Walking Into Murder

by JOAN DAHR LAMBERT

  “Why didn’t you come before this?” she asked, wanting badly to know.

  Thomas’s answer surprised her. “I didn’t know Catherine was here until a week ago. Her mother never bothered to tell me. Once I knew, I came as soon as I could, but it took me a while to find her. I was getting frantic.”

  Laura was startled. “Does Catherine know that?”

  Thomas shook his head helplessly. “I don’t know. My ex-wife probably forgot to mention that she never told me. She’s like that.”

  “Well, tell Catherine now. It’s important,” Laura said. “She needs to know.”

  They saw Catherine emerge from the bathroom. “I will,” Thomas promised. “But first, I need to ask for your help. I’ve got to get Catherine in a safe place right away but for reasons I can’t explain at the moment, I can’t take her with me tonight.”

  “She can come with me,” Laura said immediately. “I’d already planned on it and I would love to have her. It might be better for her to be with someone outside the family right now anyway.” She grinned. “She can teach me some tae kwon do.”

  The bartender appeared holding their laden plates. Catherine’s eyes lit up and she almost ran back to the table. The cottage pie was a steaming mix of minced lamb topped by mashed potatoes, and Catherine ate it as if she hadn’t seen food for days.

  Thomas waited until she had finished most of her meal before he spoke. “I would have come before now if I had known you were here,” he began tentatively. “I thought you were still in Virginia. And I did try to call.”

  Catherine whirled on him. “You didn’t know? But she said she’d tell you.”

  Thomas shook his head. “Your mom didn’t tell me until last week and then I came right away. Did she say she had told me before that?”

  “She just said you were on some trip and you probably wouldn’t like the idea anyway, so for me to go ahead and she would tell you later where I was. And anyway, I guess I thought I didn’t want you to come, but…”

  Catherine gulped. “Oh, well, it’s good you came now,” she managed to say. “I mean, I guess this isn’t really working out any more.”

  “I would agree with that,” Thomas said grimly. “I can’t tell you exactly what the right solution is at this moment, Catherine, but between us we ought to be able to find one that will suit you.”

  A weight seemed to lift from Catherine’s thin shoulders. “I guess we could,” she agreed. “But what about now?” she added in a small voice. “I mean tonight…”

  “I meant what I said to Morris,” Laura assured her quickly. “I’ve got a B&B nearby. You can come there with me tonight, maybe the next night if that’s best.”

  Catherine frowned. “Is that really all right with you? I mean, you’re on a walking trip and all that, and now I come along…”

  Laura reached over and took Catherine’s hand. “I will enjoy having you with me,” she said sincerely. “I really will. It’ll be like having Melinda back, my daughter. We used to travel together all the time. Once we went to Greece and drove all over in a bright red car we’d rented. You’d have loved it.”

  Catherine brightened. “That sounds cool. I wish my Mom liked things like that.”

  “Well, your dad does,” Thomas interjected, “and he will.” He sighed, rubbed his forehead and looked at his watch. “Unfortunately, I have to leave now. I will call later, though, if Laura will provide the number at your B&B.”

  Catherine seemed suddenly to notice his bruise. “What happened to you?”

  “I seem to have walked into a door,” Thomas said smoothly.

  Catherine raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Which means you don’t want me to know,” she said resignedly. “I just hope you didn’t lose your temper with someone.” She grinned. “Truce, okay?”

  The words seemed to be a private code because Thomas grinned back. “Truce,” he agreed. “And now I’m off but I promise I will call later. Maybe we can all have dinner together later. I’ll pick you up at the B&B.”

  Laura rummaged in her pack for the number and the address, scribbled it on the bar bill and handed it to him. “It’s the Fairfax House in Stourton.”

  “If you haven’t heard from me by seven o’clock, call me at Torrington Manor. Phone’s fixed now,” Thomas said as he headed for the bar to pay the bill.

  “All right,” Laura agreed, wondering why he was going back to Torrington Manor and didn’t want Catherine with him. Was it because he was involved with Antonia? Or something to do with his art work?

  Another unwelcome thought intruded. As an art detective, it would be easy for Thomas to play both sides of the game – looking for stolen masterpieces and at the same time scouting for good fakes to sell to unsuspecting buyers. The art world was full of that, she had read. Maybe he and Antonia were working together.

  She turned back to Catherine, who was eyeing the desert card. “What would you like?” Laura asked, taking the cue.

  “Maybe some vanilla ice cream if they have it? It’s the best I’ve ever tasted over here. Oh, I forgot you’re paying,” Catherine added, chagrined. “I guess I won’t.” Laura ignored this and ordered the ice cream.

  “How did you manage living up there?” she asked Catherine curiously when the desert arrived. “I mean, manage to eat without any money and sleep with Buddy around, and then Morris turning up?”

  Catherine patted her flat stomach dramatically. I haven’t been eating much recently, that’s for sure,” she answered, “As for sleeping…” She broke off, looking embarrassed, and Laura didn’t press her. It was none of her business really.

  “It’s not what you think,” Catherine protested. “It’s just that I’m not supposed to be at Torrington Manor and Nigel didn’t want me to get in trouble, so he said just to use the stable. I don’t go in the house,” she added hastily, “just the stable.”

  “But if they found out, wouldn’t Buddy or Morris go there too?”

  “No way,” Catherine’s grin was triumphant. “They’re too scared.”

  “Scared of Nigel’s father? Or the groom?”

  “Nope, of the dogs. They’re big, I mean really big, and they patrol the place at night,” Catherine explained with a grin, and went back to her ice cream.

  Catherine was delighted with the quaint B&B when they arrived. She ate ravenously of the small cakes provided for them and laughed happily when Laura explained that if she pulled on the string hanging by the bathroom door, the shower would produce marvelously hot water in which she could luxuriate for as long as she liked. Then she sank down with an ecstatic sigh onto one of the twin beds.

  “I haven’t been on one of these for ages,” she exclaimed, and when Laura looked over at her again, she was fast asleep.

  Laura took a turn in the shower; then she settled on her bed and tried to decide what to do next. Nothing seemed to make sense to her now – not the body or the missing cook, not Nigel and his masks, not Antonia and her car or Thomas and the big bruise he had acquired. It was all just too complicated. Sighing, she let her eyes close.

  She woke suddenly, aware that it was getting dark and that she had forgotten something. The phone; that was it. Thomas had said to call if they hadn’t heard from him by seven, and it was already seven-thirty.

  Laura dialed the number for Torrington Manor. A voice she didn’t recognize told her that Mr. Smith had left, that they had no idea where he had gone and didn’t have a forwarding number for him. She asked for Lord Torrington or the Baroness next and was told that Lord Torrington had gone away for a few days, taking Nigel with him, and the Baroness was out at the moment.

  Laura’s attention was diverted by Catherine. She was sitting bolt upright in bed, lips trembling. Tears were welling up in her eyes.

  “Thank you for trying,” Laura said quickly, and hung up. “What is it, Catherine?” she asked in concern. “What’s the matter?”

  “He didn’t come here to look for me, like he said,” Catherine replied angrily, struggling to suppress the tears. “I
thought he had but he didn’t.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “Because he only uses the name Smith when he’s on a job,” Catherine hissed. “His real last name is Langley. So he came on an art job, not for me. I should have known when I saw that bruise, but I didn’t want it to be true.”

  I have three names, Laura remembered Thomas telling her. Thomas, Langley and Smith. He hadn’t exactly been lying, she supposed.

  “Maybe he is on a job, but he was looking for you, too,” she assured Catherine. “I know it’s true because he told me while you were in the bathroom. He was frantic to find you after he heard where you were.”

  The words seemed to comfort Catherine, and her anger turned to fear. “He hasn’t called,” she said anxiously. “It’s way past seven and he hasn’t called.”

  “Does he usually call when he says he will?”

  “Always, unless he’s in some kind of trouble, like his car broke down or some case gets really weird. That happens sometimes.”

  Laura sat back against the headboard and tried to think clearly. It was certainly possible that Thomas was in trouble. His room probably had been searched, and whoever had given him that bruise might have tried to silence him more permanently.

  There was only one way to know for sure, she realized, and that was to go back to Torrington Manor and find out.

  She turned to Catherine, who was watching her carefully. “I have to go out for a while,” Laura said, keeping her voice neutral. “Why don’t you just relax and go back to sleep, call for some food if you want -”

  She got no further. “No way,” Catherine said defiantly.

  Laura stared at her, startled. Catherine’s tears had dried up, and her face wore a look of steely determination. “There is no way I will stay here,” Catherine repeated emphatically. “I can tell you’re worried about my father and are going to look for him. I’m coming with you. If you don’t let me, I’ll look for him by myself.”

  Laura considered. Catherine clearly wasn’t going to stay here, and she was more likely to get into trouble looking for Thomas on her own. If she came along, she could at least be watched.

  “All right,” she agreed. “You can come. In fact, I’ll be glad to have you.”

  Catherine grinned triumphantly. “Lead on,” she said, grabbing her jacket and swinging it twice around her head. “Lead on and I shall follow!”

  Laura grinned back. “What do you say to a spot of housebreaking?” she asked, grabbing her own jacket and slinging her pack on her back. “Or manor breaking, I guess I should say.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Laura consulted her map. It was torn and smudged from so much intense use but she managed to pick out a pub that wasn’t too far from Torrington Manor. A cab could take them that far, they could get some food and then walk the rest of the way.

  The pub was satisfyingly dim and smoke-blackened. They ordered a platter of bread and cheese and more tea and hot chocolate. They ate quickly; then, feeling like a pair of conspirators, they set off on foot along a narrow country road that Laura knew would soon intersect with the lane leading to the manor. The sky was completely dark now, and no lights showed anywhere around them. They almost missed their turning but at the right moment a car came by. Its headlights showed a one-lane track rising steeply on the left. Trees and vine-encrusted bushes on both sides made it even harder to see, and they kept stumbling over unexpected obstacles as they climbed. Laura switched on her flashlight and saw with relief that they were almost up. She switched it off again quickly, lest someone see. She was just in time.

  “A car,” Catherine whispered as they reached the top of the hill, and Laura heard the sound of an engine laboring up behind them. Headlights appeared around a curve, and they ducked behind the bushes. The vehicle crested the hill and sped down the other side, going much too fast for the twisting, narrow lane. It hit the deep hollow at the bottom of the hill with a wrenching bounce and a heavy splash. It slowed briefly, but picked up speed again and disappeared around a sharp bend in the road.

  Not a car but a delivery van. Laura was surprised. Why was a van speeding down the lane to Torrington Manor at this time of night? The lane went nowhere else, so it must be going to the manor.

  The question vanished from her mind when they reached the hollow and saw that it was still underwater. Laura had no idea how deep it was. Did she dare risk the light again to find a way across?

  “Over here,” Catherine murmured. “Not as deep.” She must have eyes like an owl’s, Laura thought with envy, ears as well. Catherine had heard the car well before she had. Maybe camping in the woods had sharpened her senses. Or maybe it was just youth. Laura sighed. Age didn’t come in an onslaught; it crept upon one with tiny changes that were barely noticed until younger people made the deficits impossible to ignore.

  Water sloshed around their feet as they waded through but didn’t come over the top of their boots. Laura was grateful. Wet feet all night held no appeal. They climbed another shorter hill, went around the bend, and saw the manor ahead. It was the first time Laura had seen it from a distance, and she was impressed by its bulk. The large central portion of the house was flanked by two long wings, and at the end of each wing was a high round turret. Lights shone in one of the turrets and a few windows.

  “I wish Nigel was here to help,” Catherine whispered. “You said he’d gone with his father. I hope they aren’t at that horrible school. Nigel would go crazy there.”

  “I doubt he could be made to stay,” Laura whispered back. “We’ll find out about that later but right now we’ve got to decide what to do next. Maybe we could go to the edge of the lawns behind the house, hide in the trees there, and watch for a while. We might see your father through one of the windows.”

  “Okay,” Catherine agreed. Together, they crept up the rest of the lane and slithered into the woods beyond the house. Laura made out the dim outline of the barn where she had seen Thomas and Antonia, and beyond it the stable.

  Abruptly, she remembered the dogs. “What about the dogs?” she asked with a flicker of alarm. “They might give us away if they’re out.”

  “Leave them to me,” Catherine said confidently. “They might still be in their run beyond the barn, but usually they’re let out as soon as it’s dark to guard the place. I’ll go see.”

  She was gone before Laura could object. One short bark interrupted the stillness; then frantic yipping, and then whining sounds of joy. Catherine reappeared out of the gloom. Two huge dogs pranced behind her. They looked more like ponies than dogs, and Laura stepped back a pace. Great Danes, she thought but wasn’t sure.

  “This is Laura,” Catherine told the dogs sternly. “Laura is a friend, so you mustn’t growl at her.”

  She turned to Laura. “Hold out your hand,” she instructed in a low voice. “Let them sniff all they want. They’re big babies, really. All they want is love. And food.” She placed a hunk of bread into Laura’s hand as the dogs sniffed eagerly. One of them took the bread delicately, wagging its tail in appreciation; Catherine supplied another hunk and the second dog repeated the maneuver.

  “They’re very polite,” Laura observed. “Are they always this nice?”

  Catherine laughed softly. “No. They can scare people half to death. The guys in the woods and most of the locals won’t come near them. Still, once you get to know them they’re okay. They slept with me in the stable every night, so they got to know me pretty well. Anyway, dogs like me; I’m not sure why, but they always have.”

  “No doubt hunks of bread help,” Laura said dryly.

  Catherine grinned. “All animals like a treat,” she replied, “so I always keep one handy. I grabbed a few extra pieces at the pub, just in case.

  “Good boy, Jasper, good girl, Lucy,” she praised, as the dogs snuffled at Laura’s hands to see if more bread would materialize. “No more now, and we have to stay here very quietly and watch.”

  The dogs seemed to understand because they sat down nearb
y, their great heads resting on their paws, but Laura was certain they were very alert. Their ears were pointed up and turned from time to time as they caught a sound, and their noses quivered eagerly.

  One of them whined suddenly, a soft whine that seemed to Laura to signify distress, as if they wanted to explore a sound or scent but weren’t sure they ought to.

  Catherine turned to them. “All right,” she said softly. “Go see.” The dogs sprang up and disappeared into the darkness.

  “The van again,” Catherine whispered. “That’s what they heard. It’s coming back here. Must have been at the front of the house.”

  Laura nodded. She heard it too, the van backing up and turning on the gravel drive. It came slowly around the side of the house. The dogs ran beside it eagerly.

  To their astonishment, Morris emerged. The dogs stalked toward him, growling low in their throats. “They hate him,” Catherine whispered. “I never worry about Morris when I’m in the stable. He won’t come near me.”

  Morris edged toward the back door. “Damn!” he said. “Get away from me, you brutes!” The dogs advanced, their growls louder now, and he leaped back into the van. With a furious squeal of tires, he propelled it closer to the back of the manor. In response, a door opened, emitting a flood of light. Antonia started to come out but retreated quickly when she saw the dogs.

  “I told you not to let them out,” Morris hissed at her.

  “I didn’t,” she said, watching them fearfully. “Maybe the latch came undone.”

  Laura glanced at Catherine, who was grinning widely. “I let them out,” she murmured. “I thought they might come in handy.”

  “Well, throw them some food so I can get in,” Morris snapped at Antonia. “And make sure you throw it well away from the door.”

  Antonia complied, but her aim was imperfect, and the dogs were snapping at his heels before Morris got to the door. He closed it hard in their faces, and Laura heard the faint sound of a key turning in the lock. With a last threatening bark, the dogs turned to the food. When they had gobbled it all up, they trotted back to Catherine, looking very pleased with their performance. Catherine was pleased too and praised them lavishly.