Blood in the Marsh Read online

  Lyra went into the guestroom and dressed while Nick pulled on a shirt and found his shoes. He left a note for Michael beside the coffeepot and they left. The air was cool and felt damp against their skin as they got in the Jeep and started out. The sky was that unique grey-blue color that only happens right before sunrise, and the scent of salt drifted in on the breeze.

  Lyra directed him to Lucius’ house and got out to use her key card for the massive iron gate. They pulled around to the back and walked up to the back door.

  As soon as she stepped inside, her senses were assailed with sensations that made the past come alive in her mind. It smelled of tobacco, dust, and old leather. Taking a deep breath, she imagined Lucius waiting for her.

  After a moment, she flipped the light switch. The kitchen looked as if it were waiting for someone to come in to prepare breakfast. The teakettle was on the stove and an old percolator-style coffeepot sat on the burner next to it.

  The small wooden table in the middle of the room wore a white lace tablecloth. On it, two place settings of old china were laid out. Lyra walked over and picked up one of the coffee cups, running her finger around the rim.

  “Lucius always used his china when he would fix me hot chocolate. I remember thinking this was the prettiest cup I had ever seen. I begged Lexi to buy some just like it but she said this pattern was for old farts and she wouldn’t allow junk like it in her house.

  “Every time I’d see him holding something like this—something so fragile, I couldn’t help but think how odd it seemed. He was so big, so strong; you’d never think he could be so gentle. But he was. He was the gentlest person I’ve ever known.” Tears welled up in her eyes and she swiped them away, put the cup down, and started out of the kitchen. “Come on, I’ll show you his study.”

  Nick followed her through the cavernous house of heavy massive furniture and thick Persian rugs. She took him down a wide hall to the opposite side of the house and opened a door.

  The walls were lined from floor to ceiling with bookshelves, thousands of volumes crammed into every available inch of space. One glance at the titles told that Lucius had been much more than a great magician. He had been a very intelligent and well-read man. There were books on everything from archeology to immunology, astronomy to psychology. Every topic one could think of was represented on his shelves.

  A massive desk of walnut and inlaid ivory dominated one end of the room. Behind it was an old leather executive’s chair. Lyra walked around and sat down in the chair, spinning it around a couple of times. Then she stopped and looked at the top of the desk. On it was a stack of unopened mail and a small leather address book.

  She picked up the address book and flipped through it then looked at Nick in surprise. “It’s empty!”

  He walked over and took the book, looking through it. “Maybe not. Are there any matches around here?”

  She opened the top drawer and rumbled around, locating an old pipe lighter. Nick flicked it a couple of times and a small flame sputtered to life. “Here hold this.”

  He had Lyra hold the address book folded open so that one page was extended over the flame of the lighter. Her eyes widened as she saw letters taking shape. It was her address at the university and her cell phone number.

  “How did you do that?” she exclaimed as Nick extinguished the lighter.

  “It’s an old trick. A long time ago, people used it to add secret messages in their letters in case the letters were intercepted. That way they didn’t let any secrets slip. Unless, of course, you knew to use a candle and heat the page. See, they used various kinds of liquids; even milk will do, and wrote the message then let the page dry. When it dried it was invisible, but when it was heated the letters appeared.”

  “That’s incredible.” She looked down at the page. The writing was already beginning to fade. “Do you want to look around here or shall we go up to the attic?”

  “The attic.”

  They went upstairs and Lyra used the key the attorney had given her to unlock the attic stairwell. Even though it smelled of mildew, dust, and cobwebs hung like veils from the ceilings, Lyra still thought it was the most magical place she had ever seen. She had only been here twice before and each time it had seemed more wonderful than the last.

  Nick pulled the chain on a bare bulb mounted to the ceiling. The attic stretched from one end of the house to the other and every bit of it was filled with paraphernalia. There were props for illusions and tricks other magicians had tried to figure out for years. He wandered from one end to the other then turned and looked around. Lyra was nowhere to be seen.

  “Lyra?”

  “Over here. Look at this.”

  She was behind a stack of wooden crates and racks of old stage clothes, sitting on the floor in front of an old wooden chest. It was banded with metal running in both directions and locked with a thick padlock that had no keyhole.

  “What’s that?”

  “I don’t know. I saw it once before and asked Lucius about it. He said it was like Pandora’s Box. I asked him to open it but he wouldn’t. He told me that if I could figure out how to make it open I could have whatever was inside. I sat up here all day trying to figure it out but I couldn’t. After that, I guess I just forgot about it. Can you open it?”

  Nick knelt down and looked at the chest. “I’d have to study it.”

  “Let’s take it downstairs.”

  “We can do that later.” He stood. “Let’s check out the rest of the house.”

  She stood and started to follow him but stopped. “No, let’s do it now.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know. I just need to know what’s inside.”

  “Aren’t you afraid of opening Pandora’s box?”

  “No.”

  “Okay.” He sighed in what appeared to be mock resignation and walked over to look at the chest. “But can we do it a little later? It’ll be here when we get back.

  “All right. But I won’t let you back out of the deal. You have to open it.”

  “Scout’s honor.”

  They went down to the second floor to look around. There were four bedrooms with adjoining baths, all furnished and well appointed. Three other rooms, originally designed as sitting rooms, were laden with more of Lucius’props. When Lyra opened the last door, Nick looked inside and grinned.

  “Hey, look at this.” He walked over to an enormous wheel-like structure mounted on a frame. “Come on, let me show you how this works.”

  He pulled Lyra over to the wheel and took her right wrist. “Just put your hand here.”

  She let him stretch her arm up and he snapped a thick band around it. Then he secured her other wrist and knelt down.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Trust me.” He grinned up at her as he fastened her ankles then stepped back.

  Lyra tugged at the bands around her wrists. “How do I get out of these things?” Lucius had never explained this trick to her and she wasn’t sure she liked the idea of being bound

  Nick turned and picked up a box from atop a crate. Inside were half a dozen long bladed knives. He gathered up the knives and turned to her with a grin. Her eyes widened as he walked over and spun the wheel. Head over heels, she circled, feeling like a roulette wheel. Nick crossed the room and turned to her.

  “Are you ready?”

  “For what?”

  He raised his arm and she saw the knife in his hand. “Oh no! No, Nick! I mean it! Don’t!”

  She clamped her eyes closed as his arm moved. A split second later, she heard a noise beside her head and opened her eyes. A knife was sticking into the wheel not two inches from her head.

  “Get me off this thing!” She yelled as Nick raised his arm again. “Nick, don’t! Stop!”

  Another knife appeared in the wheel, this one between her thighs. Lyra screamed bloody murder and Nick’s arm moved again. Another knife appeared on the other side of her head and her screams increased in volume. “Get me off this damn thing!” />
  Nick put the knives down and walked over to stop the wheel. He righted Lyra and released her right hand. As he was moving to unfasten her left wrist, she balled up her fist and hit him in the jaw.

  “Hey!” He rubbed his jaw. “What was that for?”

  “Get me out of this thing this instant!”

  He unfastened her and she bounded across the room. “Lyra, come on, it’s just a trick. Look, see this little thing in my hand? It’s like a remote. I didn’t really throw the knives. I just pretended to and when I pressed the remote, a knife sprang out of the wheel. Come on, you can see for yourself.”

  Lyra glared at him and stomped out of the room. Nick followed her downstairs where she was sitting on the floor in the study. “I didn’t mean to piss you off.”

  “Well you did!”

  “It was just a trick! You know I wouldn’t put you in danger.”

  She gave him a hateful look as he sat down beside her. He leaned over to kiss her on the cheek and she shoved him away. “That was mean!”

  He fell back on the floor and held up his hands. “I’m sorry! I didn’t know you’d be so scared.”

  She crossed her arms and stared at him as he sat up.

  “Forgive me?”

  “On one condition.”

  “Anything.”

  “Open that chest for me.”

  Nick narrowed his eyes for a second then smiled. “For a price.”

  “What?”

  “A smile and a kiss?”

  For a moment, she resisted then gave in and nodded. He leaned over and kissed her gently and she put her hand on the side of his face. Why did his kiss not arouse her? And more importantly why was she wishing it was Michael?

  Nick’s eyes seemed to darken as he looked into hers. He pulled her to him, devouring her with a kiss. Lyra tensed. Why did she do that? Forcing herself to relax, she pressed closer to him, running her fingers through his hair and holding onto him as his hands moved down her back.

  Nick pulled her back on top of him with their lips still joined. A muffled groan came from his throat as her body pressed down on his and her hands tightened in his hair. He moved his hands down her sides and around to cup her firm rear.

  She stiffened. She couldn’t help it. It was all she could do not to shove him away and run. There had to be something seriously wrong with her. Nick was sexy and handsome and she should be turned on. He tried again and this time she forced herself to not pull away. When he finally pulled back, she gave him what she hoped was a playful shove. He rolled over onto his side and she got to her feet, extending her hand to him.

  He blew out his breath and sat up. “For that I’ll open that thing if I have to blow it up.”

  She grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet then followed him up to the attic, watching as he moved around the chest, running his hands over it and studying every side. At last, he sat back on his heels with a frown on his face. “This might take a little time. How about we go get Michael and Chelsey and let him look the place over. If things check out you can move in later today.”

  “Okay.”

  They locked the house and left, making sure the gate was locked behind them. By the time they got back to Michael’s, Chelsey was up. Michael was gone. Chelsey told them that he had received a call from the station and said he would be back as soon as he could.

  “I guess we’ll have to wait,” Nick said and walked into the kitchen.

  “Wait for what?” Chelsey asked.

  “To take you guys over to Lucius’,” Lyra said. “He left me his house and I thought I would move in. It’ll make a good place for us to stay until Michael can figure out what’s going on.”

  Chelsey grimaced and made a noise. “Ugh! I hated that old place when we were kids! It gave me the creeps.”

  “Why? It’s not ugly or run-down or anything. What bothered you about it?”

  “Maybe it was just Lucius. He was so…so strange.”

  “Chels, you think anyone who doesn’t wear four hundred dollar shoes and drives a Mercedes is strange.”

  “Well, that’s because they are. Listen, I’m going to take a shower.”

  She left the room and Lyra sat down on the couch. She wished Michael would hurry up and get back.

  Brunswick

  Michael pulled up on the side of the road and stopped his car. There were several marked patrol cars as well as a couple of unmarked vehicles and a van from the coroner’s office.

  He showed his badge and walked across the road, making his way toward the shoreline. There he found a crowd of officers and two civilians.

  Michael stopped beside one of the uniformed officers. “What’ve you got?”

  “Hello, Detective Santera.” The police officer motioned toward two men standing on the beach. “These men were out fishing this morning and their lines got snared on something. They managed to bring it up and found a female body, age approximately early twenties, best the coroner can determine. Looks like she’s been in the water awhile.”

  Michael nodded and walked over to where the coroner’s team was loading the zippered body bag onto a stretcher. The coroner nodded to Michael. “Santera. Nice morning.”

  Michael frowned. “Drowning victim?”

  “Not from the marks on the body. Her throat was cut and there were numerous flesh wounds, as if she had been attacked by something. I’ll know more after the autopsy, but I’d be willing to bet this is a murder.”

  “Any identification?”

  “Nope. I’ll let you know what we come up with. Who knows, could be one of those missing girls.”

  “Thanks,” Michael said and walked back toward his car. If the girl did turn out to be one of the missing ones, then this might give them their first real clue as to what was happening to those girls.

  He got in his car and backed up. There was nothing he could do until the autopsy was completed so he decided he might as well go back home and stay with Chelsey until Nick and Lyra returned.

  Brunswick

  “What’s up?” Nick asked as Michael walked into the house.

  “Just business,” Michael cast a glance in Lyra’s direction.

  Michael walked past them to the kitchen and Lyra followed him to the doorway. “Michael, Nick, and I went over to Lucius’ house and I think that might make a good place for Chels and me to stay. Would you mind going over there with us and taking a look around?”

  He turned from the refrigerator with a bottle of water in his hand. Twisting off the cap, he took a long drink then nodded. “Okay, fine. When?”

  “How about now?”

  He agreed and they all piled into Nick’s Jeep and headed back to Lucius’. Michael and Nick went over the security systems and walked around the perimeter of the yard, checking the fence.

  They returned to the house and found the control panel for the fence in the pantry. Michael activated the electricity and walked into the den where Lyra and Chelsey were looking through an old photo album of Lucius’ days on stage.

  “It looks pretty good.”

  “Then I can move in?” Lyra looked up at him hopefully.

  “Yeah, but there’s one thing I want you both to do. I want you to call and tell your families that you’re going to spend a couple of weeks with friends or you’re taking a trip or something. And I want you to promise that you won’t leave this house unless Nick or I are with you. Okay?”

  “No,” Lyra shook her head. “I’ve already been through this with Nick. I’m not going to hide. I won’t broadcast where I am but I’m not going to become some hermit shut up in this house, afraid to step outside. I can’t and I won’t live like that.”

  Michael sighed. “Lyra, I really think it’d be better if no one knew where you were right now.”

  “Michael, even if I lock myself up in one of the bedrooms and don’t show my face, someone’s going to figure it out. I own the house. Who else would be living here? Lucius’ ghost? Look, I just won’t talk about where I’m staying if I run into anyone. Bu
t I’m not going to be a prisoner!”

  “All right. Damn, you sure can be stubborn.”

  She smiled and looked at Chelsey. “So I guess we better think about getting our things moved in. Want me to go with you to your house?”

  “Yeah. And then we can go by the mall and do a little shopping.”

  Lyra looked at the frown that came on Michael’s face. “Well, maybe we should hold off on the shopping.”

  The frown disappeared from Michael’s face and she smiled mischievously. “Unless you think it’s time to have a moving-in party.”

  Later That Day

  Lyra decided to wait until they had collected Chelsey’s things before she went to tell Lexi she wasn’t going to be around for a while. Michael and Nick both offered to drive her but she refused, wanting to walk.

  Neither one of them liked the idea but she finally convinced them to let Chelsey drive her and they could follow at a discreet distance. She did not want Lexi to know anything about her being with Nick because she knew Lexi would make a big deal out of it and embarrass her.

  She and Chelsey went in the front door and peeked into the den. It was empty so they ran upstairs and quickly packed a couple of bags. They were almost to the front door when Lexi called to them from the top of the stairs.

  “Where are you two sneaking off too? And where the hell have you been?”

  Lyra turned and looked up at her. “We’ve been busy and we’re getting ready to leave. I’ll call you later in the week.”

  “Hold on!” Lexi started down the stairs.

  “What?”

  “Well, I just wanted to remind you that I’m having that big press party next Friday and I should think you’d want to be there.”

  “Press party?”

  “Yes, press party—to announce that I’m coming out of retirement.”

  Lyra looked sideways at Chelsey before responding. “Oh, that’s nice, but I don’t know if I can. I hope it goes well and I’ll want to hear all about it. Now, we’ve really got to go.”