Midnight Creek Tales

#4. The Duchess' Lost Portrait / Chapter 4

"Have you gone mad Cole? What if the police find out?"

"The police aren't going to find out anything! All we need to do is come up with an intricate plan that'll be full proof."

"But the risks! If the police suspect a thing and we get incarcerated, we could be looking at the death penalty!"

"As I said Starkey, the police aren't going to arrest us! Besides, we could just pay someone to murder Elaine. Hire a hitman of some sorts."

"Yes but if he rats us out, we'll get booked."

"Hmm... you do have a point there, anyone would love to put us in jail. Catching billionaires trying to assassinate someone would look terribly predictable."

"We need to do it in a way where it looked like an accident! Maybe something she self-inflicted!"

I thought to myself... Starkey burst with an idea, "Suicide!"

"Suicide?! How in the hell are we going to convince Elaine to kill herself?" I said flabbergasted.

"She's not going to hang herself; we'll do it. Force her onto a rope and then claim that we found her hanging after she brought us our food."

I was trying to imagine if that would even work, "If we go through with this we need to make sure not to bruise or injure her. It'll look forced as if in a struggle."

"You make a good argument Cole. That means we would have to sneak up on her."

"After she makes us our food, while she is leaving we'll grab her and carry her up to the master bedroom. We're going to need a rope."

"I think Terry has a sturdy rope in his basement; that'll do the trick."

"Ok good, and make sure all of the guys are in on it. If anyone objects, send their brains splattering against a wall."

"Will do, we'll arrive in a couple of minutes. See you then." Starkey hung up the phone, and shortly after I put down the receiver. I went over to the liquor cabinet and fixed myself a scotch. I sat down in my armchair warmed by the burning fire, and as I looked into the dying embers, I waited...

As I heard heavy hooves banging against the cobble pavement, I knew it was them.

I got up from my seat and took a whiff of my dying cigar and threw it into the fire. I proceeded onwards to the door and opened it to see them all getting out of the carriage.

I stood at the front of the entrance waiting for them to get to the top of the steps, and as every man got out of the chariot, I smiled. This was going to be easier than I thought.

In total all of my men came, equaling up to five when including me. There was Starkey, Terry, Radcliffe, and Brown. I have known all of them for a long time, and we were all wealthy aristocrats.

Everyone had brown colored hair except for Terry who had blond hair that covered the top of his head. Brown was bald but still had little strands left (which we joked about all the time).

I could see the rope tucked into Terry's pants and looked back again to make sure Elaine wasn't downstairs.

The good thing was that the kitchen was upstairs and since I opened the door and no hard knock was made against it, she wouldn't suspect a thing.

Reaching the top foot of the steps was Starkey, and everyone followed alongside him. "Ready Cole?" Terry said showing the rope from his trousers.

"I've never been more ready in my life."