Dead Souls Volume Three (Parts 27 to 39)

by Amy Cross

  “I am nobody's chess piece,” Edgar said firmly, as if the idea appalled him.

  “Well, no, I suppose none of us would like that idea. Of course, you'd be the king if you were, and I rather think I'd be one of the bishops. As for your queen...” He paused. “Well, you can't have two queens, can you? Would Estella or Kate -”

  “No-one is playing with us,” Edgar replied, interrupting him, “and if there is an unseen hand, I will most certainly rip it to pieces and then -”

  Hearing voices nearby, he turned just in time to see that Jacob was escorting two men from the building.

  “Ah, there he is,” Jacob said as he spotted Edgar. “Sir, these two gentlemen have come up from the town to see you, they say it's a very urgent matter. I allowed them to wait in the drawing room, but I wasn't sure when you'd be home so I was about to show them out.”

  “I don't have time for this,” Edgar replied, making his way through the door.

  “It's about the police chief,” one of the men said. “He's missing.”

  Edgar stopped for a moment, before turning to him.

  “And the priest died a little while back,” the man continued, clearly scared of Edgar. “I mean, we drew straws to decide who should come up here and see you, Baron Le Compte.”

  “And you two were the lucky ones?” Edgar asked.

  “Something like that,” the man replied, swallowing hard. “The thing is, Sir, the people of Thaxos have been talking and, well, we've decided to formally request your help. Your father always told us that if we needed assistance with something beyond the reaches of the police, the head of the Le Compte household would be glad to oblige. Well, Sir, we're starting to think that this is such a time.” He paused, clearly waiting for a response. “Your Lordship, we need you.”

  ***

  Hearing voices elsewhere in the house, Madeleine paused for a moment before slipping through the shadows and making her way to the drawing room.

  After checking over her shoulder to make sure that no-one was nearby, she hurried to Estella's sewing box and opened the lid, before rummaging through the contents until she pulled out a long metal knitting pin.

  “I'm so sorry,” she whispered, with tears in her eyes. “I'm so, so sorry...”

  ***

  “We haven't met before,” the first man said a short while later, as they stood in Edgar's study, “but my name is Paul Lassiter, I'm the local doctor.”

  “And I'm Leonard Mediaci,” the other man added. “I run the postal service here on Thaxos. You might have noticed the -”

  “No,” Edgar said firmly, “I'm sure I haven't. Please, let's cut to the chase. You say the police inspector is missing?”

  “Inspector Tarud, Sir,” Doctor Lassiter continued. “He didn't open his office this morning, so a few of us went into the building and looked around. His uniform is still hanging in his closet, but the man himself is nowhere to be found. Ordinarily we wouldn't panic so quickly, but coming so soon after what happened to Father Gregory -”

  “What happened to Father Gregory?” Edgar asked, interrupting him.

  “The autopsy suggested a heart attack, but I could find no underlying medical problems. The man was relatively fit and healthy for his age, and although that's no guarantee, a few of the locals have started to worry that maybe there's something... Well, that something might be at work on Thaxos.” He waited for Edgar to reply. “Now I'm not a superstitious man,” he continued finally, “but this is a relatively small island and it's not exactly easy for someone to go missing here. Inspector Tarud just seems to have vanished from the face of the earth.”

  “We're asking for your protection,” Leonard added.

  “My protection?” Edgar replied, raising a surprised eyebrow.

  “You're the master of Thaxos,” he continued, “and you're in complete control of the island... We felt that if anything was amiss, you'd undoubtedly be the man to turn to.” He paused for a moment. “We don't ask for a lot from you. We respect your position on the island and we're fully aware that your reputation has helped keep us safe at times. During the war, for example, we might well have been targeted by enemy fighters were it not for the fact that, well, everyone knows to keep away from Thaxos. Right now, however, we're worried that there might be a closer threat, one that's emerging from within, so to speak.”

  “What about the ferry?” Edgar asked. “Have any new arrivals been noted?”

  “None, Sir.”

  “And this Inspector Tarud fellow... I can't say that I've ever had any dealings with him, but would you say that he's a reliable man?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Actually -” Doctor Lassiter began, before stopping himself.

  “Go on,” Edgar replied, “you clearly have something to add.”

  “I was just going to give voice to my personal opinion,” the doctor continued, clearly uncomfortable. “On second thoughts, I don't believe that this would be relevant.”

  “Let me decide that,” Edgar told him. “Out with it.”

  “Inspector Tarud does his job,” Doctor Lassiter replied cautiously, “of that I have no doubt. At the same time, there are those who find him to be a little... abrasive. And perhaps he cuts corners from time to time. His work hasn't been without controversy or -”

  “Quiet!” Leonard hissed, nudging his arm.

  “It needs to be said,” the doctor replied. “Your Lordship, I dare say that Inspector Tarud has made as many friends as enemies during his time on Thaxos. The man doesn't always refer to the legal framework when dealing with cases, if you catch my drift.”

  “I see,” Edgar muttered. “So is it not possible that he has fallen victim to an enemy whose ill-will he earned in the course of his job?”

  “It's definitely a possibility,” Doctor Lassiter told him.

  “I'm not sure such talk is really appropriate,” Leonard said with a frown. “Inspector Tarud is a fine man, and he keeps this island safe.”

  Edgar stared at Doctor Lassiter for a moment, studying his face carefully, before turning to Leonard. “Leave us.”

  “I'm sorry?” Leonard replied.

  “Leave us,” Edgar said firmly. “It's a simple enough instruction. Either depart through the door under your own steam, or I shall propel you through the window.”

  “It's okay,” the doctor said, turning to Leonard. “I'll follow shortly.”

  As Leonard headed out of the room, Edgar got to his feet and made his way to the cabinet where he stored his drinks. He seemed lost in thought, as if after spending so long working in the underground chamber he was now turning his attention to earthier matters.

  “Can I interest you in a brandy?” he asked after a moment.

  “No thank you,” Doctor Lassiter replied. “It's a little early for me.”

  “Wise, perhaps,” Edgar muttered, turning to him. “That Mediaci man is an idiot, but you seem to have a greater understanding of people. Tell me, what do you really think of this Inspector Tarud man? And please, don't hold back on my account. I want to know what you really think.”

  “I think he has a difficult job.”

  “I'm not talking about his job,” Edgar replied. “Tell me about the quality of the man.”

  “He...” Doctor Lassiter paused. “There have been certain incidents over the years that have concerned me. People have died in the jail cells from time to time, and... Well, as the local doctor, I deal with Inspector Tarud a great deal, and I perform autopsies on all the dead.”

  “You feel the man abuses his power?”

  “I didn't say that.”

  “It's okay, you don't need to say it in so many words,” Edgar replied. “I think I understand the situation.” Turning, he looked out the window, and after a moment his eyes settled on the town far below. “Inspector Tarud, I think you'll find, has met his maker.”

  “You mean -”

  “He's dead,” Edgar continued, turning to him. “I can sense the fact, although I can't quite...” He paused again.
“Yes, I'm quite certain that he's dead, and I'm also quite certain that his body will be discovered before the end of the day. Whoever killed him, it was no beast or monster, but an ordinary human, one of your fellow residents of the town.”

  “Who?”

  “I'm not sure yet, but I shall find out, and when I do, I shall see to it that justice is served.”

  “We've already sent a message to the mainland,” Doctor Lassiter replied, “letting them know the situation. I imagine they'll send someone to look into things and to replace Inspector Tarud if necessary, though it might be a few weeks before the new man arrives. I'm afraid that's one of the problems we face out here, everything takes forever to get to the island.”

  “There is no need to worry,” Edgar told him. “For now, the island is under my protection and I will happily serve as arbiter in any disputes. I will also ensure that Inspector Tarud's murder is resolved quickly, and that the appropriate punishment is meted out.”

  “The people will demand...” The doctor paused for a moment. “Well, the penalty for murder is usually death.”

  “I sense that you aren't comfortable with such a thing.”

  “I don't like to see life wasted, not for any reason.”

  “I will decide the punishment when I know more fully what happened,” Edgar told him, “but in my experience death is often the neatest way to resolve a problem. The people of this island undoubtedly respect their chief of police, and whether or not that respect is earned, they will call for blood if they find that he has been murdered. If I do not deliver blood, they will feel cheated, and they might be minded to feel that I have been weak. That is something I cannot allow.”

  “So what do we do?” Doctor Lassiter asked. “Should I get some men together to start searching for a body?”

  “That won't be necessary,” Edgar replied. “I believe Inspector Tarud will be found very quickly.” A faint smile crossed his lips. “Fortunately, I was already planning to come into town today for another matter. I shall take charge of this investigation myself, and I shall start by ensuring that wherever the body has been hidden, it is discovered immediately.”

  “But how will you do that?”

  “Trust me,” Edgar said with a faint smile. “I have my ways.”

  III

  “What are you doing over there?” Susannah asked, looking up from her spinning top to see that Anna had gone over to a different part of the olive grove. “Anna?”

  Ignoring her friend for a moment, Anna used her bare hands to scrape away some of the topsoil. “Something's been buried here,” she muttered.

  “Like what?”

  “I don't know,” she continued, “but it's almost -”

  Stopping suddenly, she realized she could feel something soft and cold under the soil. Digging a little further, she felt her fingers brushing against other fingers, until finally she saw a human hand poking up from below.

  “What is it?” Susannah asked, hurrying over to join her. As soon as she saw the dead hand, she began to scream.

  ***

  “Anna?” Jennifer shouted, pushing through the small crowd that had gathered at the olive grove's gate. “Anna, where are you?”

  “She's over here!” Kate shouted, waving at her.

  Rushing across the grass, Jennifer dropped to her knees and put her arms around her daughter, hugging her tight before glancing over and seeing that several men were already starting to haul Inspector Tarud's body out of the shallow grave. Freezing for a moment, Jennifer felt as if all the thoughts had drained from her mind, before finally she realized that Anna wasn't crying at all. Pulling back, she saw nothing but stillness and calm in her daughter's eyes, and the sight seemed strangely disconcerting.

  “We found the dead man,” Anna said cautiously. “He was next to the tree in the corner.”

  Hearing sobbing nearby, Jennifer turned and saw Anna's friend Susannah being consoled by her own parents.

  “There's something wrong with this island,” Kate said after a moment. “I swear to God, it's as if it's physically impossible for more than a few days to go past without something awful happening.”

  “It's okay,” Jennifer continued, spitting on her thumb and wiping some dirt from Anna's face. “Everything's going to be okay, sweetheart. You must just try not to think too much about what you saw.”

  “I touched his hand,” Anna replied.

  “She and her friend were playing in here,” Kate explained. “From what I can tell, Anna was the one who found the body, but her friend was the one who screamed and brought everyone running. Apparently the police inspector had been missing all morning, I had no idea.”

  “What's going on?” asked another voice, pushing through the crowd. Stopping when he saw Tarud's body, Benjamin stared in shock for a moment. “Is that...”

  “He's dead,” Kate told him.

  “What happened to him?”

  “No-one knows yet. He's going to be taken to the doctor for an autopsy.”

  “But was he murdered?”

  “He sure didn't bury himself.”

  “It was one of them,” sneered an old woman standing nearby, with obvious hatred in her voice. “Who else would kill such a fine, upstanding member of our community?”

  “Tarud?” Benjamin asked, turning to her. “A fine, upstanding member of the community? Are you serious?”

  “It was probably the girl,” the old woman continued. “That Madeleine Le Compte has a vicious side to her, you can see it as soon as you look in her eyes. I've spotted her around town a few times lately -”

  “You don't know what you're talking about,” Benjamin said firmly.

  “I know evil when I see it. Madeleine Le Compte is a foul-hearted little -”

  “Madeleine Le Compte did not kill Inspector Tarud,” Benjamin replied, interrupting her. “On my own honor, I can promise you that. I doubt Edgar Le Compte is responsible either. We all know that when he kills, he leaves his victims on display. He doesn't hide them in a grave like this.”

  “You can't be sure that it's not him, Benjamin,” said a man standing a little further back. “The Le Comptes have a long history of murdering honest men.”

  “Benjamin?” Kate whispered, thinking back to the skeletal remains that had been dug up from beneath the war memorial.

  “Say what you want,” Benjamin told the others, “but I can promise you one thing. This murder is not the work of Madeleine Le Compte.”

  “And how do you know that?” asked another woman.

  “Because I -” He paused, watching as Tarud's body was carried past, and for a brief moment he found himself wondering whether he really knew Madeleine as well as he liked to think. After all, during their last encounter at the lighthouse, she'd shown a new side of herself, and he couldn't shake the feeling that there were aspects of her character that she'd deliberately kept hidden. At the same time, he was convinced that she wouldn't stoop so low as to kill a local man purely for sport. “She didn't do this,” he muttered finally, as much to convince himself as to persuade the members of the crowd. “She couldn't have done.”

  “You know Madeleine?” Kate asked.

  He turned to her.

  “I just wondered because...” She paused, trying to work out how Benjamin could possibly fit into everything that was happening. All she knew about him so far was that he had some link to Madeleine, and that in around a century's time his bones would be dug up with some kind of occult symbol carved into the skull.

  “Someone did a bad job of burying the poor man,” said a woman nearby.

  “Not really,” said another woman. “Not many people come into the olive grove these days, it's a miracle those children were playing here.”

  “Why did you come here?” Jennifer asked Anna.

  “I don't know,” the little girl replied, “I just sort of...” She paused, frowning as if she wasn't sure of the answer. “I just felt like this was a good place to play, and then...” Looking over at the tree in the corner, where T
arud's remains had been discovered and where several men were now standing around, she seemed lost in thought. “I don't know why I started digging, either. It's just like I had no choice.”

  “As if someone else was directing you?” Kate asked.

  Anna nodded.

  Glancing up at the mansion, Kate began to realize that Edgar was involved in some way. She turned to Benjamin, hoping to ask him some more questions about Madeleine, but she found instead that he'd already left. She looked around, but there was no sign of him anywhere.

  “It's okay,” Jennifer said, kissing the top of Anna's head while staring at the exhumed grave. “I'm here, sweetheart. Nothing bad is going to happen to you.”

  ***

  “I need to ask you something,” Kate said a short while later, as she followed Jennifer and Anna into the store. “It's about last night.”

  “I have to talk to Anna,” Jennifer replied. “In case you didn't notice, my daughter just found a dead body. I need to make sure she's okay.”

  “Anna,” Kate continued, “can you wait for us in the kitchen?”

  “What's your problem?” Jennifer snapped, turning to her. “You've been acting weird around me all morning!”

  “I saw you coming in earlier,” Kate replied, “with that shovel, and your hands were dirty...”

  Jennifer stared at her for a moment, before looking down at Anna. “Sweetheart, go to the kitchen. I'll be along in a moment.” As Anna obediently headed through to the back of the store, Jennifer turned to Kate again. “So what is this?” she asked. “Are you accusing me of something? If you are, let's hear it, but I've got to say that this doesn't seem very grateful considering I've been letting you stay under my roof.”