Designer Detective (A Fiona Marlowe Mystery) (13 page)

“Cody left. He walked out the front door about
an hour ago and got into a car that pulled up to the front of the house. Miss
Opal, I’m happy to say, has perked up, so I’m making her dinner. Would you care
to join her?”

Jake shook his head, no. I nodded mine, yes. Hudson
smiled. His cheeks were rosy from cooking. His blue eyes had the twinkle back.

“I like your healthy appetite, Miss Marlowe. I’ll
see if Miss Opal will join us. I have a vegetable salad chilling in the icebox.
Plenty for everyone.”

“Great,” I said, and he left to fetch Opal.

I smiled at Jake. He frowned and walked to the
door to the lower floor.

“Locked,” he said when it didn’t budge.

“I’m sure Cody doesn’t want anyone messing with
the goods.”

“I wonder who he left with.”

“I wonder what kind of car it was.
Probably black limousine with tinted windows.”

Jake gave half a laugh. “What an imagination.
None of that matters anyway. I’ve decided to drive Opal back to Oregon.”

“What?”

“I said I’m going to drive Opal cross country.
It’ll take about five days. She might hold up better that way then taking her
through airports. Besides, someone might be watching the airports.”

We heard footsteps, and Opal appeared at the
kitchen entrance, the perpetual smile on her face. Hudson was behind, urging
her in.

“Hello you two,” she said.
“Nice
to see you again.
How have you been?”

Jake nodded. “Are you feeling better?”

“I wasn’t feeling bad. Everyone around here
makes such a fuss. Where is everyone?”

Hudson steered her toward the table. “Everyone
is out right now. Jake has come to take you back to Oregon.”

“I thought Cody was going back with me.”

Hudson
hesitated
not a
nanosecond and said, “Cody has business to attend to here. He asked Jake to
take you back. You’ll be leaving now, won’t she, Mr. Manyhorses?”

“You bet,” chimed in Jake, not missing a beat.
“How’d you like to take a cross-country trip?”

Opal seated herself across the table from us. Hudson
busied himself setting out plates and silverware. Opal sat smiling, not
bothering to answer the question.

“You two are like family.” She smiled wider at
the thought.

Jake and I sneaked sideways glances at each
other. The idea was not comforting.

Hudson slid a big platter of garlic chicken in
front of us as well as a marinated vegetable salad in shiny bright colors. I
reached for a serving spoon and helped myself. I was ravenous.

Hudson passed the chicken to Opal. She selected
a tiny piece.
 

Jake said, “Opal, how ‘bout we eat and get you
packed. We’ll leave tonight. There’ll be less traffic. We’ll drive across
country and take in the sights on our way back to Oregon.”

She helped herself to salad. Hudson poured
white wine into her glass.

“My, isn’t this delicious?” she said. “Hudson,
you are such a master chef. We will be sad to see you go back to England.”

“Yes, Miss Opal. I’ll be sorry to leave. But I
am looking forward to returning to Cornwall. Wine, Mr. Manyhorses?”

Jake shook his head. “Have any beer?”

“Certainly.”

Hudson gave me a good pour of wine. I mulled
over the upcoming cross country trip. I would be going alone to Australia, if I
ever found my passport.

Jake tried again. “Opal, can you be ready to
go?”

“Go where?” She looked up in seeming surprise.

“We’re going to Oregon. I’m driving you back.”

“Is Fiona going with us? Wouldn’t you like to
visit the ranch, dear?
 
We’d love to have
you. Stay as long as you like. I’m sure Cody will be along soon enough.”

That was true. Cody could fly out and beat Jake
to the ranch. “Jake,” I said, “
did
you consider that Cody
would be joining you?”

Jake took a swig from a bottle of Guinness Stout
Hudson had placed before him. “We’ll have to see how that goes, won’t we?”

“I reckon,” I said.

“Then you’ll go with us?” Opal said.

“No, actually, I have a trip planned to
Australia. I’m leaving tonight.” I checked my watch. “I might not be leaving
tonight if I don’t leave soon.” I finished the wine and stood. “Thank you so
much all of you. I better get on down the highway so I don’t miss my flight.”

“What about your passport?” Jake asked.

“I’m going by my place to have a look again. It
has to be there. I hope you have a delightful trip.”

“I’m so sorry you won’t be going with us,
Fiona.”

“Another time, thank you.”

Jake said, “Hudson, will you help Opal pack a
light suitcase? We can send for the rest of her things later.”

“Certainly.
We’ll be
ready in fifteen minutes.” He hustled Opal from the room without protest.

Jake walked me to the front door. As we neared
the door headlights turned into the driveway. We both stepped back from the
glare.

“Who do you think that is?” I said under my
breath.

“I hope it isn’t Cody.”

It was a van, black.
Very
cloak and dagger looking.
Four big men exited. None of them looked like Cody.
They came up the front steps. Jake pulled me into the shadows in the library.
We waited.

They opened the door, walked in like they lived
there, big as you please and headed for the kitchen. They all wore fedoras,
looked Anglo, but weren’t speaking English.

Jake whispered in my ear. “Now we know how the
rifles go in and out of here.”

“Right.”

“Can you give us a ride to the nearest car
rental agency?”

“Me? Why not take one of the Lodge cars. That
Rolls is a real looker.”

“For precisely that reason.
It stands outs. I can’t believe you are arguing with me. Rental car isn’t as
easy to trace.”

“All right, all right.”

“Wait in the car. I’m going upstairs the back
way to get Opal.”

“Where is the back way?”

“Through the bookcases.”

“No kidding. How’d you find them?”

“Hudson showed me.”

“I knew it.”

“I’ll be out as quick as I can. We need to
leave before those men come back.”

“Right.”

I left through the front door and got in the
car. I hoped Jake wasn’t going to kidnap me and take me with them. I really was
not in the mood. Before Jake could return, the men in fedoras trundled out with
dollies loaded with rifle boxes. I slouched down in the seat so they couldn’t
see me. The boxes were ones like we had seen in the basement.

Cody was working fast. Where was he? I hope
nothing untoward had happened to him. I still liked him in a misguided way, but
his career choices disappointed me.

The men loaded the boxes in the van, got in,
and left.

I sat back up. That was strange. They had only
taken maybe a fraction of the boxes. Did that mean others would be arriving for
more? Maybe they had already gotten the rest.

Where was Cody?

I checked my watch. There was no way I was
going to make that plane to Los Angeles. The door opened and out came Jake
carrying a small suitcase with backpack over one shoulder and Opal on his arm. Hudson
stood at the door like a worried mom. I hope nothing ugly happened to him. How
involved was he?

Jake opened the back door, threw in the
suitcase and backpack and helped Opal in. He had managed to find a jean jacket
to ward off the chill of the night. He slid into the front passenger seat, and
I drove off before he closed the door. As we sailed through the gate another
vehicle turned into the other end of the semi-circular drive.
Busy night tonight at the Lodge estate.

“Cody must be having another party,” said Opal.
“He’s been entertaining a lot lately. I didn’t know he had so many friends in
the area. I’m sorry I didn’t get to say goodbye.”

“You’ll be seeing him soon enough,” I said. “You’ll
have a lovely drive across country in the meantime.”

As we pulled onto the roadway, I noticed the other
car hadn’t stopped and was coming up behind us.

“Jake, that car is following us.”

I sped up going down the road and told him
about the men leaving with boxes.

“I don’t want to look back,” he said. “What
kind of car is it?”

“Black.”

“That’s a help.”

My cell phone rang, and I fished around in my
purse. “Jake, can you look for my cell phone. I can’t seem to find it.”

He took over the search and rescue operation.
“Here it is.”

I opened it up and before I could get a word
out, someone said, “You two have a lot of nerve coming back. What do you think
you are doing?”

“Cody?” I looked at Jake.

Jake said, “Don’t tell him anything.”

I nodded and wished I weren’t driving.

Cody said, “Who do you have in the back seat? I
think you better pull over. We need to talk.”

I held the phone to my chest. “He wants to
talk,” I whispered to Jake, hoping Opal wasn’t following what was transpiring.

“No way,” said Jake. “Floor it.”

I closed the cell phone and did as directed. The
Legend responded beautifully. We tore down the street as if pursued by
banshees. I kept checking the rear view mirror. “I can’t tell if he’s behind us.”

I headed onto I-66 West, racking my brain for
the nearest car rental agency. There were a million lights in the mirror, and I
couldn’t tell one car from another. If Cody was behind us, he was being discreet.

Jake took my cell phone. “How do you check
caller ID on here. I want to see his number.”

“Press the red phone icon and it should show
last caller.”

“Oops, I pressed redial.”

“Close the phone, close the phone. We don’t
want to talk to him again.”

“Calm down, Fiona. Calm down.”

“Me? Calm down? This is not how normal life is
lived, fleeing from criminals.”

“It’s not my fault. I’m an innocent bystander
like you. I was just helping out Opal, and I still am.”

“Good, you keep helping her. I’m going in a
different direction. Where do you want me to drop you?”

“You should go with us.”

“No way.
I want out.
I’m history. I’m going to Australia where people drink beer and sit on the
beach and don’t get involved with spooks and criminals. I’m going to Dulles
Airport to get my flight. You can get a rental car there easy.”

“You don’t have a passport.”

“True. I have other plans.”

“What other plans?”

“I’m not telling you. If you are caught and
tortured, you might tell these criminals where I’ve gone and they might find me
and then where will I be? No, I’m disappearing, never to be heard from again.”

“Fiona, you are being unreasonable.”

“I’m being unreasonable? You’re the one who has
been absolutely no help at all. You didn’t tell me what a nut case the Lodge
family is.”

“Quiet. Opal will hear you.”

I checked the rearview mirror. Opal was head
down, fast asleep. “She’s out. You two get the rental car as planned and head
out I-70 toward Ohio.”

“Got a map on you?”

“No, they have them at the rental car place.”

We headed out the Dulles toll road toward the
airport. I still couldn’t tell if the car was pursuing us. This was nerve
wracking.
The phone rang.
 

“Who is it?” I said.

“ID says Olympia.”

“Here, give it to me. I want to talk to a sane
person.”

“Olympia?”

“Hi, Fiona.
Where are
you? Did you forget we were having dinner together this evening?”

“I did. I’m so sorry. Where are you?”

“At my house still waiting
for you and about half looped drinking your cocktail and mine.
Where are
you?”

“I’m on my way to Dulles Airport”

“Really?
Why?”

“I’m catching a flight to Australia. It’s a
long story.”

“I wish you’d told me. I want to go.”

“I might not be going because I can’t find my
passport.”

“Did you look in the freezer? That where you
said your new safe hiding place is.”

“You’re right. Olympia, you are fantastic and
the perfect friend. Listen, I’m sorry about dinner. I’ll call you when I get to
Australia, okay? Plan to come in a few days. Pack and book a flight to Sydney.
I’ll call later.”

“We have to go back to my condo,” I said to
Jake. “My passport is in the freezer.”

“We’re driving all over Virginia tonight.”

“Look at it as a diversion for those kooks who
are following us. I’ll drop you at the rental car level at the airport since
I’ve got to go to the airport to return to the city. This is an airport access only
highway.”

“Fine.”

Traffic was heavy into the airport, and we got
caught in a slow lane. As I tried to change to a faster moving lane, I looked
to the left and who should I see but Cody waving at us from the passenger side
of the black limo. I couldn’t see who was driving.

“Uh-oh, Jake. Look who’s beside us.”

“Guess we didn’t lose them.”

“Damnation, now what are we going to do?”

“Keep moving.”

“Uh-oh, look.
He’s got
the window down. Should I roll mine down?”

“Only if you’re curious.”

I was. I pressed the auto electric button and
down the window went.

“
You having
dinner at
Dulles Airport?” Cody yelled at me.

“Sure,
there’s
lots of
good restaurants on B concourse.”

“We have to talk. You don’t understand. We have
to talk. You need to help me.”

Yet another member of the Lodge family in need
of
help.

“Not me. Jake, do you want to help him?”

Cars were honking. Cody’s car bumped into my
side of the car.