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Someone was already waiting. They were met by a tall, broad-shouldered man in a suit with bright blond hair. He had a stern expression on his otherwise quite feminine face, and his eyes seemed to bore into Finn and Amelia. Physically, he stood as tall and as athletic as Finn, something which Finn wasn't often used to.
"I am Edward Keatings," he said. "What brings the police to my family's castle?"
"We're here to discuss the recent deaths by the river," Amelia replied.
"I see," Edward said. "Well, I'm afraid I cannot help you with that. We have been away on a business trip and have only just returned. It really is a tragedy. The south side of the castle has been damaged,"
Finn and Amelia exchanged a look. Edward Keatings seemed more interested in things than people.
"We're sorry to say that we believe one of the victims may be a family member," Amelia offered gently.
"Who?" Edward asked with a raised eyebrow.
"We have reason to believe that the third victim, Helen Baxter, was related to your family," Finn said. "Do you know her?"
Edward's expression darkened, though he showed little emotion. "Yes, I knew Helen. She was a distant cousin. I'm saddened to hear that, but we were not close."
"We're still investigating what happened," Amelia said. "We need to know if she had any connection to anyone in the castle around the time of her death. If she had been on her way here, perhaps?"
Edward paused for a moment, his eyes flickering with something that Finn couldn't quite decipher.
"I'm afraid I can't help you there," he finally said. "We have guests from time to time, but the place has been quite quiet recently."
Finn and Amelia exchanged another look. Finn wasn't certain, but he suspected that Edward was hiding something, but they didn't want to push too hard just yet.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help," Edward then said. "But I have some business I must attend to."
Finn knew that they didn't have any way to force Edward to open up, but as he had learned throughout his life, there was more than one way to skin a cat.
"I totally understand," Finn said. "But before you go, do you know Dolores Mayfield?"
Edward looked shocked. "Yes..."
"She is a cousin of the Prime Minister's," Finn offered.
"I know."
"I'm sorry to say that she was one of the other victims," Finn said.
Edward said nothing, but Finn noticed that his mask had slipped. Some emotion filtered through for a moment.
"You... You best come in, then," he said, turning and leading them up a set of gran stone steps and through aged oak doors inside.
"Come with me to my sitting room, please," Edward said in a low voice.
Together, they walked down a long hallway, adorned with intricate tapestries and oil paintings.
As they ventured forward, Finn was awestruck. The lengthy hall was ornamented with magnificent tapestries and framed works of art. The walls were lined with velvet tapestries depicting great battles from long ago, and ornate oil paintings of knights and ladies that had lived many years prior. Every step brought him closer to the grandeur of the castle's interior.
They eventually arrived at a grand wood-paneled sitting room, an impressive testament to the elegance of days gone by. Every inch of the room was meticulously adorned with intricate details, from the delicate inlays on the ceiling to the sculpted marble fireplace. Finn could scarcely believe his eyes as he drank in every detail.
Edward motioned for Finn and Amelia to take a seat on a plush couch while he poured a glass of scotch from an exquisite decanter on a nearby table.
"Would you care for a drink?" Edward asked. "It's 50 year old single malt."
Finn's eyes lit up. The oldest whiskey he had ever drank was less than 30, and that cost a fortune. He looked at Amelia hopefully. She shook her head with a raised eyebrow like chastising a child.'
"No, thank you," Amelia said. "We're on duty."
