The Carlswick Affair (The Carlswick Mysteries Book 1)

by SL Beaumont

  At the far end of the cavernous space was a raised stage. A red velvet curtain covered the back and the stage was set with drums, guitars, and several microphones. Off to one side of the stage was a large mixing desk. Tonight’s band was sitting on the edge of the amps tuning their guitars and chatting with the various people who milled around them.

  The girls checked their coats and headed towards the bar.

  Anna had just ordered when the guy beside Stephanie put his hand on her arm. She looked up into the face of Andy.

  “Andy! What are you doing here?” she exclaimed.

  “We’ve come to see the band. Liam knows the lead singer,” he said.

  Anna turned around to see who Stephanie was talking to and recognised Andy. She smiled flirtatiously at him.

  Andy’s grin widened.

  “Andy, this is my best friend, Anna. Anna, this is Andy,” Stephanie said.

  Anna gave Andy a dazzling smile and said, “Hi.”

  Andy invited the girls to join them, but Stephanie shook her head.

  “I dunno,” she said hesitantly. “Is James here?” She most definitely didn’t want to spend the evening sitting anywhere near James. She craned her neck, looking around trying to see if she could see him.

  “Yeah – but so are plenty of other people – it’ll be fine,” he said smiling encouragingly at Anna.

  “Come on then – lead the way,” Anna said, making the decision for both of them. She took his arm. She winked over her shoulder at Stephanie, who couldn’t help but laugh. Anna usually had men falling at her feet – although Stephanie wouldn’t have thought that Andy, who had his pick of pretty girls, would have tripped quite so quickly. She reluctantly followed them to a table down the front.

  And sure enough, there sat James, along with the other members of The Fury and a few of their friends. Stephanie groaned. Her great ‘forget about everything’ night out with Anna was taking a wrong turn and there was seemingly nothing she could do to control it. James looked furious to see her and her heart twisted painfully. You bastard, she thought.

  “Stephanieee,” Jack called and patted the bench beside him saving her from having to sit at one of the empty seats next to James. She smiled at him and sat down taking care not to look at James. Anna sat across the table from her, curiously watching the interaction between the two of them.

  “Thanks Jack,” Stephanie murmured, gratefully. Andy introduced Anna around the table and then turned so that he had her to himself.

  “God, don’t tell me I have a stalker,” James muttered.

  Stephanie felt her face go hot. She had the sudden urge to lean over and scratch that arrogant look off his face. Instead she sat on her hands and resisted the impulse. Which was just as well because Liam and Peter, who was the singer in the band they had all come to see, chose that moment to stop by the table.

  “Anna. Steph. Jess said you might be coming. How are you? It’s been ages,” Peter said before leaning over and kissing each of them in turn on the cheek. Anna had gone to school with Peter’s younger sister Jessica, and the three girls had spent quite a lot of time at her house. “You know, the last time I saw these two, they were with my sister, climbing in through her bedroom window at 2am!” They all laughed.

  Stephanie allowed herself a triumphant look at James. Stalker? She knew the band better than he did.

  To his credit, James had the grace to look embarrassed.

  However, it was Stephanie who felt uncomfortable for the rest of the evening. She was annoyed that James being there had spoilt her night out with Anna. Once the band started, they all hit the dance floor, so at least she didn’t have to sit at the same table as him for very long. She stayed well away from him, instead dancing with Jack, Andy, Anna and the many people who seemed to orbit their circle. James seemed to have a different girl twirling in front of him every time she looked his direction – although she tried her best not to glance his way too often. Oddly enough, he looked miserable and disappeared from the dance floor before the first set was finished. The band was really good and they were all thirsty after dancing, so in the break Stephanie went to get a round of drinks. She took orders and wandered up to the bar, squeezing into an empty spot. She soon realised to her dismay that the guy waiting to be served beside her was James. She let out a heavy sigh and turned her back to him.

  After a few minutes of pointedly ignoring each other, James broke the silence.

  “So, what have you had Mikey working on for you?” he asked.

  She didn’t answer immediately. I have to be careful here – James isn’t just making polite conversation, he is fishing.

  “He was just helping me get my technology all set up for Oxford,” she replied.

  “Yeah, right Steph. Wanna try again?” he said.

  She shook her head, trying to look indifferent.

  “I will make him tell me, if I have to,” he said. He lowered his voice. “Stephanie – I do hope you are still not looking into my family. Stay out or there will be trouble,” he said roughly. She looked up at him and frowned. He had carefully arranged his features and she couldn’t read what he was thinking.

  “Are you threatening me?” Stephanie could feel her temper rising.

  “I just don’t want to see you get hurt, that’s all,” James said.

  “And who’s going to hurt me James, eh?” she challenged, her eyes flashing in annoyance.

  He gave her an exasperated look, before suddenly changing the subject.

  “I had a visit from Matt yesterday,” he said.

  Stephanie groaned inwardly, but said nothing.

  “I think I convinced him that I had nothing to do with your smashed car window, but you didn’t have to send your cousin to do your dirty work, you could’ve just asked,” he said.

  “I didn’t know he had done that,” she said quietly.

  “Did you really think that I’d thrown a brick through your car window?” he asked.

  Stephanie looked at her feet, unsure what to say. “Ah well, the writing on it said how much I looked like my aunt and that I could end up like her. And I do recall you saying how alike we were,” she said, raising her chin defiantly and looking him directly in the eye.

  His eyes went wide. “What?” he almost shouted.

  The barman caught her attention as James grabbed his bottle, pivoted and walked away. He flicked his phone open, speed dialling as he walked.

  Shit, she thought, with a sinking feeling in her stomach, this was getting confusing. James really seemed only interested in stopping her looking into his family. Yet he seemed to provoke a strong reaction from her. She needed to avoid him as much as possible for her own sanity.

  Frowning, she returned to the table balancing the drinks and squeezed in beside Anna, who was tossing her hair and giggling at something Andy had said.

  Stephanie sat back and surveyed the crowd. On the opposite side of the room she could see James talking animatedly on his phone, waving his arms around as though he was arguing with someone.

  Shame I can’t overhear that conversation, she thought. Ah, but maybe I can.

  She told Anna that she was off to the bathroom and skirted around the back of the crowd, so that she came up behind James. She stood on the other side of the pillar that he was leaning against and listened to his side of the conversation.

  “I don’t care. It’s not the way to do it,” he said angrily into the phone.

  “Look, give me a bit longer. I’m trying to find out what she knows, so I can stop whatever it is that she’s up to.” He paused listening. “Ok – I’ll call you back.”

  He clicked the phone shut with a frustrated sigh and shoved it in his pocket. He looked back over at the table where they were all sitting and then scanned the room, as if looking for someone.

  Stephanie flattened herself further back against the pillar that was hiding her. Don’t turn around, she prayed.

  With a puzzled expression on his face, he slowly started walking back to their table.
Stephanie slipped quietly behind him and through the doors leading to the bathroom.

  What was that all about? She was suddenly feeling scared again. He had to have been talking about her. Find out what she knew about what? The painting? She looked at her watch. 11:30pm, she had to get out of here, but first she would have to drag Anna away from Andy.

  She reapplied her lipstick and opened the bathroom door, stepping into the corridor leading back into the club. Her senses were suddenly on high alert and the skin on the back of her neck prickled. She spun around and gasped. James was leaning against the wall outside the door waiting for her.

  She felt a shiver of fear crawl down her spine. She started backing away from him towards the door which led back into the club.

  “Steph, we need to talk,” he said, his voice was gentle, but the look in his eyes was not.

  “Ok – but let’s do it back in there,” she said edging towards the door.

  He crossed the corridor in two large steps and grabbed her arm spinning her around against the wall.

  “No,” he said firmly. “Let’s talk here.”

  At that moment the door to the Club opened and one of the bouncers came through.

  James put his hands either side of her head on the wall and leaned towards her as though he were about to kiss her.

  “Get a room,” the bouncer chuckled as he ambled past.

  Stephanie went to call out for help, but James put two fingers against her lips and whispered “Sshhh” as he looked sternly at her. She froze. The bouncer disappeared through a doorway further down the corridor.

  Now she felt really frightened. She quickly assessed her options. There really wasn’t anything he could do to her here - the corridor was too much of a thoroughfare –but she would be happier to be back in the bar with Anna and Andy close by. She tilted her head up as if to kiss him back and heard his breath catch in his throat. She acted quickly and shoved him really hard in the stomach so that he stumbled back. She ducked under his outstretched arm and ran for the door. But he was too fast. This time he got both arms around her from behind and held her tight.

  “Stop. I am trying to help you,” he said fiercely in her ear.

  “Yeah, right. Let me go.” She struggled and tried to stamp her heel down on his foot.

  “Steph – stop. If I let you go, will you promise not to run? I just need to talk to you,” he said, his breath hot against the side of her face. His chest was pressed up against her back, and she could feel his heart hammering.

  “Ok,” she reluctantly agreed.

  He slowly released her, testing whether she was about to bolt again. Suddenly the door burst open and two guys walked through laughing. One of them held the door open for her and she gratefully rushed through it. Behind her, she heard James swear. He caught up with her and walked back to the table, his hand on her elbow. She looked around wildly for Anna and Andy, but they were nowhere to be seen.

  “What were you looking for at my place last Sunday?” he asked as he slid in beside her at their now empty table. She spotted Anna and Andy on the dance floor throwing themselves around, and let out a shaky breath.

  Shit. Grace told him.

  “I thought I had lost an earring in the library when we were looking at the photos,” she lied.

  “Try again,” he said coldly. “I don’t believe you.”

  “Believe what you want,” she answered, trying to sound annoyed rather than frightened. Her heart was racing in her chest and she could feel a cool trickle of sweat running down her back.

  “What has Michael been doing for you – hacking something maybe?” James asked.

  Stephanie feigned shock, her eyes wide. “Last I heard helping someone set up their laptop, wasn’t called hacking.”

  He shook his head. He clearly knew more than he was letting on. “Stephanie, you have gotten involved in something that has nothing to do with you. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  “And there you go, threatening me again.” Stephanie replied equally as vehemently. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She could feel her anger rising and overtaking her fear.

  James looked at her long and hard and with a deep sigh, stood up and walked away from the table.

  Stephanie sat there stunned for several moments. Holy crap – what was going on with James? Maybe I’ve had a lucky escape. The guy is like Jekyll and Hyde. I sure know how to pick them. She looked around – no one had been close enough to overhear their conversation or appeared to have taken any notice of them arguing.

  Dave came back to the table and slumped down beside her, clearly the worse for wear. He turned to her and said, “Tell me Stephanie, why would a nation name itself after a small oval brown fruit?”

  Distracted, she looked at him, uncomprehendingly. “What?”

  “You lot. Kiwi. Fruit?” He repeated.

  She couldn’t help but laugh. “We are called Kiwis after a small native flightless bird, not a kiwifruit, you idiot!”

  Dave just grinned drunkenly at her and got up and wandered away as Anna and Andy came back to the table giggling and flopped down beside her.

  “Anna, I’m not feeling well. I’m really sorry, but can we go?” Stephanie asked quietly a pleading look in her eye.

  “Sure.” She turned back to Andy and whispered something to him. He leaned past her and looked at Stephanie concerned, “Are you Ok”?

  “I think I have a migraine coming on.” She winced at lying to him.

  He jumped up. “Let me see you two into a cab, then.” He leaned down to kiss Anna, whispering something that made her giggle.

  Stephanie made her way through the crowd to the coat check and retrieved their jackets. She stood and waited for Andy and Anna to join her once they had exchanged phone numbers. She felt a hand on her arm and turned expecting Anna. It was James.

  “Not you again? What now?” she asked. She roughly shook his arm off. Over his shoulder, she could see Andy and Anna pushing their way through the crowd towards them.

  “Look, I’m sorry if I sounded harsh before, but I am trying to help you,” he hissed as they approached. Andy looked from James to Stephanie and back, trying to assess the situation.

  “You two ok?” he asked.

  “Yep, just peachy,” Stephanie replied flippantly. “Don’t worry about seeing us out – I’m sure we can find our way to the tube, just fine.”

  Andy put his arms around Anna and gave her a lingering kiss goodbye. Stephanie and James looked in different directions, the atmosphere between them tense and uncomfortable.

  “Ok – what’s going on?” Anna asked as soon as they got outside.

  “Anna – I’m really sorry – I know you were having a great time with Andy, but James was really scaring me – he knows something and keeps telling me to stop looking into his family or I’ll get hurt.”

  “It’s ok,” Anna said, “It was time to leave anyway – didn’t want Andy thinking I was too keen.” She hooked her arm through Stephanie’s. “Now let’s walk down to Embankment and you can tell me exactly what he said on the way. And then you can tell me everything you know about Andy.”

  Their footsteps echoed among the brick buildings as they walked along the narrow lane. It had rained lightly while they were in the club. There was a slight mist rising off the Thames, diminishing the impact of the street lights. Stephanie shivered and began explaining the evening’s events. Just as they neared the bottom of the lane, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise again.

  Suddenly out of nowhere an engine revved and a black SUV with its lights on full came hurtling towards them. Stephanie grabbed Anna and pulled her in to a doorway as the car veered passed them. Anna screamed as its tyres hit a puddle of water splashing them both with dirty oily water.

  “Shit – that was close,” Stephanie said. “What an idiot.”

  The car screeched to a stop at the top of the street and began reversing.

  The two girls looked at one another, terrified.

 
At that moment, the door to the club opened and half a dozen people spilled out and began walking down the lane towards them. The car stopped reversing and instead accelerated forward around the corner out of sight.

  Chapter 21

  The girls slept late the next morning. They had sat up talking, going over the events of the day and Stephanie had lay awake for a long time after Anna had gone to bed. She couldn’t be sure, but she hoped it wasn’t James driving the SUV. That would have been pretty extreme. He wouldn’t have had time to get to it after they had left the club. Would he? But he had been really insistent that I stop looking into his family or I would get hurt. The thing is though, I haven’t really looked into his family, just my aunt and… She sat up in bed. That was it. James must know about the painting. Sophie’s last entry had been just before she died when she was on her way to Knox Manor to visit Edward’s mother. Maybe she had seen something there that she shouldn’t have. This had to be all about the painting. What was a piece of art that had been requisitioned by the Nazis doing hanging in the Knox’s library all these years? But the bigger question was; who else knew?

  Anna popped out to pick up coffee and bagels the next morning, while Stephanie made a few phone calls. She had opened Anna’s refrigerator earlier in search of food instead finding it to be sparsely populated – some long life milk, cheese and several bottles of wine.

  Her first call was to her father’s office. Although it was Saturday morning and most staff wouldn’t be working, she suspected that her father would have Emily there, even if it was just to make coffee for his meeting. It was a good guess. Emily answered in a professional clipped voice. When she realised it was Stephanie on the other end, she relaxed into her usual midlands accent.

  “Your Dad’s asked not to be disturbed before his meeting at noon – shall I leave him a message for you?” she said.