Unfortunately, he now had another problem. He had to figure out a way to get to Mr Harriman’s house without being caught – either by his father, or the murderer. Sighing deeply, he wished he could talk to Edward. He missed his friend and wanted desperately to share this with him. Edward was always calm in a crisis. He would know what to do.
“Archie!”
Archie winced at the loud bellow, knowing Mr Tompkins was going to be angry with him for the amount of time he was taking. He wondered if the Justice had called at the corn mill to ask more questions, and felt his stomach dip nervously. Slowly, he began to climb down the ladders to the ground floor. The last thing he expected when he got to the bottom was for Mr Tompkins to send him home early.
“Go on now, Archie, get you and your brothers home before the storm hits. I know it’s early, but we are now full to bursting with grain and can’t take any more. The field workers have all gone home for the afternoon. Nothing else will be arriving for a few days, so we can leave it all today and make a start on it tomorrow. I think we have all done enough hard work for one day, so you may as well go home.”
Mr Tompkins didn’t tell the young boy that he was worried for his health. He had never seen Archie look so pale and tired, and was worried the young lad would have an accident. The last thing he needed was that on his conscience. Besides, he was being truthful, everyone was exhausted with the sheer volume of work that had appeared over the course of the day. To prevent anyone having an accident, they all needed a good rest before they began to work their way through the huge mounds of grain that now sat in the grain sheds.
“Are you sure?” Archie asked hesitantly, reluctant to question the decision too much in case Mr Tompkins changed his mind.
“Aye, off you go now, all of you.” He waved toward Sammy and Ben, who sprinted out of the door, calling goodbye as they tore down the lane toward home.
Archie still hesitated. He wasn’t sure why, but something made him pause. He turned to Mr Tompkins.
“Go on now, off you go, Archie,” the older man urged, nodding toward the lane.
Archie glanced at the rapidly disappearing backs of his brothers, suddenly realising that if he let them get too far ahead, he would have to walk home all alone. Without hesitation he took to his heels, tearing after his brothers.
Halfway down the lane, he slowed down to a walk, taking a moment to look behind him to see if Mr Tompkins was still watching. He lifted a hand to wave at his boss, surprised to find him still watching from the doorway of the corn mill.
Archie turned toward home, and ran straight into a solid figure that refused to budge.
“Hello, Archie.”
Archie swallowed, his eyes wide with fear as he stared into soulless black eyes.
CHAPTER FOUR
Archie gasped and stared up in confusion at the face of the tall man blocking his path. The first thing Archie noticed was that the man’s teeth were straight and white, not brown and half broken like the murderer’s. The problem was, Archie had never seen the man before in his life, and had no idea how the man had come to learn his name.
“Archie;” the low, whispered growl made Archie shiver in fear. Long fingers bit into the soft flesh of his upper arm, holding him steady.
“Archie! Wait, I’ll walk with you!”
Archie gasped and he almost wept with relief at the sound of Edward’s familiar voice behind him. The man before him didn’t look up, or show any sign of having seen Edward approaching. His eyes met and held Archie’s for several moments in silent warning. Archie had no idea what this stranger wanted with him, though he knew from the look on the man’s face that they may have been interrupted, but the man wasn’t done with him yet.
Glancing over his shoulder, Archie wondered briefly if he should warn Edward to go and fetch help, only to immediately become aware that the pressure on his upper arms had vanished.
Turning back around, he gasped to find the man had gone. Glancing around him, Archie scanned the trees and shrubs along the hedgerow beside him, but couldn’t see any sign of anyone lurking in the bushes. He hadn’t even heard the man move.
Archie frowned and turned to Edward, who came to a halt beside him.
“Where did he go?”
“Who?” Edward stared at Archie in puzzlement.
“The man.” Archie waved the air before him absently, scanning the area around them in confusion. How had the man managed to vanish so easily; so silently? Where had he gone?
“What man?” Edward glanced around him.
Archie turned to his friend, barely holding onto his impatience. “The tall man who was standing in front of me. He was right there, you must have seen him!”
Edward stared at Archie for a moment before slowly shaking his head. “Sorry, didn’t see anyone.” Glancing at the ominous-looking thunder clouds now directly above, Edward nudged his best friend into movement. “We’d better move before we get soaked.”
“But, you must have seen him!” Archie gasped, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. He didn’t want Edward to know just how scared he really was, but the man’s sudden appearance, and equally sudden disappearance had spooked him. Really spooked him. Digging his heels in for a moment, Archie glanced back down the road toward the corn mill to see if Mr Tompkins was still there, but the road behind them was completely empty.
“Come on!” Edward persisted, tugging at Archie’s sleeve.
Archie gasped as the first large drops of rain began to splatter around them. They both knew that within minutes, during a heavy bout of rain, the road would turn into a muddy slurry that was nearly impossible to walk through without getting filthy.
A loud rumble of thunder was enough to spur Archie into action, and he ran after his friend. Their mad flight down the road turned into a competition to see who could run the fastest, despite the rain, and before long both boys were launching over the low stone wall surrounding Archie’s house.
“My house!” Archie gasped, as rain began to hammer relentlessly down upon them. He pointed toward the back door of his house where his mum was standing, beckoning them both inside.
“Edward, you too, dear,” Marjorie called, waving her hand madly toward the open doorway behind her. “Both of you get inside, now.” Her voice was almost drowned out by the seemingly relentless noise of the thunder that continued to rumble directly overhead.
“My, what a terrible storm,” Marjorie gasped, closing the door behind the boys, shaking water off her shawl and tutting at the puddles growing on her newly polished kitchen floor.
Archie shook rain off his hair like a dog and grinned at Edward, whose hair was plastered to his head. He looked really funny with rainwater dripping off the end of his nose like snot.
“Archie, go and change now, and find some clothes for Edward,” Marjorie instructed, bustling around the kitchen.
“I really need to get home, Mrs Balfour,” Edward protested. He was reluctant to leave Archie’s just yet, but knew his mum would worry if she didn’t know where he was.
“You mum has had to go and see your aunt again, Edward. She isn’t very well, poor dear, and your dad has gone with her.” She shot a quick, warning look at Archie. There was more to the issue with Edward’s aunt, but she was clearly reluctantly to impart the news to Edward herself. “You are staying here the night. Archie, find some clothes for Edward.”
Archie peeped into the sitting room, surprised to find it empty. A broad smile lit his face at the thought of spending a bit of extra time with his best friend without being pestered by Ben and Sammy. Clapping Edward on the shoulder, they shared a conspiratorial grin and headed toward Archie’s bedroom.
“Where are your brothers?” Edward asked, peering under the bed for the gruesome twosome.
Archie shook his head. “I’m not sure, but I hope wherever they are they stay there for a while,” he replied, pulling open a drawer and tossing a clean pair of trousers and a shirt at Edward. “It’s all I’ve got, I’m afraid. The others are in the
wash.” In reality, he only had one other change of clothes, and they were his Sunday best; his spare shirt was being mended by his mum.
“S’alright,” Edward grinned. Tying the laces on his own shirt, Archie sidled closer to the protection of the shutters and peered cautiously outside. Although it was gloomy, he could see enough. There was no sign of either the stranger who had stopped him in the middle of the road, or the murderer. With a shudder, Archie closed the shutters and turned toward Edward, only then becoming aware of his friend’s curious look.
“What are you up to?” Edward demanded, settling back on the bed and folding his arms. Archie knew that when Edward got that mutinous look on his face, he wouldn’t be moved until Archie told him everything. He sighed. If he was honest, he was really pleased that he had finally got someone he could confide in.
“I’m not sure,” Archie murmured, knowing he would tell his best friend everything anyway, but wanting to at least appear reluctant. He knew Edward was positively bristling with curiosity, and wondered how long he could draw it out until Edward burst. He didn’t have to wait long. With a grin, he sat down on the edge of the bed, kicking his feet against the wooden boards beneath his feet.
“I know you saw Mr Harriman get killed,” Edward burst out, shifting to kneel in the middle of the bed. He was practically bouncing up and down with impatience to know everything. “What was it like? What did he say? Did he see you?”
Archie held his hands up to ward off Edward’s relentless questions.
In minute detail, Archie told his best friend everything. Every detail of that fateful afternoon when his life - when he - had changed, ending with a brief description of the Justice’s visit, and the man who had appeared in the road that very afternoon.
“But I didn’t see anyone with you,” Edward said, staring at Archie with a frown.
Archie couldn’t understand it. “He must have hidden in the hedge or something. He was definitely there.” His voice was just a little bit defensive.
Edward immediately understood Archie’s frown for what it was, and was quick to appease his friend.
“So what do you plan to do?” Inwardly, Edward knew there had been nobody in the road that afternoon. Edward had seen Archie leave the corn mill and had hastily said his goodbyes to Mr Entwhistle at the bakery before tearing after his friend. Although there had been a brief moment when he hadn’t seen Archie in the road, Edward was certain that nobody would have been able to appear and disappear again without anyone but Archie seeing them. In deference to Archie’s recent experiences, Edward remained quiet and studied his best friend. He could tell from Archie’s sudden wariness that he wasn’t going to like what he was going to say.
Archie took a deep breath, knowing there was no gentle way to tell him.
“I’m going to go to Mr Harriman’s house tonight to see if I can find any clues,” Archie said quietly, casting a furtive look at the door.
Edward’s gasp turned into a squeak of surprise when Archie’s hand slammed over his mouth, silencing his instinctive outburst. Outside the door, heavy footsteps climbed the stairs. Both boys turned to stare at the closed bedroom door, listening carefully as the footsteps moved past the door and into Archie’s parents’ room opposite.
“I think Dad’s home,” Archie whispered, glancing furtively at the door and edging closer to his friend. “Keep your voice down.”
Edward scowled at his friend. “I haven’t been given the chance to say anything yet,” he muttered chidingly with a shake of his head.
Archie grinned and ruefully dropped his hand.
“You are mad, do you know that?” Edward gasped, casting another furtive glance at the bedroom door. “Do you realise how much trouble you will be in if you get caught? Besides, my dad said they don’t know who did it yet,” he swallowed. “You know, killed Mr Harriman, so you are daft if you go out there in the night, all alone. You have no idea what you are looking for. You could get killed.”
Archie shuddered, turning solemn. “I know, but -”
Silence settled between them for a moment while Archie tried to decide whether to confide in Edward about the hand Mr Harriman held out to Archie. He knew though that if he had any chance of getting Edward to help him, he needed his friend to understand – everything.
“When he died, Mr Harriman held a hand out to me, but I daren’t move. I thought at the time that he was asking me to help him, but the more I think about it, the more I remember that he was holding something in his hand. Something I think he wanted me to have.”
This immediately captured Edward’s interest, whose eyes suddenly grew wide as he waited for Archie to continue.
“What was it? Did you see?”
Archie reluctantly shook his head. “It was clenched in his fist.” He watched Edward’s excitement disappear like a puff of smoke, leaving his friend looking almost deflated. “I need to go and see Mr Harriman and take a look at his fist.”
Edward gasped and stared at his friend in horror.
“You’re going to -” Edward swallowed. He studied Archie closely, trying to decide if his friend was joking with him, shaking his head when his friend gazed solemnly back at him while nodding slowly. “Oh, God, you are mad, Archie. Absolutely barking.” Edward jumped off the bed, and began to pace up and down. “You want to go and see -”
“Ssshhhh!” Archie glanced warningly at the door to the hallway, holding a hand up to listen to the heavy footfall of his father descend the stairs. “Keep your voice down.”
“Sorry,” Edward offered, sitting down on the bed with a thump. “You want to go and see a dead body?”
“No, I don’t, but I can’t see any other way of finding out if Mr Harriman still has whatever it was still in his hand.” Archie could see the gnawing horror on his friend’s face and knew he wasn’t convinced.
“It could be a handkerchief,” Edward pointed out, hating to state the obvious. “You are risking an awful lot for something so mundane.”
“But it could also be a clue, Edward,” Archie declared. “It could lead us to the man who killed Mr Harriman.”
“Lead us? What do you mean, ‘lead us’?” Edward turned wide eyes to his friend and thumped his chest in disbelief. “You want me to come with you?”
“Well, it isn’t like you are doing anything else tonight, now is it?” Archie reasoned, knowing Edward would come with him. Edward was already staying the night. Archie knew that he had to go and see Mr Harriman’s body tonight, and Edward was intensely curious about everything. There was no possibility at all that he would quietly remain at Archie’s house and wait for his friend to return.
“I don’t want to see a dead body,” Edward gasped, feeling a little queasy at the thought.
“But they are going to bury him the day after tomorrow. The ladies are going in tomorrow to prepare him for the funeral. They could find the clue and then hand it over to the Justice. The murder may never be caught then. I have to do this tonight.” Archie turned imploring eyes to Edward. “I don’t want to do it, but it may be the only opportunity we have to find a real clue that could lead us to the killer.”
“Why don’t you just tell your dad and let him go and take a look. He’s a grown up, he’s used to seeing dead things. Let him go over there. He isn’t going to get in serious trouble if he gets caught.”
Archie could hear the desperation in his friend’s voice and rolled his eyes. “Because Dad would have to explain why he wants to see Mr Harriman, and we cannot let the murderer know we are on to him. We don’t know if the murderer is someone in the village. If he gets any idea what we want to do, he could remove the clue and our only chance of capturing the man responsible for murder.”
“B-but, he may already have it,” Edward blustered. “Mr Harriman lay in the spinney for a long time before the men found him. It was enough time for the murderer to return to the body and search it.” Edward shuddered at the thought of patting a body in search of clues. “God, you’re mad, Archie.”
“Are you coming, or not?” Archie asked, knowing from the look on Edward’s face that, despite his initial horror at the thought, he was definitely going with him.
“No, I’m not,” Edward shook his head fervently and hopped off the bed. “I am not going anywhere near dead bodies, not even for you.”
“Alright,” Archie chirruped, jumping to his feet.
“Alright? You mean, you’re still going?”
“Of course,” Archie reasoned sneakily. “You can stay here and wait until I get back. I’ll go over to the tavern and check Mr Harriman’s hand for myself, and tell you all about it tomorrow.” He cast his friend an off-hand look. “Maybe.” He turned away before Edward spied his grin and headed toward the door. “I’m hungry, let’s go and see if we can have tea yet.”
“Wait!” Edward ordered, lunging toward the door and slamming it shut before Archie could disappear. With a sigh, he shook his head and glanced at his friend. “Alright, I’ll come with you.” He knew he had been conned when Archie’s thin face immediately split into a wide grin. Edward rolled his eyes, unable to be angry with his friend. If he was honest, he was quite looking forward to their adventure – as long as they didn’t make a habit of it. “But, if there is any sign of anything, or anyone else, we leave. Understand?”
Archie nodded, grinning at his friend. Tugging his friend’s cuffs, he drew him toward the window. “I think we need to go when everyone has gone to bed. Last night someone was standing beneath the trees over there.” Archie motioned to the long line of trees and shrubs opposite the house, ignoring Edward’s gasp. He could positively feel Edward’s astonished gaze on his face. “He came from the trees, approached the house and then went back in. As soon as Dad had gone to bed, he waited until everyone was asleep and tried to scrape the frame away from the window.”
Archie's Battleflat Adventures: The Harriman Mystery Page 7