main | index CHAPTER 2 (section 3) copyright © 2001, S. Y. Affolee The kitten had managed to climb up his arm to perch on his shoulder when he arrived back in the study. Already, the tripod was set up near the desk and a few guages had been taken out of the box. But Simone remained frozen with a camera clutched in her hand. “Simone?” “They’re staring at me,” she said, the words barely coming out of her clamped mouth. “Who’s staring at you? Oh.” On the late Mr. Greenville’s desk sat three furballs, the striped one that had escaped earlier, a bright orange one, and a ragtag calico. The kittens actually looked rather mesmerized than malicious. The kitten on his shoulder jumped down and scrambled up the desk to join his siblings. Adrian chuckled. “They’re not staring at you. I think they’re just stunned by your good looks.” Simone whipped her head around and gave him a narrow eyed glare. “Ha ha. Very funny.” But her shoulders drooped downward, relaxing. “I was just surprised to find them all lined up in a row, that’s all.” “You were expecting a ghost, weren’t you?” he grinned. “Right,” she replied exasperated, “And a UFO is going to land in the backyard. A little green Martian will come out and ask us to take him to our leader.” “Now you’re just playing with me.” He ambled toward the box he had put down earlier and took out a few more cameras and portable guages to place around the room. “I wonder where all the books are.” “This was Robert Greenville’s study. And it doesn’t look like someone like his wife would want to venture in here of her own volition.” Simone attached the camera she had been holding to the tripod and flipped a few switches. The kittens had finally broken out of their trance and were pouncing down the desk to cluster at her feet to see what she was doing. Simone ignored them, even when the active black cat tried to climb her leg. “She probably got her servants to pack them away.” “That would have been a lot of packing,” he observed. He tucked one of the guages on the mantlepiece of the fireplace. “I think it was more possible that she had them all sold to some book dealer.” “Or to somebody else who wanted to build a library.” She ventured to look down at her feet. The kittens looked up and mewed in unison. “I just bet they're hungry,” she said blandly. “Or maybe they just like you.” He finished placing the last camera. “We’re going to have to try to find homes for all of them.” “What?” She looked at him again, her cool eyes turning into fire. “You volunteered us to take care of these...” “She’ll be paying us double of what she originally offered us if we do.” “Humph.” Simone crossed her arms, but she no longer looked angry. Adrian breathed a sigh of relief. “You could of at least consulted with me at first.” “Yeah, I know. But I was sort of in a tight spot and Edna Greenville didn’t look to amendable to long decision making at the time. I promise I won’t make any decision without letting you know if I can help it.” “I just bet.” Her lips faintly curved. “So was that all the noise was about earlier? She found her two free loaders, didn’t she?” Adrian chuckled again. “All quite amusing. You should have been there.” “I would have liked to have seen her expression. Or that butler’s expression when he saw his employer in dire straits.” She made a face. “But now that I think of it, don’t you suppose that they are...” She did not get a chance to finish. A knock came at the open doors and they turned to see the object of her remark standing at the threshold clad in a black domino that was accentuated by black boots, black cape, black mask, and a black hat with a drooping black feather. Adrian was sure that the costume would attempt to make him blend into the night, but end up failing miserably. “I’m afraid that Mrs. Greenville and I will have to take leave of you tonight,” said Dargood. “Here’s the key.” With a flourish, he dropped the silver implement into Simone’s open hand. “And Mina will help you with whatever you need.” He waved a hand to indicate a short and dour dark-skinned woman of indeterminable age who had been hiding behind him. She scowled. Dargood’s flinging hand had nearly hit her in the face. But with the introductions done, the butler had whirled around nearly tripping the maid in the process and strode back down the hall with his voluminous cape flowing behind him. “Evening, Mr. Dubois, Ms. Sung. I’m Mina as Dargood said earlier.” She spat out the butler’s name like something that tasted bad. Simone raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the reaction. “Hello Mina,” Adrian replied. “Hi,” Simone echoed. He smiled. “We’re just done rigging up the study.” “Then I should show you to the dining room. I’m sure you’re famished.” “Well...” but Simone finally shrugged and shooed Adrian and the kittens out of the room as she pulled the door closed and locked it with the key. “I guess, if that’s all right with you.” “Certainly. Mrs. Greenville would have insisted on it. I’ll just take these little monsters from you and put them into the kitchen where they belong.” Three of the kittens huddled around Simone’s legs. The black one managed to tug at Adrian’s pants. He picked him up. “That’s okay. We don’t mind.” His partner looked down at her feet doubtfully. “Yeah. Sure. Fine.” Mina shrugged. “If you’re okay about it...they do tend to be a handful.” She turned around and walked down the corridor, evidently believing that they would immediately follow her. The dining room was a large affair set nearer to the front of the house. It consisted of two crystalline chandeliers and a long table enough to hold twenty or thrity people. A black laquered grand piano sat at one end of the room, waiting for a professional to sit down and plunk away at the keys, preferably Gershwin, Chopin, or Beethoven. The instrument looked like it despised anything else, especially anything frivolous like showtunes. They sat down at one end of the table and urged Mina to stay with them to answer a few questions. The cook, a thin Spanish man named Carlos, came out to serve the pair a fantastic five course meal that made them want to turn away dessert but ended up eating anyway at Carlos’ urging. The cook had been grinning ear to ear the whole time, all the while stroking his goatee enthusiastically. “It is such a rare thing that I get to actually do art with people who really appreciate my skills,” he waxed happily. “So boring when all that the Senora wants is low fat soups and salads to keep her figure. What is it about dieting that makes people shy away from excellent food?” Adrian did not have an answer. Simone had just answered, “Calories.” And shoved another bite of the mousse that Carlos had prepared into her mouth. One of the kittens mewed from underneath the table and obligingly she gave the hungry animal a spoonful of the dessert. “I suppose the kittens have more taste than the Senora,” the cook finally sighed and he went back into the kitchen to putter around. “I think he just needs to get out more,” Mina remarked as she sipped a cup of tea. “I don’t think the man has had a date in over ten years.” Simone glanced at Adrian at the sudden caustic remark. He shook his head. “Mrs. Greenville said that you once saw her husband’s ghost,” she began. “Ha! That was all Dargood’s idea.” Mina rolled her eyes. “That man is as superstitious as those witch hunters in the Middle Ages. Of course he thinks it’s Mr. Greenville’s ghost. He’s sleeping with Greenville’s wife, for heaven’s sake. What man wouldn’t be nervous that his lover’s husband is looking for him?” “Ah,” said Simone, her suspicions confirmed. “But the fact is, Mr. Greenville is dead.” “Ghosts can still wreak vengence from beyond the grave,” said Mina. “Even if it’s all in the victim’s head.” “So what exactly did you see that day?” Adrian asked. Mina curled her fingers around the teacup. “Dargood and I were polishing up one of the rooms. I saw somebody walk down the hall towards the study. I said, ‘Hey Dargood, who’s that?’ He looked up and went hysterical.” “What did this person look like?” he prodded. “I think he was about Carlos’ height, but fatter. The man was wearing a dark blue coat and had brown hair. Initially, I had thought it was Mr. Greenville, but he’s dead. So it must have been some guy sneaking around the house.” “All right. If it was, we might be able to catch him on tape if he comes tonight,” said Simone. “I hope you catch him,” the maid nodded. “I’ve always told Mrs. Greenville to install a security system, but she just says it isn’t necessary.”