The Grotto's Secret: A Historical Conspiracy Mystery Thriller (23 page)

93

Kelby screamed and flung the coffee canister in the air. As she stumbled backwards, her leg caught the end of the breakfast barstool. She crashed over it and landed in a heap on the marble floor.

Blood pumped in her ears.

Roy and Hawk rushed to her side. Roy knelt to help her up while Hawk cleaned up the coffee beans and Fat Cat’s limb.

Kelby stared at the paw. ‘I hate seeing dead things. In my school science class, I used to faint when it came to dissecting rats and studying anatomy. I spent those lessons in the sick room.’

‘It’s okay. You don’t have to explain, Kelby, dead things aren’t pleasant for anyone.’ Hawk recovered the paw, wrapped it in a layer of paper towel and left the room, his head crowning the door frame on exit.

‘Here, Kel, sit down’. Roy led her to the breakfast nook.

She slumped into a seat and sighed. ‘We have to do something. This is getting out of control.’

‘Listen, I didn’t want to say this before, but everyone knows Willow is washed up. His private clinic at Homerton is the only place he should be practising. And even that’s a stretch. What they get up to there is anyone’s guess. I’m going to see him and find out if he knows anything.’

‘I’ll go with you.’

‘No, stay with Hawk, you’re safer that way. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.’

When Hawk returned to the kitchen, Roy said, ‘Hawk, I know you haven’t been told the background details so I’ll give you an idea of what we’re playing with here.’

‘Okay. Fire away.’

‘Sit. It’s a long story, but I’ll cut it short.’

94

With a hot coffee to comfort her, Kelby sat listening to Roy brief Hawk. When Roy had finished, Hawk frowned. ‘Sounds like a conspiracy.’

‘Yes, exactly,’ Roy paced along the kitchen tiles. ‘A number of other people have had
accidents
covered up. My biggest worry is that Kelby is a critical link. She’s in terrible danger. They’ll stop at nothing to get what they want.’

Kelby sipped her coffee and muttered, ‘They have resources and ambitions you can’t even imagine.’

Roy had left out key facts about rizado and the historical trail. Hawk was better off not knowing those details. He just needed to know the threat’s potential so he could make plans to protect them.

Beside her, Hawk asked, ‘Who are these guys?’

‘We don’t know. Not for certain. But we suspect it’s a large pharmaceutical company. As far as we can see, they are the only link to the deaths.’

‘How did they get inside if the house was alarmed?’ Kelby shook her head in disgust.

‘We had the pins changed on the initial audit, so there must be an insider who knows the code. I’ll report this to the police.’ Hawk straightened and towered over Kelby and Roy. He cleared his throat and said, ‘Um, Kelby, I have to tell you something.’

Kelby stared at him. A flutter in her stomach.

‘I have to admit I’m a bit out of my depth here. I appreciate Mr Thompson giving me this opportunity, but I don’t think I can give you the kind of protection you need.’

‘What?’

‘This is a bigger threat than I imagined. We need full operational support.’ Hawk counted on his fingers as he went through his list, ‘We need video surveillance. We need a response company who can take counter measures. We need someone to evacuate you and your family when the threat gets severe.’

Kelby watched him as he waited for his words to sink in. She couldn’t believe he thought this had become too much for him. Or that she needed this other kind of security.

‘A bigger company can manage access control points at your gates and in your office. They can have more people patrolling the perimeter. They will monitor the entire house to check for any blind spots. They can even create a reinforced room inside with pre-rehearsed procedures. They’d design a whole system around you.’

‘That sounds perfect.’ Roy glanced at Kelby to see if she agreed.

‘Basically, they will have the resources to create a secure bubble around you. Unfortunately, I don’t.’

Roy turned to Kelby, ‘Listen, we have to do what Hawk says until we find out who
really
is behind this. We may suspect MG, but we need evidence to stop them.’ His voice dropped, ‘They won’t stop at Annie. They’ll go on until they get what they want.’

‘Okay, what’s next?’ Kelby scrutinised Hawk.

‘I’ll make some calls. I know a brilliant guy, Frank. His company can handle this easily.’

‘Hawk, in the meantime, please stick to Kelby. I have to go and see another doctor we think is mixed up in this, but I don’t want you to leave Kelby’s side. Is that okay?’

‘Of course.’ He fixed his eyes on Kelby. ‘I won’t leave you.’

Roy stood to leave and Kelby jumped up. ‘Wait! I have to go and see Stacie. I can’t leave things as they are.’

‘Not now, Kel. Give her a day or so to simmer down.’

‘She shook her head, ‘I can’t. There’s too much at stake. I know she won’t listen, but I have to warn her. And I want to ask if she remembers anything before Gary died.’

Roy hesitated.

But she hurried on, ‘I’m not giving up on this. Not when we’re so close to finding the truth. I know …’ her voice dipped so she cleared her throat and repeated, ‘I
just
know Gary is guiding me. I’m not sure how, but I
know
he wants me to find something.’

Roy opened his mouth to speak, but Kelby held up her hand. ‘I
have
to do this. For Gary.’

Roy’s eyes darted to Hawk.

‘I’ll be careful.’ She touched Roy’s hand. ‘Besides, Hawk won’t let anything happen to me.’

Roy glanced at Hawk, and Kelby saw something pass between the two men.
They’ve exchanged a silent agreement to keep me safe. No matter what.

As she watched Roy leave, Kelby experienced a strange tearing sensation. In such a short time he’d become such an important part of her life, and she wanted to get to know him better. Kelby hoped the bond between them wasn’t about to be severed.

95

Olaf crept through the bushes lining the high wall along Kelby’s driveway.

Hiding his prized tattoos didn’t appeal to him, but on this rare occasion it needed to be done. A dark green sweater covered his bulging muscles. It opened enough to expose the dark mass of hair curling into the hollow in his neck. As he crept closer to Kelby’s mansion, Olaf wondered what she’d think of the surprise tucked into his pocket. He was still thinking of a way to drop this one on the devil
.

After watching Barker for a day or so, it hadn’t taken long to work out how he’d tormented Kelby with the cat in the hospital. It came in handy having someone on the inside able to get the alarm code to bypass security.

Olaf enjoyed watching Barker’s game plan. A rich guy playing killing games impressed him. He could be as picky as he pleased. He churned the word around in his mouth: pi-ck-ee.

Ja
, a great word for someone like Barker. And now someone like him.

Finding a spot where he could see directly into Kelby’s living room, Olaf disguised himself amongst the shrubs. For a long while he stood still watching the giant security bastard with the devil. And another strange man. Maybe her lover
.
No bother to him, he’d soon find out more about the stranger.

After instructing him to step up to a Tag Two, Jurgen wouldn’t dream of telling how to do it. He simply paid handsomely when the job was done. Olaf knew this would escalate to a Tag One. It smelt of dead rat.

As long as it looked like an accident, Jurgen would be happy. But not him. That part had started boring him. He wanted Tag Four where he could make the body disappear. The dividends would be taking
control of what happened to the body. He could even get pick-ee about dirty deaths.

More than anything, he yearned to use his
animaal
instincts on this job.

Suddenly the stranger stood and the devil threw her arms around him.

Ah, huh. The lover. That complicated things. Because he might know things he shouldn’t.

This would earn him a big bonus from Jurgen.

Suddenly the door flung open. Within minutes, the lover crunched on the gravel drive and climbed into his dust-covered Land Rover.

For a split second, Olaf hesitated. So they were splitting up. No problem for him. Even better to get the devil first and sort out the lover later. Should he follow? No, the devil was more important. The lover would have his turn soon enough.

Olaf twisted his Rolex. He had plenty of time.

There was no rush; no rush at all.

96

Sitting beside Hawk as he parked along the road in front of the terraced houses, Kelby said, ‘Sorry, Hawk, I have to go in on my own.’

‘But we agreed —’

‘I know, I know. Please. This is a private matter between me and Stacie.’ Even though Hawk was a gentleman, she didn’t want him in on this conversation. Nor did she want him or anyone to be rifling through Gary’s private space.

‘I’ll give you five minutes then I’m coming in.’

‘Give me ten, no fifteen. Please.’

Hawk’s jaw set, making his large head look like that of a grotesque statue.

Kelby swallowed hard as she left the car.
Hawk must think I’m dithery
. She had given him instructions to have this other security bubbling around her, and she insisted on being alone. Only for a few minutes. As soon as she found Stacie, she’d hurry back. She’d even get Stacie under Hawk’s protection — if she could convince her stubborn sister-in-law.

With painstaking stealth Kelby opened Stacie’s garden gate and trod silently along the pathway. Wild flowers, wispy and lanky, coloured Stacie’s small patch of garden, like a child’s finger painting. It contrasted with the solid green patch of freshly mowed grass next door.

In front of the blood-red door, Kelby hesitated. Stacie had said that in feng shui, her red door was symbolic of an opening of ‘chi energy’. Shaking herself to ward off her own silly insecurities, Kelby rammed her knuckles against the painted door.

No answer.

Behind her, the wind toyed with one of Stacie’s metal chimes creating a melodious tune.

To be fair, Stacie was a doting mother. She made it a hobby to make wind chimes with Annie. They collected shells and hung them from a piece of driftwood. A school ruler had different coloured pencils dangling from it. Stacie’s creative side led her to use natural rods, bells, metal, wood and any other objects to construct suspended tubes to be played by the wind.

Somewhere in the garden hung a kitchen colander with an array of cooking utensils clattering against each other in the breeze. Kelby hoped it didn’t annoy the neighbours. Ignoring the chimes, Kelby called out several times. She jumped off the front steps, and squinted into the living room window, using her hands to cup around her face and peer into the house.

She did the same at the kitchen window. Dishes were piled high above the sink and alongside it. Although she often rushed off and didn’t wash her stream of coffee cups, she always loaded the dishwasher to stop the kitchen looking cluttered. She could imagine the air ripe with
mould spores from stale food sticking to the plates. Something Annie didn’t need.

Kelby tapped on the window and called to Stacie.

There was no movement.

At every window she did the same, yet no sign of Stacie. She tried Stacie’s mobile again to see if she could hear it ringing in the house. Maybe she’d left it at home. Or worse, maybe she was at home and hurt with no way of getting help.

The number rang and rang.

Kelby slipped the phone back into her trousers and stepped into
the shadows.

Thankfully, Kelby thought, old habits die hard. Gary’s shed-turned-man-cave key lay hidden in the exact spot where he’d hidden it. In a stencilled military-type font the solid wooden door warned visitors: Command Bunker.

Kelby eased the key into the lock, stopping halfway to listen for any sounds. She took a deep breath and held it tightly in her chest. The key turned easily without fuss or scraping sounds. She turned the knob slowly so it didn’t squeak.

Behind her the door groaned shut and clanked into its lock. As she slipped inside the shed, she almost knocked her head on a bunch of Gary’s brightly coloured beer caps suspended from a wooden beam. For a moment they clattered against each other before calming down. Kelby frowned. Strange wind chime.

One wall had a full-length movie screen. A parachute had been strung across the ceiling and military helmets hung on hooks. Her heart ached to be amongst his things again. They say only the good die young, but it was so unfair.

As she stroked his military mementoes, she spoke to Gary, ‘Talk to me Gaa, tell me what you did with your notes.’

Kelby glanced at the wall. Photos showed a hectic life of activity. Pride during his passing out parade. Various images of military friends. Parachuting. Diving in the Med. Cycling through the Spanish mountains. Solo yacht sailing. Jumping off high cliffs. Skimming across waves on a rubber dinghy.

Something caught her eye and Kelby leaned closer to one frame. She frowned and stroked the cold glass. Gary stood amongst a group of high school friends at their leavers’ ball. Beside him Gary’s friend, who had jumped into the pool and clung to her back when they were kids, grinned into the camera. Abruptly, Kelby recalled Annie asking her about the incident. How did she know about it?

Shivers ran through her. She lifted the frame off its hook to peer closely at the boy. She clasped the photo to her chest, absentmindedly stroking it. How did Annie know about that? Could it be … ?

Kelby shook her head. No way, now she
was
losing her marbles. Gary couldn’t have told his daughter about that incident from beyond the grave. As she pondered on her crazy thoughts, Kelby’s finger caught a snag behind the frame. She flipped it over. A thick strip of parcel tape ran across the bottom near the frame’s edge with a slightly raised surface.

Kelby’s pulse quickened. The glow of finding the map radiated into her once again. She dug her bitten nail against the tape, wishing it was longer to catch the edge. After a minute of scratching at the corner of the tape, she finally hooked a tiny piece. In seconds she had ripped off the tape and found a concealed piece of paper. With trembling fingers, she opened the note in Gary’s handwriting:

Homerton Grange Clinic.

Under a scrawled address, his note read:
Staff entrance, down the dirt track. The Lab. 42A.

Kelby read it three times. Were his notes there? Maybe something in this place had got him killed.

Wham!

Kelby jumped at the sudden noise outside.