aIam telling you, there was a boat,a I insisted.

aI believe you. You need to rest for a while. You scared me to death.a aI did?a I asked. Maggie closed her eyes and I heard her mumbling.

I grinned and held her hand. aYou want to smack me right now, donat you?a aYou have no idea how much,a she agreed and laughed as she held my hand.

Chapter 28.

When I was tired of lying in bed, which was all of one hour, I went downstairs and avoided Dr. Winfieldas glare. Peter looked ill and I wasnat sure if it was because he found out Bridget was a lying conspirator to murder and whatnot or that the historical find was safe and sound. Either way, he looked as if he was about to vomit.

There was a busload of archaeologists, historians, and museum curators from Ireland, Scotland, and England on their way to Mac and Terias. Now they looked ill.

Peter sat there staring at the trunk that sat in the middle of the living room.

aShouldnat this be in a museum or someplace safe?a I suggested quietly. Mac and Teri shrugged in confusion.

aYes, it should and it will, but for now, I want to make sure where this trunk will end up. As it stands, itas Macas property,a Peter said and looked at Mac.

He shook his head. aNot mine, Peter. You deserve to decide where it belongs. Itas the least we can do for Brian.a I glanced around the living. aWhere are Maggie and Charlie?a I hadnat seen either of them.

Teri gave me a cautious glance. aMaggie received a phone call from Hannah. Docas been called away, he needs her at the clinic as soon as possible.a My heart dropped. aReally?a I then let out a wry chuckle. aWell, the woman couldnat stay here indefinitely.a aShe couldnat?a Teri asked. I noticed the maternal smirk.

With that, Maggie and Charlie walked into the living room. aI cannot believe how this turned out,a Charlie said. aAnd I really canat believe Bridget Donnelly. She certainly had me fooled.a Peter looked up then; the sadness evident on his face. aShe fooled everyone for a long time. I still canat believe ita"just for money.a aHow do you suppose it all came about?a Mac asked and looked at me.

ah.e.l.l, I donat know. Itas one convoluted mess,a I said and figured Iad give it my best shot. aIt looks like Bridget, Tim, and Russell were in it from the get go. Bridget said Russell was sent to take care of Peter. Iam a.s.suming he was to do more than just injure you back in Chicago, Peter.a Peter frowned deeply. I could tell he still couldnat believe any of this.

aBridget was then supposed to take care of Brianas will,a I said. aWhen she found out head changed it and left everything to Mac, she knew it called for drastic measures. The problem was Russell Devine. Iam thinking after Tim showed Russell the contract he had signed with Omega, Tim and Bridget offered him a piece of the action. I donat think they realized how greedy Russell really was.

aI think Russell stole that contract and took it to Brian, looking for more money by telling him of the double-cross. Russell saw a great opportunity to working both ends. He didnat count on Brianas devotion to the people of the village or his part in securing the legendary treasure for Ireland. Brian hid the contract in the clock and changed his will immediately, which tipped off Bridget that something was wrong.

aIam sure Brian planned to expose the double-cross when Mac came to Ireland. Poor Brian probably never considered Tim to be a murderer. He certainly never suspected Bridget. It would never have occurred to Brian that money, no matter how much, would drive a man to murdera"but murder he did. He threw Brian over the cliffs, killed Devine because he knew too much, and murdered James to complete the deal with Omega and get Jamesas signed contract.

aUnfortunately, for them, Iam sure Omega wanted no part of the deal when people started dropping like flies. They pulled out, and Iall wager you wonat be hearing from them again. And that, as they say, is that,a I said.

aI cannot believe Bridget was in on this. I never, ever expected it,a Peter said sadly and let out a huge sigh. He smiled then and gave me a kiss. aThank you, Kate.a He glanced at his watch. aThe media and the museum folks will be here shortly. Iam sick to my stomach.a Mac patted him on the shoulder. aI donat blame you one bit. This has been one crazy ride.a On schedule, the media did indeed arrive. The house was buzzing as men and women, all snapping on rubber surgical gloves, surrounded the old trunk, which still sat in the middle of the living room. I was itching to see if there was anything of value in it. After what seemed like hours of discussion, the powers that be decided to open it.

I was amazed. aYouare gonna open this thing in a living room?a I asked.

Peter laughed as did the others. aYes, I donat want to take the chance of anything else happening to this,a he said and took a deep breath.

Cameras started flashing. I held my breath and glanced at Mac and Teri who were wild-eyed. Maggie was smiling and holding Charlieas arm as we all stood back and let Peter continue.

Peter nervously knelt down and snapped his rubber gloves in place. He had some instrument that looked decidedly like a crowbar and gently pried the trunk open.

aThe paraffin did its job of sealing this nicely,a he said.

Everyone held his or her breath as we watched. aUnbelievable,a he said in amazement.

I stood on my tiptoes to get a look. I only caught a glimpse, but what a glimpse it was. I heard Teri exclaim softly and knew she must have seen the same thing. There were jewels, gold and silver coins, necklaces. It was amazing, like something out of an old pirate movie. I expected to see Errol Flynn waltz in at any moment. The bounty looked very tarnished but still and all, it was amazing.

Peter and the rest of his colleagues logged and categorized all that was in the trunk. Then at the bottom of it, they found a smaller box, also sealed in paraffin. Peter gingerly took it out as we all looked on. Mac leaned forward, his arm around Teri. I stood there and watched.

There they werea"several small etchings, all perfectly preserved. Peter now donned a pair of soft, white gloves and handled the etchings as little as possible, laying them out, describing them to the others, who were taking notes and recording the event as cameras continued to click wildly.

The look on Peteras face was priceless. He grinned like a kid at Christmas as he gingerly held the etchings. aAll signed by El Greco in fifteen sixty, before he became a master. These were thought to be lost. Phillip of Spain had commissioned his work but later rejected it. What an idiot,a he said and everyone laughed.

He turned a nice shade of crimson and gently coughed. aStrike that. What a miscalculation of judgment,a he amended. He was a master himself and had the entire group hanging on his every word.

As I shook my head in amazement, I turned to say something to Maggie, only to find her nowhere in sight. I slipped away and walked upstairs.

Maggie was in her room as I opened our connecting door. Her bags were packed and sitting by the door.

aYouare leaving in a hurry.a I stood against the door. All at once, my head ached. I didnat even want to think about my heart.

She met me in the doorway. aYou should have rested more. Youare still pale.a aWhy do you have to leave now?a I asked.

aCamon, lie down,a she said, and I grudgingly lay back against the pillows. She sat on the edge of the bed. aI have to get back to the clinic.a It was then Charlie walked into the room. aWell, Kate, Iall say my goodbyes now. I hate them.a He smiled and bent down and kissed me. Tears welled up in my eyes as he sat on the edge of the bed.

aI canat believe you did it again. You are quite an amazing woman. When you get back, youall have to stop by and tell Aunt Hannah all about it. Sheall pout because she missed it, so be prepared to tell the story a dozen times. See you later, sweetie. Remember, if you ever want to change careers, you let me know. You and Jess would make an unbelievable pair.a I fought back the tears. aIall remember. Please tell Jess thanks for all her help and yours, Charlie. I never could have done it without you.a He patted my hand and gathered Maggieas luggage and left.

My chest ached as I watched Maggie pick up her coat. aMaggiea"a She was quickly at my bedside. aLay still.a She reached down and touched my face again. aTake care of those bruises.a aI donat know why you have to leave,a I said, swallowing my emotions. I donat know how to make you stay.

aIam needed back at the clinic,a she reminded me.

For a moment, we sat there in silence. I reached over and took her small hand in my own. I took a deep breath and said, aI need time, Maggie. I donat know what the h.e.l.l Iama"a She lightly rested her fingertips against my lips. aI understand, more than you know.a aReally?a I asked and couldnat hide the incredulous tone.

She rolled her eyes and said, aJust call me when you get home.a She then lightly kissed my cheek and whispered, aPlease, come home.a I wanted to say something, G.o.d knows what, but she quickly walked out and closed the door behind her.

Epilogue.

By the next afternoon, Peter had finished with the media. The trunk and all its bounty were safely on their way to the NationalMuseum in Dublin. We heard from Constable Reardon. Bridget Donnellyas body was never found. The tide that Tim hoped would take Brian and Russell to hide his murders apparently took Bridget.

In the back of my mind, that fishing boat off sh.o.r.e still nagged at mea Peter looked exhausted but perked up when Mac broke out the champagne.

The early evening had turned very chilly. I stood by the fireplace and pulled the collar of my green cardigan up around my neck as I sipped the champagne.

The vision of Maggie and me sitting on this hearth flashed through my mind. I then remembered holding her that wonderful night after I told her about Liz. I could still feel her body trembling.

Please come home. Maggieas plea rang in my ears. I looked up to see Mac standing there with the bottle of champagne. I chuckled and offered my empty gla.s.s.

aRemember our conversation on the plane ride over here?a he asked as he poured. aI told you if Maggie was not for you, then she was not. These past few days since sheas been here, Iave seen a change in youa"a good change, Kate. Youall know when, or if, the time is right for you and Maggie. Until then, stay good friends.a aSo youare a philosopher now?a I asked softly and swallowed my tears along with the champagne.

He laughed and poured himself a gla.s.s. aNope, just a brother-in-law who loves his klutzy sister-in-law. You know,a he stated philosophically, ayouare a smart logical woman. Itas time you started dealing with your heart.a There was silence for a moment. aOh, shut up, ya landlord,a I grumbled as he laughed and walked away.

aWell,a Mac said and raised his gla.s.s to all of us. aI never would have believed it, but there it is. Iam proud of you, Peter, as Iam sure Brian would be. You were true to yourself and your belief. No one could ask for more.a The rest of us followed suit and raised our gla.s.ses.

Peter cleared this throat. aThank you. However, it would never have happened if Brian left this mill to anyone else. In his heart, he knew it was the right thing to leave it to you, Mac. Thank you for being honest and loyal. You saved the day. Well, you and Kate,a he said sincerely.

We were silent until Peter broke the pensive mood. He gave us a wide smile. aWhat does the future hold for the McAuliffes and Kate Ryan?a Teri put her arm around Macas waist. aMac and I are going to stay in Ireland for a while. How about you, Kate?a I stared at the dancing flames and smiled. aI have no clue what the future holds, but for nowa"Iam going home.a -The End-.

About the author.

Born in Chicago, Kate Sweeney is the author of Kate Ryan Mysteries. A Nice Clean Murder is the second installment. The first in the series, She Waits, was released through Intaglio Publications in May 2006. In addition, her short story Out of the Crowd in Wild Nights, a forthcoming Bella After Dark anthology, will be released by Bella Books in the near future.

Kate also has a collection of short stories, other novels and novellas. Her sense of humor is evident throughout her writing, which runs the gamut from funny to sad, erotic to romantic, and anything else in between. Please visit her Web site at www.katesweeneyonline.com and drop a line at

Kate currently resides in Villa Park, Illinois.

end.