English Trifle

by Josi S. Kilpack

  Austin was shaking his head. “I’ll not have another false report called in,” he said. “And my fingerprints are already on the door because I just opened it.” He was too fast with his explanation for Sadie to stop him. He took one step inside the walk-in, then startled and pulled back, paused, leaned in again, and then quickly stepped out and shut the door, looking at it for a few seconds. Then he turned to face Sadie, his wide eyes part of his well-acted surprise. He swallowed hard and turned toward the security guard.

  “Manny,” he said in a dry voice. “Call the police. Tell them to hurry.”

  Manny hesitated.

  “Do it now,” Austin said sharply. Manny nodded and disappeared around the wall separating the hallway from the kitchen. Sadie hoped he wasn’t going to go far, she didn’t want to be alone with Austin again.

  “Are you sure that’s John Henry?” he asked in a quiet voice.

  Sadie was not at all impressed with his act. “I can’t help but assume that body is the same one that went missing from the sitting room yesterday. Unless of course you killed someone else.”

  Austin watched her for a few moments, his expression hardening. “I had nothing to do with this.” His voice strengthening with every word as his offense returned to its usual levels. “How dare you make such accusations.”

  He sounded rather convincing, but Sadie would not be swayed. She opened her mouth to tell him exactly why he’d moved to

  suspect number one when hurried footsteps startled her. Moments later, Breanna, Liam, and another security guard appeared behind Austin. Even if she felt badly for the reminder that she’d woken everyone up, Sadie was relieved to see familiar faces.

  “Mom,” Breanna said, looking quite worried. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine now,” Sadie said, smiling as much as she could so Breanna would stop looking so scared. “I was locked in the vegetable pantry,” Sadie explained for the second time. “With John Henry.”

  Breanna gasped loudly and put a hand to her mouth. She was holding her robe together at the neck with her other hand and her fist tightened around the fabric. Liam and the other security guard looked equally shocked.

  “With John Henry?” Breanna repeated, lowering her hand from her mouth and looking at the poker in Sadie’s hand.

  “And she believes I did it,” Austin glowered.

  Liam looked at Austin in surprise, while Breanna continued to stare at her mother, tears rising in her eyes.

  “I’m okay, Bre,” Sadie said, taking a couple steps forward so she could put her hand on Breanna’s shoulder.

  “Because I let you out,” Austin added. Sadie glared at him just in case he hadn’t figured out that she really didn’t like him at all.

  Sadie turned to look at Liam and Manny. “He came down to the kitchen just before six o’clock,” Sadie said, wondering how much she dared say and then decided she’d lay it all out there. “He was looking for a kitchen maid.”

  Austin clenched his mouth shut and his neck and face began to turn red. Sadie hurried to continue, making eye contact with Breanna who was still visibly shaken. “The one who ran out yesterday,” Sadie said. “He asked all kinds of questions about her and then left. Five minutes later I go into the pantry for a green pepper, find the poker, and the door is locked tight when I try to get out. He used that pen to jam it.” She pointed at the pen still in Austin’s hand.

  “But, uh, why would Austin lock you in?” Liam asked, looking at Breanna. He seemed as worried about her as he did the situation.

  “That’s a good question,” Sadie said. “Ask him. He told the police yesterday that Breanna and I couldn’t be trusted, he knew all kinds of details before anyone else did, and he was hanging out in the kitchen looking for Lacy.” And he’d been looking at the family pedigree while Liam was looking for the family Bible. Maybe the two things weren’t related, but Liam had said the earl didn’t seem to trust Austin too much either. An uncomfortable wiggling in her stomach told her she was saying too much and needed to save the rest for the police. However, she couldn’t help but make one last plea for her position. “Didn’t I tell you he was suspicious?”

  Breanna nodded, but it was careful, as if she didn’t fully believe Sadie either. She looked at Liam, which Sadie found even more annoying. Was no one on her side?

  “You are jumping to false conclusions,” Austin spat back. “And I knew the details because Grant told them to me.”

  “And Lacy?” Sadie accused. “Are you going to deny that you were looking for her this morning?”

  They all fell silent, Austin looking equal parts angry and stunned. Sadie wondered if anyone had ever talked to him like this in his life. “You know nothing about me,” he finally said.

  “I know enough,” she said, raising her chin. “I know that you’re part of whatever conspiracy is going on here. And I promise you that I am going to figure it out and show you for who you really are.”

  Austin’s nostrils flared, but she had the satisfaction of catching a glimmer of fear cross his face in the process.

  Liam stepped forward and took Sadie’s arm, pulling her back from where she’d been slowly moving toward Austin. “Sadie,” he said, trying to sound authoritative. “I think you should go to your room. I’ll have the inspector come up and talk with you as soon as he arrives.”

  “No,” Sadie said, pulling her arm away and shaking her head. “I’m tired of being told what to do.” And she was tired of being sent to her room every time something important happened.

  “Not that you ever listen to what anyone tells you,” Austin retorted.

  “And it’s a good thing, isn’t it?” Sadie spat, wanting very much to slap the man. “If I had done as you said and not come down here, I’d have never found John Henry at all.”

  “Which brings us back to the part about why I would want you to find him if, as you say, I killed him and hid the body. I would know that locking you in the pantry would ensure you’d find him, right?”

  “Stop,” Liam said, his neck red with suppressed frustration. “Just stop all of this right now.”

  “She’s a raving lunatic,” Austin said, glaring at Sadie and ignoring Liam altogether.

  “And you’re a deceptive man up to his ears in motive and opportunity, trying to hide behind the skirts of his mother’s family name,” Sadie countered.

  “How dare you speak to me like this,” Austin spat. His face turned even darker red and the volume of his voice raised with each word he spoke. “I want you out of my kitchen, out of my house, and out of my country immediately!”

  Chapter 25

  ~

  Your house?” Sadie repeated, feeling completely justified by his loss of composure. “Since when was this your house?”

  “I have been managing this house for—”

  “Yeah, yeah—blah, blah, blah,” Sadie cut in, rolling her eyes. “I’ve been managing the kitchen for an hour, does that make it my kitchen?”

  “Stop it,” Liam said, putting his hands up and closing his eyes as if he couldn’t stand it. “Both of you.” They both stopped but continued glaring at one another. Liam opened his eyes, took a breath, and licked his lips. “Austin, were you in the kitchen this morning?” He didn’t make eye contact with Austin when he spoke but his voice sounded a little stronger than it had yesterday. Maybe he’d realized that as the heir, he should be the one in charge.

  “Yes,” Austin said. “But I’ve no reason to lock her in the pantry. She was mixing up eggs in a bowl when I left.”

  “Why were you here at all?” Liam asked, looking at his cousin.

  “Why was she?” Austin returned.

  Liam looked at Sadie who answered before she was asked. “Making breakfast,” she said. “Obviously.” She glared at Austin again. “And I told you why Austin was here,” she continued, feeling very smug as the conversation circled back to Austin. “Mrs. Land told me Lacy always did breakfast. Austin didn’t know she’d run off yesterday so he came to see her at a time he tho
ught she’d be here. Conveniently it was also a time that no one else would be around.”

  She waited for Austin to refute it, but he said nothing, simply held Sadie’s eyes as his jaw clenched and his face continued to redden. Sadie was sure that if they had been alone, she’d be in big trouble.

  “Why were you here to see this girl?” Liam asked. “What is she to you?” Sadie knew he was wondering the same thing Sadie was—did Austin’s relationship with this girl have anything to do with the lack of trust his father felt toward him before he had the stroke?

  Whether Austin was thrown off by the question or just being stubborn, he refused to answer, which was an answer all its own in Sadie’s opinion. After waiting several seconds, Liam took a breath. “Okay,” he said. “Never mind. Austin, please go upstairs and wait for the police to arrive.”

  “What?” Sadie asked, whipping her head back to look at Liam. “You can’t let him go!”

  “Sadie,” Liam said with a kind of pleading frustration. “He’s going to go upstairs, that’s all.”

  “He could run off or something,” Sadie said. “How do you know he won’t?”

  “Because I’m a man of my word, Mrs. Hoffmiller,” Austin said. “And Liam knows that. I’ve done nothing to warrant your accusations and you will feel very foolish when you come to that same conclusion.” He then walked past her and out of the kitchen by way of the dish room.

  Liam turned to Manny. “Please have someone keep an eye on him.”

  Manny nodded and moved to the side of the room, lifting his walkie-talkie but talking too softly to be overheard.

  “I’m not going to my room,” Sadie said, trying not to sound like a six-year-old as she turned to face Liam. She was still holding the poker and wished she could put it down somewhere. “I’m in the middle of making breakfast. Everyone needs to eat something and I’ve already got all the preparations underway.”

  “Someone else can take over,” Liam said. “You’ve had a horrible shock and you need to—”

  “No one else can take over, Liam,” Sadie interrupted. “That’s why I’m here in the first place. Lacy ran off and Mrs. Land was sent away, which leaves only upstairs maids and footmen—and none of them know anything about cooking. I’m not going to my room, so you can stop trying to make me.”

  Liam took another deep breath. “Okay, fine,” he said, then turned to Breanna. “Will you stay with her?”

  Sadie looked at Breanna to see her staring at Liam. Breanna opened her mouth, then looked at Sadie, then back at Liam again. Sadie couldn’t tell if Breanna just didn’t understand what Liam was saying—or perhaps Liam taking charge of the situation had thrown her off. “I need to talk to you first, Liam,” she said, an edge in her voice that surprised Sadie.

  Liam swallowed, looking nervous, but he nodded. “Um, okay.” He looked toward the security officer who had been hanging back and ran a hand through his disheveled hair as he shifted his weight. “Can, um, one of you guys make sure Mrs. Hoffmiller is safe as well as stand guard over this cooler until the police arrive?”

  “Yes, sir,” he said.

  Liam looked relieved with the answer. Then he turned to Breanna, who spun on her heel and headed out of the room. He sent Sadie a look before hurrying after her. If not for the crumpets, Sadie would have followed. She hated that they were talking without her. It didn’t seem fair that after all she’d been through she was still being left out.

  A couple minutes later Breanna returned, looking tense and subdued at the same time. She’d retied her robe around her waist.

  “What did you talk about?” Sadie said.

  “Nothing,” Breanna said darkly.

  “You seem a little—”

  “Dang it, Mom, I said we didn’t talk about anything! Will you stop grilling me every time I turn around? You’re not the only one experiencing things right now and if I don’t want to talk about it, you should accept my answer.”

  Sadie blinked, stunned by Breanna’s reaction. It simply was not in Breanna’s nature to be so hotheaded. “O-kay,” Sadie said slowly. Then she smiled, hoping it would help Breanna adjust her mood. “What you need are some good homemade crumpets,” she said in as bright a voice as she could come up with. “Lucky for you, you’re stuck babysitting me in the right kitchen.”

  Chapter 26

  ~

  Sadie looked around for somewhere she could put the poker she was still holding. She decided on a counter on the far side of the room, an area she didn’t plan to use. It was just gross to think that the poker had been skewering John Henry’s chest not too long ago. Nasty.

  “Will you put a towel down over there?” Sadie asked, nodding toward the section of counter. “So I can put the poker on it. The dish towels are in the second drawer down on the right side of the sink.” She braced herself for Breanna yelling at her again, but Breanna just nodded and did as she was asked. It seemed that Breanna’s tantrum had used itself up. Thank goodness.

  Sadie carefully laid the poker on the dishcloth, then let her apron fall. She flexed her hand a few times to work out the cramps. “I hope I didn’t destroy any evidence,” she said.

  Breanna stared at the poker, letting her eyes travel from the handle to the pointed tip, then back up again. She nodded.

  Sadie looked at her daughter with sympathy; Breanna just didn’t seem cut out for this kind of intensity. For her sake Sadie hoped the police took care of this quickly and easily so that Breanna wouldn’t have to deal with it anymore. She couldn’t wait to tell the police what she’d found. There was no doubt in her mind that they would haul Austin off in handcuffs.

  “I wonder what John Henry knew that got him killed,” Sadie mused as she pulled the crumpet batter out of the oven. Breanna didn’t answer, which Sadie took as permission to continue. “He must have known something about Austin, don’t you think?” Sadie asked. “Something Austin didn’t want anyone to know.” She walked over to the stove, where she set the griddle over two of the twelve burners, and turned on the heat. “Do you think he’d kill John Henry in order to hide his relationship with Lacy?”

  “I don’t know, Mom,” Breanna said, picking up the wooden spoon and stirring the casserole mixture Sadie had left on the butcher-block table. “Is there anything else that needs to go into this?”

  Sadie looked over her shoulder at the casserole mix. “There were onions in the pantry,” she said. “But I don’t think I want them in the casserole anymore now that the pantry is a crime scene. See if you can find some onion powder or something. The only meat I could find was ham, and I like a little kick to my casserole.”

  Breanna complied and went to the spice cupboard, moving different tins out of the way as she looked for something that would work. “How about sage?”

  “Sage is good,” Sadie agreed. “Even a little basil would help it out.”

  Breanna nodded and removed a couple of spices while Sadie greased the bottle rings in anticipation of making the crumpets. They worked in silence for a few minutes while Sadie considered why John Henry had been hiding behind the sitting-room curtains in the first place. For the life of her, she could not come up with a valid reason. Especially in light of the argument he’d had with Liam. “I wonder if John Henry was waiting in the sitting room because he wanted to tell Liam something and didn’t want anyone else to know he was doing it,” Sadie continued.

  “Or maybe he was angry with Liam and was planning to kill him,” Breanna said, surprising Sadie with her intensity. Sadie looked up at her daughter, who was looking at the poker on the other side of the room. “Someone went in there armed, remember?”

  “I guess I hadn’t considered self-defense,” Sadie said. “But John Henry was behind a curtain panel. How was that threatening?”

  “I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” Breanna suddenly said, returning to the casserole and stirring it with a vengeance, which was hard to do because the mixture was quite thick now that the potatoes had been added.

  “Why not?” Sadi
e asked. They were finally getting somewhere.

  Breanna added a bit more basil and began stirring again. “It just seems . . . inappropriate for us to be discussing it.” She made a little glance as if trying to look behind her without moving her head. Sadie looked past Breanna and then smiled at the security guard who was still standing exactly where Liam had told him to stand. He was watching them, listening to what they were saying.

  Sadie smiled at him politely, then looked at Breanna. “Sorry,” she said. “You’re right.” The very walls of this house had ears; she should use more caution if for no other reason than to make sure the police didn’t hear from other people that she talked about the details too much. They might construe it as an unhealthy interest in the case. Sadie didn’t want that to happen.

  “Let’s get these casseroles dished up while we wait for the police,” Sadie said, coming over to stand by Breanna.

  Breanna looked visibly relieved. “Good idea,” she said, leaning over to pull the stack of individual dishes toward them. Sadie leaned into her and whispered so as not to be overheard. “We’ll talk about all this stuff later.”

  Breanna nodded. “Sure,” she said. “For now, let’s just focus on breakfast.”

  “Got it,” Sadie said with a conspiring wink, hoping that Breanna would be true to her word. Two heads were certainly better than one and Sadie liked having someone to bounce her ideas off of.

  The police arrived a few minutes after the breakfast casseroles had been put into the oven. Inspector Dilree wasn’t alone this time but he was still several inches shorter than the other men with him and looked at least ten years younger. However, his expression made him look just as official.

  The men inspected the cooler first while Breanna washed dishes and Sadie began cooking the crumpets, straining to hear anything she possibly could—but they kept their voices low enough that she didn’t pick up a single tidbit of knowledge. A few minutes later, more people arrived at the exterior basement door—a crime scene unit, Sadie assumed. Grant appeared out of nowhere and stood apart from the officers, presumably in order to help them with anything they might need. But Sadie couldn’t help but wonder if he weren’t also trying to pick up on how much they knew.