“Yes, Mrs. Smithers?” Richard said.
Her voice, surprisingly strong and confident, filled the church. “Firstly, I want to say thank you, Vicar, for your support of these men. I’ve been behind them ever since I found out about this, but I don’t have the resources or influence that you do. You’re a good man and this village is lucky to have you.”
Matthew glanced at the vicar and saw that he was blushing, as much as he tried to cover it up. “T-thank you, Mrs. Smithers. And secondly?”
The old lady looked surprised for a moment, as though she’d forgotten there was a second thing. She probably had, bless her heart. Soon, though, her brain kicked in. “Yes, of course. Anyone who ever doubted Matthew and Isaac should be ashamed. Everything you said about them, Richard, is exactly right. I’m very old, as you may have noticed, and I’ve known the boys for a very, very long time. It’s infuriating that they’ve barely aged a day, but that’s by the by. Anyway,” she shot a stern look at someone in the row in front of her, who was whispering, “I think in addition to the plan of having cameras and protective measures and following Matthew and Isaac down to the caves, we should situate people up on the moor too. Cameras and tranquilizer guns up there as well. We don’t know who or what we’re dealing with, so while we need to put this whole sorry business to an end, we also need to protect ourselves. I’m just disappointed I can’t help out myself. My old bones aren’t up to the job, unfortunately.”
Richard smiled kindly. “You do more than enough for this village, Mrs. Smithers. And thank you, that’s a fantastic idea. Pretty annoyed I didn’t come up with it.” He tipped the old lady a wink. “So who’s in? We need a minimum of four people down at the caves and as many as possible up on the moor. There’s a very large area to cover.”
Another hand went up.
“Yes, Alexander?” Richard said, speaking to the village shop’s owner.
“I’m in, obviously. For whatever needs doing. But I just wanted to say, was the other sheep found near a path too?” He addressed the congregation now. “I was one of the people who found the first carcass. It was very close to one of the paths skirting the edge of the moor.”
Matthew and Isaac exchanged a look. What was he getting at? Why did it matter where the poor creatures had been found?
“Yes,” the vicar said. “It was in a different place to the first but still near one of the paths. We didn’t have to fight through any heather to find it.”
“Okay.” The man fell silent for a second or two, looking thoughtful. “Here’s what I think. You say you’ve ruled out other werewolves, and I’d second that. There’s no evidence, and the fact that the two sheep have been slaughtered by paths supports the idea that it’s a human too. An animal wouldn’t care about the rough terrain, about some heather. It would kill wherever it wanted to. But a human wouldn’t want too much hardship, and it would take much longer to get a sheep off the beaten path to slaughter it. Whoever is doing this would want to get the job done and leave as quickly as possible, to avoid been seen or caught. My opinion, for what it’s worth, is that this is the work of a human, and somehow they know who you are, boys. What you are.”
Matthew pressed his lips together to avoid smiling. It wasn’t a smiling matter, of course—none of it was. But he was pleased that neither he, his brother, or the vicar had had to put the idea in anyone’s head that it was a human doing this—and a human in the know at that, which narrowed the suspect list considerably.
“So,” the vicar said carefully, “you think this is someone from the village? Someone who knows the boys’ secret?”
“I don’t see how it can be anyone else,” Alexander said. “There’s no other reason for it to happen—why else would someone murder sheep? And on a full moon too? It’s not as if they’re doing it randomly and eating the meat. But what I don’t understand,” he continued, “is why they’re doing it up on the moor. Everyone in this room knows that Matthew and Isaac change down in the caves and have done for many, many years. Wouldn’t it make more sense, if they’re just trying to cause trouble for the lads, to slaughter sheep outside the caves? That would make it look even more suspect, wouldn’t it?”
Matthew nodded thoughtfully, wondering how to answer Alex’s questions without giving away the fact that between himself, Isaac and Richard, they’d already come to that conclusion. It was absolutely crucial to tread carefully.
“Thanks, Alex,” he said eventually, nodding in the man’s direction. “As much as I dislike the idea—hate it, even—I think you’re right. For some reason, someone is trying to get Isaac and me into a lot of trouble. They’ve got very close to succeeding too. I haven’t a clue why that person is doing this to us, and although we’ll have a long hard think about the why, the who is more important in my opinion. We need to find out who it is and put a stop to this whole sorry business. So we need more volunteers to head out on the next full moon. The vicar and Alex make two. Who else is in?”
Matthew wasn’t surprised to see Kevin Jones and Dennis Elyot stick their hands in the air. He was, however, astounded when Tom Dunwell, Carl Lamb and John Rayne joined in. Quickly arranging his facial expression into a less shocked one, he smiled politely. “Thank you, gentlemen. That’s seven. More than enough for the caves but we could do with several more for up on the moor.”
A handful more arms were raised. Matthew looked over at his brother and the vicar. Both looked pleased. Richard spoke. “Fantastic. That, along with cameras and dogs, should give us plenty of coverage. In the meantime we’ll keep investigating and hope all this isn’t necessary, but in case it is, make sure you’re not busy in four weeks’ time. We’ll have another meeting with the volunteers closer to the time to nail things down. All right, everyone—thank you so much for your time and cooperation.”
“Yes, thank you,” Isaac said.
“Thank you very much—we really do appreciate it,” Matthew added.
The villagers started to file out of the church and the brothers headed over to their friend.
“Mate,” Matthew said, clapping the vicar on the back, “you’re a genius. A wonderful genius. Thank you.”
Richard shrugged. “I’m just doing what any Christian would do.”
“No,” Isaac said seriously, “you’re not. This is way over the bounds of religion. You truly are a wonderful genius, as my brother says, and an even better friend. It won’t go even a millimeter toward expressing how grateful we are to you, but can we buy you a pint and dinner in the pub?”
The vicar grinned. “You know me, boys—never one to turn down a free drink and a good meal. Though you’ve already fed me once today.”
“Well, we’re feeding you again. Come on.” Matthew gestured for his friend and brother to head out of the building in front of him. Turning, he carefully pulled the sign from the door, not wanting to damage the old wood, and closed it behind him.
They made a left out of the church, walking along one of the paths through the churchyard, past Catherine Mompesson’s tomb and out onto the road. There they made another left and continued toward the pub. They didn’t laugh and joke—the situation was still far too grave for that—but the mood was a little lighter.
Matthew felt much better knowing that most of the villagers were behind them again, and he suspected the other two men felt the same. In a place as small, as tight-knit, as Eyam, conflict was easily felt, easily inflamed and incredibly damaging. So as much as he knew it wasn’t a good idea to get his hopes up all over again, Matthew couldn’t help thinking it was only a matter of four short weeks before the culprit was found and he and his brother were off the hook for good.
There was a pleasant buzz as they stepped into the Miners. It seemed several of the people who’d just been in the church had had the same idea and were busily spending money on drinks and meals. Dennis had gone straight back to work and appeared to be in his element. Matthew tipped him a wink, then quickly strode across the room and nabbed a table before it was too late.
“Right,” he said, looking from his brother to his friend and back. “What are we having? Sit down—I’ll go and get these.”
“A pint and a whisky chaser,” Isaac said immediately, drawing surprised glances from the others. Shrugging, he colored a little. “What? It’s been a tough bloody day. And a long one.”
“I won’t argue with you there. Richard?”
“You know what, I’ll have the same. If it’s good enough for the doctor, it’s good enough for the vicar. Need a hand?”
“Nah, I’m all right. If one of you could grab some menus, though, that would be great.”
He moved toward the bar and got in the queue, which was comprised of people who’d just left the meeting at the church. When they spotted him, they stepped aside to let him go in front of them. Surprised, Matthew thanked each person, his mind whirring. What’s this all about? A mixture of guilt and support, perhaps. Smiling politely, he decided not to worry about it too much—if it got him a drink sooner, he was all for it.
After finishing with the customer he’d been serving, Dennis turned to him with a smile. “What can I get you, mate?”
“Three pints and three whisky chasers, please. And whatever you’re having.”
Dennis wagged a finger. “Oh no. These are on me, Matthew. Coming right up.” He pulled the pints first and handed them over.
Carefully, Matthew grasped the three glasses and carried them over to the table and plopped them down. Isaac and Richard were already perusing the food menus. “Be right back with them chasers, lads.”
“Good stuff,” Isaac said. “I’m ready for it.”
Thanking his friend and boss heartily, Matthew collected the glasses of whisky and took them back to the table. The others received theirs quickly and gratefully and, as though there had been some silent countdown, the trio knocked the peaty liquid back in one.
“Whoa!” Richard said, slamming his glass down hard, then looking at it worriedly. “That was good. So much for a chaser. We’ll have to rename it especially for these occasions. A, uh…un-chaser?”
Isaac snorted. “That’s rubbish. How about a precursor?”
“Yeah, I like that. A precursor. Fantastic. Thanks, Matthew!”
“Don’t thank me. These were on Dennis.”
His brother quirked an eyebrow. “Fair enough.” He picked up his pint, turned and gave the landlord a beer-salute. Dennis gave a thumbs-up. “Right, now what to eat…”
The door opened and Sally walked in. Matthew cringed internally. She had horrendous timing—after the day they’d had, her arrival might well send Isaac into another rant. Probably not in the pub, though. Ah well, there wasn’t an awful lot he could do about it—what had happened had happened, and he couldn’t take it back.
She caught sight of Matthew and waved, then made a beeline for the last remaining table in the place, which happened to be where she’d sat at lunchtime. Wow, had that really only been a few hours ago? It felt like months. Placing her handbag on the table, she turned and walked to the bar. Matthew couldn’t help himself—he watched her backside wiggle the entire way. The only thing better than that view was the same view when she was naked.
“—to Matthew? Come in? Anyone home?”
Matthew shook himself and managed to bring his focus back to the hand waving in front of his face. “Huh, what?”
Isaac twisted in his seat to see what his brother had been looking at, then turned back. “Ah,” he said wryly, though Matthew noted he didn’t look pissed off, “I see. No wonder you’re not paying the slightest bit of attention to us. Will you still be eating with us, or do you have other plans now?”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“I—I don’t know what you mean,” Matthew said hesitantly, keeping his fingers crossed that this wasn’t the start of a whole new argument. Just because Isaac didn’t look pissed off didn’t mean he wasn’t.
Isaac rolled his eyes. “Don’t play dumb, brother. You know damn well what I’m talking about. If you want to go and sit with her, don’t let us stop you. Our company, wonderful as it is, can’t compare to that of a beautiful woman.”
Matthew glanced at the vicar, who was nodding and sneaking a glance at the woman in question, who’d now gotten her drink and was back at her table. “Hey,” he said with a grin, “if you don’t go and sit with her, I might.”
Standing abruptly, Matthew let out a sigh. “All right, all right. I’m bloody well going. Anyone would think the two of you were trying to get rid of me.”
Isaac shrugged. “Or maybe we just want you to have a good time for a change.”
There was no arguing with that train of thought, so Matthew flashed his brother and his friend a smile, grabbed his pint, then headed over to where Sally was sitting.
“Hello,” he said when he reached her table. “Mind if I join you?”
Sally grinned, then her expression changed. She was confused. “Twice in one day? Are you sure people won’t talk?”
Matthew sat down hard, sloshing some of his drink over the sides of the pint glass. “Ugh, I’m fed up of all that crap. If anyone says anything, I’ll just tell them to mind their own business.”
“Fair enough. Then yes, you can join me.” She looked at him pointedly.
“Sorry.” He grinned sheepishly. “It’s just been a tough few hours. Anyway, enough of that. Are you here for dinner? Or just a drink?”
“You do seem to lead a very dramatic life, especially for a man who lives in such a sleepy village.” She paused. “Yes, I’m here for dinner too. Why do you ask?”
“Would you let me join you? My treat.”
A tiny line appeared between Sally’s eyebrows and Matthew wondered if perhaps she was going to tell him to take a hike. After what felt like hours but was in reality a couple of seconds, she reached her decision.
“Yes, that would be lovely, but I have to tell you something first.”
“Oh?” His voice was several tones higher than it should have been and he realized that, at her words, a series of horrible scenarios had run through his head.
She laughed. “It’s nothing bad, Matthew! Christ, your face.”
Frowning, he replied, “Please spit it out, Sally. My brain’s doing overtime here.”
“It’s just… well, I’m going to be here a little longer than a week. I just thought I’d let you know before we, uh, went any further. I don’t want to cause any trouble for you or create any awkwardness between us. This was just meant to be a bit of fun, not a source of stress.”
His eyebrows rose as she spoke. God, she really was a great girl, and it was just as well she was a tourist and would be gone soon, because he certainly didn’t deserve her. “Oh okay,” he said, smiling. “Thanks for letting me know. But in my opinion it’s definitely not a bad thing. In terms of causing trouble, I refer you to my earlier statement about people minding their own business, and as for the awkwardness part—it’s not an issue. I’m more than happy to continue having fun for as long as you are.”
With a decisive nod, Sally picked the menu up from the table and handed it to him. “In that case, I’ll have the steak and chips. Medium to well done, and a glass of dry white wine.”
Without opening the menu, Matthew made his decision. “That sounds fantastic. I’ll go and order two of those.”
An hour and a half later, Matthew and Sally were walking hand in hand through the village. “That was absolutely delicious,” Sally said, using her free hand to reach down and rub her stomach. “I can see I’m going to have to do some serious food shopping, otherwise I’ll spend a damn fortune in that pub.”
“But I paid,” Matthew said with a smirk. “I’m glad you enjoyed it, though.”
“Well you can’t pay for me for the next four weeks, can you? Not unless you’re a secret millionaire or incredibly generous.”
“Four weeks?” he just about stopped himself from balking. That probably should have been his first question after she’d confessed she was going to be staying in Eyam longer. Recovering q
uickly, he continued, “Wow, that’s awesome. How come your holiday suddenly went from one week to four? You got the best employer in the world or something?”
“As a matter of fact,” she replied, giving his hand a squeeze, “I have. Me. I’m self-employed. And after you left earlier I checked my emails and a bunch of good things had happened. Sort of. One client I was supposed to be doing some work for has postponed the project. Another who had been holding out on payment finally coughed up, with a nice bonus by way of apology. I thought about it for all of thirty seconds, then realized I might as well make the most of those two things—some unexpected free time and extra cash. So I contacted the cottage’s owner, and by happy coincidence it was available for the next three weeks and they did me a good deal. So while you might have had a tough day, I’ve had a bloody good one!”
“I didn’t say a tough day.” Now he squeezed her hand. “I said a tough few hours. The time I spent with you was brilliant. Actually, brilliant doesn’t cover it, but for some reason the blood that’s supposed to be operating my brain appears to have flowed elsewhere and I can’t come up with a better word right now.”
Giggling, Sally stopped walking, pulled him around to face her, then wound her arms around his waist. “Thank you for both of those lovely compliments. Let’s go and have some more brilliant time, shall we?”
“I like the sound of that,” he murmured, returning her embrace and leaning down to kiss her. “I like it very much.” Closing the gap between them, he slanted his lips over hers, pausing for just a second before sliding his tongue into her mouth. She tasted of wine and the chocolate torte she’d had for dessert, and as he pulled her harder to him, possessing her mouth with all the need he felt, she moaned.
Her tongue touched his, tentatively at first then more forcefully as her arousal grew. Arching her back, she pressed her hips against him, and he fancied he could feel her heat right through their clothes. Whether it was true or not, Matthew knew for a fact that when he got her naked, she would be hot, wet and ready for him. She was an incredibly passionate woman who clearly liked sex.