After Rock and his team left, Nelson and I were sitting in the library with Kat, Dawn and the cats. Poor Nelson was impatiently waiting for the fresh donuts that Annelie was cooking. Finally Aoife came in with a big plate of donuts and Karen, whom we now call Engle which was her original name, came in with fresh coffee for us too. Engle sat down on the couch and the cats sat with her.

“It is too bad you two cannot talk like the other cats,” she said to them. They just put their heads at an angle like they did not understand her. Then she cuddled with both of them. Snow then came over to me. Meowy.=Human Engle not bad guy, she good guy, me know. I then asked Tiia to come over. Meowi.=Yep, me agree with Snow kitten, human Engle not bad at all. I then shared a donut with them.

“Okay, you two need exercise,” I said, “so go play for a while.” Off they went, sliding and bumping into walls but enjoying it all. “I really am sorry for the way I did things,” said Engle, “guess I picked that up from a boy I used to know.” “Yes, I admit, I was like that back then,” I said smiling, “being a PI, with all the enemies we have, has made me more serious now.”

“Yes,” said Kat, “even back when we were married, you were not quite so serious as now. But we still have our fun times.” Engle looked at Kat, then at me. “I did not know you and Kat were once married,” said Engle. “Um, yes, we were at one time,” I replied. “Steve has been married 3 times,” said Kat smiling, “4 if you count Carine, but that marriage was not legal.” “Hmm, true enough,” I said, “and one marriage was extremely short, just one day really.”

“Yes, Steve had two wives that were killed,” added Nelson, “including Kat.” Engle just looked at Kat. “Then you were not really killed?” she asked. “She was killed,” I said, “by one of my worst enemies.” “But I came back again,” said Kat smiling. “Uh, that would make you a ghost,” said Engle. Then Sky called. “Are you sure this is the right address Steve,” she asked. I double checked and it was the address the woman gave me.

“There is nothing here but an old boarded up building,” said Sky, “we looked around, but there is no way in except to break in.” “No, do not break in,” I said, “it is best to return right away.” There was silence on the other end. “Sky? Are you still there?” I asked. Kat looked at me. “Sky!” I yelled, “Answer me!” But there was no answer. Then a man answered, speaking in French.

“He is a police officer,” said Dawn, “and he has arrested Sky and the other girls for trying to break into that building, for carrying automatic weapons and for carrying drugs.” “What!?” I exclaimed, “None of that is true!” “I will get our lawyers on it right away,” said Nelson. Fortunately we have lawyers in Paris and they secured the girls release.

Apparently they received a tip about the girls being big drug dealers and that they were armed and dangerous. They did not find any drugs however, but they thought perhaps they had delivered them to someone already. “Someone is playing a not so funny joke on us,” said Nelson. “I think it might be related to Engle and the people after her,” I said, “Annelie, call Rock, tell him to wait for team 6 to catch up and then continue to that old shack, but to be on the lookout for danger.”

She did so right away. “You really think this is all related to me?” asked Engle, “I did not think others would be in danger over this. It just makes no sense at all.” “I have been thinking about this,” said Dawn, “Engle’s adopted parents went to a great deal of trouble getting her adoption papers to say she was just 1 when adopted, which makes her just 17 right now, instead of 24.

Perhaps there is a large inheritance waiting for her when she turns 18, and her new parents wanted more time to find that inheritance so they could legally lay claim to it, running off with it before she turns 18.” “That is possible,” I said, “depending on how that inheritance is written.” “But my parents did not have a lot of money,” said Engle, “I was 8 when they died, we did not have lots of money.”

“Annelie, you need to dig deep and find something about her inheritance,” I said, “it must be significant if people are willing to kill her for it.” Then I thought for a moment. “Perhaps her parents and brother were killed too,” I said, “they were all home and in bed at the time the house burned down, but it was early afternoon.”

“And my brother was 12 at the time, he never napped during the day,” added Engle. She then put her head down. I called Galyna into the room to help Engle. “That little shack is a key to all of this,” I said, “we need to find that place.”

To Be Continued.

©2023 Steve McLeod.