The Toast of the Town (Fox & Oakby Murder Mysteries Book III)

Loose End

Author's Note:

My darlings, this is the last chapter of The Toast of the Town. Thank you so much for patiently waiting for updates, reading, and commenting! It is you, my dear readers, who kept me going, all through the challenging two years that have passed since I started this story - and into the glorious future full of regular updates, one hopes! 

Don't miss the cover for the next Fox & Oakby story posted above this chapter. A Woman About Town (Fox & Oakby Book 4) is coming this Thursday, April 21!

Love you with all my heart,

K. xx

***

"... and they still haven't apprehended Katie, but Carolina started talking once the police mentioned the incident with the knife," Imogen finished her story.

She picked up the cup of the Titan's excellent Darjeeling and took a sip to soothe her tired throat. She'd been talking for the past half an hour, while her audience - the Titan, Petra, and the Mayor - had been nodding, gasping, and altogether reacting in the most supportive way.

"Obviously, she's now trying to blame everything on Katie," Imogen added with a sigh. "But the other members of her gang testified that Carolina had been the one to order the killings, and that she'd been making all the decisions when it came to burglaries as well. Oh, and Alexander Volchok was acquitted of all charges of aiding and abetting. Just as he said, he'd simply rented the safe in his shop to Carolina. He obviously had suspected that since the burglars hadn't gone to the bank, the valuables must have been obtained illegally. He'd returned all of them to their rightful owners, including the Darlings and Mr. Guthrie."

That's when the Titan made a low throaty noise, and Petra giggled.

"And among them, the Reliquary that I'd been searching for this whole time!" the archeologist exclaimed and snorted. "You should have seen His Excellency's face when Mrs. Dyre– I mean, Mrs. Guthrie presented him with it."

At the mention of his daughter's new surname, the Titan cringed as if suffering of acute toothache.

"And to think of it," Petra continued, throwing Mr. Oakby Snr a cheeky side glance, "I've wasted so much time digging all over the Oakby estate and researching the library." Petra clicked her tongue. "It seems I was pestering a wrong Oakby."

The Titan didn't take the bait and just gave her a sardonic look from under a raised eyebrow.

"Apparently Fleckney is the third province Carolina's crew had targeted," the Mayor spoke, clearly trying to change the subject. "It has been their MO: Carolina established connections with banks, insurance companies, and sought out wealthy men to liberate them of their possessions later."

He made a meaningful pause, and Imogen squirmed in her chair uncomfortably. Petra gave the Titan a gleeful look, as if saying 'That would be you!' while the man in question remained unfazed, enjoying his cuppa with a slightly bored expression on his face.

The Mayor drank his tea and then continued, "They were just fortunate, if such a term applies to this situation, that their contact in CyberFleck also provided them with a convenient assassin."

"I still can't fully comprehend it," Imogen said mournfully. "We went to school together! Everyone knows Katie's family! Her sister lives in Abernathy! I thought it only happens in mystery novels and in half-serious telly series!"

The Mayor chuckled. "I have to say, darling, that after getting to know your friend Viola, I'm starting to believe that anyone can turn out to be a skilful combatant."