Death at Kimbal

Chapter 15

"Where is that confounded girl?" The butler shouted, running down the stairs.

"What girl Sir?" Matthew, a messenger and stable boy, said.

"Jenna you idiot." Godfrey snapped at him, "Stop avoiding your work and find her."

"Right away Sir." Matthew shrugged, slipping his hands into his pockets and slouching off, "What d'you want 'er for anyways?"

"That is no concern of yours impudent boy." Came the angry reply, "Find her, that is your task.  Also, speak properly in this fine household.  You put us all to shame."

"Alright." The young boy said calmly, "Keep your wig on, I'm lookin'."

"How dare you!" Godfrey started to yell but his anger fell on deaf ears as Matthew was already out in the courtyard and the door shut behind him.

Meanwhile, Effie was trying to search every room in the house, doing her best to find Jenna before she was forced to accept that the unthinkable had happened.

"Luc's room?" She wondered aloud, running along the corridor, surrounded by the noise of swishing fabric.

It didn't take her long to reach his room, it being only two floors up.  She pushed open the door tentatively, not quite knowing what to expect or, what to want to discover.  Whether to her delight, or disappointment, the room was empty, the only sign of recent human activity being the open windows.

"Jenna?" Effie called out as she entered, looking first behind the door and then underneath the bed, "Are you in here?"

There came no reply so Effie was about to leave when something caught her eye.  Luc's wardrobe in the corner was slightly open and a small puddle of what looked like blood was collecting on the carpet in front of it.  Her heart rose to her mouth as she froze by the door, hand raised to the knob.

The whole room seemed to fade around her as Effie started to approach the wardrobe, sweat beading on her upper brow.  The blood dripped steadily onto the carpet, not missing a single beat.  The thought of calling for help did seem to cross her mind but it was swept away almost immediately, replaced by the stale stench of fear.  Her hand rose automatically to the handle, pulling it open.

The scream that rose from deep within her pierced the air at the sight inside of the wardrobe.  Jenna Omell's body was crumpled up in a ball, her hand hanging limply out onto the floor.  A small, medical looking knife was thrust deep into her stomach, leaving a nasty wound that still bled openly.  Perhaps it was the look in the young girls eyes that terrified Effie the most.  They were filled with pain, fear and betrayal.  She had promised to keep the murdered girl safe and failed in her task.  Here she lay, all traces of life removed from her once bright eyes.  Tears steamed down Effie's cheeks, the heavy burden upon her shoulders becoming too much to bear.

She sank to the floor with another scream of anguish and guilt.  Did some people really have no mercy to spare for such an innocent and harmless creature as the one that lay dead before her?

"Miss!" Her empty thoughts were cut short by the arrival of the stable boy, his face bright pink from the sprint to her.

"Jenna." Was the only word Effie could utter, her entire body racked with sobs.

"Is she dead Miss?" Matthew asked stupidly, his eyes widening to double their natural size.

"Get Godfrey." Effie ordered quickly through the sobs, her voice strangely mechanical as her mind tried desperately to ignore what was happening.

The butler arrived within a minute, already showing signs of crying.

"I'm so sorry." Effie cried out to him, watching through blank eyes as he fell to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably before his daughter's body.

"Why?" He howled, taking her small hand into his and pressing his lips to it.

"I am sorry for your loss." The cold voice stopped everyone's movements, making them turn to look in its direction.

"We did not invite you." Effie said with an equal amount of ice in her tone, the unexpected arrival sobering her up.

"And yet I come." Said the haughty reply and the Detective Giles Burge stepped forwards into the light, "I wished to say when Lucian Allington is due to be killed, but it appears that I have stumbled upon yet another crime scene.  How simply fascinating.  Who is the victim?"

"The maid from court." Effie glared at him, standing protectively in front of the dead girl and her father.

"Ah yes." Burge sneered, "The girl who does not know when to hold her tongue."

"She was my daughter." Godfrey said quietly, tears dripping onto the carpet in front of him. 

"Then my condolences good Sir." The detective said, his voice clear of any emotion or sympathy for the man as he moved further into the room, "But we will need to do a search of the area and it must be evacuated.  Would you very kindly wait outside for me."

"Not so fast please Burge." Doctor Maddock walked in, catching her breath at the sight of Jenna.

"Doctor Maddock." Burge sighed, turning slowly on the spot to face her.

"This time you will let me undertake my work first." The doctor frowned, putting her hands on her hips.

"I suppose." The detective said coldly, leaving the room with only a single backwards glance.

"Can someone lift the poor thing up onto the bed please?" Maddock asked, straightening out the blankets in preparation.

Matthew and Godfrey lifted Jenna out of the wardrobe between them, carrying her across the room and placing her gently on Luc's bed.

"Thank you." The doctor smiled briefly, "Could you wait outside please men?  Effie, can you help me?"

"Of course." Effie smiled weakly, watching as Godfrey and Matthew left the room to stand with Burge.

"We can't put it off any longer." Dr Maddock as soon as they were alone in the room, "No one else can die to this madman. Announce to court! Say you know who it is!"

"I'm not certain on it doctor." Effie protested, "I need to make sure. I'll challenge them, if they try to kill me, we can catch them. The plan is simple."