Love Everlasting (23 page)

“As only the dearest of friends would,” Abrianna replied. “It was a great trial to be sure, but I played my part quite well. I believe even Mr. Welby thought I might be having a change of heart toward him.”

“No!”

Abrianna laughed. “Perhaps I should speak to Kolbein's sister about going into the theatre. She's an actress, you know. Or maybe you didn't. When Kolbein first came to Seattle, it was in search of her. I'll tell you all about it one day.” Abrianna dropped the gown to the floor and stepped out of it. “I wonder if you are up for an adventure.”

Flora looked at her with great interest in her expression. “Such as?”

Abrianna's lips curved upward. “Such as breaking into Mr. Welby's house.”

A
brianna was relieved to find that one of Mr. Welby's windows was unlocked. Without making a sound, she and Flora gained quick entrance and then stood in the silence of the darkened house to let their eyes adjust to the dark.

“Do you know what room this is?” Flora whispered.

“I have no idea. I'm not at all familiar with this house, but I know that Welby's office faces the front, so I presume it might be just down the hall.”

Abrianna felt her way around the room until she reached what she hoped was the hall door. She opened it just a crack, and light slanted across the dark room. “This is the way.” She waited, listening for any sound of someone nearby. “Come on.”

She slipped around the door. “Close it behind you.” Flora nodded and did as instructed.

With the stealth of a cat, Abrianna tiptoed down the hallway. Fortunately, there was only one door on the side of the house that faced the city. She tried it and smiled when it yielded. “This is it.” She looked back over her shoulder. “This is his office.”

They hurried to get inside and closed the door. Abrianna let out a long breath. On the far side of the room a fire had been
lit in the hearth. It kept the room warm and at least marginally lit. “We'll have to work by firelight. We absolutely cannot risk any other light.”

“What exactly are we looking for?” Flora asked in a barely audible voice.

Abrianna moved to the desk. The hair on the back of her neck bristled, and she froze. In the hallway came the sounds of footsteps. “Quick, hide behind that chair.” She motioned to Flora and then dove under the desk.

Someone with black trousers and shoes that reflected the fire's glow moved across the room and to the hearth. Abrianna held her breath as that same person poked up the fire and added another log. Then just as quickly as he'd arrived, the man left and closed the door behind him.

Sweat trickled down the side of her face, and only then did Abrianna realize how frightened she was. She knew that Wade would never have approved this venture, but he did say that she should look for proof. Carefully, so as not to make a sound, Abrianna crept out from under the desk.

She immediately spied Flora sneaking a look from behind the chair. “I think it's clear.”

Flora stood. “This is quite a stimulating adventure.”

Abrianna nodded and began to pick up papers that were strewn on Welby's desk. Would he be so foolish as to leave anything in plain sight? Probably not. She sorted through old correspondence and invoices but saw nothing that could aide them in their efforts. She tried the drawers of the desk and found them locked.

“I know nothing of breaking into a locked desk. How about you?” She looked to Flora.

“No. I'm afraid that is not one of my skills.”

Abrianna considered the matter for a moment. If she tried to force entry, there would be no doubt that someone had been there. “I hate to just go without further search.” She glanced around the room. Tall bookcases lined one entire wall, but otherwise there was little furniture besides the chairs.

She knew that whatever damaging material Welby might have must be in the locked desk. Just then the unmistakable clip-clop of a horse could be heard coming up the cobblestone drive. Abrianna felt her heart skip a beat.

“He must be arriving. Come. We have to get back to that room and get out of here. If he finds me here, I'm certain to be worse for it.”

She moved to the door with Flora right behind her. Cracking open the door, Abrianna checked the hall. There was no one yet. She pushed Flora through the opening and then followed, drawing the door closed as she went.

They scurried down the hall and had just gained entrance to the dark room when voices sounded. Abrianna closed the door as quietly as possible. She could hear a man's voice, but it wasn't Priam Welby's. She strained at the door for just a moment to hear the words, but it was impossible to make out anything being said.

“Come on,” Flora encouraged. “We don't want them to find us here.”

Abrianna knew she was right. It had been a complete waste of time to come, and now they were still in jeopardy of being found out. She hurried to the still-open window. She helped Flora through and then allowed Flora to help her from the outside. Now all they had to do was get home without being seen.

Wade paced the floor of the Booths' music room and considered all that he'd shared with Jay Cunningham and Kolbein. The trio had gathered with the sole purpose of figuring out how to put an end to Welby's hold on Abrianna.

Kolbein spoke first. “I think there has to be a way to get Welby to reiterate his threats. And if we can get him to do it in the company of witnesses, then we will have him.”

Wade stopped and looked at his friend. Kolbein didn't look as though he'd had any more sleep than Wade. None of them looked too good. “Welby's too smart for that. I doubt he'd even be honest in front of the old ladies, much less anyone else.”

“Then maybe we arrange it so he doesn't admit it in front of anyone,” Kolbein replied. Both Wade and Jay looked at him and waited for him to say more. “I think the trick will be to set up the situation so that Welby has to threaten Abrianna again. He needs to say exactly what he said before and admit to ordering the murders. Wherever we do this, we could have someone in authority within hearing distance.”

“That's going to be hard to do. Welby is very careful. He isn't one to leave anything to chance.”

“It will be hard,” Kolbein agreed, “but not impossible.”

“Well, the way I see it,” Jay began, “it'll need to be somewhere he won't expect it. That way we'll catch him off guard. Folks like Welby usually make their mistakes when they're forced to think out a matter quickly.”

“He's right.” Wade took a chair for the first time since they'd started talking. “Welby is used to having everything prearranged. He doesn't often leave much to chance.”

Kolbein rubbed his chin. “That leaves us just one place for the ambush.”

“Where?” Wade looked at his friend and could see he clearly had a plan.

“The wedding.”

Wade shook his head. “No. I want this thing resolved before then.”

“But don't you see, Wade, that's the only place where we can be assured of catching Welby off guard. He'll be consumed with making certain the wedding goes off without a hitch.”

Wade let go a heavy breath. “All right. So how do we do this?”

Kolbein laid out a brief idea. They bandied the details for over an hour, until all finally agreed as to how they might make it work.

“Jay, you explain it to Abrianna.” Kolbein stretched. “She'll have to make Welby repeat the things he's done, not just the threats he's made. If he confesses to murder, he will go to prison. If he confesses only to threatening murder, he will no doubt be able to get out of it.”

“All right. I'll tell her tonight.” Jay's expression was one of grave concern.

Wade couldn't shake his apprehension. “Is there any way for us to have an alternative plan?”

“What other plan do you suggest?” Kolbein shook his head. “It's taken all our imagination to come up with this one. I don't see any other way to rid ourselves of his threat than to have Welby confess to murder.”

“I suppose you're right. I guess I need to turn this over to God.” Wade shook his head. “It's just got to work.”

Abrianna wasn't surprised when her father said he needed to speak with her that evening. She had just returned from yet
another party with Welby and wanted nothing more than to rid herself of the clothes he had imposed upon her.

“I know you're tired,” her father said, “but this won't wait.”

She nodded and followed him into the kitchen. She wrestled with the train of her silk evening gown and positioned the bustle as she sat sidewise on one of the wooden ladder-back chairs at the kitchen table. Leaning to the side, Abrianna breathed a sigh.

“These gowns were not designed with the comfort of women in mind.” She glanced down at the low neckline and in a very unladylike manner pulled it up with both hands. It didn't budge.

Her father surprised her by going to the counter and retrieving a flour sack dish towel. “Maybe this will help.”

Abrianna smiled. “Thank you.” She draped the towel around her neck like a bib. It covered her exposed body perfectly. “That's much better. Now what do we need to discuss?”

Her father took a seat at the table. “We had a meeting today—Kolbein, Wade, and me. We have a plan in mind for you.”

“Oh, I'm so glad. I've been so anxious in waiting to hear something these last few days. What have you come up with? I do hope it is foolproof.”

“It's going to take some work on your part,” her father explained. “You've got to get Welby to say all those things again about how he arranged murders and such. He can threaten you and even talk about killing someone you love, but if he doesn't admit to the murders from the past, he won't be held for long.”

“I don't understand how having him repeat anything is going to help.”

Her father put his elbows on the table and folded his hands together as if for prayer. “We need to have him repeat his deeds and threats in a place where he can be overheard by folks in authority. We tried to figure out something that would work
prior to the wedding day, but nothing came to mind. We figure this trap will have to be sprung right before the ceremony—at the church.”

Her heart sank. “You mean I have to go forward with this pretense?”

“I'm truly sorry, Daughter. It seems the only way. Knowing the kind of man he is, he won't be easily distracted, and we need him distracted enough that he gets careless.”

Abrianna sighed. “Go on.”

“The wedding day will be most hectic, and Welby will be feeling pretty assured of his situation. Especially if you make him believe that you've given up hope of doing anything else.”

“He knows that already. He also makes sure that I remember it.”

“That will work to our advantage. Kolbein plans to arrange a place for you to wait for the ceremony to start that will also have a place where we can hide folks.”

“Hide folks? From what?”

“From Welby. See, we have it in mind that you will send for Welby just before the ceremony starts. You will have to make him believe that you're nervous and can't go on with the ceremony.”

“That won't be hard.” She shook her head in disgust. “I can easily manage that.”

“But here's the hard part.” Jay lowered his arms. “You have to get him to repeat the things he told you about ordering folks killed. Kolbein is going to have the authorities there waiting. Once Welby admits to you what he did and that he'll do it again, then we'll have him.”

“It's as simple as that?” Abrianna began to clearly see a way out of this mess, and it excited her to no end. “That sounds easy enough. Why didn't I think of that? Flora and I talked
about how it would be ideal to use his words against himself, but we had no thought of how to do it. This will be perfect.”