ambushed by another one.

“It’s not like that, Lori,” Peter said after I’d craned my neck a half dozen times. “The weather doesn’t follow a schedule on Erinskil. Rain comes when it will.”

“It doesn’t look as if it will anytime soon,” said Cassie, scanning the cloud-free horizon. “Our luck with the weather seems to be holding.”

While Damian and I packed away the picnic things, Cassie unpacked her maps and field guides and scattered them on the groundsheet—for verisimilitude, I assumed. When the stage was set, we sat four abreast among the thrift and quivering sea grasses at the mouth of the cave and looked down at the village. I expected Peter to ask us to raise our binoculars again, but instead he took his story out to sea.

“As you know,” he began, “Cassie and I came to Erinskil on the interisland ferry. It’s a long trip from the mainland, because the ferry stops at other islands on the way. Cassie and I had plenty of time to explore.”

“When we went down to the hold,” Cassie continued, “we discovered that shipments bound for Erinskil were packed in containers that were different from the others. We wondered why until we arrived in the harbor and watched the crane swing Erinskil’s cargo onto the jetty.”

“I asked the ferry captain about the shipping containers,” said Peter. “He told me they’d been designed and built to order by a firm in Glasgow, exclusively for Erinskil. He also mentioned that the crane is always in tip-top condition. He’d never known it to malfunction.”

“The boats inside the breakwater piqued our interest, too,” said Cassie. “There are only two fishing boats registered on Erinskil, and both belong to the Murdoch family.” She gave me a meaningful glance. “Erinskil doesn’t support itself with its fishing fleet.”

“Alasdair Murdoch’s catch of the day doesn’t end up in an Edinburgh restaurant,” Peter added, driving the point home. “It ends up on the islanders’ plates or in Alasdair’s cold-storage locker for future use—by the locals.”

“Lucky locals,” I murmured.

“Stunningly lucky,” said Peter. His eyes roved over the village. “We come at last to Stoneywell. I won’t ask you to examine it through your binoculars, because we’re supposed to be studying birds, not buildings. In fact, it would be a good idea for you to point your binoculars toward the sky occasionally, in case a villager happens to see us up here.”

“In keeping with our cover story,” Damian put in. He picked up a field guide and thumbed through it.

“I wish our expedition could include a stroll through the village.” Faint worry lines furrowed Peter’s smooth brow.

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