So Dead, My Love Page 11

  The weather had definitely changed and there was the beginning of the icy bitter Bayton Isle winter storms in the air. She wore a thick cable knit sweater and heavy jacket, jeans and wool socks. Getting to Karnov Mansion on foot was going to be roughing it for her. But it was the only way she would be able to get there and into the Estate without attracting the notice of the FBI or Bayton Police. A car left out in the open would draw too much attention.

  She still hadn’t figured out a way of getting into the Mansion itself without having to break in. She really didn’t want to disturb anything or cause attention. All she wanted was to get to Lara. That alone might prove to be more difficult than getting into the Mansion. Tamara had never told her where Lara was. Samantha wouldn’t even know where to begin. She was betting and hoping that it would be a deep and secret place, like a basement or a hidden room. The question was, how was she to find it?

  Undaunted by these small obstacles, Samantha had prepared. She had broken off pending contracts with several of the book companies and begged time off the more lucrative ones. She didn’t want to burn all her bridges. Bob Holder would have to wait or find someone else to do his bank commission. There was no crystal ball to predict her future.

  The dangers involved only heightened the excitement for Samantha. She never questioned the unnaturalness of it all. She only knew that she was ready to give herself to Lara Karnov. Whatever that took.

  She’d figured that Karnov Mansion was maybe one or two miles from her home. She knew it would be a long, uphill hike in the cold. Samantha had packed several light items in a backpack and was finally ready to go.

  It was close to one in the morning. She could hear the faint rustling of the wind outside. It was beginning to pick up. Hopefully, this would be the best time to go about unnoticed. A fleeting thought of Tommy crossed her mind.

  Where could he be and how was he faring in the increasing cold? She couldn’t afford to think of Tommy or anyone else other than Lara now. She couldn’t let anything distract her attention.

  Something made Samantha notice the pile of mail that had accumulated on her coffee table. She put the backpack down and decided to at least give a quick look at what might be there. As she flipped each predictable envelope onto the couch, she held one up which seemed to contain something inside. It was handwritten in a very scratchy manner with no return address.

  Immediately she tore it open. There was a key sitting in the envelope! She picked out the key and pulled out the piece of paper that was with it. Scribbled in the same near illegible handwriting were only four words. “When you are ready.” There was a big “T” at the bottom of the page. Tamara. She must have written it just before she died. Samantha put the key into her jacket pocket and went out the door, this time, never looking back once.

  ***

  Two miles may not sound like much to some, but for Samantha it had turned into more of an ordeal than she ever imagined. Never an avid hiker and certainly not in the best of shape, she wasn’t quite prepared for braving the wilds of Bayton Isle. The full moon shining in the dark sky cast an icy blue glare to the trees, giving them an unnatural, surreal look. Deep shadows dotted the landscape like black holes leading into other worlds.

  Samantha had only taken several strolls in these woods and never this far. But nothing nature set in front of her would stop her from getting to Karnov Mansion.

  As she walked further and further away from the safety of her own home and civilization in general, she became distinctly aware the sound her feet made with each step she took. The leaves littering the forest floor crunched loudly under her weight. She feared someone or something might hear her. She suspected more than just FBI agents lurked in the woods.

  She dropped her pace a bit and stepped decidedly lighter as she walked. Even though she wore gloves, the biting cold seemed to go right through and numb her hands. Her nose would go next. She could barely feel the drip trickling down her upper lip. She wiped at it with a gloved hand. Her breath formed billowy puffs of white in front of her face.

  She couldn’t tell how far she had come. She had only her compass and a mental picture of how she had gotten there in her first trip by car. For all she knew, she could very well be lost. She didn’t want to let those thoughts tie up her mind. She looked at her watch and knew that she had been walking at least one hour. How much further?

  Samantha suddenly heard a twig snap to her right. Or was it something dropping from a tree? Were there bears here? Worse yet, she didn’t even know if there were wolves in the Bayton Isle woods. Pictures started to form in her head and fueled by fear, she began to walk faster, looking back and sideways.

  Was it her imagination or was whatever had made the noise following her every step of the way? As she ran even faster, she began to question the sanity of what she was doing. Then a voice stopped her dead in her tracks. It was Lara. She was screaming, so loudly that Samantha had to put her hands to her ears. Something was wrong. Samantha felt a trickle of panic go through her. All she could do now was race towards where she thought Karnov Mansion might be and find Lara. Quickly. She had to shut out everything else. Whatever was out here and following her didn’t matter now.

  ***

  Karnov Mansion loomed like a dark, somber fortress. Samantha stood barely fifty yards away from it, just behind the thinning edge of the woods. She was looking at the left side of Karnov Mansion. Everything was dark. From her viewpoint, she could see up the driveway and slightly beyond the road leading up to the grounds. There were no cars and no one in sight. She gave a silent thanks to the full moon for the brightness it provided her. There was no way she was about to use a flashlight out here.

  She couldn’t afford to wait long while deciding what to do. Not with Lara possibly in danger inside. She brushed past some clutching brush limbs and proceeded around behind Karnov Mansion. She wondered if the key Tamara had sent her was for the front or rear door. She preferred to enter as inconspicuously as possible. This meant she had to try the rear entrance first.

  Her legs were weak and her whole body was moving at borrowed speed. She had come a long way without resting. She was so close now. Not a thing stirred, even the wind had refused to disturb the silence around Karnov Estate.

  The back door had been white once, but it now stood with paint peeling and a screen door hanging loosely on its hinges. She mentally crossed her fingers that the dilapidated door wouldn’t creak too loudly.

  Samantha took the key from the pocket of her coat, slowly peeled open the screen door and inserted the key in the lock. The key turned smoothly and she stepped in.

  Samantha found herself in what looked like a kitchen area. Even though all she had was the light of the moon, she could see that it had been abandoned long ago. This was not where Tommy had prepared Tamara’s dinners.

  Remembering the small Maglite she had packed in her backpack, Samantha dug it out and pointed into the darkness. She adjusted it to a narrow beam-The less light to draw unwanted attention, the better.

  The house was quiet—so quiet she could hear the crickets making their music behind her. She remembered the door was still open. She walked quietly to the door and closed it. The blackness of the house immediately engulfed her. The flashlight only illuminated a sliver of space in front of her. Pockets of darkness surrounded everything else.

  A light saber, she thought amusingly, indulging in the image of Obi Wan and Darth Vader with light sabers at the ready. Establishing humor no matter the situation had been drilled into her in therapy. Maybe they had a point. She smiled.

  She stood for a moment debating whether to expand the beam of the flashlight into a wide arc and risk exposure or continue plodding along at a slower pace. It didn’t take her long to decide. There wasn’t a moment to waste in locating Lara, and besides, the blackness around her was like a suffocating wall.

  She turned the ring on the flashlight and the room was bathed in muted light. Making her way through the neglected kitchen area, she caught a whiff of a ve
ry strong, foul odor. She lifted her nose up and around trying to identify it. It was a sickening, heavy smell. Perhaps there was still some food here that had spoiled.

  Samantha moved carefully away from the kitchen, sidestepping large cans left sitting on the floor, and came to stand under a higharched doorway. It seemed to be even darker out beyond. She pointed the flashlight into a small hallway on the right. Following it slowly, it led her up against a closed door. The smell back in the deserted kitchen faded.

  Cautiously, she opened the door. It gave easily. The room that beckoned beyond was large. Samantha focused the Maglite into the darkness. It was the foyer. As she walked forward, she suddenly tripped slightly on the edge of the carpet. She had forgotten. A wave of recognition swept over her. It had not been that long ago.

  Moving past the stairs on her left, she found her way to the main entrance. She turned the flashlight towards the front of the stairs and the main door to her left. On the right, the double doors to the sitting rooms loomed. Instantly, her thoughts raced back to her last visit. She recalled Tommy escorting her through those doors, Tamara and the Karnov book—and beyond that, Lara’s room.

  A slight shiver went through her, not just because it was freezing here, but because she felt violated. Karnov Mansion had been tainted by police, FBI and other prying hands. They had touched without permission. They had raped.

  Shaking the very strong emotions away, she reached for the knob on the door. The most obvious place to start looking would be in Lara’s room or even the main sitting room.

  Just as her hand touched the brass knob, she was grabbed from behind and pulled back. One hand covered her mouth, the other pinned her shoulder tightly. The flashlight fell to the floor, its steady beam focused away toward the opposite wall.

  Samantha tried to pull away, kicking and struggling, all to no avail. The arms holding on to her were strong. She suddenly tasted panic and wanted to scream Lara’s name but couldn’t. Without warning, her attacker drew her close and whispered urgently in her ear.

  “Samantha, be still. I won’t hurt you!” Tommy! He whirled her around slowly to face him and cautiously removed his hand from her mouth. Samantha could barely make him out. He picked up the flashlight at her feet and offered it to her.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know who you were.” His voice was shaken. He was almost sobbing.

  Samantha pointed the light at him.

  “Tommy, what are you doing here?!” She was still trying to catch her breath. “The police…the FBI…they’re all looking for you.”

  He was filthy. His flannel shirt was stained and torn in places. His hair was matted with dust, dirt or God knew what else.

  “Tommy, you have to get away from here.”

  He shook his head furiously. “No, no. I have to stay. Tamara’s gone. I have to stay here.”

  “That’s right Tommy, Tamara is gone.” Samantha touched his arm. “But you’re in danger if you stay here.”

  She was afraid for Tommy, but she was more afraid for Lara. Then it hit her. Tommy might know where to find Lara.

  “Tommy, do you know where Lara Karnov is?”

  Tommy stopped shaking for a moment and stared blankly at her, mouth open. He didn’t say a word.

  “Tommy, do you know where I can find Lara?” She grabbed him by both arms and shook him gently. His eyes seemed to focus back on her and a strange smile crossed his face.

  “Yes. Come with me.” He bounced away from her and went back toward the stairwell, moving like a cat in the dark.

  He was standing in front of the paneled stairwell, looking like the Cheshire Cat. Samantha noticed that there was actually a door of some sort cut into the stairwell. Tommy pulled a recessed handle in the door and the panel slid away.

  A hidden closet! Inside, were assorted boxes of various sizes, some that looked like hatboxes? Magazines lay scattered about in the center of the space. Samantha looked at Tommy.

  “Tommy, did the police go through all of this? Did they find this closet?”

  Tommy nodded and proceeded to remove the pile of boxes and magazines out into the foyer. Even though he didn’t seem to need it, Samantha kept the flashlight beam on him as he worked. It was an eerie feeling; the darkness pressing in around her while they huddled in a closet.

  He came back and pointed at the bare floor underneath.

  “They didn’t find this.” He looked like a child sharing his innermost secret.

  Samantha was afraid he might be playing some kind of game. She didn’t have time for it.

  “Tommy, no. I need you to take me to Lara. Lara. Do you understand, Tommy? Lara.”

  “This is where,” he insisted, pointing into the closet floor. “This is the way.”

  He proceeded to lift up the metal door guard strip and peeled up the entire closet floor. A fake floor! Samantha had heard of fake compartments in suitcases and briefcases and seen them in movies, but this was an entire floor.

  Tommy didn’t stop there. He propped up the sheet of floor against the wall and there, underneath them, was another floor made of brown stones. How old were those stones, wondered Samantha. Then she noticed the secret door cut into the center of the stones. Tommy reached for a large, weathered latch and yanked up.

  There was a creaking noise and up came the door of stone. It was heavy, because Tommy seemed to be having some difficulty holding it up as he motioned her down.

  “Hurry. I’ll close the closet door behind us.”

  Fighting just the faintest hint of apprehension, she thought of Lara down there waiting for her. Swallowing hard, Samantha aimed the flashlight down the hole. She could see narrow stairs, the smooth stone steps snaking down into the darkness.

  Samantha placed one foot in and disappeared down the trap door. She put one hand to touch the wall beside her on the left and felt the rough surface of stone brick. It was damp. As she made her way cautiously down, she heard Tommy shut the trap door behind her.

  “Tommy, can you make your way down in the dark?” There was just a second of silence, enough to make her stomach tighten. Then his voice answered back.

  “I know these stairs like the back of my hand. I’m right behind you.”

  Proceeding, she noticed that the stairs began to take a spiral turn. She pictured in her mind those winding stairs in movies where prisoners were led to the castle dungeons below.

  It was even colder down here. They must have been deep in the bowels of Karnov Mansion. Samantha’s anticipation grew. What would she do when she faced Lara? Would she be able to embrace her future?

  Tommy kept pace behind her. It was reassuring to have him there. As they made their way further down, Samantha was sure there was a faint light glowing below. It looked like candlelight.

  They had reached the end of the stairs. Stepping onto more solid ground felt good to Samantha. And it was candlelight that flickered ahead. Samantha could see clearly now and what she saw was surprising. Red brick lined the walls of a long corridor, the end of which was swallowed in the dark beyond. Elegant arched doorways beckoned into rooms to either side of them, each with large, ornate sconces holding large candles. These underground rooms ran the entire length of Karnov Mansion.

  Samantha had come to a complete stop. Tommy brushed by her quickly, looking back and motioning her forward.

  “This way.”

  What a marvelous hiding place, thought Samantha, as she moved behind Tommy. She didn’t need her flashlight anymore; the warm glow of the candles was far more reassuring.

  They walked past several doorways, each one empty except for scattered boxes, papers and looming statues and figurines in states of decay. Tommy stopped at a smaller doorway.

  Samantha came to stand next to him and noticed that there were more stairs leading even further down and at the foot of those stairs, deep, red curtains veiled what lay beyond. This was it. She could feel her whole body begin to tremble.

  “Tommy, is this where Lara is?” Her voice was like a whisper.

&n
bsp; He nodded and indicated with his eyes. “Down there.”

  She couldn’t have Tommy with her; didn’t want him there. This moment belonged only to Lara and her. Samantha turned to him, removed her backpack and handed it to him.

  “I’ve got to go down there alone. You have to leave here Tommy. It’s dangerous to stay. If they find the secret door, they’ll take you away or worse.” She hoped he understood the severity of his situation. She had no doubt the FBI would find any and all secret passages that Karnov Mansion might have tucked away.

  “No. No,” he began to sob, fear gathering in his eyes, “I have to stay with her.” He pressed closer to Samantha.

  “Tommy, no!” Her voice echoed.

  He cried harder and began to scream. “Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me!”

  Samantha took him by the shoulders and talked gently to him. Brutal reality didn’t seem to work. Either way, she had to get him under control. Time was wasting.

  “Tommy, listen to me. I’m going down to Lara, alone. You have to stay up here. Wait if you want to. I don’t know how long I’ll be or what will happen.”

  “Samantha!” The voice in her head was so piercing, she jerked back, startled. It was Lara and she was screaming again. Samantha quickly pushed Tommy back and literally ran down the stairs, leaving a befuddled Tommy still sobbing.

  She stopped in front of the curtains, running her hand over the rich velvety fabric. What lay beyond? Samantha flung the curtain aside and found herself in a small room, facing a dark wooden door not twelve feet from her.

  A shiver went through her body. Lara lay beyond that door. She knew it because Lara was talking to her now, begging her to give her life. Samantha’s will snapped, and any apprehensions she might have had splintered.

  She ran wildly to the door, turning the knob and practically fell into the crypt room, eyes glazed in desperation. The coffin sat undisturbed, the long feeding tube still attached. Samantha tore madly at the tube, pulling until it dislodged itself from the coffin. Pulling even harder, Samantha yanked it free from the ceiling where it had been connected. She heard Tommy begin to scream upstairs.