“Yes.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I’d be dredging that up again.”
She gave me a thin smile. “It isn’t your fault, Rowan. It had been dredged up anyway. Don’t worry about it.” She bobbed her head toward the necklace. “In retrospect I really should have taken it to a jeweler or pawnbroker years ago, then I would actually have been rid of it. But I didn’t and that is my fault. Felicity found it in my jewelry case when she was borrowing something.” She shrugged then added, “She was just so taken with it that I gave it to her. I regret the decision every time I see her wearing it.”
I nodded. “I can understand that.”
“My turn for a question then. Why do you have a sudden interest in this particular necklace?”
I glanced at the bottle as I turned it in my hands, then stuffed it back into my pocket and cleared my throat. “It’s hard to explain, Maggie. And I don’t mean to sound secretive. Really. Let’s just say I’m trying to get something straight in my head is all, and the necklace is a part of it.”
“I see,” she replied. “And this something would in some way make Felicity worry?”
“Yes, I’m certain it would.”
“But she isn’t already concerned that you are carrying the necklace around in a bottle of salt?”
I sighed. “Like I said, it’s hard to explain.”
She let out a flat chuckle. “Actually, I understand… Your motivation at least… I know it hurt Felicity to find out what her father had done. If she knew the story behind that necklace…”
“I won’t tell her,” I said as her voice trailed off. “I promise.”
“I won’t press you about your reasons then,” she said. “I may not believe the same things you and my daughter apparently do, Rowan, but I know that you love her just as she loves you. And I believe that you are convinced that you are doing what is best for her.”
“Thanks, Maggie,” I said with a smile. “I appreciate that. And, you’re right. On all counts.” I paused for a second then continued. “So, I only have a couple more questions, I promise. Since the necklace was an antique, do you know if Shamus received any sort of paperwork with it? Something that might have given a history or identified the original owner?”
“None that I am aware,” she replied, shaking her head. “If he did I never saw it.”
I frowned. I hadn’t expected a yes, but there was always that little glimmer of hope. Until now, that is. “Okay, last question. I know this is a long shot, but since the pendant is a half coin, do you remember if he mentioned the jeweler happening to have a mate to it?”
She nodded. “Actually, yes. There was definitely a mate. Shamus bought both of them. He gave the one in your pocket to me, and we gave the other to my sister. He thought it a fitting birthday gift since we were twins. It was after that when their story began to unravel, and I found out the truth.”
My heart skipped and I swallowed hard. “Do you by any chance know what might have happened to the other necklace?”
“No, I’m afraid not,” she said. “I don’t recall seeing it after Caitlin died, but that was so long ago. I simply assumed that she had either lost it, or maybe even sold it. I suspect her memories of the whole incident were as tainted as mine. Maybe more so given what happened with her daughter.”
I was fairly certain I had an idea where the necklace had ended up, and it wasn’t either of the options she mentioned. The fact that Maggie hadn’t come across it in her sister’s personal belongings all but confirmed it for me. The police investigation into Annalise’s background had turned up the fact that Caitlin had made multiple attempts at recovering her from the orphanage only to be stopped at every turn. She had then fallen into deep despair and eventually took her own life. Something told me one of Caitlin’s final acts of defiance against her family and the system had been to somehow get that necklace to her infant daughter. When I included the fact that the night Annalise was taken into custody, she had ripped Felicity’s necklace from her neck, claiming that it was hers, the final pieces of that puzzle slipped together with no effort.
Maggie glanced at her watch then back to me. “I hate to rush off, but if you don’t have any more questions I should really get home before Shamus decides to get in the kitchen and make himself a snack or something. Otherwise, I’ll be cleaning up forever.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the candid observation. “I understand. And, Maggie… Thanks. Believe me, you’ve helped more than you realize.”
I walked my mother-in-law out to her vehicle and bid her goodbye, then watched as she pulled from the parking lot. With what she had just told me, my working theory had not only been confirmed but expanded as well. While I had suspected the existence of the other necklace ever since the incident the night Annalise had been taken into custody, I hadn’t dreamed it would have as deep a connection, and on as many levels, as it obviously did. Because of that, my resolve to find the hardware behind the spell and put an end to it was re-doubled.
I started to head toward my truck but stopped after only a few steps. The dull pounding in my head seemed to be getting worse. In fact, it was now moving beyond hard to ignore and right into semi-blinding. I knew I had some aspirin in my vehicle, and with a little luck a quick dose might take the edge off, at least until I could get home. But it was going to take awhile to get into my system. At the rate the ethereal ache was ramping up, I felt I might need something to help it along. Since caffeine always helped speed up the analgesic effects for me, I did an about face and headed back into the coffee house.
After a short wait in line, I placed my order for a large specialty latte, peeled off a five to pay for it, then dumped the resulting change into the tip jar on the counter. While I was waiting, it occurred to me that I would be facing some traffic between here and home and the possibility that it might take longer than I expected to arrive at my destination. I’d already downed one large coffee and was about to start on another. A pre-emptive pit stop suddenly made an enormous amount of sense.
“Excuse me,” I called to the young lady preparing my drink. I pointed in the direction of the restrooms and said, “I’ll be right back.”
She smiled and nodded that she understood my gesture.
Fortunately, the facilities weren’t occupied so I was able to take care of business fairly quickly. As I was washing my hands, however, the migraine suddenly elected to ramp up several notches at once, sending a sharp lance of pain through the back of my head. Semi-blinding became near total, as light bloomed throughout my field of vision and I squeezed my eyes shut. I stumbled then caught myself and leaned against the basin for support as I gasped in response to a sudden repeat of the attack.
The side of my neck had been stinging, and it now erupted into an agonizing burn. Dizziness started creeping in, and a wave of nausea undulated through my gut. I reopened my eyes in hopes that focusing on something would help. Unfortunately, the first thing I saw were the stark splatters of bright red on the edge of the sink, trickling across pristine white porcelain as they formed spidery rivulets. I watched as the blood languidly intermixed with the still running water, tingeing it with overblown color before spiraling down the drain.
The sound of the faucet roared as if amplified down a long tunnel. It was punctuated by the chaotic thump of my heart as it pounded out an erratic cadence against my eardrums.
A familiar weakness started to overwhelm me, and I could feel myself begin to crumple where I stood. A moment later the floor came up and slammed painfully against my knees. I gripped tighter on the edge of the sink with my right hand then brought the left up to my neck. As I expected, I didn’t feel any sort of wound, but I also wasn’t surprised that when I pulled my hand away, bright red blood was smeared across my palm and fingers.