Page 18 of Tattered Huntress
It was a no-brainer. ‘I’ll do it,’ I burst out.
‘I’m pleased to hear that.’ Sir Nigel smiled and pushed the necklace towards me. ‘You should keep this, too. As a memento.’
My brow furrowed. ‘But you’ve paid for it. It’s yours.’
‘It’s worthless.’
‘Pardon?’
‘You opened the locket, didn’t you?’
‘Yes, but there was nothing in there.’
Sir Nigel pulled a face. ‘Mmm. I think you’ll findthat therewassomething in there. It’s too late now that it’s been opened – it’s of no use to anyone. If I can offer any advice at all, I would caution against interfering with old treasure in the future. If you hadn’t opened the locket, it would have been worth twenty grand.’
My mouth dropped open.
Sir Nigel glanced over my shoulder. ‘Ah, the main course is arriving.’ He patted his belly. ‘I do hope you enjoy squid.’
I thankedSir Nigel after the meal. He had been entertaining company, and I couldn’t deny that taking part in another treasure hunt – one that sounded far more complicated than the search for the necklace – had me fizzing with excitement.
I said goodbye and waved to Eleanor and Humphrey, neither of whom tried to hide their curiosity about what had transpired between Sir Nigel and me, then tripped out of the Institute with a full belly and a busy mind. The squid had been tastier than I’d expected and the dessert so masterful that even the twin snarls from the doormen as I bade them goodnight didn’t dim my pleasure.
I wandered down the road in the direction of the train station where I’d left my bike. Before I reached the corner, a dark shape stepped out of the shadows and blocked my path. Hugo Pemberville. Of course it was.
This was no chance meeting. He arched an eyebrow, put his hands in his pockets and tilted his head. ‘What are you playing at?’
I sidestepped; he mirrored my movement and repeated his question, this time with more bite. ‘What are you playing at?’
I sighed and gave up trying to get away. ‘I’m not playing at anything. I’m trying to get home.’
‘Sir Nigel doesn’t need the likes of you sniffing around his drawers.’
I lifted my chin. ‘Sir Nigel’s drawers are his own business. He invited me to have dinner with him. You might remember – you were there.’
Pemberville’s mouth twisted. ‘You sneaked in under false pretences. And you’d never have found that necklace on your own. You looked at our notes when you came to Neidpath Castle, didn’t you?’
There was no point trying to deny it. ‘Sure.’ I shrugged. ‘But you had the information longer than I did, so it’s hardly my fault that you didn’t act on it.’
‘Where did you find it? Where was the necklace?’ He was very demanding for somebody who’d already lost.
‘What’s the information worth?’
His eyes glittered, then he took out his wallet and removed a wad of notes. ‘Here, take this. Tell me where you found the necklace and promise never to come near me, Sir Nigel or any of my friends again.’
Wanker. I eyed him for a moment while I pretended to consider his offer. Finally I said, ‘Nah. I don’t think I will promise to do that – and I couldn’t, even if I wanted to. I’ve already promised Sir Nigel that I’ll take part in the search for the Loch Arkaig treasure.’
Hugo stared at me. ‘You what?’
I smiled. ‘I guess you don’t have to be a pompous high elf with a stick up your arse to be a treasure hunter.’
‘For fuck’s sake,’ he muttered. ‘What did I ever do to you?’
He was kidding, right? ‘You got me fired!’
‘And you sent a damned troll with a chip on her shoulder to my home! She’s moved in, claimed bridge-squatter rights and is refusing to leave!’
Ah. So he’d nipped home to his fairy-tale castle and spokento Duchess. ‘Maybe that will teach you not to be so rude to strangers.’
