Disclaimer- Still not mine, darn it.
Author's Note- Well I'm amazed and very honored at the response this one has received. I hope you all continue to read and thank you all for the reviews, so far. Weel enou' o' ma clish-ma-claver, be a' it. (Well enough of my idle talk, let's be at it.)
Garret opened his mouth to answer, as Nigel walked in with Jordan and Bug on his heels.
Jordan walked over, eyeing Kate. "What's up Garret?"
"Jordan, Nigel, Bug. I think you recall my father?" At their nods he continued, telling them only the bare facts of Harry's abduction, leaving out Kate's involvement in the theft. As Garret told his friends about the situation and asked for their help, he noticed the curious looks cast in her direction.
"This is my half-sister Kate Macy; she was supposed to meet Harry here in Boston a week ago." She flashed him a smile of gratitude and shook hands with each of the three in turn, as Garret introduced them. "We're not sure how long the people Harry's gotten himself in trouble with are going to wait, so we need to get moving. Jordan, Bug, I need you two to go process room 3246 at the Excelsior Hotel. That's where Harry was staying and possibly where he disappeared. According to the desk clerk Kate questioned, Harry went up to his room and never came back down."
He turned to Nigel and showed him Kate's camera phone. "I need to know everything about this picture and anything you can give me on the text message that came with it and I need you to see if you can trace any incoming calls."
As they were talking, there was a beeping sound from the DNA analyzer. Bug stepped over, looked and turned to Garret.
"Dr. Macy, were you running the analyzer?"
"I was just showing Kate how it worked on a sample from each of us while we were waiting for you. The results aren't important." Garret told him; Kate rewarded him with a dazzling smile.
"Oh," the Indian doctor exclaimed, "that would be why there are 7 alleles in common on the two samples."
Kate gave Garret a puzzled look. "Translation we share a parent." Garret quirked a half-smile at her and she mouth 'told you'.
Nigel sat down to work as Jordan and Bug left for the hotel. Garret looked at Kate and raised an eyebrow, motioning to the door. She shook her head no and sat near Nigel's shoulder watching avidly as he worked his magic at the keyboard. Garret headed to his office to make some phone calls. After several moments, Nigel smiled at her.
"So, Dr. M never told us he had a sister."
"Well now, seeing he just discovered the fact himself, I'm no surprised." Kate answered speaking for the first time since the staff members had arrived. Nigel raised an eyebrow.
"Scottish?" Nigel blushed slightly at her smile.
"Well you've a talent for stating the obvious, my lad." Her eyes twinkled mischievously as she teased him. "Now can you explain what you'll be doing here with your fancy toy?" She gestured to the computer and then settled back as Nigel launched into an explanation. That's a nice specimen of a man. He has lovely eyes. Kate thought to herself as she listened to him, then began asking questions.
"You seem to understand computers pretty well." Nigel said after she'questioned him thoroughly; he was hoping for another smile from her.
"It comes in handy from time to time, in my line of work." Kate answered.
"And that would be?" Nigel asked curious to know more about the pretty redhead.
"I do a lot of work with security systems." Kate smiled mischievously.
"Security consultant, are you?" Nigel leaned back waiting for the latest results before he could continue.
"Of a sort, I mostly test systems on site, you might say." He wondered at the twinkle in her eyes as she answered him.
A half an hour had gone by when the door to the lab opened and Woody walked in grinning. "What's the deal, Nige? Dr. Macy called and said he needed to see me."
"Woodrow, this is Dr. M's sister, Kate." Nigel smiled as he continued the introductions. "Kate, this is our favorite detective, Woody Hoyt."
Kate's smile faltered at the word 'detective'. "Police detective?" She asked, hoping to hide the nervous note in her voice and trying to smile nonchalantly.
"Yeah, Boston PD. Hey you don't look so good, you might want to sit down." Woody reached out to help her and she took a quick step back.
"No, I'm fine; I think I'll just go have a word with Garret and maybe a bit of a lay down." She smiled a bit wanly and turned to Nigel. "Thanks for the explanation of your toy, Nigel. It was nice to meet you, Detective." Kate left as quickly as she could.
Nigel and Woody both stared after her for a moment.
"Nervous lady." Woody said. "Is she always that jumpy?"
"She was fine until you got here." Nigel looked puzzled. "Maybe it was your charming personality that put her off."
Kate hurried down the hall to Garret's office and burst in. "You called the police and didna warn me?" Nervousness made her accent very thick. "I canna stay here, I mun go now, you can call me when the copper's left."
"Kate slow down, I can't understand you." Garret said.
She took a deep breath and began again. "You called the bleeding cops and no warning at all one of the rotters pops up in the lab. I'm going back to my hotel; you can call me when he's gone."
"Kate, relax. Woody has no clue who you are and all I intend to tell him is that Harry wanted you to meet him in Boston." He put a hand on her arm. "You're acting guilty and it's going to make him curious."
"Well guilty is what I am. I like to stay a safe distance from the police. The last thing I need is for a Boston cop to tie me to the job I did here."
"What 'job'?" Garret asked.
"I'm not sure I should tell you. You are very friendly with the police and an upstanding citizen to boot." Kate began to regain a little of her normal cheer. "Aye well, in for a shilling in for a pound. Did you read of the theft of a few artifacts from The Norton Gallery six years ago?"
"Wasn't that the Scottish artifacts belonging to some local family? It was one of the biggest robberies in Boston history, the stuff was valued at well over 5 million dollars." Garret stopped. "You stole them? No wonder you can afford to give this Petrechenko the money for the egg."
"I did indeed and they were the property of a Highland family of my acquaintance, stolen from their ancestors after the Jacobite Uprising. Some things there aren't enough money in the world to buy. They're now safely back where they belong and for that one, mo brathair, I took not a bob. Some things should be done for their own sake." Kate's eyes were quite serious. "The damned Sassenachs stole enough of our heritage from us. I just restored a bit. But the law wouldna see it as such and I've no mind to argue the point."
"Calm down. Woody is here to help us get Harry back as quickly as possible, not to look for the thief that stole the crown jewels."
"The Honors, you mean." Kate smiled.
"What?" The seeming non sequitur threw him off.
"The Honors of Scotland are the royal regalia and reside safely in Edinburgh Castle. Well guarded by the spirits of The Bruce and Wallace." Kate grinned. "That, big brother, is quite safe from me. I'd sooner steal holy water from the pope, than lay hands on the Honors. The holy water would be less of a blasphemy."
"You are probably the craziest woman I've ever met." Garret laughed.
"It's part of my limitless charm." Kate joked and then grew a bit more serious. "How, pray tell, do we keep your copper from finding out about me? The minute he talks to one of Petrechenko's men, he'll know Harry had help and I'm the most likely suspect. Or are you making it up as you go along?"
"As far as Woody will know, you came to the States to visit Harry and stumbled into this mess. You are an innocent Scottish lady whose father has a shady past that is catching up with him." Garret told her. "And Woody won't be told any differently. Now, unless the cops have some reason to suspect you of anything, I think your best bet is to behave normally, anxious and concerned for your father, but not frightened of the police."
"Aye, you're a Macy, devious and smooth to a one we are. You sure you've never run a wee scam or two?" Kate teased.
"Only hustling some games of pool to pay bills in college." Garret admitted. "Now are you calm enough to talk to Woody?"
"Aye, bring on the copper and watch." Kate smiled charmingly. "I'll cootle him weel enou'."
"American or standard English, Kate, please." Garret felt a headache building and wasn't sure if it was from worrying about Harry or trying to understand Kate's Scots phrases.
"I said, brother, I'll handle him carefully." Kate teased him by speaking as though she were the Queen's own secretary and they both laughed as Woody knocked on the door of Garret's office.
A/N- Well let's see if Kate can work her magic on Woody and keep her secret. Any and all suggestions are welcome, so please review and remember 'Crabbit aye ye mun but neh fouthless flum.' (Angry if you must, but no useless or untrue flattery.) I just love searching for the right Scottish phrases.