Secret Reflection

by Jennifer Brassel

  Oh boy, am I in trouble. I’m beginning to fall in love with him. No! Impossible, she told herself sternly.

  ‘Yes, well … we’d better get this show on the road.’ she grabbed the mirror and gestured to him, ‘In you go.’

  When his face appeared in the hand mirror she gave a startled gasp, even though she’d expected it. It was just too odd for comfort. She took the small flashlight she’d found yesterday and stuck it in her back pocket.

  First stop was the bureau for candles and matches. ‘I’m just getting some candles,’ she told him as she put the mirror down on top of the bureau. Even though she had the flashlight, she’d seen enough movies to know that batteries always ran out at the most inopportune moment. And while she knew life didn’t always imitate art, her luck being what it was, it was almost a given that she’d fall and break her neck because the flashlight suddenly failed.

  Once armed with her reserve of candles, she took out the flashlight and tested it. Satisfied it worked as it should, she took up the mirror and checked John was still there before setting off along the hall to the servants’ staircase.

  It was only just after nine but the house sounded strangely quiet. Since learning of Nancy’s pregnancy, Tom had taken to ushering her into bed very early, despite all her arguments that she felt fit and well.

  Thinking of the two of them made Kelly go all warm and soft inside.

  ‘Okay, so where is this secret door?’ she asked as she turned the mirror to face the staircase.

  ‘If you feel along the outer edge of the lintel, about one third of the way along,’ he said, and she started running her fingertips over the wood, ‘a little further … yes … you should feel a small lump in the wood. If you press,’ she did and a narrow door sprang open, ‘there it is.’

  The door was about four feet high and only just wide enough for her to slide in. She held up the flashlight and cast its beam over the opening and then deeper inside. Her heart began to thud a little too quickly. She wanted to turn around and seek the safety of her room. But at the same time she also wanted to know the truth.

  ‘Your lighting device is rather inadequate, Kelly. Perhaps a candle would shed better light for our purpose.’

  ‘You could be right,’ she murmured, realising the flashlight’s beam was too narrow and focused to show her much of anything. After flicking it off, she placed it on the floor by the door and took out a candle. When it caught alight she had to agree with him. Though the light was softer and more muted, it showed all the features of the passage well enough for her to find her way without endangering herself.

  ‘Ok-kay,’ she said, unable to disguise the nervous catch in her voice. ‘I guess we should go in.’ She stepped gingerly over the high skirting board and ducked her head into the dark opening.

  Just inside the small space, she found a flight of stairs that ran downward parallel to the one outside. It was almost as if the staircase had been cut in half, one part on the outside, while the other remained hidden behind the wall.

  ‘I guess we go down?’ she suggested though she couldn’t keep the trepidation from her voice. She angled the mirror in the direction of the stairs.

  ‘Yes, down a few stairs then you will find another opening to the left. That is a passage that runs the length of the building and gives access to the downstairs rooms on the western side of the house.’

  She tested the first step, and when she found it could hold her weight she released her breath and began the slow trek down. The tunnel was extremely narrow, and she wondered how a grown man could move through without scraping himself or hitting his head. There was certainly little room to manoeuvre. When they came to the left-hand opening, she held the candle higher to reassure herself they were going the right way. As she looked about, an eerie feeling swept over her and she again wished she was back in the safety of her room instead of skulking around in the dark. What if she got lost? Nobody would find her in here!

  The passages were rough and unfinished, all crumbling mortar and unpolished wood. A few cobwebs hung about the top of the walls but far less than she expected. She wasn’t sure about spiders or other creepy-crawlies, and didn’t look too closely – somehow it felt safer not to.

  ‘Left?’ she queried and held the mirror up.

  ‘Yes, this corridor allows us to access the secret places behind the library bookcases, and also the small salon beyond.’

  So, she said inwardly, this is the other side of where I found John’s journal yesterday. She still hadn’t read it, but right now she felt more compelled to find Edward’s journal than anything else.

  On shaky legs she crept a few paces along the corridor until she came to a wall that extended from waist height up to the ceiling. She lifted the candle higher.

  ‘What is this?’

  ‘Before us is the window casing. You must crawl underneath. The passage continues on the other side.’

  ‘Great.’ Her frown was lost in the darkness.

  Ducking down, she inched along on her haunches, thankful the blockage wasn’t more than a couple of yards wide. A good thing I’m not claustrophobic.

  Once on the other side, the passage seemed to open up for quite a way. Breathing hard she stood upright and crept forward slowly and gingerly, wary of further obstacles. Another three yards along she found what appeared to be a column constructed from unmortared old bricks.

  ‘What’s this?’ she asked in a loud whisper as she held the candle and mirror close.

  ‘I believe it is one of the places where valuables can be hidden. I would suggest you remove some bricks and look inside,’ John said as she examined it.

  Kneeling down, she set the candle on the floor then gently placed the mirror beside it. It took several minutes, and a broken fingernail, but with care she wriggled first one brick loose, then another until she’d made a small opening about eighteen inches off the ground. With a bubble of anticipation she raised the candle to it and peered inside.

  Guessing it was the same opening she had found from the other side yesterday she gave a disappointed sigh and said, ‘Sorry – it’s empty.’

  ‘Try searching higher,’ John said from his spot on the floor, ‘you will likely find several compartments.’

  She carefully replaced the bricks she’d taken out and moved a foot higher, but as she did she heard a strange thud from the end of the corridor. Her breath caught and as she reached for the candle, the sudden movement extinguished the flame leaving her in total darkness.

  ‘What has happened, Kelly? Why has it gone dark?’

  Crap, she thought when she realised she’d left the flashlight by the door on the servant’s stair.

  ‘Give me a second to light another candle. I think I heard something down the corridor.’

  Another thud. This time from behind her. Please don’t let it be rats! She spun around and an overwhelming scent of horse manure assaulted her nostrils.

  ‘Kelly?’

  Her heart rate soared as she fumbled in her back pocket for the reserve candle and matches. Another thud; she spun again … back the other way. The sound was getting closer! It seemed to take forever to get a match from the box and she almost dropped it in her desperation. As she scraped the match against the side of the box a sudden gust of wind rushed past her ear. She flinched backward against the wall.

  ‘Who’s there?’ she demanded as she scraped the match again. No one answered.

  ‘What is it, Kelly?’ John asked. ‘What is happening?’

  Her fingers shook uncontrollably as she scraped the match again. The end ignited, and as she lifted it to the candlewick she felt a second gust of air. Something or someone was right beside her. Turning slowly, she raised the candle in time to see a large black object coming straight at her head! A hysterical scream erupted from her throat.

  As the thing hit her, she heard John’s anguished shout. Then everything began to buzz.

  ‘Did you hear something?’ Nancy asked Tom. She reclined on the bed, on a mound of pillo
ws, feeling terribly decadent as she watched her husband gently kneading her right foot with peppermint oil.

  He lifted his head. ‘This house is old, Nance, it makes noises.’

  She heard it again. A loud thud and a scuffling sound. ‘That! What is it?’

  ‘Probably vermin,’ Tom said, unconcerned. ‘The pest control people will be here next Wednesday.’

  When they heard a muffled scream they both jumped. ‘That, I did hear.’ He threw the towel onto the bed and went to the door. ‘Stay here. I’ll go check it out.’

  Under normal circumstances Nancy would have been hot on his tail, but she now had a baby to think about so she did as she was told and dived under the covers to hide.

  Tom stopped by Kelly’s room but he didn’t expect to find her there. He was certain Richard would be doing his best to wine, dine, and probably seduce her. No. It wasn’t Kelly who’d screamed. It was probably that damned ghost, he said to himself as he moved warily down the hall turning on lights as he went. When he reached the servants’ stair, his foot nudged something. He looked down.

  ‘What the …?’ It was only after he picked the flashlight up that he noticed that the secret door stood slightly ajar. He knew about the passages and planned to explore them, but what with all the renovations and gardening that needed to be done, he hadn’t yet had the chance. Flicking on the flashlight, he peered inside then edged into the passage. It was a tight squeeze and for the first time in his life he wished he’d been born shorter and thinner. He scraped his head against the ceiling as he slid along, almost sideways, down the few stairs. At the left-hand opening he stopped and listened. He heard footsteps, moving away fast. ‘Definitely not mice,’ he murmured, wishing he’d grabbed some kind of weapon. The flashlight was only six inches long and all but useless.

  He turned left and then crawled under a partial blockage, no easy feat for a man his size. On the other side, as the passage opened up before him, he directed the flashlight’s beam in a wide arc. Half way down the hall he could see Kelly’s crumpled form.

  ‘Shit!’

  He scrambled to her.

  ‘Kel? Can you hear me?’ He felt her throat and was relieved to find her pulse beating strong and steady against his fingertips. But she was unconscious.

  Glancing around he realised there was no way he could carry her out; besides, he really didn’t want to move her in case she had head or spinal injuries. Until he knew what had happened, better to leave her here.

  ‘Kel, honey?’ He touched her face but when she still didn’t respond he reached into his pocket for his mobile phone and dialled for an ambulance. As soon as he shut off the mobile, he examined the wall next to where she lay. Either side of the brick column was a wall made of wood. If his calculations were correct, he stood behind the library bookcases.

  Bracing himself against the outer wall, he began to push the wooden structure before him. He heaved and pushed, breaking into a sweat, and just when he was about to give up, the wall shifted slightly. Encouraged, he began pushing in earnest, and inch by inch the wall moved till he had enough space to edge his way through to the library. The brick column sagged against the wood, threatening to topple.

  As he slid through he noticed the rug on the other side had buckled and blocked the bookcase from being opened out further. Reaching down he grasped the rug and yanked it up before again putting his shoulder to the bookcase. Seconds later, the stack of bricks tumbled to the ground but he’d created enough of an opening that he could squeeze through.

  ‘God! What’s happened?’ Nancy stood at the door, her face pale with fright.

  ‘I don’t know. Kelly is in the passage. She’s unconscious.’ As his wife started forward he held up his hand. ‘Don’t come in … the bookcase could easily fall and there are broken bricks. Just let me go see how she is.’

  Nancy nodded.

  Tom disappeared behind the bookcase. There was now enough light to make out the scene.

  ‘Dear God!’

  ‘What is it?’ yelled Nancy, her voice frantic. ‘Tom? What’s happening back there?’

  Tom emerged from behind the bookcase, his face drained of all colour.

  ‘It’s Deanna. She’s on the floor beside Kelly. I think she’s dead.’

  Nancy tried to push past her husband to see, but Tom stopped her. ‘No – don’t. An ambulance is on its way but I reckon we should call the police.’ He handed her his mobile phone. ‘Can you call them while I check Kelly?’

  Ashen-faced, she nodded slowly and flipped open the phone.

  ‘I’m Detective Inspector Mathieson, Thames Valley CID,’ the charcoal-suited man said, flashing a badge before Kelly’s eyes. ‘Can you tell me how you came to be in the passage?’

  Kelly lay on a stretcher in what she assumed was a hospital emergency room. She’d come to but a moment ago to find herself surrounded by medics. Neither Tom nor Nancy were anywhere to be seen.

  Kelly blinked. The inspector repeated his question.

  A doctor pushed forward between her and the inspector. ‘I’m sorry, Matt, she’s got a concussion. You’d best keep your questions for later.’

  ‘C’mon, Helen, I’ve got a murder to solve.’

  Murder!

  Though she ached like she’d been run over by a truck, Kelly tried to sit upright. The doctor placed a hand on her shoulder and prevented her.

  ‘You shouldn’t move, you have a concussion.’

  ‘Is Nancy okay? Tom?’ she begged.

  The doctor’s pleasant face loomed into her field of vision. ‘Your friends are fine,’ she patted Kelly’s arm, ‘they’re waiting outside. I’ll go tell them you’re awake.’ She turned to the inspector. ‘Don’t badger my patient, Matt.’

  Kelly turned her head; something hammered in there, just behind her eyes. All she wanted to do was go to sleep.

  ‘You said murder?’ she mumbled.

  ‘Yes, looks that way. One Deanna Montgomery. Do you know her?’

  Kelly went hot all over and for a second she felt light-headed and giddy. She had to breathe deeply before the room stopped spinning around her.

  ‘D–Deanna?’ She closed her eyes. Deanna was just a teenage kid – who’d want to kill her? ‘We’ve met a couple of times. She’s a waitress at the bakery … and I think she has just started work as a housemaid at Stanthorpe House.’

  He nodded. ‘Her body was found a few feet away from you in the passage behind the library. Can you tell me how that came to be?’

  After taking in the full import of what the inspector just said she had to swallow back the lump that formed in her throat before she could speak. ‘I have no idea. I heard a noise and when I turned, something hit me. That is all I knew until I woke up here a few moments ago.’

  ‘Why were you in that passage?’

  Again the room began to swim … her vision blurring at the periphery.

  The inspector moved closer and pulled out a PDA.

  ‘Ms Reid?’ His voice became stern and clipped. ‘Can you answer my question?’

  Her heart started to pound in earnest, her head too, and this man’s questions certainly weren’t helping any.

  ‘I was searching for something.’

  ‘What were you searching for?’ he asked, making a note onto his PDA.

  ‘A journal. It belonged to one of the former Lords Stanthorpe.’

  ‘Why were you searching for it? Is the journal valuable?’

  ‘I don’t know.’ Even in her befuddled state she knew she’d sound like a nutcase if she told him exactly why she had been skulking around in the passage. ‘I’m a journalist … I was searching for information about Stanthorpe House. Tom and Nancy asked me over to England to write a story for the hotel’s opening.’

  ‘What makes this journal so important that you went wandering about—’

  ‘Time’s up, Matt,’ the doctor cut him off as she came back into the room.

  ‘But I just have a couple more questions, Helen.’

  The doctor sh
ook her blonde head at him, her glasses strobing under the bright lights. ‘Not now. She needs rest. You can talk to her later.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘Later.’ Raising an eyebrow, the doctor almost dared him to argue. ‘We’ll take her up to a ward. After she’s had more tests, and some rest, I might let you talk to her again.’ To Kelly she said, ‘The orderly is going to take you upstairs to the ward. A nurse will come soon to draw blood and put in an IV. After that, your friends the Wentworths can visit with you for a few minutes but then you’ll need to rest.’ She smiled reassuringly and motioned to a big dark-skinned man who took hold of the bottom of her bed and started pulling it towards the door.

  ‘How’re you doing, kiddo?’ Tom asked once they’d exchanged a hug. Nancy sat alongside her, clutching her hand tight.

  ‘Apart from another monster headache, I think I’ll be okay. The doctor said it was just a bad concussion and a few grazes. No bones broken.’

  Tom grinned. ‘I always said you were a hard-headed woman.’

  She groaned and lifted a hand to her forehead. ‘Don’t make me laugh, Tom. It hurts too much.’

  Nancy gave him a gentle whack on the arm.

  ‘Thanks, Nance,’ Kelly said. ‘I’ll pay him back when I’m feeling a bit better.’

  ‘So, Kel, what were you doing in there?’

  She let out a weary sigh. ‘I was searching for a journal. John tells me the secret to his imprisonment should be in his cousin’s journal … Edward Ditchley’s.’

  ‘Edward?’ both Tom and Nancy said in unison.

  ‘Richard’s ancestor … who inherited after John disappeared. Look – it’s a very long story and I’m sure the nurse will come and chase you out any minute. The doctor says I’ll be stuck here for a day or two at least … can I get you to do something for me?’

  Nancy squeezed her hand. ‘Of course.’

  ‘Two things, actually. First, in the side of my attaché case is a small red book, can you get it for me? – I’d like to read it while I’m here.’