Page 72 of The Unseen (Echoes from the Past #5)
FIFTY-NINE
London, England
Quinn accepted a cup of tea from Rhiannan and leaned back in her chair, waiting to hear what Rhys had to say. He’d sounded very mysterious on the phone, refusing to tell her why he wanted to see her in his office.
Rhys took a sip of his espresso and smiled at Quinn. He looked almost like his old self, so she didn’t ask about his trip to Wales. It had obviously helped him deal with his loss, although the pain in his eyes was still there, barely hidden.
“So, what was so urgent?” Quinn asked.
“I have two wonderful surprises for you. You can thank me later,” he added with a smug grin.
“The only wonderful surprise would be a month off between filming so I can pack up the flat and set up my new house. Oh, Rhys, it’s gorgeous. I can’t wait for you to see it.”
“I’m very happy for you, but unfortunately a month off is not part of my gift just now.” Rhys took a manila envelope out of the top drawer of his desk and slid it toward her.
“What’s that?”
“Natalia Swift sent it to me. Take a look.”
Quinn opened the envelope and took out a stack of black-and-white photographs.
Her breath caught in her throat. They were all there: Valentina and Alexei, posing for their engagement photograph; Elena, Ivan, and the children, the photo dated 1915; and even Dmitri.
He stood alone in a room with gilded mirrors and potted palms, staring into the camera.
He had been a handsome man, his dark eyes deceptively kind.
Quinn stared at the photograph. There were no clues to his true nature in his aristocratic face.
She set aside the first few photographs and looked at the rest. There was a picture of Valentina, looking older and more mature, sitting on a hard-backed chair, a blond little boy in her lap. A swarthy-looking man stood behind her, a proprietary hand on her shoulder.
Nice to meet you, Stanley Swift , Quinn thought, smiling inwardly.
I’m glad you made Valentina happy . She studied the face of the child.
No wonder Valentina couldn’t be sure who the father was, the boy resembled her more than any of the men who might have fathered him, but Quinn thought she saw something of Alexei.
Perhaps that was just wishful thinking on her part.
The last picture made Quinn catch her breath. It was a photograph from the 1930s, judging by the clothes and hairstyles. A handsome couple sat side by side, while their four children stood behind them, smiling. Two boys and two girls, all blond, all attractive.
“Who’s that?” Rhys asked, noticing Quinn’s surprise.
“Alexei. And Tanya. So he married her after all,” Quinn said. “Strange how life worked out for them all.”
“Well, at least Valentina survived. All our other subjects met with a tragic end.”
“I’m not sure that her life was any less tragic, at least until she married Swift. They look happy together. Don’t they?” Quinn asked, showing Rhys the photo.
“They do.”
“Now, what’s the second surprise? ”
Rhys reached for his mobile, tapped on something, and slid the phone toward her across the desk.
Quinn stared at the picture. She was looking at the mouth of a cave through which an ancient wooden coffin was visible.
It stood on a natural ledge, elevated enough to be spared the damp that would have permeated the sandy floor of the cave.
Quinn swiped right to see the next photo.
It was of the inside of the coffin, but only the skull of the deceased had been photographed.
She’d seen many skeletal remains, but this photo sent a tremor of horror through her body.
This person had not met with a peaceful end.
The skull was turned sideways, the head thrown back, and the mouth open in a final scream.
A hole the size of a golf ball gaped at the top of the skull.
Quinn stared a Rhys. “Where was this discovered?”
“A call came into the hotline two days ago. Some local kids found the coffin while playing on the beach. I took the photos. I need you in St. Just, Cornwall, on Monday. The local constabulary has been kind enough to cordon off the site and post a guard.” Rhys took back the phone and looked at Quinn, his head cocked to the side.
“Quinn, do you know what that hole is? It’s clearly not a gunshot wound. ”
“Yes, I know what it is, but I’ll need Colin to verify my suspicions before I share them with you. Do you have any photos of the rest of the skeleton?”
Rhys shook his head. “I couldn’t bear to take them. What I saw in that coffin was too shocking, even for me.”
Quinn pushed away her mug and stood up. “I’ll see you on Monday then. I’d say I was looking forward to it, but given what I’ve seen so far, I think I’m going to hate this case.”
“As will I.”