A Vicious Cycle

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A Vicious Cycle Page 6

by Eliza Brookes


  “Well, that was a stroke of genius,” Ashlee commented, and Allegra smiled widely.

  “Come on,” Greta urged, “let’s go to the last video!”

  “I don’t think I can,” Allegra said unhappily, clicking around the screen. “It looks like she didn’t put a skip button in here. There’s only an option to make a new video or continue watching this one.”

  “I think she made it so that you have to watch whatever comes on,” Ashlee guessed, absent-mindedly playing with her earlobe.

  “That’s unnecessary,” Greta hugged, “why make it so difficult?”

  “I think it was another security measure,” Allegra mused, “so that if someone did get in, they would have to watch everything. That would give her time to stop them before they got to the most recent video.”

  “At least we got in,” Greta shrugged, “play it. Let’s see what she has to say.” Allegra nodded and positioned the laptop so that everyone could see. “Hold on,” Greta interrupted, “just send us the link and we’ll watch with you.” Allegra sighed and did as she asked. By the time they were in on the other side, she was almost bursting with anticipation.

  “Welcome weary traveler,” Penny said enthusiastically, “you are now in my domain, and here we play by my rules. Like any good filmmaker, I am forcing you to watch from the beginning. That’s the best place to start, after all!”

  “She had way too much energy,” Ashlee said tiredly, rubbing her eyes as she watched.

  “You remember what it was like to be young and get a full night’s sleep,” Greta said wistfully. Allegra pressed pause, causing Penny’s excited face to go quiet. She was a pretty girl who had inherited her father’s aristocratic features and her mother’s beautiful hair. Allegra was struck by how much she looked like her brother. Tyler and Penny shared the same haughty good looks, but Penny looked a lot friendlier and more approachable.

  “Alright you two, no talking during the show,” she chided, giving them both a stern look. Greta held up her hands in surrender while Ashlee grinned mischievously.

  “Okay, we promise,” Ashlee chuckled, “press play, I want to know what she says.”

  “I’ve been home for a week now, and you’ll never guess what happened!” Penny gushed, looking extremely excited. “I finally found it! After all these years. Look, it’s just as beautiful as I imagined.” She held up a journal that was almost identical to Sarah’s. Where Sarah’s diary was black leather, Ruby’s was a bright red, with the year stamped in the middle along with her initials.

  “To give you a little context,” Penny explained, “this is my grandmother’s sister’s diary. Complicated, right? I was in her room, hiding as usual, when I realized that I never looked in the air vent. All those years, and I never looked in the stupid air vent. Oh well, I finally did and there it was.”

  “Didn’t you look in the air vent?” Ashlee asked.

  “Well, obviously someone else got there first,” Allegra said sarcastically, gesturing at Penny.

  “No need to get so huffy,” Ashlee pouted, looking offended. Allegra raised her eyebrows and Ashlee sighed and rolled her eyes before pressing play again. This was going to be a long day.

  “I always wondered what happened to Ruby,” Penny said wistfully, “but every time I asked, I got into so much trouble. Grandmother would always yell at me, so I decided I would find out on my own. I had to go to school though, so I forgot about it for a while, but now that I’m back I am determined to find the truth. I have decided to devote this entire website to the documentary of what really happened. Can you believe it? My first documentary!”

  “So much energy,” Greta groaned, laying her head on the table.

  “Okay. To start off, I’m going to tell you everything I know about her. When I was about ten, I noticed that there was damage in one of the rooms near Grandmother’s side of the house. When I asked her about it, she yelled at me. I showed James and he told me that it was fire damage. From then on, I spent all my time in there. When I was thirteen, I found a family tree that Grandmother drew when she was a child. It turns out that she had a sister. When I asked, I got yelled at.”

  Penny paused there, a look of irritation passing over her pretty face. She tilted her head to one side as if she could hear something on the other side of the door. She shook her head and looked back at the camera.

  “You might as well know this about my family,” Penny said without her characteristic cheerfulness, “they won’t answer your questions, no matter how much you deserve to know. It’s better to just look for yourself.” She shook her head again and Allegra felt sorry for her when she noticed the pure frustration in her eyes. “Anyway, now that I knew about Ruby, I had to find out what happened to her. I found out that she disappeared on the night of the fire and that no one has seen her since.

  “I also found out that she spent all her time in my tree. That’s very exciting. I thought I was the only one who knew about it, but it also explains those initials that were always there. Now that I have her diary, I can finally find out where she went. I’m sure that she ran away and lived a life full of fabulous adventures. Like Margaret.

  “Oh, that’s right. I have to explain who Margaret is. Okay, so family legend says that Margaret was my Grandmother’s aunt, but that she ran away with a soldier after the world war. World War one, not two. It’s so sad that we had two of those. In any case, Margaret was always my hero. I wonder if Ruby will come back once I’ve found her. Anyone who sets fire to their room to run away is a hero in my book. I wonder if she’ll tell me how she did it.

  “I don’t think Grandmother will be happy to see her. Which is sad; I’ve always wanted a sister. Anyway, I’m going to record one of these every day until I find out what happened. I also can’t read it in the house, so I’ll take it out to the tree with me. Until next time, weary traveler!”

  The room went quiet when Penny switched the camera off and Allegra sat there quietly processing what she had just seen.

  “It sounds like she also wanted to run away,” Greta said softly.

  “She never said that,” Ashlee said hesitantly.

  “You could see it in her eyes,” Allegra told her, “she wanted to go.”

  Chapter Nine

  Allegra’s contemplative silence was broken when James knocked on her door. She sighed and went to open the door, not wanting to set a precedent by asking anyone to come in. It was a strange rule of hers that dated back to her childhood days. She would rather meet someone by the door than ask them to come in.

  “James!” she said with forced enthusiasm, “How may I be of assistance, my dear fellow?”

  “Knock it off,” he grinned, “Sarah sent me up here to tell you that the insufferable policeman and a handsome blonde man are here to see her. She thought you should be there. By the way, that means that she wants a progress report from you as well.”

  “Thanks,” she said sincerely and closed the door behind her as they walked down the corridor. “Has she already asked for your progress report?”

  “Mine?” he asked innocently, avoiding her gaze.

  “Don’t pretend. We both know that she asked you to keep an eye on me. She probably asked that you make sure I don’t get too close to the silverware or something.”

  “As if,” James scoffed, “she said I need to watch you around our technology.” Allegra rolled her eyes and bumped him lightly with her shoulder.

  “I understand that you’re loyal to her. I’m not asking for state secrets. Besides, I already have all this family’s dirty laundry.”

  “Trust me,” he said with a grimace, “you really don’t.”

  “Are you about to switch loyalties,” she asked in amusement.

  “No,” he told her with a cryptic smile, “I like getting money in my bank account at the end of each month. No offense, but you’re not worth the unemployment line.”

  “I agree,” she said solemnly, “but I think Penny was.”

  James didn’t say anything as she ducke
d into the living room, but he stared after her thoughtfully, wringing his hands as he turned her words over in his head. She didn’t see him look around and bite his lip, as though he was sure someone was listening in.

  “Crane,” Allegra greeted when she walked in, “Matty, what a nice surprise.”

  Matty was one of her childhood friends. He was one of her first allies when she returned to Llewes Cove and the two continued to get closer as time went on. Matty was a handsome man with classic all-American looks and that noble personality that was so popular in Penny’s romantic novels. His girlfriend, Sutton, was aware of the catch she had in him and made sure that Allegra knew he was taken. Much to Allegra’s amusement.

  “Good morning, Allegra,” Sarah greeted with a thin smile. It quickly became apparent that she was growing tired of the two policemen and Allegra wondered when she would snap and tell them to leave.

  “Sarah,” Allegra gushed, winking at Crane, “I’m so sorry I didn’t see you yet. You know how it is, I’ve been so busy.”

  Sarah nodded, and Allegra sat down, trying not to smile in the awkward atmosphere. She had never seen Matty look so uncomfortable, she enjoyed watching him squirm.

  “This delightful man says that he has very important news for us.” Sarah might have called Crane delightful, but her tone proved that she meant the opposite. It was satisfying to see someone dislike Crane as much as she did. Allegra didn’t like holding on to grudges, but Crane had tried to throw her in prison more times than either of them cared to admit. Their relationship was strained at best, and downright ruthless at worst.

  “What do you have for us?” Allegra asked curiously.

  “Well, the coroner’s office worked all night. They know how important this case is,” Crane started slowly, peeking at Sarah.

  “They should,” she said haughtily, “I can’t imagine that something else might be as important as this.”

  “Of course,” Crane said, his tone strained. “They confirmed that the second body was Ruby Allerton.” At this, Sarah touched a pendant that hung around her neck and closed her eyes for a few moments before looking back at Crane, motioning for him to continue. “There’s another thing,” he said slowly, glancing nervously at the old woman.

  “Get on with it, man,” she snapped at him.

  “This might be hard for you to hear,” he said with concern, looking toward Allegra for help. She shook her head and looked at Sarah, she was not going to get involved in that losing battle.

  “Of course, it is, all of this is hard. My generation was built to last. I’m not like your generation that’s all soft and wrapped in tissue. Tell me what I need to know, I’m getting tired of all this back-and-forth. In my day, you wouldn’t have lasted long in the Force.”

  “I apologize,” Crane said, barely controlling his own temper, “I should have realized sooner.”

  “Crane,” Allegra interrupted, “quickly. Just say what you came here to say.”

  “The cause of death is asphyxiation,” Matty burst out. Everyone turned to look at him and he went blood red as he sank lower into his seat. Allegra smiled kindly at him and he offered her a grateful smile.

  “Whose cause of death?” Sarah asked looking a little green.

  “Both,” Crane answered, shooting Matty a quick glare. Matty averted his gaze guiltily and Allegra shook her head at Crane. He raised a defensive eyebrow and Sarah put her hand in front of her mouth.

  “I see,” she said shakily. “Is that all?”

  “Yes ma’am,” Matty said kindly, “we thought it would be better to come tell you in person. A phone call didn’t seem appropriate.”

  “You’re quite right, young man. Thank you for your consideration. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go lie down for a little while. Allegra be a dear and see the gentlemen out.”

  “Of course,” Allegra said softly.

  Everyone went quiet as she walked out of the room. She was terribly pale, and her hands were shaking, Allegra wanted to go help her, but figured that her attempts would not be received well.

  “Allegra,” Crane said urgently, “we need to talk.” She held up a hand, warning him to be quiet.

  “Well, thank you for coming all the way out here,” Allegra said loudly, watching the door intently, “you should be on your way. It’s a long drive back.”

  “What?” he asked, looking flabbergasted.

  “Thank you, Allegra,” Matty spoke up, shooting a warning glance at Crane. He gaped at the two of them but got up as they made their way to the door. Allegra took hold of Crane’s arm, pretending that he was escorting her out, firmly holding him in case he tried to speak before they got out the door.

  “I’m sorry,” she told him once they were by the car, “I don’t trust anyone in that house. You never know who might be listening. The butler looks like he expects someone to jump out with a voice recorder every time he speaks.”

  “I see,” Crane said primly, straightening his uniform.

  “Don’t worry about him,” Matty teased, “a woman hasn’t touched him since he got to Llewes Cove.”

  “That’s enough,” Crane sputtered, glaring at the two chuckling sleuths.

  “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me,” Allegra teased, “anyway, what did you want to talk about?”

  “I need to warn you about this family,” Crane said seriously, his face returning to its normal color.

  “You already did,” Allegra pointed out, “you told me yesterday that you don’t want anything to do with this case. I got the message and I think I’m doing well.”

  “No,” Matty interrupted, looking grim, “Allegra, Sarah already called our superiors and complained about us. We’re not supposed to get involved anymore, and we mean at all.”

  “How is that possible?” Allegra asked in shock. “She can’t do that, can she?”

  “She can, and she did,” Crane told her sympathetically, “we’re supposed to hire you as a consultant.”

  “At least that’s something,” Allegra said in a small voice.

  “No, it’s a formality,” Matty told her, “we can’t provide any type of support. None at all. You’re on your own here.”

  “That’s not right,” Allegra protested, “you’re the police, how can you not get involved?”

  “We shouldn’t even be telling you this,” Matty said apologetically.

  “Pull yourself together,” Crane told her carefully, “you’re going to have to be smart. Especially with the information you find. This family isn’t normal, they will do absolutely anything to protect themselves.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Ruby and Penny were killed in the exact same way,” Matty told her, looking at her with a grave expression.

  “Yes, they were both strangled, I know. It’s a fairly common murder method.”

  “No, the coroner said that they were killed in the exact same way. They have the same defensive wounds, everything. They died in the exact same way, more than sixty years apart.”

  Allegra felt herself go cold with shock. Penny had said that she always felt fascinated by Ruby. They hid in the same spots, had the same rebellious nature, the two women were separated by time, but they held more in common with each other than they did with the rest of the family.

  “Do you think that they were killed by the same person?” she asked softly, glancing back at the house. She could only think of one person who was still alive and knew both girls. That same person also had the same obsession with family and reputation.

  “It’s not impossible,” Matty told her, following her gaze.

  “We’re telling you to be very careful. Like I said, when you find the truth you’re going to have to decide what to do with it. You can’t just blurt out whatever you find. If one of them thinks you’re investigating them, I’m not sure what will happen to you. You’re outnumbered here.”

  “You can come home if you want,” Matty told her, “no one would blame you. They’d hire some fancy private detective a
nd you can go on with your life.”

  “It is completely up to you,” Crane told her honestly, “we just thought you should know what you’re up against here.” Allegra nodded slowly, thinking through the offer.

  “I hear what you’re saying,” Allegra told them, “and I’ll let you know what I decide. I just need some time to think about it.”

  “Look,” Crane told her heavily, “you need to come home.”

  “Excuse me?” she asked in shock. “I thought this was my choice.”

  “It is, and you need to make the right one. We’ll wait down here while you get your things.”

  “Crane,” Matty said slowly, wincing when he saw Allegra’s reaction.

  “No way,” she said angrily, “you can’t tell me what to do. You literally have no authority over me.”

  “You’re being stubborn,” he told her simply, starting to get angry. They ignored Matty’s pleas for them to calm down, their eyes locked on each other with an angry intensity. Allegra felt her cheeks heat up in anger, aware that she was causing a scene. “Get in the car.”

  “No,” she said, folding her arms over her chest.

  “Now, Allegra,” Crane said testily, opening the car door. “I’m taking you home. You know what could happen.” Allegra clenched her jaw in defiance. A part of her knew that he was right, but another resisted being treated like a fragile object. This was her choice, and he had to respect that. She should have said that, but of course the rational part of her mind was clouded with anger.

  “If it’s so dangerous, why don’t you stay?”

  “I don’t particularly want to,” he said, his lip curling in disgust.

  “That’s your choice,” Allegra told him angrily and turned around. “I’ll call you as soon as I know what happened.”

  “Allegra,” he called, his tone warning her.

  “Goodbye, Crane,” she responded, her ears ringing with anger.

  “Allegra,” Matty called in a pleading tone. “Come on, just hear us out!”

 

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