Death in Castle Dark, page 19
Connie and Tim set down their kittens, and they also immediately climbed into the box, where the three sat looking at one another.
“Hilarious!” Connie said, laughing. “Your three little daughters.”
“A box of fun,” Tim said. He seemed like the same old Tim again, friendly and likable. Had I imagined his sinister expression, his underhanded intentions?
“Does anyone want something to drink?” I asked. Connie went to pull a couple of wooden chairs across from my armchair.
“Not I,” she said.
Tim patted his stomach. “No. I’m full, thanks.”
We sat down and entered into an uncomfortable silence. Finally Tim scratched his arm in a nervous gesture and said, “I wanted to apologize. Looking back, I see why you were scared at the overlook, and I realize I was acting like— I don’t know what. A weirdo or an idiot.”
“What happened?” Connie asked sharply.
I said nothing. Tim sighed and said, “I invited Nora to go biking. I took her to the overlook to show her the view, but I was in a weird mood. I had a fight with Amy last night, and—” He saw my expression and almost laughed. “You don’t think there is an Amy, do you? I freaked you out that much?”
I shrugged, and he took out his phone, poking it a few times to bring up his photo screen. Then he handed it to me. “Scroll left,” he said. “There are a few there.”
I did as he suggested and saw several pictures of Tim, smiling his dimpled smile, standing next to a pretty chestnut-haired woman in a variety of poses: next to their bikes, in front of a birthday cake, with a smiling family group. “Okay,” I said.
“So what did you do?” Connie asked.
“He took me to a totally deserted location,” I said. “He said he didn’t want me or Elspeth repeating something he had told us, but he made it sound creepy, like he wanted us silenced.”
“No, I—,” Tim said, crestfallen.
“And he called me a liar. He said everyone in the castle was a liar.”
“What the heck, Tim?” Connie said, glaring at him.
He looked at me. “Were you lying, though?”
I met his gaze with some defiance. “Yes, I was, because I wanted to get away from you.”
“Okay, so I was right. We all lie, and we make it look convincing. That’s what we do. That’s why I was feeling weird. My girlfriend was mad at me, and I was living in a castle full of people wearing masks.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, considering. Then I turned to Connie. “Tim had Garrett as a teacher in high school.”
Connie turned to Tim, her mouth open in surprise. Tim gave me a wry look. “Okay, I guess I deserved that.”
“He was your drama teacher? Why didn’t you ever tell us?”
Tim shrugged. “Garrett didn’t remember me. I didn’t want to make a big deal of it.”
“Why?” I said. “You hinted that there was a reason, and it wasn’t just that you were embarrassed that he didn’t remember you.”
He shook his head. “No, it wasn’t just that. I didn’t want him to remember something else. I had this new adult relationship with him, and I didn’t want it to be ruined—”
“By what?” Connie asked.
He sighed. “Garrett was a really popular drama teacher. All the kids loved working with him. But sometimes there would be grudges. Kids didn’t get the parts they wanted, or they felt Garrett showed favoritism or something. Anyway, at one point a rumor started going around that Garrett was having an affair with one of the other teachers, Mrs. Spellman, in the world languages department. It was eventually quite a scandal, and I think a few parents complained and there was some kind of investigation. Ultimately Garrett was exonerated. It seemed like the rumor was the work of a disgruntled student, but his reputation had taken a hit. And I guess it also made things rough for the other teacher. I don’t think she came back after that year. And Garrett left teaching pretty soon after.”
“So why does that matter? Were you the disgruntled student?” I asked.
He looked miserable. “No, but I did my fair share to spread the rumor around. I’m not proud of it. But I was a high school kid, and I guess there was kind of a feeling of power in ‘having something’ on a teacher. Later I felt terrible because I had really liked him and learned a lot from him. Our next drama teacher wasn’t as good. Garrett was talented.”
“Wow. I’m surprised he gave in so easily,” Connie said. “That doesn’t seem like him.”
Tim shrugged. “I think he just felt he had lost the confidence of the students, which he really hadn’t. It was just a bad scene. I still feel guilty about it. When I got here and saw that Garrett was in the cast, I was relieved that he didn’t remember me. It had been almost ten years, after all. So I wasn’t in a big hurry to remind him of that time or to have him wonder about my part in it all.”
“There’s always the chance he did remember you but didn’t say so for similar reasons,” I said.
Tim thought about this. “I don’t think so. There would have been some awkwardness. Plus I look different. I’ve filled out and grown a couple inches.”
I studied him. “But that doesn’t explain why you wanted Elspeth and me to keep silent. Garrett can’t learn anything now, so what does it matter?”
He sighed. “I don’t know. I just felt like I opened a box I shouldn’t have.” For some reason we all looked at the box on my bed, still filled with kittens that had now made themselves comfortable inside it. “And I didn’t want it getting back to Sora or anyone who might have questions.”
Connie folded her arms and stared at Tim. “Well, it sounds like you acted like a real weirdo this morning and I can understand why Nora took off.”
“I’m sorry,” Tim said. “And I was especially sorry that I wasn’t with you when that guy confronted you outside the castle.”
“It sounds like Nora handled herself really well,” Connie said. She turned to me. “You’ll have to show me what you did. That cop said you ‘incapacitated’ him. What exactly did you do?”
“Fingers in the soft part of the throat,” I said.
“Oooh!” Connie said, impressed.
“Ouch,” Tim added, looking pained. “But good job.”
“My brothers taught me everything I know. As teenage boys, they have a special fascination with all brands of violence.”
Connie giggled. “We should have them here in the castle as our guards.”
“They would truly like nothing better,” I said. “Which reminds me, I need to call them and see how Luke is doing.”
Tim leaned forward. “Do you forgive me? I don’t want things to be weird between us.”
“I guess,” I said. “You can prevent that by not acting weird anymore. Did you make up with Amy?”
Another sigh. “I hope so. I sent her flowers and an apology. It’s my day of apologies.”
“What was your fight about?” Connie asked, oblivious to her own rudeness.
“It’s a long story. But essentially she wants me to leave Castle Dark and get a ‘better job.’ I told her this isn’t a bad job, that I like it and I’m good at it. She seems to think a person isn’t a professional unless they’re working in an office somewhere.”
Connie stared at him. “Then why are you apologizing? Tell her you want to keep your job.”
“Well, I did. But I apologized for getting upset. We were both pretty intense, which is why we needed the time apart.”
I stretched, suddenly tired. “I know we’re all actors and we’re paid to act, but there’s a little too much drama in this castle.”
Connie and Tim agreed with fervent nods of their heads. Hamlet sidled up to me, panting and smiling, and I patted his big head. He still wore the ruby that was meant to be a clue in our mystery. I took it off his collar and handed it to Connie. “You can give this back to Derek. I don’t think Hamlet needs it anymore.”
She took it and studied it in her palm. “It’s pretty,” she said. “Derek has such an eye for pretty things.” She stood up and said, “Good night, everyone. Nora, I’m glad you found your kitten. Tim, come and make sure no one murders me in the hall.”
Tim stood up. “See you tomorrow, Nora.”
“Yeah, see you, Tim.”
He held out his fist, and I bumped mine against it. I gave him credit for apologizing. I had met very few men who were willing to do so.
I watched them go into the hall, and I didn’t close my door until I saw Connie ushered safely into her room, Hamlet at her side. “Good night,” I said again.
I clicked my new lock into place and realized that I felt quite secure. I knew there was no one hiding in my room, thanks to my search for Annie, and I trusted Derek and John Dashiell when they said the new locks were good.
The Victoria Holt novel still lay facedown on my bedside table. Despite the frightening events of the day, I felt drawn to it. I wanted to finish the story.
After brushing my teeth, washing my face, and putting on pajamas, I fed the kittens, set their box on the floor, and climbed into my comfortable bed. I grabbed the book from my nightstand and put it on the pillow beside me. But, first things first, I picked up my phone to call my brothers, and it rang in my hand. It was Jay.
“Hello, brother.”
“Hey,” he said. “Sorry to call so late. We brought Luke home and then everyone was running around doing his bidding.” I could hear relief in his voice under the supposed aggravation.
“I’m glad he’s home.”
“Yeah.” He yawned hugely in my ear. “Listen, I wanted to check on something. Is it your castle where a guy just got murdered?”
“Where did you hear that?”
“I saw it on a news brief on YouTube.”
“Okay—yes, it is this castle. It was a man I worked with.”
“Whoa. That is crazy. You are in a castle where a guy got murdered.”
“Yes, Jay. Do Mom and Dad know?”
“No, but I’m going to tell them!”
“Jay, don’t. You know they’ll freak out. The police are looking into things. We’re all hoping this will be resolved soon.”
“It’s kind of a big secret to keep,” he said.
“Tell Luke, then. You two can talk about it between yourselves. Mom and Dad have enough worries right now.”
“Yeah, but if you get murdered, they’ll be very angry that I didn’t tell them so that they could drive out there and demand that you come home.”
“I thought about coming home. But I want to give it a couple of days, see if they catch whoever did it. We’re supposed to reopen in a week and a half. I have to learn a new script and stuff.”
“What if Luke and I came there? We could patrol the halls with baseball bats.”
“I know you guys would actually do that, but number one, Luke is a convalescent. Number two, you need to be there for him. And number three, if Mom and Dad don’t want me at the site of a murder, they definitely don’t want their teenage sons there, either.”
“Oh, man, how cool, though. Hunting a murderer in a dark castle.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” I murmured, picturing the skeleton with a frisson of remembered horror.
“There’s more?”
“Not that I’m going to tell you right now. To be continued,” I said.
“We have to come there soon,” he said, and suddenly I missed him terribly, missed all of my family.
“I agree. Do talk to Mom and Dad about that. See when they’re open to a visit. I’ll find out when Derek thinks it might be okay.”
“All right. But I’ll have to tell them before I get them to agree to enter the premises of your death castle.”
“Yes. In a week or so you can tell them. Just wait a little while.”
“Okay. Do not get murdered in the meantime. Send a daily text.”
“I will. Hey, you know those self-defense moves you and Luke taught me?”
“Yeah. That was a great presentation. We should put it on YouTube.”
“I used one of them, and it helped.”
“What? You had to fight someone?”
“Sort of. That’s for the to-be-continued story, too.”
There was a pause. Then Jay said, “Do I have to reassess my entire view of you? Are you some kind of badass? I thought only Luke and I got that gene, and that you and Gen were more like butterfly princesses.”
“Yeah, I guess we’re a combination,” I said drily. “Go give Luke a butterfly princess kiss from me and tell him to feel better.”
“He’s fine,” he said. “He just ate lasagna.”
“Good night, Jay.”
“Don’t get murdered,” said my little brother.
* * *
* * *
I ended up finishing the book; it had a satisfying ending, which I read aloud to the Brontës, who had returned to the bed and purred in trio on my lap. I set it aside and turned off my lamp. I could see the dark silhouette of the tree outside my window, illuminated only by some pale moonbeams. There was no wind tonight.
I had expected the events of the day to torment me, replaying themselves again and again in my memory, but I was surprised. My mind was blank as I lay back on my pillow, and I fell almost instantly asleep.
Sometime later I woke again. I peered at the clock: two thirty. The room was still and quiet; I felt all three kittens as separate balls of fuzz on my bed. What had awakened me? I lay still, listening, and there it was—a faint shuffling sound and a beam of light visible under my door. I stiffened. Was someone trying to get in? Trying to lure me once more into the hall?
But I had learned my lesson. Whatever it was, I would not be investigating. Someone was clearly breaking Derek’s curfew, but I was going to trust my new lock. Let someone else confront the person in whatever costume they had chosen tonight. Anger rose in me as I stared at the weak beam of light, which gradually moved to the right and then disappeared from view. Whoever had stood out there was walking southward, just as the skeleton had been walking when I looked out of my room.
I lay awake for another hour, listening for any rustling, half expecting to see more light under my door and half fearing that I would hear a loud bang as someone tried to batter it down.
Nothing happened. Eventually, despite my vigilance, I fell back to sleep, and I didn’t awaken until the sun poured into my room.
15
Lover’s Torment
With our books tucked under our arms, Connie and I took our breakfast sandwiches outside, through the south exit, where we sat on the edge of the fountain and listened to the gurgling water. The naiad beamed down at us with her peaceful smile.
“This is nice,” Connie said, looking up at the blue sky. “We should be doing this every day while it’s still summer and the mornings are so mild.”
“I agree,” I said.
We had brought books to read, as well; we both wanted a break from the castle without having to leave castle grounds. I was still eating Zana’s creation. “This sandwich is delicious. What did she put in here besides eggs?”
Connie poked at her food. “It looks like red pepper. Maybe some kind of cheese.”
“Mmmm.” I took my last bite and chewed contemplatively, taking in the beautiful view. “It really is lovely here.”
“Harder to leave than you might think,” Connie said, trailing her fingers in the cool fountain water.
“But at some point I have to tell my parents what’s happened here, and they’re probably going to come and physically remove me.”
“I know. My parents were tempted, too, but I told them that Derek is being super protective. They like Derek. Even after I mentioned—” She glanced at me with a wry expression. “You were right. They took his side for the most part. Said that it was noble of him to try to protect me. Which it would be, if this were eighteen fifty.”
“I know. I get that.” Over her shoulder I saw Derek emerge from the south exit, looking ridiculously handsome in a blue linen button-down shirt and a pair of white summer trousers. He approached us with his usual friendly expression, but he was nervous, as well.
“Good morning,” he said.
We both greeted him, and his dark eyes locked on Connie’s. I felt suddenly superfluous and longed to be gone. I stood up, gathering the little plates from which we had eaten our breakfast, and picked up the new book I had selected from the shelf in my room, the first in the Sue Grafton series. “I’m going to run this stuff inside. I’ll see you later, Connie.”
She looked surprised. “Uh—okay. Could you take my book, too, Nora? I guess I’ll read inside later if you’re not staying.”
I took the book she offered and made a quick exit, sensing that some sort of confrontation was on the horizon. I set everything down to open the back exit with my new key, and then I carried it all inside. I set it down again on the window ledge so that I could peer out at Connie and Derek. He stood in front of her where she sat, saying something with a polite expression. His body looked awkward and gangly.
Connie regarded him in silence, her face inscrutable, and then she stood so that their faces were closer together. She had to look up at him, but then she spoke with great animation, gesturing with her hands.
Derek put a hand on her arm and said something back. He looked as though he was assuring her of something.
She removed his hand from her forearm but continued to hold it between her palms. She said something that seemed to surprise him—oh, God, had she finally told him how she felt?—and he stared at her, stunned.
With a sudden lunge he took her in his arms and brought his mouth down on hers; Connie’s arms went over his shoulders and her hands linked behind his head. They were so beautiful together that I couldn’t stop watching, as though I were in the audience of a romantic play. “Oh, yay, yay, yay,” I said happily, my face pressed to the window.
