‘Silence! I insist!’ Redmoor had found his authority again. ‘If not, I clear the room! All of you – out!’
That startled them into the silence he required.
‘You can’t – ’ Cressie began.
‘I can – and I will! The safety of my subjects is of paramount importance! I will not have it endangered!’
‘He’s right,’ Abby Borley said. ‘I think we’d better do as he says. He’s the man who knows.’
‘Leave? Now? But we’ve just arrived,’ Macho protested. ‘Oh … is it because that man in the corner is shaking his fist at you? He seems to know you … he doesn’t seem to like you.’
‘Shut your mouth, damn you!’ Cressie snarled. She made another lunge towards him, but Adèle was ready. Cressie found herself hurled back into her seat. Adele moved forward and stood over her, blocking any further moves.
‘No, Lionheart, no!’ Gemma said. ‘You’ve investigated that lamp post quite long enough. Now do what you must and hurry up about it. I want to get home and –
Oh!
Oh, no! No …’
‘No!’ Macho said. ‘No! What’s going on here? He’s coming this way – the bouncer and another yob are with him. Are those guns? No … perhaps not … they seem to be pipes and a crowbar. Heavy, like bludgeons … they’re going to – ’
‘Pipes …’ Gemma said. ‘Those are pipes sticking out of the back of the white van. That’s what’s doing the rattling – most of it. And that ladder on the roof … but I still think – Oh! It’s skidding!’
‘Run!’ Macho said. ‘Run! Yes – run!
Beat our brains out!
That’s what they’re shouting. They mean it. Why?’
Cressie opened her mouth, Adèle put her hand over it.
‘Fine …’ Redmoor encouraged impartially. ‘You’re doing just fine. Keep on. Everything you could see … everything you were thinking …’
The doorbell pealed sharply through the room. Everyone jumped. Redmoor cursed softly, bending anxiously over his subjects.
‘I’ll get it!’ Betty scampered to answer the door before the bell rang again.
‘Are they all right?’ Abby Borley asked.
‘I think so.’ Redmoor straightened up, frowning towards the door. ‘Don’t let – ’
‘They’re gaining on us!’ Macho was becoming agitated. ‘Hurry! Hurry!’
‘Those brakes! They’re not holding! Conqueror! Lionheart! Stop it! No! No! You’re pulling me over!’ Gemma, too, was losing her tranquil perspective.
‘Eeeek! Ooooh!
… My ankle … my ankle … the pain …’ She began to cry.
‘A taxi!’ Macho shouted. ‘Grab it! Grab it! We’ve got to get away!’
‘I’ll bring them out of it.’ Redmoor was perspiring. ‘There’s no use trying to go on now.’
‘Hey!’
Jack and Karla Jackley burst into the room ahead of Betty. ‘The prodigals return – and there’s a party waiting! How about that!’
‘Great timing!’ Freddie viewed them with disfavour. ‘Couldn’t you have sulked in your tent a while longer?’
‘Huh? Whadda you mean?’ Jack looked around the room: no one appeared happy to see them. ‘Are we interrupting something?’
Gemma’s sobs died away, Macho shook his head, both seemed dazed and bewildered.
‘Are they going to be all right?’ Adèle asked. ‘They look … You know, I’ve changed my mind. I don’t think I want to be next, after all.’
‘What do you mean – sulking?’ Jack was still mulling over his unenthusiastic reception. ‘What are you talking about? What tent?’
‘I’m sorry if we’re intruding,’ Karla apologized. ‘We didn’t realize. We were so excited about getting home. We were just this minute driving up and we saw the cats sitting in the window box looking in the window. So we knew you must be in here and we thought we’d stop here first and say, “Hello, we’re back.”’
‘Back? This minute? Stop here first?’ Freddie echoed, staring at them. ‘You mean you’ve just got back? You haven’t been home already for days and days?’
‘Of course not.’ Karla frowned. ‘You’d have seen us long ago if we had.’
‘And you haven’t rented your house out? Or loaned it to friends?’
‘Hell no!’ Jack said. ‘What would we do a thing like that for, when there was no telling how long we’d be away?’
‘Then …’ Freddie asked, ‘who’s been living in your side of the house?’
‘You mean there are squatters?’ Dorian’s eyebrows rose. ‘In Brimful Coffers?’
‘In our house?’ Karla’s concern was more personal. ‘Someone is trying to steal our house out from under us? Just because we don’t happen to be there for a while?’
‘That’s what squatting is.’ Dorian shrugged.
‘That’s stupid!’ Jack said. ‘Anyway, it won’t do them any good. The house doesn’t belong to us, we’re only renting.’
‘I’m not sure that actually makes any difference,’ Dorian said. ‘Possession being eleven points of the law and all that.’
‘Eleven?’ Jack said. ‘But – ’
‘That’s what happens when you quote too accurately,’ Professor Borley noted. ‘No one believes it, the original has been misquoted so often.’
‘I don’t believe they intend to keep the house.’ Freddie was following another train of thought. ‘I think they just want to borrow it for a while.’
‘Borrow our house?’ Karla was unbelieving. ‘Why? Who?’
‘Hilda Saint was telling me …’ Lorinda was reminded. ‘Her builders were getting to work in better time … now that they had found a place to stay locally.’
‘Builders would know how to get into a locked-up house.’ Freddie nodded. ‘And they’re never too careful about other people’s property. That would explain some of the thumps and crashes I’ve been hearing.’
‘Thumps? Crashes?’ Karla froze. ‘If they’ve broken any of my antiques – ’
‘Why would builders want to move into our house?’ Jack couldn’t understand it. ‘Is it some kind of scam? Do they make all kinds of repairs and changes and then send us a dirty great bill and expect us to pay it? Is that their game?’
‘An interesting question, but I think there’s a simpler answer.’ Macho had been listening intently. ‘Would you like to provide it, Cressie?’
‘Me? Why me?’ Cressie was all wide-eyed innocence. ‘What have I got to do with it?’
‘Come off it,’ Freddie snorted. ‘It’s our business to figure out clues. After what we’ve heard tonight, do you think we can’t put your little two and two together?’
‘That’s right,’ Adèle agreed. ‘And I was there when Hilda said she’d read
Mooning the Builders
and it was so similar to what she was experiencing it was like déjà vu. She thought it was because builders were all alike. But they’re the same builders, aren’t they, Cressie?’
‘How would I know? I’ve never seen – ’
‘Added to which, I can remember everything I saw while in my trance,’ Macho warned. ‘And more seems to be coming back to me now. Our taxi was followed for quite a while, Cressie … . I can remember you kept looking out the back window and urging the driver to hurry … and to take all sorts of sudden turnings …’
‘You’re lying!’ Cressie gasped. ‘You couldn’t remember anything. You were out cold!’
‘We lost them finally – and you were limp with relief. But they must have noted the area where we disappeared and come back searching for you. Why do they hate you so much?’
‘They … they didn’t like the book about them …’
‘Neither did a lot of the critics, but they’re not trying to beat your brains out.’
‘Well … maybe the cheque bounced … I lose track sometimes of how much I have in my account. And anyway,
they hadn’t done the work – not properly. They were trying to cheat me.’
And possibly, Lorinda thought, there was a personal element involved, as Hilda Saint had suggested. When Cressie ended an affair, it was unlikely to be with any tact or delicacy – especially when finances were involved. And there was something else Hilda had said …
‘Those threatening notes pushed under your door in the middle of the night …’ She turned to Gemma. ‘Are you sure Adele wrote them to Opal?’
‘Threatening notes? To Opal?’ Adèle was indignant. ‘I wouldn’t lower myself! And I’d certainly never push them under doors in the middle of the night.’
‘And you’re not the sort to let doors slam behind you at that hour, either,’ Freddie said. ‘That’s the sort of thing builders are noted for.’
‘Gemma, what makes you think they were threatening Opal – and not you?’ Lorinda asked.
‘Why should anyone want to threaten me?’ Gemma was incredulous. ‘What did I ever do to anyone? Apart from a few rejection slips, that is. You don’t suppose …’
‘What, actually, did those notes say?’
‘Oh, I don’t know … they were awfully vague … “Keep out” … “Mind your own business” … Opal tore them up – she said it was the best way to handle it. I thought she knew what she was doing … I thought they were meant for her. They
must
have been. Who’d threaten me?’
‘Everyone in the village knew you were talking about going to a hypnotist,’ Freddie said. ‘Someone must have been afraid of what you might retrieve from your memory. It might not be admissible evidence in court, but it might be enough to start the police looking in the right direction for proof.’
‘Oh, but it didn’t work, did it? I mean, I don’t feel as though anything happened. Anything useful …’
‘Don’t you remember what you said?’ Cressie asked.
‘Well … in a way … it seems part of a dream …’ Gemma was becoming agitated.
‘Never mind,’ Freddie said. ‘We all heard you and we can testify if necessary.’
Betty Alvin coughed softly and they looked towards her, waiting to hear what she might add.
‘Yes, Betty?’ Dorian gave her an encouraging smile. ‘What is it?’
‘No, nothing.’ Embarrassed, she shook her head. ‘I wasn’t going to say anything. I just – ’ She coughed again.
‘Wait a minute.’ Adele lifted her head and sniffed. ‘Does anyone smell smoke?’
They could all smell it now – and see it. A dark curl of smoke drifted along the ceiling from the direction of the kitchen.
‘She’s left something to burn in the oven,’ Dorian said. ‘Typical!’
‘No!’ Abruptly, Gemma was on her feet and rushing towards the kitchen. ‘I haven’t used the oven in days.’
‘Calm, please be calm. You should sit quietly for a bit,’ Redmoor protested. ‘And so should you,’ he added, as Macho followed her along with the others.
‘You see?’ Gemma turned to Dorian triumphantly. ‘There’s nothing on fire here!’
‘No,’ Dorian agreed. ‘The smoke seems to be coming from your back hall.’
“The hall? The dogs are out there! Conqueror! Lionheart!’ she called.
There was an ominous silence. Lorinda realized that they had not heard the pugs barking for some time.
‘Lionheart! Conqueror! Doggies – answer me!’ With rising panic, Gemma hurled herself at the door and struggled with it. ‘I can’t – I can’t open the door.’
‘You’re probably a little weak after your trance.’ Professor Borley stepped forward. ‘Let me try.’ He began confidently, but his face turned puce as the door resisted his efforts.
‘Smoke inhalation!’ Gemma wailed. ‘They’re overcome … lying there … still inhaling all that smoke …’
The smoke
was
getting thicker.
‘Can I have a little back-up here?’ Borley called over his shoulder.
Macho, Jack and Redmoor rushed to help him.
‘Sorry.’ Dorian held back and shrugged to Adèle’s accusing eyes. ‘I’m still recovering from my last war wounds.’
‘It must be locked,’ Redmoor said. ‘Where’s the key?’
‘Knowing Gemma, it’s on the other side,’ Dorian said.
‘No,’ Gemma began. ‘No – ’
‘Right. All together now,’ Borley ordered. ‘One … two … three!’ They hit the door. The lock splintered, but the door held.
‘It must be blocked in some way.’ Macho rubbed his shoulder. ‘I suggest we – ’
‘I suggest we call the fire brigade and get out of here,’ Adele said. ‘Not necessarily in that order.’
‘I’ve just tried to call the fire brigade.’ White-faced, Betty appeared in the doorway behind them. ‘There was no dial tone. The line is dead.’
‘Nonsense!’ Gemma said. ‘I was talking to Hilda Saint just an hour ago. It was all right then. I told her – ’
‘This door is getting pretty hot around the edges,’ Jack interrupted. ‘I don’t think we should stick around here.’
‘Oh, but – ’ Only Gemma was prepared to argue.
‘Once outside, we can go around the side of the building and get at the hall that way.’ Abby Borley put his arm around her shoulders and led her firmly to the front door.
Cressie was already there, fighting to open the door. It looked like a losing battle.
‘I can’t move it,’ she said. ‘It won’t budge. I can’t even turn the knob.’
‘I’ll get it,’ Jack pushed her aside. ‘Sometimes it takes brute force.’ He tried that, then moved aside as Redmoor advanced. ‘Okay see what you can do.’
‘It’s no good. It’s stuck or …’ Redmoor looked around at them. ‘It feels as though there’s some sort of wedge under the doorknob.’
‘At least the window will open.’ Dorian had been experimenting. ‘It may be undignified, but it looks as though we’ll have to go out that way.’
There was a sudden outburst of hysterical barks as Dorian slid the window up as high as it would go and pulled the curtains aside.
‘The dogs!’ Gemma gasped. ‘They’re out there! Oh, thank heavens. They’re safe!’
‘Which is more than can be said for us,’ Freddie pointed out grimly.
‘What … do you mean?’ No, Gemma wasn’t gasping, she was wheezing.
‘She means – who let them out?’ Adèle translated, with equal grimness.
‘Also – who blocked the front and back doors, leaving us only one way out?’ Freddie was relentless. ‘A way we’ll have to take one at a time.’
‘And who’s waiting outside to pick us off – ’ Macho began to cough.
‘As we climb out one by one?’ Lorinda finished for him.
‘We can’t stay here.’ Tears were beginning to roll down Betty’s face, although not from emotion. ‘Those fumes are noxious.’
‘They can’t be!’ Gemma protested. ‘There’s nothing out there but my shopping basket and a couple of pairs of wellington boots. They might smell but – ’ She broke off, coughing.
‘Nice playmates you have, Cressie.’ Freddie gave her a cold look. ‘They came prepared to kill us – one way or another.’
‘Never mind the recriminations,’ Adele said. ‘We’ve got to get out of here.’
‘Quite right,’ Freddie agreed. ‘Who wants to go first? Don’t all rush at once,’ she added, as most of them took an involuntary step backwards.
‘Look.’ Only Jack stood his ground. ‘This is stupid! We can’t just stay here and fry!’
‘Roast, I think,’ Freddie corrected.
‘“With one bound, Jack was free,”, eh?’ Dorian raised a sardonic eyebrow. ‘Go ahead. I’ve always wanted to see how that one worked.’
‘Jack’s right,’ Karla said. ‘Let’s rush them! There’s got to be more of us than there are of them.’
‘Ah, Americans! So impetuous!’ Dorian said. ‘Unfortunately, all ten of us can’t crowd through one window at the same time. That rather puts a damper on your idea.’
‘There are three of them,’ Macho said. ‘Aren’t there, Cressie?’
‘I … I don’t know … probably,’ she admitted.
‘We’ve got to do something!’ Karla looked around wildly.
‘Let me make a constructive suggestion,’ Dorian proposed. ‘Since our friends seem to want Cressie so much, why don’t we let her be first through the window?’
‘Dorian!’ Adèle was shocked. She obviously didn’t know Dorian as well as the others did. ‘You can’t mean that!’
‘It might work,’ Jack said. ‘I mean, she could keep them busy for a minute while the rest of us get out – and then we can rescue her.’
‘Oh, yes?’ Cressie was not the stuff of which sacrificial lambs were made. ‘And how do I keep them from killing me meanwhile?’
‘You could always write them another cheque,’ Macho snarled. ‘They might let you live until they find out whether it bounces.’
‘The situation has gone beyond Cressie,’ Freddie reminded them. ‘The one they really want now is Gemma. She’s the one who can testify against them. They’ve already tried for her once.’
‘They have? You mean – ’ Gemma didn’t want to believe it. ‘Opal …?’
‘It was a dark rainy night, you’re both about the same size and there’s the family resemblance. The dogs clinched it. They saw them and thought they had you.’
‘And I sent her out with them!’ Gemma wailed.
‘That’s it!’ Adele was relieved. ‘And just because Opal and I were rivals, everyone blamed me. Now they’ll have to – ’
There was a sudden outburst of shrill barks and yelps.
‘The dogs!’ Gemma cried. ‘They’ll save us!’ She dashed to the window and called loudly: ‘Conqueror – Lionheart –
Sic
them!
Attack! Attack!’
There were hoots of derisive laughter in the distance.