by Sonia Parin
“We might as well get this over and done with.”
Luna stilled.
“Come on.”
“No.” She leaped into action and dashed under the bed. “I refuse. Simply refuse to take part in such a callous... thoughtless act.”
“Don’t make me go under the bed.”
“You’ll never catch me and without me to keep watch, you won’t be able to pull this stunt off.”
Lexie got down on all fours and peered under the large canopy bed. Luna sat in the middle, well out of reach.
“I swear, when I get my hands on you, missy, you’ll be sorry.” She made a move to crawl under but got stuck.
“Hah! Big butt. You can’t do it.”
“My butt’s not big. I’m merely trying to avoid using this ridiculous dress as a dust bunny wiper.”
“Dust bunnies are the least of your concerns. There are spiders under here.”
Grumbling, Lexie lowered herself until she was lying flat on her stomach.
“If you come any closer, I’ll... I’ll scratch you.”
“And I’ll tell everyone you’re a biter and a scratcher. What do you think that’ll do to your reputation?”
“You wouldn’t dare. It will reflect badly on you.”
“Duh! Last time I checked, I didn’t care what people thought of me. Now, stop this nonsense and come out, right now.” She made a grab for Luna, but the scamp danced away from her.
Luna’s ears pricked up, her eyes widened. “Shush, someone’s coming.”
“Yeah, right.” Actually, she was right. Lexie peered out from under the bed and saw her bedchamber door opening slightly. She’d left the bedside table lamps on and had taken the precaution of stuffing a couple of pillows under the bedcovers just in case someone came in. And someone did...
They walked across the room. Lexie could see a pair of shoes.
Black shoes.
It was just after midnight and everyone was supposed to be in their respective bedchambers by eleven.
She heard the perpetrator open a drawer and then she moved over to the wardrobe. What could they be after? Had someone become suspicious of her?
Lexie tried to move closer to the edge of the bed but she feared getting caught. She looked over at Luna.
Go see who it is.
No.
Your insubordination is unacceptable. You just wait until we get home. I’m going to mop the floors with you.
They’re leaving.
Hurry up then, I want to know who it is.
Luna scurried over to the edge. When Lexie saw the door being closed, she crawled out from under the bed.
“Well?” she whispered. “Did you see who it was?”
“No.”
“You did. You just don’t want to tell me.” She went over to the dresser. “My tiara’s gone.” But that didn’t make sense. It had been on the list of whispered items to be stolen, presumably by her counterpart in crime since two gloves had been selected from the bowl, which had made sense because she couldn’t very well steal her own tiara.
But why had the thief worn black shoes?
It couldn’t have been one of the pupils. Only tutors wore black shoes. Unless... unless one of the pupils had been smart enough to disguise themselves in black clothing.
“Where are you going?” Luna asked.
“I still have a task to complete, with or without you.” She nudged the door open and peered out. The coast appeared to be clear.
First, she needed to retrieve Lauren Bright’s pearls and then she had to sneak into Ms Eloise’s bedchamber and plant the stolen item in her wardrobe.
That meant going down one flight of stairs.
Lexie assumed Lauren Bright would be fast asleep, but when she eased the door open to her bedchamber, she found her sitting at the foot of her bed with her feline companion on her lap and Meredith Langton sitting beside her.
“We were wondering if you’d go through with it,” Lauren said.
“Was this some sort of test?
“It’s the only way we can determine people’s loyalties,” Meredith explained.
“What happens if I’m caught?”
“You’re on your own.”
So the loyalty only worked one way. So much for honor among thieves...
For a wild moment, she thought the pupils had contrived a plan to clear them of any wrong doing by pointing the finger at Lexie. But that theory left a gaping hole as Lexie hadn’t been here for the theft of the other items. Getting caught red-handed would only mean firing up the tutors’ suspicions.
You are being blooded.
Huh? What? Where? Where’s the blood?
Not literally. Haven’t you heard of blooding? It is an informal initiation ceremony practiced in fox hunting. The face of a novice is smeared with the blood of the first fox that person has seen killed.
This isn’t a fox-hunt. It’s a pearl heist.
Must I explain everything?
Must you make everything so convoluted? Argh! See what you’ve done? I’m walking around sounding like a dictionary.
Lexie dropped the pearls inside her reticule. She turned to look at Meredith. “I thought you’d lost your voice.”
Meredith shrugged. “It came back.”
Lexie decided Meredith’s laryngitis had all been a ruse to make passing on whispered messages easier. “So what happens now?”
“You take the pearls and put them in Ms Eloise’s bedchamber.”
“Yes, I got that part. But what comes next?” She didn’t really think they wanted her to get caught. “Is this your way of playing games with the tutors?” Could there be a more complex plan in the making?
Lauren gave a small shrug. “We’ll decide when to let you in on our plan.”
“Is there going to be another round of thefts?”
“We’re not sure. We’re still thinking about that.”
Get out of it now while you still can. That’s my advice.
Meredith leaned in and whispered something in Lauren’s ear.
Lauren nodded. “As we’re running out of items to steal, we’ve been thinking of raising the stakes and targeting the feline companions.”
Luna curled her paw around Lexie’s ankle.
“Someone suggested we paint one of the feline companions pink. Bubble gum pink, to be precise.” Lauren’s gaze dropped to Luna.
Why is she looking at me? She’s looking at me. I don’t like this one bit. Get me out of here. Right now. She’s mentally unstable. They all are.
She’s a Laurestonian. She can’t possible be nuts.
“We’re looking into it. Of course, there’s the matter of what sort of dye to use. In my opinion, it should be a permanent color, rather than something you could wash off easily.” Lauren gave a brisk smile. “What would be the point in that? Right.”
“Yeah, right. Why stop at bubble gum pink? Why not purple. Or... green. Wouldn’t that be cool?” Lexie suggested.
“Green. We hadn’t thought of that.”
Luna’s tail dropped and flicked from side to side. Her ears flattened.
Luna? What’s up with your tail? Are you getting impatient?
Impatient? Impatient? Do you know nothing about cats?
What’s there to know? You meow. You shed. You don’t answer doors.
For your information, I am subtly letting you know I am not pleased.
Really? I thought the lowered ears were a sign of submission.
Far from it. Watch this.
Luna’s back arched and her fur stood on end.
“Is there something wrong with your cat?” Lauren Bright asked, “It looks angry.”
See, she knows how to read the signs.
“Don’t mind her. She’s been gorging on bacon. I think it’s been making her aggressive.”
“Perhaps you should put her on a diet. I tend to starve mine for days on end. It makes her more docile.”
Starve?
What was wrong with these people?
&nb
sp; Hear that, Luna?
You wouldn’t dare.
Lexie strode to the door and pressed her ear to it. “Just checking to see if the coast is clear.”
Both girls nodded.
“I think I’ll wait a few more minutes.” She smiled. “So... Any news about Lillian Somers?”
Both girls shrugged.
“It must have come as a shock. My folks and I were assured the academy was wrapped in cotton wool and would provide a safe haven for me. I haven’t spoken with them, but I’m sure they’ve been notified of the death. But this isn’t just a death... is it? I hear there are suspicious circumstances.”
“Perhaps Lillian Somers wasn’t vetted properly,” Meredith suggested.
“Are you saying she had it coming because there was something about her past?”
The girls exchanged a look that spoke of synchronicity. “We all have something buried in our pasts. Just look at the way she was killed.”
Lexie hadn’t really given that much thought. Although... Luna had mentioned it. A wood-fired witch.
“Do you think one of the neighbors did it?” This was a glitzy part of town with houses nestled in large estate grounds. Old money, Lexie thought and wondered if Jake had managed to come up with a solid lead.
“You shouldn’t worry about your safety,” Meredith assured her, “The walls are high and the grounds protected.”
Tell that to Lillian. “Hey, do you think it was an inside job?”
“The cooks were taken away. We’re guessing the police know their business.”
Guessing or hoping?
“You look so calm. I wish I could be as confident as you seem to be.”
“Just do your bit and you’ll be fine.”
Whoa. Was that a threat?
It sounded like one to me. I say we make a run for it while we still can. I’d forgotten how time consuming white fur maintenance could be.
My puffy sleeves trump your white fur.
Meredith tapped her chin. “I’m really liking the idea of dying the feline companions green...”
“Right. Well. I’d love to stay and chat but I have a stolen pearl necklace to sneak into a bedchamber.”
“Good luck with that.”
She didn’t like the underlying tone. It spoke of insider knowledge she wasn’t privy to.
Had they set a trap for her?
Fall guy came to mind. Fall witch, in her case...
“Keep your eyes wide open,” Lexie whispered, “I feel I’m about to walk into trouble. Luna? Did you hear me?”
“I’m not talking to you.”
“Fine, be like that.”
“Green? Green?”
“What happened to not talking to me?”
“Why not blue. Why stop there? Why not stripes?”
“You want me to put stripes in your fur?”
“By all means, do.”
“All right. I thought you were a pure white Laristonian through and through.”
“Please tell me you picked up on the sarcastic undertone.”
“The what?” She tiptoed her way down the stairs and strained to hear anything unusual. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she signaled for Luna to go on ahead.
“Why should I assist you in something I am so opposed to doing?” Luna asked.
“Just remember who feeds you,” Lexie warned. “When this over, you’re coming home with me.”
“I may have to reconsider my options.”
“Oh yeah, you think you can do better than me? As far as I know, there aren’t any other incoming High Chairs. I’m your best shot at becoming feline companion to a High Chair.”
“My bet is against you ever getting there.”
“I didn’t catch that murmured thought. What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
“Good. I wouldn’t want to think I don’t have your full support. Now go up to Ms Eloise Hamilton’s bedchamber.”
“I want it on the record that I do so grudgingly and under threat of punishment and starvation.”
“Fine. Whatever.”
Luna dropped her head and prowled her way to Eloise’s room. For a moment, Lexie thought she’d keep going but she turned back and stopped in front of the right room.
Lexie caught up with her and pressed her ear against the door.
“She’s fast asleep.”
“How do you know?”
“I’m a cat. I have fine hearing and even without it, I’d still be able to hear her snoring. Also, she’s not alone.”
“Huh?”
“Quick, someone’s coming out.” Luna scampered away and disappeared around a corner.
Coward.
Lexie took off behind her. What on earth was going on here? Counter theft? She peered around the corner in time to see a dark figure emerging from Eloise’s room. Lexie took in as much information as she could, which was practically nothing but she imagined Jake O’Rourke would expect her to have something to report.
That’s when she noticed the skirt.
Pleated, Lexie thought and tried to remember if she’d seen any of the tutors wearing that style of skirt.
“Come on. We’ll take the other stairs up to our floor and then double back to drop the pearls in Eloise’s room.”
Just as she was about to move, she stopped. The dark figure moved up the stairs...
That’s when it hit her. Yes, the dark figure was dressed in black but the tutor rooms were on this floor and she was going up to the next level.
It had to be a pupil dressed in camouflage black...
Lexie brushed her hand across her face.
“You look flustered.”
“I’m trying to commit all these facts to memory.”
“Why not write them down?”
“Because we’re standing out in the hallway. It’s dark. And I don’t have a notepad... or a pen.”
“But you have Octavia. She could take notes for you.”
She hadn’t thought of that. “Octavia,” Lexie whispered. When she didn’t get an answer, she mentally hollered her assistant’s name. Again, nothing.
She bit the bullet and called Mirabelle. Again, no answer.
“Argh!” They were on their own.
Chapter Eight
“During your afternoon promenade, make your way to the arboretum...”
Lexie set her tiny cup of breakfast coffee down on her tray and frowned up at Mirabelle’s orb. “The what?”
“The tree garden on the south side of the building.”
“Why didn’t you say so?” Lexie bit her lip. She could figure out where south was. The sun rose... Lexie turned and peered out the window. She’d figure it out. “And then what?”
“Jake O’Rourke will meet you there. He’s eager to talk to you.”
“Why the cloak and dagger routine?”
“You’re a pupil and Jake has no reason to speak with you. If you are seen together, everyone who doesn’t know why you’re really here will become suspicious.”
Lexie stretched her arms out pleadingly. “Why not tell you what he wants to tell me and you can pass the message along...”
Luna’s attention bounced from Lexie to Mirabelle.
“Because he might want to ask you questions so it’ll be simpler if you meet him in the arboretum.”
Lexie raked her fingers through her hair. “Argh! Back up. He should be talking to all the pupils too, including me. He’ll only find out I wasn’t here for the original crimes after he goes through the pretense of talking to me. Surely you can see the sense in that.”
“What do you mean original crimes? Are you suggesting there have been more nefarious activities?”
“I’m... I’m only saying Jake should be able to talk to me without me having to hunt around for the south side of the building.”
“I see.”
“I don’t think you do.”
“Yes, I do. You don’t know where south is. Exactly which school did you attend?”
“I don’t
have time for this. Luna’s becoming... agitated. She’s a stickler for timeliness and doesn’t want to miss her promenade.”
“That’s not until this afternoon.”
Lexie took a sip of her morning coffee. The dainty cup held only a fraction of what she normally consumed and there were no seconds. And... no bacon. Or eggs. Instead, she had been presented with a bowl of porridge. She sunk her spoon into the mix. Runny porridge to boot with no sugar.
She offered Luna a spoonful. It only took one whiff of the stuff for Luna to back away, her little face all scrunched up.
“Can we not do this now? I’m hungry and I had a late night.” That was her excuse. Did Mirabelle have one for being her usual snooty self? Lexie looked up at the orb. Actually, she hadn’t been that snooty this morning. And she’d lapsed. Every sentence she’d spoken had been full of contractions...
“You can’t drop the ball now, Lexie. We’re onto something. I can feel it. Something’s definitely afoot.” Mirabelle hovered around the room as if pacing.
Something told her Mirabelle wanted to get into the spirit of the game. She imagined her sitting in her spacious Hall furnished with valuable antiques and playing at being a detective. She even pictured her wearing a fedora hat and holding an old fashion pipe.
“What are you wearing?” Lexie asked.
“Pardon?”
“Don’t worry.”
“I’m not sure I can do that? Why do you want to know what I’m wearing?”
Lexie shrugged. “Just trying to picture you in your fancy Hall. Does this grand place you live in have a name?”
Mirabelle cleared her throat. “Mackenzie Hall.”
“Mac... as in yours and mine?” Lexie sat up. “We are related. Does that means I get to live in it too?”
“Don’t get excited. It came down to me from my mother’s side of the family.”
“But your mom and my mom are sisters. I’ve never heard my mom say she was going to gift me a mansion.”
“She gave you Octavia and she’s a treasure.”
“Yes, she is. Could you pass a message onto her please? I haven’t been able to get through to her... Hey, that reminds me. I couldn’t get through to you either.”
