A Malevolent Manner (Patrick Pierce #1)

by William Scott

  *

  “That is disturbing, though not altogether surprising,” Lord Lodge replied evenly after hearing the news about Drummond’s demise from Tiberius. They were seated in Lodge’s study, an antique wooden desk filling the space between them. The desk was free of any papers, making it appear larger than it was. The same could be said for the room itself, the few pieces of furniture within it were covered in white canvas tarps to guard against dust. Apparently the staff had received news that Lord Lodge’s return from his illness was tentative at best.

  “I’m sorry sir, none of us thought he was suicidal.”

  “You thought he was too much a coward to take his own life,” Lodge stated with his usual amount of perception, receiving a stiff nod in reply. “It’s not your fault; warriors such as yourself have a harder time understanding matters of the heart.”

  “You don’t mean that he loved Cleaver? They weren’t… I mean, they didn’t…”

  “No I very much doubt they were romantically involved,” The Master of the Manor replied with a chuckle from Tiberius’ obvious unease. “But Drummond was attracted to the power Cleaver held and was devoted to him for the power he received by association.”

  “It was no secret Cleaver was Drummond’s benefactor,” Tiberius allowed. “But I had hoped to use that against him. He was obviously left behind and might have been upset enough to tell us something.”

  “I wouldn’t worry too much over what might have been. Drummond probably would have never told us anything, in the forlorn hope that Cleaver would return and reward him for his loyalty.”

  Tiberius could understand such loyalty as he looked across the table. It would take a significant amount of torture for him to turn against Lord Lodge if he were in a similar situation.

  “But that’s not all you came to tell me about was it?” Lodge inquired absently as he sorted through a desk drawer. With an exclamation of success he pulled out a long black pipe and tobacco pouch. He expertly filled and lit it as Tiberius began explaining the remainder of the news.

  “I’ve sent the rest of the Black Pack, that is those I trust, to search for Cleaver, Malicio, and anyone else associated with them,” Tiberius reported through the growing smoke. “They were split in three and sent to the Crow’s Nest, Harrow’s End, and the Black Loch. I had hoped one of the groups would come upon their trail.”

  Lodge merely continued smoking in reply, hardly moving a muscle. From anyone else Tiberius would have found this reaction disconcerting, however he was used to Lord Lodge and knew he wouldn’t utter an extraneous word until everything was presented to him.

  “But something has come up that makes me think the situation is more complex than before,” he continued without waiting for a response. “None of the horses are missing from the stable, neither the ones for riding nor the coach horses. They could have presumably set out on foot, but they’d have to know we’d track them down before they got anywhere safe. From your search of his office we have already determined that Cleaver has left the Manor without plans to return in the near future. So the question is where are they?”

  “Indeed and when are they?” Lodge uttered thoughtfully after slowly removing the pipe from his mouth.

  “Sir?”

  “You said there are no horses missing and you made a good argument against them leaving on foot. So what does that leave? They’ve escaped through one of the portals in the North Tower.”

  “But that’s not possible,” Tiberius immediately dismissed the possibility with hollow conviction. “Is it?”

  “It’s the only solution that fits the facts.”

  “But none of the portal keys in Drummond’s office are missing.”

  “Cleaver made copies.”

  “We would have known,” Tiberius offered lamely, his sense of unease growing. Intellectually he knew that Lodge was right, but a part of him wanted to cling to the possibility of another option. He needed an alternative that could easily explain their disappearance and could be dealt with just as easily. But no such answer emerged in his mind, only the knowledge that the portals were indeed the only possible means of their escape. His heart sank at the prospect before them. “They could be anywhere.”

  “I’m afraid so. Plus with their knowledge and disposition, they could wreak havoc wherever they end up. This is very grave news indeed.”

  Both men sat in static silence, much like the few pieces of furniture that dotted the large study. On the final leg of their journey to the Manor, Tiberius had actually been optimistic about the future of life at the Manor. He knew there would be a fight with Dr. Cleaver and his cronies, but believed it would have been short and final. With their triumph he and Lodge along with the others could have reformed the Manor and ended the bloodthirsty hunts that dominated their lives. He’d have time to spend in the pursuit of more constructive and pleasing activities. The face of an auburn haired beauty sprung to the forefront of his mind.

  But he knew that this would never be possible with Cleaver and his men running rabid throughout time. Although Lord Lodge was the Master of the Manor, he knew that he’d play a leading role in the hunt for the rogue member. He accepted this in silent determination like he’d always done, ever the obedient and trustworthy soldier.

  “I’ll let the search of the island run its course, in case we’re wrong,” Tiberius suggested, calmly rising from his seat. “In the meantime I’ll have my men and some of the staff search the Manor. Just to make sure they’ve left.”

  Lord Lodge remained silent and motionless except for the small puffs he took from his pipe, a smoky shroud beginning to envelope him. His steely eyes pierced the smoke and focused on a myriad of possibilities that only a mind as powerful as his could see. Tiberius quietly left the room without another word, despite knowing that he couldn’t have broken Lodge’s concentration if he tried.

  Morgan, Dufresne, and three others were waiting for him in the hall outside Lodge’s office. Tiberius knew and trusted the others and was glad for the increased numbers. The vastness of the Manor would have been almost impossible to search properly with only three. It would still be difficult with six, however he planned to collect a group of footmen, groundskeepers, and groomsmen to further divide the job ahead.

  “I just spoke to Lord Lodge and he knows the situation,” Tiberius briefed the men as they travelled down the hall towards a staircase that would take them to the servant’s area below. “The cursory search of the island will continue in the off chance that they left the Manor grounds on foot. Meanwhile we will organize a search of the Manor itself. We all know there are enough nooks and crannies in this place where a person could hide for a week. But I’m not confident we’ll turn up anything.”

  “What do we do if they’re actually here?” Morgan asked as they reached the basement. Tiberius stopped and looked around in a conspiratorial way, waiting for a pair of kitchen maids to pass.

  “If we find them,” he began with quiet intensity, the words shooting out between gritted teeth. “We give them a warning to drop their weapons and then we shoot them in the face.”

  “Don’t you mean or shoot them in the face?”

  “No. I’m tired of these evil bastards running around. This ends once and for all.”

  Chapter 28