A sailboat approached the island from the east. It did not go unobserved. On the roof terrace, Sir Renville watched their progress through his binoculars. "We have a very early bird indeed."
"Can you see who it is?" Lady Portia asked.
"It looks like the American couple, the school teachers." Sir Renville adjusted the range. "And if I am not mistaken, Ms. Stevens is with them."
"Odd pairing that." Lady Portia dialed a number on the mobile. "Mr. McAdoo, we have a confirmed sighting. Emily and John Moss and Ms. Stevens. Yes, together. Arrival by sailboat." There was a short pause while Mr. McAdoo's voice could be heard rattling off a series of instructions. "Yes, yes, we shan't let you down. Of course, Mr. McAdoo. Goodbye."
Sir Renville looked pointedly at his wife. "Whom are we not letting down?"
"Mr. McAdoo that's who. We are instructed to keep them under tight watch until the others have arrived."
"Should be easy. They can't get into much mischief at the harborfront can they?"
The waves lapped gently against the sleek sides of the sailboat calmly cutting its way across the bay heading for St. Michael's Mount. On board, Emily, John and Hermione made themselves comfortable trusting the boat's captain to get them across ahead of the others. Hermione looked behind her for any signs of pursuit.
"It looks like we'll beat everyone else to the island." John said. "Let's hope a headstart is all we'll need."
"Do you see him?" Emily Moss asked Hermione.
"No sign of him or anyone else." Hermione turned forward and looked at the island looming ahead. The him under discussion was Mr. Wright. Before taking the turn off to the sailing club, John Moss had spied Wright's motorcycle parked in front of the Chymoravah. They presumed that Wright was inside.
"He might have stopped by for an early breakfast." John conjectured.
"I can't shake the feeling that he went there for a reason." Hermione peered across the bay. "I wish I knew what it was."
"We'll find out in due time." Emily opened a thermos and began to pour fresh coffee for all of them. Hermione opened her small pad and began reviewing her notes in earnest.
-----
At the Chymorvah, Mr. Martin squirmed in his chair under the most intense gaze of Mr. Wright. He was under obligation to Mystery Event Planners to be as accomodating as possible but he would think twice about involving himself or the hotel in future events. Mr. Wright was proving positively unnerving. Charming enough he supposed but the man's stare could wound at ten paces.
"Now, Mr. Martin, let us go over this one more time. Just to make sure that nothing has been forgotten shall we?" Snape circled the hapless hotelier. "When the bus arrived at the ... this ... venerable establishment, we were ushered to the rear garden. Correct?"
"Yes. I was in fact introduced to all of you at that time. There was Mr. McAdoo, yourself, Mr. -"
"Yes, yes all of us. We began to take our tea and sandwiches." Severus paused. He found the man's slightly high pitched voice incongruous to his general hearty appearance. That coupled with the man's tendency to ramble only annoyed him all the more. Severus found himself hard pressed to keep Mr. Martin on course. "I was ... indisposed elsewhere. As I was not able to be around the others, I needs must rely on your keen observations of the others."
"I don't remember you sitting with any of the others. Wait, I do remember you plucking a rose from the bushes. Rather odd, I thought and -"
"I have an interest in botany, Mr. Martin. And I found your roses to be superb."
"Why, thank you, Mr. Wright. We pride ourselves on our landscaping. None better in Marazian. Though the Charleton Arms in Penzance comes close I will admit and -"
"I am quite sure your hotel has no peer in the landscaping arena, Mr. Martin." Severus interrupted. "Now, please recall the others, where they sat and who they sat with or talked to. Picture them in your mind. You may close your eyes if that helps."
"I'm afraid I don't remember names very well."
"Physical descriptions will do, Mr. Martin. Now take your mind back to when the group came in. First, tell me of those that you remember most clearly."
Mr. Martin did indeed have his eyes closed with his manicured hands clasped together on his lap. Loose strands of his brown hair were plastered on his damp forehead. "The one with the cowboy boots on. I thought it was quite tacky. With his jeans, a brown blazer with those patches on the elbows would have been much more fitting and that tie, heavens!"
"That would be Mr. Levinson. What was Mr. Levinson doing?"
"He seemed quite famished. He took several sandwiches away with him."
"Did he sit with anyone, close to anyone?"
"Let me see." Mr. Martin's brow creased in concentration. "Hmm, he was by a woman."
"Describe her please. Hair color, dress. Was she overly made up?"
"Oh, no, a plain jane she was. Rather mousy I thought. She was one of those kinds of women for whom the best description was 'brown' perhaps bordering on beige."
"Ms. McFadden."
"Ms. McFadden, thank you."
"Did Levinson spend the entire time with Ms. McFadden."
"Yes. Once he sat down beside her he didn't move at all. Neither did she."
"Did they talk much?"
"They seemed friendly enough I suppose."
"Let's move on. Who do you remember next?"
"The blond gentleman. His outfit was very well coordinated blue shirt with black slacks. Tricky combination that but he had just the right shade of blue. Wonderful toothy smile. Must have a very good dentist and -"
"That would Claymore, Mr. Claymore. What do you remember of him?"
"Well, he was by the railing looking at the island for a bit. Quite keen to cross over the bridge. I heard him say he was and he -"
"What did he do after he looked at the island?"
"He sat by another man. He had red hair. The other man I mean."
"Timmons. So they sat together the entire time."
"Yes and no. I don't quite -"
"Explain please."
"At first he sat with Mr. Timmons and another woman. Then -"
"Wait. Describe the woman."
Mr. Martin opened his eyes and he looked uncomfortable. "I don't want to comment on her dress sense because I couldn't be very complimentary and her makeup was -"
"That would be Ms. Danforth." Severus sat back in his chair looking at Mr. Martin intently. "So, she came by to sit with the two of them and -"
"No, no, Mr. Wright. She was already there. She was sitting with the red-haired man before Mr. Claymore came by."
"I ... see. What happened next?"
"They talked for a bit and then the woman said something. She laughed. Very loud girlish giggle it was. Then the red haired man stood up and took his food to another table with -"
"Mr. Claymore and Ms. Danforth were left at the table?"
"Yes. She seemed to find him fascinating."
"Where did Mr. Timmons go to?"
"Ah, let me think." Mr. Martin tapped his chin with his index finger lost in thought for a few seconds. "He sat with the Scotman. You can always tell a real Scot by the way he wears his plaid I always say and -"
"Mr. Maclemore."
"See, a true Scot. I'm rarely wrong about the plaid you see."
"Did Mr. Timmons move anywhere else?"
"No, he stayed put."
"All right, Mr. Martin. We are making remarkable progress. Who else do you remember?"
"Mr. McAdoo ate with the couple. Americans I think they were."
"Yes, John and Emily Moss. Anyone else?"
"The rather standoffish gentleman, almost rude. Hardly smiled at anyone. He just sat by himself."
"That would be Mr. Lewis. No one else?"
"There was one who I don't believe ate. He kept taking pictures of everyone."
"Mr. Ironside."
"Terribly athletic looking he was and -"
Severus rose. He held out his hand to Mr. Martin. "Thank you very much, Mr. Martin. You have been of immense help. You will be assured that I will tell Mr. McAdoo just how helpful you have been."
"Why anytime, anytime at all." Mr. Martin beamed as they shook hands. "Now, would you like a bit of breakfast? Our dining hall is open."
"How long til the first ferry?"
"Not for a while yet I'm afraid."
"In that case, please point me towards the breakfast room." Severus followed Mr. Martin his mind was whirling with details. The players were very clear now. I'm close to the who, but where is that charter?
-----
The bus lumbered on trailing the speedier motorcycles ahead. Oswald sat near the front of the bus keeping watch on the riders through his binoculars. On the seat opposite him Mr. McAdoo consulted his pad. He glanced obliquely at Mr. Lewis who was scribbling notes in a small memo pad in the rear of the bus. A lively lot this bunch is. Very competitive. Wonder how long before someone solves it?
-----
"Oh, it was right there in front of me! I don't believe it!" Hermione looked at her notes. Happiness and a hint of relief was evident on her face. "Merlin! I thought I'd lost my touch."
"Merlin's touch?" asked Emily.
"It's right here, Emily." Hermione waved her notes in the air. "So very clear."
"What's so clear?" asked John.
"I know who stole the charter!"
"Who?" asked John.
"Don't you see? It's a matter of timing. I don't know how I missed it before! It was so obvious." Seeing the blank looks on the couple's faces, Hermione continued on. "In order to get the charter, the thief needed one thing - time. Whoever did it had to have had more time than any of the rest of us."
"Lifting that frame and taking it out would have taken at least eight to ten minutes. Less if the person was a professional" Emily conjectured. "But we all spent about ten minutes just finding our rooms."
"Yes, from the roof to our rooms it was about ten minutes all around." Hermione agreed. "But there was one person who could have had more than ten minutes. That person removed the charter from the Library."
"Who?" John repeated.
"Who was the one person that no one mentioned, no one at all, as coming down from the roof?" Hermione's face glowed with her discovery. "Think. Everyone mentioned someone, didn't they? At least one person and sometimes two. Except for whom?"
Hermione could see that the couple was mentally sifting through all the detectives. John murmured to himself. "Who didn't anyone see coming down the stairs? Claymore ... Ironside ... Levinson ... "
Emily stood up suddenly. "By God, you're right, Diana. It has to be. There's no other answer that fits so well!"
"Yes, now all we need is the charter and we're halfway to solving this mystery." Hermione gazed at the island. "It's there. I know it's there."