by Rebecca King
“Go with them,” Oliver suggested when they ventured outside.
“We will be all right. We can be home in ten minutes,” Vanessa sighed, looking worriedly at her father, who was staring stoically across the farmyard without seeing a thing.
“Are you all right?” she asked him.
“What?” Her father jerked out of his revere and looked at her blankly for a moment.
It was difficult to know what he was thinking because he turned away just as quickly.
“Fine,” he grunted. “You stay if you want to. I am going home.” He didn’t bother to wait and stalked off without a backward look.
“He is upset,” Vanessa murmured.
“It is understandable,” Justin replied quietly.
Vanessa turned to look at him. “I want to wait in the house, if I may? Curtis won’t be back for hours yet. I can search the property for my sister’s things again.”
Justin read the plea in her eyes and couldn’t find the will to argue with her. “Just stay inside, though, all right?”
Vanessa nodded. When silence fell, Oliver left.
“It will be all right,” he assured her when they were alone.
Vanessa smiled. “I don’t think it can be if she has gone. I don’t know what this will do to father.”
“Cross that bridge when you come to it,” Justin replied. “Until then, try not to get too upset. Until we find a body, there is nothing to say she won’t reappear just as easily as she vanished. People do, you know.”
With that, he reluctantly released her, but not before pressing a gentle kiss to the back of her hand. His gaze remained locked on hers the entire time, silently reassuring her that he would do everything he could to help her. Vanessa smiled gently at him and watched him leave. Once the silence of the house settled around her, though, she immediately began to wonder if she had done the right thing by staying on the farm while they searched. The house suddenly seemed ominously quiet, and distinctly unwelcoming.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Vanessa’s stomach was in knots by the time Justin knocked on the front door of the house. They had, several hours after the search began, decided to return home, but the wait had been no less fraught.
“You had better open it girl. They won’t wait forever,” Graham murmured quietly.
It was impossible to tell from Justin’s impassive face what had been found. Vanessa wanted to ask, but he reached out and squeezed her hand gently before he followed her into the sitting room. Once there, she stood before the fireplace and turned to face him.
“There was nothing found at the farm or surrounding fields or woods,” Justin announced solemnly.
Graham’s breath left him in a hiss. Vanessa slumped into a chair before the fireplace.
Justin informed them of both Lisa and Curtis’s arrest.
“I am sorry, but the case is now being treated as a murder investigation,” he finished sadly.
“What happens now?” Graham asked, waving him to a chair. He rose and poured three goblets of brandy. “I was saving this for special occasions.”
Once they had all taken a drink, Graham sighed. “I should never have allowed her to buy the damned place. She hasn’t been near a farm in years, but wanted to buy a place so she could paint.”
“It isn’t the farm that was the problem, it was the man she shared it with,” Vanessa replied.
“The only thing I would add is that they have been arrested on suspicion of murder. It isn’t proven yet that they have. It just looks that way given the weight of evidence that is stacking up. To be safe, and make sure that they don’t pose any risk to the public, we have put them behind bars out of the way. We will question them, in time. Right now, we need to take another look at what we know about the kidnappings and see if we can link them to either Lisa or Curtis,” Justin explained.
“Is there anything we can do?” Vanessa asked.
“Yes, stay out of the way,” Justin growled. “Don’t go near the farm. There are men still crawling all over it. When they have finished, it needs to stand empty for the time being.”
Vanessa nodded. She would be happy never to set eyes on the place again after this.
“Also, it is too dangerous for you to be out on your own, so just go out only when your father can go with you,” Justin warned. “Don’t go anywhere alone, just in case.”
Vanessa nodded. “Where do you think she is; Geraldine, that is?”
“With the others probably,” Graham murmured quietly with the air of someone considerably older than his sixty or so years.
Justin nodded but didn’t reply. There wasn’t much he could say.
“Do you think they are all dead?” Vanessa felt sick at the prospect.
“We can’t rule it out. First Geraldine, then Felicity. It may be that we just haven’t found the other bodies yet,” Justin replied solemnly. “I am sorry to sound so bleak, but we need to look at facts.”
Both Graham and Vanessa nodded.
“What I can’t understand is why Weeks didn’t arrest Curtis when Vanessa first noticed Geraldine’s things had gone,” Graham grunted. “I mean, what more proof could there be?”
Justin shook his head. “He seems to go on personal assumptions, not hard evidence, and that is something my boss will hear about. If it is evident he isn’t doing his job properly, and is being unprofessional, he has to be removed from his position. We will sort it out. Right now, we have to focus our attention on finding the missing and stopping anyone else from being taken.”
“Let’s hope all of this is over quickly, eh?” Graham murmured. He turned his attention to his goblet and seemed to forget Vanessa and Justin were even in the room with him.
“Can I have a word with you for a moment?” Justin asked her when they had spent several moments in companionable, if solemn, thought.
Vanessa followed him out of the room.
“Are you all right now?” he murmured, unsure why he was asking. She was hardly likely to say yes given the emotional upheaval she was having to deal with.
“Yes, thank you,” she replied with a small smile. “I had suspected that Geraldine was dead, but it still comes as a shock to hear it officially.”
“Just remember that it isn’t definite yet,” Justin warned.
Vanessa nodded.
“Who would you recommend is a reliable source of information in the village? You know, someone who will be prepared to talk to us openly about Jemima, and Lisa?” he asked gently, painfully aware of the intimate atmosphere in the hallway.
“Monica down at the tavern will have heard a lot of gossip, I am sure,” she replied only to stop when Justin shook his head.
“We don’t want gossip,” Justin replied. “We want facts. If we ask anybody at the tavern, the owner will have heard half a dozen accounts, all of which will be different and embellished in some way. No, we want facts from someone who won’t be inclined to add their own twist to the story.”
Vanessa thought carefully for a moment. “There is Magda, from the orphanage, but she doesn’t get out much, so might not be aware of what is going on. The only other person is the vicar, I suppose. He can go around the village freely and has the confidence of the villagers. I am sure he would answer your questions given the circumstances. Other than that, I think the only other person around here who is like father and keeps an eye on the village from his front room window will be Horace Frewer, but he is on the other side of the village, on the main Morgan Road.”
Vanessa gave him directions on where to find Horace and escorted Justin to the door.
“Stay indoors please,” he murmured.
“How long do you think it will take you to find whoever it responsible?” Vanessa sighed.
“Why do you stay here?” Justin blurted out. Everything inside him was screaming at him that this was neither the time nor the place, but the words were out before he could hold them back.
“This is my home,” Vanessa replied simply. “Where else would I live?”
“Don’t you have any inclination to travel further afield? I mean, this village is pretty but there is nothing to do here. Haven’t you ever wanted something – more?” he asked.
“Like what?” It was clear from the look on her face that she had never contemplated it before.
Justin squinted at the door. “Well, you could travel to London. I mean, there are theatres there, and museums, and all sorts of sights and sounds to experience. It is always busy and would give you plenty of opportunity to do something different with life.”
“Like what?” Vanessa challenged.
“Anything,” Justin replied. “This place is so quiet. It is perfect for someone who is waiting out the rest of their days but doesn’t have much to offer someone who needs to experience life.”
“But I do experience life,” she protested. “I have everything I want here and can go to town whenever I please. What else could I need? Besides, London holds no appeal to me. Why would I go to a city full of people bustling this way and that? Why would I want all that noise, chaos and confusion?”
“It can be good to be challenged occasionally,” Justin countered. “Have you never been to London?”
“I have, and I didn’t care for it. In fact, I can distinctly recall being glad to leave the place behind. I shouldn’t wish to go back. Why would I want to leave here to go to someone dark, smoke laden and cramped? No, I am happy where I am, thanks,” she replied with a shudder.
Justin, somewhat defeated, nodded thoughtfully but had to work hard to keep his disappointment off his face.
“Why do you ask?” Vanessa wondered if there was a personal reason for his question. She realised then how foolish she had been to answer him so quickly. “I am sorry. You come from London, don’t you?”
Justin smiled ruefully. “Yes, but I won’t take your revulsion of the place personally. I was just asking because your attitude toward the place gives me some idea if Geraldine would be inclined to go there if she became disenchanted with rural life and wanted a daring adventure, that’s all.”
Vanessa was already shaking her head before he had finished. “She had the same opinion as me. She hates London too.”
Justin, now thoroughly defeated, refrained from dropping a kiss onto her cheek before he left. Instead, he bowed formally and bade her goodnight.
Vanessa, a little surprised by his formality, curtseyed without thinking. Rather than close the door, she watched him stalk down the path, and disappear into the house next door without once bothering to look back. She had the distinct impression she had just offended him.
She was thoughtful when she closed the door, and a little melancholic. Vanessa couldn’t help but feel that she had just lost something only had no idea what. There had been a distinct chill in the atmosphere before Justin had left but, for the life of her, she couldn’t understand why. While her words about London had been less than complimentary, she hadn’t expected him to take such offense over it.
“I think he was hoping you might want to go and sample the delights of London with him when he leaves here,” her father began when she re-entered the room.
Vanessa flopped down into the chair opposite him and shook her head. “London is not for me.”
“It is a shame because you have a fine man there,” Graham replied with a nod toward the window.
“He is nice, isn’t he?” Vanessa said softly. “But this is neither the time nor the place for any of that. Besides, Justin is committed to his work with the Star Elite.”
“Rubbish,” Graham blustered. “Life is for the living. One has to carry on. While it is sad that Geraldine isn’t likely to come back, she wouldn’t want you to put your life on hold to grieve for her. You know what she was like. She never gave up an opportunity to do what she wanted. She wouldn’t want you to remain holed up in this rural backwater looking after me for the rest of your life. You should marry and travel to London if you want to. Just don’t buy any farms, that’s all I will ask.”
“We aren’t well enough acquainted to consider marriage,” Vanessa warned. “Why, we have only just met. The last thing we need is another marriage made in haste.”
Graham nodded. “Just don’t let what has happened to Geraldine stop you from living your own life, that is all I am saying. I can manage here on my own. In fact, now I have started to get up and about, I am going to keep going. This morning did me the world of good. That fresh air and sunshine is addictive. While I am not up to yomping around the fields and woods, a steady stroll to the tavern and back won’t hurt.”
“Why did you stop? I mean, I know your wounds hurt you sometimes,” Vanessa began, unsure how to broach such a difficult subject.
“It isn’t just the physical wounds that cause a problem when men are injured in the battlefields, my dear,” he informed her gently as he tapped the side of his head. “What goes on up here can do a lot more damage. It takes a long time to recover, and even then, I don’t think complete recovery is possible because one can never forget. There are dark days, but one must keep going. I forgot that for a while.”
Vanessa watched him frown thoughtfully but didn’t ask any questions because it was clear from the look on his face he was still thinking things over.
“I am going to get some dinner,” she murmured, pushing out her chair.
“Nothing too heavy, eh? Just some cold meats or something,” Graham urged before she left the room.
Once she was gone, he turned his attention back out of the window, and watched the tall man who had the potential to open up a whole new world for his daughter, if only she would let him. The problem was, Graham wasn’t sure it would altogether be a better world now, not after what had happened to Geraldine. That said, if anyone could keep Vanessa safe it would be Justin. At least he hoped so, because Graham suspected that they hadn’t seen the last of Justin yet, and it had absolutely nothing to do with Geraldine’s disappearance.
Later that night, Justin stood in the kitchen with his colleagues and stared at the goblets in the middle of the kitchen table. On each one was a small piece of parchment containing a name, stuck onto the pot with sealing wax. Each one represented a missing person located at various points in their ‘map’ to indicate where they had disappeared.
“It rules Reuben out,” Oliver said quietly. “He couldn’t hobble anywhere while carrying someone’s weight, even if he had the mental dexterity to think clearly under pressure.”
“It isn’t Reuben. It may be Curtis, but he swears blind he has no idea where his wife is. He is adamant that he cleared out her things because she made it clear before she disappeared that she wanted a divorce. So much so, she was prepared to weather the scandal it would cause. Apparently, her belongings – all of them – are in the old barn at the end of the cart track,” Justin reported.
“Have you been to check?” Oliver demanded.
Justin glanced out of the window. “Not yet. It is too dark to search anywhere properly.”
“We can do it at first light, just in case Geraldine is in there as well,” Aaron replied.
Everyone nodded.
“Willingness to divorce points to the severity of the disharmony between them,” Niall growled.
“It is unsurprising given he was rolling about with the milk maid whenever her back was turned,” Niall added.
“The judge is happy to keep them behind bars while we try to locate a body,” Oliver informed them.
“Does Curtis know Geraldine doesn’t own the house?” Justin asked.
Jasper snorted and looked at him ruefully. “He does now, and he wasn’t best pleased about it either. At first, he denied it was possible, but when challenged on whether he signed any papers or put any money down to purchase it, he had to admit that he hadn’t. He still expects to be able to keep the farm given he was her husband. I left the judge explaining to him that he didn’t own anything because his wife never owned the farm in the first place.”
“How long is he behind bars for?” Justin asked.
“The judge has said he can give us another forty-eight hours. After that, Curtis must be released because we don’t have a shred of evidence to support our theory. We can hardly arrest the man for tupping the milk maid, now can we?” Jasper replied.
“He has said the maid is fired, effective immediately. He hopes never to set eyes on her again,” Niall added.
“So, our two suspects will soon be released from gaol. We know Reuben isn’t physically or mentally capable. We know the Vicar hasn’t seen or heard anything unusual of late. The only thing he has said is that the villagers are scared. We don’t have any gangs of people roaming the streets, trying to protect their village, but there is a lot of concern and people are making arrangements to ensure that no woman goes out alone,” Justin informed everyone.
“We know the kidnapper doesn’t break into houses, and is most probably working alone and targeting young, unarmed women, who are caught by surprise and dragged off to who knows where for God knows what reason.” Angus rubbed a hand down his face.
“How can one person just take people off the streets without anybody noticing them? Nobody saw Jemima, or Geraldine. Not a word. Not a sound. Nobody saw a blessed thing. How? Why? What the Hell happened to them? They have to be around here somewhere, but where?” Niall thumped his knee in frustration.
“We could conduct a search of the village, but that would only make our culprit change location again. He has already ventured into Derbyshire,” Oliver sighed.
“Or lives in Derbyshire but knows this village well enough to be able to come back whenever he wants,” Justin added.
“So, we are unable to find anyone with any useful clues, have no idea which way to turn because we don’t have a single lead, and need to mount a search of not just this village but the entire counties of Leicestershire and Derbyshire just to get some answers?” Angus snapped.
“Or, we wait for the killer to strike again and hope that one of us catches him in the act,” Justin snorted. “There are eight of us to cover two counties. Well, I know our reputation precedes us, but we would have to be able to perform bloody miracles to solve this riddle.”
