Bradley alerted Calleach and the others that the Nelson family had called in Interpol and the Scottish police. Sorcha paced the keep nervously waiting for their arrival. Ella and Zefora kept pace with her while all of the men were busy preparing their statements.
"Do you think that we can lie convincingly to them?"
Zefora gave Sorcha an upbeat smile. "I believe we can. The Nelson clan has no proof that Calleach's family is busy siphoning off their money. Hell, they don't even know that you are actually a Hughes instead of a McAllister."
Sorcha nodded. Ella copied her before she took Sorcha's hand and squeezed. "We'll let the men do the talking."
"They'll ask you questions Sorcha since you are acting as secretary."
"Don't remind me Ella. I have hidden all of the real legal paperwork I have done in the hole. I'll be surprised if Interpol finds it down there. The hole is creepy as all get out."
Zefora laughed. "That's because it's a dungeon and nothing is as creepy as a dungeon in an old keep."
Maurice came scuttling down the hallway nervously wringing his hands. "They are here."
Sorcha gave the elderly man a smile. "Thank you Maurice. How about you find the men and then have a sniffer of brandy in your quarters?"
Maurice perked up. "Can I choose which brandy I want?"
Sorcha laughed as she gave Maurice an affectionate pat on the arm. "Yes, but don't drink too much. You're not a spring chicken anymore."
Maurice gave Sorcha a gap toothed smile before he scampered down the hallway in search of Calleach. Once Maurice's footsteps had died away did Sorcha, Ella, and Zefora head down to the study where Maurice had been told to put the detective from Interpol.
A group of three men stood as Sorcha entered the study with her sister and cousin in tow. "Welcome to Keep O'Brien. My name is Sorcha, this is my sister Ella and my cousin Zefora. Is there anything I can do for you?"
The man dressed in a dark gray suit shook the hand Sorcha held out to him. "My name is Detective Marques. These are Detectives Jacobson and Rowh." Detective Jacobson was in a brown suit and he nodded politely as he was introduced. Detective Rowh had on a black suit and his gaze shrewidly watched them.
Sorcha waved the men back to their seats. She sat down facing them while Ella and Zefora settled on two footstools nearby. They acted bored. Ella pulled out a file and began shaping her nails. Zefora watched her with avid interest before she asked if Ella would shape her nails.
The study door opened and Calleach came in with Sorcha's cousins while the Sinclair brothers trailed behind them. Bradley came in surprising Sorcha. Ella brightened and abandoned Zefora's nails so that she could go and snuggle up next to Bradley. She blushed at something Bradley said before she kissed him.
Sorcha introduced Calleach as the owner of the keep before she introduced her family and Bradley. Detective Marques shook hands with Calleach. Jacobson and Rowh remained silent and took everything in. Calleach sprawled into a chair next to Sorcha's while Amaranth leaned casually against Sorcha's chair. His fingers plucked at her hair. Sorcha glared at him before she swatted his hand away.
"What pleasure brings you out here to our wonderful islands?"
Marques cleared his throat and tugged at his collar. "We have received a tip about some money being stolen."
Calleach frowned. "That's terrible news. I will do everything I can to help."
Detective Marques nodded. "A family of high importance in Scotland has come to believe that your family has been stealing their money."
"I have family all over Scotland. We have hands in various businesses. Could this be a disgruntled customer that my family has dealt with being angry that they didn't get the deal they wanted with my family?"
"What is it that your family does?"
Calleach let out a heaved a sigh before he gave a vague shrug with his shoulders. "The O'Brien family has varied interests. I have relatives who deal with book collecting, art dealers, antiques, agriculture, fashion, accounting, acting. You name it and I more than likely have a relative who either deals with a certain subject or knows someone who does."
"Do you have any relatives who have computer skills?"
Calleach gave Detective Jacobson a pointed look. "Everyone nowadays knows how to work with a computer. Do you have something more specific in mind?"
"Hacking."
Calleach frowned and scratched at his jaw. "I have some cousins and an uncle or two who are into programming computers. One works IT for the family business and several of my cousins have degrees in graphic design. They help build games for XBOX."
"What do you know about a family with the surname Nelson?"
Sorcha shifted in her chair and glared at Amaranth. She rubbed at her head where he'd pulled some of her hair. Amaranth gave her an innocent look. Sorcha huffed at him before she turned her attention back to what Calleach was saying.
"The O'Briens and Nelsons have been at each other's throats since the fifteenth century. Not quite sure why, but rumor has it that the Nelsons fell out of favor with the current king and they blamed the O'Briens for their ill fortune."
Detective Rowh gave a slight nod. Marques caught the nod. "Our research has turned up the feud you are speaking about. Could this just be another chapter to that feud?"
Calleach held up his hands in an innocent gesture. He looked at Bradley to see if he agreed with his words. "I agree that this would look like that, but why would the O'Brien family steal money from the Nelson clan. We make over 2 million pounds every month. It makes no sense why we would steal from someone else when we are as wealthy as we are."
"Greed." Detective Marques stated bluntly.
Calleach smirked. "You would think so. All my family has to do to earn more money is add another money making project to our plate. That could be as easy as selling a painting or writing another book. We are not hurting for money."
Calleach leaned back into his chair crossing his ankle over his knee and steepling his fingers. "I would suggest that you look elsewhere."
"Do you care if we go through your ledger?"
"If you think it'll help." Calleach motioned to Sorcha. "Sorcha keeps them in her office."
All three detectives stood. Detective Marques motioned for Sorcha to precede them. Sorcha gave them a smile before she led the way to her office. She pulled up all of the documents they needed. It didn't take them long to discover that truth of what Calleach had been talking about.
"Are these current?"
Sorcha stepped forward and looked at the papers that Detective Marques held out to her. "These are from last month. I have yet to receive anything for this month."
Marques nodded before he put the file back in the filing cabinet. He nodded to his partners and they stepped out of Sorcha's office and into the hall where Calleach waited. Marques shook hands with Calleach before handing him his card.
"If you think of anything else."
Calleach nodded as he tucked the card into his pocket. "Shall I show you out?"
Calleach rejoined everyone in the kitchen. He accepted the bottle that Bradley handed him. Calleach drank deeply before he wrapped an arm around Sorcha's waist and buried his nose in her hair.
"Do you think they'll be back?"
Bradley snorted. "I doubt it Bishop. There was nothing for them to latch onto here. They'll do some digging into the O'Brien family, but it won't return much more than what Calleach already told them. The triplets have covered their tracks well. On paper, we are legitimate looking."
Sorcha relaxed back into Calleach. She rubbed at the headache that was throbbing in her temples. "I'll be glad when this is over with."
Calleach chuckled. "All of us will." Calleach paused. "Well, maybe not the triplets, but they will get over it."
Bradley laughed. "Those three are busy making sure that there is a trail to follow in their dealings with the Nelsons. Those three have made up an invisible persona of a group of hackers who go after wealthy individuals. They have called themselves the Ghost Protocol and have tied this hacker group in deep with the mafia and cartels around the world. Interpol will be too busy trying to unravel that mess to bother worrying about the O'Brien family."
Beau whistled. "I have got to meet these triplets. They sound like fun to be around."
Calleach snorted. "Sure, if you want to end up arrested because they pull you into trouble and then bail on you."
Sorcha giggled. "I take it that they did that to you."
Bradley sniggered. "Calleach spent a night in jail because he got into a fight with a bouncer at a bar."
Calleach pointed a finger at Bradley. "A fight that Max started when he was hitting on the bouncers woman."
Zarr grinned wickedly at his brothers who both flipped him off before he spoke to the others. "That sounds like something we did back in college."
Zefora smacked Zarr across his chest making him rub at the afflicted area. "Mom and Dad were pissed at the three of you."
Sorcha grimaced before she pulled away from Calleach. "I am in need of a cool shower and a dark room. Those detectives made my head hurt."
"I'll come with you."
Sorcha gave Calleach a faint smile. "I'll put you to work rubbing my neck and shoulders. I have a kink in my neck from peering sideways at my papers every time those detectives asked me a question."