A Death by Arson (21 page)

‘I believe they are together at this very moment.'

Dougal Kennedy's mask slipped for a moment. ‘Damn it,' he cried. He took three paces towards me until we were only inches apart. I was backed against the panelling. I used all my will power not to flinch from him. ‘I really, really need you to help me out here, miss,' he said. ‘My family has lost this castle, but we still have a name in the area, a reputation to uphold. Stapleford may have bought this house, but my father is still the Laird.'

‘I do not think Sir Richard understands the matter quite like that.'

‘I don't care what that dolt thinks!' shouted Dougal, backing into the room and clenching his fists. ‘My family has held this land for generations and our word is law!'

‘I rather think the Chief Inspector would disagree.' I tried to edge sideways towards the door. ‘Was it an accident?' I asked. ‘I imagine your father thought you were dead. He must have been beside himself with grief.'

‘Hah!' said Dougal. ‘My father needed his heir. My mother was too frail to bear another son. He was angry. Rightfully so. Mason had failed in her duties. All she had to do was keep me safe, but let me out of her sight and the gypsies took me. If I had not run away from them, who knows what might have happened to me? We have never welcomed those people on our lands.'

‘So you are saying they kidnapped you? It was not that you ran away? Ran away because your father had a temper?' I ventured a guess.

The change that came over Dougal froze me to the spot. ‘Father only ever did what was best for me. The Laird must behave correctly. Boys don't always understand that. Sometimes it has to be beaten into them.'

‘Did he beat your mother?' I asked. ‘Is that why there were no more children?'

‘Mother was from the lowlands. She found the climate up here too harsh.'

‘I see,' I said with obvious doubt. ‘Did he beat his servants?'

‘Only when they deserved it. It is the way up here. It is understood.'

‘But he went too far with Mason, did he not? He killed her?'

‘Stupid English maid. A Scottish girl would have taken the beating and been glad she had not been turned out. That was all he was doing. Punishing her. He needed her to look after my mother. He did not mean to kill her.'

‘So he buried her in the wall. When did he tell you?'

‘When he sold the castle.'

‘He told you it was your fault, did he not?' I said. ‘If you had not run from your lessons he would not have had to beat her.'

The lines of anger on Dougal's face faded. ‘Oh, you do understand. It was my fault. I had to keep his secret. Keep his reputation intact.'

‘You did not know there was a man hiding there, did you?'

‘No, of course not,' said Dougal. ‘But the Chief Inspector has told me he was a robber, so no great loss.'

‘His life does not matter? It must have been a horrible way to die,' I said.

‘It is a shame, but I only did the hangman's job for him,' said Dougal. ‘He should not have been there.'

‘And the fire you set should only have been bad enough to stop Sir Richard developing the building?'

Dougal turned away from me. ‘Oh, I don't know,' he said. ‘I don't know what I was thinking! I had to stop them discovering the body until I had a chance to move it, but then I thought, why did Stapleford have the right to sit in our castle while we had to live in a rat-infested old manor in the village?'

‘Because you had no more money and he bought the castle from you.'

‘But it is my birthright,' said Dougal firmly. ‘He has no right to it. It is mine! Mine or no one's.'

I think it was then that I realised he was not simply confused but well on the road to madness. ‘Of course,' I said. ‘I understand you have done nothing wrong. You did not mean to harm Susie Ellis' brother and your father did not mean to kill Nanny Mason.' I spoke as if to a young child. ‘Everything will be all right.'

‘No! No! It won't be!' cried Dougal. ‘You will tell them, won't you? You will tell them all everything. I will never get the castle back!' And so saying, he drew a revolver from his pocket. ‘This is my father's old service revolver,' he said calmly. ‘If he had wanted to kill Mason he would have used this. You do see that, don't you?'

‘Of course,' I said. The door stood a mere two feet from me. ‘But you won't make anything better by killing me,' I said firmly, although inside it felt as if every nerve and sinew was shaking with fear. ‘You are an intelligent man. It will only make…'

‘Shut up!' yelled Dougal. ‘Shut up! I have to shut you up!'

Then everything happened very quickly. I screamed and dived towards the door. I caught my foot on the rug and sprawled across the floor. A bullet rang out above me, hitting the wall. Then the door burst open. ‘Euphemia!' cried Bertram, seeing me lying there.

‘Bertram, look out. He's got…'

But I never got any further. The gun went off again and Bertram slumped to the ground. Rory, a footman and several of the guests who had been at breakfast piled through the door. They wrestled the gun from Dougal. It went off once more, but no one cried out. I did not see if the bullet struck, for I was on my knees by Bertram. His face was waxy. A large pool of red seeped slowly across the rug.

‘Bertram!' I cried, but he did not answer me.

To be continued…

Caroline Dunford
The Euphemia Martins Mysteries

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Published by Accent Press Ltd 2016

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Copyright © Caroline Dunford 2016

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