And The Bride Vanishes

by Jacqueline Diamond

  “Someday I’m going to live here,” Janet had announced. Years later, when her great-uncle was looking for a place, she had persuaded him to buy the property and restore it.

  The renovation had proceeded at a snail’s pace because Yuri insisted that background checks be conducted on every workman. While the house had been repaired inside, it was possible, Linda told Mina and Wick, that no one had gotten around to closing the tunnel.

  Janet hadn’t mentioned the icehouse in years, so it was possible it had slipped her mind. Besides, she dismissed her great-uncle’s worries as leftover paranoia that simply didn’t belong in a peaceful town like Inland.

  “We might be able to get in,” she said. “But it’s a long shot.”

  “It’s worth checking out,” Wick said.

  “But very dangerous,” murmured Mrs. Barash.

  “That’s why I’m going alone.”

  Linda respected her husband’s desire to protect her, but common sense had to prevail. “I know the house better than you do.”

  “Then draw me a map!”

  Mina raised her hands to stop the argument. “You both forget that first we have to get past the security system.”

  “Do you have any ideas?” Wick asked. “You always seem to come up with something.”

  “We must watch for our chance,” Mina said. “Perhaps one day there will be workmen on the grounds. Security will be lowered and we can sneak in and hide until they have gone. It might work!”

  And it might not, Linda thought. But it was as good an idea as any.

  Chapter Twelve

  Her vigor restored now that she was once again able to play lady detective, Mina spent the next few days finding excuses to drop by Janet’s house. Finally, she reported with glee that Yuri would be giving a birthday dinner the following night, Wednesday, in honor of his nephew, Armand.

  “He will have it catered at home,” Mina reported as they sat in the living room beneath the wide-eyed stares of china angels and shepherdesses. “Janet must leave before ten o’clock for her night shift, so the party will not run late. Besides, she says her great-uncle is easily tired and goes to bed early.”

  During the remodeling of the property, motion sensors had been installed on the grounds. They probably would be deactivated while guests were on the premises.

  “So I sneak into the icehouse and hide,” Wick murmured. “What did you say was in there, Linda? Spiders and snakes?”

  “Just spiders,” she said, then added teasingly, “Of course, it’s been awhile. Could be all kinds of snakes, and possums, too. Maybe even a bear.”

  “I hope not, Linda, because he will need you to go, too, to show him the way.” Mina waved away Wick’s protest. “It is a large estate. You could not hope to find a hidden trapdoor all by yourself at night. I only wish that I could come! But I get so frightened in small spaces.”

  A shiver of anticipation mixed with dread ran through Linda. Staying as an uninvited guest in this house made her more eager than ever to return to her own life, but she wasn’t looking forward to tomorrow night.

  Could they really hope to find evidence that would incriminate Yuri? Worse, they were running an even greater risk than that of being arrested. If Yuri really had been the head of Litvonia’s secret police, there was no telling what he might do if he caught them.

  In the meantime, there had been no major developments in the investigations of the murders, or, at least, none that had been released to the media. Only one other significant piece of information was reported: Granville Lyme had willed everything to his son, and Avery had left it all to Linda.

  Which gave her a motive for murder. She was now a suspect, along with Wick.

  Linda was surprised at the bequest, which must have been made in anticipation of marriage. The fact that she now owned the Lyme Company didn’t mean much, though. Right now, she and Wick were just trying to stay alive.

  On Wednesday night, Yuri’s guests were scheduled to arrive at seven. Wick, Linda and Mina considered trying to drive onto the grounds in a fake catering truck, but saw too many logistical difficulties.

  It was Wednesday afternoon by the time they finalized a plan. Around nine o’clock, Linda and Wick would sneak over the wall at the closest point to the icehouse, while Mina would drive her car to the far side of the estate. Both Mina and Wick would carry cellular phones.

  If the icehouse was locked, they would try to break the lock or pry their way in. If they couldn’t, they would retreat, or, as Mrs. Barash put it, “abort the mission.”

  If they got in, Linda would guide Wick to the tunnel, then wait until he returned. If the motion sensors had been turned on by the time they left and they activated an alarm, Mina would toss firecrackers over the wall to create a diversion.

  Should Linda and Wick fail to turn up at the rendezvous point by midnight or if she had to move the car to avoid suspicion, Mina would wait for them in the parking lot of an elementary school two blocks away. The plan was far from foolproof, but it was the best they could do.

  “I still don’t like taking you onto the grounds,” Wick told Linda when they were alone.

  “Well, you need me, so don’t argue.”

  “I won’t. Besides, Mina would personally strangle me if I changed her plan at this point!”

  She leaned against him on the couch, feeling the strength of his shoulder beneath her cheek. His breath soothed across her hair, and one arm encircled her as if to block out the rest of the world.

  They hadn’t made love since coming to this house. It seemed too presumptuous, somehow. Besides, how could they relax with all those angels watching?

  At least Wick had made no further attempts to leave. Maybe, now that Linda was a suspect, he realized that he would only be exposing her to further danger.

  He would never deliberately harm her, she knew. But even his wish to keep her away from Yuri’s property tonight, although it showed a protective instinct, also seemed a sign of his resolve to handle his problems alone.

  What would happen if they ever got back to normal? Would Wick really be able to put aside everything that had happened and settle into being a steady husband and father?

  Linda wanted to believe that love had tamed him, but she’d seen too much of his deep restlessness to believe that. There was nothing more she could do, she reflected as Wick drew her onto his lap. She would have to hope that she and the baby would provide enough reason for him to stay.

  She wasn’t even aware of falling asleep, but she awoke to find that he’d carried her into the bedroom and laid her on the chenille bedspread. Outside, the light was fading, Linda noticed. She arose quickly and began to dress, her sleepiness vanishing as her thoughts flew to the evening ahead.

  It wouldn’t be full dark by seven o’clock, so they wouldn’t be able to watch the guests arrive. According to Mina, the list included Janet, her parents and Harvey Merkel.

  It was only natural that Janet’s boyfriend should be included, Linda reflected as she put on maternity jeans and a dark shirt. The two of them had been talking about marriage for months, and he was practically part of the family.

  Still, having a police captain on the premises while they sneaked in added another set of complications. Unlike the frail Mr. Capek, Harvey would react quickly if he spotted them. No doubt he would be delighted if he were the one to catch the two fugitives.

  In a way, Harvey was still proving himself to his fellow officers. He’d joined the force a year and a half ago from the Los Angeles Police Department, raising resentment among those who felt that captains should be promoted from within.

  But there had been only three lieutenants who could be considered for the position. One was within a few months of retirement, a second had a recurring health problem and the third had a fiery temper and had been disciplined twice for ignoring department procedures.

  Harvey had fit easily into the department and the community, especially after he and Janet began dating. He handled the media with professional apl
omb and was well liked by the city council members. There was talk that when the current chief retired in two years, Harvey would be the leading contender for the job. Catching Linda and Wick would be a feather in his cap.

  She finished dressing and emerged to find Wick waiting in the living room, also clad in dark colors. The scar on his cheek stood out in the lamp glow, while around him a sepia gloom bathed the curio cabinets.

  “I feel as if we’re suspended in time,” she said. “Did you notice this house would fit right into the fifties?”

  There was no computer, no VCR, not even a remote control for the TV, and the only phone was rotary style. A couple of noisy window air conditioners provided only intermittent relief from the summer heat.

  “I’ve kind of been enjoying it.” Wick waited one beat, then burst into laughter. “You should see the amazement on your face! I was joking.”

  Linda smiled. “I didn’t realize how much I take for granted—food processors and microwave ovens, for instance.”

  “There’s an electric blanket,” he said.

  “Just what we need in this weather.” A light tap at the door startled her, and Linda flinched.

  “Stay there.” Wick checked the peephole before admitting Mina.

  She came in dragging a shopping bag. From inside, Mina retrieved two ski masks. “This way, if someone sees you, they can’t make an identification.”

  “You think of everything.” Linda paused to admire the older woman’s getup: a flowered hat, a fake beauty mark and a dirndl dress with an embroidered bodice.

  “You like it?” With a wink, Mina dipped into a curtsy.

  “Not your usual style,” Wick observed. “I guess that’s the point.”

  “If anyone sees me, what will they describe?” she said. “A silly old lady in a funny hat with a birthmark on her face, and a dress like a Swiss yodeler! Who would recognize me from that?”

  Her good humor kept Linda from dwelling on the danger ahead. Remembering their friend’s heart condition, she was grateful that Mina hadn’t let it turn her into an invalid. Still, she hoped the older woman wouldn’t pay dearly for her independent spirit.

  In the BMW, Wick got into the back. Since it was dark out, Linda took the risk of sitting in front. Police most likely wouldn’t be paying attention to two women in a car, anyway.

  The air was still blistering hot, and Linda could feel the sweat trickling beneath her breasts. Mina turned up the car’s air-conditioning.

  It was hard to believe that, a week before, Linda had never sneaked into anyone’s house. Now it seemed almost routine.

  Unlike Mrs. Barash, however, she didn’t relish the prospect. Maybe, she reflected as she instinctively touched her abdomen, it was because she had so much to lose.

  They took a roundabout route to the estate, using mostly side streets. Once, Linda’s heart leaped into her throat as a sports car veered around a corner, rap music blaring from the sound system and four teenagers cheering and quaffing soft drinks as they drove.

  “Nice hat!” one of them yelled at Mina, and she gave them a little wave.

  The southern area of Inland had been developed in the 1970s as a residential neighborhood, and had grown to surround the former winery. The streets curved with the contours of the land, giving Linda the impression that the car was spiraling into the heart of a spiderweb.

  When they came abreast of the rebuilt stone wall along the back of the property, she pointed to the spot that she estimated was closest to the icehouse. Mina pulled to the ’ side and they scooted out.

  Linda felt a qualm as she and Wick slipped their ski masks into place. It felt as if they were announcing to anyone who saw them that they were criminals. But this was no time to argue the point.

  Wick boosted her onto the wall. “Take it easy. Don’t strain yourself.”

  “I’m all right.” At the top, Linda sat astride and braced herself. She reached down to give Wick a hand, but he hardly needed it as he scaled the rough side.

  Balancing on the wall, he muttered, “Here goes nothing,” and jumped into the compound.

  She tensed, waiting for the clang of alarms. There was no sound, but Wick signaled her not to move until at least a minute had passed, in case of a delayed reaction. Then he helped her down.

  A thud onto the ground jarred her legs and abdomen, but Wick cushioned the impact. In the dark, Linda paused close to his chest, feeling the thrum of his heart and letting her own pulse gradually return to normal.

  “I don’t want to hurry you,” he whispered, switching on his flashlight. “But we need to find our way quickly.”

  Linda didn’t want to move away from him, but she drew back and surveyed the area. Since the renovations began, underbrush had been cleared away and a couple of the outbuildings razed. For a moment, she feared the icehouse had been too, until she remembered that it was hidden belowground.

  She had to pay close attention to keep from stumbling as she led Wick between recently planted eucalyptus trees. They topped a small rise, and below them sprawled the house, ablaze with lights. Floodlights spilled illumination across the hillside, dispelling the darkness.

  Crouching behind some bushes, Linda checked her watch. It was about nine-thirty.

  Wick had described his close encounter with dogs at the D’Amboise property, but to the best of her knowledge Yuri had no interest in acquiring any canine protection. He had two soft spots: his great-niece, and his two cats. Although the felines usually stayed in the house, he wouldn’t risk having them attacked. Besides, dogs would set off the motion sensors around the property.

  Yuri had used a security service at one point, but was so paranoid that he kept suspecting the employees of conspiring against him. That was also why his housekeeping staff consisted of only three people, all of whom lived off the premises. She just hoped that he hadn’t acquired more security since the recent murders.

  Of course, if he was responsible for those murders, he wouldn’t have any reason to be frightened, would he? Besides, Yuri put great store in the private arsenal he kept in the house. According to Janet, he owned enough weapons to take out a small army.

  They began their descent. The light from Wick’s flashlight was splotchy, but someone from inside paying close attention might have spotted their figures moving.

  About fifty feet from the main building, Linda sighted a clump of bushes like the ones that hid the icehouse door. “There,” she whispered.

  “You’re kidding.” Wick was close behind her. “I would never have found it.”

  “Let’s just hope I’m right.” Scrambling forward, Linda elbowed aside some thick branches. In the patchy light, she knelt and groped around, her gloved hands passing over sharp twigs and rocks before they found a hard, flat surface.

  With Wick’s help, she cleared the branches and other debris that shielded it. The square door, of cracked and brittle wood, was set flat into the ground, with a rusted metal handle protruding.

  She moved aside to let Wick lift it. It took several long hard tugs and then the door pulled clean away, rusted hinges and all. A dank earthy smell rose to greet them.

  “Don’t move. It might be a trap.” Wick set down the broken door and tossed a handful of pebbles inside.

  They heard the dry pelt of rocks hitting dirt, then waited for long seconds. He shone his flashlight into the interior. “Spider heaven.”

  “Terrific.” Linda hoped she’d been wrong about the snakes and the possums. Not to mention the bear.

  Bracing himself on the rim, Wick dangled into the interior, feetfirst, as Linda had done a dozen years earlier. She’d been a teenager, and she’d been laughing at Janet’s half-humorous, half-squeamish cries of, “Oh, yuck!” Tonight, she could hardly remember how it felt to laugh.

  Wick ducked and vanished into the hole. The room was only about four feet high beneath the door, Linda recalled, but the floor slanted and it got deeper farther away.

  A moment later, his voice drifted back. “I’ve knocked down th
e worst of the webs. I think you should wait inside rather than out there.”

  “Okay. I’m coming in.” Concentrating on images of Indiana Jones to gain courage, Linda lowered herself through the hatch. Strong arms braced her.

  “Another two months and I wouldn’t have fit,” she joked as Wick helped her along the angled floor to a point where they could both stand erect.

  “Well, then, it’s a good thing we came now,” he murmured. “Are you okay if I go ahead?”

  She nodded, then registered the fact that he couldn’t see her unless he shone the flashlight directly in her face. “Sure. Be careful.”

  “If you hear anything scary, get out of here,” he said. “Can you climb out alone?”

  “Yes.” It wouldn’t be easy, but Linda was determined not to be a liability.

  “I’ll have to wait until eleven, maybe later if there are any noises in the house,” Wick reminded her. “But if I think it’s safe, I’ll start by searching the cellar.”

  “I hope you find something.”

  “So do I.”

  He moved into the tunnel, using his flashlight to clear more webs. It was obvious no one had come through here in a long time.

  That might mean the passageway was blocked at the other end. Or it might indicate, as she hoped, that the secret entrance had slipped Janet’s mind.

  When his beam disappeared, Linda used her own flashlight to locate a stone bench. The air felt close, and she removed her mask. Then she clicked off her flashlight and sat alone in a black silence.

  She would just have to wait. Right now, that seemed like the hardest thing in the world.

  HIS WIFE had forgotten to mention how cramped the tunnel was, or maybe, being smaller, she hadn’t noticed, Wick thought as another sticky web brushed across his face. What on earth did all those spiders find to eat in here, anyway? It was not an encouraging thought.

  Finally, a draft of cool air alerted him that he was nearing the cellar. Shining his flashlight ahead, he saw the opening.

  There was no door or grate. Even so, Wick approached cautiously, testing the floor with each step. He couldn’t discount the possibility that this was a trap, but the ground proved solid.