Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 142801 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142801 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
“Eat dinner? Yes. Be dinner? Not so much.”
“My lord.” We both turn to the creak of a door and a man’s voice from inside. “I’m sorry to intrude, but could you spare a moment?”
“Would you excuse me, Eve?”
“Of course. But maybe you could show me the way back to the great hall? It’s that or send out a search party after I get lost.”
Mandy laughs. “You’ll get used to it.” Not sure I’ll need to, but okay. “The simplest way is to stay outside and to walk along the terrace here. That will lead you to the front of the house, and then the hall.”
“Just remember what I said about the search party,” I call as Mandy and his aide disappear through the door.
“No bears,” I whisper, my heels crunching over the red, shiny gravel. “Silly me. I never once asked about wolves.”
But it turns out it isn’t either of those creatures I should be worried about.
Chapter 43
EVIE
“Ow, dammit!” Spike heels and crunchy gravel are a recipe for a rolled ankle or a skinned knee, I decide, as I clutch the edge of a stone urn for the second time in as many minutes. As my phone begins to ring, I slip it out from my purse, half expecting it to be Oliver wondering where I am.
“Hello.” The line crackles, so I repeat my greeting. “Hello?”
“It’s him!” The words burst down the line. “I told you it was him—he did this to me.”
“Nora? Are you okay?” The line hisses ominously again. I really wish she’d get a better phone. I might have to buy her one and disguise it as my old one. “Hello?”
“I said it’s him!” Her voice is so shrill, I pull the phone away from my ear with a wince. “I told you he was up to no good, sneaking around the place, taking pictures.”
My heart sinks, my will along with it. “We’ve been over this, Nora.” After the fence went up, I explained that I had a friend looking into things. I told her not to worry, and I meant it, because I’ll fight tooth and nail for her. “Oliver doesn’t own the company who put that fence up.” The company name didn’t register with Fin as familiar. Besides, Oliver wouldn’t do that. I hope. Things have just been busy, and that’s why I hadn’t mentioned it to him. “We’ll know who’s responsible soon.”
“I know it’s him, and whatever that fifty grand was for, I hope it was worth it.”
She got the money? Strange that he never mentioned it, that he didn’t wait until the sale was complete. But I guess there’s no point in denying it now.
“Nora, please. Listen to yourself. It was a gift, not a conspiracy.” Wouldn’t I have gotten the fifty grand in that case? Maybe the worry of the money has pushed her over the edge. Maybe I should call Yara.
“I don’t want his filthy money!”
“Then take that up with him,” I say, stalling. She deserves it, and I’d do it again—I’d do it for me, and I’d do it for her. I’d do it for Oliver. Haven’t we all benefited from those strange beginnings?
“Talk to him when he’s trying to get me shut down? Are you having a fucking laugh?”
I am so very far from laughing. I’m more like exhausted with this.
“You’re not getting closed down.” My tone is sunnier than I feel. “Like I said, I’ve got a friend looking into it.”
“Yeah, nice friends you’ve got,” she jeers. “Not sure I’d accept their help.”
This is getting ridiculous. “Listen, Nora, I haven’t got long. Can we talk about this tomorrow?”
“Are your ears painted on? We can’t talk about this tomorrow because everything is not all right. That is what I’m trying to tell you. That . . . that man. Strutting around like the cock of the walk, well he can take a running jump if he thinks he’s kicking me and my dogs out of this place. I’ll do for him! You see if I don’t.”
“Then who’ll look after the sanctuary?” I ask evenly, wondering if she’s in the middle of a mental break. “Let me call Yara, sweetie. I can’t come around right now.” She sounds so distressed, maybe I can swing by later, when we’re done here. Leave early, maybe?
“You can’t come ’round here no more,” she says, the words spilling with force. “Not when you’re with the enemy.”
This seems worse than I thought. Should I call an ambulance?
“You remember Duggan?” she demands.
“The skinny kid with the bad skin?” He’d recently been sent to help as part of a community service order or something.
“That’s him. He hacked the school’s computer, that’s why they sent him here. I saw him yesterday, told him about the fences. He said he’d help me look into it.”
“Nora, that kid is fourteen. Please don’t say you encouraged him to break the law.”