A Murder In The Family Part 9

Elizabeth Sherwood had gone back into the secret passage way and discovered a piece of headed note paper with Gerald Reardon’s signature all over it. At closer inspection she had realised that the signatures were all different and that it looked like someone had been trying to learn how to forge the signature. She had then heard some one approaching and was totally shocked to find that a man now had a gun pointing at her head, while ordering her not to make a sound.

Elizabeth is terrified having no idea who the mysterious man is. All she can hear is the sound of her own erratic breathing. She tries to pace her breathing more so as to calm herself down.

The man then speaks menacingly: “I should have killed you the first time I saw you snooping, rather than just knocking you out!”

Elizabeth starts to tremble: “Please, I don’t know who you are or anything about you. So please if you’ll just let me go I won’t say anything to anyone.”

The man laughs: “I think it’s a little too late just to let you go. I’ve got to think of a way to dispose of you!”

In the dining room Arthur pours two glasses of whisky and offers one to Davina: “Here, I thought you could use this. I know I can.”

Davina sighs: “I’m pregnant remember?”

Arthur nods: “Oh yeah, I forgot. You know despite everything, I always thought we’d have children. Although now after everything that’s happened maybe it’s better that we didn’t. Still I think I’d have made a good Dad!”

Davina agrees thoughtfully, “Yes, I think you would have done. Shame you didn’t make a great husband!”

Arthur is surprised and hurt by the comment: “So you’re blaming all our problems on me, are you?”

Davina laughs well you did have an affair with that blond bimbo!”

Arthur is a little put out: “Wait a minute you had an affair too.”

Davina agrees: “Yes I did but not until I found out about your affair and at least I didn’t fall for some cheap sl...”

Arthur interrupts: “There’s no need to resort to name calling. Particularly when I don’t know anything about the guy you had an affair with. I suppose he’s got money and is well connected?”

Davina is a little cagey: “We’ll it looks as though he’s about to come into some money but how I feel has nothing to do with money. I’ve fallen in love Arthur. For the first time in my life I’ve really fallen in love with someone. I’m sorry if that’s hurtful to you but it’s the truth.”

Arthur shakes his head: “Why should it be hurtful to me. I knew you didn’t love me. I’ve always know you didn’t love me. Don’t kid yourself that I view our marriage as anything other than it really was. It was convenient. It meant you had money and a link to the British Royal family that you could flaunt in your friends faces and was a way for me to progress in business with your Grandfather’s connections. I knew they was no love between us and that I certainly didn’t love you. I did think we might grow to love each other or at least become very good friends, but you were only interested in trying to keep me in my place.”

Davina is frustrated: “That’s not true! I never intended to put you in any place I just always knew what was best for us."

Arthur laughs: “Really? Well look how that worked out, we both ended up having affairs! Maybe your way wasn’t the best way after all.”

Davina ponders Arthur’s words for a moment before replying: “Maybe you’re right. Maybe if things had been different, we could have learnt to love each other. But... it’s too late now. We’ve both found new people now so there’s no going back.”

Arthur nods in agreement then asks: “So what’s his name? Do I know him?”

Davina shakes her head: “No you don’t know him. His name is Peter Wilson and he’s a private investigtor. He doesn’t know anyone on our social scene.”

Arthur is puzzled: “So how did you meet him then?”

Davina: “He worked for Grandfather. He was the one that discovered your affair with Stacey! He told me and he told Grandfather.”

Arthur raises an eyebrow: “I see. So I suppose I’m going to be the one named as committing adultery in our divorced proceedings?”

Davina nods: “Yes, I don’t want any big fight Arthur I just don’t want to not be married to you any more. We’ll split everything 50 – 50 and try to get through this as quickly and as civilly as possible.”

Arthur agrees: “Okay, whatever you say Dear!”

David stands in the study and looks at his watch impatiently. Elizabeth had been gone for ten minutes and he was wondering what she was up to. He moves closer to the wall, placing his ear on it and tries to listen for any sound but can’t hear anything.

In the passage way the man is forcing Elizabeth down the steps at gun point: “Come on get a move on will you!”.

Elizabeth is struggling to see where she is going. The man has a torch but he is behind her pointing the barrel of the gun into her back. Suddenly Elizabeth trips and almost falls but the man catches her: “Be careful will you!”

Elizabeth grumbles: “Thanks for the concern!”

The man is indignant: “I caught you didn’t I? What more do you want?”

Elizabeth sighs: “I’d like you to tell me where you’re taking me and what you’re going to do with me?”

The man laughs: “Just keep moving!”

Elizabeth carefully makes her way to the bottom of the stairs. At the bottom she stops near the exit into the kitchen: “Where now?”

The man grabs Elizabeth by the arm and moves closer to the exit panel but stops when he hears voices on the other side: “Wait and be quiet, or you know what happens.”

Arthur is standing in the kitchen making a pot of coffee. He’d drunk quite a lot of whiskey and wanted something to sober himself up. Stacey comes rushing into the Kitchen and kisses him on the cheek: “There you are. Is Davina really divorcing you?”

Arthur nods slowly: “She sure is!”

Stacey smiles: “So we’ll be free to get married?”

Arthur is surprised by the question: “You want to marry me?”

Stacey laughs: “Of course I do silly?”

Arthur shakes his head in disbelief: “I didn’t realise you cared that much for me! Especially after you tried to blackmail me”

Stacey grins: “Well I didn’t realise you were that into me. I thought it was just sex and fun between us.”

Arthur thinks for a moment before replying: “Well maybe it was at first but I soon developed some real feelings for you.”

Stacey's grins wider: “I can’t believe it I’m going to be married to a member of the Royal family, they must have so much money?”

Alarm bells start to ring in Arthur’s head: “You do realise that I don’t have any money don’t you? I may have a distant connection to the royals but I don’t know any of them. I can’t just phone up the Queen and ask her for some cash!”

The smile falls from Stacey’s face: "So you don’t have any money at all?”

Arthur shakes his head: “Nothing, in fact I’m on the verge of bankruptcy.”

Stacey is angry: “So you expect me to marry a pauper?”

Arthur snaps: “You’re the one that mentioned marriage, not me. Is money the only thing you marry for?”

Stacey is indignant: “No of course not but it is important.”

Arthur asks: “Is that why you married Gerald? For his money?”

Stacey glares at him: “Well it wasn’t for his looks was it?”

Realisation dawns on Arthur: “You just want another meal ticket don’t you? Your husband hasn’t even been buried yet and you’re looking for some other mug to leech off.”

Stacey protests: “That’s not true, I care about you?”

Arthur laughs: “Yeah right. Look Stacey I don’t think it’s going to work out. I don’t think I can give you want you’re looking for. Besides I’ve lived a lie long enough. The next time I marry I want it to be to someone who loves me for me. Not for some stupid title or for my money.”

With that he storms out of the kitchen and Stacey follows behind: “Art please wait, you don’t understand. I do love you...”

After a few minutes the man holding Elizabeth in the passage way taps on the wall and a panel opens. He then drags Elizabeth out into the kitchen and then out of the back door into the garden.

In the study David paces the room. Eventually he opens the panel into the passage way, expecting to see Elizabeth but the passage way is completely empty. He pokes his head into the darkness and calls out: “Elizabeth? Elizabeth where are you?”

As the panel in the wall starts to slide shut, David jumps back into the study, worried about what could have happened to Elizabeth. At that moment he hears a commotion in the hall as Mrs Wainwright returns to the house and is met by his father and aunt.

Thomas is concerned: “Mrs Wainwright, are you okay?”

Mrs Wainwright nods: “Yes Master Thomas I’m fine. They have finished with their questions for now. I think they believed me when I said I had nothing to do with Master Gerald’s death, but they did say they may want to talk to me again. Anyway I don’t know about all of you but I could do with a cup of tea?”

Beatrice laughs: “We’re beyond tea, we’ve gone straight to Brandy!”

Thomas nods: "Yes, would you like one Mrs Wainwright?”

Mrs Wainwright is reluctant: “Oh Master Thomas, do you think I should?”

Thomas laughs: “After everything we've been through today, yes I certainly do, come on!”

At that moment David notices something in the garden. He moves to the window for a closer look and Sees a man, he doesn’t recognise, holding Elizabeth by the arm. At first he doesn’t see the gun and wonders what is going on. He knocks on the window glass to try and attract their attention but then to his horror he sees the gun.

Instinctively David runs out of the study into the main hallway. As he opens the front door he calls to his father: “Dad quickly! I need your help.”

Thomas comes running into the hallway: “David, whatever’s the matter.”

David frantically calls to him: “It’s Elizabeth someone has her at gun point!”

Thomas is shocked: “What?”

They both rush into the garden and David quickly explains a plan to his Father. Thomas then rushes towards the man holding Elizabeth, pretending he knows nothing about the gun: “Elizabeth there you are. I was wondering if you’d care for a drink with the rest of us?”

The man holding Elizabeth turns and stops not quite sure what to do next. Elizabeth is nervous and calls out: “Thomas be careful he has a gun!”

Thomas acts surprised: “Why, what is going on here?”

Unbeknown to the Man David has circled around the garden and is approaching quietly from the other side. Elizabeth sees him and gasps. The man looks round just as David reaches them and punches him the face. The man lets go of Elizabeth, who quickly rushes over to where Thomas is standing. The man has blood streaming from his nose but before he can aim the gun, David charges into him and tackles him to the ground. The man drops the gun and he and David wrestle, exchanging punches, each one with more force than the previous one.

Elizabeth sees the gun lying on the ground and quickly picks it up. She’d never even held a gun before and doesn’t feel comfortable even pointing it at another human being. Instead she moves closer to where David and the man are fighting. Reaching out she musters up all her strength and uses the handle of the gun to strike the man on the back of the head with it. Instantly the man falls to the ground unconscious.

David bends over resting his hands on his legs panting for breath. Elizabeth spots blood streaming from a cut above his eye: “Oh David, you’re hurt.”

David stands up straight: “Don’t worry about me, what happened?”

Elizabeth shakes her head: “I wish I knew. I went back into the passage way. One of the papers I found had your grandfather’s signature on it. It looked like someone had been trying to perfect his signature. It was next to a writing pad containing the letter head that all your letters were written on. It looks like someone was trying to forge his signature to send you all these letters.”

David is surprised: “But what has that got to do with this man and why was he holding you at gun point?”

Elizabeth sighs: “Well he found me in the passage way and drew a gun on me. He’s the man I saw upstairs who knocked me out. I believe he was the one in your grandfather’s room. He seemed to be hiding the papers I found and the letter we found from Mrs Wainwright. I think he must of dropped them when he knocked me out. David I think we are looking at the man who forged all those letters to you and who killed your grandfather.”

For a long moment, David, Thomas and Elizabeth stare at the man. Thomas eventually breaks the silence: “But who is he and why would he want to kill my father?”

David moves closer: “It’s difficult to tell with all the blood on his face but I think I’ve seen him before!”

Elizabeth is curious: “Where?”

David shakes his head: “I’m not sure!”

Thomas: “Come on let’s get him inside and call the police.”

David and his father each place one of the man’s arms around their shoulders and drag him into the house. Elizabeth walks ahead and looking at the man’s face she thinks she recognises him slightly too. The three take the man into the lounge where David and his father place the man onto a chair.

Thomas suggests: “Maybe we should tie his hands and feet just in case he comes round before the police arrive. David goes off to find some rope."

Elizabeth is still curious where she may have seen the man before. At that moment, Arthur, Stacey, Davina and Beatrice enter the room to see what the commotion is all about.

Davina instantly recognises the man and gasps: “Peter!”

Arthur chuckles: “You don’t mean this is the father of your baby?”

Before she can answer Mrs Wainwright enters the room with David who has found some rope. Mrs Wainwright lets out a scream and drops her brandy glass on the floor, shattering it into hundreds of pieces: “That’s my son. The son I gave up for adoption. I recognise him from the photo!”

Everyone gasps in shock!

To be continued....