Gripping her stick, Polly advanced to the steps. The first one made a snapping noise when she trod on it and she whimpered. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t climb all the way up there in the dark.
In a wavering voice she called out, “Sadie? Are you all right? Come down! It’s dark down here!”
No answer floated down to her and she raised her voice, louder with each call. “Sadie? Sadie? Sa-day!”
Something scuttled away in the dark and Polly screamed. The shrill sound echoed around the lofty walls and up the stairs. It was the final straw. Polly bolted out of there, across the clearing, grabbed her bicycle, and pedaled like mad back to the road. She was never going back to that horrible place. Someone else would have to rescue Sadie.
Elizabeth found both Rodney and Daphne in the library. Rodney sat playing Patience with the cards, while Daphne seemed engrossed in a book. She soon put it down, however, when Elizabeth entered the quiet room.
“Have you heard from the inspector?” she asked, as Rodney rose to his feet.
Elizabeth settled on a Queen Anne chair and shook her head. “Not yet, I’m afraid.”
Rodney sat down again with a thump. “I don’t suppose you’ve found out who killed Sutcliffe,” he said, a resigned tone.
“I’m getting closer.” Elizabeth hesitated, then asked quietly, “Rodney, when did you learn that Brian Sutcliffe had taken another woman to his room at the Tudor Arms?”
Rodney raised his eyebrows. “When Tess told the constable that night. We were all there. We all heard her tell him about it.”
Daphne shot a frightened glance at her husband. “Yes, that’s right. That’s when we found out.”
“But you knew before that, didn’t you?” Elizabeth looked hard at Rodney. “I believe you referred to him as a two-timing fortune hunter. You were referring to the incident that upset Tess so much, were you not?”
Daphne’s gaze flicked back and forth between her husband and Elizabeth, while Rodney began blustering.
“Not at all. The man was only interested in our daughter because of her financial status. I spoke the truth. That doesn’t mean-”
“Then perhaps you can explain the presence of confetti in the turnups of your trousers? All the confetti had been locked up in the basement until some time after you left the village hall.”
Rodney’s gaze turned frosty. “I think the more relevant question is, your ladyship, how you happen to know there is confetti in my trousers.”
Elizabeth straightened her back. “You asked me to investigate the murder. That’s exactly what I was doing. I must confess, I’m beginning to wonder if you asked me to do so in the hopes that I would muddle things up and confuse the police to cover up the fact that both you and your wife know more about the death of Brian Sutcliffe than you’re willing to admit.”
The silence stretched several seconds while Elizabeth waited for his answer. She hated to think the Winterhalters were involved. It would be a terrible homecoming for Priscilla to discover that her sister and brother-in-law were responsible for a man’s death. Yet right now she could see no other explanation for what she had discovered, and, judging from Rodney’s silence, it seemed she was right.
CHAPTER 13
“All right,” Rodney said, breaking the silence at last. “You’re right, Lady Elizabeth. I saw Tess rush into the kitchen and she was obviously upset. I followed her in and heard her yelling at Sutcliffe. She was accusing him of cheating on her with another woman.”
“Rodney-” Daphne began, but he held up his hand.
“No, let me finish. I hid behind the door because I didn’t want to embarrass my daughter. I heard her slam the cellar door shut and run out. Sutcliffe was banging on the door so I guessed she’d locked him in. I was furious with him and wanted to give him a piece of my mind. I unlocked the door and saw he had a knife in his hand. I reacted without thinking. I punched him in the jaw and knocked him down the stairs. He was holding a box of confetti in the other hand. Some of it must have sprayed over me.”
Daphne moaned. “He must have stabbed himself when he fell.”
“He couldn’t have,” Rodney said shortly. “The knife fell out of his hand at the top of the stairs. I saw it lying there when I left.”
“Locking the door behind you,” Elizabeth said quietly.
Rodney looked startled. “No, I don’t think I even stopped to close the door. I was so enraged and worried about my daughter. All I could think about was finding her to see if she was all right. The knife had unnerved me. I didn’t know she’d threatened him with it.”
“Then if you didn’t lock the door again, I wonder who did.”
“I locked the door,” Daphne said, her voice quivering.
Rodney uttered an exclamation and stared at his wife.
“Of course. You knew about the other woman, too,” Elizabeth said. “Which is why you called him a cheat and a liar the other night.”
“Yes.” Daphne looked down at her hands twisting in her lap. “I saw Rodney go into the kitchen, and a moment or two later Tess came out looking upset. I thought she’d been arguing with her father, so I went to the kitchen to find out what had happened. I was just in time to see Rodney punch Brian in the face. I left before he saw me. I didn’t want him to know I’d seen what he’d done. But then, later on, I began to worry about Brian. So I went back to the kitchen to see if he was all right.”
Rodney muttered something under his breath.
“I’m sorry, darling,” Daphne said quickly, “but if the man was hurt I didn’t want you to get into trouble for it. I couldn’t see anything from the top of the stairs, so I went down there.”
She shuddered, and tears started rolling down her face. “I could see he was dead,” she said, her voice hushed. “The knife was sticking out of his chest and there was blood everywhere. I thought he’d fallen on the knife when he tumbled down the steps. I knew Rodney would get the blame for his death. Everyone would think he did it on purpose.”
She paused while she hunted for a handkerchief in her sleeve, dabbed at her eyes, and blew her nose. “I locked the door and tried to put the key on the shelf to hide it,” she continued, while Rodney seemed transfixed, his gaze pinned to his wife’s face. “I thought if the body wasn’t found until after we’d gone, no one would suspect Rodney. I couldn’t quite reach the shelf and the key fell into the milk. I went out and found Rodney and told him I had a headache. By then the speeches were nearly over, so we left.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Rodney almost shouted. “Did you really think I’d stoop to murder? Sutcliffe wasn’t worth that.”
“I thought it was an accident.” Daphne began to sob in earnest. “But his death would have been your fault.”
“Oh, good Lord.” Rodney buried his head in his hands.
Elizabeth stared thoughtfully at him. “You are absolutely certain the knife was at the top of the stairs when Brian Sutcliffe fell.”
“Absolutely.” Rodney groaned and raised his head. “Why do you think I’ve been so worried about my daughter? I can’t help wondering if she went back and finished the job after I left.”
“It’s a possibility,” Elizabeth said slowly. “There’s one person I haven’t spoken to about all this. And it’s just occurred to me that I should.” She got to her feet. “Try not to worry too much. I think we should be able to clear this up fairly soon, if I’m right.”
Rodney rose, too, his eyes full of hope. “Right about what?”
“I’d rather not say at this point.” Elizabeth touched Daphne briefly on the shoulder. “I promise to tell you just as soon as I have it sorted out.”
Daphne nodded and blew her nose again.
“I appreciate your efforts, Lady Elizabeth,” Rodney said, as he walked with her to the door. “If there’s anything I can do, please let me know. I’m anxious to see a solution to this, for many reasons.”
“I’m sure you are.” Elizabeth paused in the doorway. “I’ll do my best to get this settled just a
s soon as possible.” She left, hoping she could keep her word. The Winterhalters deserved some peace after all they’d gone through.
She was crossing the hall when the bell at the front door started chiming. Martin was probably already in bed, and Violet was in the kitchen. Since she was right on top of the door, she reasoned, she might as well open it.
Surprised to see Polly there, she opened the door wider, her smile fading when the girl almost fell into the hallway, gasping something she couldn’t understand.
“Calm down, Polly,” she said as she closed the door again. “Tell me what’s happened.”
“They’ve got her,” Polly said, fighting for breath. “I… couldn’t find… her.”
“Couldn’t find who, dear?”
“Sadie!” Polly waved a hand in front of her face and took a huge gulp of air. “She disappeared. Just like the others.”
Frowning, Elizabeth shook her head. “But she’s here, isn’t she? She usually lets us know if she’s going out.”
“No, m’m. We went to the windmill to look for Nellie and Florrie and Sadie climbed all the way to the top and I had to piddle and when I came back Sadie was gone and-”
“For heaven’s sake, child, take another breath.” Elizabeth fought to calm her own sense of panic. “Did you talk to George yet?”
“No, m’m. I came straight here. I didn’t even tell me mum yet.”
“All right, you get on home and let your mother know you’re all right, and I’ll go down to George’s house and alert him.”
“I can’t go home till I know what happened to Sadie, m’m,” Polly wailed. “I want to come with you. It’s all my fault. I left her alone up there.”
“I’m quite sure Sadie is all right,” Elizabeth said, not at all sure about anything. “She might have missed you in the dark and got worried about you, too.”
“Oh, I hope so,” Polly moaned. “I’ll never forgive me-self if something happens to her. That’s why I went with her in the first place.”
“Well, you were very silly, both of you.” Elizabeth headed out the door with Polly hot on her heels. “You shouldn’t have gone out alone knowing those hoodlums are on the prowl out there. Especially since we don’t know what happened to Nellie and Florrie.”
Polly began to sniffle, and Elizabeth mentally chastised herself for being so insensitive. The truth was, she was greatly concerned about Sadie’s disappearance. If there was one person she thought she could count on to take care of herself, it was the tough East Londoner. The Cockneys had a reputation for being fearless and indestructible. If Sadie had fallen into the clutches of those criminals, what chance did the rest of the females in the village have to defend themselves?
“You’d better ride in the sidecar,” Elizabeth said, as she wheeled her motorcycle out of the stables. “You can tell me if I’m straying off the road. This dratted blackout makes it impossible to get around after dark.”
Still sniffing, Polly scrambled into the cramped sidecar and clung to the sides. She looked scared, but determined, which Elizabeth rather admired. The girl had some pluck, she’d give her that.
She drove far more carefully than usual down the hill to George’s cottage. Even so, the ride was far from comfortable. There was no moon to light the way, and more than once Polly called out a warning that they were too close to the ditch.
At last they reached the lane that led to George’s cottage, and rather than risk taking the motorcycle down there in the dark, Elizabeth left it parked at the end of the lane. Polly kept close to her side and they walked briskly to the path that led up to George’s front door.
At one time there had been a wrought-iron gate across the front of the garden, but the War Office had taken all the wrought iron in the village away to use in the airplane factories. Elizabeth sorely lamented their disappearance.
George’s wife, Millie, opened the door in answer to Elizabeth’s knock. She seemed startled to see her guests and immediately called out to her husband. “George? Her ladyship’s here to see you!”
George appeared a minute later, looking somewhat disheveled. He wasn’t in uniform and had obviously pulled on a suit coat rather hastily, since the collar was tucked inside and his tie was askew.
“Sadie’s gone,” Elizabeth said, before he could speak. “That’s three women, George. Now, what are you going to do about it?”
George fumbled with his tie. “I’ll get me bicycle and be right with you, your ladyship.”
“No time for that. I have my motorcycle at the end of the lane. You can ride in the sidecar, Polly can sit behind, me and we’ll go back to the place where Sadie was last seen.”
Polly looked even more scared, while George exchanged glances with his wife. “If it’s all right by you, your ladyship,” he said, “I’d rather go on me bicycle.”
“No, it’s not all right with me. I need you to come with me right now.”
“You’d better go, dear,” Millie said, giving her reluctant husband a little push.
“If I don’t come back,” George told her grimly, “you know where the wills are kept.”
Polly uttered a faint squeal, while Elizabeth swung around and hurried back down the path. “Come on, both of you. We’re wasting time!”
It took several moments to get George squished into the sidecar. Elizabeth then climbed aboard and beckoned to Polly to hop up behind her on the saddle. She could feel the child’s body shivering as she wrapped both arms around Elizabeth’s waist.
“Where are we going?” George shouted rather belatedly as the motorcycle’s engine shattered the peace of the quiet countryside.
“To the windmill!” Elizabeth shouted back.
George yelled something back she couldn’t hear, but he didn’t sound too pleased. That was possibly due to the problem she was having keeping the motorcycle moving in a straight line. George’s weight in the sidecar, added to Polly’s reluctance to lean with the motorcycle, made the machine a trifle unwieldy.
“Ditch!” Polly yelled in her ear.
Elizabeth twisted the handlebars, sending the motorcycle across to the other side of the road. “Sorry!” she called out, once she had control of the vehicle again. “It’s a little tricky riding this thing without lights.”
George yelled again, but she still couldn’t hear him. She leaned toward him as far as she dared. “What?”
The dratted machine swerved again and Polly yelped. Elizabeth fought to right it, letting out a sigh of relief when they were going straight once more.
“I can’t hear you, George,” she shouted. “You’ll have to speak up!”
“He said to turn on the lights!” Polly screeched in her ear.
“But what about the blackout? It’s against the law to run with lights!”
George yelled again.
“What did he say?” Elizabeth called out to Polly.
Polly yelled back. “He said to hell with the bloody law!”
“Well, really!” Elizabeth sent George a scandalized glance.
George answered with yet another bellow.
“He says it’s an emergency,” Polly shouted. “He says we’ll be killed if you don’t use the lights. I left out the swear words, m’m.”
“Thank you, Polly. I heard him this time.” Elizabeth found the switch and turned on the headlight. A beam of white light swept up the road ahead of her, nearly blinding her with the contrast.
“Blimey!” Polly yelled. “I’d forgotten how bright that is. Hope there’s no Germans flying overhead!”
“If there are,” Elizabeth called back, “we’ll have George to thank for our demise.” Concentrating now on getting to the windmill as fast as she could without spilling them all onto the road, she opened up the throttle and swept up the coast road. Her turn into the lane caused a moment of panic when the sidecar brushed against the hedge and bounced along the grass verge before she found the pavement again.
George yelled something and Elizabeth called out to Polly.
“What did
he say?”
“You don’t want to know, m’m,” Polly called back.
Elizabeth allowed herself a faint smile. There was no doubt George was having a rough ride, but if it meant finding Sadie and the other two women before harm came to them, she was quite sure he would forgive her.
Her smile faded. That was if they found them. The more time that went by, the harder it would be. Something told her it had to be tonight, or they might not see Sadie, Nellie, or Florrie again.
“I spy with my little eye something beginning with F.”
Nellie stretched her legs out in front of her and groaned. “I’m getting tired of this silly game. I’m hungry, too. I’ve had nothing but a pork pie since last night.”
“P’raps they’ll bring some food back with them when they come back,” Florrie said hopefully.
“Don’t bet on it.” Nellie started drumming her heels on the wooden floorboards to get the circulation back in her legs. “Now they got what they wanted from me, I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t come back.”
“They’ve got to come back.” Florrie pointed to the ground below. “They left their bicycles here. I don’t think they’re going to drive a Jeep all the way back to North Horsham.”
Nellie stared at her. “How’d you know they come from North Horsham?”
Florrie looked smug. “I heard the ginger-haired one say they’d need the bicycles to get back home and the fat one said he hated the thought of riding all that way to North Horsham.”
“They’re getting really stupid,” Nellie said, scowling. “I can’t believe we’ve been imprisoned up here by such a bunch of idiots.”
“I still can’t believe you helped them get on the base.”
“I didn’t help them much. I told them about that broken fence post because it’s all the way back behind the rec center. If they try getting to the main quarters from there they’ll run into the guards.”
“Well, we’re not going anywhere for a while, so we might as well keep playing ‘I Spy.’ It will pass the time.”
Wedding Rows Page 15
