Day 10

I awoke to the smell of something...wonderful. At first I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Then it hit me.

Apple pie? Surely I hadn’t slept in that long. Checking my watch, I was heartened to see that I hadn’t.  But surely Mrs. Crane wasn’t already making tonight’s dessert? I had no choice. I simply had to investigate. Grabbing my robe, I ignored my slippers as I’d been getting used to wearing my socks to bed.

It was a good thing I got downstairs when I did as most of the pie had  already been consumed.

I think Lee said ‘Hi Harry’, but it was difficult as he was occupied with a mouthful.

“Admiral,” Joe barely managed, as he gobbled down the rest of his serving, and was reaching for the pie server to take the last slice when Mrs. Crane, who’d just entered, yanked it away from him, got a new plate down from the cupboard, placed the  last of the pie on it, then set it on the table for me.

It didn’t seem to impress her that the kitchen table was from the colonial era and supposedly from a pub  that John Adams reputedly frequented when he was home in Boston. In fact, of the many initials carved in the table was the distinct J.A. But then, I didn’t know if Edith or I told her about that.

 “Don’t worry,” she was saying, “I’ll make another to tonight. I’m afraid the boys made rather short work of this one,” she lovingly ruffled Lee’s hair.

“Can we  have brownies too?” Lee said hopefully, to which she gave him one of those maternal grins as if she’d do anything for him. Which she probably would of course.

The  idea of dessert for breakfast was unusual to me to say the least, but, I decided as I dug in that it was a good idea. A very good idea.

“Edith’s gone to the Historical Society to see what she can find out about Captain Nelson’s pawning the ring. As for you,” she sat across from Lee, “I seem to remember you saying that all would be revealed?”

“I’d like to know what you learned from O’ Malley’s files and bugs too, Lads,” I said.
“Not much,” Lee licked his lips clean of the crumbs, “but I don’t think he’s covering for O’ Shaunessy. I think it’s O’ Malley himself who wants me dead.”

“The Chief of Police wants you dead?” Mrs. C. asked, “ then  have him arrested or something!”

“Like Lee said,” Joe interrupted, “it’s not so much proof but O’ Malley had a lot of newspaper articles on Lee. Mostly about him being your business partner now, Admiral,” he hesitated, “Lees’ name was crossed out on all of them.”

Just then Edith came in, angry as I’d ever seen her.

“What’s wrong sweetie?” I asked.

“That damn Chief O’ Malley that’s what’s wrong!”

“What’s happened, my dear,” Mrs. Crane sat her down.

“I went to the historical society to see what I could find out about Captain Nelson and the ring, and I found out plenty. Harry, did you know he had a love child?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he had several but..”

“Listen to me. His eldest son was borne  by a Loreli O’ Malley.”

“Uh oh,” Joe said.

“In those days bastard children were given the mother’s surname. I found the line of descent,” she pulled out a scanned copy of the pedigree chart from a pocket, “ there’s Chief O’ Malley right there.

“Loreli  claimed all through her life that Shaemus had  made a will which left her and her son his entire fortune, even when he was already married to someone else. But that he’d later denied it, and finally gave her a lump sum of cash if she’d just shut up and dismiss the claim. I bet that’s why he pawned the ring. Anyay,  Loreli was in dire straights so she accepted it. After Sheamus was lost at sea, she vowed to her son that if they or their descendants could only find the will, the court would force the Nelsons to surrender their entire estate to the O’ Malleys.”

“We found a receipt from an online genealogy site for multiple DNA tests, 10 of them, ” Lee said," but we thought  they were for criminal investigations."

“Multiple?” I asked. “You’d only need two to prove line of descent from one to the other. Wait. The mourning hair from the Nelson jewels! He wouldn’t know which is Shaemus’ hair if there even was a jewel from him. But the hair  would prove relationship at least or not.”

“Would make sense,” Joe said. “Especially since the police ‘claimed’ they didn’t find any leads to the theft.”

“I still don’t see what all this has to do with the threat against Lee,” Mrs. C. said.

“Mom, I own half of NIMR now,” Lee said, “that’s a  fair chunk of the Nelson fortune. If O’ Malley can prove he’s connected to Harry and Edith, as their only living relative, well, with a bit of legal wrangling, a judge might entitle him to some of  the original funds, or even all of the Harry and Edith’s amassed fortune. With me out of the way, my share of NIMR would simply revert to the Nelson estate.’

“Could the court really do anything? Without a will?” Edith asked.

“Maybe he really did make  a will, and lied to the girl afterwards,” Lee furrowed his brows, “and maybe Chief O’Malley found it.”

“Damn,” I said, “I guess there’s nothing else for it. Lee? Do you remember when we saw that square rigger and Sharkey got all covered in foam? There’s something I never told you...”

Later as I made arrangements with Miss Bates to help us with the séance, (someone of her knowledge would have to be familiar with them, especially since there was a nice display of the paranormal in the museum), I over heard Mrs. Crane tell Lee that either I’d been off my rocker then, or I was now.

Lee simply took her aside and began to tell her about his own ghostly experience.

I shuddered as I heard the name Krueger, but at least that apparition was long gone and of no further danger. (I pray to God that’s the case.)

I was certain that Sheamus would welcome a brief respite from his purgatory, to fill us in on the facts, if the summons would work, that is. Perhaps he might even shave off a little time from his personal purgatory. And so we’ll expect our visitor at midnight tonight.

I wonder if I should also offer him some brownies that Lee talked his mother into making for tonight’s dessert. If there are any left, that is.

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