revulsion. Chuckie was a very strange young man in many ways.
She was almost to the guest entrance when she heard footsteps behind her. Had Chuckie changed his mind? Not wanting to turn around, Judith quickened her pace.
Whoever was following her also moved faster. She was almost to the door when she heard a voice:
“Allow me. That door is heavy.”
Judith finally turned around. She saw Will Fleming emerging from the mist with a faint smile on his long face.
“You must be one of the guests,” he said, removing his gloves. “I saw you at Mass this morning.” He opened the door and let Judith enter first. “I don’t think we met officially. I’m Will Fleming, the unworthy man who’s married to Marie.”
Judith put out her hand. “Yes. I was chatting with Marie and Beth a few minutes ago. They’re in the drawing room.”
Will was taking off his navy raincoat. A package the size of a toddler’s shoe box wrapped in brown paper fell to the floor with a clunking sound. “Sorry,” he murmured, picking up the parcel. “I was afraid I’d be late to dinner. It’s a nuisance to have to bring work home on the weekends—but there it is. A global economy never rests. Will you be joining us?”
“No,” Judith replied. “My cousin and I had a late lunch. We’ll dine later, probably in our rooms. It’s very good of Mrs. Gibbs to do the cooking despite her grief.”
“Indeed,” Will agreed, cradling the package. “They’re a wonderfully old-fashioned pair. Philip is fortunate to have them at Grimloch.”
“Apparently their son and his wife are quite different,” Judith remarked. “I haven’t heard if they’ve been notified of their son’s tragedy.”
“Hardly surprising,” Will said, taking off his mackintosh. “They prefer not to be found.”
“Aging hippies?”
Will’s chuckle seemed forced. “Let’s say they find it best to keep moving.” He nodded to Judith, and headed down the corridor.
When Judith returned to Renie’s room, she found her cousin reading a mystery novel.
“Research,” Renie said, putting the book aside. “I’m betting that the LAPD detective catches the killer before you do. Where’ve you been?”
Judith explained how she’d visited with Beth and Marie before running into Chuckie. “He’s very disturbed—and disturbing,” Judith said. “I wanted him to show me the castle, but he spent most of the time dwelling on the awful things that used to happen here.”
“‘Used to’? As opposed to happening since we got here?”
“You know what I mean.”
“I do, and speaking of awful, we were going to call our mothers, remember? Your cell phone or mine?”
Judith shrugged. “We can each use our own. But remember, at home it’s almost noon. My mother will be about to have lunch.”
“Mine, too.” Renie got out her cell. “Let’s see if these things will work inside the castle. I have doubts after our first failure.”
Renie stayed on the bed; Judith took her phone to the window embrasure. This time there was static, but she heard the ring at the other end.
And more ringing. Gertrude refused to pick up the phone until the caller was ready to hang up—or pass out. Finally Judith heard her mother’s raspy voice, snarling an unwelcoming “Hello.”
“How are you?” Judith asked.
“Who is this?” Gertrude demanded. “Whatever you’re peddling, I don’t want any.”
“It’s me, Mother—Judith.”
“Speak up, young man. I’m deaf.”
“Mother! I’m on a trip, remember?” Judith was practically screaming. She saw Renie motioning for her to lower her voice.
“I can’t hear you, Mom,” Renie was saying. “Are you sick?”
“A drip in December?” Gertrude said. “The only drip I know of is my daughter’s dim-bulb husband. You want to talk to my daughter?”
“Did you call the doctor, Mom?” Renie asked as she rolled over onto her stomach. “What kind of pain?”
Judith tried to open the window to see if the reception would be better. But the panes were sealed shut. She moved toward the garderobe and slipped inside. “Can you hear me now?” she asked just as Renie said in alarm, “What ambulance?”
Judith shut the garderobe door. “I said—”
“Lunch is here,” Gertrude interrupted. “Mmm…tuna sandwiches with the crusts cut off, deviled eggs, strawberries from California, and oatmeal raisin cookies right out of the oven. You’re a doll, Arlene.”
Judith could barely hear her neighbor’s voice in the background asking who was on the phone.
“Nobody,” Gertrude said, and rang off.
Judith swore under her breath. It was pointless to call back. Her mother would be eating lunch, an inviolable
