Eva's Sins.

LXIV

„Forgotten times. Hidden secrets. Minds that kill in silence, but... so precise"

  „He's is hurrying up! But... where?" Shelby wondered, watching through the big window from the living room and seeing Bardain's carriage moving away in a big rush in his attempt of leaving the property as soon as possible. „And... the weirdest thing is that he came here just to say something to Brian. But even so, he left as quickly as he came. It means he hides something. But... what he exactly has to hide?" the old man was asking questions himself, in silence.

  Suddenly, his hand grabbed the bell that was next to him on the coffee table and he rang it insistently. Seeing that nobody answers or comes, he shouted: „Colby! Colby! Are you there?"

  The one named Colby so suddenly showed up. But this man was the same person Stan named the „bulldog." „I'm here, count! Did you call me?"

  „Yes! Come closer!" Storm ordered his man. „Tell me, while being in the yard, didn't you hear what exactly Brian talked with his teamster?"

  „No, count, for till I got to the place where they were, the two had already finished talking. But... I saw the old man talking later to the young one, who is accompanying mister Beneath now."

  „Yes, they talked. What about that talk?"

  „I'm not sure, for... if I had stood there to listen to what they had to tell each other, it would have been suspicious and they could have told Mister Beneath about this later."

  „This is right, too. By the way, where is Mister Beneath? Is he in his room?"

  „No, Sir. He has been until not long ago. But he's now to the stables. It seems that he is going to have a ride."

  „It means that his teamster told him something that set him wondering. Interesting: what could have that man told him to throw him a curve ball? And it has to be something very important if Brian has decided to go for a ride just to clear his mind."

  „Should I follow him?"

  „No. I need you to follow the old teamster, for I have the feeling he's hiding something, even from Brian. That's why we must find out what is he hiding before Brian does this."

  „I understood, count Storm. I'll go right away," Colby headed toward the door.

  „And... send that boy to me. I have a talk with him."

  „Mister Beneath's young teamster?"

  „Yes. But... just try not to put him on guard. Send him here to bring me something. I'll take care of the rest."

  „Sure, count!" and Colby finally left the room in a big hurry, for if he had to follow Bardain, he had to rush because the old teamster had left the yard for a few minutes already and he could lose him because there were a lot of crossroads around, and if Bardain's carriage had gotten to one of them, he would have lost him for sure, for not being able to understand which way the old man took eventually.

  „Ah, Baron, Baron!" Shelby murmured angrily. „You have been always so calculated while still being alive and after death, you are the same. Not for nothing you bought such a faithful dog as the old Bardain is, for... I'm sure he's hiding what you had to give to me then. But... it seems to me that I lost that thing long ago and I'm still unable to find it because of you, who is watching me from the shadows of the Underworld."

  And Shelby hardly gnashed his teeth, after sipping some whisky from the glass he was squeezing in his hand. But his eyes looked so wild, just as Shelby Storm never had them before, or at least he had never shown that glance to Brian, for he needed to wear a mask to fulfill his plan, but he also felt sometimes that he wasn't sure that he'll succeed eventually.