Kate Kingsbury - Mistletoe and Mayhem

She wasn’t even sure why he’d asked her. Perhaps for companionship. Perhaps he felt responsible for her and the twins. Whatever the reason, it wasn’t enough.

Gertie Brown McBride simply couldn’t give up everything she knew and loved to marry a man who couldn’t love her. Not for all the money and posh living in the world. That’s all there was to it.

Cecily mentally cursed herself for being so careless. Sir Walter was well aware that she was investigating the murders.

She should have known he would realize the photographs would incriminate him in a lie, thus leading her to her conclusions.

He was between her and the door. Her only chance of escape was to keep him talking and hope that Baxter would soon come looking for her.

“Is there something I can do for you, Sir Walter?” Thankful for her measured tone, she carefully backed around her desk.

Fear gripped her throat, however, when he moved forward, the knife poised to strike. “You should have left well enough alone, Mrs. Baxter. Look where your meddling has led you. I really, truly dislike having to silence you, but I have no choice.”

“I could promise not to say a word to anyone about what I know,” Cecily suggested hopefully.

Sir Walter’s face darkened. “I am in no mood for frivolity. I-” He broke off, passing a hand across his forehead as if in great pain.

“I’m so sorry, you still have your headache. I really think I should fetch a powder for you.” She reached for the bell rope. “Let me ring for the housekeeper.”

“Let go of that this instant!” He brandished the knife in her face and she backed away, out of reach of the rope. “I’m not relishing this moment. I wish you had just minded your own business, then none of this would be at all necessary.”

He really didn’t want to kill her, she realized. Maybe she could take advantage of that. “I’m really sorry. I’ve never been able to resist a puzzle, and you were so clever in everything you did. I greatly admire your fortitude.”

He scowled. “I’m afraid it’s a little too late for sweet words. I must do what I have to do, to preserve the good name of both my wife and myself. The scandal would kill her.”

He moved closer to the desk, forcing her to back up to the wall. Now she had nowhere to go. “I would like to know just one thing.” She edged sideways, one hand supporting herself on the back of her chair. “I would like to know why you went to all the trouble of killing all those people.”

“I was under the impression you knew the reason.”

She shook her head. “I really don’t, and it’s puzzling me greatly. I do know that Ellie worked for you when she was in London. Her mother mentioned that she worked at Rosewood Manor. It was your wife’s handkerchief I found outside the Danvilles’ suite. I realized that the R.M. stood for Rosewood Manor.”

“Ah.” He moved closer. “I wondered where that handkerchief had gone. My wife gave it to me to wrap around a cut on my finger. I’d tucked it in my pocket and forgotten it.”

Strange that she hadn’t seen any blood on the handkerchief, Cecily thought. Then again, she hadn’t unfolded it. “A cut on your finger? Or was it, perhaps, blood from Ellie’s neck when you tore the necklace from her?”

Sir Walter’s face darkened. “That ungrateful little libertine. I gave her that necklace, and she had the audacity to refuse my favors. She left my house without a word to me. Just simply disappeared.”

“So you came here looking for her.”

Anger flashed in his eyes. “I did not! I had all but forgotten the little guttersnipe. My wife and I had heard good things about the Pennyfoot Country Club. We decided to spend our Christmas here for a change. I had not the faintest inkling that she would be here. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that trollop engaging in a disgusting display of lust right under my nose.”

“Is that why you killed Charlie?”

He frowned. “Charlie?”

“The footman. You were jealous of him?”

He uttered a short, contemptuous laugh. “Jealous? Great heavens, no. That evening, after the banquet, I saw Ellie Tidwell again crossing the yard. I followed her, intending to have it out with her. She was quite insolent, arousing my temper. That was a mistake. I saw the necklace she wore, my necklace, and snatched it from her neck. She clawed at me, screaming at the top of her voice. I had to silence her. Before I knew it, my hands were at her throat.”

He was having difficulty reliving the incident. She could see the sweat standing out on his forehead, which was still creased in pain.

She moved just a fraction of an inch, but he saw her and jerked the knife. “I can’t possibly let you leave. You must realize that.”

Her heart pounded so hard she thought she would faint. Her chest hurt with the effort to keep her voice calm and quiet. “I don’t understand why you killed Charlie, too.”

“He saw me, that’s why.” Again Sir Walter drew the back of his hand across his forehead. “When I realized what I had done, I dragged the body into the coal shed. I was going to leave it under the coal, and hope that no one would find it until long after I had gone back to town.”

“And Charlie saw you?”

“Yes. I had to move the body again. Silly young man. He tried to blackmail me. Said he would say nothing if I paid him five thousand pounds.” He shook his head. “I knew it wouldn’t stop there. That young man was shrewd. He would have bled me dry. I arranged to meet him an hour later in the rose garden. I told him I would bring him the money then. He should have known I couldn’t get my hands on that much money in such a short time.”

“So you went up on the roof and dropped the gargoyle on his head.”

“Yes.” He nodded at her. “You have a unique little garden up there on the roof. I discovered it the first afternoon we arrived. Those steps leading up through the attic make it so easy to get up there. Very nice view.” He blinked, as if he’d lost track of what he’d been saying.

Cecily made a mental note to keep the attic door locked in future. That’s if she survived. Where was Baxter? Why wasn’t he looking for her? Surely her office would be the first place he looked?

“We’re wasting time,” Sir Walter said, reading her mind. “I really do regret having to do this, Mrs. Baxter. You have been a most charming host, and under any other circumstances our relationship could have been most pleasant. I cannot allow you to repeat what I have told you, however, though I must admit, it has been quite a relief to tell someone about it. It has all been weighing heavily on my mind. I do have to thank you for that.”

“There’s just one more thing,” Cecily said quickly. She edged sideways again. On the top of her filing cabinet stood a large glass paperweight in the shape of a pyramid. If she could just reach it and throw it at his head, it would most likely do enough damage to allow her to escape. “Tell me, why did you kill the Danvilles?”

Sir Walter sighed. “That was also regrettable. Mrs. Danville was such a pretty little thing. She struggled so hard I almost couldn’t go through with it, but once I’d started there didn’t seem any way to stop.”

Cecily’s stomach heaved, and she had to take several deep breaths. Another inch or so and she could reach the paperweight. “But why did you find it necessary to kill her?”

He smiled, an evil smile that chilled her to the bone. “Actually, Mrs. Baxter, you gave me the idea.”

She stared at him in horror. “I? How is that possible?”

“You were in the dining room, seated at the next table to me, and you were talking to your husband about the serial killer. It seemed that more than one person thought that the deaths were the work of the Mayfair Murderer. I decided to foster that assumption. He had apparently left London. He made the perfect scapegoat. According to your husband, however, I needed some kind of signature to leave behind. Something to tie them all together.” Once more he paused, this time pressing his fingers to his forehead.