The de Vere Deception (David Thorne Mysteries Book 1) (22 page)

I don’t know what to do, or who I can trust with this information, so I am in the  process of finding someone who may give me advice and assistance.

The second smaller document is a letter to Richard Moldar from his father Thomas and tells about the origin of the stones in the necklace. Both letters are weathered with age and are difficult to read even under the best of circumstances. I went to a specialist in antiquated documents in Newcastle and told him this was an old novel. I asked him to authenticate the period of the document and give me a transcription, which is enclosed. Please remember to provide for Helena if anything happens to me.

She has been a wonderful wife.

My unending gratitude,

Frederick Hollister

Stratford-upon-Avon

October 23, 2012

Chapter 48

Thorne paused after reading Freddie Hollister’s letter. He collapsed in the chair in the cramped cubicle and realized Freddie’s real purpose. His plan to acquire big money was to secure financial security for his wife, Helena—and now Thorne was part of that plan.

            Staring at the letter, he began to think how he could extract himself from this convoluted maelstrom. His mind was in a tumult. Events were pressing in, crowding in upon him.

            No, don’t panic, he told himself. Get control. Think. No impulsive moves to run. Think it out before you make a decision. Remember, you had a friend in Freddie. Don’t abandon your friends. For you, they’re few and far between.

            He sat in the same position for the next fifteen minutes until he was interrupted by a man’s voice through the curtain. “Is everything all right, Mr. Thorne?”

            “Yes, thank you. I’m just going over a few things. It may take time.”

            “That’s all right, Sir. Please feel free to take as much time as you need.”

            He went back to reviewing the transcripts of the documents. Carefully removing the plastic inserts containing the aged documents from the envelope, he set them aside. He scanned the transcription of the first document and realized he’d already seen it. It was the copy of the letter that had been furnished him by Bada and Freddie in Scottsdale and the one he’d read on the flight to England.

            He read again the first page of the transcript he had previously seen.

To my deare son Bascomb

In the yeare of our Lorde 1594

I wish you goodspeede on travel to the Newe World.

Our woorke and stryving in tyme should yield goode

benefitte to us for our Patent of Monopoly for the

newe tobacco and corne to England. You are commended

for your labours and are a wyse young man naming sons

Cecil for Lord Burghley and Raleigh for the Queene’s

friende. Burghley is a wyse man and doth gyve us

the Patent. He hathe received great support from me.

I now gyve you other counsel to remember. In previous

yeares your tutor Warren Cagney hathe sat at meate

at Moldar Manor with the man Edward de Vere. A man of

talent clever and accomplished and fitte and well

traveled. Cagney saith he was a goode and trusted

freend of de Vere and tutor in his tender yeeres.

Cagney when visited upon by the man who spoke in

private of his family tree and records. He did shew

these to Cagney and he marveled. He did also shew

his writing of playes and poetry and giveth them to

Cagney. They bespoke of strange things of highe

importance of Court and suche. They bespoke also of

a Venetian merchant, a high-borne and sad Denmarke

prince, a violent Moor and others. The man de Vere

asketh Cagney for the safekeeping of suche and

saith a gentleman cannot offer suche and would

suffer damage at Court. He taketh another name.

Upon arrest and debtors prison for Cagney he doth

leaveth all his goodes and de Vere papers behind in

the manor and de Vere papers may be used for oure

benefitte when needes be to  seeketh the Queene’s

favour. I have builded her a castle and a Keepe and

these treasures are kept safe where the poesies doth

welcome and should I pass you will fynd such upon

your safe return from the Newe World.

The transcription of the second page of the Richard Moldar letter to his son Bascomb, had been described in Freddie’s note. Thorne now realized why the letter had stopped so abruptly on the first page.

Chapter 49

This second page took up where the first page left off.

Other treasure, hid too where the poesies also welcome, is suche of rare diamondes to maketh of us the most desirable of all men before our gud Queene Elizabeth. This treasure I freely gyveth her when she cometh to Kilshire. I have a necklace mayde of the diamondes given me by my deare father Thomas may God rest his Soule. The stones were placed in designe by Henri DuBoise of Paris and the most prominent diamonde is large and magnificent and one of pinke. Its name was called by the king of the island Fire of Ar-Wan and it is surely priceless. My deare father Thomas Moldar May God rest his Soule giveth when upon his death bede to me his son Richard the diamonds and his letter and it telleth of the origin of diamondes.

Fair Winds and Affection,

Your Father

Richard Moldar

Earl of Hofley.

In the yeare of our Lorde

1594

The letter Richard spoke of was the smaller document that had been included with the other two sheets of parchment.

To Deare Son Richard

In my manner I writ you and my gud King Henry is dead, God rest his Soule. I too will soon take  leave of you. I gyve my guds and lands to you, deare son. In packet withe this is my treasure of stones from my father Geoffrey Moldar, God rest his Soule. When at a tender age in 1507 I tooke my dvffle to sea with my father Geoffrey Moldar, God rest his Soule, and my fellowes Chandler Garret and David Doyle of Manchester and Joshua Jacobs and the Travis brothers, Corey Travis and Nicholas Travis, God rest their Soules. All fyne freends to drinke and wench and makemerrie and set at meate with. We all became gud friends with the holystone and to scrvbe the decks. Our gud King Henry, God rest his Soule, charged us to sea for guds in the East with leaders Captaine Peter Alexander and Captaine Richard Cotton and Captaine Gregory Frederick, God rest their Soules. All ships in the flotilla of Admiral Samuel Leon, God rest his Soule. Diego Dias, the Portugee, fovnd the islande of Madagascar gud for lymes after much salmagundi in 1500. We did followe his rovte of traval around Africa and were blown southe to

unknown lande. My father Geoffrey Moldar, God rest his Soule, did go ashore in a smalle boate with five other stout men in the darke nighte on the unknown land of King Anikan and found his treasure of golde and great and valuable stones.

He returneth to the ship with his eye out and dreadfully wounde on his head and did hide up the stones in the hold and he did yeeld to death at dawn. He gyveth me his bootie and charged me home to England lest crewe gyve me the Black Spote and stealeth the treasure. My gud King is now dead, God rest his Soule. I go soon.

Your Father with Loving Affection,

Thomas Moldar

Earl of Hofley

Stratford-upon-Avon

In the yeare of our Lorde

1548

Thorne now knew where the necklace he’d found had originated. He revisited the question in his mind who the necklace belonged to, and who was working clandestinely with Freddie.

            Normally, the legal owner of the castle, the Bada family—or Bada, Limited—owned what might be found within its walls. Then again, would the necklace ever have been found were it not for Freddie and his curious spirit? Upon Freddie’s death, should it go to Helena? That was Freddie’s desire. What about the partners of the original group that hired him; Bada, Raskin, Blackstone, and Kirk-Halstrom? Should they share in the find?

            What about the partners in the castle that night? It would appear those partners—whoever they were—should not be considered true partners, and were probably responsible for Freddie’s death. The conversation overheard by Thorne the second night at the castle seemed to indicate this might be the case.

            It would be just a matter of time before Freddie died. Thorne felt he should make another visit to Freddie and try and find out who these partners were. He placed the packet with the necklace and the plastic inserts containing the original transcripts of the documents back in the manila envelope. He paused before putting Freddie’s letter back in the envelope. He decided he should keep it, closed the safe deposit box, and called for the attendant.

Chapter 50

When Thorne stepped off the elevator at Freddie’s floor, he knew immediately he was too late. Helena was in a corner crying uncontrollably and being comforted by a man and a woman.

The doctor was speaking to another group of four. One of the young women was sobbing and wiping her face with a handkerchief.

            The doctor broke from the group and Thorne caught him as he headed back down the hall. “Pardon me, but I’m here to inquire about Mr. Frederick Hollister.”

            The doctor stopped briefly and shook his head. “I’m afraid he didn’t make it. Fortunately, he was in no pain when he went. I’m sorry.”

            Thorne found a chair in the corner. Helena saw him and went to him. She was still sobbing. “Freddie is—”

            “I know, the doctor told me. I’m sorry to hear it. Freddie was a good man, an exceptional man.”

            She stopped crying. “I knew it would happen all along, but when it does you—”

            “Is there anything I can do, Helena?”

            She was resolute. “I need to get the affairs of the bookstore in order and determine how Freddie would have wanted us to proceed.” She moved closer to him and said in a low voice, “If you could come by the store tomorrow morning, I’d like to talk to you about something very important. Around nine o’clock?”

            “Of course. In the meantime can you ask the nurse to release Freddie’s medical information to me?”

            Helena and Thorne went to the nurse’s station and she asked the nurse to release the information. She thanked Thorne again before returning to the man and woman she been talking to. A petite, efficient-looking woman in her fifties was summoned to the counter. “Yes? What can help you with, Sir?” She spent ten minutes describing the extent of Freddie’s  injuries and his condition before he died.

            “Mr. Hollister said nothing before he died, except to inquire about his wife.”

            As he went down on the elevator, he wondered what Helena Hollister wanted to talk to him about that was so important. With Freddie gone, she was the only person left in Stratford to whom he felt any obligation, as he could no longer help Gweneth.

At nine o’clock, the following morning Thorne went to Helena’s office in the bookstore. From the looks of the office, Helena had been there since early morning. The credenza was piled high with files and books. “Please sit down, David. I’m sorry, but the office is a mess. Freddie was great with customers and picking out books and all, but his organization of files and such was—”

            Thorne asked, “What can I do to help you, Helena?”

            “I remember you told me you were no longer working for Freddie’s group—Gil Bada and the others. I thought you might be able to work for me. What do you charge for your type of work?”

            This was it, he thought. Now he was in danger of being totally immersed in the affair. There was no way out. “Don’t be concerned about that. I was Freddie’s friend, and I want you to think of me as yours, too. I don’t want any fee to help.”

            “I’d feel better if you would—”

            He shook his head. “No, I just wouldn’t feel right. Please tell me what kind of help you need.”

            “Well,” she said haltingly, “I’ve been asked by Inspector Hammersmith if he could come by this morning. If you could stay until he comes, it would be helpful to me. I know he’s going to ask me a lot of questions and—”

            “I’ll be glad to remain while you talk to him. Perhaps I can help.”

            She gave a smile of relief. “Thank you.”

Chapter 51

Inspector Hammersmith was surprised to see Thorne when he entered the office. “I thought you had completed your work and was headed back to the U.S.?”

            “I thought I might be of help to Helena. I’ve moved out of the manor house, and now I’m staying at the White Rose until I go back to London.”

            Helena said, “I asked Mr. Thorne to come by. He was a good friend of Freddie and I thought he might help with the design of our living quarters in the castle. Regarding Freddie’s accident, I want to be as helpful as possible, but I don’t know what you need from me.”

            “You might have information that did not seem important at the time. Did Mr. Hollister have visitors recently.”