The four other surviving escorts had arranged themselves around a small table, looking tired and glum, like birds of paradise whose colours had run in the rain. Five opened bottles of spirits stood on the table. No one was bothering with glasses. Scarlett made a point of checking the door was properly locked before introducing her companions.
‘That’s Lola, cock in a frock. That’s Georgina, professional tomboy. That’s Maurice, muscle man. And that’s Lady Paine, la Belle Dame sans Merci.’
The small quiet woman dressed mainly in black leather straps smiled tiredly. ‘Only the one who hurts you can make the pain go away.’
‘Rather more information than I needed,’ said Penny.
Scarlett pulled some chairs forward, and the escorts made room for us at their table. No one offered us a drink.
‘Is this really all of you that’s left?’ I asked.
‘Just us,’ said Scarlett.
‘But if seven principals are dead,’ said Penny, ‘and there are five of you here, that means only two of you died up there …’
She broke off, as the escorts looked at her condescendingly.
‘The principals often liked more than one of us at a time,’ said Scarlett.
‘Oh …’ said Penny.
‘I’m sorry about your friends,’ I said. ‘But there are questions I need to ask.’
‘We don’t talk about our clients,’ Lola said firmly. A winsome presence in a pretty dress, with a deep contralto voice.
‘Not those kind of questions,’ I said. ‘The five of you only survived the massacre on the top floor because you left before the gunfire started. Why did you do that?’
‘Because our clients were sleeping,’ said Scarlett. ‘They’d had enough of us.’
‘We’d worn them out,’ said Maurice, a large muscle-man with an engaging smile and hardly any clothes.
‘Part of our job is knowing when we’re not wanted any more,’ said Lady Paine.
‘If we hadn’t left when we did … we’d have died with the others, wouldn’t we?’ said Scarlett.
‘Yes,’ I said.
The escorts seemed shaken, but not particularly upset. Scarlett saw me looking round the table, studying faces and reactions.
‘We’re colleagues, not friends. Much the same as in your world.’
I thought about Baron. I’d last seen him right here, sitting at this table. I said nothing.
‘You have to understand,’ said Penny, ‘leaving at such a propitious time does look just a teeny bit suspicious …’
‘Cut it out!’ said Georgina, a tall bulky woman in dungarees. ‘It’s not like any of us had a motive. We’d never even heard of the principals before we came here.’
‘You had no idea who your clients were going to be?’ I said.
There was general shrugging around the table.
‘It was an agency booking,’ said Scarlett. ‘And for the kind of money they were talking about, you don’t ask questions.’
‘Why would we want to kill any of them?’ said Lola.
‘Perhaps they wanted you to do something you weren’t prepared to do?’ Penny suggested.
The escorts all had the same smile.
‘That can happen,’ said Lola.
‘And then we charge extra,’ said Lady Paine.
I tried some more questions, but it was clear they had nothing useful to contribute. Scarlett only brought me here because she wanted to make it clear they were all just not-so-innocent bystanders, lucky to be alive. I looked at Penny, but she had no more questions, so we left the escorts to their drinking. They locked the door behind us the moment we were outside. I looked up and down the empty corridor.
‘What now?’ said Penny.
‘Damned if I know,’ I said. ‘This whole case is a mess. No clear causes of death, no clear motives; and only a handful of suspects, none of whom stands out. Too many questions, and far too many dead bodies.’
‘Typical case for us, then,’ said Penny. She paused. ‘That bar was where you had your last chat with Baron, wasn’t it?’
‘Yes.’
‘If he wasn’t your friend, what was he?’
‘I don’t know,’ I said. ‘It’s just … there aren’t many who’ve been in this business as long as me. Baron was one of the few people I could talk to about the places I’ve been and the things I’ve done.’
‘You can always talk to me,’ said Penny.
‘But Baron wouldn’t judge me.’
‘You think I would?’
‘I’d be disappointed if you didn’t,’ I said. ‘I haven’t always been a good man.’
‘You’re a good man now,’ said Penny. ‘Nothing else matters.’
‘It matters to me,’ I said.
We walked together for a while, not going anywhere in particular, just thinking our separate thoughts. I was trying to remember when sudden death and vicious murders had stopped bothering me and become the everyday business of my life. I’ve known a great many monsters in my time, and far too many of them were people.
‘You’ve known Baron since the sixties,’ Penny said finally. ‘I sometimes forget how old you really are. You look like you’re in your twenties, but you must be … what? In your seventies now?’
‘I don’t age like you,’ I said. ‘Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever age. But, as a wise man once said, it’s not the years, it’s the mileage.’
‘All the changes you’ve seen,’ said Penny. ‘The world must seem very different now from when you first … arrived. Is there anyone else you can talk to? Anyone who knows you as well as Baron did?’
‘A handful of old friends, some old enemies, and a few in between.’ I smiled tiredly. ‘If you last long enough in this game, the sides switch back and forth so often they can start to seem irrelevant. But there are some people I’ve got to know really well down the years.’
‘People like you?’ Penny asked tentatively.
‘No,’ I said, ‘But … different people. Different from everyday Humanity, with their own need to stay hidden and make their lives in the shadows of the world.’
‘Well?’ said Penny, as I paused. ‘Go on! You can’t just stop there. What kind of people are we talking about?’
‘Well,’ I said. ‘People like the Immortals. Or the Spawn of Frankenstein. Or the elves …’
‘No …!’ said Penny, her eyes wide. ‘Elves? Really? Oh, I would love to meet an elf!’
‘No you wouldn’t,’ I said. ‘Trust me.’
‘Have you ever found anyone who could understand what it’s like to be like you?’ said Penny. ‘Human but not human?’
‘I do get lonely,’ I said. ‘Sometimes.’
She slipped her arm through mine and snuggled up close to me. ‘Come on, sweetie. Let us busy ourselves by being useful.’
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘There’s always that.’
SEVEN
Who’s Really Who
A thought occurred to me, bubbling up to just below the point where it was any use. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it felt important; so I allowed it to lead me back to the furthest rear wall in Coronach House. Penny strolled along beside me, looking at me curiously. She could tell I was concentrating on something. She didn’t ask what, which was just as well, as I didn’t have any answer for her. Just an increasing certainty that I’d missed something. I finally came to a halt before the ragged hole in the wall panelling; from when I’d got impatient with the door that wouldn’t open and showed it the error of its ways. I looked at the dark opening for a while, and even leaned in to study the stone steps leading down to the cellar. Penny looked at me, trying to work out what I was thinking. Which made two of us.
‘This means something,’ I said, eventually. ‘There’s a clue here. An important clue.’
‘Clues are good,’ said Penny, encouragingly.
A breeze blew up the stairs and out of the hole; cool damp air from the depths of the House, carrying with it the distinctive smell of the cellar and just a trace of the creature
we’d found there. Penny shuddered briefly, and I knew it wasn’t from the cool air. She was remembering how the unseen beast stalked and terrorized us in the dark, until the only sensible thing to do was run for our lives.
‘We did the right thing,’ I said. ‘We wouldn’t have stood a chance against that creature in the dark.’
‘That was the only reason I agreed to run,’ said Penny. ‘Because I couldn’t see it. The dark made me feel … helpless.’
I nodded. ‘Imagination can fill the dark with terrible things. Far worse than they could ever be in reality.’
‘It was the sounds it made,’ said Penny, hugging herself tightly. ‘The heavy tread, and the way its claws scraped on the stone floor. It sounded huge …’
‘That’s it!’ I said. ‘The size of the creature! That’s what’s been bothering me … I could feel the size and weight of it through the vibrations it made in the floor as it moved. It must have been huge!’
‘It’s nice when you agree with me so emphatically,’ said Penny. ‘But how is that helping?’
‘The creature came down the steps to join us in the cellar,’ I said. ‘From up here, in the House. But how could a creature that big get through a hole that size?’
Penny looked at me, and then at the gap in the wall. ‘We had to bend over to get through,’ she said slowly. ‘And the steps were so narrow we had to go down them in single file. There’s no way a creature of the size we heard could get through that gap. Is there?’
‘That’s just part of it,’ I said. ‘We’re still missing something. The details don’t add up.’
I paced up and down, because that helps me think. Regular movement helps to dispel stubborn thoughts. Penny stood back and let me get on with it, knowing better than to try and prompt me in case it derailed a train of thought. I stopped suddenly as the pieces finally came together, in the only way they could.
‘Sometimes the killer seems like a man,’ I said. ‘And sometimes it seems like a creature. We’ve been assuming the creature is some kind of attack dog, following its master’s orders …’
‘That was my idea, actually,’ said Penny.
‘But I think it’s simpler than that,’ I said, pressing on. ‘We’re dealing with a man who can become a creature. Someone who can change their shape and size.’
‘A werewolf!’ said Penny. ‘It’s a werewolf!’
‘Well,’ I said, ‘not necessarily. There are other kinds of shape-changers. But someone who can change their shape and size is the only answer that fits.’
‘But … that means anyone in the House could be the killer,’ said Penny. ‘Changing into a beast to do the killing and then back again afterwards. Hiding from us behind a familiar face. Everyone’s still a suspect! We’re right back where we started.’
‘At least now we can make sense of what’s happened,’ I said. ‘We know how the murders were committed. The missing brains, the missing heads, the torn-apart bodies and the wrecked rooms … all just distractions. To keep us from thinking about the one thing that really mattered. How the killer was able to come and go so easily without being noticed.’
‘I thought we decided he was using the hidden tunnel connecting the cellar to the grounds?’ said Penny.
‘Undoubtedly,’ I said. ‘But the tunnel was only big enough to hold the two of us. The creature couldn’t follow us in.’
‘Then why didn’t he change to his human form and come after us?’ said Penny.
‘Because that would have meant emerging into the light,’ I said. ‘And we would have seen him. And the only reason he’d care about that is because we’d recognize him. The killer is someone we know.’
‘A man with a monster inside him,’ said Penny.
‘Lots of men have monsters inside them,’ I said.
‘Not literally.’
‘You’d be surprised.’
Then we both looked round sharply as the Major Domo came hurrying down the corridor towards us, with enough momentum to suggest she’d been building up a head of steam for some time. She was frowning heavily, her mouth set in a grim line.
‘She doesn’t look happy, does she?’ said Penny.
‘Maybe she’s not regular,’ I said. ‘That can mess up your whole day.’
‘I’ve been searching the whole House for you!’ the Major Domo said harshly, as she crashed to a halt before us. And then she broke off, as she took in the jagged opening in the wall. ‘What have you done to my wall! That panelling dates back to Jacobite times …’
‘Well, next time it’ll know to cooperate,’ I said. ‘Why have you been looking for us, Major Domo?’
‘I’m going to have to contact the families of the dead principals soon,’ said the Major Domo, reluctantly turning away from the damaged wall.
‘Really?’ I said. ‘Why would you want to do that?’
‘Because they deserve to know the truth about what’s happened!’
‘But not yet,’ I said. ‘The moment word gets out, we’ll be at the mercy of the civil authorities and under siege from the world’s media. All hope of finding the killer and keeping the situation contained will be gone. Is that what you want, Major Domo?’
‘Of course not!’ said the Major Domo. ‘The scandal would ruin Coronach House. It was just something August said: about how relieved his family would be to learn he was safe, and not one of the dead principals. It started me thinking … But I suppose you’re right.’
‘I usually am,’ I said. ‘Consider the repercussions if word gets out before we’re ready. The death of so many important financial figures will have a devastating effect on the world markets. Add to that the principals’ families arguing over the wills and disputing who inherits what … We’re talking about major economic chaos.’
‘Could that be the motive for so many murders?’ said Penny. ‘Someone in the right place with the right advance information could make a killing in the markets …’
I nodded approvingly. ‘Could be. We still don’t know whether our monstrous killer is the mind behind everything or just a hired gun.’
‘What monster?’ said the Major Domo. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘It can wait,’ I said. ‘We’re still throwing theories at the wall to see which of them sticks. For now, you need to concentrate on keeping a lid on the surviving principals. They’re not to have any contact with the outside world. Take away their phones, if you have to. You can bet some of them will be getting restless, and want to go wandering. Don’t let that happen. If you have any trouble keeping them in line, just refer them to me. And tell them I’m looking for someone to make an example of.’
The Major Domo sniffed loudly. ‘The principals only allowed you twelve hours in charge, Mister Jones, and people like that can change their minds at a moment’s notice. If you want them kept quiet, give me something I can use to distract them.’
‘A thought occurs to me,’ I said. ‘Why was Jennifer Rifkin killed?’
They both looked at me.
‘Well,’ said Penny. ‘We’ve been working on the assumption she saw or heard something she shouldn’t have. Something that would interfere with the killer’s plans.’
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘But think about it. The murderer must have known killing Jennifer would be bound to attract the Organization’s attention. That getting rid of one agent would only lead to the Organization sending another. So why would the killer do something that would be bound to increase the risk of his being found out?’
‘Only one thing could justify that,’ said Penny. ‘Jennifer must have worked out who the killer was. Or at the very least, what he was planning to do. So the killer had to silence her before she could contact the Organization and give his game away.’
‘She never said anything to me,’ said the Major Domo, trying valiantly to keep up. ‘Why didn’t she say something? I could have helped her, protected her.’
‘She probably wasn’t sure who she could trust,’ said Penny.
‘What do you mean?’ the
Major Domo said sharply.
‘We need to take another look at Jennifer’s room,’ I said. ‘Major Domo, have your people cleared up in there?’
‘Of course not,’ said the Major Domo. ‘It’s still being preserved as a crime scene.’
‘With a guard on the door, as I requested?’
‘Well, for a while,’ said the Major Domo. ‘The security personnel are spread rather thin right now. They have to guard the whole House, to keep people in as well as out. I’ve had to position them where they can do the most good … I didn’t have anyone I could spare to guard an empty room!’
‘So no guard at Jennifer’s door,’ I said. ‘Anyone could get in.’
‘Why would they want to? And anyway, the door is still locked.’
‘Locks don’t seem to mean much in this house,’ I said. ‘Penny, we’d better go take a look.’
‘Right now, if not sooner,’ said Penny.
‘Go back and sit on the principals, Major Domo,’ I said. ‘Keep them quiet, whatever it takes.’
The Major Domo nodded brusquely. She’d just started to turn away when Penny raised her voice.
‘I was just wondering, Major Domo … you always refer to your personal principal as August. Has he got round to telling you what his real name is yet?’
‘Of course,’ said the Major Domo. And then she strode off down the corridor, with the air of someone who’d just snatched a point back from the jaws of defeat.
The door to Jennifer’s room was closed, and the corridor was completely empty. I tried the door handle; it was still locked. Penny looked around her.
‘The Major Domo said she had guards spread out all over the House, but I haven’t seen any so far.’
‘They’re around,’ I said. ‘Guarding the main doors and windows, mostly. I can hear them moving around in the background.’
‘You can?’ said Penny. ‘Of course you can. Mister Supersenses Space Boy! You can be really creepy sometimes, Ishmael. You know that?’
I didn’t take offence. It was just her lack of wind from the stairs talking. I looked at Jennifer’s door thoughtfully. Something about it bothered me.