Mystery: The Merlon Murders: A Duncan Dewar Mystery of Romantic Suspense (Duncan Dewar Mysteries Book 1)

by Victoria Benchley

  Duncan and Caroline each took a sip of water. He felt something moist swipe across his lower leg. He gripped the arms of his chair and glanced down. He saw Lincoln licking him, above the ankle. Somehow, his pant hem had hiked up when he rose to shake Julia's hand, exposing a small section of his leg above the sock. He tried to stay calm and remembered his hostess's favorable words regarding Lincoln's personality. Hopefully, the animal was not preparing to bite him. He would ignore the dog for now, but Lincoln's attentions made him uncomfortable to say the least.

  He forced himself to continue, "Now, I have to ask you some questions about the day Stuart died. Can you handle this?"

  "I think so," she answered, sounding confident.

  "Describe when and how you went to visit Mrs. Charmicle and when you returned."

  Caroline took a deep breath and glanced sideways as if she were trying to remember that morning. Then, she shifted her gaze and looked Duncan square in the eye.

  "Mrs. Charmicle's husband leases land from us. He's a farmer. She and I are friendly as she is my closest female neighbor. I went to visit her that morning for some companionship and instruction. She wanted to show me how to clove oranges for Christmas."

  Duncan had no idea what clove oranges meant, but he did not interrupt.

  Caroline continued, "When I visit her, I usually walk for the exercise. I remember it was a day much like today, cool and cloudy. It rained some while I was there, but by the time I started home, the rain stopped. I walked home and came immediately to the kitchen to make lunch. I had stayed longer than I meant to, and I knew Stuart would be hungry. I got home around one o'clock, I think. I left here that morning around nine and I usually take about an hour to stroll to Mrs. Charmicle's."

  "Did you see anyone on your walk, in either direction?" Duncan asked.

  Caroline had seen not a soul. It was a country lane between Castle Taye and the farmhouse, after all.

  "Did anything appear unusual once you returned home?" he asked.

  "Everything seemed normal," Caroline replied.

  Duncan detected a hint of sorrow and regret in her expression. He fought the urge to comfort her.

  She continued, "I finished preparing lunch around one-thirty and called for Stuart. I assumed he was working in his study. When he did not answer, I checked on him but he wasn't there. I looked in the bathroom near the kitchen and in this study. Then, I realized he might be outside working. The north side of the castle is isolated and you can't hear much from there, so I walked out to see if Stuart was there."

  Caroline took a breath and tried to compose herself. Reliving that day was difficult and Duncan detected the strain in her voice.

  "I called for him, but there was no answer. Two of the dogs came around the corner and seemed distressed. They weren't acting right. So, I walked around to the north side, where they'd come from." She paused again. "That's when I saw him."

  While Caroline explained what happened that day, Duncan listened for inflections in her voice. He detected stress and some emotion, especially when she described finding Stuart. She kept her eyes trained on his, and her expression changed little. After discovering her husband, Caroline thought he might still be alive.

  "You just cannot believe what is happening in a moment like that," she declared. "I ran back to the kitchen and called the police. I don't remember what I said, but Donald Merriwether arrived shortly with an ambulance," Caroline finished, exhaling sharply.

  Duncan looked down at his computer and let the air clear. Caroline told a traumatic story. He allowed a moment to pass.

  "Why did you phone the police instead of an ambulance? You thought Stuart might still be alive. Wouldn't an ambulance make more sense?"

  He watched Caroline carefully as he asked these questions. It was the one snag in her story that caught his attention and what had troubled him in Donald's report. He felt like the weight of the world rested on the fulcrum of her answer.

  For the first time, he detected some heat in her cool demeanor. It wasn't anger, perhaps just a fluster or bit of confusion. It lasted only a split second. He observed it in the quick twitch at the corner of her mouth, two rapid blinks of her lids, and an instant dart of her gaze from his. It all happened in a twinkling of an eye. Afterwards, he wondered if he had seen it at all.

  "I don't know," Caroline exclaimed, consternation in her voice. "It would make more sense to call an ambulance first," she added.

  It was the only answer that would have satisfied him. Once again, he felt relief wash away any doubt he might have about Caroline. She didn't try to come up with a plausible answer, complicated reason, or a justification for her actions. She did not become defensive. All were tell tale signs someone was lying.

  He smiled at Caroline. He couldn't help himself. Her brow furrowed as she still mulled over why she hadn't called the ambulance. Duncan wanted to smooth that brow for her. He closed his laptop and placed the compact device in his briefcase. He took another drink of water.

  "Are you still up for that tour? I'd like to see the whole place."

  Caroline began showing him around on the ground floor, outside the space where he questioned her. Looking back into the small room, she explained this was her private study. As they snaked through the halls, General Washington, Lincoln, and Roosevelt at their heels, Caroline lectured Duncan on the floor plan of the castle. It was a Z-shaped structure, built as a home and a fortress. They passed the entry door and worked their way back to the kitchen. She ignored several small, primitive rooms. Upon reaching the kitchen Caroline explained that those chambers, the cloakroom, guard office and weapons vault, were no longer in use.

  Duncan immediately noticed how different the room felt from his last visit. Then, the sun shone, but today was dark and overcast with a storm threatening any moment. Instead of a cheerful kitchen, he experienced an oppressive gloom. He ignored his instincts which told him to leave as soon as possible. Something about this place made him uncomfortable today. He told himself not to be silly. He had a job to do. Caroline described the kitchen as the castle's main ground floor living area. She took no notice of the heavy mood about her.

  "Before we go on, would you be up to taking a look at the grounds outside the north side of the castle?" he asked.

  There was an awkward pause, but before he could beg off or soften his request she said, "Of course."

  Chapter 9 - Instinct

  They walked through French doors onto a paved terrace. She explained that this was an outside entertaining area, in good weather. All three dogs scrambled around their heels as they progressed towards the far side of the castle. A stiff wind blasted Duncan as he rounded the corner of the building. A storm was definitely blowing in from the north. Caroline trailed behind now, hesitant to revisit the site where she had found Stuart's body.

  He caught a glimpse of statuary, lying in disarray, about 40 meters ahead. He paused to view the spot where he'd felt so isolated a few days ago. Mr. Lincoln leapt on Duncan, his paws pressing hard against his chest. Duncan froze, giving the large dog the perfect opportunity to lick his face.

  "Lincoln!" Caroline called.

  The dog pushed off Duncan and ran to his mistress.

  "Sorry about that," she said, drawing near Duncan. "He likes you and he will take advantage if you let him," she added.

  Duncan glanced at all three animals. They scampered to and fro around the garden ornaments and rocks, stopping now and then to sniff a blade of grass. The larger dogs leapt over stacks of stone and fallen statues as if participating in a steeple chase. In unison, the beasts all halted, lifted their snouts, and twitched their noses. Then, they took off, galloping toward the tree line. They disappeared into the wood, General Washington bringing up the rear, yapping. Caroline smiled and shrugged her shoulders. He was a bit relieved to see them go. But with the distraction they provided now gone, an inexplicable despair crept up on him.

  Caroline stayed rooted to one spot as Duncan progressed towards the area below the missing mer
lon. With each step, water sloshed from under his boots as the saturated soil yielded to the force of his gate. It was like trudging through a marsh with every action more difficult than the last. He stopped and looked around. He guessed he was approximately where Stuart died. He saw no indentation in the ground, no merlon, nothing to indicate a heavy object fell there. What he did notice were the scattered statues on the ground. Lying in disarray, they added to the creepy atmosphere on this side of the castle. The air had become eerily still and a thick mist settled upon them. Duncan realized the fog had reduced visibility to a couple dozen meters.

  The grass needed cutting and the area seemed abandoned. Tall blades partially obscured the stone figures, adding to the impression they might come to life or produce a groan at any moment. Moss and lichen clung to the forgotten statues, flung about the lawn. Caroline offered no excuse for their placement or the neglect this area endured. It was a sinister spot and the unnatural atmosphere Duncan had sensed before still reigned.

  He could no longer view the battlement, hidden by the fog. The thought that he could not see something coming, should it fall from the castle, flashed across his mind. He glanced back at Caroline, worried for her safety. The mist encircling them partially obscured her features, giving the widow a ghostly appearance. She stood with her eyes trained on the ground, expressionless. She remained among the fallen statues, shivering, her arms wrapped about herself. He sensed something seeping into him slowly, like bleeding out in reverse. Was it fear? A powerful sense of danger, or maybe it was doom, overtook him. He'd never felt anything like it in his life. It weighed so heavily on him, he felt it could press him into the earth, all the way to Hades. His chest tightened as though he, himself, had a stone pressing against his torso. He wondered if he was having a heart attack.

  "Caroline!" he shouted.

  The moisture in the air suppressed the loudness of his voice. She did not respond while a spine-chilling panic gripped his being. He yelled her name again as he hurried towards her. Somehow, the ground had become even more saturated than minutes before, and his legs sunk further into the mire with every step. His breathing was labored and it took everything he had to reach her. When Duncan grabbed her by the shoulders, she looked up, startled.

  "I think you need to leave this place," he said with authority.

  Caroline's expression went from shock to understanding, and a look of relief spread across her face.

  "Yes, I'll go back inside now," she said.

  "That's not what I meant," Duncan shot back.

  His hands were still on her shoulders and he gave her a robust single shake.

  "If you don't leave Castle Taye, I feel something terrible may happen. I can't tell you why or what. It's just something I sense, strongly," he pleaded, his voice sincere, piercing through the fog that descended upon them.

  Caroline's smile faded to a look of concern mixed with panic.

  "Duncan, this is my home. My life is here. I'm not leaving and you're hurting me!"

  Caroline squirmed and Duncan realized his thumbs dug into her, deep below her clavicle bones.

  "Sorry," he said, releasing the grip he had on her, but not letting go completely. He used his thumbs to rub the areas he had just bruised. "I can't explain it, Caroline, I just have this horrible feeling that if you don't leave this place, your life, you, won't be the same."

  She tried to wrest free of him, but he was too strong. At first he tightened his grasp and gave her another jolt, but then thought better of it and released her. Caroline took a step away from him as a blast of wind hit, clearing the fog.

  "I appreciate your concern. I really do. I think this scene," she waved her hand wildly about, "just got the better of you. Please join me back in the house when you're ready."

  She turned away from him and gave a sharp whistle, jogging towards the corner of the building. Her three dogs emerged from the wood, running so fast their bellies seemed to scrape the ground, and met her before she disappeared from sight.

  He wanted to run after her, try to explain the seriousness of the situation. Instead, he stood still, wondering what had just happened. If he chased her, she'd think he was insane and he didn't wish to frighten her further. He wasn't the easily rattled type. He didn't jump at things that went bump in the night. What came over me? Duncan wondered. He glanced at his surroundings. Yes, this was a peculiar place, the north side of Castle Taye. But, he'd been in eerie places before. He tried to shake the air of foreboding from his being.

  He walked to the corner of the castle and leaned against the building. The stone felt icy. He'd give himself a few minutes to settle down and Caroline some time to get over what he'd just said to her. Duncan ran his fingers through his hair, then scratched at his scalp. He found the situation surreal. It had really seemed like some invisible force tried to keep him from reaching Caroline. He chalked it up to his subconscious. All the facts were in his brain, he just had not put them together yet. But, his subconscious must have, and that's what drove him to say those things to her. A large drop of rain hit the bridge of his nose, startling him from his thoughts, and he decided it was time to return to the kitchen. Back inside the castle, he found Caroline drinking a cup of tea at the table.

  "I'd like to apologize," Duncan said. "I got a little carried away out there. Know that I do have legitimate concerns."

  She stared into her cup.

  "Caroline? You listening?" he asked.

  She looked up and saw his smile. He had to fight smiling whenever he saw her, but the incident outside had drained him of his composure and he allowed his feelings to show. In spite of herself, Caroline found his smile endearing.

  "I'm listening, Duncan. Do you want the rest of the tour?"

  "Yes, I do," he answered.

  "Well, you're going to have to behave yourself. It seems someone gets hurt almost every time we see each other. I don't want any further incidents," she said resolutely.

  "I can do that. Uh, I mean, I will try to behave," he stammered. "I need to ask you something first. Where is the stone? The one that fell."

  "I don't know," she answered after a moment. "I don’t know what happened to that thing," she added with something akin to distaste.

  Anxious for a distraction, she showed off the barreled ceilings and a huge fireplace which originally acted as the stove for the castle before continuing the tour. Another alcove held copper pans and vessels of all shapes and sizes.

  "Cooking implements for the fireplace," she explained.

  Duncan noticed the copper items had collected quite a film of dust and realized they had been idle for years. Then, they moved down a hall at the far end of the kitchen. The dogs hovered close by and he almost tripped over Mr. Lincoln twice.

  "You've seen the bathroom already, but just take a peek around the corner at our tea room," she gestured with her hand, palm up.

  Duncan stepped around the bend in the hall and saw that the entire area had been converted into a dining space. He returned to Caroline, who smiled proudly.

  "We serve tea there to visitors during our open months. A caterer can serve one hundred people in that area as well. I was in charge of the remodel that allowed for the tea room, and I ran that part of the business for Stuart."

  Duncan told her that the room was lovely, but truth be told, it just appeared dismal today.

  Before moving on, Caroline called for Julia. She asked the girl to take the dogs outside. The girl made a clicking noise with her mouth and all three canines sprang after her and disappeared around the corner, towards the kitchen. The beasts' departure alleviated some of Duncan's stress.

  Caroline opened an arched door and gestured towards the stairs beyond the archway like a professional tour guide. Duncan guessed she had been just that during her years at Castle Taye. He moved into the stairwell ahead of her, as her motion had suggested, and started up the steps. The treads were shallow and made of wood. He assumed they were not original to the structure. She revealed that an ancestor had added the
stairs about two hundred years ago, as a convenience. The space was tight and Duncan felt claustrophobic ascending the small, enclosed staircase. He was short of breath when he reached the first floor landing which opened into a large, beautifully restored room.

  "This is the dining hall. The servants came up and down these steps with meals for the family," she nodded her head towards the shaft they just climbed.

  He gazed about the room. Delicate white moldings surrounded plaster medallions on the ceiling. Someone had painted the room various shades of raspberry, a dark pink between the baseboard and chair railing, and a softer shade applied from chair railing towards a gold picture rail. Above the portrait rails, a pale pink paint continued over the ceiling. Two crystal chandeliers hung above where a dining table should stand, and twin fireplaces mirrored each other from across the room. The room was devoid of furnishings except for the family portraits which hung on the walls. Caroline explained who each ancestor was.

  "What a magnificent room," Duncan declared.

  The warm colors helped to dispel the depressing ambiance he had experienced since the tour began. His mood began to brighten.

  "This floor contains all of our public spaces. Visitors get to tour these rooms along with the ground floor and gardens. Stuart restored several of the areas since I came here. The dining room was his father's project. Stuart's father single handedly kept the Castle from ruin. Those were tough times for the family and my husband often mentioned how much everyone had to sacrifice to keep the place afloat," she confided.