When did you last see your Grandfather?
In the warmth of the converted barn, Rebecca fished her mobile phone out of her pocket as the message alert sounded. ‘It’s Rupe,’ she said. ‘He’s back in the monastery. The number is a grid reference. Yes, we know that but hold on, he’s just seen the doctor!’
‘Doctor?’ said Laura.
‘Don’t ask me if he’s ill, Gilmour.’
‘I wasn’t going to!’ protested Laura.
‘The doctor who ‘looked after’ his Grandfather?’ asked Drew.
‘The very same. He’s a monk at the monastery. Well there’s a surprise! This is all starting to make sense.’
‘I’m glad you understand,’ said Laura. ‘Fancy filling the rest of us in?’
‘When we meet up with Rupert and Von Krankl later, I promise.’
* * *
The door to the small room in the monastery on Druid’s Rock opened to reveal Daedalus.
‘Rupert Dewhurst-Hobb! Get up! Come with me now.’
‘Where are you taking him,’ asked Von Krankl.
‘What business is it of yours, traitor?’ Daedalus’ face had a contemptuous sneer. ‘My patience has run out. You will tell me everything I want to know, now, this evening.’
Daedalus looked at Rupert with an icy stare, an unnatural tone in his voice. Rupert felt prickles on the back of his neck and darted a frightened look at Von Krankl. The old man tried to reassure him with a smile.
‘Only a brave man would make war on children, Daedalus – or should I call you by your real name … Herr Himmel? When will you get it through your dense skull that he knows nothing?’
Daedalus’ eyes narrowed to slits, his lip curling. ‘Boy!’ he barked. ‘Outside now! We will visit your Grandfather’s house.’
The door closed. Von Krankl went over and listened for the sound of their footsteps receding along the corridor. Once he was certain they had gone, he took out the mobile phone and began to write a message. Rupert gone with Daed to manor. VK
* * *
Under the cloak of night, the waves turned over gently on the sand at the water’s edge, a comforting and timeless sound. A solitary bird flew low across the water, its plaintive call magnified in the dark. Rebecca and Laura followed Drew along the sandy cove back towards the boathouse, the moon now bright overhead. ‘Hard to believe all this stuff is going on in such a beautiful place,’ sighed Laura. Her reverie was interrupted by a shout from Drew as he reached the door. Rebecca and Laura began to run.
‘What is it?’
‘It’s gone.’
‘What’s gone?’
‘The boat.’
‘Gone, how can it have gone?’ Rebecca marched into the boathouse and stood, hands on hips, fuming. ‘Stolen? We’ve only left it a short while.’
‘Who would steal the boat?’ Laura gestured indignantly at the space where the craft should have been. ‘We have to tell somebody? Gaston? The police!’
‘Not sure about bringing the cops into this just now,’ Drew grimaced.
‘So what do you suggest we do?’ Laura sat down with a bump on the landing stage.
‘Two choices,’ said Drew. ‘Either we wait here till whoever has taken the boat returns, or we go up to the manor and see what Daedalus is up to. Might be an idea to keep an eye on Rupe anyway.’
‘So we just let whoever has stolen the boat get away with it?’ Laura looked disbelievingly at Drew. ‘It is a crime, you know, theft!’
‘McOwan?’ Realising he was in danger of losing this battle, Drew turned to Rebecca for her opinion.
Rebecca had a set look on her face. ‘I’ve a pretty shrewd idea who took the boat and I don’t think we need to worry. We could waste time hanging around here to find out. You should go to the manor but you must stay out of sight. Remember, Sky doesn’t yet know that we have been in contact with Rupe, or that we know any more.’
‘What are you going to do then?’ Drew sensed Rebecca had an alternative plan in mind.
‘If we can’t go to Druid’s, I’ll need to check out that parcel Grendel sent, see if anything helps us. You and Laura go but meet me back here in an hour.’
‘Well … okay,’ grumbled Laura. ‘But I’m not happy about Rupert’s stolen boat being treated so lightly.’ She started to walk off, slightly quicker than normal. Drew and Rebecca exchanged sheepish looks.
* * *
Daedalus sat down at his desk and regarded Rupert in silence.
‘I thought we were going to the manor?’ said Rupert, looking around the room and relieved to see they had not been joined by the Dobermans. Daedalus smiled thinly, reading his thoughts. ‘Wondering where our canine friends are? Out patrolling the grounds… but never far away.’
He stood up and went to the window, his hands behind his back. The door opened behind Rupert, who was aware of somebody coming into the room and standing behind him. He held his breath but did not turn. A bundle landed in his lap.
‘What can you tell me about these?’
John Sky. Rupert turned, a look of anger quickly spreading across his face.
‘You!’ he hissed. ‘When I tell Mum –’
‘Oh, the little English boy’s going to tell Mummy,’ sneered Sky. He picked up the cloth bundle and waved it roughly in Rupert’s face.
‘Your mother means nothing. Look at these. What can you tell me about them?’
Seething at Sky’s contempt for his mother, Rupert picked up the cloth, seeing at once it was clothing. He unravelled a black monk’s habit. He did not have any time to examine it further because Sky’s face was suddenly close and shouting at him.
‘And with this there was a sleeping bag, food! Somebody was living there, somebody who didn’t want to be discovered.’
‘Who?’ said Rupert, determined not to be intimidated. ‘Where? I don’t know anything about them.’
‘No of course you don’t,’ said Daedalus. ‘Just like you know nothing about the Admiral’s message and the location of the property your Grandfather stole from Germany. These were in your grandfather’s boathouse. Whose clothes are they?’
‘Why would I know?’ said Rupert, incredulous. ‘Some tramp or something?’
‘If you know so little, perhaps you would like to tell me why you have been out to the Horns of Lucifer and why your friends went to the wreck?’
Rupert gave an involuntary gasp. How had Daedalus found this out?
‘Suddenly not so cocky?’ It was Sky who now spoke.
‘The day after you received the Admiral’s package and message you and your friends went off in a boat, didn’t you? Why were you at the Horns of Lucifer?’
‘We just wanted to explore. I wanted to show them around. On the new boat Grandpa had just left me. Wouldn’t you have wanted to?’
Daedalus leaned right into Rupert’s face and whispered chillingly. ‘Do not insult my intelligence, little boy. We have been very patient but that time is now over. What did you find at the Horns of Lucifer?’
‘Nothing … we found nothing.’
‘What were you looking for?’ Daedalus’ face had not moved, nor his tone changed.
‘Nothing. I don’t know what you mean.’ Rupert’s voice was becoming increasingly desperate. He was completely alone and at the mercy of these evil men.
‘What did your friends find at the wreck?’ The whisper again.
‘Nothing. They were just exploring. Look, all I know is the will is supposed to tell us everything.’
Rupert’s heart was hammering in his chest. He was as scared as he had ever been in his life. At any moment, he expected the dogs.
But to his intense relief, Daedalus instead paused and sat back. He shook his head at Sky.
‘Perhaps he really is telling the truth.’
‘I doubt it,’ said Sky, his eyes brimming with anger at Rupert.
‘Take him back to his room while I decide what to do with him.’ Daedalus turned his back as Rupert was grabbed by powerful arms and dragged out of the room.
A further surprise awaited. When they rounded the corner outside the door to his prison room, the door was wide open, the room empty. Rupert was immediately aware that this was a surprise to Sky as well, when he was shoved roughly across the room while his erstwhile Stepfather-to-be spun around in apoplectic rage. Sky grabbed the door and examined the lock. ‘He has picked the lock! Gottdam! Stay here boy, and don’t move!’
With that, he slammed the door and locked it. In a trice, Rupert was up on his feet and over by the fireplace, his hands on the stones that opened the secret doorway. ‘If you think I am staying here another second, Johann Himmel, you are even more stupid than you look.’
The stone doorway slid open. Rupert was through in a flash and the stones closed behind him. In the passageway, he slumped to the floor for a second and breathed a huge sigh of relief.