A Vicious Cycle

by Eliza Brookes

  “A Vicious Cycle”

  An Allegra Mitchells Cozy Mystery

  Volume Four

  Eliza Brookes

  © 2020

  Eliza Brookes

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This book is intended for Adults (ages 18+) only. The contents may be offensive to some readers. It may contain graphic language, explicit sexual content, and adult situations. May contain scenes of unprotected sex. Please do not read this book if you are offended by content as mentioned above or if you are under the age of 18. Please educate yourself on safe sex practices before making potentially life-changing decisions about sex in real life.

  This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner & are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Products or brand names mentioned are trademarks of their respective holders or companies. The cover uses licensed images & are shown for illustrative purposes only. Any person(s) that may be depicted on the cover are simply models.

  Edition v1.00 (2020.04.07)

  Special thanks to the following volunteer readers who helped with proofreading: Kari Wellborn, Dick B., RB, Naomi W., and those who assisted but wished to be anonymous. Thank you so much for your support.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

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  Chapter One

  The Kinsleigh family estate was built specifically for the family in the early twentieth century when their patriarch suddenly decided to uproot the entire family. The decision was a shocking one, and the society papers in England could only guess why such a distinguished family would leave so abruptly. Allegra Mitchells, a small-town reporter who went to public school, could not imagine why she was being summoned to the isolated family home. For over ninety years, the estate was taken care of by various generations of the family. During that time, they managed to pass their time without much scandal and built a sterling reputation with the country’s elite. The curiosity was killing her, and she had to keep her active imagination from running wild during the hour-long drive from her home.

  She was still wondering by the time she pulled up to the ornate sandstone mansion that sat on top of a small granite hill like a pampered toad surrounded by lush greenery. As soon as she pulled up to the house, a grim-faced butler ushered her out of the car with an impatient flick of his wrist.

  “Are you Miss Mitchells?” he asked, and she was pleasantly surprised to find that he had a British accent.

  “That’s what I told the people at the gate,” she admitted, thinking back to the equally grim-faced security guard who had forced her to sign in at the massive gates. As someone who had grown up in various apartments, she didn’t see the need for such a long driveway, but in her twenty-seven years she had learned not to dwell on questions no one would be able to answer anyway.

  The butler, who evidently did not appreciate her quip, raised an eyebrow and motioned for her to follow him. Together, they entered the old-fashioned house that looked like it had been taken straight out of a 1950’s furniture catalogue. Allegra wrinkled her nose and tried not to form an opinion about people she hadn’t met yet. Her phone vibrated loudly in her pocket and she quickly moved to silence it while the butler stopped stiffly and glared at her.

  “Do you need to answer that?” he asked in a monotone.

  “No,” she said sheepishly. Allegra wasn’t the type of person who was afraid of many people, but the butler made her feel like a schoolchild who had been hauled into the principal’s office. He was an old man of about sixty with a permanent frown and impeccable posture. She felt the need to fix her hair and blow her nose. “It’s just my friend making sure that I’m okay,” she explained awkwardly, realizing half-way through her sentence that he didn’t particularly care.

  Her voice echoed uncomfortably around the stuffy old hall, and suddenly she regretted accepting the strange invitation. She could feel Greta’s “I told you so…” drift all the way from Llewes Cove. The Kinsleigh family might be illustrious, but their air of mystery made the people in town distrust them. Allegra felt that the distrust was unwarranted, but now she was questioning her decision. She smiled stiffly at the butler, and against her better judgement, shut off her phone.

  “If you’re done,” he said irritably. She nodded quickly, wishing to get the exchange over with. He picked up the pace and led her past an elaborate set of twists and turns. She began to get the feeling that whoever built the house hadn’t been fond of visitors. The layout was confusing, and she was struck by the thought that she was thoroughly lost. Thankfully, she soon found herself face-to-face with a room full of people. Unfortunately, they were the most unfriendly bunch of people she had ever had the misfortune of seeing. Five well-dressed people sat in a half-circle watching her suspiciously. She felt like she was being put on trial for something.

  “Miss Mitchells is here to see you,” the butler told the old woman who sat between all the others.

  “Hello dear,” the elderly lady greeted with a faint accent. She gave Allegra a stiff smile, but her face hardly seemed to move at all.

  “Hi,” Allegra greeted uncomfortably, wondering if she had somehow stumbled into a different universe. She shifted her weight uncomfortably under the intense scrutiny of the family.

  “This is a bad idea,” a young man piped up. Allegra looked at him cautiously, noting that although he was handsome, the effect was spoiled by his sulky expression.

  “Tyler,” an older man said tiredly, “we’ve discussed this at length.” Allegra felt the urge to roll her eyes but managed to control it just in time. She felt as though she had stepped into some forgotten black-and-white film. It wouldn’t surprise her if someone started sipping a martini and rang a dinner bell.

  Tyler shut his mouth but continued to pout, and the room was plunged back into silence. In the distance, she could hear dogs barking frantically, and the only other woman in the room looked around anxiously.

  “Violet,” the old woman hissed. “What have I told you about those dogs? Keep them quiet, or I’ll get rid of them.”

  Violet flinched and wrung her hands nervously, looking as though she wanted nothing more than to go outside and spend time with the dogs. The man who sat next to the old woman shook his head sympathetically. He was the only one who hadn’t spoken yet, and Allegra doubted he would.

  “I’m sorry, Mother,” Violet said, looking distraught, “they can feel something isn’t right.”

  “They’re dogs,” the old woman scoffed, “James probably forgot to feed them.” The butler shifted his weight i
ndignantly and Allegra guessed that he was James and that he hadn’t forgotten to feed the dogs.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt,” Allegra said, not meaning it at all, “but may I ask why you brought me here?”

  “Right,” the man who had chided Tyler spoke up, “thank you for coming on such short notice. We have a bit of a problem.”

  “Christopher insisted that we call you, but I have my reservations,” the old woman interrupted, giving Allegra a steely glare. Allegra could only guess that her bohemian-like appearance did not endear her to the woman who wore her pearls like a badge of honor.

  “Mother,” Christopher said with the air of someone who was used to fighting his strong-willed mother. “Please.”

  “I agree with Grandmother,” Tyler agreed. “We don’t need an amateur running around and poking into our affairs. It isn’t good for our reputation, Father?” Allegra raised an eyebrow at the exchange. It wasn’t often that you heard people refer to their family members by such formality. Her own mother made do with a simple mom.

  “Enough,” Violet snapped, surprising everyone, “Penny is gone. Stop fighting like children. Tyler, your sister is missing. Have a little more respect, please.”

  “Look,” Allegra said slowly, “I’m sorry if there’s been some sort of mix-up, but I can’t help you.”

  “You are the girl who solved all those murders, yes?” the old woman said suddenly, fixing Allegra in her gaze.

  “Yes,” Allegra admitted, “but those were murders. You’re talking about a missing girl. I’m sorry you’re going through this, but you need professional help.”

  “You’re also the reporter at the local rag?” the old woman continued as if Allegra hadn’t spoken. Allegra sighed and nodded. “Then you can help us. I noticed that you never mentioned your own involvement in the crimes. That means you have a level of discretion that we need. You also work very quickly from what we have heard.”

  “Why don’t you call the police?” Allegra asked curiously.

  “My granddaughter is flighty,” the old woman admitted, “she’s probably off with some boy. Violet’s beside herself, and this is the only way we could soothe her.”

  Violet stood up abruptly, her face pinched. She glared at her mother-in-law before stomping out.

  “Mother,” Christopher said wearily, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

  “What?” the old woman said testily, “did I lie? Penelope has always been a troublemaker.”

  “Gran is right,” Tyler said icily, “she’s probably holed up with a boyfriend somewhere. She’ll be back in a few days and laugh at us for making such a fuss.” Christopher shook his head and stood up.

  “Allegra is it?” he asked her despite already being introduced. She nodded, and he gestured toward the door. “It might be easier if we went for a walk in the garden. I’d like to explain the situation in a bit more detail.”

  Allegra looked between him and the rest of the family and realized that there was no better or safer place to be. She nodded, and the two of them walked out the way that the butler had let her in. He said nothing as they walked past the beat-up car that she had used to drive up to the estate and led her through the gardens. Eventually, they made their way to an elaborate kennel where Violet was trying to soothe her anxious dogs.

  “You’re still here,” Violet commented, blinking away tears. “I thought the dragon would have scared you off by now,” she tried to catch the dogs’ attention, but they were pacing up and down, sniffing at the air.

  “Violet, please,” Christopher pleaded.

  “No,” Violet said tearfully, “she’s our daughter! You have to stand up to your mother. She can’t talk about Penny like that!”

  “I’m sorry your daughter is missing,” Allegra said gently, hoping to avoid yet another family fight. “But maybe you should call the police?”

  “No,” Christopher turned to her, “please. Let me explain. My mother wasn’t totally wrong. Penny has been known to disappear for brief periods of time. We don’t want a scandal on our hands. We need you to look into things quietly and just find her. We don’t need this leaking to the public.”

  “Scandal?” Violet echoed, looking distraught, “not you too! She’s our daughter, Chris. I know something is wrong, I can feel it.” Suddenly, the dogs started barking again and Christopher was about to lose his composure.

  “Can’t you do something about those dogs?” he snapped, looking like he wanted to break something.

  “Yes,” Violet said angrily, “I can.” She gave her husband a defiant glare before opening the latch to the gate and stepping aside. The two anxious dogs shot out of the cage so quickly that even Violet was surprised.

  “Look what you’ve done,” he said in annoyance, “you know how she feels about those dogs running around.”

  “They don’t usually do that,” Violet mumbled, looking shocked.

  “I’m not a dog expert,” Allegra said slowly, “but I have to agree with you. That was strange.”

  “This is wrong,” Violet mumbled before running after the dogs.

  “Does this usually happen too?” Allegra asked a shocked looking Christopher.

  “My wife has her quirks,” he admitted slowly, “but this is new. Excuse me.” He started jogging after them, leaving Allegra to wonder what she should do next. She thought about making her way back to the car but doubted that the family would let her leave yet. The entire situation made her uneasy, and suddenly she was uncomfortable at the thought of being left alone. Up ahead she could see Violet follow the dogs up to the forest that surrounded the estate and she felt the hairs at the back of her neck prickle.

  “Wait!” Allegra shouted, sprinting to where the couple were looking through the trees to try and spot the dogs. They looked up as she approached, frowning in concern. “I don’t think you should go in there,” she told Violet.

  “Why not?” Violet demanded, looking distracted.

  “Just wait here, please,” Allegra asked, ducking onto a path that the dogs had taken.

  “They’re my dogs,” Violet protested, following Allegra through the strangely neat little forest. It was obvious that like everything else on the estate, this forest was just for show.

  “Maybe we should listen to her,” Christopher suggested, touching his wife’s shoulder as he followed her.

  “No,” Violet protested, turning to her husband.

  Allegra felt her heart grow heavy as she finally spotted the two dogs. They were digging at the base of a tree that stood next to the massive wall that surrounded the entire estate.

  “You need to call the police,” Allegra said softly, stopping in her tracks.

  “I’ve told you…” Christopher started impatiently but trailed off when he followed her gaze.

  “What is it?” Violet asked, but Christopher pulled her close to him, a horrified expression on his face. “Chris!” Christopher shook his head, unable to speak. Allegra knew she had to say something before the woman saw her worst nightmare, a sight no mother should ever have to see.

  “We found Penny.”

  Chapter Two

  It didn’t take long to convince Christopher Kinsleigh to call the police. What surprised Allegra was that she needed to convince him at all. As soon as Penelope’s body was discovered by the distraught dogs, she was whisked back to the house and put in a room with the rest of the family. Violet had retired to her bedroom while everyone else sat in stony silence while the police asked some questions.

  “Why didn’t you report your granddaughter missing?” Sheriff Crane asked the old woman, who Allegra had discovered was the matriarch of the family, Sarah Everton Kinsleigh.

  “As I’ve told this young woman,” she gestured to Allegra who shook her head profusely when Crane glared at her, “Penelope was always a flighty little thing. I had full faith that she would come back to us. If I had any idea that she was in danger, I would have called you immediately.”

  “How long had Penelope been missing?”
Crane asked, still glaring at Allegra.

  “Since yesterday morning,” Tyler piped up quickly.

  “Is that so?” Crane asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Yes,” Sarah admitted, “that’s another reason why we didn’t report it. She hasn’t been gone for twenty-four hours.”

  Allegra looked at Christopher squirming uncomfortably in his seat. She lifted her chin, but he refused to make eye contact. His eyes looked suspiciously red, and she wondered why he was going through so much effort to control his grief.

  “I appreciate you coming out here,” Sarah said primly, “now I’m sure you’d like to get on with finding out what happened to Penelope. And, Sheriff, I’d appreciate your discretion.”

  Crane looked around the room with a wary eye before getting up. He gestured toward Allegra and she followed him out of the room. Usually their interactions ended with her arrest, so she was curious to see what he was going to charge her with this time. Truth be told, she didn’t mind how she got out of this situation, she just wanted to get out. The family was strange, and their attitudes made her uncomfortable. The house felt like a graveyard, all the ghosts peeking out from various tombstones. One felt the need to whisper, even when you were with someone who lived on the depressing property.

  “Something isn’t right here,” Crane whispered, glancing around suspiciously.

  “Wait,” Allegra said in surprise, “you’re not going to yell at me?”

  “What would be the point?” Crane asked. “You’d just ignore me, like you always do.”

  “Fair,” Allegra shrugged, “but I think I’m going to let you take care of this one.”

  “What?” Crane asked, looking distressed, “Why?”

  “I thought you wanted me to stay out of your business?” Allegra asked desperately, “You always tell me that.”

  “I was hoping you’d take this one,” Crane said trying to be casual.

  “Oh no you don’t,” Allegra hissed, “you’re just doing this because you don’t like the family.”