by K E O'Connor
Ranulph shrugged and began to dry heave again.
I scrolled through the numbers on my phone, looking for someone who was nearby and could come and get us out of this mess. I stopped on Zach’s number, my finger hovering over the call button. He’d be angry if he knew what had happened. If he did come, he would take his anger out on Ranulph, and then get mad at me because I was taking risks trying to help two ghosts. I kept scrolling until I found the house number.
Manfred answered on the second ring. “The Reynold Estate.”
“Manfred, can you put me through to Billy?” I asked him. “It’s Lorna. I’ve run into a spot of car trouble.”
“I hope everything is okay,” said Manfred.
“Yes, everything’s fine.” I walked a few steps away from Ranulph, who was still making horrible retching noises. “But I need a tow.”
“Let me connect you to Billy in the garage,” said Manfred. “I’m certain he’ll help you.”
He had more faith in Billy than I did. The phone rang several times before it was answered.
“Billy Jacob.”
“Billy, it’s Lorna.”
“What do you want?”
“I need you to come and collect me. I have a problem with the car.”
“Where are you?”
“Not far from the house,” I said. “About three miles away.”
“You can walk back from there,” said Billy.
He was such a sweet guy. “But there’s a damaged car as well. It needs to be collected.”
“Whose car?”
“Katie’s old car,” I said.
“What are you doing driving her car?”
“Maybe I wasn’t driving!” I snapped, my patience evaporating. “I’ve got Ranulph and Helen here as well. We need a lift back to the house.”
“Helen’s with you.” Billy snorted down the phone. “Then I’m definitely not helping. After she attacked me last night, I know she’s capable of looking after herself. You’ll have to find someone else to get you out of this mess.”
“But Ranulph’s here,” I said, a feeling of desperation crawling over me. “And he’s technically your boss. You have to help him.”
“Wrong there, sweetheart. Lady C pays my wages. That stuck-up little snot nose is nothing to me. Find your own way home.” He disconnected the call before I could say anything else.
“I’m guessing that didn’t go well.” Helen touched my arm.
I stuffed my phone back into my pocket. “Billy won’t help. He’s still sore about last night.”
“Typical. What about Zach?” asked Helen. “He’ll want to help you.”
“I did think about him, but don’t want him to get into trouble with his new employer.” I gestured to the wrecked car. “And look at the state of this. He’ll only worry if he finds out what we’ve been up to.”
“So, what do we do?” asked Helen.
I glanced at the sky. “We can walk back in the nice weather.”
“We have to walk!” Ranulph stood up and frowned at me. “Walking makes my feet hurt, and I have a bad knee, and now a sore neck.”
“Unless you want Lady Camilla to know what’s going on, we need to walk,” I said.
“Let me see if I can get the car started,” said Ranulph. “The damage might not be that bad. The two of you can push the car out of the ditch, while I rev the engine and reverse out.”
“There’s no way either of us is getting back in a car with you,” I said. “And it won’t be safe to drive. I don’t suppose you know anything about car repairs?”
“Not a lot,” said Ranulph as he scratched his head. “Always get other people to do that sort of thing for me.”
“Of course you do,” muttered Helen.
“We can call a cab,” said Ranulph. “We’ve got an account with a local firm.”
“And your mother won’t think that’s strange?” I asked. “Us getting a taxi ride from the middle of nowhere, and then a damaged car coming back.”
Ranulph rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. “I could keep it a secret. How about one of you to say you were driving? That way, she won’t know I’m involved. I could say you insisted on driving an expensive car because you can never afford one of your own, and I felt sorry for you and gave you the keys.”
“What a genius idea. All we risk losing are our jobs,” said Helen. “And I’m not losing this position because of your inability to keep a car on the road.”
“I’ve already said, it wasn’t my fault,” said Ranulph. “It was that truck driver. And he didn’t even stop to see if we were alive. The three of us could be dead, and he’d be trundling his way to who knows where without a care in the world.”
“This is your fault,” I said to Ranulph. “Let’s start walking. We need to get to the house and clean ourselves up. But you’re in charge of sorting out the mess with this car.”
“I’ll report it as stolen when I get home,” said Ranulph, his eyes lighting up at his brilliant plan. “I can make a claim from the insurance company for it. It was only gathering dust sitting in the corner of the garage anyway.”
“I do admire honesty in a man,” said Helen, as she pushed past Ranulph and strode along the lane.
I shook my head at him and then turned away, Flipper at my heel, as we hurried to catch up with Helen.
“What an idiot,” said Helen, as I joined her.
“He was showing off,” I said. “Trying to impress us. But you’re right, he’s a huge idiot.”
“And his actions show he’s more than capable of killing,” said Helen. “He almost killed us and ended his own life as well.”
I patted Flipper’s head. “Ranulph doesn’t seem capable of realizing the impact of his actions on others. Maybe that’s what led him to harm his sister.”
“He deserves to be locked away because of his bad driving if nothing else,” said Helen.
“Wait for me,” called Ranulph, the sound of his shoes slapping in the dirt getting nearer. “I’m hurt. You shouldn’t leave a wounded man behind.”
“We’re not in a war,” shouted Helen. “Although, you’re definitely my enemy. And if I had a bayonet I’d run you through.”
Ranulph limped up to us, his breath gasping out of him. “I didn’t mean to run the car off the road. Promise me you won’t say anything to Mommy.”
“We should tell her everything,” I said. “You acted recklessly and endangered lives.”
Ranulph hung his head as we walked side by side. “I didn’t mean to. I wanted to show you what fun I could be.”
“Then dress up as a clown,” said Helen.
“Please, don’t say anything,” whined Ranulph. “Mommy can be scary when she’s in one of her moods.”
“Will she cut your allowance?” Helen raised her eyebrows at me and shook her head.
I looked over at Ranulph and saw beads of perspiration on his brow. He was clearly terrified of what Lady Camilla would do if she discovered the mess he’d made of his dead sister’s car.
“I won’t say anything if you tell me about your family,” I said to him.
Ranulph’s head whipped up and he grimaced and rubbed his neck. “You are investigating us, aren’t you? That grubby little PI firm has employed some skirt to see what they can find out about us.”
“I’m not some skirt,” I said through gritted teeth. “I have lots of relevant experience in my job and am good at what I do. But your relatives interest me.”
“I don’t believe that,” said Ranulph. “You must want the information for some reason. Are you thinking about blackmailing us? Looking for a juicy family scandal so you can extort some money? It’s been tried before, and Mommy always sends the blackmailers packing. She knows how to handle a gun as well, and isn’t afraid to use one when threatened.”
I could well believe that, having faced the anger of Lady Camilla several times. “What were you being blackmailed over?”
“None of your business,” said Ranulph, as he shot me a narr
ow-eyed glare. “That little piece of scandal has long since disappeared. It’s worthless to you now, even if you can discover what it is.”
“I don’t want information about sordid secrets in anyone’s past,” I said. “But I am interested in your missing sister.”
“Dead sister, you mean,” said Ranulph.
“Well, maybe dead,” I said. “You seem convinced she’s no longer alive, but I’ve heard a few things about her, and would like to know more.”
Ranulph let out a sigh. “Very well. So long as I have your word Mommy will not hear about what happened to the car.”
“She won’t hear anything from me,” I said.
“Nor me,” said Helen. “I’m the soul of discretion. I know many secrets, and I never reveal them.”
I grinned at her. “So, tell me about Katie and Billy. Were they in a relationship?” I asked Ranulph.
Ranulph snorted out a laugh. “Maybe in Billy’s wildest fantasies they were. He tried it on all the time with my sister, but she was never interested. Billy was far too common for her. Although she planned to marry into a lower class with that Johnny, so I don’t know what was wrong with dating the handyman.”
“They never even went on a single date?” I asked.
“She was too much of a good girl for a scumbag like Billy,” said Ranulph. “He’s fun to be around when you want a few drinks and a laugh about something dirty; knows how to let off steam. But you can never rely on him.”
“As I’ve just found out,” I said, still angered by the fact he’d left three injured people out in the countryside to make their own way home.
“Katie was saving herself for someone special,” said Ranulph. “She was so superior about it. She wanted to find the perfect man and marry him before anything went on between the sheets. No wonder she couldn’t get any of Mommy’s choices to stick around for long. Kept her legs closed too tightly.”
I opened my mouth, but no words came out. I grimaced at Helen. Ranulph was disgusting.
“I think that’s admirable,” said Helen. “Women can be too quick to give themselves away for a cute smile and a gleam in a man’s eye. You should admire your sister for wanting to find the right man.”
“She was such a prude,” said Ranulph, flashing a grin at Helen’s backside. “Always covering her assets. Not that she had many of those. I like my women with a bit more meat on their bones. And she was so smug about her virtue and how important it was to her. It made me sick. I bet she was getting it on with loads of men behind Mommy’s back and then pretending to be so sweet and innocent.”
“Did you look for her after she disappeared?” I asked Ranulph.
“Never bothered,” said Ranulph. “She disappeared one night. Didn’t leave a note, nothing. She didn’t even take anything with her.”
“But your mom keeps looking for her,” I said. “She must think Katie’s still around if she’s doing that.”
“I don’t know why she bothers,” said Ranulph. “Mommy’s disowned her. Katie isn’t even a part of the family anymore. She’s wasting her time and my money. Well, what will soon be my money.”
I thought back to Katie and Johnny’s insistence that it was a woman involved with their deaths. “Do you have any estranged or unusual female members of the family I’ve yet to meet?”
“What do you mean, dotty old aunts or crazy sisters locked in a basement?” asked Ranulph.
“Yes, exactly that,” I said. “Anyone else been ejected from the family who might come looking for revenge?”
“Trust me, you’re the only odd ones around here,” said Ranulph. “Never met such a nosy person before.”
“Don’t be nasty,” said Helen, “or I might let slip to your darling mother about what happened with that car.”
“I’m answering your annoying questions, aren’t I?” said Ranulph. “And you promised not to tell.”
“And we won’t,” I said. “But you can’t think of anyone in your family who had a grudge against Katie?”
“Look, we’re almost home.” Ranulph pointed at the house still some distance away and sped up, his limp remarkably gone.
I watched him hurry ahead of us and let out a sigh. “What do you make of that?” I asked Helen. “No crazy old aunts who hurt Katie. I was thinking we missed a suspect, but maybe not.”
“Ranulph doesn’t seem to care one bit that his only sister has gone,” said Helen. “That man is a real toad.”
“He’s like a child in a man’s body,” I said. “He doesn’t understand the consequences of what he’s doing.”
“What a creep.”
“We need to keep him on the suspect list,” I said. “Whatever Katie and Johnny say, Ranulph is the perfect suspect for this crime.”
“I’d be happy to see him go behind bars,” said Helen. “And we should still tell Lady Camilla what he did to that car. She will skin him alive. That would be fun to watch.”
“As tempting as that is, we’d better not,” I said. “Can you imagine how spiteful Ranulph gets if you cross him? I bet he’d try to sneak into our rooms and suffocate us in our sleep.”
Helen gave a shudder. “Maybe you’re right. But let’s keep out of his way as much as possible. Being around that man for long breaks me out in a rash.”
“Me too.” I took hold of Helen’s elbow, feeling the need for some extra stability, my head was still pounding from where I’d hit the dashboard.
I bit down on the frustration inside me as we slowly approached the house. Even after risking death at the hands of an incompetent idiot driver in the hope of getting useful information, we were no closer to finding out who the killer was. And all I had to show for it, was a cut head and a terrible headache.
Maybe Zach was right, trying to help these ghosts was just too much trouble.
Chapter 17
After enjoying a long lie-in the next morning, snuggling up to Flipper under my warm duvet, I got up and checked the bump on my head. The cut had scabbed over, and the flesh around the wound was turning yellow. Not the most attractive look to have when going out on a date, but at least the headache had gone.
I checked nobody was around, before sneaking down to the kitchen in my pajamas and dressing gown. Well, it was my first day off. I deserved to take it easy, especially since I’d almost died yesterday.
A smile crossed my face, as I discovered a pile of freshly made pancakes on a plate in the middle of the kitchen table. Helen must have beaten me down and decided we both deserved a treat.
I gave Flipper his usual dog kibble and then set to work on the pancakes. They were light and fluffy and full of fresh blueberries.
Flipper came over after he’d finished off his breakfast, and decided he needed a pancake as well. I fed it to him as I thought about the remaining suspects in Katie and Johnny’s murders.
Lady Camilla no longer seemed like a suspect. Despite her cold manner, she did care about her daughter. Billy was a possibility, though. Maybe his lies had caught up with him and Katie had confronted him. If he’d lost his temper and lashed out, he could have done her harm. But what about Johnny? Would Billy have killed Katie and then hunted down Johnny? Or maybe Johnny witnessed Billy attacking Katie and tried to help and was harmed in the process? I shook my head as I ate another pancake.
I still wondered about Ranulph. There was something off about him. He’d had no care for our safety, or his own, yesterday. Maybe his ego made him think he was indestructible, or couldn’t be caught if he got in trouble. That trouble could include killing his sister and her boyfriend.
Helen breezed through the kitchen door and smiled at me. “Glad to see you found the pancakes. Hope you’ve left me some.”
“Of course,” I said, pointing to the half empty plate.
“Thought we needed them after our scare yesterday.” Helen brought over a pot of tea, before sitting down and helping herself to some pancakes.
“Good thinking,” I said. “How are you?”
“I got away without a scratch.�
� Helen’s gaze went to my forehead. “How about you?”
“It looks worse than it is,” I said. “Not sure what Zach’s going to think, though.”
“He’ll want to kill Ranulph for putting you in harm’s way.”
“So do I,” I said. “I’ve been thinking about the ghosts and their killer—”
“Not today,” said Helen. “After having to endure Ranulph yesterday, we both deserve a day off. We don’t have to work, and we’ve both got dates with hot men, so let’s enjoy ourselves. The ghosts will be here tomorrow, and so will their killer, whoever it is.”
I had to admit, the idea of not worrying about solving this mystery was appealing. “Sounds like a plan.”
“And Johnny and Katie aren’t around, are they?” asked Helen. “They won’t even notice we’re gone for the day.”
“They rarely are in evidence,” I said. “I’m wondering if they’re weak because there aren’t many people in the house. They need living energy to stay solid for long.”
Helen held up one hand. “Enough with the ghost talk. It’s off-limits.”
I grinned at her. “If you make me another batch of pancakes, then I’ll agree to anything.”
Helen’s eyes widened. “You don’t want to spoil your appetite. Maybe Zach is going to take you for a romantic meal.”
“It will be romantic,” I said. “We’re going for a picnic, followed by a walk.”
“Walking boots on a date.” Helen shook her head. “I’m not planning on doing any walking in the outfit I’ll be wearing. My heels won’t allow it.”
“What are you and Henry going to do?”
“Still not sure yet,” said Helen. “He’s proposed so many ideas my head’s spinning. All of them sound lovely, though. I’m sure we’ll have a wonderful time.”
“I don’t doubt you will,” I said. “Now, about these pancakes.”
“If you want them, you’ll have to make them yourself.” Helen jumped to her feet. “I need time to get myself ready.”
I sighed as I looked at my empty plate. “I need to have a shower anyway.”
“Oh, about that,” said Helen as she paused by the kitchen door. “I might have been in the shower for a bit too long. I think all the hot water has gone.”