"Katherine Kurtz - Adept 02 - The Lodge of the Lynx" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kurtz Katherine)

"Mystery, indeed," he murmured. "I wonderтАж"
Reaching behind him, he snagged the telephone and punched out the numbers that would give him the
residence of Detective Chief Inspector Noel McLeod, veteran of many such unsolved "mysteries." The line
picked up on the third ring.
' 'Edinburgh 7978,'' rumbled a familiar bass voice at the other end of the line.
Adam's expression eased slightly. "Noel? Adam here. I don't suppose you were listening to the news just
now?"
"The bit on Balmoral? Aye, that I was," said McLeod. "I was in the middle of shaving when Jane called me out
to see it."
Adam found himself smiling at the mental image of McLeod hurrying into the sitting room with the shaving
foam still on his chin.
"I don't suppose you know any more about it than I do, then," he said. "What did you think?"
"My first thought was to be thankful it's outside my jurisdiction," McLeod replied. "It was only the bit about
the lightning strike that gave me second thoughts."
"Hmmm. Me, too," Adam said. "At the very least, I wonder who the unnamed witnesses are. It seems
strange that anyone should attribute the damage to a freak lightning strike, unless that was precisely what
they thought they saw. It could be that there's nothing more to it than some odd trick of the weather, but I
don't know that I'm prepared to make that assumption."
"Aye." McLeod's brusque reply made it clear that he was digesting what Adam had just said - and not said.
"Well, I don't suppose it would do any harm to have a wee look over the ground, once the press have backed
off the case - if only to set our minds at ease."
"My thinking, precisely," said Adam. "If you can arrange the time off, perhaps we could drive up to Balmoral
some time early next week."
"No problem there," said McLeod. "I'll ring you once I've had a chance to set it up. Were you maybe thinking
to bring along young Lovat?"
"If he wants to come," said Adam, with an inquiring glance toward Peregrine, who had been listening avidly to
Adam's half of the conversation and now nodded vehemently. "As a matter of fact," Adam went on, grinning,
"he's here with me now. We've been out for a ride. I'm being given to understand that a team of wild horses
couldn't keep him from coming along."
McLeod chuckled.
"In the meantime," Adam continued, "I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be left to enjoy the weekend
in peace. Give my love to Jane, and I'll look to hear from you in a few days."
With that assurance, he rang off. No sooner had he set down the receiver, however, than the instrument gave
out with another trill of summons. Surprised, Adam answered it himself.
"Strathmourne, Sinclair here."
"Adam? Good Lord, you've answered your own phone!" said a man's musical tenor, as familiar in Adam's ears
as McLeod's gravelly bass. "Oh, capital! I was afraid I might have missed you. It's Christopher here. Seen the
news broadcast this morning?"
"If you're referring to that incident up at Balmoral, I've just been on the phone about it with Noel," Adam said.
"Ah, then it struck you as odd, too," the other replied, with jaunty good humor. ' 'Well, we can talk about it
further when we meet up. You are still coming?"
"Of course. I was planning to leave as soon as I'd finished breakfast and gotten cleaned up," Adam said. "I
gather there's been no change since we last spoke?"
"No, not that I know of."
"In that case, we'll carry on as planned. By the way," Adam added, "I happen to have someone with me at
the moment who might be useful to have along. His name is Peregrine Lovat."
"The artist chap?"
"That's right. Would you mind if I were to bring him?"
"Mind? Good Lord, no!"
"In that case, I'll see if he minds."