Curse of Black Tor

by Toombs, Jane

  This from a girl who'd supposedly tried to kill herself more than once? Martha shook her head. She no longer believed that Josephine had ever tried suicide.

  Josephine turned back to her. “He never loved me,” she said. “Or my mother, either.”

  “I think you're wrong,” Martha told her. “I don't know how he felt about your mother, but every time I talked to him, his one concern was for your safety.”

  “Only because I'm a part of him—-his daughter. Not because I'm me.” Tears rolled down Josephine's face. “He just loved Jules. Jules is her son. The first Josephine. Josie.”

  “Didn't you tell me your father left everything equally to you and Jules?”

  “I didn't say he wasn't fair.” Josephine began to sob, and her words came through with difficulty. “Only he never loved me...”

  Martha held her while she cried, feeling tears gather in her own eyes.

  At last Josephine straightened herself, wiping her face with a handkerchief, reducing it to a sodden ball. “Poor Simon,” she said when she'd finished. “They took him away, too, didn't they? I never liked Simon, but I didn't wish him dead.”

  “Then you know?” Martha asked.

  “Sarah told me.”

  Martha started up. “I left her with Louella. Where—”

  “Don't go,” Josephine begged. “Sarah's all right. I was down in my room when she came in. Then Aunt Nat collected her.” She dabbed the last of the tears from her eyes. “What happened to Simon? I saw the police. Were they here about Bill, or was Simon...?” She stopped, looking at Martha. “Dr. Hansen doesn't know what killed Simon. He—it might have been a natural death. The police checked because—well, there could've been an accident.”

  “Or someone could have killed him, too, isn't that right? ”

  “Too?” Martha asked.

  “Like they tried to do with me. And you. Accidents.”

  “I don't know,” Martha told her. “Don’t forget Bill Wong was shot as well. Another accident?”

  “I—I assumed it had been,” Martha said. “The woods--”

  “Our land is all posted,” Josephine said. “No one hunts here.”

  “Still...”

  “I don't believe it,” Josephine said.

  Martha agreed with her but thought it best not to say so. “Let's go down to our bedrooms,” she said to Josephine. “I realize you don't feel like eating, but—”

  “It'll be just like Jules to insist we all appear for dinner as usual,” Josephine said bitterly. “And I suppose I'll have to. Jules will be watching me, waiting for me to act peculiar so he can put me in one of those places and get control of my money.” Her mouth tightened and her face grew tense. In that moment Martha thought Josephine looked a good deal like her half brother.

  Josephine caught at Martha's arm. “You won't have to leave Black Tor now!” she cried. “I can pay you to stay— to be my companion! You'll stay, won't you?”

  “I'll stay if you want me,” Martha said. “But there's Diego, too.” Josephine shook her head. “We have to wait. I don’t want Jules to know about Diego. Not until the money’s in the bank with my name on the account.”

  “You promised me I could meet Diego,” Martha reminded her.

  Josephine eyed her warily. “He says not yet.”

  Martha looked away, her mind filled with mistrust of the reluctant Diego, missing all these years and now returning just as Josephine came into a fortune.

  “I'll be twenty-three in a week,” Josephine said. “Daddy thought he'd live past my birthday. He knew I wasn't crazy. That's why he changed his Will last year. Before that, Jules was my guardian and had control of my share of the money if daddy died. But last year the will was changed so that I had control of my own money when I reached twenty-three. So I won't get my share until next week, when I have my birthday. And I suppose there'll be delays, so I won't really have it for months after. But I'll pay you when I can, Martha.”

  “Don't worry about paying me,” Martha said. “I'll stay as long as you need me.”

  As she followed Josephine down the winding stairs from the tower, Martha wondered how she could protect Josephine as Norman had asked. From whom? Diego? Jules? Someone else at Black Tor? Charn? Cathleen? Natalie? Or Matthew? Could Louella be a threat to anyone? Martha didn't trust any of them.

  In her bedroom Martha changed into a cotton print skirt—not especially appropriate for a Black Tor dinner, but it would have to do.

  Josephine came in looking pale and subdued in a navy dress with white piping around the collar. She knocked against the stand that held the gilt cage with the stuffed canary, and the yellow bird swung dumbly on its perch. They both watched the tiny swing go to and fro. Martha's mouth twisted in distaste.

  “I don't like them, either,” Josephine said, turning her face from the cage. “I'm sorry I threw the cat from the tower and frightened you when you first came, but I'm glad I got rid of one more dead pet. I—it's morbid, all different kinds of animals in the house and none of them alive. But Daddy wouldn’t let anything be different from the way his father did it.” She swung around and glared at the stuffed canary in the cage.

  “Jules won’t change things, either. I’m glad Daddy left him the house. I don’t want it.”

  They met Louella in the hall by the staircase.

  “How is Sarah?” she asked.

  “Aunt Nat took her somewhere,” Josephine said. “But she didn’t seem upset after I told her Daddy and Simon were dead. More like excited.”

  Louella shook her head. “I trust Natalie put Sarah to bed,” she said. “The child’s too young to encounter so much death. Finding the young man--and them losing Norman. She loved her grandfather.” Josephine glanced sharply at Louella, but the old woman had turned away and was picking her way down the stairs moving slowly and carefully.

  Martha wondered if L o uella checked for a cord each time. But why would anyone wish to do away with harmless Louella?

  “And that’s the ugliest stuffed animal of all,” Josephine said, pointing at the orca rising from the foyer below them. “But Jules won’t ever part with her. When I was little, I was afraid of that killer whale until Jules told me it was a she. So I figured if she was a girl , that made her safe and I stopped being scared. I wish some museum would--” she broke off and stopped, one foot already on the next step down. “What’s that fastened to her?”

  Martha saw what she meant--a white paper was bound to the orca’s tail.

  “The writing’s in green!” Josephine cried. “I know who it’s from.” She rushed down the rest of the steps, pushing past Louella.

  Martha hurried after her.

  When she caught up with Josephine, the girl was already on her tiptoes, reaching for the paper and saying, “He always writes me in green.” She gave the paper a yank, but it didn’t come loose. She pulled harder.

  “Oh, dear God, it’s going to fall!” Louella cried from behind them

  With horror Martha saw the pedestal buckle, screamed and grabbed for Josephine, trying to pull her sideways. She heard a grinding noise, something hit her across the chest and flung her to the floor. After that nothing.

  Chapter Twenty

  Voices in the darkness, hands touching her, a man calling her name. Martha opened her eyes with an effort, surprised to find herself lying on the floor.

  “Are you all right, Martha?” Jules's voice.

  She looked up into his eyes. “I—think so.” She moved her legs tentatively, then her arms, and winced with pain. “My shoulder....”

  She turned her head and saw the broken body of the killer whale littering the foyer floor. Someone had said the whale was falling; someone had screamed—

  Josephine!

  Martha struggled to a sitting position, ignoring the pain in her left shoulder. She tried to rise to her feet, but a wave of dizziness prevented her. “Josephine?” she asked. “Is she...?”

  “She's alive.” Jules's voice was grim.

  Martha looked f
rantically about and saw Josephine lying in back of her. Holding her left arm across her body, Martha slid herself over next to the unconscious girl.

  Josephine's pulse was weak but steady.

  “Have you called Dr. Hansen, an ambulance?” Martha asked.

  Jules crouched on the other side of Josephine. “The ambulance should be here any moment. Will Hansen's already at St. Joseph's and will meet the ambulance there.” He touched Josephine's face awkwardly, pushing back a strand of hair. “Can you tell how badly hurt she is?” he asked.

  Martha shook her head. “Don't move her,” she said.

  “What happened?” someone asked.

  Martha glanced up and saw Natalie. Matthew stood beside her. Charn was in the foyer, too, and Cathleen. Francis hovered near the shattered bulk of the orca, as though waiting for orders to clean up the mess.

  Suddenly everyone began to speak.

  “I heard Louella call out,” Cathleen said. “Then a scream—”

  “And the thud—I knew what had happened before I ran in,” Charn said.

  “I can't imagine how the whale came to fall,” Matthew said. “Were you fooling with the pedestal?”

  “A note,” Martha said. “There was an envelope taped to the tail with Josephine's name written in green. She…” Her words trailed off. No point in mentioning Diego.

  “Are you saying Josephine pulled the whale over on the two of you?” Natalie asked. “Impossible.”

  “It fell,” Martha said. “Louella called out to warn us, but I couldn't get Josephine out of the way.”

  The note. Had Josephine pulled it free of the tail? Was it under the debris now?

  “Who was the letter from?” Jules asked, as if reading her mind.

  “I don’t know, Josephine might have been able to free the envelope before--”

  “An odd place to put a message,” Matthew said.

  Martha stared down at Josephine's white face. The pulse remained steady under her fingers, but the girl showed no signs of regaining consciousness.

  “The whale shouldn't have fallen,” Jules stated. “The fastenings are checked every month or so.”

  “Exactly what I said,” Natalie put in. “That's what we get for taking an adventuress into the house. I said a young woman with her looks was up to no good applying for a job like this. I told you—”

  “Aunt Natalie,” Jules said, “please be quiet. Martha is in no way responsible for this accident.”

  “That museum fellow,” Charn said. “The one you said was interested in the whale. Could he have done something?”

  Bran? Martha wondered. Surely he had nothing to do with this. And yet he had been fascinated by the killer whale. Could he have inadvertently loosened a fastening?

  “I doubt it was Lowrey,” Jules said. He glanced at Martha, then at Josephine.

  At that moment the ambulance arrived, and Martha rode to the hospital with Josephine.

  At St. Joseph's, an X ray revealed that Martha's collarbone was broken, and after a wait Dr. Hansen put her arm in a sling.

  “Have you found how badly Josephine's injured?” Martha asked him. “Is she conscious?”

  “No skull fracture, though I suspect a concussion. She's responding quite well. Fracture of the fourth and fifth ribs, right side, but the lung's not involved. A few days here in the hospital should have her feeling well enough to go home. As for you—”Dr. Hansen paused and looked at her for a long moment. “I can keep you here overnight if you like. You've a few bruises besides the fractured clavicle.”

  “But I don't really need to stay at the hospital,” Martha said.

  “No.” He still watched her. “Not unless you want to.”

  She looked back at him uncertainly.

  “An odd accident after the whale sat there all these years,” Dr. Hansen said. “Will you be staying long at Black Tor?” Did he suspect she was responsible? Or was he warning her? But of what?

  “I'll stay until Josephine no longer needs me,” she said. “May I see her?”

  “Yes, of course. For a few minutes. I've assigned a nurse to her for tonight—you won't be allowed to remain in her room. Come back and visit her tomorrow by all means.”

  Jules drove Martha back to the house. They rode through the night in silence until he turned the car into the private road leading to Black Tor. “I’m glad your injury isn’t too serious,” he said. “ I want you to stay until you feel well enough to travel. This has been…” He hesitated. “I’m sorry about everything,” he went on. “I wish…” Again he stopped, and this time said nothing more.

  What shall I tell him? Martha wondered. That I won't go if Josephine needs me? And what does he wish? That I had never been Marty Collier? I wish it, too. But I was, I am, and the fact can't be changed. She was very conscious of Jules next to her in the small car, wanting him to touch her and yet afraid he would.

  “You should be safe,” Jules said. “With Josephine in the hospital--”

  “Safe?”

  “Stay in your room except for meals. Tedious, I know, but....”

  “Then you believe me about the accidents—you realize someone's trying to kill Josephine! You—”

  “Martha, don't put words in my mouth. I don't want anything more to happen to you. Let's leave it at that.”

  “But Josephine—

  “She's certainly safe at St. Joseph's Hospital.”

  “Yes, but—”

  “I plan to have my father's safety-deposit box opened as soon as possible,” Jules said. “He hid things from me—he always has. I’ve given up trying to understand why. This mystery about Josephine, for example. The years she was gone. He must know—he brought her back. And yet he would tell no one, not even Louis Marston.”

  “Or Dr. Hansen?” Martha asked. “Hasn't he ever taken care of Josephine before? Dr. Marston's a psychiatrist.”

  Jules sighed. “I know. But Louis has been Josephine's only doctor. When she took the pills those two times, he came to the house and treated her there.”

  “That's—unusual,” Martha said.

  “And when she fell over the cliff, my father wouldn't let him keep her at the hospital. When the X rays showed no fractures, he insisted she come home.”

  “I wonder why,” Martha said.

  “And there's Sarah. Father told me nothing of her origins. Obviously she's an illegitimate Garrard.”

  Martha said nothing.

  “No, she's not my child!” Jules spoke vehemently. “I know half the town believes she is, and I've often felt my father chose to have them think so. God knows why.”

  “There's been some suggestion that your grandfather Abel had illegitimate children,” Martha said tentatively.

  Jules sighed again. “Yes. But why wouldn't my father let me know that that was where Sarah's Garrard blood came from? And why bring her to Black Tor to begin with? He was never interested himself in his father's by-blows or their descendents before.”

  The lights of the house were before them, and Jules pulled up by the front door. Martha had a sudden reluctance to get out of the car and go into the house. She turned toward Jules. He leaned over and touched her face, then kissed her gently. After a moment she pulled away, afraid to prolong the embrace.

  He hesitated, then got out and came around to open her door. “I'll send Ruth to your room,” he told her. “You'll have trouble managing with your arm in that sling”

  “Thank you.”

  He opened the front door.

  Charn stood in the foyer, his face tense, all the laugh lines gone. “I'm glad you're back, Jules,” he said. “Sarah's disappeared.”

  “What do you mean, 'disappeared'?”

  Charn shrugged. “We can't find Sarah. Cousin Louella started nattering away about the kid right after you left, and at first none of us paid any attention. Then—”

  “Oh, thank heaven you're here, Jules!” said Natalie, coming out of the library and crossing to the foyer where they stood. “Little Sarah is gone. We can't find her
anywhere.”

  “You've searched the house?” Jules asked. “The tower, too?”

  “Cathleen went up there herself,” Natalie said. “Francis, Ruth, Henry—we've all been looking. Sarah's not in the house. Henry even went outside and called her, but with no results.”

  “Who saw her last?” Jules demanded. “And when?”

  “Louella claims I took her,” Natalie said. “What actually happened was Sarah ran off from Louella and she won't admit it. I found the child in Josephine's room—” Natalie paused and shook her head. “I don't seem able to absorb all that's happened today. Simon's death and then Norman.” She dabbed at her eyes with a lace-edged handkerchief.

  “Where did you take Sarah?” Jules asked.

  “To her own room, of course. I felt she needed to rest away from the excitement—the ambulance and the police. She gets very worked up.”

  “Then what?”

  “Why I left her in her room with instructions to rest on her bed with the door closed until dinner.”

  “You didn’t go back to check on her?” Martha asked. Natalie shot her a venomous glance. “With all the commotion, I had no chance to see Sarah again until Louella asked about her.” Natalie spoke directly to Jules, ignoring Martha as much as possible.

  “When did you realize Sarah was gone?” Jules said.

  “Louella insisted she wasn’t in her room, so I went to look--this was after the ambulance had left. The child wasn’t there. Louella became positively hysterical, demanding we find Sarah immediately. I confess I wasn’t worried at the time. You know what a gamine Sarah is, constantly evading rules.”

  Cathleen came down the staircase. “I rechecked the rooms in the south wing,” she said, “I even looked inside the storage space under the window seats in the tower.”

  Jules shut his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. “I’ll notify the police.”

  “Oh, Jules, do you think that wise? Sarah could just be hiding somewhere.”

  “She’s only six years old, ” he said. “It’s almost midnight.” He strode into the library.

  Martha hurried after him. Sarah had been left in her own bedroom. Where might she have gone? She trusted Josephine, so she might have gone up to the tower where she knew Josephine might be to talk to her? If so, then Josephine may have some idea of what Sarah had been up to.