by Greg Miller
“Bye,” Emily said, after he’d turned and walked away.
They took a seat at one of the outdoor tables and watched as a steady stream of assorted Jaguars came up the driveway. By the time Gavin finished his coffee, the terrace had filled with vaguely familiar faces from the club’s other events. Emily shrank down in her seat, sipping from her straw and trying to ignore the din of voices.
“Can I have your attention please,” Jay’s voice boomed over the PA. “Would all rally teams gather in the wine tasting room. The drivers’ meeting is about to begin.”
They waited for the others to disperse, and then joined Bonnie in the doorway to the crowded tasting room. Jay was standing at the far end between some wine racks, holding a microphone and his notes.
“It’s a really good turnout,” Bonnie whispered. “We registered 43 teams.”
Gavin lifted his eyebrows, nodding, as Emily peered around from behind.
“The first rule of a Time-Speed-Distance rally,” Jay began, “before staying on course and on time, is for everyone to drive safely …”
Gavin leaned closer to Bonnie. “We’d best head over to the checkpoint and get set up. I’ll call you from there.”
“Sounds good.” Bonnie smiled.
As they stepped outside Armando came rushing up the sidewalk toward them.
“Have you seen Dennis?” he asked, breathlessly.
“He’s in the tasting room,” Gavin replied.
“I got held up in traffic. I’m supposed to be driving it with him.”
“Well, the drivers’ meeting just started, so you’d better hurry.” Gavin smiled.
“Thanks. See you later,” he said, dashing off.
Emily turned and gazed out at the parking lot. “And there’s still no sign of Peter.”
A pair of crows looked down from the Gothic tower’s belfry, and watched as the Morgan pulled off onto the grassy shoulder of the narrow road below.
Gavin turned off the ignition and glanced over at the chapel. “It feels a little strange being back here.”
Emily nodded. “I’m just glad to be away from all of that commotion.”
They got out of the car. Gavin removed the collapsible chairs from behind the seats, then unstrapped the sign and a folding tray table from the tire rack. “I’d better call Bonnie to let them know we’re here,” he said.
Emily carried the checkpoint sign down the road, and set it facing in the direction from which they’d come. “Is this okay?” she called.
Gavin looked up from the shaky little table he was attempting to position on the uneven ground. “Yes. Fine!”
Emily meandered off toward the chapel on her way back. “I’m going to take a walk around.”
Gavin nodded, sitting down and opening his laptop.
“Hey, come here,” she yelled, a moment later.
Gavin hastily got up and went across to the front of the chapel.
“Look – it’s unlocked.” She turned the iron handle and pushed open the creaky gray door. There was a whiff of musty oak and frankincense as they entered the cool sanctuary chamber. It was dimly lit, barely any sunlight reaching through the glowing stained glass windows, which were evenly spaced on the bare stone walls.
Emily looked up at the ceiling beams. “It’s so peaceful, isn’t it?”
Gavin nodded. “It certainly is.” He followed her over to one of the windows and they stood admiring it.
“I believe that’s Sir Galahad seeking the Holy Grail,” she said. “I had a feeling it would be open today. Do you believe in premonitions?”
Gavin bit his lip, staring at the medieval scene.
Emily leaned forward, studying his face. “What are you thinking about?”
“Sorry,” he said, turning back. “I can’t seem to stop thinking about Peter.”
“Being here makes me feel even more sure about selling the car.” Emily frowned. “Finding the engine and Andrew’s killer was a nice dream, but it’s become a dark cloud hanging over me. I want to move on and focus on my work at the shop. I really think I can help to make it a success.”
“I do too.” Gavin smiled. “And if there’s one thing this whole misadventure has convinced me of, it’s that we make a good team.”
“We do make a good team, don’t we?” Emily said, smiling back.
He moved closer and kissed her. “The first car will be arriving soon, we should probably go back out.”
They left the chapel, and returned to the checkpoint.
“Do you want your safety vest?” Emily asked, standing beside the Morgan, and holding one up.
“No, thanks.” Gavin chuckled.
“How do I look?” she asked, putting hers on.
“Very official.” He smiled.
“I feel very official,” she said, lifting her chin and taking a seat beside him.
It wasn’t long before a shiny Cotswold Blue XK140 convertible, with badges on its grill and a number one sticker on its windshield, came around the bend. An older woman wearing a headscarf looked up from her clipboard and waved as it sputtered past.
Gavin clicked its time. The car pulled off to the side and an elderly gentleman, wearing a herringbone driving cap got out and made his way to them.
“G’day. Lovely spot.” He smiled, looking over at the chapel and handing Gavin his scorecard.
Emily watched as Gavin checked his laptop, then wrote the ‘in’ and ‘out’ times on the scorecard before handing it back. The man returned to his car, turned around and pulled up across from them, revving the engine.
Gavin gave the couple a nod and the XK140 took off, leaving a whiff of oily blue smoke behind.
“That’s all there is to it?” Emily asked, as the car disappeared from sight.
“That’s it.”
A few minutes later, a red XJS with a number two sticker drove by, and the procedure was repeated.
Emily lifted an eyebrow. “Can I try?”
“Sure,” he said, relinquishing his seat behind the table.
Car after car came through. Emily took their times, wrote on their score cards, and waved them off.
“I can take over if you need a break,” Gavin said.
“No, thank you.” Emily smiled. “I’m really enjoying this.”
A black convertible crawled to a stop some distance away.
“That isn’t a Jaguar, is it?” Emily squinted.
Gavin shook his head. “It’s a Porsche.”
“What are they doing here? And why did they stop?”
“I’m not sure,” Gavin said, standing up. “I think he’s early. Maybe he’s just waiting to get a better time.”
Emily tipped her head. “Is he allowed to do that?”
“He isn’t really supposed to,” Gavin said, with his eyes fixed on the car.
The engine revved. Gavin glanced at the low stone wall behind them, and moved closer to Emily. She tightened her lips and clicked their time, then stood waving them forward. The Porsche crept toward them. Emily held up her hand, stopping them in front of the table.
“What exactly do you think you’re doing?” she asked, looking down at the couple.
“Waiting for a good time,” the driver replied, adjusting his aviator sunglasses.
Emily snatched the scorecard from the passenger, a blond woman in a pink visor, and scribbled their times on it. “I don’t like cheaters.”
“We weren’t cheating,” the driver protested. “They didn’t say anything about this at the drivers’ meeting.”
Emily put her hands on her hips. “Why aren’t you in a Jaguar? This is supposed to be a Jaguar rally.”
“They said guests were welcome.” He shook his head, then looked over at the Morgan. “Where’s your Jaguar?”
Emily thrust their scorecard back.
“What’
s this?” the young woman asked, staring at the card.
“I clocked you in when you got here.”
“But you’re supposed to wait ’til we drive past!”
Emily wrinkled her nose. “And you’re not supposed to cheat!”
They looked to Gavin for help, but he turned away, hiding his face with his hand.
“What a bitch.” The woman cackled.
Emily gasped, blinking her eyes. “You’re the bitch,” she snapped. “Now get that piece of crap out of here!”
The Porsche’s tires kicked up gravel as it lurched forward and made a quick U-turn. Emily turned to Gavin, who uncovered his cringing face.
“Can you believe those two?” She snorted as the Porsche sped off behind her with a pair of middle fingers held high in the air. She took a deep breath. “How do you think I handled it?”
Gavin bit his lip. “Quite well, I’d say.”
“I think I’m beginning to feel like my effervescent old self again.” Emily smiled.
He nodded. “I can see that.”
They heard the roar of an approaching car as the driver downshifted.
“Oh!” She rushed back to the laptop as a green E-Type convertible came around the bend. She clicked their time as it glided by, and they saw that it was Armando and Dennis. They backed up to the checkpoint table.
“Nice car.” Gavin smiled.
Armando chuckled from behind the wheel. “I couldn’t resist taking it out today.”
“Great course … very scenic,” Dennis said, handing Emily their score card. “You’ve done a wonderful job.”
“Thank you.” Emily smiled, marking the card and handing it back.
Dennis did a double take. “Is this right? It says we’re almost exactly on time.”
She gave him a wink.
“See ya back at the winery,” Armando said, over the growling engine. They turned around and sped off.
Gavin lifted an eyebrow. “Emily. What did you do?”
“I was just keeping it fair,” she said. “We can’t have that Porsche winning now, can we?”
Gavin chuckled. “They were the last ones. I should probably call Jay to let him know.”
“This turned out to be quite a lot of fun,” Emily said. “I’m even looking forward to going back to the winery and fraternizing.”
Gavin took his phone from his pocket. His face became serious as he stared at the screen. “Peter’s sent me a message.”
“What does it say?”
“You win.”
She knitted her brows. “That’s it? Nothing else?”
Gavin shook his head.
“When did he send it?”
“About twenty minutes ago – I’ll call him.” He tapped the screen and held it to his ear. “It’s going to his voicemail … Hi, Peter. This is Gavin. I just got your message. Call me back as soon as you can.”
“Do you think he could be at the winery?”
Gavin shrugged. “I’ll call Jay.”
She twisted her lips as he made the call. “Can you put it on speaker?”
It rang twice then stopped. “Jay?”
“Hi, Gavin,” Bonnie’s playfully amorous voice answered. “Jay’s busy clocking them all back in.”
Emily’s eyes narrowed.
“That’s okay, I only wanted to let you know that the last car has just left here.”
“Dennis and Armando, right?”
“Yes,” Gavin said. “Hey, is Peter there?”
“No, he never showed. But that’s Peter for you.”
“Listen, something came up so we’re just going to drop the stuff off for you and run.”
“Aww.” She sighed. “You sure? Everyone’s looking forward to seeing you.”
“Yeah,” Gavin said. “It’s important. We’ll see you in a bit.” He put the phone back in his pocket.
Emily looked up. “What do you think Peter meant by ‘you win’? It almost sounds like a confession, doesn’t it?”
Gavin nodded. “Let’s go find out.”
CHAPTER 20
The Morgan raced through the countryside, past farms and hillside fields peppered with rolls of hay.
“He’s still not answering,” Emily said, taking the phone from her ear.
“How far is it now?” Gavin asked, glancing over at her.
She turned the phone over in her hand. “We’re 23 minutes away.”
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “I wish Bonnie hadn’t kept us talking.”
“I don’t like the fact that we can’t reach him,” Emily said. “You don’t think he’d take his own life, do you?”
Gavin bit his lip. “I’d like you to stay in the car when we get there.”
“Why?”
“It could be a trap. If he tries something, I want you to be able to call for help.”
Emily took a deep breath. “You won’t leave my sight, will you?”
“No,” he said. “I’ll just see if he comes to the door. I won’t go inside.”
She thought for a moment. “It’s an isolated place. He could be lying in wait. I’ll keep a look out and beep the horn if I see any danger.”
Emily gazed out of the side window, the red sumac and goldenrod along the road blurring as they sped by.
They reached Peter’s house. Gavin parked at the end of the driveway. He took his pistol from the glove box and put it in his pocket, then scanned the yard through the windshield. “Just keep your head down,” he said, reaching for the door handle. Cautiously, Gavin got out of the car.
Emily leaned over to the driver’s side, her phone in one hand, the other on the horn. She peered over the dashboard, keeping an eye on the shrubbery and the shaded side of the garage as Gavin strode up the sidewalk.
He rang the doorbell, then used the knocker several times. Gavin shrugged, glancing back at Emily. He walked down the steps and made his way around to the rear of the house.
Emily grumbled, watching. She jumped out of the car and ran after him.
Gavin stopped, just as she caught up.
“Where are you going?” she asked breathlessly. “You said you’d stay in sight.”
He held up his hand and turned an ear toward the garage. “Listen.”
Emily knitted her brows. “Is that an engine running?”
They hurried to the garage. Gavin pulled up one of the doors and they immediately choked on the escaping fumes.
“Oh, God!” Emily coughed, taking a step back.
As the fog of carbon monoxide dissipated, they spotted Peter’s pale face through the windshield of a gray E-Type coupe.
Gavin held his breath and rushed in. He opened the driver’s side door and turned off the engine. He felt for Peter’s pulse then shook his head, squinting at Emily. “Call an ambulance!” He coughed.
Emily spoke with the emergency dispatcher, her voice trembling, while Gavin dragged Peter’s lifeless body from the car and lay him down on the driveway.
“It’s on the way,” she said, digging her nails into her palms.
Gavin tried performing CPR, but it did nothing. “His body’s cold. I think he’s been dead for quite a while.”
Emily grimaced, shaking her head. “I can’t believe this.”
Kneeling on the driveway beside Peter’s body, Gavin furrowed his brow, looking back at the gray Jaguar. “That wasn’t one of the cars I’d checked, was it?”
“No,” she said. “It wasn’t here before.”
Gavin lifted an eyebrow. Emily followed him as he went back into the garage. He lifted the hood, and bent down to check the engine number.
“No,” she said. “It couldn’t be … Could it?”
Gavin backed away from the car, nodding. “The numbers match. It’s the missing engine.”
Emily gasped,
covering her mouth.
They heard the wail of an approaching siren. Gavin rushed to move his car onto the lawn, and out of the way. A police car arrived, soon followed by an ambulance. Gavin spoke with two officers while the paramedics tried using a defibrillator – still it did nothing.
As they were removing Peter’s body, Detective Terrick arrived. He talked with the other officers, then went over to Gavin and Emily, who were standing by the Morgan.
“Mr Campbell? Ms Van Der Hout? The two of you found him?”
“Yes,” Gavin said.
“How did you come to be here? Did you think he was going to take his own life?”
Gavin shook his head. “He sent us a text message.”
“What did it say?”
“Just that ‘we’d won.’ Apparently he viewed it all as a game.”
“Viewed what as a game?” Terrick asked, narrowing an eye.
“He murdered my brother,” Emily blurted, glaring at the ambulance as it pulled away. “He was in Andrew’s club. He was obsessed with Jaguars.”
“I know,” Terrick said. “I’d spoken with him during my investigation.”
Gavin reached for Emily’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “We were looking for the missing engine from Andrew’s car, and with it, his killer.” He gestured with his head, toward the garage. “It’s under the hood of the Jag we found him in.”
Terrick leaned forward. “What’s the engine got to do with it?”
“We found out that the car is a rare prototype, but it’s only something special with the original engine.”
“Is it?” Terrick said, clenching his jaw and looking away for a moment. “We couldn’t find a motive to make Andrew’s death a murder investigation. But that could certainly be one.” He stroked his chin. “And Mr Harrington did seem nervous when I interviewed him. How did you figure all of this out?”
“He kept misleading us.”
“He tried to kill us,” Emily exclaimed.
Terrick raised an eyebrow.
Gavin nodded. “It’s a long story.”
“I’m sure it is,” Terrick said. “I’ll need to get a full statement. Can you follow me back to the station?”
“Of course.” Gavin lingered for a moment, staring at the gray E-Type in Peter’s garage.