Page 25 of Love Bomb

Margaret’s eyebrows shot up. “Please tell me you aren’t going to steal dynamite?”

“No, I’m not. Conall says they don’t use it anymore.”

Margaret sniffed suspiciously and folded her arms under her ample bosom. Middle age spread looked good on her. So did the grey streaks in her hair. “What are you going to steal, Rona?”

“Who says I’m going to steal anything?” She tried to look innocent, but Margaret clearly wasn’t buying it. “Fine. I need to find a way to bring down the folly. I’m hoping there’s something lying about in Bain’s lab that will do the job.” She held up a hand when Margaret opened her mouth to protest. “I have no intention of blowing myself up. But I’m desperate here, and you can’t just go and buy explosives at the supermarket.” Or order them off the internet. She knew because she’d already tried.

“I don’t like the idea of you doing something dangerous,” Margaret said. “But I understand why you want the folly gone, and I’m not against the cause. Between you and me, I’ve never seen the point of that building anyway. An observatory?” She scoffed. “Why would we need to block out the light to see the stars? We live in the highlands. It’s already dark here. Plus, I think we have more than enough monuments to men, and all their bits.”

Rona felt hope grow. “So, you’ll help me?”

“If you promise not to get yourself hurt.”

“I swear.” She crossed her heart.

“Okay then. You know, I’m not unfamiliar with nighttime shenanigans,” Margaret said, beginning to look excited. “I’ve done my fair share of breaking and entering for the cause. I’m certain you could benefit from my expert advice.”

Okay, Rona had to ask. She sat back on her heels. “What cause?”

“There was the time we were at war against the old lingerie shop because they’d set up in competition to my Kirsty, and we broke in to sabotage their lingerie plans.” She smiled. “Of course, it all worked out in the end. Kirsty married the competition owner and he turned his shop into a security business. Last time I broke in somewhere, it was to yarn bomb the pub in protest of…” she trailed off. “You know, I can’t remember why we yarn bombed the pub. I must be getting old! All I know is that Dougal deserved it.”

“You yarn bombed your husband?” Rona had really missed Invertary.

“This was before he wooed me. Mind you, if he crossed the line now, I’d do it all over again. But Dougal isn’t the point of this. Bain’s lab is.” Margaret frowned in concentration. “If I remember right, the boys put cameras up around Bain’s shed. You’ll need a way to disable them.”

“There might be an alarm as well,” Rona said.

“And door locks to get past. At least their work sheds are in the middle of a field, so you don’t have to worry about making noise. But the cameras are a problem. By the time you get close enough to cover them, they’ll have spotted your purple coat. You might as well wear a name badge.”

“I know,” Rona said. “That’s why I’m searching through the lost and found.”

Margaret got to her feet. “Come with me. We’ll go out the back door and wander over to the house. I’ve got a black coat you can borrow, and Dougal has a black wooly hat he’s never likely to wear. We can cut some holes in it and turn it into a ski mask. You’ll also need a way to block out the cameras.”

Rona got to her feet and followed Margaret through the building, and out into the snow-covered street. They weren’t wearing their coats, so the cold hit like a sledgehammer, but it was only a couple of minutes to the small house Margaret shared with Dougal.

Once inside, Rona took a deep breath. It smelled like cookies, and pine trees, and home. Suddenly, her throat felt a little tight and she had to blink to clear her eyes. With effort, she focused on the task in hand.

“The website I read said I needed red spray paint to cover the camera lenses,” Rona said as Margaret led her into the kitchen, where the cookie smell was strongest. The walls were covered with family photos, and there was a box of toys under the table, waiting for her grandkids to play with them. “I don’t know why it has to be red. I’m not sure the site was reliable, but better safe than sorry. Do you have any red spray paint?”

Margaret thought hard as she switched on the kettle. “Might as well have some tea while we’re here,” she said. “And no, I don’t think I have any spray paint at all, but I might know somebody who does. Let me make some calls.” She took a biscuit tin from the shelf and handed it to Rona. “Help yourself. You know, it’s a pity we can’t get my son-in-law to help us. He’s got loads of gadgets that would make your job easier. I remember him talking about a signal jammer that could disable cameras, that would have come in handy.”

“A signal jammer sounds awesome,” Rona said as she dug out a chocolate chip cookie.

Margaret sighed. “Sadly, Lake is a bit of a stickler when it comes to helping people commit crimes. He says it affects his business reputation, but I’ve seen how Benson Security works, and those specialists of his have no problem breaking the rules when it suits them. I think he’s just trying to keep me out of trouble. It’s very annoying, and it also means I’m on my own when it comes to my forays into crime. But don’t worry, I have plenty of resources we can tap into that don’t care what I get up to. We’ll get you sorted.”

“Thank you,” Rona said suddenly overcome with emotion. She put down the biscuit tin and wrapped Margaret in a hug. “I really appreciate any help I can get.”

“Don’t worry, Rona,” Margaret said. “I’ve got your back, love. That’s what family is for.”

Rona sniffed and blinked back yet more tears. “Got any hairspray?” she asked Margaret.

To her delight, Margaret didn’t even ask why she needed it. “Dougal’s well stocked. I’ll get you a can.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“Next time you decide to become a criminal,” Rona told herself, “do it in the summer!”

She’d parked her car beside the path leading up to Bain’s shed. The snow on the ground was so thick you could barely see where the road stopped and the grassy verge started, which made Rona very pleased she’d fitted snow chains to her tires.