Her Sister's Fiancé - Book #1

Chapter 27

OY! I changed the time in the last chapter from early morning to afternoon. Just so's you're aware.

"Ah, Mr. Brodi." Constable Levine smiled genially. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but I felt it was necessary."
"No need for apologies, constable." Ethan smiled in return, hoping he didn't sound as nervous as he felt. "I'm glad you've come."
"Hmm, well, let's get right to it, shall we?" The big policeman returned to his seat. "If you think there's anything about your story that should be. . .changed, say the word. We can't judge a man too harshly if, in the heat of the moment, he got a few facts muddled." Levine smiled again.
"I didn't get anything muddled." A frown creased Ethan's brow.
"Ah," Levine chewed on his lip. "We've spoken to a few people from the list you gave us, and—" he paused looked Ethan in the eye. "They remember nothing of this Manuel fellow." His voice was grave.
"What?" Ethan's brow darkened. "I don't understand."
"They say there was never an intrusion at the wedding, and they left you and your bride in a peaceable way." Levine spoke hesitantly now.
Confusion and doubt swirled through Ethan's innards, and he leapt to his feet, crossing the room to look out a window. There was something at play here, something bigger than he could imagine, something that was trying to change the facts of reality for some reason. Whatever it was, it was going to great lengths to be sure Manuel was forgotten.
"Surely that can't be." Ezra was saying.
"We haven't spoken with all of them, Lord Antrucha, but the few that we have have been clear that there is no Manuel. They acted rather strangely about the whole thing, and I really can't blame them. If someone were asking me strange questions about a man I'd never heard of before, I'd be confused." Levine replied.
"Then how do they explain my wife's injury? How do they dance around the fact that she was shot and that she nearly died?" Ethan exploded. "Are you so blind that you can't see the truth? Someone has bribed them. It's all too well planned. First Gideon and Manuel's disappearance, then this! There's no way it's a coincidence. Can't you see it?"
"Ethan," Ezra held up a calming hand, his eyes darting between his son-in-law and the constable. "Constable Levine is trying to help." Ethan heaved an exasperated sigh.
"I know you must be annoyed, sir, but I can't change what I've been told. We'll be digging into it further, but I wanted to let you know how things stand now." Levine said quietly.
"Thank you, Levine." Ezra smiled diplomatically, but Ethan couldn't manage anything around his frustration. "How are things standing with Ethan and law?"
"Well, without any evidence, we have no case, so he'll be off free." Levine looked up at Ethan.
"But I want to get this resolved, not have it hang over me for the rest of my life." He protested.
"Ethan, the police are doing everything they can. Besides, would you rather be in a prison cell?" Ezra gave him a meaningful look. "I know Lavinia will be greatly pleased that she can have her husband close by for her time of recovery."
"Yes, yes, I know, and I am grateful, never doubt that, but—" Ethan heaved a sigh and sank down into a chair.
"I understand your frustration, Mr. Brodi, really I do, but there's nothing I can do. I'll keep you up to date on the details. You never know, perhaps we'll have more luck with these other witnesses, but rest assured, we won't stop searching till we've overturned every stone and inspected every blade of grass. We're a thorough lot, and cases like this are not an oddity amongst us." Constable Levine rose.
"In which case, you should know that Manuel had a wife." Ethan looked up at the big man.
"A wife, you say? Well, that does change things." Levine settled back into his chair. "Have you met her?"
"No, but he wrote me of her in a letter." Ethan suddenly wished he hadn't been so quick to destroy Manuel's note.
"Ah, that's less helpful, but do you still have the note?" Levine looked almost expectant.
Ethan sighed and raked a hand through his hair. "Unfortunately not, but her name was Penny. I don't know if she's still alive, but you might try writing to his father. Lord Manuel was not particularly fond of his son, but I think he'll be able to give you a good account of him, and I imagine he'll be willing to give any information he might have one Penny."
"Of course. I'll get on it right away, gentleman. Now, you must excuse me. Do forgive my intrusion." The constable rose again. "Would it be convenient for me to call again in a few days?"
"Please, call whenever you like." Ezra rose as well. "We want any information you can give us."
"Thank you, sir." Levine inclined his head respectfully, and left the room.
When the constable had gone, Ethan and Ezra exchanged glances, each silently considering the information they'd just been given. There was no denying that there was something or someone with considerable influence behind the disappearance of Manuel's body. The violent interruption of an already much-discussed wedding would have been a story to commit to memory, yet Manuel had been omitted entirely from the stories of the guests. Ezra sighed suddenly.
"There's nothing we can do but wait." Ethan nodded his agreement. "Lavinia—" Ezra paused as if searching for the proper words. "When this is over, you and Lavinia are welcome to remain in my house as long as you like, so you can further investigate matters should they not end in an entirely satisfactory manner."
"Thank you." Ethan wet his lips. "Depending on what happens, I might take you up on that." He shot his father-in-law a half smile. "Now, if you could excuse me."
"Of course." Ezra waved a hand, his brow furrowed in thought. "I'll be for you Ethan whatever comes of this." Ethan nodded his thanks and left the room, walking slowly back up the stairs to Lavinia's room. Ezra was right. There was nothing to be done but wait, and the thought almost drove Ethan to madness.
When one is waiting for something, time seems to stand still for an eternity. Even an hour can seem to pass like a thousand years, to say nothing of a day or two. Constable Levine didn't return to the Antrucha Manor that evening as expected, nor did he stop by the next day. Finally, on the fifth day after his visit, Ethan and Ezra rode to the police station, both uneasy and slightly nervous for reasons they couldn't tell. They had sent messages to the station several times, but most of the notes had remained unanswered, a most irregular occurrence.
Finally, however, when both of them had almost been frantic for news, a note had come apologizing for the lack of communication by using the excuse that the station had been overwhelmingly busy the past few days, and no one had had any time to make house calls. If, the letter added as if it were an afterthought, Lord Antrucha would like to come to them, they wouldn't stop him.
So here they were, dismounting in front of the neat building, unsure what to expect. Oddly, Ethan felt nervous and edgy. The old sense, that something was about to happen, was pressing its way through his attempted pretense of 'reality'. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was more here then met the eye and, more unnerving, that he was being watched by someone beyond his line of vision.
He turned to look behind him with smooth nonchalance, but there wasn't anything there to draw his attention. It was his nerves, he told himself, quickly following Ezra into the station.
"Ah, Lord Antrucha." The clerk at the desk said, a smile, that wasn't quite as it should be for some reason Ethan couldn't name, on his thin lips. "Chief Inspector Mallory is in his office. If you'll come with me," rising the man motioned down a hall before turning and walking in the indicated direction without even checking to make sure Ethan and Ezra were following him.
Ethan clenched his teeth, narrowing his eyes at his surroundings. Oddly enough, the entire atmosphere of the station felt different, and it bothered him. The very air he breathed seemed to be filled with a mysterious presence that put him immediately at his guard.
"Ah, yes, Lord Antrucha." Inspector Mallory rose as they entered, and the smile on his face was wan and pasted as though it didn't belong there. "Mr. Brodi," he nodded at Ethan. "Please, sit down."
Ethan settled uncomfortably in the straight-backed chair opposite Mallory, wondering if he looked as suspicious as he felt. Ezra, despite his usual calm, was on edge, too, so he couldn't be imagining things. Could he?
"How is Lady Antrucha? I heard she was ill." The small talk was forced.
"She's doing well." Lord Antrucha replied shortly.
"I'm glad!" Mallory cleared his throat, blinking nervously. "And your daughters?"
"Inspector Mallory, I don't mean to be rude, but we both know that you didn't send that note, so we could sit here and talk about my family." Ezra said dryly.
Mallory started and cleared his throat again. "Yes, of course." His voice was thick and strained. For a few moment, an awkward silence settled around them, and then the inspector straightened. "As you know, we've been on this case like bees on wildflowers, but not a single part of it has made much sense. First, there was no body or evidence of a fight at all, and then there was the differing stories. No one could quite tell if this Manuel fellow was real or something conjured in Mr. Brodi's head by bad indigestion." Mallory chuckled, but there was no humor in the sound.
Ethan clenched his teeth, refraining from interrupting the man with great restraint. Noticing that neither of them seemed to be amused, Mallory continued.
"Well, we sent word to the station in Scotland to send someone out to speak to Lord Manuel, asking him a host of questions about his son." Mallory cleared his throat again and swallowed heavily, looking directly at them for the first time since they'd entered the room. "David Manuel died at the age of sixteen. He's been dead ten years."
"What?" Ethan's brows rose. "That's impossible, I knew Manuel. He and I went to school together. What about his wife?"
"He did seem to be a bit of a trouble maker which is, apparently, what caused his death." Mallory said quickly. "Lord Manuel didn't know anything about an 'Ethan Brodi' or anyone like him."
"Lord Manuel was one of my father's greatest friends! The man was practically my second father!" Ethan half rose, trying, and failing, to digest the information he'd been given.
"Well, that's none of our affair, sir." Sweat beaded on Inspector Mallory's brow. He was afraid, Ethan realized. Afraid! What could possibly scare a policeman like this one? Ethan dropped back into his chair.
"There's got to be more you aren't telling me." He said, sounding calmer than he felt.
"No, sir, that's the end of it. You're free to go." Mallory seemed to be having trouble swallowing.
"Now wait just a minute—" Ethan leapt up.
"Thank you, Inspector. If you don't need anything else, we'll be going." Ezra cut him off, rising with lordly dignity.
"But—" Ethan spluttered, and then he felt Ezra's hand squeeze his arm tightly.
"Inspector?"
"Of course not, you can go." Inspector Mallory was trying to sound official, but his expression was pinched as though he desperately wanted to say something else.
"Thank you, Mallory. Have a good day. Give my regards to your mother." Ezra smiled diplomatically and exited the room, fairly dragging Ethan after him.
"Why did you do that? I need some answers. I have to speak to him again." Ethan tried to reign in his temper, but it boiled within him hotly. "I cannot just leave it at that."
Ezra whirled about to face him suddenly, and Ethan was taken aback by the look on the man's face. He had never seen Lord Antrucha with. . .fear in his eyes. Fear. Ethan's anger died, and he couldn't find a thing to say.
"Bloody hell, Ethan, don't you see?" Ezra swallowed heavily, his voice slightly hoarse. "There's something at work here bigger than either of us. I have never seen Inspector Mallory afraid. He's the most steady man I know, but there was fear in his eyes, Ethan, fear. Did you see the way he kept looking behind us as though expecting to see someone? We were being watched in there, probably still are." Ezra wetted his lips, drawing a deep breath.
"That doesn't change anything. They know something. I could tell." Ethan protested, but the drive had been knocked out of him, and his words no longer had the force of anger behind them.
"Doesn't it? Ethan, look, yes, they know something. They know that there's more at work here than simple men should have to deal with. Someone wanted Manuel dead and all evidence of his death destroyed. Someone who possessed the power to see their desires fulfilled from far away without the least bit of trouble. Someone who is powerful enough to reach from England to Scotland and back without any trouble. Have you ever met someone who has that much sway on his fellow man?" Ezra's jaw was working in and out, and all Ethan could do was shake his head dumbly. "Neither have I, and I have seen my fair share of powerful men. We have no idea of the extent of power with which we are dealing. I have heard stories of men who crossed those in high positions of power; the end result was anything but pretty, and not only was it them that suffered. Their families. . ." Ezra's voice was low and urgent. "Ethan, think of Lavinia, and do the smart thing: accept what has happened here. You can't change it; you can only make it worse."
Ethan couldn't find his voice, so he merely nodded. Ezra nodded back and turned to mount his horse. Ethan moved to do the same without a word.
He had known there was something more here, but he hadn't fully comprehended what that 'something' might be. After all, what protection was there for him against a man who was able to bribe fancy lords and ladies at the snap of a finger.
Perhaps he was stupid, but he wasn't afraid of this mysterious person. He didn't understand why, but the image he had conjured in his mind was of a greedy, old man who had never learned that the world didn't always go the way he wanted it, and the image made him angry. No, it enraged him. He couldn't even prove his innocence.
The Antrucha Manor loomed into sight. It had once been a symbol of comfort to him, but at the moment, he could think of a million places he'd rather be than within its stuffy walls. He needed some air. He wished desperately he could talk to Lavinia, but in his state, he knew he would be liable to speak to her in a way he would later regret. With a decisive jerk, he pulled his mount to a stop.
"You go ahead." He said to Ezra who turned and looked at him curiously. "I'll be in later." Ezra nodded silently, seeming to understand Ethan's feelings, and turned back toward the manor without a word.
Before Ezra had gone ten feet, Ethan turned his horse off the road and lashed it into a gallop. His heart beat violently within him, and he urged the horse to go faster, a series of feelings spinning about within him in confusing intensity. To the west, thunder rumbled ominously, but he didn't care.

Sorry it took so long to get this up here! I've been pretty busy lately. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!