Page 23 of Fortune's Ashes
She answered instantly. ‘Quincy Carmichael was many things to many people, detective, but he was never ever violent. Quincy was not like that.’
I thanked her profusely for her time.
‘That is no problem. I would ask for one thing in return, though.’
‘What’s that?’
‘An invitation to your wedding once Lukas has proposed. I would like an excuse to visit London again.’
There was very little I could say to that. I somehow strangled out a polite reply and hung up as quickly as I could.
I leaned back in my chair and used my fingers to tease out the damned tangle in my hair. ‘The thing is, Jellybean,’ I said aloud, ‘other than the payment he made for his bus ticket, there’s no evidence that Quincy went to Spain. If somebody hurt him or killed him and wanted to hide his murder, the smart thing to do would be to make it appear that he’d disappeared of his own accord. Somebody else could have bought that ticket.’
I reached for the file to check Quincy’s bank statement. Tony had highlighted the bus ticket in yellow and I gazed at the date. The last time anyone had reported seeing Quincy in the flesh had been on the Sunday before he’d vanished, when he’d attended the family dinner that Phileas had mentioned. He’d bought the bus ticket on the Monday afternoon, due to depart the following day.
I stared at the dates, then I tapped on the computer and did a quick Google search. Hmm. The double murder of Simon Carr and the vampire had occurred on the Saturday night. Just because these events had happened during the same weekend, didn’t mean they were linked, yet I couldn’t shake the niggling thought that there was a connection.
ChapterNine
It was cold when I finally left for the graveyard. As the appointed hour of my doom approached, the seconds and minutes began to drag by and even searching deeper into Quincy’s life stopped distracting me, When I caught myself gazing at the clock for the umpteenth time, I gave up and shrugged on my coat. I’d be early, but it would allow me to calm myself before Lukas arrived. It was time to get the worst over and done with.
Although the graveyard was within walking distance, I took Tallulah; having her close by would allow for a speedy getaway if I needed one. To my surprise, I found a parking space almost directly outside the gates. I turned off the engine and prepared to open the door. As I did, the radio flicked on of its own accord.
‘Love takes time,’ warbled a songstress, ‘and patience but I know you are miiiiiine.’
I frowned and turned it off. It immediately flicked itself back on again.
‘I know you’ll forgive meeeee…’
I hissed and turned it off again. ‘Tallulah,’ I warned. ‘Stop that.’
The radio whined and started again. ‘You are miiiiiine!’
I opened the car door. If Tallulah wanted to sit on her own with the sappy love song playing on the radio in the background, then so be it. I didn’t have to sit there and listen to it with her. I left her where she was, with the tune still audible through the car windows, and walked through the iron gates.
It was some months since I’d last been here. I checked in on Reverend Knight occasionally, partly to keep the peace between him and his supe neighbours and partly because I genuinely liked him. However, I’d been avoiding him lately, aware that he was friendly with Lukas as well as me, and any conversation would probably involve well-meaning but painful questions about our relationship.
At least the late hour meant that Knight was probably tucked up in bed with a good book. I didn’t want to have to duck behind a gravestone like an idiot to avoid any awkward – albeit well-meaning – nuggets of advice. I was supposed to be an adult, not a small child afraid of a disapproving word or two.
Breathing deeply in a bid to remain calm, I went over to the grave where I’d once been killed and where all this had begun. A faint swirl of mist clung around the top of the headstone, creating an eerie atmosphere; it was textbook horror-film stuff, where the lead character was about to confront the evil villain for the last time in order to save the day – except Lukas was the hero and not the villain. I shoved my hands into my pockets and wondered what that made me.
‘Hi, Lukas,’ I muttered aloud. ‘Good to see you. Just wanted to let you know that the reason I didn’t accept your proposal and ran away is that I’m now the very sort of monster that you hate. Oh, and I’m also carrying your baby. Surprise!’
The only answer was the tinny sound of Tallulah’s radio, which was still playing. I checked my watch. It was a quarter to ten. He’d be here soon and I could have this over and done with. I sighed painfully, and then a wave of dizziness washed over me.
No. Not now. Please not now.
The strong smell of burning filled my nostrils. That was new – the visions I’d experienced so far hadn’t included smelly portents. An image of flames flashed through my head and I heard distant screaming. A moment later, I saw a writhing body, its arms and legs flailing as the flames took hold.
Words forced their way out of my mouth. ‘Ten. Eleven. Fuel will be added to my fire.’ As soon as I finished speaking, an ornate sign appeared in my mind’s eye. Carmichael Solicitors.
A moment later, I was doubled over and retching onto the grave at my feet.
I choked and spluttered, wrapping my arms around myself until the sensation passed. Ten, eleven. My insides chilled. What if that was the time that this event was going to take place? What if it was only minutes away from happening?
I spat on the ground. I couldn’t wait here for Lukas. I had to get to Phileas Carmichael’s office as fast as I could. There was still a chance I could stop this.
‘I’m sorry,’ I whispered into the night air. Lukas would think that I’d backed out at the last minute and run away yet again, but I couldn’t ignore what I’d seen.
