by SL Beaumont
Chapter 30
The manor was still very quiet when Andy and James arrived. James called out “Hi,” as they walked in through the front door, but was answered only by silence. He tried Alex’s study door – locked. They walked under the stairs and through the passage way to the kitchen. It was in darkness – Grace had clearly finished for the night.
James flicked his mobile phone open and called Alex again. The call went straight to voicemail – the phone was either switched off or out of range. Next he called Grace. She answered sounding sleepy.
“Sorry to disturb you – I know it’s late,” he said, “but you haven’t seen Alex?”
“No dear, not since this morning,” Grace answered. “You could ask your grandfather except he’s taken a sleeping tablet, so you won’t get much out of him tonight. Can I help with anything?”
“Stephanie is missing.” James heard his voice catch. He quickly cleared his throat. “You haven’t seen her this evening, have you?”
“No, dear,” Gracie said sounding surprised. James could hear her moving in the background. “But I will come right over now.”
“There’s really no need, Andy’s here with me,” James said, but he knew she would come up from the gatehouse where she lived with her husband, anyway.
The boys checked the library. There was still an empty dusty square on the wall behind the desk where the van Gogh had hung.
James slipped down the hallway to his grandfather’s room. He knocked quietly, and when there was no answer, he turned the door knob and let himself in. The old man was sound asleep. James backed quickly out of the room, so as not to disturb him.
“Let’s check his study,” James suggested. It wasn’t locked and as the door swung open, he gasped. Along the walls were a number of empty picture hooks and the dusty outlines of where paintings had been hung. Cupboards in the room and drawers on the desk were open and several books had spilled from the bookshelves.
“Is he always this untidy or have you been burgled?” Andy asked.
“I don’t know,” James said slowly, “But I would really like to know where the hell Alex is – this doesn’t look good, does it?” He turned to his friend uncertainly.
“No, dude, it doesn’t,” Andy had to concede.
They closed the door on the mess in the study and went upstairs to James’s bedroom. James called Alex again. And again it went straight to voicemail. This time he left a message: Alex can you give me a call? It’s urgent.
His next call was to DI Marks to check in. There was still no sign of Stephanie and anxiety levels were rising as time passed. The police had been methodically going through every angle of Stephanie’s disappearance, although the discovery of her bloodstained car had put an extra urgency into the search. A team had been dispatched to search the area surrounding the vehicle. It appeared as if she had vanished into thin air.
James and Andy sprawled on the sofas in James’s bedroom and discussed everything that had happened over the previous few days.
“I just feel so helpless,” James said, jumping up and pacing the room.
“I know, dude, you and me both,” Andy agreed.
“Everything keeps coming back to Alex, but it could be something else entirely. I mean, her father is reasonably wealthy, so maybe she’s been kidnapped for ransom or maybe it’s just some random event,” James said.
“That’s looking increasingly unlikely,” Andy said. “Especially with Mike in hospital after a hit and run – two seemingly random events is too much of a coincidence in a small village like this.”
Grace knocked on the bedroom door a short while later and came in carrying a tray laden with toasted sandwiches, slices of banana cake and a pot of tea. Despite not realising that they were hungry, James and Andy devoured the food, while updating Grace on Stephanie’s disappearance. They left out their suspicions regarding Alex.
“Do you know if Grandfather has been changing things around in his study?” James asked. “It’s awfully messy, which is unusual for him.”
“No, dear – although Alex was in there earlier today looking for something,” Grace replied frowning.
“Do you know what?” James said.
“No – but if he’s made a mess I’ll have a few words to say to him. You know how your grandfather likes everything to be in its place,” Grace said as she gathered their plates. “Let me know as soon as you have news on Stephanie.”
Shortly after she had left, the boys heard the crunch of tyres on the driveway outside. Andy jumped up and looked out James’s window. It was dark outside, but the light from the downstairs windows spilled across the driveway, casting ghostly shadows. Andy saw two dark cars pull up, their headlights switching off as they came to a stop in front of the house. The driver and front seat passenger, tall, heavy set men indistinguishable in their dark clothing, leapt out as soon as the car had stopped and opened the rear doors of the vehicle to allow the backseat passengers to alight.
Andy beckoned for James to join him at the window. Four men got out of the second car. Two took up positions either side of the front entrance and two walked away from the house to the edge of the garden. The boys ducked behind the curtains out of sight as the men donned night vision goggles and scanned the house.
“What the hell is going on?” James said confused. “I don’t recognise any of them from Steph’s place.”
Movement at the first car drew their attention. The two backseat passengers, one carrying a briefcase, were walking towards the front door. It was difficult to see in the shadowy driveway, but they were both wearing suits and from his walk one appeared older than the other who followed slightly behind, nervously looking about him.
“Come on,” James whispered to Andy. “Let’s see who it is.” They sprinted along the passage from James’s room to the top of the main staircase just in time to see Alex ushering the two suited men into his office.
“Where did he come from?” Andy asked quietly. James shrugged, equally perplexed.
The second man turned his head slightly, looking back into the foyer, just before Alex closed the door. James gasped. It was Sam.
