The Music of Sound

by Ian Jarvis

  ‘Well, I’m no brilliant consultant detective like some I could mention, but it sounds to me as if she’s met you before.’

  ‘But she hasn’t.’ Quist drew slowly on the smoke. ‘Having said that, close and devoid of make-up, her face did seem vaguely familiar just now. I’ve seen her on the television, of course, but I’ve never taken much interest. Whenever she appears, I switch channels.’

  The teenager shook his head. ‘Weirdo.’

  ‘She looks to be in her early twenties, so if we have met, it must have been in the past few years, but I simply can’t place her.’

  A girl appeared by the detective’s side. Very attractive with short silvery hair, she wore a blue mini dress and looked him over with open interest.

  ‘Good afternoon,’ he said. ‘Can I help you, young lady? Are you with the press?’

  Shaking her head, she touched her mouth and signed something. Quist was amazed to see Watson tuck his champagne glass under his left arm and sign back to her.

  ‘Good Lord!’ said Quist, watching them silently chat. ‘So you know sign language?’

  ‘Well, it’s easy to see why you became a detective,’ said the youth. ‘You’re a natural with the deduction shit. Yeah, I grew up with a cousin who’s deaf and I once had a deaf girlfriend. Believe me, I know some pretty juicy phrases...’

  ‘Let’s not go there.’ Quist puffed his cigarette. ‘What is she saying?’

  ‘Her name’s Elva. She’s a friend of Ligeia’s and she’s pleased that someone else can understand her at last.’

  ‘Good afternoon.’ Quist smiled pleasantly and shook her hand. ‘I assume you’re the young lady who was in the Edinburgh club with Ligeia?’

  Elva nodded.

  ‘You met someone named Rex Grant there? He’s a good friend of ours. You wouldn’t happen to know where he is?’

  The girl spoke with Watson and he turned back to Quist. ‘Good news, Guv. She says he’s here.’

  ‘Splendid,’ said Quist. ‘We’d very much like to see him.’

  ‘I’m amazed,’ said Watson. ‘You can’t sign?’

  ‘Evidently not.’

  ‘Cool.’ The teenager smirked. ‘What with your age, I thought you knew everything and now you’re telling me there’s something I can do that you can’t?’

  ‘Oh, I’m sure there are lots of things.’ Quist took a drink of champagne and smiled sarcastically. ‘You once told me you can do ‘wheelies’ on a motorcycle and double back-flips on a skateboard.’

  Elva laughed silently, tugged at Watson’s arm and signed again.

  ‘She says she likes you and she’s sure Ligeia will too. She says you’re funny...’ He raised his eyebrows. ‘Er, but she also likes you because you’re the same as Rex.’

  ‘What?’ Quist cleared his throat. ‘What does that mean?’

  ‘Well, she can’t mean you look like a young movie star. She can’t mean you’re as thick as a builder’s sandwich, so that only leaves...’

  ‘Good afternoon, gentlemen.’ Colonel Adler strolled from the marquee tent with two men. ‘I understand there’s a problem with your security passes? I’m the director of Red Globe Management.’

  Quist turned and raised a curious eyebrow. ‘Yes, I was listening to you on the stage. Are you telling me they’ve sent Ligeia’s manager to handle a minor security problem?’

  ‘I’m establishing if it is minor.’ She smiled and held out a hand. ‘Colonel Irana Adler.’

  ‘Pleased to meet you,’ said Quist. He shook hands, eyeing the muscular men behind her. This pair appeared quite different to the guard who’d quizzed them over the missing passes and the other security personnel they’d met here. Black uniforms instead of tuxedos and a professional demeanour suggested they were trained military. ‘I’m Bernard Quist and this is...’

  ‘Ah, so you’re Mister Quist,’ said Adler. ‘You rang my press office enquiring over the whereabouts of Rex Grant.’

  ‘That’s right.’

  The Colonel turned to Elva. ‘I need to speak to these gentlemen, my dear, so why don’t you run along and watch Ligeia?’

  The young girl signed goodbye to Watson and vanished into the tent.

  ‘I ran checks on you,’ said Adler. ‘It seems you’re a private investigator based in the northern city of York.’

  ‘Consultant detective,’ corrected Quist, finishing his drink.

  ‘Indeed?’ Adler smiled at the teenager. ‘And according to my information, this must be John Watson, your sole employee.’

  He grinned. ‘Yeah, that must be me.’

  ‘You ran checks on me?’ Quist dropped his cigarette and died it out underfoot. ‘I feel honoured that someone should show such an interest. Speaking of employees, two of your people were good enough to meet us from the train in York yesterday afternoon. They wanted to know why I’d phoned your press office.’

  ‘Yes, I understand they’re in hospital.’ Adler frowned with sham concern. ‘They obviously met with some accident after leaving you.’

  Quist nodded. ‘Obviously.’

  ‘I sent them to speak with you because I was curious as to your interest in Rex. According to my press office, you claimed you were searching for him. I’m now even more curious about Ligeia’s interest in you. Where have you met before?’

  ‘We haven’t,’ said Quist.

  ‘That’s odd, isn’t it? Because she said hello again, which would suggest otherwise.’

  ‘She’s clearly mistaken.’

  The Colonel answered her vibrating phone. ‘I see,’ she said, slipping it back into her pocket. ‘So you’re looking for Rex, are you?’ Politely taking their empty champagne glasses, she handed them to a nearby waitress. ‘I can’t imagine how you entered this place without security clearance, but your search is over. He’s staying here with us for a few days.’

  ‘You make that sound like the most natural thing in the world,’ said Quist. ‘The thing is, we both know that isn’t so.’

  Yeah,’ said Watson. ‘The cops are after him and, for once, it has nothing to do with him speeding.’

  ‘Yes, a stupid misunderstanding,’ said Adler. ‘One that will soon be resolved. Come along. We’ll go speak with him.’

  Quist and Watson followed the woman across the lawn, the detective glancing over his shoulder to see the two men walking behind them.

  ‘What exactly is going on?’ asked Watson. ‘Do the cops know Rex is here?’

  ‘They soon will,’ said Adler. ‘Unfortunately, Rex has found himself implicated in that terrible Edinburgh murder, but very shortly he’ll be able to prove his innocence. I’ll let him explain it all to you.’

  ‘Are you really a woman Colonel?’ asked the youth.

  She smiled. ‘Funnily enough, our mutual friend Rex asked me the same thing. Yes, I was a Colonel in the German army.’

  ‘Interesting,’ said Quist, gesturing to the uniformed pair behind him. ‘Would I be correct in assuming these men are also military?’

  ‘Almost correct,’ said Adler. ‘All my men are ex-military.’

  ‘Hey, you’ve got a zoo,’ said Watson, rounding the rhododendron hedge and seeing the row of cages. He looked closer. ‘Er, but apart from a few parrots, a completely empty zoo, apparently. Yeah, that’s useful.’

  ‘Swings and roundabouts, as they say,’ laughed Adler. ‘No animals, but no feeding bills either.’ She led them to the long menagerie building that ran behind the enclosures and opened the door to the rear corridor. ‘This way, please.’

  Quist looked inside. The passage ran the full length of the building, broken into short sections by internal doors. This first section had two metal doors on the left, both with small barred widows. He deduced these were the indoor quarters which animals could access from their outside pens.

  �
�You’re telling me Rex is in here?’ he asked.

  ‘The menagerie isn’t completely empty,’ said Adler, ushering them in. ‘We have a tiger and Rex is helping the vet with him.’

  The detective smiled grimly and strolled in. This sounded like nonsense, but he decided to play along. Hopefully this woman would drop the genteel act once inside and reveal her true intentions. They were now out of sight of the press conference guests, but he could easily overcome Adler and her henchmen if necessary.

  ‘As I said, I have to check all security breaches.’ Adler closed the door behind them. ‘You have no entry passes and I need to be certain about anyone who is allowed near Ligeia.’

  ‘You could let us really near,’ said Watson, hopefully. ‘Anyone can see we’re nice guys, especially me.’

  ‘Really? I understand you were questioned by the police several months ago in relation to certain deaths in York.’

  ‘We assisted with their enquiries,’ said Quist, suspiciously. ‘We weren’t charged with anything, but how could you know this?’

  ‘Friends in the police has access to all the data. By the way, that phone call I just answered was my Sergeant informing me that someone has attacked two security personnel on the riverbank.’ Adler turned to her men. ‘Code six.’

  The pair instantly whipped out automatic pistols and trained them on Quist and Watson.

  ‘Code six?’ repeated the teenager, gulping. He backed up against the passage door and eyed the guns nervously. ‘I don’t like the sound of code six. Don’t you have any friendlier codes?’

  ‘I expected something like this,’ said Quist, moving in front of his assistant and tensing his muscles. He could protect Watson with his body. Being shot would be painful, but it wouldn’t harm him. ‘So now you’ve shown your true self, perhaps you’d like to tell us what you’ve done with Rex and what happened in Edinburgh? Where is he?’

  ‘All in good time,’ said Adler. ‘You interest my Padre, Mister Quist, and that means you interest me.’

  ‘You have a Padre?’ Quist raised his eyebrows. ‘How strange that I should interest someone I’ve never met.’

  ‘He has certain supernatural abilities and he’s able to sense things. He handled something of yours and picked up your esoteric vibrations.’

  ‘You mean a clairvoyant?’ asked Watson, laughing uneasily. Slowly slipping a hand behind his back, he tried the passage door handle, but it was locked. ‘You’ve been listening to some fucking psychic and now you have blokes waving guns about?’

  ‘What is it about you, Mister Quist?’ The Colonel gazed at him. ‘What can the Padre sense? Are you like Rex Grant?’

  Watson glanced at the detective. ‘Like Rex? You mean an arsehole?’

  Adler chuckled. ‘I think Mister Quist knows exactly what I mean.’

  ‘Oh?’ The detective eyed her coldly, working out the best way to tackle these three. ‘And what do you think you know?’

  ‘I know enough to plan ahead and cover all possibilities. I bought Charlington Hall fully-furnished and that included a small silver collection. Being military, we have the equipment to manufacture ammunition and last night I had my armourer melt part of the collection and produce several dozen bullets.’

  ‘Really?’ murmured Quist, stiffening.

  ‘Yes, really. These weapons contain silver bullets.’ Adler nodded to one of her men. ‘Search them and empty their pockets.’

  The pair were swiftly patted down and Watson’s phone was taken.

  ‘Sorry to be so brusque and impolite,’ said Adler. ‘I’m rather busy with the press at the moment, as you’ve seen. We’ll have a chat later to establish what you know, and more to the point, who and what you really are.’

  The metal doors off the corridor had keys in their locks and the Colonel opened the closest. The large empty chamber was obviously designed as indoor accommodation for an animal. The door had a barred inspection hatch, the concrete floor sloped imperceptibly to a small drainage grating, and a sliding metal gate provided access to the outdoor cage enclosure. Quist noticed the heavy padlock securing it.

  ‘I’m told a bear once lived in here,’ said Adler. ‘It’s now been refurbished as the guest accommodation and you’re the first guests. Enjoy your stay.’

  ‘Thanks,’ said Watson. ‘How do we call room service?’

  Chapter 25

  Rex had spent most of the night unconscious in a menagerie enclosure identical to Quist and Watson’s guest accommodation, but his system was now clear of tranquiliser. His chamber had been tastefully furnished with an inflatable mattress and a plastic patio chair on which he sat brooding. The central floor grate was obviously intended for incontinent animals, but he’d discovered it worked equally well for humans. Plastic water bottles and cigarettes had been provided and a guard had called earlier with a lunch tray of sandwiches and, bizarrely, a flute of champagne. Rex wore a black shirt and trousers provided by the security staff, his own clothes having been ripped apart when he transformed. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to rip his captors apart - Lafont, Gruner, but most of all that one-eyed bitch Adler.

  The silence was broken by the sound of the Colonel’s voice. ‘How ironic that this was originally constructed to house a pair of wolves.’

  Rex looked up from his chair to see her peering through the barred panel in the door. He glared, but didn’t answer.

  ‘You really impressed me last night,’ said Adler. ‘Sorry about my Sergeant punching you.’

  ‘Don’t worry about it,’ said Rex, tartly. He lit a cigarette and blew smoke through a gritted smile. ‘My broken jaw healed and, as you can see, my teeth grew back.’

  ‘So chewing your lunch was no problem?’ Adler nodded to the empty plate. ‘I had them bring you a selection of smoked salmon, cucumber and ham from the garden party, along with a glass of Bollinger. How was it?’

  ‘I’ve had worse.’

  Rex had removed the meat and tasted the bread to ensure the kitchen used margarine, not butter. He knew not to eat animal products, but had risked the fish. Rightly or wrongly, mostly wrongly, he’d never viewed fish as animals.

  ‘Let’s open this so we can speak better.’ Adler tugged back a bolt and lowered the small panel of metal bars. ‘The garden party is over and you’ll be pleased to know it was a success. The media have now left and they’re raving over Ligeia’s new album.’

  ‘Whoopee!’

  The Colonel laughed. ‘Your private detective friends Quist and Watson called looking for you a couple of hours ago and...’

  Rex stood up. ‘Do they know I’m here? Where are they?’

  ‘They’re currently in a room just like this one further along the passage, but it’s pointless shouting to them. You’re separated by two soundproof corridor doors. They’re an unusual pair, aren’t they?’

  ‘If you say so.’

  ‘Not as unusual as you though.’ Adler gazed admiringly at the young man. ‘A genuine werewolf; how incredible. Until last night I honestly believed such creatures were the stuff of legend.’

  ‘Yeah, you know what I am.’ Rex drew angrily on his cigarette. ‘You must also know now that I won’t be going along with your crazy plans. I won’t be coming to America as Ligeia’s paid boyfriend, so why don’t you just let me go and fuck off there after your concert tonight? You forget you saw me transform and I’ll forget all about you kidnapping me.’

  ‘Oh, Rex, you know that’s impossible. Besides, although you might forgive me for bringing you here, I doubt you’d ever forgive me for Charlotte Michie’s unfortunate death. Despite the fact that it was Ollie who killed her, I feel you still hold me responsible.’

  Rex bristled with fury at the thought of Charlotte, unconsciously crushing the cigarette in his fingers.

  ‘I’ve had all night to debate upon this and I’ve alt
ered my crazy plans somewhat. Apart from the traditional mythology, I don’t know much about lycanthropy, so the Padre has filled me in with a few facts. I now have several weapons loaded with silver bullets. This one for example.’

  Rex stepped back as a handgun appeared in the hatchway, the muzzle trained on his crotch.

  ‘I need answers,’ said Adler. ‘I’m sorry, but if you don’t tell me what I want to know, I’ll shoot you. I won’t aim for your heart or head, just your legs. I haven’t a clue what will happen. The silver may kill you, or the wound may heal; I honestly don’t know. Do we really want to find out, or are you going to be sensible and talk to me?’

  Rex stood his ground and silently lit another cigarette. He knew he should be scared, but all he felt was mounting anger. He also knew the full moon was rising. Even indoors, at this time of the month he could sense when the sun was low on the horizon and the moon was appearing.

  ‘I’m far from naive,’ said Adler. ‘I’ve always known that Ligeia wasn’t a normal human. This uncanny ability she has to charm people with her voice is obviously supernatural. The Padre explained this to me, but he’s never been able to understand her power. He doesn’t know why people slavishly buy her music and obey her when she speaks in a certain way. Doctor Roylott fitted my team with specialised audio implants in their ears for protection, but you don’t need such devices. Now I know how you’re able to resist her; you’re a werewolf. It seems other supernatural creatures such as yourself aren’t affected.’

  Rex nodded slowly. That certainly explained a few things.

  ‘The police interviewed us after the Edinburgh murder, but Ligeia asked them to let us leave. She told them the brief statement she’d given was enough and they accepted that. A wonderful talent, don’t you think?’

  ‘Yeah, wonderful,’ drawled Rex. ‘She must be great for getting rid of salesmen and religious nutters when they knock at your door.’