Crowned and Dangerous

by Rhys Bowen

  Darcy reacted sharply. “You two ladies are not going alone without me.”

  “You can’t come with us,” I said. “He knows you.”

  “He saw you before too.”

  “But he didn’t know who I really was. I told him I was working for an investigator in London, remember. And when he hears that Alexandra is working on behalf of the barrister, he may be seriously rattled.”

  “He might also find another weapon and club you both to death,” Darcy said.

  “Don’t be silly, darling,” Zou Zou said. “This will all be conducted on the doorstep. I understand there is still a policeman on guard at the main gate. He’ll be within shouting distance. Nothing to worry about. You would be of more use going into the village and finding out at the post office whether any letters have arrived from America recently.”

  “I don’t like this,” Darcy said, but his father nodded. “Let them go. I’ll stand and keep watch in the trees where I can’t be seen.”

  Darcy sighed. “Very well. I suppose it has to be done. The sooner we have help from the American embassy, the better. But I don’t think you should let it be known that we’ve found out Roach was not his real name. He may already know that. He may not. Either way this isn’t the right time to divulge.”

  We nodded.

  “Ready?” Zou Zou looked at me. I stood up, taking the camera from Darcy. “Don’t worry. We’ll be fine.” I gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile.

  The rain had stopped as we left the lodge and the sky to our west was streaked blood red, dramatically outlining the bare bones of the trees. We crossed the kitchen garden and found the little door in the wall beneath the ivy. Then we made our way to the castle through the woodland. Again I experienced that feeling of extreme watchfulness, as if every creature on the estate was alert. I marveled at Zou Zou’s sangfroid until there was a rustle in the undergrowth nearby and she grabbed my arm.

  “What was that?” she whispered.

  “There are deer on the estate, so I’m told,” I said, glad that for once I was the brave one.

  When we set off again I noticed that she kept closer to me. The castle loomed over us, its stone glowing pink in the rays of the setting sun. We followed the path around the castle wall to the front where the driveway ended in a circle of gravel with a fountain playing in the middle. I glanced back along the drive to the main gate but could not catch a glimpse of the Garda who was stationed there. Maybe this was a good thing, I decided, or he might have come to stop us. But I would have found it more reassuring to know he was close by.

  The front door was up a flight of stone steps.

  “You stay at the bottom where he can’t see you and you can take a good picture of his face,” Zou Zou said.

  She went up the steps and waited until I had found a position where I could focus the camera on the front door. Then she gave me a thumbs-up sign and tugged on a bellpull. We heard a jangle echoing inside and waited. And waited. Zou Zou had almost decided to turn away and give up when the front door opened with an ominous creaking sound, such as one hears in horror films. Mickey stood there and reacted with surprise.

  “Who are you? How did you get in here past the constable at the gate? If you’re a reporter . . .”

  “Of course I am not a reporter,” Zou Zou said in her most autocratic voice. “I am here on behalf of the barrister in Dublin who is to represent Lord Kilhenny. He wanted me to ask you a few questions. You are Mr. Roach’s manservant, are you not?”

  “Would I be living in this dump if I wasn’t?” he said cockily, but his eyes darted nervously and I could tell he was rattled.

  “Naturally you will be called to testify,” Zou Zou continued. “That should be no problem as long as you tell the truth. Now if you could just answer a couple of questions, please.”

  “You’d better come inside,” he said.

  “No, thank you. Here will do perfectly,” she said. “I have to show you a photograph and I want you to see it in good light.” She held it out to him. “Please take a look at this. You see the man standing behind Lord Kilhenny. Do you recognize him?”

  He took the photograph. I focused the camera lens on him and as he looked up, I took the picture. Then wound on the film and took a couple more for good measure. I tried to make sure that my hand wasn’t shaking, which wasn’t easy. After one brief glance he handed the photograph back to Zou Zou.

  “Never saw him before in my life,” he said. “Is he the guy you suspect of killing my boss?”

  “Let’s just say he is a person of interest,” she said.

  This time I did see a flicker of amusement cross his face. It was fleeting but definitely there. He does know more, I thought.

  “Thank you. I’ll report back that you have never met him,” she said. “And I also wanted to check something else you said. I am told that you said Mr. Roach had no visitors.”

  “That’s right.”

  “But it seems that his doctor came to see him.”

  The surprise on his face was obvious. “His doctor? Well, yes. But that’s not a visitor, is it? He had tradesmen arriving all the time, delivering groceries and meat. He had a barber come to cut his hair. But that’s not proper visitors. Yeah, a doctor came when he wasn’t feeling well.”

  “An American doctor?”

  “That’s right. His doctor from back in the States was making a trip to Ireland so he stopped by to check on the boss’s health.”

  “And where is he now? Would he be available to testify?”

  “To what?” Mickey’s voice rose. “He was here and back in the States long before Mr. Roach was killed. So please tell your barrister guy that he’s wasting his time and energy. It’s just as I told the Garda. Nobody came to the house that I knew of. The only person was Lord Kilhenny and he and Mr. Roach got into a fight that very afternoon. The guy is as guilty as hell. What more can he possibly need to know?”

  “I’m not privy to the direction the investigation will be taking,” she said haughtily. “But we will be checking on some other people who were seen near the castle recently, as well as Mr. Roach’s telephone logs.”

  “What does any of this matter when Kilhenny’s prints were the only ones on the club?” he demanded.

  He stepped toward her and I took the opportunity to snap another picture as the setting sun highlighted his face.

  “Interesting, that, don’t you think?” she said, standing her ground and eyeing him calmly. “A club that has been in existence for several thousand years and yet has acquired only one set of fingerprints during that whole time?”

  “That’s obvious, isn’t it?” he said. “Mr. Roach was getting ready to send it to an auction. He had me take it down and polish it so it looked good.” This time there was a definite smirk.

  “Ah, I see,” she said. “Well, thank you, you’ve been most helpful. I won’t trouble you any longer. So I presume you’ll go back to America when this is all over?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Well, please don’t think of going anywhere in the near future,” she said, holding the photograph carefully with the handkerchief around it. “You will be needed as a witness at the trial.”

  “I know that. It would be much better if the lord guy pleaded guilty right now and we didn’t have to go through all the nonsense of a trial.”

  “Fortunately for Lord Kilhenny, he has many important friends who are going to make sure that justice is done for him,” she said, giving him a brisk nod. “Good afternoon to you, Mr. Riley.”

  Twilight fell swiftly as we walked back through the woods. The rooks were cawing as they came to roost in the big oak trees and their raucous noise drowned out any stirrings in the undergrowth. But even though I could hear no human voices, I had a horrible feeling of eyes on me. I glanced over my shoulder but saw nothing. No branches moved in the undergrowth. But I was still completely
sure that someone was watching me.

  Chapter 26

  TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4

  BACK TO MOUNTJOY.

  We made it back to the door in the wall without incident. Darcy and his father greeted us with obvious relief, and a touch of respect as I recounted Zou Zou’s brilliant performance.

  “You should have gone on the stage,” Darcy said. “You and Georgie’s mother. You’d have made a fine pair.”

  She laughed. “I’ve often found a few acting skills to be useful in life,” she said. “Fortunately I’ve never needed to live by the sweat of my brow.”

  “Lucky for you,” Lord Kilhenny said. “Some of us have had to struggle to keep our heads above water and haven’t always succeeded.”

  “But life is not always fair, is it?” she said. “I did not know where I should go or how I should live when they killed my husband and burned my home. But I learned to make a new life for myself. That is what one has to do. Pull oneself up by the bootstraps and start over.”

  “Of course, it helps if you have a nice large Swiss bank account,” Darcy pointed out.

  She laughed then. “Yes, that does help.” She looked at Darcy. “What did you find at the post office?”

  “Nothing. The postmistress said that no letters had come for Mr. Roach from America.”

  “It’s quite possible that he had a postbox in Kildare or Dublin and his man picked up letters there,” Lord Kilhenny pointed out.

  “Of course. Another thing for the Garda to check on,” I said. “If they are willing to do so.”

  “It’s getting dark,” Darcy said. “I should drive you back to Dublin.”

  “I have a wonderful idea,” Zou Zou said brightly. “Why don’t we all pile into the Rolls and I’ll treat us to a slap-up dinner at the Shelbourne. The food at luncheon really was rather good, wouldn’t you say?” She looked directly at Lord Kilhenny. “You need cheering up.”

  “I’m afraid you’ll have to count me out,” he said. “I’m not allowed to leave the immediate area without permission. You go and enjoy yourselves. Mrs. McNalley has brought in some food for me. I’ll muddle through.”

  “Absolutely not,” Zou Zou said. “Then we’ll all stay. The shops won’t have closed yet. We can pop into the village and rummage up something passable to eat, I’m sure. Although I doubt if we can find a decent champagne.”

  “No,” Lord Kilhenny said firmly. “If you don’t mind I’d rather be alone. It’s not easy being sociable at the moment and I am completely devoid of small talk. I can manage.”

  “If that’s what you really want,” Zou Zou said.

  “It’s for the best at the moment,” he said, and I wondered if he was trying to be kind and didn’t want us to be associated with him.

  “I’ll be back later, Father,” Darcy said. “Then we can eat together.”

  “No, you have a good meal with Her Highness,” Lord Kilhenny said. “Really, I’d rather be alone.”

  “I wonder if he means it,” Zou Zou said as we drove off in the Rolls, “or if he’s just being thoughtful, realizing he’s not good company at the moment.”

  “I don’t ever remember my father being the thoughtful type,” Darcy said.

  “Oh, I’m sure that under that gruff exterior there beats a warm and generous heart,” she said, making Darcy laugh.

  “You really do see the silver lining in every situation, don’t you?” he asked.

  “It’s easier than being swallowed up in the dark clouds,” she said.

  “Darcy’s father was invited to Great-Aunt Oona’s last night and refused to come,” I said.

  “Great-Aunt Oona. What a delicious name. I have to meet her, Darcy. Why don’t we drop off Georgie on our way to Dublin and I can stop in and say hello. Then we can broach the subject of my staying there as well.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that and I really don’t think you’d be comfortable, Alexandra,” he said. I noticed he was using her formal name to emphasize the point. “You might think you can take simplicity, but this is taking something close to chaos. And I also think they’d feel embarrassed at having such a distinguished guest when they no longer have servants or the lifestyle to make you comfortable. Frankly I’d be happier if you went back to London.”

  “You don’t think I’m of any use to you? After my brilliant performance with Mickey today?” She sounded shocked and hurt. “I can’t believe you’d say that, Darcy.”

  “I think you’re wonderful, Zou Zou. But I’m asking myself if there’s anything you could do that we can’t. I don’t want to keep you here, wasting your time and spending your money.”

  “But I’m enjoying myself. It’s thrilling. And I won’t rest until we’ve proved your father innocent and given him back his castle.”

  “I don’t see how that is going to happen,” Darcy said. “Even if he is proven innocent, the property will pass to Mr. Roach’s heirs. He was the rightful owner, whoever he really was.”

  “You never know,” Zou Zou said. “That’s one of the enjoyable things about life. You never know what will happen next. That’s why I feel so sorry for those poor people who go to an office or a bank on the eight thirty train every morning. They know exactly what will happen for the next twenty years, apart from a holiday in Folkestone or Margate. God, I’d shoot myself.”

  We were driving through the village. I spotted my American reporter, talking and smoking with two men outside the Harp, and I wondered how long they’d be prepared to stay here if the time dragged on before the trial. As we left the village behind I thought I saw someone running after us. These reporters were certainly keen, but so far so good. As yet they hadn’t twigged to who I was. It was quite dark now and lights twinkled here and there in the blackness of the countryside.

  “Come on, Darcy. Don’t be such a spoilsport. You can at least introduce me to your aunt and uncle,” Zou Zou said. “I’m dying to meet your relatives, even if they are batty.”

  Darcy sighed. “Very well. But please don’t suggest that you stay with them.”

  “Of course not. We’ll only pop in to say hello when you deliver Georgie.”

  I was beginning to feel uncomfortable about this. Zou Zou was a lovely person. She was fun; she was generous. But why was she so keen to drop me off with Darcy’s great-aunt and then have Darcy drive her on to Dublin without me? Old insecurities resurfaced. I was quite sure that she and Darcy had been . . . well, more than friends . . . at one stage. I’ve noticed that one can tell from the way two people look at each other whether they’ve shared a bed or not. Did she want him back? Did she see me as a challenge? And would he bother to drive all the way back to Kilhenny at night when it would be so much easier to stay with her rather than pick her up in the morning?

  I glanced across at him, thinking how handsome he was and how unbelievable that he’d chosen someone like me. I suppose I still couldn’t quite believe it. I knew I should trust him. I reminded myself firmly that he had asked me to marry him, out of all the women in his life. But his manner of living had been so different from mine. I knew bed hopping was a favorite sport of my class, but I didn’t want to share him. I didn’t want to worry when he didn’t come home. That was no way to live.

  We turned off the road and bumped up the driveway to Mountjoy.

  “Good God—you know, it is rather a monstrosity.” Zou Zou gave a delighted chuckle. “You’re living in a house of horrors, Georgie. Great-Aunt Oona is not a witch in her spare time, is she, Darcy?”

  “Who knows? I wouldn’t be at all surprised.” Darcy opened the car door for her, then led her up to the house. As I followed him into the hallway we were greeted by the pack of dogs, jumping up, tails wagging. Oona appeared from the kitchen, wearing an apron.

  “I wondered when we’d see you again,” she said. “I hope you haven’t come to dinner tonight, Darcy, because we’ve just curried the remains o
f the duck and there is only enough for three.” She broke off as Zou Zou stepped into the light. “Hello, what’s this? Another one? Who are you?” she demanded.

  Darcy took Zou Zou’s arm. “Aunt Oona, this is another friend from London. Her Highness Princess Zamanska. Zou Zou, may I present my great-aunt Oona.”

  Zou Zou came forward, avoiding dogs and holding out her hand. “How do you do? I popped over from London as soon as I heard to see if I could be of any help to Darcy’s father. Forgive the intrusion, but I simply had to meet you.”

  Oona looked startled, not sure how to respond to this.

  “Another friend from London? Are you planning a harem, Darcy?” she demanded.

  “This one really is a friend from London, I assure you,” Darcy said. “Old chums. We were just on our way back to Dublin. She’s staying at the Shelbourne.”

  “Where else?” Oona said. “Well, I suppose you had better come through and have a glass of sherry. If I’d known you were coming I’d have had Treadwell bake some cheese straws. He’s become a dab hand at baking.”

  “Aunt Oona, I really think we should be getting along. I have to drive into Dublin and back tonight,” Darcy said.

  “Don’t be such a fuddy-duddy, Darcy,” Zou Zou said. “I remember many times when you went home at three in the morning and thought nothing of it. And I think a glass of sherry is exactly what is needed. Buck us all up.”

  “Jolly good. Come on, then. This way,” Oona said. “Clear off, dogs. Go on. Out of the way.” She tried to clear a dog-free path down the hallway, not too successfully.

  “Treadwell is your cook?” Zou Zou asked as she picked her way over boots and past dogs to follow Oona into the sitting room. This time there was no cat on a chair but several new piles of books, the Times, with a crossword half done, and a dozen eggs in a basket.