Mysteries of Billamore Hall Series: Kindle Boxed Set

by BJ Richards

  Sandra tried to move her head more in their direction for a clearer view, but the searing pain practically incapacitated her. Things were still a bit blurry, but she could see they were digging into the wall. Whatever was in there, or whatever they thought was in there, was worth killing for.

  Tears flowed through her eyes as the realization of her situation began to sink in. This might actually be the night she would die. Memories flashed through her brain. She thought of her grandmother who’d gone out of town and would hear of her death while far away from home. The thought of how the news would shatter her, made her sick.

  Then she thought of Josephine and Nathaniel, how she'd miss the wedding, and so many more memories she’d never get to make. The birthdays she would miss. And she hadn't even had the chance to fall in love, she’d been so busy being a career woman and proving to herself she didn’t need her family’s money to succeed.

  "Holy shit! I think I found something!" The raised pitch of his voice ricocheted off the walls, hurting Sandra’s head even more.

  "Lemme take a look." The other one was pointing a flashlight at the hole in the wall. "I don't know. I think it’s metal of some kind in there. Maybe some kinda box. I'm not sure."

  "I’m the one that found it! This is gonna put me in real good with the boss," the first one gloated.

  Sandra couldn’t tell which one was talking anymore. They’d turned and changed the direction of their work lights. But the one who’d found it was rubbing it in the other man’s face.

  "Nothing will happen till we actually dig it up, so we keep digging till we do," the second one demanded.

  "Did you hear that?" The voice of the man who’d found the box paused, just as he was about to continue assaulting the wall with his sledgehammer.

  "Hear what?"

  "I thought I heard a sound."

  "Probably dumb bitch over there waking up. Hurry and dig that thing up. Then let's take care of ‘er,” the other one replied.

  Sandra lay quietly, looking around her, her eyes searching for anything that might stave them off. She dug her fingers into the dirt in desperation. There was something there. Slowly she moved her fingers through the dank sand and pulled it back into her hand. She’d found a nail. It wasn’t much, but she prayed like hell it would be enough to fight for her life.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  "Oh, thank God!" Josephine jumped out of her car and ran toward Nathaniel as he pulled into the parking lot and got out.

  She was frantic. "Did you find her? Was she at home?" But she could tell by the look on his face, he’d had no luck.

  "I'm sorry babe, I'm sure we’ll find her." Nathaniel drew Josephine in for a hug. "What did the security guard say?"

  Josephine shrugged, "That she had gone. He wasn't very helpful… or very nice."

  Nathaniel nodded, walked toward the guard and whipped out his badge. "I'm Detective Murphy." The guard’s eyes immediately registered an air of panic. Nathaniel’s years on the force had taught him the innocent don’t panic when the police show up. This man had something to hide.

  "I heard you've talked to Josephine. What exactly did you tell her? Would you care to repeat it to me?" Nathaniel’s voice was authoritative, and the guard shifted from foot to foot. He would’ve seen the situation as almost funny if his best friend wasn't missing.

  "I just said she has gone out for the night, sir."

  "And did you see her when she left?" Nathaniel’s voice was sharp. The guard didn’t look him in the eye and tried to look away.

  "So you didn't see her?" Nathaniel pushed further.

  "Okay, okay… I went across the street to get some gum. It helps me stay awake at night and when I got back, the lights were off, so I locked the door. I didn't think anything of it because she said she had a thing with her friend or something. Maybe you should check with that friend."

  "The friend is here," Josephine cut in, not trying to hide the anger in her voice. She couldn't believe the guard had been so highhanded with her when he was actually keeping back information that was useful. "I hope she didn't pass out inside that place or something," Josephine said in a low voice to Nathaniel as various scenarios swam through her head.

  "Open the museum please," Nathaniel ordered and the guard hastily obliged.

  Nathaniel flipped on the switch in the Main Hall and lights flooded through the hallways; there was no sign of Sandra.

  "Sandra, Sandra!" Josephine called out and raced to her office, but the door was pulled shut and the office lights were turned off. Something had happened when Sandra was leaving work for the day, that much was clear.

  "Over here!" Seeing the basement staircase lights still on, Nathaniel called to Josephine. He was getting ready to head down.

  "She told me she keeps that place locked up now. She only goes down there if she has to," Josephine said as they made their way down the steps. Once there, they found the lights on and door open; Nathaniel rushed in, with Josephine close behind.

  Josephine knew this was the scene of the last murder. Sandra could be here, but in what state? She tried to push the thoughts from her head. She wasn't ready to add her best friend to the growing list of the mysteriously dead at Billamore Hall.

  "Her purse is here... and her phone." Josephine began to panic and looked at Nathaniel, fighting back the tears.

  “We’ll find her… don’t worry. Stay behind me.” Nathaniel’s police procedure took over. He immediately headed toward the open door to the once hidden hallway where Sandra had found Annabel’s painting.

  As soon as they walked in, Nathaniel stopped. “Shhh. Listen. I think I hear something.” Taking a few more steps, they stopped to listen again, but heard nothing.

  “I’m going on alone. Stay back here for now.”

  “No. I’ve been down this hallway more than you have. I know it better. I’m not going anywhere. And the more you argue with me, the longer it will take to find her.”

  Josephine gave him the look to let him know she wasn’t giving in on this.

  He sighed exasperated, shook his head and headed further down the old hallway.

  “Alright. Besides, you do have a point,” Nathaniel capitulated. “The two of you did find Jonas Billamore’s old office down here together, and that experience could help us find Sandra faster.”

  Almost to the turn in the hallway, they heard the sound of someone hitting something ahead of them. Nathaniel put his arm out to keep Josephine behind him. Turning the corner, they saw the alcove and the passageway that had been opened by the once recessed wall panel.

  Nathaniel pulled out his cell and activated the flashlight function. "I'm going in. You stay put.”

  "Really? We’re doing this again? I'm coming with."

  "No, I need you to stay here and keep an eye out. If I don't come back in ten minutes, you call the police."

  "No. What if something’s happened to her? I won’t abandon her, Nathaniel."

  Josephine knew Nathaniel wanted to argue that his own point was more reasonable. But she stood her ground, jutted out her chin and refused to budge.

  Rolling his eyes, he stepped into the tunnel, shining his light around to make sure it was safe. Then he motioned Josephine to follow him, taking her hand to make sure she didn’t trip when she walked in.

  "What is this place?" Josephine asked in a low voice as Nathaniel flashed his light around.

  "It's a tunnel," Nathaniel said, as surprised as Josephine was. “One I had no idea existed. Or why.”

  There were some distance into the tunnel now. Seeing tracks Nathaniel was sure were Sandra’s he pointed them out to Josephine and picked up their pace.

  Josephine called out, "Sandra!"

  Nathaniel quickly gave her arm a firm grip for her to stop. Josephine raised her brow to inquire what was wrong.

  Nathaniel pointed to the dirt path. "Look. There are different tracks of shoes here. Someone must’ve knocked her out and dragged her." He said in a low voice. "If we shout her name, it might spook them to
do something rash." Nathaniel brought out his gun and motioned for Josephine to stay back as he followed the marks left on the path.

  Josephine towed quietly behind him without arguing this time, barely breathing and praying for her friend to be okay. Oh, my God. What if I’ve put her in more danger by calling out to her. Nathaniel was right. I should’ve stayed behind and called the police.

  They hadn't gone far when they heard the sound of a sledgehammer in use. Josephine’s mind stopped imagining all the problems she may have caused and focused. They heard excited male voices that seemed thrilled by whatever they were digging out.

  Both fear and relief surged through Josephine then, her mind running wild with theories. Either these were the men who took Sandra and Nathaniel could demand her release… or they may have seen her and know where she was.

  But Josephine had a sinking feeling the voices they were hearing were not from nice men. They were coming from men with something to hide, or they wouldn’t be down here. And men with something to hide were usually desperate.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Struggling to stay conscious and fight off the pain, Sandra tried as best she could to pick up on what was being said by her assailants.

  "Did you hear that?" The dark-haired man with the sledgehammer stopped. The bald man nodded slowly, listening intently.

  Sandra herself thought she’d heard her name. She wasn't sure if it was the imaginations of escape she’d been having, or she’d truly heard Josephine's voice.

  "Yeah, but keep digging. Lemme go check it out," the bald man said.

  But before he could take a step, the one with the sledgehammer struck the wall again, knocking out several pieces of brick and concrete. "Hey, I think we can see it now!” He peered into the hole, trying to get a better look. “I think it’s some kind of chest!”

  Sandra could feel the bald man hesitating. He couldn’t decide which to investigate. If this was what they were looking for, it meant they were home free. On the other hand, if there was someone else in the tunnel, they had a whole different set of problems.

  Then she heard him give his compatriot a slap on the back. “Just keep digging. I’ll be back.” She knew he must’ve gone into the tunnel to make sure they were alone.

  Sandra tightened her grip on the nail she held in her right hand. Her head still hurt, but she was slowly getting the use of her muscles back. Hearing the continued hammering, she tried to sit up, but it hurt too much. If I could just get onto my knees, I could crawl out of here while they’re busy. As much as she wished not to be killed, her body wouldn’t respond. So, she lay there, determined to fight as much as the nail and her weakened state would allow.

  "Oh, my God, there are more people here!" Clearly alarmed, the bald one came running back to the dig site. All the composure he’d had before was gone.

  Sandra watched as best she could, but had to rely mostly on what she heard. She could hear the dark-haired man freaking out.

  "Whadda we do now?"

  "He's gonna kill us!” The bald man cursed and hit the wall with his knuckles. "We can't make everyone’s death look like a falling accident. That’ll draw the attention of the entire town. And that’s exactly what he told us not to do. If we attract the cops, we’re dead, too!"

  "You brought your gun, right? We can make it look like they came here together and one of them went crazy and shot the others before committing suicide!"

  She saw the bald man stop and think about it for a moment. Then he raised his hand and smacked his partner on the side the head. “Idiot! One, I didn’t bring my gun. And two, that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard! We are so screwed!"

  The dark-haired man who’d been holding the sledgehammer looked past his partner. “I can see a flashlight back there. We gotta decide fast."

  "Okay, okay. Lemme think."

  Sandra was regaining enough of her consciousness now, to start to understand what was going on. Oh, my God. What if it’s Nate and Jo? She wanted to call out to them to run, but her voice still wouldn’t respond. She could die, but she wasn't about to let her friends meet the same fate.

  "Okay, cover up that hole with the rock and brick you’ve dug out. We don't want anyone finding it. After you’re done, we’ll leave the other way." It was the bald man’s voice. She could hear him pacing, and proud of his plan.

  "So, what’ll you do with ‘er?"

  "Just do your job," the bald man snapped and went to his bag and started pouring something onto a piece of cloth. Sandra watched as best she could with her limited range of vision. Then he started coming toward her and she could see the smirk pasted on his face. All the hairs on her body stood at edge. Whatever was on that cloth, he was about to use it on her.

  Hold on, Sandra. You’ve still got a shot left.

  Keeping her eyes closed, she pretended to be asleep. She could feel how tense her body was with fear, the adrenaline quickening every cell. Even though somewhat muddled, her senses were on alert now. She heard him stop in front of her and felt the heat of his body as he reached down to grab her. Opening her eyes, she looked up and jabbed him in the thigh with all the strength she could muster.

  “Ahhhhh!” His yelp filled the tunnel as he staggered back.

  "What happened, Fred?"

  "You're not supposed to use my name, idiot!" the bald man screamed at his partner, while grabbing his leg and pulling out the nail. "Dumb bitch stabbed me with a nail!" He pulled back his good leg and kicked Sandra in the ribs, watching her writhe and curl over in pain. “Dumb bitch!” He kicked her harder this time, and reveled in pleasure as she groaned and cried out.

  "We don't have time for this. They probably heard us already. I got the hole covered up. Let's go!"

  "Today is your lucky day bitch," he snarled. Grabbing Sandra by the hair, he jerked her head back and covered her nostrils with the soaked cloth. She tried to fight it and not breathe, but the more she fought, that faster it seemed to work.

  Sandra felt her mind spinning again. She didn’t hear the men anymore.

  Everything was getting fuzzy. It felt like Josephine's face was resting against her own, whispering to her, telling her it was going to be okay. And Nathaniel was lifting her, telling Josephine to call an ambulance.

  She couldn't be sure. The sounds mixed together, all at one time. She couldn’t keep track... and then everything stopped. And there was nothing.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Josephine sat by Sandra’s hospital bed holding her hand, silently willing her to squeeze back, but to no avail. Two days. She’s been in this coma for two days now. Please, Sandy, please come back to us.

  Tears on the verge of spilling from her eyes, she answered her phone. She’d set it to vibrate, so as not to disturb anyone else in the ward. "Anything?" Nathaniel asked hopefully.

  Josephine shook her head. "No, nothing." Her voice was weak and she was tired, but she refused to leave Sandra’s side unless someone else was there to take her place. Besides, it made her feel better to think she might be there when Sandra came around.

  “Okay, let me know if there’s any change at all. I’ll be over later. Love you.”

  “Love you, too.” Josephine hung up, laying the phone back on top of her purse, to make sure she didn’t miss any calls.

  She couldn’t help thinking about how they’d found Sandra in the tunnel that night… bruised ribs, a bloodied head and unconscious. She’d been scared for her then, but that only escalated when they got the results back from the doctors.

  In addition to severely bruised ribs, Sandra was suffering from a major concussion compounded by an overdose of chloroform that put her into a coma. Josephine felt so angry and helpless. The doctor told her she just had to wait.

  "Wait for how long?"

  "I wish I could say. It might be tonight or a week or a month, we just can't tell."

  Now two days later, Josephine talked to her like the doctor had recommended, hoping her voice would wake her up.

  "You know, I was so angry ye
sterday that I went to the museum. The museum Board got a temporary assistant to keep it open for the moment. I mean I was angry at such disrespect, but not as much as I was angry at Annabel. She was supposed to keep you safe... and then this happened."

  She squeezed Sandra’s hand again, trying not to cry. "I really believed that, Sandra. I really did, and I'm so sorry I made you believe, too, when it was just a bunch of crap. I'm so sorry, please wake up."

  Closing her eyes, she leaned back in her chair, the exhaustion taking over. I’ll just close my eyes for a minute… just a minute… Some minutes later she shook her head and twitched her nose a little, thinking a gnat must’ve landed on her. But it wasn’t going away.

  Her hair was hanging down everywhere in a bit of a disheveled mess. Someone was playing with it. Still half asleep, she opened her eyes. It was Sandra’s hand… it was moving!

  "Oh, my God, you’re awake!" Josephine grabbed Sandra’s hand and leaned over.

  "Water..." Sandra asked in a hoarse voice.

  "Of course!" Josephine quickly poured water from the plastic hospital pitcher into a cup. She held onto the cup along with Sandra to steady it, since Sandra could barely grip the cup on her own.

  “Go slow,” Josephine cautioned. Sandra would drink a little and cough, then try to drink a little more.

  “I have to get the doctor. I’ll be right back." Josephine gave Sandra’s hand another squeeze and almost sprinted into the corridor to the nurse’s station.

  A minute later, she was back with the doctor in tow.

  ***

  "Hi Sandra, I'm Doctor Stiles. It's so good to have you back." His tall frame towered over her as he stood next to her hospital bed. “I just need to check your pupils,” he said shining a small light into her eyes.

  "What happened?" Sandra asked when the doctor was done, her voice still raspy and faint.

  "You don't remember?"

  Sandra saw how concerned Josephine was, she just didn’t know why. She looked at her best friend, then back at the doctor and shook her head no.