Murder Games (11 page)

Four
chimes. She yawned again. Four o’clock in the morning and she was still lying awake jumping at shadows. Whatever peace of mind she had felt with Kyle had evaporated as soon as she turned off the lights and crawled into bed. Images of women floating face down in the pond by the hotel came unbidden to her mind, every time she closed her eyes. It didn’t help that she was almost positive someone had been moving around upstairs above her room for the past hour. Every so often, she would hear a creak of a floorboard or the squeak of a door shutting. A few seconds before, she could have sworn she heard the sound of someone moving about the hallway. Hopefully, whoever it was up there had gone back to bed.

This is just a game
, she repeated to herself. Everything will make sense tomorrow night. There is no one upstairs, and even if there were, it is just part of the game. She closed her eyes and just drifting off when she heard the sound of footsteps outside her door.

Suddenly
wide-awake, she turned her head toward the door and waited. Hearing nothing more, she stood up. She slipped on her silk robe and tiptoed to the door. She peered out into the hallway, relieved to find it completely empty. She was just about to close the door and go back to bed when her stomach growled. The excitement of the night had prevented her from eating very much during dinner.

She stood at the door for a few minutes debating whether to climb back into bed
, or raid the refrigerator. Hunger finally winning out, she shut her door and made her way down the backstairs toward the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, she immediately headed to the refrigerator.

The
floorboards made a slight creaking sound as she walked across the kitchen floor. Despite continual reminders to herself that old houses naturally make noise as they settle during the night, she still nervously checked behind her for anyone lurking about. Shrugging off the creepy feeling that was beginning to settle inside her once again, she opened the refrigerator door.

Sh
e froze at the sound of a door’s hinges squeaking and something heavy falling against the floor.

That wasn’t the house settling
, she thought to herself as she shut the refrigerator door and softly walked through the kitchen and into the hallway. She stopped near the billiard room and looked toward the back staircase. She could just make out the sound of something being dragged across the floor above her head.

She strained her eyes
, but couldn’t see anything in the pitch darkness of the room. Grace took a step forward, accidentally knocking over a candelabra sitting on the sideboard. She blindly reached forward, catching it just before it hit the floor. She looked up and waited for the next thump from above, but there was nothing but utter stillness.

After standing in the dark for a few seconds, Grace slowly made her way
toward the back door. Using the wall as a guide, she walked toward the window next to the door. She pulled the drapes aside slightly, bathing a small section of the hallway in moonlight. It wasn’t much, but she could now see a little bit better. She could clearly see the black and white marble floor, the side table near the staircase, and the dark figure standing at the top of the stairs with his back to her. Horrified, Grace watched as the figure backed down the stairs dragging what appeared to be the body of a woman with blonde hair after him.

Grace s
tood there for a few moments in stunned disbelief, as the woman’s head struck each step with a dull thud. Over and over again. Quickly realizing she had nowhere to run to, she opened the door to the hall closet next to the back door,  stepped inside and closed the door, just as the figure in black straightened and turned around.

Grace waited, barely breathing, waiting for that horrible dull thud to begin again. She waited for what seemed like an eternity before the killer continued down the stairs.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

The sound was getting closer.
She thought about screaming, but without knowing what kind of weapon the killer had, she decided that the best course of action was to stay as still as possible.

Thump.

Grace winced as the woman’s head hit the marble floor. She dug her fingernails into her palms as she waited. Listening as the killer came closer toward her hiding place. He was close now, so close, she could probably reach out and touch him if she opened the closet door.

She could hear the sound of the
back door opening next to her. She could feel the cold air begin to seep underneath the closet door. Heart beating wildly, she waited for any sound to clue her in as to what the killer was doing, but there was no sound. Seconds turned into minutes as she waited. Grace stayed as still as possible. The killer couldn’t have left, she thought. She would have heard him if he had.

He was
standing at the door waiting, but for what? She thought frantically. Unable to stand still any longer, she was just about to crack open the door a bit when she heard the sound of the body being dragged across the floor, and then finally, the back door quietly clicking shut. She quickly opened the closet door and stepped out into the hallway.

She looked at the
back door, her heart hammering against her chest. She slowly began to back away from the door and toward the staircase when the door suddenly opened, and the dark figure stepped forward.

CHAPTER TEN

Grace spun around
and raced up the steps. She made it half way up when she felt the dark figure grab a hold of the edge of her robe and pull. Without stopping, she immediately slipped her arms out of the material and increased her speed up the stairs and down the hall to Kyle’s room. Frantically calling Kyle’s name, Grace pounded on his door. She nervously glanced over her shoulder toward the staircase, fully expecting to see the dark figure from outside creep up the stairs at any moment. “Kyle, let me in!”

She was just about to scream for help at the top of her lungs when Kyle’s door opened suddenly
, and she fell into his arms. She took a step back and gripped his forearms, her nails digging into his flesh. “I need you—”

Ivy’s door opened. She peered around the corner at Grace. “Darling,” she chastised amusedly, “show some decorum.”

Suddenly realizing she was wearing nothing but a powder blue baby doll nightie, Grace dashed into Kyle’s room, grabbed the shirt he was wearing earlier, slipped it on, and walked back into the hallway.

Ivy, still standing at her door, looked over her shoulder.
“It’s nothing, Rupert. Go back to bed.”

Kyle reached out and grabbed Grace by the shoulders. “What’s w
rong?”

Taking a deep breath,
Grace quickly described what she witnessed. By the time, she had finished her story, Sabrina and Jerry had joined them out in the hallway.

Grinning, Jerry
crossed the hall and stood next to Sabrina. “Looks like we have another clue, Hazel, my love.”

“This is not part of the game,” Grace said sharply.

Buttoning her long winter coat, Laura walked out of her room. “Of course, it’s part of the game. About time, too. I’ve been waiting for something interesting to happen all night.”

“Where are you going?” Grace asked. “He’s still out there.”

“Who?” Laura asked innocently.

“The killer.”

Laura gave Grace a patronizing look. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m sure he or she—” She looked at Grace carefully. “You said he. So, Ivy’s killer is a man. That’s good. It eliminates most of our suspects.” She gave Kyle an appraising look. Her lips quirked up. “Just where were you, Mr. Cheatum?”

Grace took a breath and blew it out slowly. “First of all
, Ivy’s not really dead. She’s standing right over there. Secondly, we’re dealing with an actual killer and thirdly, I’m not really sure it was a man.”

Laura pursed her lips together. “But you just
said,
‘he’s
’ still out there.”

“It was dark. He
. . . or
she
was wearing a hat and had a scarf wrapped around their face. Whoever it was, had been bundled up head to toe in black.”

“So, you don’t really know what you s
aw,” Laura said snidely. “Are you even sure the victim was Clara Thorne?”

“Clara?”
Grace asked in surprise, wondering why Laura would assume she saw Caroline, or more specifically, Caroline’s character being dragged out into the snow. Grace had automatically assumed the dead woman was Erica Powell. “I never said anything about Clara and I keep telling you, I’m not playing the game right now.”

Jerry
, who had been avidly watching their exchange, shook his head. “It wasn’t Caroline. She wouldn’t be caught dead out at night in this weather.”

“
Clara is the only blonde here,” Laura pointed out reasonably.

“Excuse me,” Ivy said patting her faded blond
e hair.

Laura sighed.
“Ivy, you’re supposed to be dead. Honestly, it would make playing this game so much easier if you weren’t fluttering about. I don’t have any problem staying in character, but the others are so very easily distracted.” Laura shook her head before jerking a thumb toward Grace. “If Rose is telling the truth, it had to have been Clara that she saw being dragged away.”

Grace looked toward Jerry and Caroline’s room. “Where is Caroline
, Jerry?”

“Asleep.”
When Grace continued to stare worriedly at his bedroom door, Jerry smiled. “I’ll go get her. She’s not going to be happy about this,” he warned with a chuckle.

“Kyle, I think we should
. . .” Grace paused, surprised to see that Kyle was no longer in the hallway and his door was shut. Wondering where he had disappeared to, she walked back across the hall only to be stopped by Ivy, who draped a motherly arm across her shoulders. “Now, listen. I’m sure everything is fine. Why don’t we all just go back to bed and get some sleep?”

“Sounds good to me,”
Sabrina said, as she attempted to smother a yawn.

Laura dragged a dark knitted cap out of her coat pocket. “Not me.
I’m going to search for clues.”

“Laura,” Grace said with a sigh, “you can’t go out there.”

“No one is going out there,” Rupert called out from behind Ivy’s door. Drawing a blue terry cloth robe over his shoulders, he stumbled out into the hallway. “It’s below freezing. You’ll catch your death of cold.”

Laura smiled.
“Someone already did.”

Grace glanced at Jerry’s door. “What is
taking him so long?” She strode over to the door and knocked, only to take a step back when Jerry suddenly opened the door and took a step forward.

His mouth gaping open, he stared at her blankly for a few seconds
. Choking back a sob, he covered his mouth with his hand. “I can’t believe it. I just . . .” He screwed his eyes shut and let out a low mournful moan.

“What is it?”
Ivy asked worriedly. “What happened?”

“Caroline,” he said with a broken sob, “my wife
. . . my beautiful wife is . . .” He looked at them in horror, before stepping away from the door and smiling, “right here.”

Caroline stumbled out into the hallway. “What is going on?”

Sabrina giggled.

Grace, not amused by Jerry’s antics, glared at the smiling man.

Laura frowned. “If it’s not Clara, then who . . .” She suddenly gave everyone a wicked grin. “The murderer is trying to confuse us. Throw off suspicion. Devious.”

Caroline leaned against the
doorjamb. “What time is it?” she asked, wearily pulling the earplugs out of her ears.

Ivy patted Grace’s shoulder.
“See, Caroline is right here. Safe and sound.”

Grace, once again pointing out that she never said the victim was Caroline, walked over to Molly’s door and knocked. “Has anyone seen Molly, yet?”

“She’s not blonde,” Laura said.

“I know
that,” Grace snapped. When she didn’t get a response from Molly, she turned the doorknob, surprised when it opened easily. After a quick and fruitless search of the room and adjoining bathroom, Grace walked toward Austin’s door. She was just about to knock when Kyle’s door opened and he strode out. Slipping on his overcoat, he walked down the hall toward the back staircase.

Grace padded after him. “Where are you going?”

“Outside,” he said over his shoulder as he descended the staircase.

Grace
grabbed his sleeve. “Kyle, that’s not a good idea. Let’s just call the police.”

“Police?” Rupert and Ivy asked simultaneously.

Kyle stopped and looked back up at her. “Grace, whoever it is out there, may not be dead,” he pointed out gently. “We have to help her.”

Rupert held out his hands.
“Wait, there’s no need to call the police.”

“Right,” Jerry said
in bemusement, “it’s just a game, people.”

Grace looked
back at Rupert. “Is it?” she asked sharply. “Was this really part of the game?”

Rupert’s bushy eyebrows came down in a frown. “Listen, we don’t need
to call the police. Not unless everyone would like to end this game right now.” He looked around. “Makes no difference to me, because I get paid regardless, but I guarantee you that management is not going to refund everyone’s money.” He pointed his index finger at Grace. “You want to be responsible for ending everyone’s fun?”

“I just saw a woman being dragged out
of the house by her feet,” Grace said, “I don’t really care at this point.”

“
Maybe, the killer buried the body out in the maze,” Laura said. “You could bury anyone out in one of those snowdrifts and the corpse probably wouldn’t be found until spring.” She smiled at Grace. “That is, of course, if there is actually a corpse.”

Affronted, Grace said, “Of
course, there’s a corpse. Why would I lie about such a thing?”

“I don’t know
, Rose. Why would
you
lie?”

Grace smothered a groan. “Laura
, I’m not playing right now. This is serious.”

Laura held up her hands. “Fine. I believe you. Let’s go out to the maze and investigate.”

Ivy shook her head. “You can’t, because the gate is locked. We lock it every night at ten. I think everyone’s nerves are just a little raw right now. Why don’t we just go back to bed and get some sleep?”

“I’m here to investigate a murder
,” Laura said matter-of-factly. “Real or fake, doesn’t make much difference to me.” She glanced toward Kyle. “What about you, handsome? Ready to go play super sleuth?”

Rupert sighed heavily.
“Look here; I don’t need a bunch of you yahoos going out into the maze, getting lost and freezing to death. If that happens, they’ll blame me. We’ll all go out there together. If we find a body, we’ll come back and call the police. And if we don’t . . .” He pointed at Grace and repeated his words, “And if we don’t, we’ll come back in and forget all about this. Okay?”

Only after Grace nodded, did Rupert make his way back to his room, grumbling about crazy tourists.

*  *  *

Grace paced back and forth in front of the library window.
“I know what I saw.”

“How could you possibly know
the woman you saw was dead?” Laura asked. “Did you take her pulse?”

Wearily, Grace crossed her arms in front of her chest. She had been having the
same argument since they walked back into the house.

Once everyone
was appropriately dressed for the weather, Grace, Kyle, Rupert, Laura, and Jerry, began their search. Quickly determining that the killer couldn’t have made it past the gate since the chain was still securely fastened, and the new snowfall that night hadn’t been disturbed, they turned their attention to the grounds surrounding the manor. The size of the grounds, the bitter cold, the several feet of snow, and the fact that it was the middle of the night, made their job near impossible, but Rupert, surprisingly, seemed bound and determined to conduct a thorough search. However, after a half an hour passed by in such unpleasant conditions, it became clear that they could only do so much.

Laura was the first to give up
. She declared the whole endeavor just a devious plot to distract her and returned to the manor to once again take up the quest to find Ivy’s diary. Grace, feeling more and more like a frozen Popsicle reluctantly gave up as well.

She continued to the library so she
could watch from the large two story windows, as the men continued to search around the maze. It was here in the library that she discovered Molly sound asleep, curled up on the loveseat with a worn paperback of
Pride and Prejudice
next to her, and a bottle of prescription sleeping pills on the end table by her head. The only light in the room came from a small reading light and the fire in the fireplace.

Relieved at finding Molly safe and sound, Grace turned her attention to the other missing member of their group. Only a
t Grace’s insistence and prodding, did Ivy finally agree to check on Austin. Retrieving her master key, they entered Austin’s room, where they found him sound asleep. He woke long enough to mumble something unintelligible before rolling over and dragging the covers over his head.

“It’s the middle of the night,”
Grace pointed out to Laura in clipped tones. “The temperature is ten below and the woman was being dragged down the stairs by her feet. I sincerely doubt she was alive at the time.”

Caroline rubbed a shaking hand over her eyes. “I think I’m going to be sick.” She walked over to the library window and looked out. “I just wish Jerry would get back in here.”

Grace joined Caroline at the window. She could just make out Rupert milling about near the entrance to the maze. She scanned the front yard, searching for Kyle, relieved when she spotted him kneeling next to a mound of snow near the gate. She watched as he stood suddenly, and dusted the snow from his pant legs.

“I don’t understand what’s taking so long,”
Sabrina said quietly. “They’ve been out there walking around for the last half hour. They should have found something by now.”