| |
I RUBBED AT my shoulder, hoping it would stop my neck tensing up and giving me a migraine. I’d stayed on duty throughout the night, keeping an eye on the police during my patrols and trying to ignore them. Wasn’t my job anymore.
I hadn’t slept much during the day and by mid-afternoon, I’d given up and decided to find out where the intruder could have breached the perimeter.
Fifteen square miles surrounded by ancient exterior wall. Some of it was behind vast undergrowth and stingy nettles but I’d searched most of it during the afternoon and evening. All the north, along the border to the moors, the south, the west and I had made it halfway along the east border before the lack of light scared me from the forest.
I’d doubled the patrols but I wanted to make sure no one could get in and get at Sophie without me seeing . . . and that Sophie couldn’t leave undetected too.
Picture it, I’m back there in the creepy courtyard with my imagination and memory fighting it out for which could send me to a counsellor the fastest. It was creepier tonight too. The shadows seemed to creep closer and my imagination was helping them turn my knees to maracas.
I would go and find Mick and make him take the post but he was a drunken sot of a guy in his late sixties. He was supposed to be my deputy in charge of looking after the house security but the guy was battle-beaten and eyed me like he wanted to tell me where to stick my orders.
I’d rough it out. Points for bravery. Big brave girl who was not scared of silly things. I focused on the opposite side of the courtyard. It was an ancient walkway with Grecian style pillars that I’d been told Sophie had modernised by adding in glass to make it an internal corridor. In the daytime, it had white roses over it and something that smelled like spring but in the night, it just looked creepy.
“Look at something else. Big girl. Do not freak out.” Even if I wanted to go and hide in the office or even better in my room.
I glanced up at the large window above the door. Someone slipped up the stairs. I squinted. Someone being a figure in a hoodie. Sophie was in the family wing by the lights at the top of the building and Edwina didn’t wear anything on her head.
I pulled my radio.
“Malcom, are you on the stairs?” I asked, hoping the figure was the youngest member of my team had decided to abandon his post or take a detour on his patrol.
“Nah, I’m in the hallway, why?” The figure didn’t look like a Malcom or move like him. He was twenty years old, black, tall and gangly, and spent his entire time trying to show his boxers off with his ultra low skinny trousers.
“Did you see anyone pass you?” I strode to the service entrance and headed inside. My instinct, the same one that saw me lose an arm, prickled. “Mick!”
“Miss Lloyd?” Mick droned into his radio.
“Watch the courtyard.” I hurried through to the staircase. Malcom strolled toward me, head in his mobile phone. Stellar security guard, he was. “I just saw someone head up the stairs.”
Malcom shrugged. “Maybe it was Mrs Clarke?”
“No, it wasn’t.” I took the stairs two at a time. The black marble continued until the third floor. Each landing had a balcony of rooms and corridors off it. I didn’t know where to start but my gut was fixed on making sure Sophie was safe.
I glanced up the staircase and caught sight of the figure. I hurried after it. “Jimmy,” I muttered into my radio. “You have someone heading your way.”
“Yes, Miss Lloyd, will check now,” Jimmy chimed. Fifty-something, Irish, liked to tie his jumper around his shoulders. He was posted on the eighth floor.
The figure stopped on the seventh floor and I narrowed my eyes. “Jimmy, can you see them?”
The figure spotted me and sprinted for it.
“Jimmy!” I gave chase, and as I crested the stairs on the eighth floor, a chill hit my sweaty cheeks. “Jimmy, where are you?”
“Sorry . . .” His shirt was caught in his zip as he hurried to me.
Bathroom break, really? I glared at him then sprinted past. “Be ready to call in the police.”
The figure reached a circular set of stone steps. I chased them. The figure made quick work of the steep stairs and disappeared at the top. I hit the landing and stepped out, then hunched.
Old stone floor, bare stone walls, creepy suits of armour—the manor was full of them but they just looked like museum exhibits on the lower floors, here they looked . . . menacing. The corridor was lit by flickering oil lamps.Edwina had said that some parts of the house still needed to be renovated, this one really needed that and draft-proofing.
The windows facing the south lawn let through the moonlight. The silver glow just de-saturated the corridor further. I crept down the echoing space. The figure could be one of the suits of armour or not. I swallowed. I was going to request I could carry a gun. It was illegal but who cared, I wasn’t a police officer anymore.
No movement . . . unless you counted my heart trying to evacuate through my throat.
Swish.
I spun around. The figure darted back down the steps and I grabbed for my radio. “Jimmy, the intruder is heading your way. I want them caught!”
“Ma’am!” Jimmy sounded like he would more likely hide.
I hurried to the steps to follow.
Something icy crawled up my spine. I froze. Then spun.
Charcoal eyes, inches from mine. Charcoal eyes with a glint in them bored into mine.
I dropped my radio. Scrambled backward.
“Why are you up here?” Sophie’s tone was low, cutting. Her white hair stark against the dim corridor.
“Intruder . . . there was an intruder.” I held up my hands, shaking as the glint in her eyes sharpened. “I swear . . . they headed up here.”
“Intruder?” She snarled it and eased closer like she would eat me.
Oh shit. Oh shit. I stumbled back, my prosthesis whirring because I was shaking so much. “Yeah . . . they . . . I thought you were . . . but you’re . . .”
“Unimpressed.” Sophie sneered, her face looked so much more sculpted by the shadow. Somehow she looked like a tiger. An angry and hungry tiger.
I held up my shaking hands. “I was worried they would target you.” I backed up again.
My foot slipped.
I tried to grab for the wall.
Sophie gripped my collar and yanked me close enough to feel her hot breath. “You’re not permitted up here.”
“I didn’t know.” I tried to free myself from Sophie’s grip to sure up my footing but either she had a steel hand or was strong, far stronger than me.
Oh shit.
“You do now.” She planted me on the step below and towered over me. Moonlight hit her through the arrow-slit window, illuminating her face, her stark white hair and made her charcoal eyes look deeper, her cheekbones more chiselled, her sneer terrifying.
I nodded and shuddered.
She let me go. “Move.”
Adrenaline shot through me. I turned and bolted down the steps. My brain and body stunned as I fled. Cold air hit me as I reached the courtyard and registered Mick staring at me with raised eyebrows.
“We haven’t seen any intruder,” he said then studied me. “You look like you are going to pass out.”
“Close to it.” I panted, rasped, shook. “You take charge of the shift.” I felt a chill roll through me and glanced back at the window. Sophie was there, watching.
Mick’s smile faded as he followed my gaze. “Don’t let her spook you. You just need a good stiff drink.”
I managed to nod. Good stiff drink. Sounded like a great idea.
“Local pub is in the centre of town,” Mick said, his tone warmer than usual. “Won’t close for another hour.”
I nodded again, stunned, and stumbled out of the courtyard. I’d taken migraine meds but they lost the battle and my head pounded. Never mind, I’d go for alcohol instead. Good stiff drink. I glanced back at the house then hurried down the driveway. Yeah. Could do with a few.