Gypsies, Traps & Missing Thieves

by Rachael Stapleton

  The candle cast jumping shadows on the walls as Penny walked down the staircase. She’d decided to save the battery power on her cell in case she got service back at some point. She got a tingly feeling along her spine remembering Eve’s ghost story. Part of her wanted to run down the hall toward the lounge, but she didn’t want the candle to blow out. She needed to find one of those flashlights Mallory had got out earlier.

  After her spooky trek downstairs, she found Kaden huddled by the fire with a pot of tea. His small notebook was open, and he flipped it shut when she approached. He’d ditched his silly hat and tweed jacket and was now wearing a thick, dark blue cardigan with large brown buttons.

  “How did you get this?” She asked as she lifted the pot of tea and poured a cup.

  “I have connections.” He smiled. “I’m told the gas stove still works if you light it with a match.”

  She sipped the tea and pulled the collar of her own sweater closer to her chin. “I guess I’m not catching a flight tomorrow, huh?” she said. “Even if the power comes back on and the roads are miraculously cleared, we’re witnesses.”

  “Looks that way,” Kaden agreed.

  “Poor Cody. He must be so worried.”

  “He knew we were stopping here on the way. He’ll figure it out. Don’t worry.”

  “Obviously, this wasn’t an accident,” Penny said.

  Kaden let out a gust of air. “Maybe you should think about joining us on the BLPD,” he said.

  Penny smiled. “I’m sure Cody would just love that.” But she felt a little thrill at the thought of investigating the case. Perhaps she was starting to miss being a cop after all.

  “So, do we start questioning people now about their whereabouts? We obviously need a timeline,” Penny said.

  He nodded. “You’re right, but I’d rather not start a panic by telling them we think it’s murder. I made a list of the people that were with Geneviève when she was last seen mingling with the group in the foyer. That was before we came in. Danior said Geneviève disappeared to look for her online date and that was the last Danior saw of her.

  “Lots of people were in that room and we weren’t there. How do we know someone didn’t leave with her?”

  “We just have to go on Danior’s memory and try to corroborate her viewpoint with the others. See what other people noticed.”

  Penny stared into the fire and pictured the dining room. “We know Eve was with us. Lise was at the desk when we came in. Emilion was giving the tour but then came to meet us not long after Mallory showed up so they’re probably in the clear.”

  “Nataliya and the kitchen staff were in the dining room setting up while everyone was upstairs changing—that’s according to Danior’s recollection.” Kaden poured more tea into Penny’s cup. “The only person Danior couldn’t place was Hugh Deaney... I mean Daemon… or whatever his name is. She said he arrived late, and she wasn’t introduced to him until right before Nana began the show, so she doesn’t remember when exactly he showed up in the dining room.”

  “That’s if Geneviève was even killed right away,” Penny said. “She could have been killed at any time. We don’t know time of death yet. We all heard her body fall down the stairs later but who’s to say she wasn’t already dead.”

  He opened his notebook and read from his list. “Exactly. We also need to talk to everyone who wasn’t with us right before we lost power. Vee was outside, Lana was supposedly in her bedroom, Emilion and Hugh both disappeared. Not to mention, there are two ways in and out of that passage, with people scattered all over the house—someone could corroborate someone else’s story or place them somewhere else. For example, Lise was presumably at the front desk, maybe she saw or heard someone come out of the broom closet.”

  “We should split up and talk to people and then compare the two lists and see if anyone looks suspect on both.”

  “Definitely. We know one of them did it.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “But we shouldn’t make assumptions about that yet.”

  “Well, I think it’s safe to assume Rebel is in the clear. She arrived with us and Geneviève was already missing.” Penny sat back and wrapped her fingers around her teacup.

  “Yes, I agree. I didn’t suspect Rebel or Eve, for that matter.”

  Penny raised an eyebrow. “Eve should never be assumed innocent.”

  “Innocent of what?” Eve said from the doorway.

  “Of anything, Eve,” Penny said to her tea.

  “Oh, very funny.” She hustled to where they sat and pulled up a chair to get closer to the fire. “Are you making a list of suspects? I think Danior’s boyfriend is looking pretty good for it. You know, he still hasn’t turned up. Mallory’s just headed into the basement to see if he’s down there working on the generator. Since when does it take that long to get a generator up and running? Why, my third husband would have had that baby singing in less than two seconds flat. Just goes to show you that good looks aren’t everything.”

  “First of all, the generator is running. The lights just aren’t hooked up to it yet, for some unknown reason. Secondly, your third husband was hardly unattractive, Eve. Wasn’t he the bodybuilder?”

  “Was he hot? I don’t know… I liked him for his strength. No one could open a pickle jar like that man.” She leaned over to look at Kaden’s list and nodded her approval. “How are you with pickle jars, handsome?”

  “Terrible,” Kaden replied.

  Eve smirked and pointed to his list, “Oh, this one’s wrong. Joelle wasn’t there.”

  Kaden held her gaze. He was even better at a stare-off than Eve was.

  “How do you know that?” Penny said to break up the tension. “You were with us.”

  Eve nodded. “Exactly. I saw her walk by when we were chatting. Kaden was outside, and you were looking out the window. She was headed upstairs.” She took Kaden’s notebook and examined his list pointing at Lise’s name. “Oh, and I doubt little Boobtube was at the front desk when we heard the crash and the power went out. She was in the turret room with Harley and me just before we crossed over into the attic to see Mal and Dan.” Eve shook her head. “It had to be Emilion. Maybe that’s why the power went out in the first place. He needed cover for the murder he was about to commit.”

  “It is suspicious that he’s been gone so long but that’s a huge leap, Mrs. Banter. Daemon Wraith has also been missing,” Kaden said. “The last thing we need is for everyone to jump to conclusions.”

  “We need more information, then,” Eve said. She flipped the pages in Kaden’s notebook. Kaden’s fingers clenched. Penny took the notebook from her and handed it back to Kaden.

  “It wouldn’t hurt to start asking people what they saw,” Penny said. “The longer we wait, the more likely they’ll forget, or talk about it enough that no one will remember what they actually saw tonight. Eve, go find Gloria and Denise and do your thing. Kaden and I are going to start interviewing people right after we find Emilion.”

  Eve nodded and headed for the second floor while Penny and Kaden headed for the kitchen.

  “Okay, so presumably we follow the sound of the generator and we find Emilion, right?” said Penny, taking one last sip of her tea before setting it in the kitchen sink. She turned back to follow Kaden, who had opened the cellar door and was now headed down the stairs.

  “Where are you going? The generator should be outside, right?”

  “Maybe the basement leads to the outside. I’m just following the sound.”

  “I’m getting really creeped out. I feel sort of . . . funky. Dizzy,” Penny said.

  Kaden nodded, holding up his flashlight. “I’m feeling pretty disoriented myself. Let’s get back upstairs just in case.”

  “Wait. Kaden, who is that?”

  15

  M allory kicked the snow from her boots and stepped back inside the mudroom. She couldn’t find Emilion anywhere. He wasn’t out back where they normally set the generator up during times of outage. That’s when she noticed the loud
buzzing of the generator had stopped and she heard several thumps. “Hello? Emilion?” Off in the distance Mallory could hear a beeping, perhaps a momentary side effect from the overbearing whirr of the generator, like tinnitus. Cautiously, Mallory shone her flashlight around the kitchen. “Emilion? Anyone?”

  Where had they all got to? Taking a steadying breath, she started to leave the room, but she hesitated for a moment. Then she heard the thump again. It was coming from the cellar door.

  Mallory never went in the basement—it was dark and creepy and Nana had threatened to spell them if they even thought about going down there when they were little. As far as Mallory was concerned, the threats were unnecessary. She’d been down there once and remembered a cavernous room with a dirt floor. Spiders and other creepy crawlies skittered around in the corners. She’d had no desire to go down there when she was a little girl and even less of a desire to do so now.

  It was, however, necessary since someone was knocking.

  Mallory walked around the island just as something brushed against her leg and her heart stopped … then started up again when she realized it was only Bakalo.

  Bakalo meowed and then looked over her shoulder at Mallory and flicked her tail.

  “Bakalo, for crying out loud, you scared me. You are not allowed in the kitchen.” Mallory bent down to scoop up the cat.

  Her heart froze when she saw a little wisp of vapor in her peripheral vision. She backed up, and it was swirling in front of the basement door as if it were beckoning to her. She blinked, and it was gone. It might have just been her imagination, but she’d seen that type of vapor before and knew what it meant.

  This was the manor’s ghost, a female energy she’d encountered before. Mallory was sure she was trying to warn or protect her from something in the basement.

  Carrying Bakalo, she pulled the door open slowly. Emilion Grastari practically fell against her. She helped him to the floor. Behind him Penny was propped against the wall and the stairs. There was no blood, no obvious trauma. They were both still breathing.

  “Stay where you are. I’ve got him.” Daemon called up from the bottom of the stairs, he was bent over Kaden’s body.

  “What did you do to him?” Mallory asked.

  “I didn’t do anything. I found them like this.” Daemon retorted.

  Mallory helped an unsteady Emilion and Penny into the middle of the kitchen, then she knelt by Emilion’s side.

  “Help Daemon get Kaden,” Penny moaned.

  Mallory ran down the stairs to where Daemon was trying but failing to carry Kaden the rest of the way up, but Kaden didn’t look so well. She began to help but instantly felt lightheaded.

  “Generator,” Daemon whispered, setting Kaden down three steps from the top.

  The generator had already been switched off. That’s when Mallory recognized the far-off beeping.

  It was the sound of a carbon monoxide alarm sounding through the heating vent. The generator had been switched off, so she’d suddenly been able to hear it.

  Just then, they heard a gasp from above. Vee stood at the top of the basement stairs.

  “What happened?” She asked.

  “Vee, open the kitchen door fast! And then help me get Kaden and Daemon the rest of the way up! Dan!” Mallory screamed at the top of her lungs.

  “Mal?” Mallory heard Danior’s muffled voice coming through the vent.

  Mallory grabbed Kaden under his arms and hauled him up the three remaining stairs. She needed to get him outside. She needed to get them all outside, but they were heavier than they looked and there was no way she could manage Daemon alone. He had taken a seat on the fourth step. Mallory could already feel herself getting light-headed, and an ache was developing in her temples. She calculated that the generator had been running for at least half an hour. She ran to the mudroom door off the kitchen and took several big breaths.

  Danior appeared in the doorway.

  “There’s CO in here! Help Vee with Daemon. He’s going in and out of consciousness.”

  “How did that happen?”

  Mallory shook her head. “We’ll figure it out when we get everyone outside.”

  Then, holding her breath, she pulled Kaden all the way to the kitchen door first since he’d been closest to the generator and seemed to be the worst off, then Emilion and Penny next.

  She stuck her own head out the door and inhaled deeply.

  Carbon monoxide didn’t smell, or taste, or give any indication of its presence other than the deadly symptoms. If Emilion had known he was being gassed, he could have at least opened the cellar’s trapdoor and breathed in fresh air but what didn’t make sense is that he would have turned it on down there. He knew better than that, didn’t he?

  “Hey,” Eve said appearing in the kitchen doorway. “Is everyone okay?” Harley and Michèle stood behind her, peering over her shoulder.

  It took several tugs, but they finally got everyone outside.

  Emilion began to come around first, mumbling incoherently.

  “Oh my god, how long was he down there?” Danior wept.

  “What in the hell happened?” Eve asked.

  “I don’t know but somebody go get Rebel. I think they might have carbon monoxide poisoning,” Mallory whispered.

  16

  C oncern etched across her face, Mallory followed Eve into the parlor where the others had gathered. They’d opened all the windows just to make sure the place was aired out. Harley stood stoically off to the side with Lana. Daemon sat in one of the chairs, and Emilion lay on the chaise where Danior fluttered around him. They’d all finally come around and had splitting headaches to deal with.

  Joelle walked in, carrying a tray with a pitcher of water and three glasses. She handed Emilion, Kaden and Penny the water and tablets.

  “What about Hugh? He was down there too.”

  “I’m fine but thank you for your concern, Vee,” Daemon muttered.

  Vee’s pretty features clouded.

  “Her name is Lil Scammer.” Michèle interjected, her face etched with shock. Before she could launch into the tirade, everyone knew was coming about breaking character, Eve grabbed her by the hand and forcefully led her out of the room.

  “Is Emilion gonna be alright?” Danior asked.

  “I think so. Thank goodness that basement wasn’t airtight,” Rebel said. She adjusted the cushion behind his back and then pressed a cold compress to his head.

  Joelle’s eyebrows lifted up to her hairline. “So, does someone want to tell us what happened down there?”

  Frowning, Danior crossed her arms and looked down at Daemon. “Yeah, Daemon, just what were you up to down there that we interrupted? Why would you turn a generator on inside unless you intended to poison everyone?”

  Daemon looked down. “I wasn’t up to anything. I honestly don’t know who turned the generator on. I’m sure Emilion can tell you that it wasn’t me.”

  “Emilion?” Mallory questioned.

  Emilion just stared at Daemon blankly. “It’s so foggy.”

  “Whatever, it wasn’t me,” Daemon said defensively. “I wandered into the kitchen for a snack and the basement door was open. I thought that was strange. I could hear the generator running and I knew Emilion was missing, so I decided to take a look and make sure that he wasn’t running it inside the basement, obviously knowing that carbon monoxide poisoning could occur. When I opened the door, I saw Emilion had collapsed on the steps. Kaden and Penny were below, they were near the generator. They weren’t making much sense, so I left Emilion at the top and started to help Penny up first, but then Kaden collapsed and I realized I needed to shut the generator off, so I told her to crawl up the steps to Emilion and then I switched off the generator and started to drag Kaden across the room when Mallory saw me. I was feeling sick by that time and that’s why I told her not to come down.”

  “He could be telling the truth. Penny and I went looking for Emilion and came across the same thing. It didn’t dawn on me at the ti
me that it was the generator, so I didn’t shut it off. I don’t know why I was instantly so confused. I carried Emilion up the stairs and then Penny started babbling incoherently so I went back down. I spent several minutes trying to get her to come upstairs with me, and I knew I was suddenly feeling unstable as well. That’s where my memory goes from fuzzy to nothing.

  “Emilion, do you remember anything? Why in the world would you turn on that generator inside?” Danior demanded.

  Emilion closed his eyes and shook his head no. “I know, it was stupid. I planned to take it outside through the trapdoor. I could have sworn I opened the trapdoor, but like Kaden said, everything’s fuzzy. I don’t even remember Kaden, Penny or Daemon coming down.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Emilion. Amnesia is a side effect of CO,” Rebel said automatically. “We really should call the fire department to inspect the place and try to get Emilion to the hospital. These two as well, they’re not looking so great,” Rebel said, pointing to Kaden and Penny.

  “I’m fine. I’m already feeling better,” Emilion said.

  “I think I’m just tired,” Penny said, “Truthfully, I was already feeling a little bagged when we were sitting by the fire having our tea.”

  Clearing her throat, Lana surreptitiously nodded. “It is late; I’m a little worn out myself.”

  Harley hesitated at the door, clearly torn between following his wife and staying with the others. “Hang on. Are we still playing? I don’t want to go to bed if everyone is still playing.”

  Bronson turned to Harley. “No, this was obviously an accident but in light of what’s happened, let’s call it a night.”

  Harley rubbed his hands together. “Well, we’re going to head upstairs, then. Goodnight everyone. Stay warm.”

  Bronson nodded. “Hopefully the power comes back on soon, so we don’t freeze. I’ll walk up with you.”

  Dropping her hand down on Daemon’s shoulder, Vee glanced at him affectionately. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”