by Helen Cox
‘That guy’s your bodyguard?’
‘Yeah, so, you know, I totally understand the overprotective parent vibe.’
‘Wow, nothing says concern for your safety like a guy who could fell trees with a single punch following you around twenty-four seven.’
‘Thankfully he’s only tasked to shadow me while I’m outside the house. Though, that’s more than enough.’
‘I can imagine. Let’s just promise to never let our parents meet. I have a feeling that my dad and your dad could give each other a lot of ideas. Ideas neither of us ever want them to have.’
‘Ha, that’s a deal. I’ll see you at the party, OK?’
‘OK. See you tomorrow night for thrills and spills, sister.’
Selina looked mildly embarrassed on Grace’s behalf but then smiled and waved her goodbyes.
‘Thrills and spills? Sister?’ Kitt said. ‘What on earth were you thinking?’
‘Your intermittent critique of my undercover work was very helpful, thanks,’ Grace returned. ‘Anyroad, I got the invite, didn’t I?’
‘Yes, you did,’ said Kitt. ‘A little too easily for my liking.’
Fifteen
Grace took a deep breath right before she pressed the buzzer near the gates at Selina’s mansion situated three miles or so outside the city centre in Durham’s sprawling suburbia. She exhaled slowly, trying to focus on the task in hand and not how handsome Patrick looked in his blue blazer. Or how she found the fact that he smelled vaguely of almond oil more appealing than she should.
There was a beeping sound and then Selina’s voice said: ‘Who is it?’ The beat from whatever music was playing pulsed in the background.
‘Grace. We met yesterday, and I have Patrick with me.’
There was a buzzing sound and the gates started to open inward. As soon as they’d opened far enough the pair stepped through into the driveway. It was lined with olive trees and led straight up to the main doorway which was set in a decorative arch.
‘Can you hear me, Grace?’ Kitt said over the radio. She had returned to York as planned late the night before but had yoyo-ed back to Durham again the moment her shift at the library was done. Though Halloran was working and was thus unable to join them, she had managed to borrow his car and was sitting in his black Fiat a little bit further up the road. They had toyed with the idea of trying to get Kitt into the party. She still believed that getting an invitation to this little shindig had been easier than it had any right to be and was concerned Selina might be luring them into some kind of trap. With all this in mind, Kitt would’ve preferred it if she could tag along in person to look out for Grace. Kitt was an alum of the academy, after all, and probably could have bargained her way in. Ultimately, however, it was agreed that, after Selina made it crystal clear that no invitation meant no entrance, trying to get her into the party might risk losing the opportunity to search for clues in Selina’s home. That was a risk they knew they couldn’t take. Especially when, in a relaxed atmosphere, Selina might slip up of her own accord and inadvertently implicate herself through casual conversation. Consequently, Kitt was there for back-up purposes only.
‘Loud and clear,’ Grace confirmed.
‘In and out, all right? Remember, you’re not there for the hors d’oeuvres.’
‘I remember,’ Grace said. Though if there was food on the go she wasn’t going to pass it up. She suspected that the catering at this party was likely to be a lot better than the stuff she could afford on a student budget. So long, sausages and beans in a tin, hello, smoked salmon.
As they walked up the driveway, Grace recalled some of the things she had learnt about Selina’s home in an online feature about Selina starting her academic career at Venerable Bede’s. Apparently it had seven bedrooms and had cost her father £3.5 million. Grace made a mental note not to spill any wine on the carpet. Who knew what the cost of cleaning a carpet in a £3.5 million mansion was? She wasn’t keen to find out.
Selina opened the door and stood in the frame. She had a cocktail in her hand and had curled her long blonde hair into soft waves for the occasion.
‘Well, if it isn’t my biggest fan,’ Selina said with a grin, taking Grace’s hand and pulling her over the threshold. ‘And Patrick, it’s been a long time,’ she said, leaning in to give him a peck on each cheek.
‘Just over a year,’ Patrick said in a manner Grace thought a bit too telling. Grace shot him a look. Was he trying to tip her off as to their real business that evening or what?
‘Time flies,’ Selina said, opening the door further so he could follow them inside.
Grace resisted the urge to look in the direction beyond the mansion walls to where Halloran’s Fiat was parked. She was hoping they wouldn’t need any back-up but it was good to know Kitt was only a minute away if things went south. How she would get over the high walls or past the locked gates was another matter.
‘Oh my God, this is the COOLEST house,’ Grace said. She could see Patrick looking very confused over the sudden change in her demeanour. She probably should have filled him in on her undercover persona before they arrived. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t think I’m going to be able to play it cool here,’ she added. The part of an impressed super-fan wasn’t difficult to play as Grace scanned Selina’s open-plan living room and kitchen. The floor was made of polished marble. The sofa was white leather. There was a bar set up in the corner of the living room. Not just a table with some drinks on but a real bar with a uniformed bartender shaking cocktails. At the other side of the room was a pool table, and lavish chandeliers hung from the high ceiling. Most of the furniture had been pushed back to the sides of the room to make space for a dance area.
‘Why are you talking like that?’ Patrick muttered into Grace’s ear.
‘It’s a sort of undercover thing,’ Grace whispered back. ‘It’s all part of the plan, just play along.’
‘Come on,’ Selina said with a chuckle. ‘Why don’t you two go and dance and I’ll bring you each a drink over.’
‘That sounds, like, perfect,’ Grace said, taking Patrick’s hand and leading him to the edge of the dance floor where several other couples and some small friendship groups were dancing to a Lana Del Ray record.
Patrick put his hands around Grace’s waist and slowly she looped her arms around his neck before starting to sway in time to the beat. She stared up at him. This was the first time since they shared that kissed that she’d looked him in the eye. Neither of them had spoken about it and that was probably for the best but being so close to him, her face close enough to his that she could feel his breath on her cheek, was driving her crazy.
‘Grace,’ Patrick said, ‘there’s something—’
‘Hang about. I’ve just been looking for more details about Selina’s mansion online. Apparently there are CCTV cameras outside the property.’
Grace held a finger up to Patrick so he could see she was listening to Kitt.
‘If there are cameras inside the house you’ve got no chance of getting into her bedroom. Look in the corners of the living room, up at the ceiling, can you see any cameras?’
Grace leaned in close to Patrick’s ear and it took all of her strength to talk into it rather than nibble on it. ‘Turn me around, will you? Kitt needs me to check the room for cameras.’
Without a word, Patrick obliged and started to turn. Grace pressed her head to the side of his and kept her eyes on the ceiling as they turned.
‘I can’t see anything,’ said Grace. ‘They must just be outside.’
‘Here you go,’ said Selina. ‘Two Deadly Poisons.’
Grace split herself off from Patrick at once and looked at the glasses Selina held. The drink was somewhere between purple and black in colour.
‘Deadly Poison? Be careful, Grace. There’s no telling what’s in that. Remember, she might be on to us and is possibly trying to get you drunk so you’ll reveal your true agenda here.’
‘I don’t think so,’ Grace muttered back to Kitt.
‘Er . . . I just said I don’t think I’ve ever heard of Deadly Poison,’ said Grace, trying not to let her dubiousness show as she eyed the glass. ‘Sounds, like, totally off the hook. What’s in it?’
‘That would be telling, now, wouldn’t it?’ Selina said, winking at Grace.
Oh dear, it didn’t look as though there was any getting out of drinking this, whatever it was. Grace took a big gulp and spluttered a little bit.
Patrick and Selina chuckled at her reaction.
‘Well, there’s definitely vodka in here,’ Grace said, prompting more laughter from her companions. Patrick took a sip from his glass without flinching. Grace opened her mouth to pass some glib comment about the fact that if he was used to drinks of that strength he probably needed to lay off the sauce, but then it occurred to her that he might be used to drinking as a way of handling the grief after Jodie’s disappearance so for once she decided to engage her brain before opening her mouth. Instead, she looked around the other guests at the party. ‘I, like, can’t believe how many people are here,’ she said. ‘You have so many friends.’
‘I wouldn’t call them all friends,’ Selina said, staring around the room. ‘Most of them are just people I’ve met doing the stunts for my YouTube channel.’
‘Are they all as daredevil as you?’ Grace asked, taking another mouthful of drink. After just the second mouthful, she began to realize a flaw in the plan they’d agreed with Kitt. She was supposed to down her drink and then go upstairs to ‘use the facilities’ while Patrick, the apparent object of Selina’s affection, an affection she was hiding well so far, kept her occupied. After a glass of whatever was in this cocktail, however, Grace doubted she would be able to walk up the stairs, let alone conduct a surreptitious search of Selina’s bedroom.
‘Actually, some of them make me look like a rank amateur. See Vinny over there?’ Selina pointed to a man chatting to a big group of lads with a pint in his hand. Vinny seemed to be covered from neck to toe in ink. His face appeared to be the only part of his body where he didn’t have a tattoo. Granted, Grace couldn’t see exactly what was going on under his T-shirt, but the artful designs sprawled all around his neckline and up and down his arms so it wasn’t clear if or when the ink stopped.
‘He actually wrestled a croc last summer,’ said Selina.
‘Mindless brute. The things rich kids will do for thrills.’
Distracted by Kitt’s interjection and already a little giddy due to the strength of her drink, Grace asked: ‘Oh! Is the crocodile all right?’
Patrick and Selina exchanged amused glances and then looked at Grace.
‘You’re a real card, aren’t you? That’s not the question people usually ask when they hear about that story.’
‘Oh . . .’ Grace stuttered. ‘I – I guess looking at Vinny I think even a croc might think twice before going into a fight with him.’
Selina chuckled. ‘I know what you mean but the croc started it – well, technically Vinny started it by swimming in Darwin harbour which, as he well knows, is notorious for crocodiles.’
‘So why did he go in?’ said Patrick.
Selina shrugged. ‘Felt good at the time, I guess.’
‘Speaking of which,’ Grace said, holding up her empty glass, ‘this drink has hit me pretty fast, can I use your bathroom?’
‘It’s up the stairs, second on the left,’ Selina said with a smile.
‘Thank you,’ Grace said, trying to hold in a hiccup. She gave Patrick a subtle nod to remind him now was the time to turn on the charm.
Turning away, she tried not to dwell too long on that idea. Though Selina was currently the most likely suspect in the case of his missing fiancée, a small voice laced with jealousy asked whether Patrick minded so much that a millionaire’s daughter had taken a shine to him. The moment the thought surfaced, Grace scolded herself for focusing on such petty issues when the truth about a missing young woman was at stake. Besides anything else, she knew in her heart Patrick wouldn’t want anything to do with Selina when there was a strong chance she had something to do with what happened to Jodie, even if Selina did have designs on him.
Shaking off any more analysis about what might happen between Patrick and their party host while she was upstairs, Grace made her way up to the landing. There was a corridor to the left and to the right. The bathroom was on the left and, assuming she didn’t have an en suite, it was likely Selina had chosen a bedroom close to that room for ease. Veering left, Grace nudged open the first door. She peered in to see bookshelves and a desk.
‘Red Flame, come in. I’ve found the study. Maybe any papers about the society will be in there rather than her bedroom? I don’t have time to check both without being missed. What should I do?’
‘Try and find her bedroom. Anything about the society is likely to be kept in a hiding place you wouldn’t expect rather than in a proper filing system in the study. If you have no luck in the bedroom tonight—’
Kitt was interrupted by Grace giggling. ‘Having luck in the bedroom tonight isn’t my top priority right now, Kitt, get your mind out of the gutter, will you? I’m working a case here.’
‘Oh really,’ Kitt said with a small sigh. ‘I get enough of that stuff from Evie without you starting. As I was saying, maybe you can find a way to access her study at a later date with some academic excuse.’
‘Copy that,’ Grace said, collecting herself. Knowing from Selina’s directions that the middle door was the bathroom, she continued walking on to the third door. She knocked in case anyone was in there. It didn’t seem like the kind of party where couples were getting hot and heavy but remembering what the academy cleaner had said about working in hotels, she’d rather be safe than sorry.
When she didn’t get any answer from her knock, she pushed the door open and closed it behind her. Flicking the lights on, her mouth fell open at just how spacious and luxurious Selina’s bedroom was. What looked to be a super-king-sized bed stood at the centre of the room, covered with what Grace wagered were sheets of the highest available thread count. The bed was littered with ten or fifteen throw pillows of various sizes. Grace had never quite understood the throw pillow thing but maybe rich people led a more leisurely life and thus needed more cushions to lounge on. Opening the walk-in wardrobe, Grace was greeted with rows of dresses, shoes, handbags and other outfits that were likely designer brands. Selina’s closet was big enough to live in all by itself.
‘Have you found the bedroom?’
‘Just taking a look around now,’ Grace said, remembering she was on a time limit and starting to rifle through the hanging garments with one hand while opening drawers with the other.
‘Anything incriminating?’
‘Not yet,’ Grace said, rooting through a range of socks, bras and knickers and suddenly realizing what a horrible invasion of privacy this was.
‘Go straight to the bottom drawers.’
‘Do you really think that’s . . . fair?’ Grace said, hesitating.
‘Fair?’
‘It’s just, a woman’s bottom drawer is a very private place. You never know what you might find.’
‘Why, what do you keep in your bottom drawer?’
‘That’s definitely top secret information,’ Grace said, a slight blush rising in her cheeks. She was glad Kitt was talking to her over the radio and not face to face; Kitt would never let her live a moment of coyness down.
‘Look, we’re not interested in her collection of sex toys. We just want to know there isn’t anything in there that implies she had a part in Jodie’s disappearance. Anything else can stay just between us girls.’
‘All right,’ Grace said pulling out the bottom drawer and secretly hoping nobody had any cause to snoop around her bedroom the way she was in Selina’s. ‘Belts . . . a lot of them. Nothing saucy about that.’
‘Depends on how imaginative you are.’
Grace giggled. ‘Halloran’s not here, you know?
He can’t hear you.’
‘It’s a pity.’ Kitt said it in a tone that left Grace in no doubt about what kind of smile was on her lips.
Grace pulled out the bottom drawer on another chest at the opposite side of the closet. This one was full of papers. Old school reports. Old birthday cards and the like. Grace rifled through it all, trying to find any reference to the Scarlet Stocking Society, when her hand hit against something hard and square at the bottom of the drawer. It was a picture frame laid face down. Grace picked it up and turned it over.
‘Oh my God.’
‘What? Have you found something?’
‘Maybe. It’s a picture of Selina . . . and Jodie. Must have been taken when they first met.’
‘What’s happening in the picture?’
Grace took a photo on her phone and sent it to Kitt via WhatsApp. ‘Take a look for yourself. Check your notifications.’
There was a brief pause while Kitt checked her phone.
‘Nothing particularly odd about it,’ said Kitt. ‘Except that most people don’t keep hard copy photographs any more.’
‘And the quality is such that it looks like this was taken on someone’s phone and printed off.’
‘Maybe after Jodie disappeared she printed the photograph as a reminder of her.’
‘Maybe—’ Grace’s phone beeped. ‘Dammit,’ she said, looking at the screen.
‘What is it?’
‘Patrick’s just sent me a text message. He and Selina are heading upstairs to her bedroom, right now.’
Sixteen
Grace barely had time to switch off the light and pull the closet doors closed before hearing Selina’s bedroom door creak open. There was a shuffling sound as she and Patrick walked in.
Slowly, so as not to make even the smallest noise, Grace lay down on the soft, beige carpet and peered through the small gap under the door. She could just make out Patrick’s pristine pair of Nike Air Force 1s and Selina’s bare feet with the toenails painted midnight blue. They were positioned in such a way that it was clear they were sitting on the bed together.