The Valentine Circle

by Reinaldo DelValle

  “And where are you going?” Silas mumbled, keeping his eyes on him. “Ah, of course—a reunion with the odd couple.” Silas moved in and out of the crowd, pressing himself against a group of thick trees near a wooded area. Once he found a good place to conceal himself, he poked his head out just enough to get a good glimpse of Mr. Decamps and the siblings. “They’re too far away.” I wish I knew what they were saying.

  Mr. Decamps reached into his pocket while he made sure no one was watching. Out came an object wrapped up in some type of cloth, and by the outline of its shape, Silas could tell it was some type of dagger. Could that be the knife used to cut up Claudia? Why would the father have it?

  The male sibling took the object and hastily shoved it inside his jacket. Without wasting any more time, they broke away from Mr. Decamps, heading towards a dark carriage. Once Mr. Decamps made his way back towards his seat, Silas took after the siblings, keeping his distance.

  Reaching the black carriage, the siblings mounted the bench. Silas knew he had to make a decision. He could stay and warn Belloc, or he could try to follow them and hopefully gain access to the potential weapon used in Claudia’s attack. He knew that if he chose the latter, he would find more answers in regards to the girl’s attacker, and acting on instinct, he scurried over to the carriage, using his skills to stay below the siblings’ line of sight. Once he reached the carriage, as if knowing he could pull it off, he slid himself under the bottom and attached his body to the carriage’s underside. Let’s see where they take me.

  Off the carriage went as the siblings made their way down a rocky country road. The more ground the carriage covered, the more remote the area became, and the farther Silas was from the only two people he knew. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

  Quietly sitting atop the driver’s bench, the two siblings rode in silence for another twenty minutes or so, until at last the carriage veered off to the left, onto a long and winding trail shooting straight into a deserted patch of woods. The trees were bleak and skinny, almost frostbitten. There was a smell of burnt wood, as if a few campfires had been recently put out.

  “Someone’s been here, Mendel,” the female sibling whispered.

  “Local hunters. Nothing to worry about.”

  “I’m not worrying.”

  “You always worry, Merle.”

  They rode on quietly for a moment.

  “You think he can hear us?” Merle asked.

  “No, not with the amount of rocks crumbling under the wheels.”

  “I’m surprised he’s lasted this long.”

  “That means something: Don’t underestimate him.”

  “So, should I worry?”

  Mendel only smiled in reply.

  Reaching their destination, the carriage stopped near the bottom of a large hill. The siblings jumped off the carriage.

  “This looks like the right place,” Mendel said, and raising his voice so as to make sure Silas heard him, then said, “Let’s be hasty now and get rid of this. Then we’ll ride back and let Mr. Decamps know we've succeeded in disposing of it.” Mendel put the wrapped-up object inside a large, ornate, wooden box.

  Silas, who was nestled comfortably under the carriage, perked up his ear. As the siblings dismounted, Silas saw them walk away from the carriage and up the hill. Waiting a few seconds, he let himself drop onto the ground. Rolling over, he seeped out of the carriage’s underside. He saw the trail lead up towards a large hill, and on both sides of him was dense forest. “Perfect.”

  Just a few yards past the top of the hill were the siblings, who had stopped, as if waiting for Silas to reach them.

  “Do you see him?” Merle asked.

  “I can’t even hear him,” Mendel replied, carefully searching the woods.

  “What do we do?”

  “Even though we can’t see him, he’s probably watching us right now. Let’s just get on with it.” He took the box he was holding and placed it inside a makeshift hole in the ground. He toppled some dirt and leaves on top. “Let’s go.” Merle followed her older brother back to the carriage.

  Keeping himself camouflaged within the trees, Silas watched them retreat. That’s the hiding spot? Are you joking? Once the siblings disappeared down the hill, he ran over to the wooden box sitting in the middle of the trail. He pushed aside the leaves and took the box out of the hole. Pretty sloppy work. Something’s not right here. He handled the box carefully. Inside, he found the mysterious object wrapped up in a gray wool blanket. Silas undid the loose bindings around the soft cloth in order to reveal the object. A feather?

  There was a note. Silas picked it up and read it:

  Old Mother Goose,

  When she wanted to wander,

  Would ride through the air

  On a very fine gander...

  Then, underneath the unfinished poem, written in thick, red ink, Silas read:

  Don’t wander off too far lest you get yourself lost.

  P.S.: I hope you didn’t mind taking the scenic route.

  Mr. F.

  Silas held up the feather. “Mr. F?” He clenched his jaw and crumpled up the note. Realizing that he’d been tricked, his face turned a deep red. He lost all awareness of himself, and something inside of him took over. Silas didn’t like to be deceived. Ever. No one but him was ever allowed to deceive. This went against his very nature, and instantly, as his thoughts mixed together with a brewing anger, he remembered something someone had told him a long time ago:

  “People look at a crow and think it is only a crow, but only the crow knows it is really a raven. Deceit belongs to you.”

  He turned his gaze towards a tree a few yards from where he stood, and there, as if by magic, was an impressive raven perched up on a thick branch, watching Silas with its piercing eyes.

  A vision entered his thoughts. He was in a forest, just before dawn, dressed in dark clothing, hidden inside a group of bushes. To his left, he heard the same familiar voice: “The black bird goes from tree to tree like a thought enters and leaves the mind. It is there and here and there again, all at the same time. You turn and see it on your left, only for it to be on your right the second after. The raven owns the space around it. Be like the raven, young Shi.”

  Snapping back to life, Silas’s limbs filled up with an energy he never knew he had. The raven crowed. Noises filled the creepy, bleak forest. The powerful wind rustled the naked branches. Silas dove into the woods, losing himself in the thickness of the trees.

  Back at the carriage, Mendel and Merle had just finished settling themselves atop the driver’s seat when they heard an odd wind scurry through the trees. Ahead of them, a few pebbles rolled across the soft dirt.

  “What was that?” Merle said.

  “You’re worrying again. It’s just the wind.”

  A raven cried out.

  Merle turned to her right. “That bird wasn’t there just a second ago.”

  Mendel grabbed the horses’ reins. “Let’s hurry, before he finds out what we’re up to and comes back looking for us. Plus, Mr. Decamps wants us back at the Reilly mansion as soon as possible. We have to make sure everything goes as planned.” He made a clicking sound with his mouth, and the horses took off down the trail.

  As they rode onward, Mendel soon heard a hissing sound coming from the underside of the carriage. Frustrated by its continuous annoyance, he poked his head out the right side of the carriage, hoping to find the cause of the noise.

  There to meet him was Silas, who had stuck his face out of the carriage’s underside, smiling at him with a sly grin. “Hi there,” Silas said as he reached up for Mendel and then forcefully threw him off the carriage. Before Merle had time to react, Silas leaped on top of the carriage, and, using two of his fingers, violently pressed down on Merle’s neck, making her yelp in pain before she passed out. He threw her off the carriage as it came to a halt.

  Dismounting, he approached the siblings. He took an unconscious Mendel and threw him inside the carriage’s passenger car. He
then grabbed Merle, and a piece of paper fell out of her hand. It was a map of Boston’s outer suburbs. On it were the directions to the Reillys’ mansion.

  What’s this about?

  Quickly, he stuffed Merle inside the carriage and climbed onto the driver’s seat, holding onto the reins. “Ya!” he screamed as he sped off towards the approaching dusk.

  ***

  Once the funeral was over, the families began dispersing, either making their way towards their respective carriages or visiting with the grieving family one last time to offer up their condolences. As the Reillys prepared themselves to leave, Belloc grabbed hold of Lucy. “Miss Reilly? I was wondering if I could have a word.”

  “Yes, what is it?” She appeared to still be a bit shaken up by her encounter with Silas.

  “Um,” Belloc said, reacting to her strange behavior. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m perfectly fine,” Lucy replied, trying her best to change her mood. “What can I help you with, Inspector?”

  “Well, I just wanted to know if you were heading back home with your parents?”

  “Eventually, yes.”

  “What do you mean, eventually?”

  “We have to stop by the Decampses’ reception. That’ll take a few hours. Then, I assume we’ll head home.”

  “Of course. I should’ve known they would be throwing a reception. You think your little sister will be all right by herself?”

  “I don’t see why not. She’s with our help. They’ll take care of her while we’re away.”

  “Right, of course. Very well, then. Lucy, it was a pleasure seeing you again.”

  “Um, Inspector?”

  “Yes, dear girl?”

  “That man...I mean...your assistant?”

  “Silas?”

  “Yes, Silas. Where did you meet him?”

  “I...know him from a long time ago. He’s...an old friend.” He hated lying to her.

  Lucy didn’t buy it. “I see. And he always works with you?”

  “Yes. Why do you ask?”

  “Nothing. Good day.” She turned around and walked away.

  Posy stepped up to Belloc. “What was all that about?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Seriously, what’s with her sudden interest in Silas?”

  “What’s with yours?”

  “Excuse me?!”

  “If you want to know more about Silas, then help me find out who he really is instead of ogling at him every second you get.” Belloc put his hat back on and grabbed his cane.

  “I don’t ogle!”

  “What was that, love?” Horace said, jumping into the conversation.

  “Nothing.”

  “Horace, I’m afraid I’m going to need to borrow Posy for a little while,” Belloc said.

  “Why’s that?”

  “Yes, why is that?” Posy chimed in.

  “We’re going to the Reillys’ mansion. Right now. That Reilly girl can help us with our case. I’m sure of it. Silas mentioned to me that there were more girls that were expecting, a whole group of them, all the same age as Claudia.”

  “A whole group?” Posy said.

  “Yes, and I’m certain that Darcy Reilly is part of that group. So she knows something. Quickly now, help me to the carriage. We must reach the mansion before sundown.”

  “Sounds important,” Horace said. “Don’t be gone too long, darling.” He kissed Posy. She reciprocated. Sort of.

  After Horace left, Posy turned to Belloc. “What about Silas?”

  “Silas?” Belloc looked around. “Oh, yes, of course. Did you see where he went?”

  “Well, he first took off towards the back. And then I saw him cut through the crowd near the center, and next, he made his way past that group of trees over there, and finally, he ended up—” She stopped talking when she realized she’d been keeping tabs on Silas without even knowing it.

  Belloc gave her a sly grin.

  “Why are you smiling?”

  “Because I’ve been redeemed.”

  “Oh, shut up.”

  Belloc smiled. “Well, we best go find him. Time is of the essence.”

  “He’d better not have strayed too far,” Posy said as she helped Belloc, who was having trouble with his aging knee.

  “Now why would he do that, Miss Chapman?”

  *

  “DID MY PARENTS ARRIVE YET?” said a sweet voice emanating from a dark place behind a grandiose kitchen. The child moved in closer, stepping on the wooden floor with her bare feet. The old maid could hear the slapping of skin against the hard wood.

  “Is that you, Miss Darcy?” Glenda asked.

  “Yes, Glenda. Why are you up so late? Are you still working?”

  “Couldn’t sleep,” said Glenda, a stout old woman who had served the Reillys for nearly ten years as their housekeeper. “So I figured I’d just pass some time straightening up the kitchen in preparation for tomorrow’s brunch, now that your sister will be moving back in with us.” A number of candelabras flickered in the background as Glenda waited for an answer.

  Darcy stepped into the light. Her hair was long and silky, chestnut in color. Her pale face was a much younger version of her sister’s, and she had far more freckles than Lucy ever did. She wore her nightgown down to her knees.

  “Why are you still up, if you don’t mind me asking?” Glenda said. “It’s nearly ten at night. You know your parents don’t like you staying up after nine.”

  “Well, they’re not here, are they?” Darcy said, walking up to the large kitchen island, pecking away at some ripe grapes spilling out of a large fruit bowl.

  “Don’t do that,” Glenda snapped at Darcy’s hand. “You shouldn’t be eating at this time of night.”

  “It’s just fruit.”

  “Doesn’t matter. You go back up to your room, you hear? Your parents and sister should be here any time now.”

  “How do you know? Weren’t they supposed to be here a long time ago?”

  “Because I just know. They never stay out this late. I’m sure they’re on their way back. You go on now.” She gave Darcy a stern look. “Go on.”

  Darcy scowled at her before reluctantly turning away. “Night,” she said as she stepped out of the room.

  “Night, Miss.”

  Darcy made her way into the main foyer, which sat a couple of rooms away from the kitchen. The foyer was an impressive space. The gloss of the wooden floors amplified the dark colors of the nearby walls and furniture. Burgundy and gold accents shone against the sophistication of the highly detailed crown molding. There were statues everywhere. Only a few lanterns hung on the walls, making it hard for Darcy to see where she was going. As she made her way towards the stairs, she stopped and paused, abruptly thinking of something. Where’s Dominic?

  She walked up to a large window and peeked out into the darkness of the Boston winter. It was murky outside. The naked branches flapped against a strong wind, and snow covered most of the spacious yard surrounding the mansion. Darcy strained to catch a glimpse of the doghouse stationed near the stables. He’s not there.

  Grabbing a thick coat and a pair of dirty snow boots, Darcy rushed back towards the kitchen. She put them on while walking up to Glenda. Not noticing, Glenda turned around, running into her. “Goodness, child!” she said, almost dropping a serving tray on the floor. “What did I just tell you? You need to go to bed.” Glenda looked her over. “And why are you wearing that?”

  “I think Dominic is loose. You forgot to stick him back in his house, didn’t you?”

  “No, ma’am, I didn’t forget. That’s not my responsibility. It’s Mr. Reilly’s job to do that, and he hasn’t come home yet.”

  “But it’s freezing out there. He needs shelter. He’s probably running loose out in the snow.”

  “Trust me, Miss,” Glenda said. “If Dominic wanted in from the cold, he’d be standing by the door, whining and crying, but he isn’t, is he?”

  “No.”

  “Well then, h
e’s probably out having a grand old time, enjoying the fact that he’s not tied up inside that mangy, old doghouse of his.” Glenda stepped up to her. “Look, Miss Darcy, he’s got a nice winter coat on. He has more hair than a wolf. He’ll be all right, and when your dad comes home, he’ll go looking for him.”

  “But what if it’s too late? He’s never been loose past evening time. What if he’s fallen into the lake? There are some patches of ice that are too thin to stand on.”

  Glenda began to worry about Dominic, but she was more worried about Darcy than the family dog. “Look, what we really need to be concerned about is you and your baby, and you sure aren’t going out in that freezing snow, especially dressed like that. Now you go back to bed, and after I’m done here, I’ll go outside and search for Dominic.”

  “You can’t wait that long, Miss Glenda. You need to go now. What if he fell into the lake and needs our help?”

  Glenda sighed. Lord, give me strength. “All right, Miss Darcy, I’ll go fetch him now. But you stay here. You can watch me from the windows.”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t lose sight of you. Thank you for going through the trouble. I’m hopeful you’ll find him easy enough.”

  “Oh, yes, Miss. I’m hoping it doesn’t take me forever to find him. Now you wait here while I go get him.” Glenda went into the maid’s room, returning only a few seconds later dressed up in her winter coat and boots. “This snow is going to give me a harsh cold.” Grabbing a large lantern, she made her way to the side door near the west wing of the manor. Darcy followed. “All right then. You stay here now, you hear?”

  “I will. Yell if you need help.”

  Glenda turned to her, and a slight frost crawled up her spine. For a moment, all her senses told her to stay inside, but as quickly as the feeling came, it went away. “Stay safe, child. Watch for me when I come back.”

  “Be careful.”

  “Will do, Miss,” Glenda said, stepping out into the bracing storm. “You be sure to stay in there.” Her words faded away as she departed from Darcy.