by Brian Meeks
Celine took the chance to get into her own character. She lowered her voice, “I noticed it last night but didn’t get a chance to ask. Have we met before? You seem very familiar to me. Were you maybe a friend of the family?” It was a clever question; the night before, she had talked at length with him about his family history. Edward picked up on, ‘but didn’t get a chance to ask’, and correctly guessed that she was playing her part.
“Maybe, I thought you seemed familiar, too. What was your father’s name?”
Celine wasn’t nearly as well prepared with a back-story. Still, her answer sounded good. Soon, they were both in character and happily enjoying breakfast and the adventure Mr. Palmeroy had created.
* * *
The lieutenant was still surveying the grounds and had made his way past the stables when he saw a lone man walking across the field. From the man’s attire, it was obvious he was either the resident or one of the guests. He waited until the man crossed the crest of the hill, then rushed along the tree line to close the gap between them.
He only had his pistol on him, but it would do. When he reached the top of the hill, he had closed the gap between them by about 50 yards but was still a couple of 100 behind. The man walked without a care though at a rather brisk pace.
The lieutenant looked rather menacing in his fatigues. He knew if he were spotted, it would send his prey into flight mode. He hugged the edge of the forest and prepared to disappear should the man turn around.
The man did not turn around but instead turned left and vanished into the woods. The lieutenant broke into a sprint, only slowing when he neared the start of the trail. The path went straight for 10 feet or so, then curved to the right. The lieutenant couldn’t be sure how much distance separated him from his next victim, so he remained cautious as he followed.
* * *
Somewhere between lather and rinse, Henry realized that Edward’s morning walk was probably part of the game. If he were right, maybe he could solve the Palmeroy puzzle and politely make an excuse to leave. It had been nearly a day since he had thought about the real murders, which was far too long.
Someone had laid out suitable clothes. Henry dressed and headed out to find the recently murdered Edward. At the edge of the patio Henry noticed that the estate continued to the north, too. He had imagined he would find Edward on the path he had explored the day before, but it was obvious there was more territory to cover. So the question was, check the path again or explore anew?
Henry reasoned that if he were going off to find a pretend victim, he might as well enjoy the walk. He headed north. When he got to the edge of the house, he noticed another path that led into the woods and a more open area that led to a set of buildings, probably the stables. Henry imagined there would be staff tending to the horses, but he preferred to be alone. He chose the forest trail.
The heat seemed to have broken in the night. It was pleasant, nearly perfect, with the slightest breeze singing through the trees. Henry heard a branch snap and froze. He had but a brief glimpse of a buck bounding away, but it made Henry smile.
The path Henry had chosen was wider and well traveled. It headed north for a bit, then gently curved west and back north again. It wasn’t long before he came to a small clearing with a gazebo. Henry saw something that made his heart sink.
Edward was coming out of the other side of the clearing. He was most definitely alive. “Well, hello there, Mr. Wood, I didn’t expect to run into you on my morning sojourn.”
“A walk seemed like a good idea. If I’m being truthful, I thought you might be headed off to your demise.”
Edward laughed. “I did, too. Perhaps I still am?”
“I thought you had ruled me out as the potential murderer.”
“So you aren’t here to settle the score?”
“What score is that?”
They sat down in the gazebo. Edward said, “You haven’t read your card yet, have you?”
Henry realized he hadn’t. “I probably should have. Maybe I am the killer. I might be mucking up the whole weekend for everyone.”
The conversation changed directions, and they laughed about the night before.
* * *
The lieutenant couldn’t believe his good fortune. Henry Wood was sitting with the man he had been following. The major would be pleased that he was able to get another kill in such close proximity to their nemesis. He estimated the distance for the shot was too great. He might accidentally miss and kill Henry, which would be both satisfying and disappointing.
The voice in his head said, “Lieutenant Randolph Vance, you need to focus. This mission has been planned by the greatest military mind we have. If you blow it, it will be a black mark that will haunt you forever.”
The lieutenant shook his head and saw the two men were headed to the far side of the clearing.
Their conversation was loud enough that the lieutenant felt comfortable closing the gap between them. He would get close enough to fire and flee. He imagined that Henry’s first instinct would be to try to save the man, so the lieutenant’s escape would be easy. He would still need to make his way back to where his gear was stored so as not to leave evidence behind.
The lieutenant rounded the curve in the path, took a position behind a tree, and brought the gun up to fire. His last thought echoed through his mind, ”Don’t leave any evidence.” The shot was easy, but he couldn’t take it. The piece of evidence he did need to leave, the manual, was back with his gear. He thought for a second, and his moment was gone. He faded back into the forest and started to make his way back to his hiding spot.
CHAPTER 40
“I think it’s going to be cooler today,” Associate 3 said, driving with his arm out of the window.
Associate Two was looking over the plans they had crafted the night before and didn’t answer. They had packed the tools of their trade and were ready for a tidy execution and extraction.
“Damn, it’s still there,” Associate 3 said as he pulled up behind the car from the night before.
They had talked about the car and decided it was as Palmeroy had suggested…nothing. Now they were forced to consider the possibility that there was something else going on. “Stay in the car,” Associate 2 said, getting out and added, “Keep an eye on the road.”
2 put on a pair of thin white gloves and put his hand on the hood. It was cool to the touch. “It’s been here all night.” The ashtray had Lucky Strike butts in it. Associate 2 moved to the trunk and picked the lock. The trunk didn’t tell him anything, so he closed it and gave the car one more walk around.
He bent down and looked at the footprints next to the driver’s side door. There were only two, but he could tell the person had been wearing boots. They looked liked standard military issue, but he couldn’t be sure. What he was sure of was that the car didn’t belong here, and the owner wasn’t some kid out for a joy ride with his girl. It was too clean. He got back in the car with 3.
“Well?”
“I don’t like it.”
“You think the Enclave sent a backup?”
“Without telling us? No, and how would they know about Mr. Palmeroy’s plan? He called us, and we haven’t reported in since we spoke with the director. The director expects us to finish this on our own.”
“If it isn’t a backup then what in the Sam Hill is going on?”
Associate 2 didn’t answer because he didn’t want to say what he was thinking, They haven’t sent a backup…they’ve sent a cleanup team. He said, “Keep going, find another spot.”
“I’ll circle around and see if we can find something on the other side of the estate.” 3 drove for thirty more minutes before finding a suitable spot. Each man gathered up brush and branches to hide the car. Associate 2 sensed that 3 had arrived at the same conclusion about the other car. He hoped he was wrong. If he weren’t, his years of dedicated service to the Enclave were coming to an end and possibly his life as well. It was a shattering thought.
Associate 3 said,
“I don’t think the director would turn on us. There are explanations we haven’t thought of, so I’m cautious but not worried.”
“You keep talking like that, and I may be reporting to you soon. You make a good point. Let’s do our job and let our training and wits win the day.”
They grabbed their gear and made for the wall they would scale to get onto the massive property.
The next few hours were spent getting familiar with the rest of the grounds. It was one thing to have plans but quite another to actually see the area they would be working in. The small lake was deemed too shallow to use as a final resting place for Wood and his secretary, so they developed a plan to remove the bodies. They hoped to be away before any of the guests missed them.
The problem, as they saw it, was going to be getting both Wood and the girl away from the rest of the guests. Mr. Palmeroy had assured them he would get them away from the house, but neither associate felt he was reliable. If things were to go smoothly, they would need their own plan. Both men were anxious to complete the job and move on. As was always the case, in such matter, after the Enclave staff was asked to eliminate someone, the associates involved would be given several months of leave anywhere in the world. Associate 2 was planning on some time visiting friends in Greece while 3 intended to head off to Iceland to see a woman he knew.
* * *
Upon returning from his morning walk, Henry made an excuse to Edward and stole away to read his card. He was thankful it mostly just said be a detective and to express an interest in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. There was a short passage about asking to see Mr. Palmeroy’s collection of signed first editions between 3:00 and 4:00 but that was his only real task.
Celine had zipped in and out of the room while Henry was reading. She said something unintelligible, bounced a bit, and declared this the best weekend of her life. It seemed the trauma was a distant memory. She was herself again. For that Henry was thankful. He again considered waiving his fee but realized that anyone who could afford first editions of Sherlock Holmes mysteries could pay.
Henry made his way down to find breakfast and was sitting alone at the table when Rita came and asked if he would like his eggs benedict served on the patio. It seemed like a brilliant suggestion, so Henry followed her and found Mr. Palmeroy enjoying his own breakfast.
“Good morning, sir,” Henry said without needing to fake his good cheer.
“Henry, I trust you slept well.”
“Let’s just say I’m well on my way to chipper.”
Rita said, “I’ll have your breakfast brought right out.”
Henry sat down and picked up the sports section. Mr. Palmeroy returned to his paper. The eggs arrived and Henry nibbled on the toast while he checked the baseball scores. Brooklyn had hosted the Chicago Cubs and won 7-0. Pee Wee Reece had gone 1 – 4, scored two runs, and had 3 RBIs. Henry put down the paper, “Do you follow baseball, Dwight?”
“I can’t say that I do. I suppose I watch a World Series game now and again when someone invites me but generally no. Which team do you follow?”
“I’m one of those guys who bleeds Dodger blue.”
“Ah, yes, Da Bums. I did get to meet their short stop last year at some charity function. What was his name?”
“Pee Wee Reece.”
“Yes, that is it. A really nice young man, as I recall.”
Henry noticed that Mr. Palmeroy’s chit chat seemed forced, but he chalked it up to the conversation being about baseball. Men like Dwight were used to being the smartest man in the room.
Henry decided to make it easier on his host and steered things away from sports. “May I ask you something?”
Dwight put down his paper. “Certainly.”
“Why did you choose me to be your guest detective?”
He looked at Henry, took a sip of his juice, gazed out over the manicured lawn, and said, “I couldn’t have just anyone. You’ve had several notable successes this year.”
“Thank you, but they were hardly front page news.”
“I believe the Tommy ‘The Knife’ story was indeed front page news.”
“I guess it was,” Henry admitted. “But you said several…how did you hear about the others?”
“I have many friends. I made a few calls asking about you, and they filled me in on the rest.”
It seemed like a reasonable answer, but Henry suspected he was hearing only partial truths.
Dwight seemed to sense he wasn’t selling it well enough. “If you must know, Daniel Kupton was a very dear friend of mine. I never believed he would kill himself. My friends at City Hall told me you had proved he was murdered. It may seem strange, but I felt a small measure of relief knowing he hadn’t done himself in. We like to think our friends will reach out if things ever get so bad.”
This last bit rang true, and Henry decided it was a good enough answer. If there was a hidden agenda, and he was sure there was, Henry would figure it out eventually. For now, he would focus on his breakfast and worry about the rest later.
CHAPTER 41
The lieutenant had three close calls while trying to get back to his stash of gear. It was strange how everyone seemed to be wandering about having unusual conversations. Their comments and reactions were stiff. He heard his mother’s voice say, “Randolph, it isn’t polite to listen to the grown-ups talk.”
He shook his head, and his mother’s voice faded. The morning light had given way to a bright and sunny day, which made sneaking about a bad idea. The lieutenant felt his hiding place was secure, but as he had nothing else to do, he worked on his nest.
Ever since he had entered the woods, the voices and flashbacks had stayed away. Finally, there was little else to do but close his eyes and wait. He let his mind travel to the spot where he held the seething rage. He went back to the plan he had formed while in the hospital. In the dream, Henry, in his uniform, was tied to a chair. It was day five in the chair, and he was covered in his own sweat and urine. The lieutenant imagined that Henry would have started begging for the beatings to stop on day two and for death on day four. He was snapped out of his fantasy by a local insect, who was taking an early lunch.
Suddenly, he heard voices. They were faint, and he couldn’t be sure how far away they were or if they were even real. Still, he held his breath and struggled to make out their words.
Associate 3 said, “I made it to the parimeter to the north. The guests and staff seem to be all over this place.”
Associate 2 asked, “Were you spotted?”
“No, sir. I did have to take a circuitous route back. Did you find a good spot for us to wait?”
“Yes, follow me.”
The voices trailed off and Lieutenant Randolph Vance relaxed. The voices were real, but they presented a whole new set of questions. The most pressing was who they were and, to a lesser extent, were they sent by the major. Had the major lost faith in the lieutenant’s abilities? He mulled the questions in his head. He was unsure of what to think and could feel his balance slipping. He shut his eyes tight. The voices, sounds, and fear washed over him. He began to crawl from his hiding spot, his sniper rifle slung over his back.
The going was slow. He knew the wall was not far but felt that if he could get to it, he would be able to get a grip on the present. The trees were thick and he clawed his way under a bush. His eyes were still shut. It was fear that kept them closed. If he opened them and saw himself surrounded by Germans, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself. It was a strange sensation being on the edge between what he knew to be real and the horror of what wasn’t.
His hand felt the stone. It was real, cool to the touch and rough. Eyes still closed, he ran his fingers over the wall base and imagined what it looked like. He felt dirt, weeds, leaves, and more stones. Pulling himself close to his hands he opened his eyes. Everything looked exactly like he imagined. The voices stopped and he was lucid again. The lieutenant rolled over on his back and looked up through the thick of the trees. The people who had been talking were
gone. His rifle was digging into his back, so he turned onto his side and pulled it off. Randolph removed the scope and got to his knees.
Crouching behind the wall he peered over the edge. His face, covered in grime, blended in with the forest. If anyone had been near, they likely wouldn’t have noticed him. As it was, nobody was visible. The lieutenant scanned the grounds. From his vantage point, he couldn’t see any of the guests. He checked his surroundings and was sure he was well hidden. Now all there was to do was wait. As soon as someone was close enough, he would take his shot, rush out and drop the manual, and be gone.
CHAPTER 42
Henry found Celine and Catherine by the pool. The surprising part wasn’t that they were enjoying the summer sun; it was that he hadn’t noticed the pool the day before. There was a whole section at the back southern corner of the estate with tables, a pool, a pool house, and various assorted carved shrubbery. The sheer size of the house and grounds was starting to make Henry’s down-to-earth head spin.
“Henry!” they both yelled.
“Ladies…Enjoying this fine day?”
Celine sat up from reclining. “I haven’t relaxed by a pool in ages.”
Catherine smiled. “I like it out here, but it is nice having someone to talk with while I work on my tan.”
“That doesn’t sound scripted.”
Celine laughed. “We were just talking about all the good juicy gossip flying around. We’re trying to guess who the murderer is and he hasn’t even struck yet.”
“He? You’ve eliminated the ladies from suspicion, it appears.”
“Sorry, boss, I shouldn’t make assumptions.”
