The Affinity Bridge (17 page)

She waited for someone to answer the door. There was no response. She knocked again, louder this time. After a few more moments had passed and there was still no answer, she stepped away from the door and tried peering through the window instead, cupping her hands around her face to help her see. The room beyond the window had been dressed as a dining room, containing a long, oval-shaped table, a small fireplace, a teak sideboard and a series of bookshelves lined with numerous, leather-bound tomes. The door to the room was shut, and there was no evidence that the furniture had been disturbed that morning. She turned away, trying to decide what to do. It was clear that Newbury wasn’t at home, and she had no idea where he may have gone, other than the office. She could head back there in the hope that he would eventually put in an appearance, or else she could make her way back to Kensington and await his call. She chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully. Then, just as she was about to take her leave, the door clicked open behind her and a rotund middle-aged woman, dressed in the black uniform of a housekeeper, appeared in the hallway, trying to catch her breath.

“Oh, I’m sorry, miss. I was out in the back dealing with the linens.” Veronica noticed that the woman’s sleeves were rolled up and her hands were still dripping with water. She smiled.

“I’m sorry to drag you away from your duties. You must be Mrs. Bradshaw? Sir Maurice has spoken very highly of you.”

The woman looked perplexed. “Indeed I am, miss. And how can I be of service?” She spoke with a warm Scottish lilt. Her grey hair was scraped back severely from her face, worn in a black net, and whilst she certainly cast an imposing figure, it was clear she was a person of warmth and integrity. Veronica could see why Newbury liked her.

“My name is Miss Veronica Hobbes, Sir Maurice’s new assistant. I was supposed to be meeting him at the museum this morning but he hasn’t arrived, so I thought it best to call instead, to ensure everything was in order.” She craned her neck to see past the housekeeper into the hallway beyond. It was gloomy inside, with deep burgundy wallpaper and dark wooden furnishings that added to the sense of the austere. There was no sign of Newbury, although she supposed he could have been elsewhere in the house, in the living room or working out of sight in his study.

Mrs. Bradshaw glanced from side to side, looking along the street. She fixed her eyes on Veronica. “Miss Hobbes, the master told me to make you welcome if you ever had reason to call. I think you’d better come inside.”

Veronica frowned. The woman seemed strangely on edge, as if Veronica’s presence in the house would somehow make her uncomfortable. Nevertheless, she mounted the steps to the door and made her way into the dark hallway beyond.

Newbury’s coat and hat were still hanging on the stand beside a small table and mirror. The post was lying unopened on the table. Veronica turned to Mrs. Bradshaw. “Is Sir Maurice at home?”

“Yes, miss, although I’m not sure he is receiving visitors.” She looked concerned, and it dawned on Veronica that something was not quite right. She decided to press the woman further for an explanation.

“Is Sir Maurice unwell? I assure you, Mrs. Bradshaw, that I only have his best interests at heart, and that you can rely on me to treat the matter with the utmost sensitivity.”

Mrs. Bradshaw sighed. “Very well, miss. Let me take you to him now.”

Veronica placed her hat beside Newbury’s on the stand and unbuttoned her coat as they walked. Mrs. Bradshaw led Veronica up the creaking flight of stairs at the end of the hallway, past a small landing which branched off into a sizeable bathroom, and then up to the first floor where a series of doors opened on to what Veronica assumed were the bedchambers.

Veronica paused. “Is he resting in bed, Mrs. Bradshaw? I’m not sure that it would be entirely appropriate for me to see him in that way.”

Mrs. Bradshaw shook her head. “No, miss. He’s in there.” She indicated a panelled door at the end of the landing. “That’s his private study. The master has been holed up inside since yesterday morning. He stepped out, and when he returned he went directly to this room and locked himself inside. I’ve been unable to get a word out of him since.”

Veronica looked puzzled. “Do you think he’s unwell?”

Mrs. Bradshaw shrugged. “I can’t say, miss. It’s unusual behaviour, certainly. Not that I’m a stranger to that, these last few years.” She looked circumspect. “But I worry he hasn’t eaten, or taken anything to drink. I’ve tried knocking but I’ve had no reply.”

“Do you have a key?”

“No, miss. It’s the one room in the house that Sir Maurice keeps to himself. He said if I were to ever go in there I would be immediately dismissed from his service. God knows what he’s got in there, but I ain’t about to try and find out.”

Veronica nodded. “I’m sure it’s just a case of security, Mrs. Bradshaw.” She put her hands on her hips. “Now, would you mind if I tried to solicit a response?”

“Please go ahead, miss. It would put my mind at rest to know the master was well.”

Veronica approached the door. She put her ear to one of the panels, listening intently for any sound from within. Nothing. She pulled the red leather glove off her right hand, placing it carefully in her coat pocket, and rapped loudly on the door. “Sir Maurice? It’s Veronica. Are you well?”

She paused for a moment, waiting for a response. She glanced at Mrs. Bradshaw, who offered her a non-committal shrug. The moment stretched. She knocked again. “Sir Maurice? Are you home? I have some thoughts on the case I’d like to discuss with you today.” Still nothing.

Veronica frowned, addressing her next question to Mrs. Bradshaw. “You’re sure he’s in here? Could he have left during the night?”

“No miss. His bed is undisturbed and his coat and hat are still on the stand downstairs.”

Veronica tried the handle. It turned, but the door wouldn’t open.

“He always keeps this door locked, miss, even when he’s inside. If he asks for tea I leave it out here on the landing and he collects it at his leisure.”

Veronica smiled. “Mrs. Bradshaw. All this talk of tea is making me thirsty. I don’t suppose you would be so kind as to put the kettle on the stove for me?” She rubbed the back of her neck. “I’ll continue to try to raise a response from Sir Maurice.

I’ll be sure to call if I have need of your assistance.”

Mrs. Bradshaw looked uncomfortable. “Are you sure, miss? Somehow it doesn’t seem appropriate to leave you up here alone.”

“Please do not concern yourself with propriety, Mrs. Bradshaw. I am sure Sir Maurice would trust me enough not to idly wander through his private rooms. I assure you I will remain just here on the landing and attempt to find out what is preventing him from answering our calls. Once the tea is prepared we’ll take stock of the situation and agree a course of action.”

“Very well, miss. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.”

Veronica watched as Mrs. Bradshaw disappeared down the stairs, her long skirt swishing around her as she walked.

She knocked on the door again. There was still no response from within. She glanced behind her, judging the length of the landing. There was plenty of room for a run-up. She slipped her other glove from her left hand, popped it in her pocket and wriggled out of her coat, draping it over the side of the banister. She adjusted her blouse. Then she walked to the other end of the landing and, with one last glance down the stairs to ensure that Mrs. Bradshaw was completely out of sight, took a run at the door, presenting her shoulder to the wooden panels. The door creaked in its frame, but didn’t give way. She tried again, this time throwing all of her weight in front of her as she slammed into the door. It burst open with a loud splintering sound, banging against some unseen piece of furniture inside and kicking back at Veronica, who was struggling to maintain her balance. She caught the door as it came back at her and leaned on it heavily, her shoulder aching from the impact. She hoped that Mrs. Bradshaw hadn’t heard the noise in the kitchen two floors below, that the sound of the kettle whistling on the stove had been enough to mask the racket. She’d know soon enough, if the housekeeper came running up the stairs to see what all the fuss was about.

Gasping for breath, she looked around, searching the room for Newbury.

The first thing that struck her about the study was the sheer amount of bizarre paraphernalia that lined the shelves. Aside from the vast array of books, there were all manner of esoteric objects on display. Jars containing what looked like the amputated tentacles of an unidentifiable sea creature, the skull of a chimpanzee, bottles filled with strange-coloured liquids, arcane symbols cast in precious metals, little stone idols that appeared to date from sometime in prehistory; the list was endless. The second thing that struck her was that Newbury was lying face down on the floor, in the centre of an enormous pentagram that had been drawn on the bare floorboards in white chalk. The carpet had been rolled back to reveal the symbol, although it wasn’t immediately clear if it was freshly drawn or had been hidden under the Turkish pile for some time. Objects lay all about the prone man: an empty glass and wine bottle, a sprig of rosemary, some matches and a brown medical bottle half-full of liquid.

She rushed to Newbury’s side, kneeling on the floor and rolling him over onto his back. His breath was shallow and his face was cold and glistening with perspiration. She searched for his pulse, feeling around his unshaven throat until she found it, counting out the rhythm under her breath. She loosened his shirt and placed a hand on his cheek. “Oh, Newbury, what have you been up to?”

He moaned, his eyes flickering under their lids.

Veronica heard footsteps on the stairs. Mrs. Bradshaw had obviously realised something was amiss. She called up ahead of her. “Everything alright up there, miss?”

Veronica knew immediately that she couldn’t allow Mrs. Bradshaw to see Newbury in such a state, or let her see the inside his study, either. The contents of the room were alarming enough to Veronica herself, and she already had a very good notion of Newbury’s expertise in the dark arts and all of the mysterious paraphernalia associated with them. The scene inside the room would probably be enough to send poor Mrs. Bradshaw running straight to the police.

Veronica propped Newbury’s head on a cushion that she grabbed from the nearby daybed and stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind her. She stood in front of the damaged lock, ensuring that Mrs. Bradshaw couldn’t see where the frame had been splintered during her assault on the door.

“Everything is fine, Mrs. Bradshaw.” She said, as calmly as possible. “You will be pleased to hear that I have managed to rouse Sir Maurice. He is suffering from a slight fever and has been dozing in his study. I’m attending to him now. I’m sure that he will shortly be anxious for some light food to aid him in his recovery.” She smiled. “For now it would be of much benefit to him if you could fetch us another cup and saucer to go with that pot of tea.”

Mrs. Bradshaw eyed her inquisitively. There was an awkward silence. Then, realising that it was probably better to go along with Veronica’s instructions than defy her employer’s wishes and enter the study herself, she nodded her head in assent. “Right you are, miss. I’ll leave the tea on the landing for the two of you.” She turned and made her way back down the stairs.

Veronica called after her. “Thank you, Mrs. Bradshaw. And if you could see yourself to fetching a flannel and a bowl of cool water that would be most helpful too.” She slipped back into the room, not waiting for Mrs. Bradshaw’s response.