Slowly standing, she moved forward. First, she made her way to the man near the front door. His uniform counted him as one of their own, she noticed. Wren kneeled and turned him over.
“It’s Guard Ewen,” Wren recalled his name. “He’s still alive.”
One by one, she checked each guard. They were alive but knocked out. Their pulses were steady, and she found two with bloody foreheads.
“They’ve been knocked out. We should call the police and figure out how to get the lights back on,” Wren said, coming to a stand.
“Maybe we should just stay here until one of them wakes up,” Sybelle suggested. “I don’t know if wandering around in the dark or without knowledge of what’s happened is a good idea.”
The rumble of thunder continued in the distance. Lightning struck and brightened the room for a moment. Rain drops continued to hit the windows, but they were beginning to ebb. It sounded as if the storm was putting distance between itself and them.
“We can’t leave them like this, Sybelle. They need medical attention. We don’t know how bad they’re been hit. Whomever entered our home might have harmed the police on duty as well.”
“We need to stay together,” Sybelle told her.
“I know. Are you coming with me?”
Sybelle nodded. She took Wren’s hand, and the princess led them through the dining hall and into the kitchen. It was clean, dark, and silent. Taking a sweep with the beam of the flashlight, she noted another guard down. He lay on his stomach near the back doors.
She made her way to him and checked his pulse. He was alive too. Sighing in relief, she stood.
“The phone’s over here in the pantry.” She led the way and made the call. “They’re sending a unit now.”
“Good. It sounded as if the person who answered the phone yelled at you,” Sybelle commented.
Wren shrugged. “He seemed to think I was making a crank call, but when he reported it and had them check with the patrol on duty out here, he found they weren’t answering. He wasn’t happy, of course.”
“I expect he wasn’t. Did he say if the constable was coming?”
“No.” Wren shook her head. “Let’s go back to the entryway. They’ll be here soon, and I want to keep an eye on the men out there.”
“What about him?” Sybelle pointed to the other man.
“I’m confident he’ll be okay too. Besides, it’d be best to be near the front door.”
“One of us should have thought to grab a cell phone, I suppose.”
“It would have been a good idea. We need to be prepared for these sorts of things. I want to know why there weren’t any guards upstairs either. Where are the rest of the staff, do you think?” Wren whispered as they exited the kitchen.
“I don’t know.” Sybelle shook her head and tightened one hand into her dressing gown.
They entered the foyer and walked back toward the stairs. Neither questioned how the intruders had gotten in, and they refrained from looking in dark corners for them. Standing side by side, waiting for the police to arrive and surrounded by silent bodies on the ground, Wren thought this might be the first time she was actually glad to have her stepmother there.
One hour, three cups of coffee, and a headache later, Wren sat in the library waiting for the police to finish their questions. They were everywhere. Standing, shuffling, looking under tables, asking the staff questions.
At their request, Wren and Sybelle had checked their bedrooms, and then the king's room to see if there was anything missing. They couldn't find a single piece of furniture out of place.
“What were they doing here? How did they get inside? Where were the guards?”
The same three questions were being asked everywhere, to everyone, and echoed inside of Wren's brain. She wanted to know the answers as well.
Thankfully, Captain Ward was alive and well. The other guards were alive and safe too. Wren and Sybelle had shared a sigh of relief.
“I didn't see anything,” Captain Ward explained to Chief Hector with a wince. An ice pack held to the back of his head. “One second I was about to go upstairs and check on the guards posted, and the next, I was out.”
“Are you sure you didn't hear anything?”
“Yes,” pause, “I don't recall hearing anything but the thunder. I saw nothing.”
The other guards said the same. They had all been on duty, making their rounds, when the storm had hit. The four on second floor duty had been knocked out as well and moved into the king's room. Those on third floor duty had also been knocked unconscious and taken to another room.
Guards were found knocked out at their different posts around the house. No one had heard or seen anything. Even the police officers had been taken down without a sound. It was as if the intruders were invisible.
“Everybody's sure they didn't get anything?” Chief Hector's face began to turn red.
Daylight began to peek through the closed curtains in the library. A maid slid around the room opening them up. Wren watched her for a moment before turning her gaze back to the Chief.
“I found nothing missing from my room. I may have interrupted them. The storm woke me up. They probably weren't expecting that,” Wren shared.
“I heard Wren scream, and it woke me up. I got out of bed and rushed to the door. I noticed the two men running away but didn't see them in my room or make out where from where they came,” the queen offered.
Chief Hector made a note in his mini notepad, and then closed it with a snap.
“Well, since all four men weren't seen and got away, we have nothing to go on. My men are taking prints, we’ll see if we get any leads there. From what you’ve told me, I’m unsure that will lead anywhere. Captain Ward, why weren't more men posted after the attack the other day?”
“I did double the guard. I had men on post all around the house and on the second and third floors, I posted four. I also had men watching the entrances and grounds. They were rotating on and off,” Captain Ward explained.
He paused, shrugged, and looked at them all. “I just woke up for my own shift and wanted to check in with all the posts before taking up mine. I didn't hear or see anyone except the men I had talked to on my way up. They hadn't seen or heard anything at that time.”
“Then what happened here?!”
Wren looked at her stepmother, and then the captain, and they all shrugged. It would be nice to know how those four men got past a locked gate and all the guards posted inside and outside.
“Well, one thing is for sure. We know someone inside had to tip them off. How could they have known where you all were going to be, or when the guards were about to switch posts?”
Captain Ward looked between Sybelle, Wren, and back again. He sighed but didn't respond. The chief glanced between them all and shook his head.
“Not to mention how the staff below stairs were unaffected by everything that went on and didn’t hear a sound themselves?” the captain added.
Wren shrugged while Sybelle stared at the wall. Captain Ward stood at attention with the ice pack to his head. Catching his gaze, Wren noticed how sad he looked. Tears filled her eyes, she let them drop to the floor.
“I’m leaving another patrol car outside and doubling my own men on the grounds. If any of you think of anything, let me know. In the meantime, don't go anywhere, and don't tell anyone your schedules. I think I mentioned before that clearing your calendar and staying indoors will be your best option at this time,” Chief Constable Hector rumbled.
“But--,” Sybelle began, but stopped talking as soon as she caught the Chief's eye.
Nodding, they sat in silence. Wren felt the steady pound-pound-pound behind her eyes. It began to beat its way through her temples as well.
Tea appeared before them the next moment, courtesy of Davies, and a plate of biscuits and honey. Steaming on the plates, Wren watched the little clouds puff into the air. Blinking once, twice, three times, she tried to keep her eyes open. A stomach growled. She thought it might
be her own.
“Won't you join us, Chief? Captain?” Sybelle offered them a plate and a cup. Both declined.
“I need to get back to the station and make my report. I’ll have statements for you all to sign. Again. I’ll contact you if we have any news concerning the second shooter. Unfortunately, we haven’t found anyone who could have seen him and video surveillance.”
Standing, he walked toward the doorway. Sybelle stood as well but didn’t move from her chair. Wren couldn’t bring herself to move. She watched him stop in front of the captain.
“We’re continuing to check for leads,” the chief said. “If any of you think of anything else, please contact me at once.” Chief Hector let himself out of the library, paused to speak with Davies, and lingered with four of his officers at the door.
Although they couldn't hear anything, Wren watched as he gestured toward the hall and then the door. The officers nodded before dispersing, and the chief lets himself out.
“I'm very sorry I let this happen Queen Sybelle, Princess Wren. I don't know what happened.” Captain Ward's downcast head bowed lower.
“Captain Ward, we don't blame you. Whoever is behind this is clever and knows more than we originally gave them credit. Safety of everyone must be our main objective. I'm thankful no one was more seriously hurt.” Sybelle walked forward and laid her hand on his arm.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“I just wonder what they came for, and if they succeeded in their mission, whatever it may have been?” Sybelle looked back at Wren. “Even though the police did a search through the house and brought their trained dogs, I would still like some of our men to take another look through.”
Captain Ward nodded and made his way to the door.
“After you give the order, Captain Ward, I want you to go rest. Same for anyone who was harmed. If anyone needs to go to the hospital, I want you all to go. Immediately.”
“I'm well, Queen Sybelle.”
“Captain Ward, that's an order.”
With a nod he let himself out, shoulders sunk low, and his normal tall gait shrunken.
“He blames himself,” Wren told her stepmother.
“I can see that. However, I don't hold him accountable.” Sybelle sighed. “Then again, who knows the culprit we are up against, and if it is one of our own. The last thing I want to believe, though, is that it is Captain Ward.”
With that, Wren's eyebrows perked up. Her eyes turned to her stepmother and cast a glance at the older woman's turned down lips and creased forehead. It struck Wren how attached the queen seemed to Captain Ward's innocence.
Are they in it together? Could Captain Ward be the man I suspected her having an affair with?
It would make sense; however, Wren couldn't quite picture them in cahoots. As much as she wanted to pin the blame on her stepmother, a part of her was still conscientious of how wrong it felt. She couldn't put her finger on the reason why a part of her kept rebelling against the image of Sybelle as a murderer, while another part of her seemed to hope for it to be true.
Sighing, Wren stood.
“I'm going to go take a bath. This has been a horrible start to the morning.”
“Bath? You hate bathes.”
“I meant shower. See? I can't even think straight. I suppose Mr. Gabriel will stop by soon?”
“Yes, I had Mrs. Griffith call him after the police arrived. He said he would come as soon as he could. He's going to bring the private detective he hired.”
“Really? I don't know if that PI is going to be much help to us. I told you I met with him yesterday, and he doesn't seem eager to find the real culprit.”
“Well, we shall meet with them, and I'll assess him myself. If we are in agreement that he isn't the man for the job, we can tell Mr. Gabriel. Will you want breakfast?”
“No, I can't say I would care for any. I'm going to ring for Ellie and get ready for the day.”
“I'm not hungry either. I better inform Davies of our current desire to forgo breakfast. I'm going to go prepare for the day as well. Let's meet back in the library in an hour to discuss a few things. Mr. Gabriel may be here by then.”
“Okay,” Wren rubbed her forehead and headed toward the stairs.
“Hey, Ellie?”
“Yes?”
“Have you seen my slippers?”
“Which pair?”
“The ones with the hearts on them. The replacement pair. I have three pairs. One pair is locked in my bedroom, the other pair went with the police, but they sent me a third pair from Neirin while my room is inaccessible. I can’t find them.”
“No. Oh, wait. Here they are!” Ellie called out.
“Where?”
“In the hamper. Did you put them in here? In fact, there's a lot of clothes in here. I just washed everything in this hamper yesterday. You don't normally--”
“I don't normally what?” A pause. “Ellie?”
Wren climbed out of her closet and walked to the bathroom door, partially open, with Ellie standing in front of the hamper. “Ellie?” she called again.
Still no answer.
Ellie's eyes were so wide, Wren could see more white than blue. Her hands were shaking. The shaking might be due to the blood-stained clothes she held in her hands. “Wren? What's this?”
“I don't know. What are you holding?”
Closer, Wren could see the blood-stained items were her own slippers. The pair with the hearts. One of the three pairs. The rusty red drops were splattered across the white fluff and pink and red hearts. They were a conglomeration of colors.
Wren didn't know where the blood ended, and the hearts began.
Her hand stretched out to touch one.
“No!” Ellie yanked them back. “Don't touch them. It could be--”
Yanking her hand back, Wren knew what she meant. Hands grasped together, then arms folded across her chest, hands instantly gripping her sweater. “Oh no. Ellie, this can't be happening.”
19
“Hmm, hmm, hmm,” she hummed as she got dressed. Wiping the condensation from the mirror, she smiled at herself.
“Who's the smartest of them all?” Laughing, “Me. Their confusion is so amusing. They'll never guess what the break-in meant. Soon, revenge will be mine.”
“Hmm, hmm, hmm,” she continued humming.
20
Hunter sighed and rubbed his eyes. Closing the last file, he leaned back in the chair and propped his elbows onto the arms. He steepled his fingers together and stared across the table to the opposite wall.
“Okay, here are the facts,” he began talking to himself, “as I see them. We have the murder weapon with no prints found underneath the Princess’s bed. The guards contaminated the room when they locked the Princess in there. Why would they do that?”
The file on Captain Ward was distinguished. He’d had a long military career before joining and working up the ranks of the King’s Guard. By all accounts, he should have known better.
“Perhaps that’s it,” Hunter continued. “Captain Ward knew what he was doing. Which means he’s either trying to protect the Princess out of loyalty, or he knows something we don’t.”
Marking a note to talk to the captain on his paper, Hunter twirled the pencil in his hand. Taking a drink of his coffee, he made a face at the burnt taste. Whoever had made the latest batch didn’t know what they were doing.
Stretching, he got out of the chair and took a lap around the room. Talking to himself, “The first assassin was killed, and no leads have been found connecting him to anyone within the house. The second assassin got away and is unidentified, and people are in the hospital. What is going on here?”
Shoving his hands through his hair, he took a deep breath. “Either there’s a major conspiracy underway, or someone wants us to think there’s a major conspiracy.”
Stopping by his chair, he leaned down to make a few more notes. He’d have to talk to the household again. Wiping his face, he gathered up the files and his notes before e
xiting the room.
At the front desk, he called out, “Officer?”
The officer had just replaced the phone and turned to him. “Yes?”
“These are the files the constable let me look at. Can I give them to you?”
“Yes, I’ll make sure they get to the right place.”
“Thanks. Is the constable still here?”
“No, sir. He left an hour ago.”
Hunter nodded and looked at his watch. It was eleven-thirty. He needed to get home, eat, and get into bed. Tomorrow was shaping up to be a long day.
Notebook in hand, he left the station and got into his car and headed home.
His phone kept buzzing. Reaching out, he picked it up off the nightstand and considered throwing it across the room. The clock glared 3:49 at him.
“Hello?” he croaked.
“Hunter?” It was Mr. Gabriel. Did that man ever sleep?
“It’s me. What’s going on?”
“I just got a message from the palace. There has been a break-in and all of the officers and guards were knocked out. It appears there was more than one intruder.”
“What?” Hunter sat up in bed and shook his head. “You’re kidding me, right?”
“No, I’m afraid not. I told the constable I’d be right over, but I’d like you to come as well.”
“Me?”
“Yes. I want you to see the scene firsthand instead of having everyone else’s account of it. Can you meet me there?”
“I live on the opposite side of town. It will take me an hour at least.”
“That’s fine. I’ll meet you there.”
“All right,” Hunter told him already climbing from bed.
Hanging up, he shook his head. Turning on the lights, he proceeded to get ready. All the while he couldn’t help thinking, this doesn’t make sense.
“I guess I’ll find out more when I get there.” Dressed, keys in hand, he grabbed a banana on the way out the door.
The Four Tales Page 61