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Mulberry led them to a waiting car, his enthusiasm barely contained as he held the door open for them. "It's not every day we get detectives of your caliber in Cornwall," he said, his voice filled with a mix of pride and excitement.
Finn settled into the car, his mind already turning over the few details they had. A potential double homicide in an old castle, a prime minister's cousin among the victims—this was the kind of case that demanded everything they had. And as the car pulled away from the station, Finn felt the familiar surge of intrigue that came with each investigation, and intrigue that would distract him, for a time, from his personal problems.
CHAPTER FOUR
As the car wound through the verdant Cornish landscape, Finn found himself captivated by the rolling hills and rugged coastline that flashed by the window. The raw beauty of the area was a stark contrast to the grim reason for their visit. His gaze lingered on the ancient stone walls and the fields, a patchwork of greens and browns, before being drawn back to the task at hand.
Amelia, sitting beside him, turned her attention to Constable Mulberry. "Can you give us any more details about the case?" she asked, her tone professional yet tinged with concern. "We weren't given much by our boss."
"Boss?" Finn said. "Rob? Well, he's your boss, let's not overstate things."
"Oh, you don't like your superiors?" Mulberry asked, glancing in the rearview mirror at Finn and Amelia, then refocusing on the road ahead.
"Superior!?" Finn said, looking at Amelia. "This is getting out of hand. Rob will have a field day if he hears that. He'll never let me hear the end of it."
"Finn is a consulting detective," Amelia said. "He's good friends with my boss, Chief Constable Collins. But yes, I suppose technically, he's not Finn's boss."
"Ah," Mulberry said in a thick Cornish accent.
But Finn had the feeling he was just being police.
"So," Finn asked. "What can you tell us about what's happened here, Mulberry?"
"Well, the whole area around St Martin's Castle was hit by a terrible flood last night. It was one of the worst we've seen in years."
Finn's brow furrowed at the mention of the flood. Natural disasters often brought unforeseen complications to investigations, wiping away evidence.
"Were there any casualties or injuries reported because of the flood?" Amelia inquired, her voice steady, but Finn could sense the undercurrent of empathy in her words.
Mulberry shook his head slightly, his expression somber. "The emergency crews are still assessing the situation. The flood was quite sudden and caused a lot of chaos. But what's most disturbing is that when the water started to recede around the castle, they found two bodies. That's why you're here."
Finn and Amelia exchanged a glance, a silent communication they had perfected over their time working together. The discovery of bodies in the aftermath of a natural disaster was not uncommon, but something in Mulberry's tone suggested that this was no ordinary finding.
"Any identification on the victims yet?" Finn asked, his detective instincts kicking in.
Mulberry nodded. "I'm not sure yet, Inspector Ulman will have that information when we get there. We believe at least one of the victims may have been on her way to visit the castle when the flood hit. But there's a peculiar aspect to it—the way the bodies were found."
Amelia leaned forward, her interest piqued. "Peculiar how?"
"The bodies... they were positioned in a way that doesn't seem accidental. It's almost as if they were placed there deliberately to make it look as though the flood swept them there."
Finn looked out at the passing countryside and could see pockets of water and localized flooding. It was a complication he didn't need. As the car continued its journey towards St Martin's Castle, Finn couldn't help but feel a growing sense of unease. The idyllic scenery outside belied the dark reality that awaited them—a reality where nature's fury had potentially unearthed a human-made horror.
Amelia, ever the analytical mind, was already jotting down notes in her small notebook. Her green eyes flicked up to meet Finn's and then back to her work.
The car turned onto a narrower road, the ancient stones of St Martin's Castle coming into view in the distance, its foreboding silhouette a stark against the gray November skies. As they approached, the castle seemed to loom over the landscape, a sentinel guarding untold secrets, and Finn wondered how many battles, how many struggles, it had seen in its hundreds of years of existence.
What were two more bodies to the depths of history? Finn answered that question immediately in his head. Each person counted. Every. Single. One.
The car approached St Martin Castle, its bright red sandstone structure standing out even more the closer they got. The castle, with its unique and striking appearance, seemed almost defiant in the face of the natural disaster that had swept through the area. The surrounding land was visibly waterlogged, testament to the ferocity of the previous night's flood.
Finn peered out at the swollen river nearby, its banks breached in the deluge. The water had receded somewhat, but the damage was extensive. The land around the castle exposed the power of nature, with debris scattered haphazardly and patches of standing water reflecting the gray skies above.
"I hope everyone got out the flood's way in time," Finn muttered, his eyes scanning the scene. The thought of people being caught unawares by such a flood was unsettling.
Amelia, looking out her window at the castle, said, "Despite everything, the castle's still standing. It's like it's weathered a thousand storms before this. I assume those inside were probably safe."
As they neared the castle, Constable Mulberry slowed the car to a stop at a police checkpoint set up outside the perimeter. An officer approached, his expression grave as he recognized Mulberry.
