Hidden Motive (14 page)

“Craig! Are you down here?”

He squeezed through another narrow, passage. “Craig!”

A distant voice echoed from the limestone wall, perhaps a hundred feet away. He scrambled up a steep incline, the fog so thick now he had to cup the beam of his flashlight with his hand to keep the glare from blinding him.

“Help! We need help!” He stepped out into another columned room, and stopped. “Sable fell! I need help getting her out.”

“We're coming!” It was Craig.

Murph waited. Craig and Bryce emerged through the fog a few moments later, breathless and dirty.

“What happened?” Craig asked.

“Sable fell in the crystal cavern. We need help.”

“Let's go!” Craig said, leading the way.

 

Sable threw another rock, and another. Her head throbbed with the exertion. Finding a break in the limestone wall, she crawled sideways into a protective tunnel.

There was a sound of shoes scraping against rock. She turned. The ghost eyes hovered only a couple of yards above her. Murph wasn't going to return in time.

She screamed. The ghost grabbed her by the throat. Her watch chain broke. She screamed again, falling into darkness.

 

A scream echoed through the cave. Murph pulled himself up from the low passage and raced toward the crystal cavern ahead of the others. “Sable!” Panic spurred him through the last two caverns, along the rocky passage and out the other side.

They reached the pit. Total blackness.

“Sable!” Murph shouted. He aimed his light around the darkened crevices of the pit until he saw her blue nylon jacket. She lay in the mud.

He handed his light to Bryce. “I'm going down.”

“Wait,” Craig said. “We need a rope.”

“We don't have time to get a rope!” Murph said.

Craig took off his jacket. “We can use this. It's denim, it'll hold. Here, take one end. Can't have you falling, too.”

Murph grabbed the sleeve and allowed Craig to lower him as far as possible, then jumped the last few feet. He rushed to Sable's side just as she raised her head and began to stir.

“Sable, what happened? Are you okay?”

She turned glazed eyes toward him. “Someone came after me,” she whispered “They got my watch…couldn't see…ghost eyes.”

She wasn't making sense. He checked her pupils. They were equal and reactive. “You can see me now, can't you?”

She peered up at him. “I can see fine.”

He did a hasty neurological exam. Whatever had happened to her a few minutes ago, she was stable now.

“Let's get you out of here,” he said.

With a sidelong glance at the water flowing lethargically past them a couple of feet away, she reached for Murph. “Maybe I was hallucinating. Or maybe we really do have a ghost,” she mumbled as she leaned against him.

With help from Craig and Bryce, Murph hauled Sable up the side of the embankment. “Let's get her to the house.”

As Murph lifted her into his arms, she leaned close to his ear. “Did you hear me? The ghost took my watch.”

M
urph carried Sable up the basement steps, and for the first time in her life, she was relieved to escape the cave. She felt outraged and violated, frustrated and desperate. She held on to Murph with all her strength.

When he carried her through the door into the living room, Audry looked up from the sofa and gasped.

“What on earth!” She tossed her crossword puzzle aside and jumped to her feet. “Sable! What happened?”

“I fell.” She didn't have the energy to explain.

“Here, Murph, sit her down on the sofa. Craig, bring me some towels. We'll need to clean her off before we can see where she's hurt.”

“Murph has already checked me for injuries,” Sable said, relenting enough to allow Audry to help her remove her mud-caked nylon jacket. “I hit my head. It'll be okay.” She hoped. “Ice, though. I could use some ice.”

“I'll get some,” Bryce said and ran into the kitchen.

Audry pulled off Sable's boots. “How did it happen?”

“I told you, I fell.”

Audry rolled her eyes, taking the towels Craig brought. “Thanks, that'll be enough. Now, Sable, let's get you up to your room and get these filthy clothes off.”

“First, tell me where everyone has been since we left.”

Audry stopped bustling around Sable. “What do you mean? We've been right here, of course. Where did you expect us to go? Boys, if you're hungry, there's some lunch in the kitchen. Jerri had KP, but you'll have to serve yourselves now.”

“Where is she?” Sable asked.

“I think she might have gone upstairs to the attic.”

“And Perry and Simmons?” Murph asked.

“I'm not concerned about those two right now, I'm concerned about Sable,” Audrey said.

“Just tell us where they are,” Sable said sharply, finding strength in her indignation.

Audry shook her head. “You people don't make any sense. I heard Dillon growling upstairs earlier and went up to find a face-off between him and Simmons in the hallway.”

“When did this happen?” Murph asked.

“Oh, I'd say about twenty minutes ago. Couldn't tell you what it was about, but I let Simmons know right quick he'd better not be disturbing anybody's stuff. He's kept a low profile since. As long as he keeps the fire stoked, I'm happy.”

“And Perry?” Sable asked.

“I saw him carrying water upstairs about thirty minutes ago. Now you men shoo on out of here. I'm getting Sable upstairs. Honey, can you walk?”

“Of course I can.” Sable stood up. “Did you see either of the men before that? What have they been doing since we left?”

“Honey, I don't keep track of those two.” Audry clicked her tongue and shook her head. “Simmons sure wasn't thrilled with your dog, though. Let's get you upstairs to bed.”

“You're not really putting her to bed, are you?” Murph asked.

“I didn't say sleep, I said bed. I'll watch her.”

“I'll help,” Murph insisted.

“Not while I help her undress, you won't. Now give us some room to work, why don't you?”

“I don't need help undressing,” Sable said.

“You don't need to be left alone, either.”

Bryce returned with a plastic zipper bag filled with ice. Sable took it gratefully and held it against her skull.

Upstairs, Audry's hands were gentle as she washed away the top layer of drying mud from Sable's face and arms. “I don't see any blood.”

“Just mud,” Sable said. The ice felt wonderful, but her head still throbbed. “Audry, how much did you see of the others while we were gone?” She hesitated. “And what did you do?”

Audry shuffled through the top drawer of Sable's dresser, selected a T-shirt, and tossed it to Sable. “I can't help wondering why you're concerned about this now, when your health is more important.”

Sable changed quickly into the T-shirt. “If there were strangers in your home, wouldn't you want to know what they were doing with their time?”

Audry tucked the muddy blouse under her arm and searched through the dresser until she found an old pair of scrub pants. She handed them to Sable. “I think I was taking a bath before you left.”

“I thought I heard water splashing in there. Did Perry tote the water for you?”

“Nope, I heated it myself. Mind you, it was a shallow bath, but it sure felt good.”

“So you didn't see anyone for a while. What else?”

“Jerri hollered at me through the door that she'd found some jeans she could wear, but she had to put a hem in them. I think she was going to look for a needle and thread.”

“Yes, yes, I heard that. And then Perry accused her of snooping through his things.”

“They had a few words about it, but she assured him she had no interest in his silly suitcase.”

“Okay then, what about Simmons?”

“He made himself scarce most of the morning, but he kept the fire going in the basement furnace, that's all I cared about. It's a big house, Sable. Four people can avoid each other for a long time.” She sat on the bed while Sable changed into the scrub pants. “Lie down and keep that ice on your head. We need to watch you for the next few hours.”

Sable sighed. “I know the drill.”

 

Craig slid a plate across the dining table toward Murph and lifted the lid from the roasting pot, allowing the aroma to fill the room. “Are you going to tell me what's going on in this house, Murph, or am I going to have to go upstairs and bully Sable?”

Murph shoved the plate away. He wasn't hungry. “Someone attacked us.”

The lid clattered to the table.

Murph glanced toward the door. “I'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything about this to the others. Someone must have followed us. We were looking at the crystal cavern when that natural bridge seemed to crumble on top of us. Someone had been hiding there.”

“No idea who?”

“None. Sable was in front of me, and we both got shoved toward the pit. The ledge collapsed beneath her, and I couldn't hold on to her.”

Craig shoved the pot aside and leaned over the table. “First, Sable wrecks her car down in Oklahoma, then—”

“Keep your voice down.”

“Next,” Craig said more softly, “she nearly falls into the ravine.” In spite of Murph's warning, the volume rose again with every word. “Then someone tries to drown Simmons in the creek.”

“Maybe not. Please lower your voice. I'd like to know what he was doing out there in the first place.”

“Is Audry still upstairs with Sable?”

Murph nodded. If Boswell had wanted to fool everyone—if, indeed, Boswell was behind this—Audry would be a good choice. She may behave like a kind, talkative woman, mature in years, but she was in good physical condition, and she was sharp.

The door opened and Bryce entered the kitchen. “I tried to check on Sable, but Audry wouldn't let me in. Any food left?”

Murph slid his unused plate, fork and knife across the table. “Plenty. Have some.”

Bryce took a seat across from Murph and reached for the pot. “I'm starved. Who cooked this?”

“I have no idea,” Murph said.

“I need to go talk to Sable.” Craig shoved his plate aside and left.

 

Sable had nearly fallen asleep when Craig arrived at her door, insisting that he had to talk to her alone.

After a brief run-in with Audry, he got his way. With a disapproving sigh, Audry walked out, leaving the door open. Sable motioned for Craig to close it as he entered.

“What's so important you had to disturb me from my death bed?” she drawled.

Craig did as she directed and sank onto the chest at the end of the bed. “Someone tries to kill you what, twice? Three times? And you don't think it's important?”

Sable groaned and readjusted the ice pack. “What did Murph say?”

“I want to know what
you
say. You can't just leave everybody in the dark like this. Something big's going on, and that means everyone in this house could be in danger.”

“I'm sorry. Apparently, someone followed us from Freemont.”

“And that's important because…?”

She stifled a groan. She didn't have the energy for another explanation. “That's what we're here to find out.”

“Sable, has it ever occurred to you that Murph is the one who followed you? Doesn't it strike you as strange that—”

“Someone tried to kill Murph.” Sometimes Craig Holt was the most annoying…

“What!”

“Keep your voice down! We're trying to keep this from making the papers this afternoon, if you don't mind. It happened on the hillside while he was chopping wood yesterday. You saw his injury. I saw it happen, but again, I didn't see who. Now stop with the brother act.”

Craig spread his hands and stood up. “Fine.” He paced to the window, arms folded across his chest. “Something's up, and you don't think I deserve an explanation. What did the police tell you about Josiah's automobile accident?”

She hesitated at the abrupt change of subject. “They thought he might have fallen asleep at the wheel, or swerved to miss an animal on the road, and his truck went off the road.”

“And that's what they told you killed him.”

“He hit a tree.”

Craig was silent for a moment, arms stiffly folded over his chest, face grim. “Josiah didn't have any automobile accident,” he said softly. “That wasn't what killed him.”

“What are you talking about?”

“There's something else you need to know. Something only the mortician would see.”

“You mean Bobby Ray?”

“Yes, but he'd get into big trouble if anyone found out.”

“Let's hear it.”

 

Bryce carried his dishes to the sink. “Murph, were you and Craig fighting when I came in?”

“No, we're both just a little jumpy after Sable's accident.”

“Good.” Bryce grinned as he returned to the table. “So don't get mad at him, okay? He played the same trick on me that Sable played on her brothers.”

“What trick?”

“He left me alone in the cave.”

“He
left
you?”

“He kept aiming his flashlight at the ceiling of the passage, like he was looking for something specific. You know where all that fog got so thick? We came to a little stream of water trickling from up above. He climbed up the side and disappeared into that fog. After awhile I called to him, but he didn't answer. He'd just disappeared.”

“He never told you what he was searching for?”

“Nope. That guy loves to get dirty. Did you see all that mud on him?”

“How long was he gone?”

“Maybe ten or fifteen minutes. I had a flashlight, could've found my way back, but I decided to stay put.”

Murph shoved his chair backward. “I need to check on Sable.”

“Hey, wait, I didn't think you'd get mad at him!” Bryce called.

 

The ice pack was getting warm, and Sable needed to refill it. She also needed to use the restroom and get a drink of water. But not before she heard what Craig had to say.

“Better be sure you want to hear this,” Craig said, “because you won't like it. I swear it's the truth, though. Bobby Ray wouldn't lie about this.”

“Craig, just tell me.”

He took a deep breath, reached up to comb his fingers through his damp black hair. “Bobby was supposed to keep the casket closed, right?”

“Yes. The body was prepared in Freemont. There wasn't any reason for him to do anything.”

“He always respects the family's wishes. He's a good mortician.”

“Craig, what did Bobby Ray do?”

“The coroner in Freemont called him after the body was shipped, reminding him not to open the casket under any circumstances.” His voice grew louder as he talked.

“And?”

“Why would he have made such a point about that?”

Sable glanced toward the closed door. “Craig, lower your voice.”

He turned from his vigil at the window and leaned so close to Sable she could smell the roast beef and onions on his breath. “What were you told about the body?”

“The coroner advised a closed casket because of the damage.”

“There wasn't a mark on Josiah's body.”

The soggy ice pack fell from Sable's hands.

“I convinced Bobby Ray to open the casket,” he said.