Page 2 of The Vanished

“Lynn rang me this morning.”

“And?” Quinn asked, drawing out the question.

“She is not one to let the grass grow under her feet. After her show was canceled, she moved to the Lake District and opened a manor house hotel. The place was perfect for romantic weekends and intimate weddings. It became a popular destination for holiday makers, so she decided to expand. She purchased another property at the start of the pandemic, when the prices on stately homes took a nosedive, and opened the doors of her new hotel just over a year ago. It’s a gorgeous property on the shores of the Irish Sea.”

Quinn had a pretty good idea where this was heading but did not interrupt. Rhys would get to the point in his own time.

“Not one to allow empty space to go to waste, Lynn decided to build a yoga studio and spa on the grounds of the hotel. When the workers began to clear away the trees and bracken, they came upon a disused well. Of course, they could hardly leave it. Health and safety and all that,” Rhys said with a dismissive wave of the hand.

“What did they find?”

“A bog body,” he announced triumphantly.

“In a well in the Lake District?”

“Well, it’s not a bog in the literal sense, but the water in the well was so peaty, it preserved the remains. Once the police declared it a historic burial and lost interest in the body, Lynn immediately got in touch.”

“Because an episode of Echoes from the Past set at her hotel wouldn’t do her bookings any harm,” Quinn concluded.

“No, it wouldn’t. And it wouldn’t do you any harm either,” Rhys reminded her. “How do I put this politely?”

“I’m sure you’ll find a way,” Quinn said and grinned. She valued Rhys’s honesty and never took offense at anything he said.

“Your reputation is in the toilet, and if you hope to regain some measure of credibility, you need to own your gift and show the viewers what you can do. You need to be loud and proud.”

“And if I don’t want to be either?”

“Then I will accept your decision and never mention Echoes again,” Rhys solemnly vowed.

“Really? You mean it?”

“Not a word of it, but I thought it sounded good and would make you feel guilty enough to consider a trip to the Lake District.”

“What, now? I have to collect the children from school in a few hours.”

“No, you don’t. I already rang Gabe and asked him to get the children. You’re free as a bird.”

“You called Gabe before you spoke to me?” Quinn exclaimed, a little annoyed that Gabe hadn’t told her. But then Rhys had probably asked him not to say anything before he’d had a chance to explain the situation in person. “And what did he have to say about it?”

“He said it was entirely your decision.”

“What did he really say, Rhys?” she demanded.

“He said he was green with envy and wished he had your ability.”

Gabe probably had not said that, but he’d expressed his envy of Quinn’s ability on several occasions. As an archeologist, there was no greater gift than to be able to see into the past and view things as they really had been and not as historians imagined them. And to experience the events through someone else’s eyes, and in the case of a nameless victim, to be able to give them their voice back, was an opportunity not to be missed.

“Do we know anything about the deceased?” Quinn asked, her mind already turning to the case.

“We know she was a young woman,” Rhys said. “And she wore a silver ring on the fourth finger of her left hand.”

“How long has the well been sealed?”

“No idea.”

“And I suppose the police have checked missing persons reports going back several decades and no one matched her description? Or is the body older than that?”

“I honestly couldn’t tell you. But I’m sure a postmortem and carbon dating would paint a clearer picture.” Rhys raised one eyebrow. “Does this mean you’re officially back?”