She didn’t answer.
“Don’t you think it’s strange that Doctor Fulton died so suddenly like that?”
She looked up only for a second. Her eyes flashed, just like Jim’s had only moments ago. When she spoke, her voice was so venomous I took a few steps back.
“I heard you talking to the pastor. You people come here and accuse us of all sorts of things. Who do you think you are?”
I stayed my ground.
“I’m not sure Mrs. Robinson mentioned this to you, but she invited us over.”
“You’re lying!”
Katy came up. “Nancy, how can you not find it strange that Mrs. Robinson and the doctor passed away so close together like this?”
Nancy slammed a dish on the counter.
“Maybe it was something he ate,” she said. “Indigestion gone bad. He’s an old man. Maybe he was allergic to something and didn’t tell me.”
Her voice was low, like she was talking to herself, trying to convince herself rather than us. She looked up, that nasty scowl back on her face.
“What’s it to you people, anyway? You’re not family.”
“You aren’t either,” said Katy.
It was like Katy had slapped her.
Nancy took a step back, her face red in fury.
“Get out!” she screeched, pointing at the door. “Get out of my kitchen!”
“WHAT A MESS,” SAID Tetyana, shaking her head.
We were huddled upstairs in our bedroom, trying to think of our next steps.
We didn’t have many options.
With the bridge down, our car was stranded on the grounds. The only way out of this house was through the woods along a trail that led to the old riverbed. From there, we’d have to find a way back to town in the dead of the night. A risky journey, if our guess had been correct.
Who knew where that riverbed led to?
Besides, none of us were ready to leave.
Tetyana kept reminding us that this house, these grounds, this entire estate may now belong to us, or technically, my company, the Red Heeled Rebels Group.
As far as I was concerned, we couldn’t abandon this house without having made good on our promise to the woman who had called me for help.
“Mrs. Robinson wanted us to find the letter writer,” I said. “That person could be, in all probability, the killer. For her sake, we’ve got to find out what’s going on.”
Tetyana nodded.
“I bet you this entire inheritance those two were murdered in cold blood by someone who sat around the table tonight.”
“But how?” said Katy. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor, leaning against the bed, absentmindedly playing with the Care Bear on her lap. “I know we think it’s some sort of poison, but they both looked like heart attacks to me.”
“Nancy may be right,” said Tetyana, leaning against the wall and crossing her arms. “The doctor could have ingested something in his food or drink. They’d have had to be real careful to make sure he was the only person who’d eat it or drink it.”
“But we prepared the food,” I said, “we used the same dishes to plate the food for everyone. Unless...” I paused to think. “Unless someone added it after we served him.”
“The pastor poured the wine,” said Tetyana, “and he was the most adamant for everyone to leave at the end.”
“I am sure he used the same bottle for all of us,” I said, trying to remember.
“Don’t forget Caril and Charles,” said Katy. “They set the table before anyone came to the room. They could have put something transparent into his glass or plate and no one noticed.”
“Cyanide or something similar would have done the trick,” said Tetyana, nodding.
“He’d have tasted or smelled cyanide, wouldn’t he?” I asked.
“Maybe that cut on his nose temporarily damaged some nerves,” said Tetyana and let out a loud sigh. “These are all suppositions. What we need is hard evidence.”
“Wait,” I said, realizing something. “Lisa was sitting at the table when I ran up with the veggie platter. She was in her seat all by herself before anyone else. She didn’t move when Charles set her place. She didn’t even acknowledge him.”
“That woman gives me weird vibes,” said Katy.
“Nancy asked her if she was hungry, but she didn’t answer,” I said, recalling the conversation, “she just sat there.”
“Strange,” said Tetyana.
A shudder went through me as I remembered the cold and clammy feel of her skin.
“There’s something badly wrong with her,” I said.
“Mentally or physically?” said Katy.
“Maybe both.” I paused as the book sitting on the bed caught my eye. “I can’t help but feel that diary holds all the clues. Mrs. Robinson wanted us to find that book.”
“A murderer’s clue?” said Katy, picking up the diary. “From a nine-year-old girl’s drawings?”
Pastor Graham’s nasty tirade in the dining room flashed to mind. Yes, we were strangers here, but it wasn’t strangers they needed to be afraid of. It was much easier to be killed by your own family.
Much easier.
I knew this from my own past.
Chapter Forty-one
“But what about Mrs. Robinson?” said Katy. “How did she die?”
“Those letters,” I replied, “carried the actual threat. I’m sure of it.”
“How?”
“Remember, the white powder I saw on the letter she showed us? Mrs. Robinson thought it was baby powder or something. But the originals could have carried a poisonous substance which she inhaled and made her sick.”
Tetyana nodded.
“She said she hadn’t been feeling well for the past four weeks. That’s exactly when she started getting the letters.”
“But who’d want to kill her?” asked Katy.
“That ball was rolled before we got here,” said Tetyana. “Someone had a grudge against her, wanted revenge, or planned to silence her, so they sent those letters to kill her over time and minimize suspicion.”
“Then Doctor Fulton figured out Mrs. Robinson didn’t die of a heart attack,” I said. “So the killer got rid of him too.”
“How do you know he knew?” asked Katy.
“I talked to him this morning. He was cagey, confused, and sounded like he didn’t want to even contemplate whatever it was he’d found. But he finally said he would ask for an autopsy to confirm how she died.”
I paused.
“I don’t want to sound paranoid, but I thought I heard someone behind us when we were talking. I didn’t see anyone, but the killer could have been there.”
“That sealed the doctor’s fate,” said Katy glumly.
“Remember, the doctor didn’t want to be left alone all day?” I said. “Maybe he was scared the killer knew and would go after him.”
Katy raised her eyebrows. “Which they did.”
I felt that all too familiar sinking feeling in my stomach. If the killer had heard me talk to the doctor, that meant I could be their next target.
Tetyana straightened up and gave me a concerned look as if she read my mind. She reached into her holster and pulled out her side arm.
“You have your piece on you?” she asked.
I patted my vest and felt the comfort of the bulky revolver snug in my pocket.
“Good,” she said. “Keep it close and don’t hesitate to use it.”
I nodded.
“It’s time to do some sleuthing—” she started, but a single knock on the door stopped her.
We froze in place, staring at our door.
I looked at my phone. It was almost midnight. What was someone doing in the corridor at this time of night?
Tetyana put her finger to her lips and stepped toward the entrance. She put an ear on the door to listen. I tiptoed over and took position behind her, my weapon in my hand, ready for anything.
It was strange the person only knocked once.
&nb
sp; Were they waiting behind that door?
Giving me a quick nod, Tetyana turned the lock and flung the door open in one swift move. She vaulted out, gun aimed forward, crying, “Freeze!”
I jumped after her, but the corridor was empty.
We scanned both sides, but either the door-knocker had run away or was hiding in the shadows.
Katy stumbled out of the room and peeked out.
“Who is it?” she whispered.
Tetyana turned to us.
“Someone’s stalking us. Let’s go find out who is playing these games.”
“Right now?” said Katy, appearing unsure if she wanted a midnight expedition.
Tetyana nodded firmly.
“You two go down to the west wing and check for anyone roaming around. I’ll go check the stairwell. I have a feeling they went toward it. Easiest place to hide and fastest place to get away.”
“Be careful,” said Katy.
“Don’t shoot unless absolutely necessary,” warned Tetyana. “If you see anything strange, shout.”
“Will do,” I said.
“Let’s go, Katy,” I said, turning around and heading toward the main section of the house. “Watch my back.”
Sticking to the shadows, Katy and I tiptoed along the hallway, checking each room, one by one.
I had suspected Mrs. Robinson had given us the sole furnished room on this wing, and I was right. All the other doors on our wing opened to vacant, empty spaces.
Katy and I slipped through the corridor without seeing or hearing a soul. Other than the sound of the wind whipping around the cupolas on the roof, it was eerily quiet.
It was also dark, the only illumination coming from a bank of vintage spotlights affixed to the ceiling.
I turned back and scanned the corridor behind us. Tetyana was nowhere to be seen. She’d already searched the corridor and was probably climbing down the back stairway. I hoped she was okay.
Katy and I approached the west wing and glanced around cautiously.
The main stairway of the house was built like a Cinderella staircase that swirled all the way down to the first floor. The stains and scratches on the pine told us this staircase needed a good wax and polish, but it would have been beautiful in its time.
“Nobody’s around,” whispered Katy as we walked up to the top step and surveyed the landing.
We stood near the banister, straining to hear sounds of anyone walking or talking, but the house had fallen silent.
“This way,” I said, walking toward the west wing on the third floor.
“What are you doing?” whispered Katy, pulling on my vest.
“Let’s see who’s in their rooms.”
When the pastor shouted for everyone to vacate the dining room, Barry, Caril, and Charles had scooted out, followed by Lisa, later on. Nancy had probably finished her duties and also returned to her room like the others and shut herself in.
The two people I wasn’t sure about were the pastor and Jim.
I couldn’t but help feel like those two shared a secret. They were constantly defending each other, glancing at each other before speaking, like they had a secret code. The way Jim deferred to the pastor was a bit too much to be natural.
Katy and I tiptoed through the west wing, looking for signs of life.
“They renovated this part,” whispered Katy, as we stepped over the new carpet. “It’s much nicer here.”
“Guess someone finally decided this needed an upgrade.”
I had no idea who stayed in which rooms, but there were four rooms on this wing. All four had light coming from under the door.
They were still awake.
“What do we do?” said Katy. “Knock?” She made a face that clearly said she’d prefer we didn’t.
I shook my head.
“Let’s check the second floor. Maybe the pastor and Jim are still there.”
With a sigh of relief, Katy turned around and stepped ahead of me.
“This place gives me the creeps.”
“Me too,” I said as I followed her back toward the main staircase.
“Who do you think knocked and ran?” said Katy. “And why? It’s a kid’s game.”
It was getting more and more difficult to know what everyone’s intentions were. That nagging feeling came back to me. Everyone was putting on a show here. Either for each other or for us. I wished I knew more.
“Maybe someone wanted to alert—”
I stopped as soon as I saw it.
“Hey!” I called out. “Stop!”
But it was too late.
Katy lurched over the trip wire and stumbled headfirst down the stairs.
Chapter Forty-two
“Katy!”
I leaped over the wire and dashed down, taking three steps at a time.
A low moan came from below.
My heart jumped to my throat as I saw the body lying on the second-floor landing. I bounded down the stairs and reached for Katy’s shoulder, my heart thumping like mad.
“Oh, my god, Katy. Are you okay?”
She groaned.
“What... happened?”
Her voice was feeble but audible.
I kneeled beside her and put my gun on the floor.
Katy was twisted into an awkward position and was gripping onto her right leg, like it hurt badly.
I clutched her shoulder and gave a short prayer to whoever had been watching over her.
Thank you. She’s alive.
“You tripped over a wire. It was on the first step. I didn’t see it in the dark.”
Another groan.
“You okay, hun?”
“My ankle....”
I looked over her, gently feeling her limbs.
“No broken bones?”
“Nope.”
“Blood?”
“Don’t think so...”
I sighed with relief.
A twisted ankle was better than a broken neck.
Katy turned around, positioning herself to sit up.
“Don’t move,” I said.
Ignoring my advice, Katy sat up slowly and leaned against me for balance. I reached around her shoulders and gave her a tight squeeze.
“I’m so sorry.”
“Not your fault.”
I tried to collect my thoughts.
Who did this?
And why?
I would never forgive myself if anything happened to Katy or Tetyana.
When I’d packed my bags for this trip, I’d thought this case would be a breeze. A fast way to earn our charity money. It would be a simple question of figuring out the spiteful family member who wrote those nasty letters, I’d innocently thought.
But this had turned into a double-murder investigation, and it was us who were being targeted now.
“I didn’t expect them to come after us,” I said. “Maybe I did intellectually, but I wasn’t prepared for it.”
Katy pulled her foot to the side, grimacing in pain. “Should have seen that stupid wire.”
“No one would have seen it in the dark,” I said. “Whoever it was, did a good job.”
“Good thing I caught the railing, or I’d have gone tumbling all the way down.”
I looked up and scanned the third-floor landing.
My stomach fell as I saw a shadow cross the corridor upstairs. I grabbed my gun and spun around.
“Stop right there!” I yelled.
When the figure bent down to peer at us, the corridor light fell on her face.
“Tetyana?”
She didn’t answer.
“Watch the wire!” I called out.
But she’d already spotted it. She was kneeling down to examine it. Then, pulling out an army knife from her vest, she reached over and snapped it in two.
While Katy and I watched, she climbed down slowly, feeling her way, searching for more booby traps.
“You okay?” she said, when she got to the second-floor landing.
“They didn’t kill me,” Katy r
eplied with a wonky smile. “Whoever tried that will be mighty disappointed.”
“A twisted ankle, but it could have been worse,” I said, looking at Tetyana. “Much worse.”
She nodded, a grave look on her face.
“Didn’t see who it was?”
“The floor was deserted.” I glanced up at the third floor. “Where is everyone? Katy falls down the stairs, I run down shouting, and nobody comes out to check?”
“I heard you yell,” said Tetyana. “Heard you from near our bedroom.”
“Maybe everyone’s scared to death now,” said Katy, trying a feeble smile. With a painful moan, she tried to stand up, holding on to my shoulder.
With help from Tetyana and me, she made it to her feet, leaning against us.
“You need to lie down, my girl,” I said.
“What you need is ice,” said Tetyana.
“Can you take me to our room?” asked Katy. “Sitting in a quiet spot for a little while would help.”
Supporting her on both sides, Tetyana and I took her up to the third floor and back into our room.
We moved slowly, using Tetyana’s torchlight to check for any more wires. I was beginning to feel like there were death traps everywhere in this house.
Once Katy was tucked in bed with the Care Bear, I turned to Tetyana.
“There’s ice in the freezer downstairs,” I said. “I’ll go get some.”
“Wait,” she said. “I’m coming with you. Not a good idea to roam around the house alone right now.”
I turned to Katy.
“You’re going to be fine?”
“Don’t worry about me,” she said, but I could see the pain in her eyes.
“We’ll lock the door behind us,” said Tetyana. “It will be just for two minutes, okay?”
She gave a feeble nod.
Poor Katy. She didn’t have a choice.
After closing and bolting the windows in the room, Tetyana and I exited. We locked our door and walked toward the back stairway, stopping every few seconds to check for traps that might have been laid for us.
Someone in this house meant business.
Dirty, ugly, deadly business.
“Do you think that wire was meant for us?” I asked.
“Definitely,” said Tetyana, as she scanned the stairwell. “I found a wire trap on the top of these stairs too.”
Merciless Legacy: Merciless Murder - A Thrilling Closed Circle Mystery Series Page 19