by K E O'Connor
In the distance, I heard Flipper bark, and a spitting hiss from a cat. I spun around and saw Flipper facing off with an angry looking tabby and white cat.
“Flipper, I could do with some help here.” My words croaked out of me as my bones began to chill.
In front of me, a haze spread across the ground. I staggered backwards as the figure of a lady in a long blue gown appeared. Her eye sockets were hollow and her mouth opened in what looked like a silent scream.
My hand went to my own mouth as the ghostly lady shimmered in front of me and raised an arm.
I heard Flipper bark again, but it sounded far away this time.
Leo suddenly popped into view, caught hold of the other ghost, and they both vanished.
Chapter 9
I let out a shaky sigh as the temperature returned to normal. I got the impression the blue lady ghost was not a benevolent one.
Flipper dashed to my side, and away from the cat he’d been trying to make friends with. He gave me what I thought was an apologetic look as he circled the spot where the two ghosts had been.
Leo reappeared in front of me and gave me a bow.
“Thanks for helping out with the other ghost,” I said to him.
He nodded and looked down at Flipper who was now circling him.
“Don’t worry, I think Leo is our friend,” I said to Flipper. Now Leo had arrived, I was already feeling better. It was that initial energy sapping arrival of a ghost that always got to me. Especially when that ghost didn't look like she wanted to make friends.
Leo nodded and patted the top of Flipper’s head.
“I’ve been spending some time with your lovely cats,” I said to him as I shook the chill off and continued to walk back towards the castle.
Leo smiled and looked over his shoulder at the sanctuary.
“I’ve also been trying to find out who could have killed you,” I said. “If you’re convinced it wasn’t a cat, then we have a few suspects we need to look into.”
Leo drifted along beside me as a cool breeze slipped through the garden. He pointed at his ring finger.
“You think it was Lady Cordelia?” I said to him. “Do you remember seeing her before you died?”
Leo shook his head and then looked around the garden. He disappeared, returning a few seconds later with a yellow daisy in his hand.
“Is this for me?” I took the flower quickly, knowing how strange it would appear to anyone who was watching me and saw a flower bobbing along next to me.
Leo shook his head, took the flower back and held it to his nose.
I grabbed the flower again. “You smelt flowers just before you died?”
Leo tilted his head from side to side.
“Not flowers, but something floral,” I said. “A woman’s perfume?”
Leo nodded.
That was another black mark against Lady Cordelia. “I’ve been discovering your wife is not happy with all the time and money you spent on the cats.”
Leo gave a shrug.
“Was she was unhappy enough to do something about that?”
I got another shrug in response to that question.
“What about Tabitha?” I said. “If you’re sure it was a woman who killed you, she might have been wearing the perfume you smelled. Did the two of you have a falling out before you died?”
Leo shook his head and gestured at the flower again.
The sound of two women arguing drifted towards me. I increased my speed and rounded the corner of the castle to find Lady Cordelia and Nell glaring at each other.
“You’re no longer welcome here.” Lady Cordelia jabbed her finger at Nell.
Nell’s cheeks paled as she took a step closer to Lady Cordelia. “You have no right to get rid of me. Leo wanted me here. He knew how much I love those animals.”
“You’re as crazy as him,” said Lady Cordelia. “And it’s time all of you went. I want you gone and I want the cats gone too.”
“You can’t get rid of them,” shouted Nell. “Leo won’t allow it.”
“Fortunately for me, Leo is dead,” said Lady Cordelia. “Which means I can do whatever I like to the cats because they’re on my estate. As are you.”
“This was Leo’s estate,” said Nell. “You probably married him so you could get your hands on all of this. You should respect his wishes.”
“What do you know of Leo’s wishes?” Lady Cordelia folded her arms over her chest and raised her chin.
“Even though he’s no longer here, you know he loved those cats,” spat out Nell. “He would never want them gone. You’re dishonoring his memory by even thinking about getting rid of them.”
“I don’t care what you think about my late husband, or those animals,” said Lady Cordelia. “I want you to leave this estate. You are no longer employed here.”
“You can’t make me leave.” Nell stamped her foot. “I will not abandon the cats.”
“I will call the police if you don’t leave the estate immediately.”
Flipper spotted another cat skulking across the grass, and ran out from behind the bush, where I’d been discreetly watching Lady Cordelia and Nell.
Lady Cordelia glanced over and spotted me, her lips pinching together as she moved away from Nell towards me. “This conversation is over.”
I took a deep breath and approached Lady Cordelia. “I didn’t mean to listen in, but heard you arguing and came to make sure everything was okay.”
“Everything is not okay,” said Lady Cordelia. She looked back at Nell who hadn’t moved. “But I am sorry you had to see this. Nell has always been a difficult employee. I would have let her go a long time ago, but Leo was stubborn and insisted she stayed. He called her a cat whisperer, said she could bring around the most timid of cats.”
“I only met Nell this morning, and she seems very into her animals.”
“She does have that in common with my late husband,” said Lady Cordelia. “If anything, she’s worse with the cats than Leo was. But Nell will calm down. She always gets angry and starts shouting before she’s had a chance to think.”
“This isn’t the first time you’ve argued?”
Lady Cordelia smiled wryly. “No, and I’ve seen her like this before. But it’s time for her to move on, her and Sandy. I want to give them time to get themselves sorted and find somewhere new to live. And I know taking away the animal sanctuary is not a kind thing to do to them, but I have to think about the bigger picture.”
“You never know, Nell might take some of the cats with her when she goes,” I said. “That will help you out.”
“I’ll be glad if she does. And she’ll need the company. No man will ever want Nell and her cat obsession.” Lady Cordelia tapped her manicured nails on her thigh as she stared at Nell. “Although, I did wonder...”
“What did you wonder?”
“Well, Leo and Nell were close, always had their heads buried together, fussing over a cat.” Lady Cordelia laughed. “It’s silly really, but I wondered if sometimes they were closer than they should be.”
My eyebrows shot up. “You think Nell had a relationship with Leo?”
“Not really,” said Lady Cordelia. “Maybe I’m just jealous that they had something they shared. It’s been a while since I’ve had that with anyone.”
“Sebastien seems nice,” I said. “You must be able to share things with him.”
Lady Cordelia looked over at me. “I do, but it is different. Anyway, how are you getting on with removing the cats?”
“I went to the sanctuary this afternoon,” I said. “The setup there is great. Is there no way you can keep it?”
“It’s out of the question,” said Lady Cordelia, her gaze hardening. “Just get a move on with whatever it is you have planned. I don’t want any more flea bags running around in my castle.”
“I’m working on it,” I said. “But I’ll need a bit more time.”
“I want to see results in the next two weeks,” said Lady Cordelia. “If you haven’t
figured out where those cats are going, I’ll have to put my own plans into action. And Sandy and crazy Nell won’t like that.” She strode away across the gravel towards the main entrance of the castle, ignoring Nell as she did so.
I watched Lady Cordelia leave, with a heavy heart. This was definitely not in the job description I’d read, and I couldn’t help but feel peeved at being given such a thankless task. Whatever I did, someone would be unhappy, and if I annoyed Lady Cordelia too badly she might decide I wasn’t suitable for this job and I’d find myself out of work.
I called Flipper away from his pursuit of another cat, before turning and almost walking into Montgomery.
“Listening into Lady Cordelia’s little spat were you?” He lounged against the castle wall, dressed in crumpled linen trousers and a matching green jacket.
“Not deliberately,” I said. “But it was hard not to listen in, given how loud they were being.” I glanced over my shoulder and saw Nell storming off.
“Cordelia’s always arguing with somebody,” said Montgomery. “She’s never happy unless she’s making somebody else miserable.”
“Does that include you?”
“Most of the time.” Montgomery grinned at me. “Fancy a drink and I’ll tell you all about my sad little life?”
I wasn’t much of a drinker, but having just spent a stressful afternoon trying to help fifty unloved cats, a drink sounded like a good idea.
“Why not,” I said. “Lead the way.”
Chapter 10
Montgomery held his arm out, and I took it as we made our way inside the castle and along a dark, stone passageway hidden behind a tapestry in the hallway. It was lit with buzzing electric bulbs that gave the space an eerie vibe.
“Where are you taking me?” I peered at one of the denser looking patches of shadow, Flipper reassuringly pressing against my leg. “Better not be back to that torture room.”
Montgomery laughed. “Oh no, I always save the torture room for a special occasion.”
“Like a romantic third date?”
Montgomery grinned. “Women can’t seem to get enough of all that blood and torture stuff.”
I shot him a sharp glance out of the corner of my eye and he laughed again.
“This doesn’t look like it’s a part of the public route around the castle.” I brushed a cobweb aside with my hand.
“You’d be right there,” said Montgomery. “This castle comes with its own set of secret corridors. They were created when the monasteries were dissolved under Henry VIII and the poor priests needed somewhere to hide. There are all sorts of secret corridors and priest holes in here. This corridor runs parallel to the main hallway in the castle. It comes out in the games room.”
I felt a shiver of excitement at the thought of being able to creep around the castle with no one knowing where I was. There could be dozens of wide-eyed tourists standing on the other side of the wall, and they’d never know we were there.
Montgomery stopped and pressed his hand against the wall. I heard a click and a crack of light appeared in front of us. “It’s pretty nifty, isn’t it?”
I nodded as I watched him pushed the door open to reveal the games room.
Montgomery led me and Flipper into the room, which was full of comfortable chairs, a large overflowing drinks cabinet, several games consoles, and an enormous pool table. “Will you join me for a martini?”
“Sounds good.” I did a quick circuit of the room, inhaling old cigar smoke and a hint of whiskey as I did so.
“Take a seat.” Montgomery walked over to the drinks cabinet and began to mix the martinis. “Sometimes you need one of these after working here. I find martinis make the world a happier place, give everything a pretty glow.”
“My first day wasn’t so bad,” I said, as I sat on a brown leather sofa and Flipper settled by my feet. “But Lady Cordelia is insisting I help to get rid of the cat sanctuary. I hadn’t planned on leaving my mark on the place by doing that.”
Montgomery shook his head as he carried the drinks over and sat next to me. “She does know how to puncture people’s happiness. My brother loved those cats, so I guess that’s why she wants to get rid of them.”
I took the martini glass from Montgomery and took a sip. It almost made my eyes water it was so strong. No wonder his world got fuzzy after drinking a couple of these. “Do you think she’s doing it out of spite? Getting rid of something Leo loved because she was unhappy with him?”
“She could be.” Montgomery leaned back and draped his arm along the sofa. “I try not to get involved in castle politics, though. Being the younger brother, it means I don’t have any responsibilities. I was never expected to do anything, and Leo always loved that kind of thing. He enjoyed organizing and making plans for the future. So long as he gave me a bit of money now and again, I was happy to play along and agree with whatever he wanted. And I enjoyed getting to hang out here. As you see, the castle is a lot of fun.”
“You must miss him,” I said. “Was Leo your only brother?”
Montgomery nodded and the glitter of amusement in his eyes faded. “It was just the two of us. But I knew Leo would always want to be in charge of the castle. He didn’t even try to teach me the ropes, and was planning on bringing in an estate manager when he retired.”
“And you weren’t the tiniest bit jealous that Leo got all this?”
Montgomery shrugged. “I don’t handle stress well. Can you imagine what a nightmare dealing with this place is? All the staff, the noisy tourists hanging around, and the money you have to look after! No, I never wanted to have anything to do with this place. Leo had the right idea wanting to bring in a professional to look after everything.”
I risked another sip of martini. “Isn’t Julius taking over?”
Montgomery laughed. “I’d do a better job than he would. That kid will give himself an ulcer if he doesn’t learn to relax. I don’t think he’s ever given himself a day off in his life, always chasing after some new scheme or trying to figure out how to run things. Why bother? Give someone else the job and take the profits.”
“Julius seemed convinced over dinner that he was now looking after the estate.”
“I don’t see it happening,” said Montgomery. “And I’m going to have to step up a bit more now. Cordelia’s been hinting that she’s going to stop my allowance if I don’t start working for it. She mentioned me becoming the entertainment manager.”
“That could be interesting.”
“I can’t think of anything worse.” Montgomery grimaced. “But the work will fit with my hours. I’m a night owl, so you never see me about much before noon. And I do enjoy a good party.”
“That might not be the sort of thing Lady Cordelia was thinking of,” I said. “I expect she wants to see events for families and children not boozy soirees and late-night parties.”
“You’re probably right. What about you, Lorna Shadow, do you like to play?” Montgomery twirled a strand of my hair around his finger.
“I do with the right person.” I inched away from Montgomery. “My boyfriend.”
“You’ve got one of those,” said Montgomery, dropping his hand and returning to his drink. “That’s disappointing. And I suppose you’re blissfully happy with this chap?”
“I am,” I said. “We’re buying a house together.”
“That’s horribly serious,” said Montgomery. His expression brightened and he gave me a wicked grin. “But what about Helen? Is she single?”
I paused as I considered the question. She was single, but I knew she liked Gunner.
“Your hesitation is making me interested,” said Montgomery. “Please tell me she’s a party girl. I’ve been looking for someone to have some fun with. My nephew and niece are more of a nuisance than anything else, and now Leo’s gone, I’m all alone. Partying on your own isn’t much fun.”
“It’s complicated,” I said. “There is someone on the scene, but they aren’t together. I think it’s only a matter of time before
something happens.”
“That means Helen's single,” said Montgomery. “I should ask her out.”
“It does mean she’s single, but the person who’s interested in her is a police officer. It might not be wise to tread on his toes.”
Montgomery downed half of his drink and then hiccupped. “I don’t want to mess with a cop’s totty. Fair enough, you’re both out of bounds. But if anything changes, let me know.” He winked at me.
I smiled at him over the rim of my glass. Montgomery was an incorrigible flirt, but nothing more. “Will do. Did you and Leo often go out partying?”
“When we were younger,” said Montgomery. “But there’s a sixteen year age gap between us, and as he got older, he wanted to play less. Or maybe Cordelia didn’t like him going out with me. Whatever the reason, he spent more and more time with his cats. Better that than hanging out with Cordelia, I suppose.”
“And now Lady Cordelia is going to get rid of them,” I said.
Montgomery took my glass and refilled it before returning to his seat. “There’s something of a mystery there.”
“What kind of mystery?” I took the glass from him and leaned closer.
“Cordelia has been secretive in regards to Leo’s will. I was sure he’d updated it, and he mentioned to me something about leaving things for a friend of his. But he was elusive and I couldn’t get much out of him. At the time, I wondered if he’d found himself a lady, someone sweeter than Cordelia.”
“Did you ever see him with another woman?”
“No, and he didn’t mention her by name. But he told me he wanted to rewrite his will so the cats would be properly cared for as would his new friend. I pressed him on it, but he wouldn’t give me any more information. He did say something about wanting this friend to help with the cats.”
“And you think Lady Cordelia is hiding this information?” I asked. “Could she have this new will and not be telling people about it?”
“Haven’t got a clue,” said Montgomery. “All I know is what Leo told me. And I was surprised when his will was read.”
“How did Leo divide his assets up?”