by K E O'Connor
“It’s not as exciting as it sounds.” My hands still trembled as I clasped the half-empty mug of tea in front of me.
“So, Cecil drugged Beatrice because she refused to date him,” said Helen. “That’s creepy.”
“That’s what he confessed to,” I said. “Seems as if, once the police got wind there was something wrong with Beatrice’s death, and they planned to exhume the body, Cecil got scared. He was so nervous when he came into Lord Galbraith’s study. I’m not sure what he planned to do if he’d found Lord Galbraith and talked to him. But from what Cecil said, he was planning to make his escape before the police put everything together and realised they were charging the wrong man with Beatrice’s death.”
“Maybe Cecil was going to ask for some money to help him get away?” suggested Helen.
“Or he wanted to make a confession to someone he was supposed to be friends with,” said Zach. “His conscience could have made him feel too guilty to leave without telling the truth.”
“Either of those theories are possible,” I said.
“And the tests they are planning to do would show a large amount of drugs in Beatrice’s system?” asked Zach. “Wouldn’t they have disappeared after so many years?”
“Toxicology tests are advanced,” said Helen. “I bet they’d be able to find traces of all sorts of things in Beatrice’s system, including the drugs Cecil used on her.”
“How do you know that?” I asked.
“I watch the crime programmes on TV. Modern science is wonderful,” said Helen.
“It’s no wonder Cecil was so panicked,” I said. “If he hadn’t run the tests deliberately when he did the initial autopsy, it would be another mark of guilt against him. It would show he knew something bad would show up, and fingers would be pointed in his direction. Cecil also confessed to having a large supply of the medication he used to drug Beatrice.”
“They may find his fingerprints on some of the drugs he stashed to frame Douglas,” said Helen.
“Yes, the police should find more evidence to implicate him,” I said. “But they still want my statement. When I spoke to one of the officers, they weren’t impressed that I hit Cecil over the head and knocked him out. They think he might have a concussion.”
“But he tried to stab you with a syringe full of goodness knows what,” said Helen. “You had the right to defend yourself.”
“I did point that out to the police. They are taking it into consideration and will most likely rule it as self-defence. If I hadn’t hit him, he would have drugged me. And he most definitely would have hurt Flipper. And I couldn’t have that.”
“If it’s any help, I have a brother in the police,” said Zach. “He might be able to smooth things over for you. You’ll still have to give your statement, but he can make sure they don’t focus on you. Wouldn’t want them to start asking questions about your ghostly abilities.”
“That would be great,” said Helen. “How thoughtful of you, Zach. Isn't he so considerate, Lorna?”
I shot Helen a warning look. “It would be helpful, but only if it doesn’t get you in trouble,” I said to Zach. “The police don't want to charge me with anything; they just need to get their facts straight.”
“Fletcher, my brother, won’t mind. He’s one of the high ups in the police. And he owes me a few favors. Happy to call one in to make life easy for you.” Zach gave me a heart melting smile.
“Thanks. That would help me out no end.”
“You were so brave.” Helen reached over and patted my hand.
“And if I may say, you were also extremely foolish,” said Zach. “He could have killed you.”
“I didn’t realise Cecil was the killer.” I frowned at Zach. “And when I realised what he was telling me, I couldn’t simply drop it and let him disappear. Beatrice deserved justice.”
“But not at the expense of your life,” said Zach.
“I’m fine, and I had Beatrice and Flipper as backup. Between the three of us, we had Cecil sorted.” Even though I said that, the tremble in my hands remained. It had been a close call, and it was more by luck than expertise that I’d gotten out of the study alive.
The kitchen door opened, and Lord and Lady Galbraith walked through.
“I am glad to have caught you all together,” said Lord Galbraith.
“Is everything sorted out with the police?” I asked him.
“It’s getting there. Douglas has been released without charge,” said Lord Galbraith. “They have begun their enquiries into Cecil’s involvement. He is still a little confused, but has admitted to killing my poor dear sister.”
“I am so sorry for your loss,” I said. “From the sounds of it, Beatrice was a lovely lady. She didn’t deserve that happening to her.”
Lady Galbraith cleared her throat and stepped in front of her husband. “Indeed. Now, we have the small matter of your employment to discuss.”
“We do?” I looked at Lady Galbraith with surprise.
“You caused a significant amount of damage to my husband’s study.”
“Defending myself from your crazy doctor.”
“Yes, well, be that as it may, you destroyed an expensive antique vase.”
“Again, trying to stop Cecil from killing me.”
“We think that, after everything that has happened, it is best if you find alternative employment,” said Lady Galbraith.
I felt the blood drain from my face. “You’re firing me?”
Chapter 23
“Well, let’s not be too hasty.” Lord Galbraith was silenced by an icy glare from his wife.
“The decision has been made,” said Lady Galbraith. “We will give you both good references and two months’ salary if you agree to leave today. And you must not discuss what has happened at this house with anybody. If I read even a snippet in the newspaper about what occurred, I will know where it has come from, and you will find yourself on charges of defamation.”
“I don’t gossip.” I stood up from my seat and glared at Lady Galbraith. “But you can’t sack me for defending myself. I helped uncover the horrible fact Beatrice had been murdered.”
“You can’t fire Lorna.” Helen joined me and clasped my hand.
“I am not firing anyone,” said Lady Galbraith. “But since the two of you came together, I will require you both to leave the services of this household with immediate effect.”
“That sounds a lot like being fired to me,” I muttered.
Flipper grumbled a warning growl at Lady Galbraith. I felt as aggrieved as Flipper, but what could I do? If I caused a fuss, I’d get the sack, no reference, and no money. If I went quietly, then at least I’d have something to live off for a few months.
“Do we have an agreement?” asked Lady Galbraith.
I looked at Helen, and she nodded. “Fine, we’ll both go,” I said.
“And so will I,” said Zach. “I won’t work for someone who treats their employees badly. Lorna did you a great service. She revealed a family member had been killed, and this is how you treat her. It’s disgusting. You have my resignation, and I will leave immediately as well.”
“Zach, you don’t have to do that,” I said to him.
“I know I don’t have to, but I want to. I want to work in a place where they treat their employees fairly and reward good service, not attempt to hide their dirty family secrets under the rug because it may inconvenience them,” said Zach.
“Then you are dismissed as well.” Lady Galbraith gave a sniff and turned away. “I will have your references and money left by the front door.” She walked out of the kitchen without a backward glance.
Lord Galbraith remained where he was, rubbing his forehead with his thin fingers. “I am most sorry about this, my dear. My wife is terribly traditional. She hates the idea of a scandal. I did try to talk her out of this, but once her mind is set on something, she will not budge. But rest assured, you will have excellent references. Your skills are admirable.”
“Sylvester!�
�� called Lady Galbraith.
He turned on his heel and fled the kitchen without another word.
I liked Lord Galbraith, but he had just demonstrated what a weak man he was, ruled by his mean-spirited wife.
“I’d better pick up a copy of the wanted ads,” said Helen with a sigh. “And it looks like we’ll need to find a place with three job vacancies, not two, this time.”
I turned to Zach. “Are you sure about resigning? I know how much these gardens mean to you. Don’t do it out of principle. I’ll understand if you decide to stay.”
“I’m ready to go,” said Zach. “I was having doubts about my position here, anyway. And I kept locking horns with that idiot Karl. At least now, I have a good reason to leave. They treated you badly, Lorna. I will not stand for that.”
“You’re such a hero,” said Helen. “Don’t you think so, Lorna? Zach is like a character out of a romance novel.”
That comment gained Helen another warning glare. “Well, I really appreciate it. And I hope you do find a new job quickly.”
“Like I said,” said Helen, “I’ll happily look for positions for all of us. These big estates often need several roles filled at the same time. I’m sure we can find something the three of us can do together.”
I looked over at Zach and smiled. That wasn’t a bad idea. I could enjoy having Zach around.
***
A frantic hour of packing later, and I stood with Flipper, Helen, and Zach outside the front door of Galbraith Manor. Helen had brought my car around from the back of the house, and our bags were packed inside.
“Here are your references and your final wages.” Lord Galbraith handed out three envelopes. “Once again, I am most sorry you can no longer stay in our employment, but Lady Galbraith believes this is for the best. I am sure you will find other work.”
I nodded and shoved the envelope into my purse. “I understand why you did it, but I don’t agree with the decision.”
“Ah, yes, well sometimes, we have to make decisions that don’t sit comfortably with us.” Lord Galbraith raised his gaze to meet mine. “Thank you for uncovering the truth about my sister’s demise. If she is looking down on us, I believe she would appreciate what you have done.”
I nodded goodbye to Lord Galbraith, before turning to the car and climbing into the passenger seat. Zach jumped into the back with Flipper, and Helen started the engine; she was driving us home.
“Sad to be leaving?” asked Zach, as Helen drove down the driveway.
“Part of me is,” I said. “I could have gotten used to life here.”
“There are plenty more big houses needing our services,” said Helen. “And hopefully, our next job won’t entail me having to get up at the crack of dawn to cower before some ice queen because I hemmed her dress a quarter inch too short.”
“When you get out of sight of the main house, pull over to one side,” I said.
“Have you forgotten something?” asked Helen.
“No, but there’s a bit of unfinished business I need to sort out.”
Helen glanced at me and nodded. A moment later, she pulled the car over and left the engine idling. “Is this good enough?”
“Yes, perfect.” I pushed open the door. “I want to do one last check on Beatrice’s resting place. I don’t think they’ve exhumed her body yet, and I want to see if she is still around. We didn’t get a chance to say goodbye.”
“Don’t take too long,” said Zach. “I bet Karl is already prowling the grounds, just hoping for an excuse to shoot us if we cause any trouble.”
“He wouldn’t dare,” said Helen. “And if he tried, I’d run him over.”
“He’d make quite a dent in the hood.” Zach grinned at me through the open door as Flipper scrabbled across the seats and jumped out. My ever faithful friend.
“Don’t go running over anybody. I won’t be long.” I hurried away from the car and through a small copse of trees with Flipper. On the other side sat the graves of numerous family pets. And at the edge of those, was Beatrice’s grave.
I paused by the small stone marking her resting place. “I don’t know if you’re still here, but I wanted to say goodbye. I hope you’ve found some resolution and can now rest easy.”
A gentle breeze whipped through the trees behind me, the branches sighing as if they’d heard my words.
I waited a few seconds to see if Beatrice would appear. “Goodbye, Beatrice. Enjoy whatever afterlife you have gone to.” I rested my hand on top of her headstone. It would seem she really had gone.
As I reached the edge of the trees, an icy shudder ran through me. Maybe Beatrice was still here, after all? I turned towards her headstone again, and there she was, standing by the stone, gesturing to me.
“I thought you’d left without saying goodbye.” I walked back towards her grave.
She pointed through the trees and then at Flipper.
I gave her a puzzled look. “What are you trying to tell me?”
Beatrice shook her head at me. She mimed ears on top of her head and stuck her tongue out.
I grinned at her. “I get it. And I haven’t forgotten about the dogs. They were going to be my next stop after visiting your grave. I’d never leave them behind.”
Beatrice shooed her hands at me as if trying to encourage me to get a move on.
My grin widened. “I’m going. Although I’m not sure what I’m going to do with them when they get out of the kennels. But I’ll be able to find them much better homes than here.” I walked through the trees, cutting a diagonal path that led me out to the kennels. Beatrice was by my side the whole time, seeming anxious I get to the dogs quickly.
I pushed through the last of the trees and hurried over to the kennels. The dogs looked up at me expectantly, the black dog remaining in one corner of her kennel, whilst the others jumped up and down. I jiggled the padlocks and looked around. There were no keys to unlock the kennel doors.
I heard a clattering sound and looked over to my left. Beatrice had knocked a pair of shears to the ground and was pointing at them.
“They should do the trick.” I ran over and grabbed the shears, testing to see how sharp the blades were. It would take a couple of minutes, but I could cut through the wire mesh on the kennels and get the dogs out. I set to work swiftly, and soon, most of the dogs were free, happy to sniff around the outside of their kennel as I set to work on freeing the little black dog.
“Almost there,” I said to the dog. “Should have you out in just a second.”
“What do you think you’re doing?” Karl stepped out from behind a tree, a shotgun resting over one arm.
I hesitated for only a second, before cutting a final hole in the kennel wire. “Getting these poor dogs out. Now Zach is leaving, no one will take care of them. If I don’t set them free, they’ll starve to death. The family doesn’t care about them.”
“I heard that idiot gardener finally got his marching orders. And looks like you’re out as well.”
“You heard right,” I said. “But we weren’t sacked; we chose to leave.”
“Sure, whatever you say,” said Karl with a sneer.
“And these dogs are coming with me.”
“Are you telling me you’re intending to steal from the Galbraiths?” A sly smile crossed Karl’s face.
“This black dog is Beatrice’s,” I said. “And since Douglas never paid any attention to these other dogs, he’s not going to miss them. I’m doing the family a favor by taking them off their hands.”
“In my eyes, that’s still theft.” Karl’s fingers stroked the barrel of his shotgun. “Looks like they were right to get rid of you. Lady Galbraith must have recognised your criminal tendencies.”
I shook my head and ignored Karl. I’d made a large enough hole in the wire for the black dog to come through. She stared at the opening with longing in her eyes, but didn’t leave her kennel. “Come on, girl. Time for you to leave this horrible prison.”
“You’ll be in prison if you take
those dogs.” Karl clicked the barrel of the shotgun into place and rested it over his shoulder.
I kept encouraging the black dog towards me. “Here you go, lovely girl. You’re almost free.” The dog crept towards me on her belly and was within sniffing distance of my fingers.
Karl cleared his throat. “Time for you to go.”
I looked up at him and saw the shotgun levelled at me. “You don’t want to do that.”
“I have permission from the owners to shoot any trespassers. You are now a trespasser.” Karl leered at me from over the top of the gun.
“Don't say I didn't warn you,” I said. “Beatrice, do your worst.”
Karl’s face wrinkled with confusion, before he flew off his feet and landed on his back, the shotgun disappearing into a bush.
I couldn’t resist a grin. The black dog inched close enough for me to catch hold of her collar. I scooped her out of the kennel and into my arms, whistling for the other dogs to follow me, Flipper doing a good job of herding them in the right direction. We ran through the trees towards the waiting car.
I turned back before the kennels disappeared from view. Karl was scrabbling to his feet and running in the opposite direction. Beatrice was smiling, her gaze on me. She raised her hand and waved.
Returning the wave, I watched as her image faded. I hoped she’d go to a better place. Beatrice hadn’t had the best life, but at least, now, she knew her beloved dog would be safe, and could rest easily, knowing her killer would be brought to justice.
I dashed to the car, opened the door, and ushered all the dogs inside, placing the black dog carefully onto Zach’s lap.
Once all the dogs were inside, I jumped into the passenger seat and slammed the door. “You’d better get us out of here,” I said to Helen.
“I didn’t realise you’d be bringing along company.” Helen glanced into the back seat before stamping on the gas pedal and shooting away from the estate.
“I couldn’t leave them behind. Now Zach is coming with us, they’d be on their own. And I know how much Beatrice cared about her animals.” I looked into the back seat and saw the black dog snuggling into Zach’s solid embrace. It looked like a safe place to be.