Page 60 of Death at Inishmore Castle

“I won’t.” The last thing I wanted to do was worry her, but I didn’t like the idea of someone eavesdropping behind the walls. I wouldn’t point it out, but the lack of spiderwebs probably meant someone had been up and down this way recently. Though she’d heard the noises the night before.

Had they been listening to our conversations? I shivered.

The passage grew darker as I went away from the lighted entry where my sister stood. Only the light from my phone guided me.

I glanced back and she seemed so far away.

I came to a wall, and the only access was to go to the right. I turned the corner. I could hear voices again, and I paused. It sounded like the Airendales.

“You’ve been at it again, haven’t you?” he said angrily. “Why? Why are you doing this? Do you understand what could happen if you’re caught?”

Her voice was muffled.

Was he confronting her about her klepto habits? Even though I liked a bit of spying, eavesdropping didn’t feel right.

Soon enough, Kieran would know what she’d taken once the search warrant went through.

It sounded like Sally might be crying. I felt bad for her. If she did have a psychological problem, her husband should have been more understanding. It wasn’t like she could help it.

At the end of the long hallway was a set of stairs that went up another story. I didn’t want to worry my sister by staying gone too long, but it was obvious that whoever had been behind the walls had free range to go pretty much wherever they wanted. I didn’t like the idea that a killer could come and go as they pleased.

I wouldn’t be mentioning that to my sister.

As much as I wanted to continue to explore, I had to get back to her and Mr. Poe.

I turned and headed toward the lighted doorway.

“What did you find?”

“It’s pretty extensive,” I said. “My guess is this was how they avoided marauders back in the day. They would be able to hide behind the walls for some time.”

“I like the idea of the family being able to get away,” Lizzie said. “Not so much the idea of someone spying on us.”

“Let’s move that small desk over this way. At the very least, we can keep them from coming in the doorway.”

She helped me move the desk.

Mr. Poe watched us like we were the best thing on dog television. He was a curious little soul. And a dog after my own heart. He was protective of Lizzie and loved us both. He had since the day he came home with us. And while I’d always made a bit of fun about how people treated their pets as humans, we did the same thing with him.

He was a part of our family.

“It’s almost time for the clootie dumpling class. Are you coming with me?” Lizzie asked.

“I’ll walk you to the kitchen. You know me and baking. We are not friends.”

She snorted. “That’s true.”

“Mean. You could fake it and say my cooking isn’t that bad.”

She smiled sweetly. “I would. but you’re my twin and you can tell when I try to lie.”

This time I laughed. “There is that. By the way, what is a clootie dumpling?”

“I think we had one at the pub once. It was like a dessert in a dumpling with raisins and stuff in it. I like the idea of working with recipes that are hundreds of years old. I love that the O’Sullivans are able to do so much in the way of preservation—not just of the grounds and estate but of the routines from the past.”

“I don’t disagree.”

We’d made it downstairs and to the hallway of the kitchen when there was a blood-curdling scream.

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