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"I thought so, he is linked to both the past and the future, but Quinn and I agree, he's an asshole but we don't think he's a killer," Gabriel theorized.
"Wait! Bryon died, or disappeared, right after Archer recovered from his illness but Constance stayed and continued the charade. Why?" Quinn looked to Gabriel. "She said she was afraid but he was more than likely dead so who was she afraid of?"
"Looks like we need to have another chat with Constance." Gabriel said. "She's probably still across the street, I say we go chat with her now."
"I think we might have better success if Nick goes. He looks so much like Archer it might throw her off and have her spilling more than she will to you," Cole suggested.
Nick started for the door. "I'll go. I'll meet you in the pub."
Later, Quinn sat in the booth watching Gabriel and Cole play darts and the easiness of their relationship was testimony enough to the strength of their friendship. Charles sat across from her and was as quiet as she, so much so that when he spoke it took Quinn by surprise.
"Gabriel is from the future, isn't he?"
It took Quinn a minute to comprehend his question and then she felt terrible because she had completely blown over that part of the story when she filled him in earlier. "I'm sorry, Charles. I didn't tell you that part. Yes, he's from the future." She paused before she added, "And you are not running away screaming."
A half-grin pulled at the one side of his mouth before he said, "After learning about your adventure, seeing what I've seen since I took this case, it's not all that surprising. Unbelievable, but not surprising." He was a silent for a moment before he asked, "Any ideas on what it all means?"
Quinn pulled her attention from Gabriel and Cole and met Charles' inquisitive gaze.
"I'm not sure. Maybe it's all completely unrelated. Maybe Morgan's death was a crime of passion by her father-in-law and the cover-up was for his protection. Derek stumbling onto the Scarcliff treasure could just be a coincidence and me, maybe I really did just have remarkably bad timing in the future and was killed by chance."
Charles remained silent which piqued Quinn's interest. "What are you thinking?"
"I don't think it's random and I don't think you do either. I think the link is Gabriel and Archer."
Quinn held Charles' intense stare for a minute before she said on a sigh, "So do I."
Charles leaned over the table. "I think Archer and Gabriel are the targets and Morgan and you were just the means to get to him."
"For what purpose?"
"That I have no idea."
At that moment, Nick entered the pub and Cole and Gabriel rejoined the others at the table.
"First, let me just say, wow, if that woman is only in her 30s remind me never to time travel. She didn't know what happened to Bryon. She was living at Whispering Winds at the time of his death so heard when Archer did that his father was dead. I asked why she didn't just leave after Bryon's death but she said she thought Archer and Nickie were in danger. She did say the doctor, a Dr. Elliot Jenkins, was a real sleazy guy and anything he was accused of wouldn't surprise her."
"So if the doctor is willing to falsify records perhaps he got some monetary compensation. Earl or not, we're still talking about murder," Quinn deduced which had Cole immediately following that thought with one of his own.
"Money exchanged hands, makes sense, so how eager was our doctor for extra cash? Did he only write up the false report or was he involved in the murder somehow?"
"Well, Byron may have wanted, and even planned, to kill Morgan but I don't think he would have killed her himself. He was the Earl, willing to kill Morgan because she was a commoner and beneath his family, so he's unlikely to dirty his own hands with her murder for the same reason," Nick said.
"Yeah, and who better to get close to the distraught woman then the man tending her husband?" Gabriel added.
"Son of a bitch," Nick cursed.
"Makes sense though," Charles finished.
"Yeah, but it doesn't answer why Quinn in the future? The doctor has no more motive to come for Quinn than Bryon," Gabriel interjected.
"What is Derek's involvement then? Is he really just looking for the treasure?" Charles asked as he lifted his pint.
"Well, for someone who's stayed off the radar for as long as he has, he certainly isn't being very stealthy now in his movements," Cole offered which had a few heads turning to him before Quinn added, "That's actually a really good point. Regardless of how he's obtained the information to dig where he is, he's being unusually public with his movements which is so not like him."
Gabriel and Cole regarded each other from across the table before Gabriel said, "Unless hewantsto get our attention."
Quinn turned to Gabriel, "Meaning?"
