The Body Thief (12 page)

Aftermath

He is dead,” said Isabella, tears pooling beneath her blue eyes.

“No, please don’t say that,” cried Adele. “Milo can’t be dead.”

She slumped down onto the floor outside Milo’s bedroom and leaned her head against the wall.

“What on earth were you two doing up a tree?” Isabella asked her cousin yet again. “It does seem very strange, cousin.”

“I told you…we were just talking,” was all Adele could manage in response.

“Talking in a tree at
midnight?
” said Isabella doubtfully. Then she smiled softly. “Poor Adele! You must feel so dreadfully guilty. After all, Milo wouldn’t be lying in there close to death if you hadn’t made him climb that silly tree.” She patted her on the head. “Still, you mustn’t blame yourself.”

Adele covered her face and began to cry. It
was
all her fault, and she knew it.

When the medical team arrived from the hospital they immediately braced Milo’s neck and had him moved upstairs to his bedroom chamber for a thorough examination. It was early afternoon before his door opened again.

Both girls looked up at the same time as Rosemary stepped out into the corridor.

“How is he?” cried Adele, jumping to her feet.

“Milo’s dead, isn’t he, Aunt Rosemary?” Isabella wailed. “That poor little orphan has crossed over to the spirit world!”

“He hasn’t crossed anywhere,” said Rosemary firmly. “Your cousin is alive and well, but he has been badly injured. He has a broken leg and a lot of bruising on his back and arms. You can go in and see him—but only one at a time. Doctor’s orders.”

“He’s going to be all right?” asked Adele anxiously.

“He will be.” She wiped the tears from Adele’s face. “He’s asked to see you.”

“He has?” Her eyes widened. “Is he angry with me?”

Rosemary smiled. “Go and find out for yourself.”

***

As Adele approached the bed she studied Milo carefully—his black hair falling lazily around his face, his plastered leg propped up under a pillow. There were cuts on his chin and a bruise on his left cheek. One of his fingers was bandaged, and she saw a dark purple bruise covering his right arm like a tattoo.

“Are you…does it hurt much?” she asked.

“No,” said Milo, “not too much. Just a little.”

“Milo, I’m so sorry,” she said, the tears once again falling down her face. “You are hurt because of me. You could have died! This is all my fault!”

“No, it’s not, Adele,” declared Milo firmly. “It was my choice to jump out that window; no one made me do it.” He glanced over at the group of nurses and doctors who were busy packing away their equipment and lowered his voice. “Besides, we had a good reason for being out there last night. Nothing’s changed, Adele—we still have to stop Uncle Silas.”

“I was hoping you would say that,” said Adele, relieved. “In fact, I have an idea that just might work. Listen—”

Just then the door opened and Bingle entered the room. Stiffly, he crossed the floor and stood against the far wall with his arms folded behind his back.

“Um, Bingle,” said Milo, after a few moments, “what are you doing?”

“Your uncle has asked that I keep an eye on you.” He smiled, but it was hardly convincing. “Just to make sure you don’t suffer a relapse. Don’t worry, sir; you won’t even know I’m here.”

“I don’t need a baby-sitter,” said Milo firmly.

“Of course not, sir,” explained Bingle. “This is purely a precaution. As you know, there is an assassin running about the place, and I suppose your uncle is worried.”

Realizing that they would no longer be able to speak privately, Adele announced that she had better leave so that Isabella could come in and visit.

“Thanks for coming,” said Milo. “And remember, none of this is your fault.”

“I’ll try. Thanks, Milo.” Adele leaned down and kissed her cousin on the cheek.

“I’ll come back after dark,” she whispered in his ear. “Leave the window open. We don’t have much time left.”

***

“You have seen the boy?”

“I have. Bingle alerted me as soon as the medical team returned to the hospital,” said Dr. Mangrove, placing his medical bag on a table beside Silas’s bed. “Milo was given a sleeping pill with his dinner, so there was no danger.”

“Will he recover fully?” said Silas tensely.

“He will,” confirmed the doctor. “Apart from his injuries, the boy is in perfect health.”

A look of relief swept across Silas’s ashen face. “We can proceed then.”

“Most definitely.”

“Now tell me about the elixir,” said Silas, his eyes glistening wildly. “Were you able to salvage any of the roses my idiotic niece cut up?”

“Most of them,” said Dr. Mangrove. “However, it was a complicated matter. The cell structure of the Phoenix rose is very temperamental. Extracting the elixir was never going to be easy.” His small eyes clouded over. “If
only
I had more of the panacea; from that miraculous plant all things are possible. As it is, I have barely enough to survive the year.”

“We will get more, Mangrove,” said Silas with certainty. “You have my word. But the elixir…there is enough for our purposes?”

“Yes…but only just.” Dr. Mangrove pulled the small glass bottle from his jacket and held it up to the light. “This is all we have…every drop.”

“Give it to me,” said Silas, eyeing the elixir greedily. He held out his trembling hand, and Dr. Mangrove gently placed it on his palm.

“Every single drop is precious,” the doctor reminded him. “It has taken several lifetimes to finally produce a perfect batch.”

Silas eased his frail body up and placed his bony finger under the side table next to his bed. A wooden panel slid back from the headboard. Carefully Silas placed the elixir into the compartment before shutting it again.

“When can we begin, Doctor?”

“The chamber should be ready by tomorrow.”

Silas smiled darkly. “Excellent.”

The Way Down

After dinner Adele returned to the eastern wing and knocked on Milo’s bedroom door. As usual Bingle answered.

“Yes, Miss Adele?”

“I’ve come to see Milo,” she told him, trying to peek over Bingle’s shoulder to catch a glimpse of her cousin.

“I’m sorry, Miss Adele, he is still sleeping.”

“You said that three hours ago,” said Adele, unable to hide her frustration. “Can’t I just come in and sit awhile?”

“That’s very thoughtful of you, Miss,” said Bingle, “but I have strict instructions that Milo is not to be disturbed. Perhaps you could come back in the morning?”

“I guess so,” she replied doubtfully.

All afternoon she had been troubled by a strange feeling—Milo was in danger, and she could not wait until after dark to see him. In an effort to ease her worry she had tried several times to visit her cousin, but every time Bingle had an excuse why she could not.

The Butler was trying to keep them apart, she was sure of it.

“Well, good night, Miss,” said Bingle as he closed the door in her face. Then she heard the key turn in the lock.

Moments later, Adele took off down the corridor breaking into a sprint.

She was going to find a way into the basement even if it killed her.

***

Isabella had been looking for her cousin all over Sommerset House, and when she got to the library and found a pile of moldy old books strewn across the floor beneath a concealed bookshelf, she knew that something suspicious was going on. But
what?

She searched the library and the drawing room but found no trace of Adele. Frustrated, and rather hungry, Isabella headed for the kitchen—an apple and a cup of iced tea was just the tonic she needed to clear her head and figure out what her cousin was up to. Turning down the long hallway of the east wing, Isabella caught sight of a wild mop of tomato-colored hair disappearing around the corner. Adele!

But where on earth was the silly girl going?

Then it hit her. The basement—that
had
to be it.

Adele had found a way in!

Suddenly a great many things made sense to Isabella—including why Adele and Milo had been up in that tree last night. They must be in on it together. Yes, that had to be it! Those double-crossing little rodents had made a pact to find Uncle Silas’s priceless treasures and split the loot fifty-fifty.

As Isabella stomped down the wide corridor, her blood was boiling. How dare they cut her out? She was family, after all.

Isabella stalked toward the storeroom door and threw it open. Inside the dimly lit room she was confronted by Adele’s terrified eyes blinking back at her.

“Isabella, you scared me!” said Adele, her voice shaking. She was holding a large book in one hand and a lantern in the other. “I thought you were—”

“Uncle Silas?” interrupted Isabella. “I know what you are up to, cousin. You and that homicidal orphan are trying to steal Uncle Silas’s hidden treasures—I’m ashamed of you both!” She looked around. “Where is your partner in crime?”

“Put a sock in it, Isabella,” snapped Adele as she shut the storeroom door. “The only thief in this house is you.”

Isabella gasped. “Me? How dare you! I am not a thief!”

“Of course you are,” said Adele matter-of-factly. “But that’s not important right now. Uncle Silas is going to hurt Milo and I’m certain it’s connected to what Dr. Mangrove is building in the basement. That’s why we have to find a way in.”

Isabella frowned. “What do you mean,
hurt Milo?
”

“I’m not exactly sure,” admitted Adele. “I just know that Dr. Mangrove has all these twisted theories, and Uncle Silas brought him here for a reason. Milo is locked in his room, and they won’t let me see him. Something is very wrong, Isabella.”

“Cousin, do I look stupid to you?” she said sharply. “The truth is, you are looking for Uncle Silas’s pile of gold, and you’re trying to cut me out. Well, it’s not going to—”

“Please, Isabella, just for a moment try not to be such a brat!”

Isabella’s mouth fell open, but amazingly she did not speak.

“This isn’t about money or treasure or who will inherit Uncle Silas’s fortune,” said Adele sternly. “It’s about something dark and awful happening underneath our feet. Milo needs our help, and we are going to give it to him.”

“You’re serious, aren’t you, cousin?” said Isabella slowly. “Milo’s really in trouble?”

“I think we all are,” whispered Adele, “and that’s why we have to find out what’s going on in the basement.” She handed the book to Isabella. “The blueprints clearly show that the only entrance to the basement is in this room. But so far, I can’t find any sign of it.”

Isabella glanced at the faded yellow pages. They showed a labyrinth of tunnels underneath the mansion and a set of stairs located in the southern corner of the storeroom. But if they had been there once, they certainly weren’t there any longer.

“It doesn’t make sense,” said Isabella, glancing around the cluttered room stacked with crates and overstuffed boxes. “How does an entrance just disappear?”

Adele held a finger to her lips. “Shh!”

A scraping sound, like a box being pulled along the ground, was coming from a darkened corner of the room. Isabella froze. Trembling, Adele stepped forward, holding the lantern out in front of her. The storeroom fell quiet again.

Adele let out a sigh of relief. “Probably just a mouse.”

“A
mouse?
” said Isabella, looking terrified.

Then he emerged from the darkness into the lantern’s warm glow. He was grinning.

“Looking for something, children?”

Isabella screamed.

“Uncle Silas! No, we weren’t looking for anything,” she said nervously. “Adele and I were just…playing hide-and-seek. It’s such fun, isn’t it, cousin?”

“No,” said Adele firmly. She did her best to swallow the fear rising in her throat. “We were looking for a way into the basement.”

“Were you indeed?” said Silas coolly.

Adele nodded. “You see, we know what’s going on down there.” It was a lie, but Adele was desperate. If she could make Uncle Silas believe that they already knew what he was planning, then perhaps he might reveal what was
really
going on. “We know all about Dr. Mangrove and his building project. We know everything, Uncle Silas.”

“Excellent work, Adele,” he sneered, his dark eyes sparkling with pure hatred. “You have no idea how much I want to believe you, but alas, I cannot. The truth is, child, if you really knew what was going on in the basement you would not be looking for a way down.” He shook his head, his eyes never leaving her. “You would be running far, far away.”

Suddenly Isabella exploded into a loud laugh. “Oh, dear—Adele’s lost her mind! I blame all those books she reads.” Slowly stepping back, Isabella began edging toward the door. “Don’t worry, Uncle; I don’t believe any of it. Adele is just confused, that is all. I suggest you have her locked up in an asylum until she sees sense. That seems fair, don’t you think?”

Swiftly Silas moved his chair forward, blocking the doorway. Isabella screamed, jumping back.

“Don’t be in such a rush, child,” said Silas coolly. “Let us
bond
for a while—that’s what families do, is it not? Perhaps we could start by discussing the stolen property my security staff discovered in Adele’s closet a short time ago.”

Adele gasped. “What…stolen property?”

“Tell her, Isabella,” said Silas softly. “Tell her what you did.”

But Isabella could not speak. In fact, she could not even
look
at her cousin.

“Isabella?” said Adele, confused. “I don’t understand. What’s going on?”

“Valuable items have been steadily disappearing from the house,” explained Silas. “Isabella discovered the identity of the thief and bravely brought that information to me. This evening while you were at dinner, Adele, all of the missing items were located in your closet.” He rubbed at his pale lips. “Naturally, I will have to alert the police.”

“But I didn’t do it,” declared Adele, looking at her cousin with a mixture of hurt and fury. “Tell him, Isabella! I never stole anything! I wouldn’t!”

“Oh?” said Silas. “Then who did?”

“Well…I can’t say.” She closed her eyes. “I mean, I don’t know.”

“What a shame,” said Silas. “You are sure to be Ratchet’s House newest inmate now.”

“Ratchet’s House?” said Isabella anxiously.

“It is a place where unwanted children are locked away,” explained Silas triumphantly. “That is where your cousin is to be sent when she returns to Tipping Point empty-handed. Isn’t that so, Adele?”

Adele found herself nodding.

As she watched her cousin, Isabella’s face grew pale. Adele was going to be locked away? No, surely not! Who would do such a thing to their own daughter?

“So, Adele,” said Silas softly, “I will ask you one more time—if you are not the thief, then who is?”

Exposing Isabella as the real thief would be simple, but Adele knew that if she did that then in some strange way Silas would have won. He thrived on dividing people, turning one person against the other, breeding hatred. But today he would not have his victory. Adele would not give it to him.

“I could tell you, Uncle Silas,” she replied honestly, “but I’m not going to.”

Silas regarded her coldly. “Foolish child.”

An uncomfortable sensation stirred and shook Isabella and she did not like it one bit. Adele was covering for her; sacrificing her freedom to protect the very person who had set her up. Isabella gasped. It reached out and up, and she could not stop it.

“Then I will send for the police immediately,” she heard Silas announce.

“Wait!”
cried Isabella. “I was wrong. It wasn’t Adele who stole from you…it was Mrs. Hammer.”

“Mrs. Hammer?” Silas looked delighted.

“Isabella,” said Adele anxiously, “what are you doing?”

“That’s right, Mrs. Hammer,” said Isabella quickly. “The poor dear can’t help herself; she steals anything that isn’t nailed to the floor. I caught her red-handed lifting the silverware and she started crying like a baby, begging me not to say anything. I guess I felt sorry for her—she’s so old and unattractive. I’m sorry I lied about Adele, it was a dreadful thing to do.”

“This is a
surprise
,” said Silas with a dark grin. “Mrs. Hammer has been such a faithful servant these last forty years. I shall send for her now and force a confession. Of course, we will have to lock her up until the police arrive.”

“Is that really necessary, Uncle?” said Isabella, gulping. “I gave the old bat a very stern talking-to and she promised to
never
do it again. I think it would be far more sensible to just drop the whole thing and pretend it never happened. Don’t you agree, Uncle?”

“No,” said Silas coldly, his grin slipping away. “I do not. Her life as a free woman ends today. With your testimony, Isabella, I will make sure that Mrs. Hammer is locked away until her dying day.”

“You can’t do that.” Isabella lowered her head and the soft groan that escaped from her mouth was the sound of surrender. “Mrs. Hammer didn’t steal from you,” she said slowly. “Neither did Adele. It was me. I’m the one.”

Silas closed his eyes and laughed softly.

“Well, of course you are,” he told her. “You are a thief just as your father is—I knew that before you set foot on Sommerset. You befriend wealthy girls, get yourself invited to their homes, and then steal from them. That is your modus operandi, is it not?”

As Silas spoke, Isabella felt like he had cut her open and exposed her soul to the whole world. The shame washed across her face in a river of deep crimson.

“You are a fraud, Isabella Winterbottom,” declared Silas. “A common criminal; little more than a glorified pickpocket. And that is all you ever will be.”

“That’s not true!” shouted Adele, stepping forward to challenge her uncle. “Isabella may be a thief and a two-faced liar and a stuck-up princess, but when it really mattered, she told the truth.” She turned and looked at her cousin. “If you ask me, that counts for something.”

Despite the fact that her cousin had just called her a variety of unpleasant names, Isabella smiled. “Thank you, cousin.”

“Family unity,” said Silas with a disappointed sigh. “How very dull.”

“Enough!” Adele shouted angrily at her uncle. “You’re just trying to distract us, and it won’t work. We know you are hiding something down in the basement, and we won’t leave this room until you show us what it is!” She folded her arms and stared directly at her uncle. “I mean it, Uncle Silas. Show us what you are hiding…or else.”

“Take us to the basement, you revolting old bag of bones!” declared Isabella, stamping her foot for added effect.

Silas smiled thinly.

“As you wish.”

Reaching into his coat pocket, Silas grasped a small remote control and pushed on it. Immediately the stone floor beneath Adele and Isabella fell away, and before they were aware what was happening, the two girls dropped through the trapdoor, swallowed into darkness.