The Portrait of Doreene Gray (17 page)

Lupita came in with the oatmeal and condiments on a large tray. She set it on the table and opened a drawer in the sideboard, from which she took another place setting, as well as cloth napkins.

“Did you know that Maureene's daughter is at the cottage?” Angus asked, taking a bowl of oatmeal. “Apparently she arrived yesterday.”

Lupita looked surprised. “No one told me to expect her.”

“And then there's Maureene's male friend,” Angus went on. “Enrico Russo. They seem very close. Do you know if he's Lyndsay's father?”

Lupita shook her head and handed Suki a napkin. “No one knows who Lyndsay's father is.”

“Well, presumably Maureene does,” Michael said.

Suki reached for the dish of raisins. “Not necessarily.”

Reynaldo came in, almost running into Lupita as she went out. “Has anyone seen Doreene this morning?”

Everyone shook their heads amid a chorus of “no”s.

Reynaldo rested his hand on the back of a chair and rubbed the wood absently with his thumb. “She was not in bed when I woke up, and her car is here.”

“Perhaps she's with Maureene,” Angus suggested. “Apparently Lyndsay arrived for a visit yesterday.”

“Who is Lyndsay?” Reynaldo asked.

“Maureene's daughter,” Michael said. “Didn't Doreene ever mention her?”

Reynaldo nodded slightly. “Oh, yes. I just forgot the name. I will call Maureene and ask if Doreene is there.” He left.

“That's interesting,” Angus said.

Suki swallowed a bite of oatmeal and looked up. “Is it?”

Angus glanced at the empty door and dropped his voice. “It was two in the morning when the storm woke me up. There was a white car parked across the street, and now Doreene is missing.”

“You think it was Enrico's Impala?” Michael asked.

“I couldn't tell for sure with all that rain.”

“Why didn't you wake me up? We could have gone out and checked.”

“I went to look at the clock, and when I came back, the car was gone,” Angus said.

Michael looked skeptical. “Are you sure it wasn't a dream?”

“Very sure. I stood outside Doreene's door for several minutes, listening. It was cold, and boring, and I was very much awake.” At the sound of footsteps, Angus straightened and spoke normally. “And that's why I don't camp in the Himalayas anymore.”

Reynaldo came back in, worrying his lower lip between his teeth. “No one has seen Doreene.”

*   *   *

Maureene came in through the side door ten minutes later, with Hilda on a leash. She unclipped it, and Hilda ran into the kitchen. “Has anyone called Max?” Maureene took off her water-spotted canvas jacket and hung it over the back of an empty chair. “Maybe Doreene went out to breakfast with him and didn't tell anyone.”

“I didn't know his number,” Reynaldo said piteously. “I don't know anything in this place.”

Maureene took out her cell phone. “Calm down, Reynaldo. Falling apart isn't going to help anything.” She touched the screen of her phone a few times, then held it to her ear. “Max, is Doreene with you? Well, have you seen her this morning? For that matter, have you seen her any time since last night?” A pause. “No. I'm sure it's nothing, but we're a little worried. Right.” She hung up. “He hasn't seen her today. Has anyone called Doreene's phone?”

Reynaldo shook his head, eyes glistening. “It is in the charger in our room.”

Maureene absently tapped the phone against her palm. “I guess we should search the house.”

“Can we help?” Angus asked.

Maureene frowned. “I suppose you can check the grounds.”

*   *   *

Angus led the way outside. “Let's check around the house, and then we can make a quick search of the woods.”

They fanned out slightly as they walked.

“I find it interesting that Maureene phoned Max and that was it,” Angus said. “Does Doreene not have any other friends?”

“I get the impression Doreene spends most of her time away from Port Townsend,” Michael said. “Her friends probably all live elsewhere.”

Suki walked around a bush and rejoined them. “If she has any.”

When they reached the back of the house, Angus pointed to the greenhouse. “Suki, take a look in there. Michael and I will check the shed.”

While Suki headed for the greenhouse, Michael flipped the hasp on the shed's door and dragged it open, then turned and picked up a stick from the ground.

“Expecting to have to poke a corpse?” Angus asked.

“It's for the spiderwebs.” Michael went inside, waving the stick before him. He shifted a stepladder, bags of potting soil, and miscellaneous tools aside until he reached the very back, then shone his light around.

Angus returned from inspecting the surrounding area and met Michael as he came out of the shed. “Nothing?”

“Nope,” Michael said.

Suki joined them. “She's not in the greenhouse.”

Angus crossed his arms and looked thoughtful. “We may be overlooking the obvious. What if she snuck out last night to meet Enrico?”

“And ran off with him?” Michael asked. “They didn't seem very friendly.”

“But Maureene and Enrico
are,
and they both want the painting. What if Doreene got up early to let Gigi out—”

“Fat chance,” Suki grunted.

“And Enrico and Maureene abducted Doreene so they could work on her in private.”

Michael blew out a breath. “That seems a little over-the-top.”

Angus held up a finger. “And yet, Doreene is missing. What do you say we search the area around Maureene's cottage—maybe even knock on the door and see who's really there? This Lyndsay thing might be a smokescreen to justify extra food and whatnot.”

They went back to the front of the house, then took the lane to Maureene's cottage, making excursions into the woods as they went. The trees didn't extend very far before ending at the lawn of a neighboring property.

Once at the cottage, Angus tried to see in the front window, but the curtains were pulled. “I'm going to knock on the door,” he whispered. “Suki, you go around the right side. Michael, you check the left. Maybe you can see something through the windows.”

They nodded and split up, Suki walking casually, Michael sidling.

Angus knocked on the door and waited. No sound came from inside. He knocked again and tried the door, but it was locked. After waiting a little longer, he walked around the left side and found Michael.

“Anything?” Angus whispered.

Michael shook his head.

They found Suki on the other side, head cocked as she listened to something.

She pointed to the house. “Hear that? It's water running through the pipes. Somebody's taking a shower. What do you say I go inside and look around? Whoever it is won't even know I'm there, and I can get my beret while I'm at it.”

Angus sighed. “Forget the damn beret, would you? It's not worth the risk. Anyway, the door's locked.” He looked at his watch.

“Are we still planning on flying home today?” Michael asked.

“I don't know yet. Doreene's disappearance is definitely an interesting addition to the story.” Angus put his hands in his jacket pockets. “Let's go back to the main house. If Doreene hasn't turned up, I say we have a word with Reynaldo. He can ask Maureene where Enrico is and demand that she prove Doreene isn't with him.”

But when they neared the house, they saw the white Impala parked in front of it.

“I don't suppose there could be two white Impalas,” Angus said drily.

Suki walked around the back and peered at the license plate. “That's his car.”

They turned as a silver Volvo drove up, Maxwell Thorne behind the wheel.

He parked behind the Impala and got out, looking model-perfect in a pair of charcoal slacks and a burgundy cashmere sweater. “Have they found her yet?”

Angus shook his head. “We've been searching the grounds and are just now coming back.”

“Let's go see if they've heard anything.” Max started up the walk. “I'm sure it's nothing serious.”

Angus followed him. “Of course, if she has disappeared, that can only drive up the price of the painting.”

Max paused with one foot on the stair to the front door. He turned. “You think this is a publicity stunt?”

Angus shrugged. “It's been known to happen.”

Inside, they found everyone in the kitchen. Maureene and Enrico leaned against the counter shoulder to shoulder, speaking in low voices.

Lupita stirred a pot of hot chocolate on the stove and murmured quietly to Reynaldo, whose eyes were pink-rimmed.

“Any word?” Max asked.

“Not yet,” Maureene said. “We're wondering if Doreene went into the closet with the painting and fell asleep or passed out. She takes pretty powerful sleeping pills.”

“I assume you've tried banging on the door,” Max said.

Maureene nodded. “Doreene's lawyer has the code for the lock. We've called him, and he's on his way.”

“Shouldn't you have an ambulance standing by?” Max asked.

Maureene looked at Enrico. “I didn't think of that. She might not even be in there.” The doorbell rang, and she pushed herself away from the counter. “That must be him.”

Reynaldo pushed Angus aside as he headed for the front of the house at a trot.

The others reached the foyer as Reynaldo shook hands with a short, trim man with mousy hair and a lively face.

He held an attaché case tucked under one arm. Wire-rimmed glasses magnified eyes that snapped with intelligence. “Mr. Cruz. I'm Harvey Baumgartner.” He spotted Maureene. “Good to see you again, Ms. Pinter.”

Reynaldo pulled him toward the stairs. “Please, you must hurry. Doreene may be sick, she may be hurt…” His voice broke.

“Of course. Lead the way.” Baumgartner followed Reynaldo up the stairs, his highly polished shoes shining beneath the cuffs of his suit pants.

The others followed. Lupita brought up the rear, clutching the flap of her apron in both hands.

Inside the bedroom, Gigi raised her head from a padded bed in a corner of the room. She stood and shook herself, then turned around once and lay back down.

Baumgartner turned and spoke to everyone. “I have to ask you all to stand back so you don't see me enter the code. I don't have the authority to reset it.”

They shuffled backward, bumping against each other, and watched as he took a piece of paper out of the attaché and consulted it, then held it in such a way as to block their view of the keypad.

Buttons beeped, followed by a substantial-sounding click. Baumgartner pushed the door. It opened about eight inches and then stopped, blocked by something. He peered around the edge. “Oh, no.”

Reynaldo rushed forward. He pushed Baumgartner out of the way and looked inside. “Noooo!” he keened, falling to his knees so he could grope through the opening.

Startled, Gigi lifted her head, then ran out of the room as Reynaldo's wails increased.

Enrico joined Reynaldo at the closet's entrance. “Stop trying to pull her through. Push her to the side or we'll never get the door open.” He shoved at Reynaldo's arm. “
That
way. Push her that way.”

Maureene walked slowly up behind them, holding her clenched hands to her mouth and muttering, “Oh, my God. Oh, my God.”

“I take it we should we call an ambulance?” Maxwell said.

“Yes, please,” Baumgartner said, putting the paper with the code back in his attaché. He walked to Maureene and gripped her shoulder for a moment in a sympathetic gesture.

Enrico knelt by the closet, trying to help Reynaldo. “Keep pushing her shoulder that way while I open the door.” He stood and slowly pushed it open while Reynaldo, sobbing, shuffled forward on his knees, one arm hooked around the door's edge so he could grip something out of sight.

When the opening was wide enough, Reynaldo crawled through it.
“Princessa,”
he sobbed, bent over. Beyond him, the others could see bare legs and feet below the hem of a lacy nightgown. A horizontal layer of dark red showed through the skin that lay against the floor.

“Is she alive?” Maureene asked.

Enrico bent and moved Doreene's foot gently, then stood and shook his head.

Baumgartner stepped forward and tugged on Enrico's belt. “Sir, I must ask you and Mr. Cruz to come away.” He looked back at Max. “Call the police, please.”

Maxwell looked startled. “Is that necessary? It seems pretty clear she locked herself in before she died. It might even be suicide.”

Baumgartner shook his head. “It doesn't matter. My duty to my client is very clear. The situation needs to be investigated, and you are all in the way.”

Max shrugged and took out his phone.

Baumgartner turned to Enrico. “Can you get Mr. Cruz out of there, please?” He stepped back.

“Come on, Reynaldo,” Enrico said. “There's nothing you can do.”

Reynaldo sobbed harder, but slowly let go of Doreene's body and allowed Enrico to pull him to his feet.

As he stepped out of the doorway and stumbled away, Michael let out a gasp and pointed to the interior of the closet, visible through the partially open door.

An oak dressing table stood inside, with a canvas mounted where a mirror would normally be. Doreene's face smiled out at them, looking as fresh and young as the day it was painted.

“Dude,” Suki whispered.

Angus heard murmuring behind him and turned to find Lupita standing in the door, crossing herself repeatedly.

She looked up, her dark eyes huge. “Spirits of the dead. They came for her.”

Baumgartner reached forward and pulled the door closed. It latched with a decisive click.

A woman's melodious voice came from behind them. “What's going on?”