by Clare Revell
He tore himself free running towards the remains of her car. He’d got perhaps five feet when two firefighters grabbed him pulling him away.
“Do you know the owner of that vehicle, sir?”
“Yes, her name’s Dawn. Dawn Stannis. She’s a friend.”
The cop looked at him. “Let the fire department get her out. You come and sit in my car, and we’ll take a few details.”
Gabe looked at Peters. “I want to know who booked my car into the garage and why they drove it up here instead.”
Peters nodded. “Yes, sir.”
The cop looked at Peters. “And you are?”
Gabe sighed. “This is Peters, my driver.” He pointed to the limo. “He was driving me home in that.”
“You said the Porsche was your car.”
“My personal car. The limo belongs to the estate.” He looked back at the wreck of Dawn’s vehicle. “How much longer until she’s free?”
“Not long. Can anyone vouch for your whereabouts?”
“Yes. The director, cast, and entire film crew at Ladybower Dam. And for the last hour, I’ve been stuck in traffic here.” He took a step away as the firefighters finally extracted Dawn and laid her on a stretcher. “I’m going with her.”
“I need to take this statement.”
“Once I know she’s OK, you can have all the statements you need. Peters, follow that ambulance.” He ran over to them. “Dawn? Dawn, can you hear me?”
Her eyes flickered.
Gabe looked at the paramedic. “I’m going with her. I can’t lose her.” He climbed into the ambulance and looked at her. He loved her. He knew that. And he had to somehow prove to her that he wasn’t involved and that his love was genuine.
But first she had to be all right.
12
Dawn leaned back on her pillows. She could hear Gabe moving around downstairs. Part of her wished he’d just go, but the other part was grateful he was around. His was the first face she’d seen on waking in the emergency department. He’d insisted on taking her home when the doctors released her, and now he was making her something to drink. He’d even sent Jonni a text on her behalf from her phone whilst sat in the ED.
Her phone rang, and she winced as she reached for it. “Hello.”
“Dawn, it’s me. Are you really all right?” Jonni sounded worried. “I can get in my car and drive down. I’ll be there in a couple of hours.”
“I’m just sore. I’ll have a lovely seatbelt shaped bruise, but other than that and a sprained wrist, I’m fine. I got back about an hour ago. Gabe insisted on bringing me home in his limo and is downstairs making some tea and a sandwich. Might have shocked him with what I asked him to make, but oh well.”
“It’s the least he can do after his car drove you off the road like that.”
“It wasn’t him driving. It was the creepy bloke who’s been stalking me. The one no one believed me about.”
“Well, they will now. Did you tell the police?”
“Yes.” Dawn picked fluff off the bedspread. “And I gave them a description.”
“Hmmm, maybe I should come and stay. At least until they lock him up.”
“It’s fine. I just wish…” She paused. “Why’d this have to be so complicated? It’s so much easier when you fall in love with the boy next door. You know a normal bloke with a normal job. But me? No, I have to fall in love with an actor who is also one of the richest, titled men in the country.”
“Well, when you find that normal bloke, send him my way.”
“Things not so great with you and Bryan?”
“It’s just…There’s the doorbell. That will be him. Better go. I’ll call you again tomorrow.”
The phone went dead, and Dawn laid the handset down. She glanced at the open bedroom door to see Gabe standing there with a cup and plate in his hand. How much of that had he overheard?
Concern filled his deep blue eyes. “I made this myself. Cheese and jam, one of the best combinations there is.”
She smiled. “I thought I was the only person to like them.”
He put the cup and plate on the bedside table and perched on the bed beside her. “Dawn, you have to believe me. I had nothing to do with the accident.”
“I know. The driver got out and looked at me. I knew there was something odd about his eyes from the numerous times I’d seen him before at a distance, but close up it’s obvious.”
Gabe frowned. “His eyes? What about them?”
“One’s blue and the other one’s green.”
He jerked as if he’d been shot. His eyes widened, and his hands clenched and then straightened. “What?”
“Black hair, bit shorter than you, I gave the police a description. But yeah, odd colored eyes. You look spooked.”
Gabe pulled his phone from his pocket. “One moment.” He dialed rapidly, his free hand tapping his thigh. “Hardy, it’s Lord Tyler. Where’s Damon?” He paused. “Yes, of course I mean Xavier Damon. How many Damon’s are there at Southby? Find him.” He hung up. “I’m going to have to go.”
She looked at him worry gnawing her. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No, nothing like that. This is simply something I have to go and deal with. I’ll call you tomorrow to see how you are.” He paused. “If you feel up to it, would you have lunch with me tomorrow? I’ll pick you up about twelve. We’ll go for a picnic.”
She hesitated. Inside her heart was screaming yes, yes, yes. But her head was telling her no, no, no. Why was she so conflicted over this? She needed to pray, ask God for guidance and a resolution to this.
“Please.” His tone was almost begging. “Just give me a chance to show you that despite all the trappings I bring with me, I am just a normal bloke.”
“You heard that?”
His gaze held hers captive. “You, me, a picnic in the park.”
“OK,” she whispered. “Tomorrow it is.”
He smiled and kissed her fingers. “I’ll pick you up about half-past eleven.”
~*~
Gabe left the house carefully shutting the door behind him. Peters stood by the limo waiting to drive him back to Southby. As he fastened his seatbelt, the phone rang.
“Gabe, are you all right? You hung up on me and there were pictures on the news of your car…” Blake sounded worried.
“The Porsche is totaled, but we both know I wasn’t driving that one. I’m fine, Dawn’s bruised, but she’s going to be OK. I went with her to the hospital and brought her home once they’d released her.” He paused. “I told the police I didn’t know my car had been stolen. That it was meant to be in the garage for repair after someone drove it without permission.”
“All perfectly true. Do they believe you?”
Gabe sighed watching out of the tinted windows as the car moved. “I think the fact I was on set all morning helped, and I wasn’t alone for long before Peters picked me up. It also helped that Dawn could give a description of the stalker and driver. Black hair, shorter than me. Odd colored eyes.”
“Odd eyes?” Blake’s voice caught as he made the same connection.
“One green and one blue. I’m on my way to Southby now.”
“Is that a good idea?”
“It’s my home, Blake. And he’s my employee. I have to deal with this before I call the police…” He let the threat hang. Or was it a promise? He wasn’t sure.
“Gabe, don’t confront him. Let the police handle it.”
“Not yet. I want to talk to him first, find out why.” The limo pulled outside the front entrance of the manor house. “OK, I’m here. I’ll call you later.”
Gabe exited the car the instant it stopped. He ran up the steps and burst through the front door before Hardy even got there to open it.
“Where is he?” Gabe demanded.
“He’s not back yet, sir. It’s his day off.”
Gabe narrowed his eyes. He knew full well Damon’s day off was Friday. “No, it isn’t.”
“He’s taken a lot of t
ime he insisted was time owed while you’ve been away filming.”
Somehow that didn’t surprise him at all. “Who’s been driving my car?”
“Sir?” Hardy looked shocked.
“Don’t give me the ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about’ look. I know it was totaled in a deliberate attempt to kill someone this afternoon. I want to know who has been driving my car.”
His mother bustled out from one of the side rooms, her full-length skirt rustling. “What is all this noise about, Gabriel?”
“My car was stolen from the garage here this morning.”
She at least had the decency to look appalled. But then she did that look so well and so often, it was probably second nature to her. “Really? How awful.”
Gabe frowned. “It was used to drive Dawn’s car off the road in a deliberate attempt to kill her. According to Peters, my car was booked into Holly’s garage for repairs today, for damage that I didn’t cause. I want to know who’s been driving it and why.”
“You’re making a scene.”
“It’s my house,” he snapped. “I know it was one of the staff and unless I find out the truth tonight, I’m going to replace all of them.”
His mother’s face fell, and she started spluttering. “You…you can’t do that.”
He scowled. “I can and I will. Hardy, I want all the staff in the kitchen in three minutes. No exceptions. Anyone who doesn’t get down there can pack their bags.”
“Mrs. Barratt has been called away on family business, but I will assemble the rest of them.” Hardy headed below stairs.
“Was the woman killed?” Countess Florence demanded.
“No. Fortunately. And it’s a good job I was in the limo and had witnesses to my location all morning otherwise I’d have been a suspect.”
“Shame,” she muttered. “Well, I trust this will be an end of it.”
“Actually, I’m seeing her tomorrow,” Gabe said. He ignored the dark look that descended on his mother’s face. He really didn’t care if she approved or not. “We’re going for a picnic.”
“I really don’t think—”
“Excuse me.” Gabe turned and stormed down the stairs that led to the kitchen. His hands clenched, and he didn’t bother to hide his displeasure. The staff all stood as he entered the room. “My car was stolen this morning,” he said bluntly. “I know who by. I am assuming that same person is the one who’s been driving it several times over the past few weeks, without my permission.”
His gaze ran over the staff. He wasn’t surprised Damon wasn’t there. He hadn’t expected him to be. “I want to know who else is involved as I know this person isn’t working alone.”
No one said anything.
“Very well. Consider yourselves all under a months’ notice. I will be in the study. If any of you wish to come forward and confess and save everyone else’s job then come and find me.” He spun on his heel and headed back upstairs leaving a deathly silence behind him.
Shutting the study door firmly, Gabe crossed the room and sank into the huge padded chair behind the desk. He buried his face in his hands praying for guidance as to how to best handle things from here on.
He raised his head and picked up the phone.
A young voice answered the phone. “Hello.”
“Could I speak to Nate Holmes, please?”
“I’ll get him. Uncle Nate, phone.”
There was a pause before his police officer friend answered. “Thanks, Vianne. Nate Holmes speaking.”
“Nate, its Gabe Tyler. I need some advice of a legal kind.”
He could almost see Nate rolling his eyes. “OK…what have you done and should we just skip to me arresting you and then you calling your solicitor?”
Gabe didn’t bother responding to his friend’s sense of humor. “Dawn Stannis was involved in an RTC this afternoon. She’s bruised but otherwise not too badly hurt. The thing is, it was my car that drove her off the road and into a tree.”
“Were you driving?” Nate’s laugher evaporated, leaving a very professional police tone in its wake.
“No. I’ve been filming in Derbyshire. Peters drove me there yesterday. My own car was left here.” He filled Nate in quickly with what he knew. “I don’t know why, and I don’t know who was helping him, but he fits the description Dawn gave the Nottinghamshire traffic cops perfectly. Black hair, one green eye and one blue eye. Xavier Damon, my valet.”
“OK. Dane and I will be there first thing to pick him up. Assuming the Nottinghamshire boys haven’t already done so.”
“Not as far as I know.” Gabe pulled the card from his pocket. “You’ll need to speak to a PC Bails.” He gave Nate the phone number. “Damon should be here in the morning.”
“Either way, Dane and I will be there to talk to you and the rest of your staff.”
“Dawn said he’s been watching her for a while, sending her flowers, stalking her. Only no one believed her. I didn’t put the pieces together despite knowing the mileage on my car was wrong.”
“I’ll stop by Dawn’s as well. We should be with you just after nine. Leave it with me. Night.”
Gabe hung up and stretched. His shoulders were kinked, and he knew it wasn’t simply stress, but worry that was doing it. He glanced at the door at the light tap. “Come in.”
The door opened. Molly stood there, her kitchen uniform dirty after a full day’s work.
Gabe sighed. Not her, please, not her.
“Sir?” Molly took a few tentative steps. “Can I speak with you?”
Gabe pointed to the chair. “Sit down.”
Molly sat, her hands wringing in her lap. She chewed on her bottom lip. “I don’t want to get no one in trouble, like, but there’s things you should know.”
“Go on,” he said gently.
“There’s a lot of talk downstairs about Miss Dawn. Most of us like her, an’ think you an’ she make a good couple. Especially the way she helped out with the range an’ all. But, well, Xavier don’t like her. An’ Mrs. Barratt, well, she don’t have a nice thing to say about anyone ever, but where Miss Dawn is concerned…”
“Hang on. Mrs. Barratt—Lady Tyler’s personal maid?”
Molly wrung her apron in her hands. “She’s Xavier’s sister an’—”
Gabe sat up straight. He hadn’t realized that.
“—an’ I don’t wanna get her in trouble or nuffink, like, but I need this job, sir. An’ Mr. Hardy and Mrs. Jessop, well, they ain’t got nowhere to go an’ Mrs. Jessop is crying into the pudding…”
“It’s fine,” Gabe said. “Just go on.”
“Well, Mrs. Barratt was saying how much the Countess hates Miss Dawn on account of her color an’ her job an’ that if you married her you’d lose the estate an’ we’d all be out on the streets.”
“Well, that isn’t going to happen. I can marry whomever I like and nothing bad will happen.”
“I heard Mrs. Barratt on the phone just after lunch. Xavier got hurt in a car accident, an’ she’s gone to pick him up. She said you can afford a new car, an’ it’s worth it to get rid of Miss Dawn. She just got back, but without him.”
“Thank you. Tell Hardy I need to see him immediately.”
Molly nodded. “Are we still under notice?”
“No, Molly, none of you are.” He sat still as Molly left the room before letting his anger and frustration out. He scooped up the paperweight throwing it across the room and into the bin.
Hardy knocked on the door. “Sir?”
Gabe looked at him. “I want you to fire Mrs. Barratt with immediate effect and escort her and all her belongings from the house. Tonight—preferably within the next twenty minutes. Let me explain to my mother.”
“What reason do I give Mrs. Barratt?”
“She’ll know why. Oh, and tell the rest of the staff they’re no longer under notice.” Gabe picked up the phone indicating the conversation was over. He dialed quickly. “Nate, it’s Gabe again.” He filled Nate in quickly. “She’ll b
e out of the house in twenty minutes.”
“I’ll have uniform there in ten to pick her up. Plain clothes are outside Dawn’s house and will stay there until we arrest Xavier Damon.”
Gabe chatted another minute or so then hung up. He headed to the chapel to do the only thing he could do—pray.
13
Gabe picked at his breakfast, his mother’s glares putting his off his food. “I told you why I fired Mrs. Barratt last night. The police have arrested her. It’s out of my hands. She’s been charged with conspiracy to commit murder, theft, and whatever else I can think of. Once they arrest Damon, he’ll face similar charges.”
He set his cup down. “Your dislike of Dawn is spreading. Mrs. Barratt saw how it upset you and conspired with her brother, my valet, to get rid of her.” His mother choked on her tea, and Gabe sighed. “I’m meeting Dawn for lunch. We’re taking a picnic to the park.”
“That sounds…delightful. I’m lunching with Janaya, perhaps we’ll join you.”
Gabe rolled his eyes. “You’re not invited.”
“It’s a public park, isn’t it?”
Gabe bit his tongue and pulled out his phone, texting Blake. Bring as many kids to lunch in the park as you can. Meet at the lion at 12. Mother wants a party. Let’s give her one. Then he rose. “You’ll have to make your own way there. I need the car all morning. Meet by the lion at twelve.”
“How do I get there?”
“Ask Janaya for a lift,” he tossed over his shoulder.
“You can’t blame me for any of this,” she said. “If you hadn’t brought that woman here in the first place…”
Gabe spun, anger spilling from him. Whether his mother was speaking out of illness or not, he could no longer keep silent. “With all due respect, Mother, shut up! Keep your opinions to yourself. I know you think the servants are deaf and the world revolves around you, but that is far from the truth. You take their loyalty too far, and if I find you had anything to do with what happened to Dawn, so help me, I will ring the police myself. This is my house, and I will run it, and my life, as God wants.”