Devil May Care by Elizabeth Peters Page A
Authors: Elizabeth Peters
Tags: Fiction, General, detective, Suspense, Psychological, Romance, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths, Mystery, Witches, Mystery Fiction, American Fiction, Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths, Fiction - Mystery, Virginia
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impression of shoulder-length hair, a DEVIL-MAY-CARE 47
dark coat, a flash of white at the throat, before the two skimming, graceful figures were swallowed up by the trees again.
The sound had stopped too. Ellie wasn't sure precisely when it had stopped; she had been so startled by the vision that her ears had stopped functioning for a second or two.
They were functioning now. She heard herself gulp, felt the painful weight in her throat as she swallowed. The sound of her own heartbeat drowned out the gentle drip of water from the eaves.
For some time she stayed where she was, searching the darkness with eyes that began to ache with strain. Finally she drew back, and refastened the screen. Her first, instinctive need was for light. She found the switch and stood blinking in the flare of brilliance. When her eyes had adjusted she stared bewildered at the animals.
They were all awake. Two of the cats had already curled themselves up, preparatory to sleeping again; only slitted eyes betrayed their curiosity about her unorthodox behavior, and their annoyance at being disturbed. Franklin was sitting up, his long silky fur puddling around his haunches, his melting dark eyes fixed on her. He too was curious, but not alarmed.
The concentrated regard of all the eyes made Ellie feel self-conscious, like a child who has committed some gaucherie in front of grownups.
"A lot of help you are," Ellie said, addressing the group in general.
Franklin yawned. He lay down.
Ellie got into bed. Her feet were cold, although the night was not. She thrust them down into the warm areas produced by huddled cats, and looked at the telephone.
It was a terrible hour to call anyone. But Ted had said ... Ellie reached for the phone.
It took him some time to answer, and when he did
48 Elizabeth Peters his voice was fuzzy with sleep, but he brushed Ellie's incoherent apologies aside.
"I know you wouldn't call unless you had a good reason. What happened? Your handsome ghost again?" "No," Ellie said, and then, surprised: "Maybe. He might have been the second figure; ir was the same genera! shape ... "
She found it surprisingly difficult to produce any specific detail in her description, except for the shape of the woman's skirts.
"It was pretty dark," Ted said. He sounded thoroughly wide awake now. "I don't suppose you could make out details. I'm afraid I can't hand you a neat rationalized explanation, Ellie. There were no costume parties in the area tonight. I'd know about them even if I weren't invited--"
Ellie's nerves were keyed up; she found herself unreasonably annoyed at this touch of self-pity.
"That's beside the point," she said sharply. "This place is off the beaten track; no one would take a shortcut through Kate's shrubbery. Whoever it was came here deliberately. And what about the music, Ted?"
"That's unaccountable," Ted admitted. "Unless it was a bird--"
Ellie's snort of disgust made him drop this feeble suggestion.
"I'll get dressed and come over," Ted said.
"No, that's not necessary. I'm sorry I disturbed you, Ted. I--wait a minute."
"What's wrong now?"
"Wait a minute," Ellie repeated. She put the telephone down very gently; her eyes were fixed on Franklin, who had suddenly risen to his feet. His upper lip was drawn back. He was growling faintly, and his head had turned toward the open window.
Ellie ran across the room. This time she did not unhook the screen. She didn't have to. The figure DEVTLMAY-CARE 49
stood out with a queer distinctiveness against the dark background of trees. It was the figure of a tall man wearing a black suit of peculiar cut. The trousers were unusually narrow, and the coat was so tight that he resembled a stick figure. As Ellie stared she heard Franklin's growl rise to a queer keening note. Then the figure raised one black-clad arm in a gesture of menace. For a second Ellie fancied that she saw its face--a narrow, fanatical face with knife- narrow lips framed by a black beard. The eyes blazed
dark coat, a flash of white at the throat, before the two skimming, graceful figures were swallowed up by the trees again.
The sound had stopped too. Ellie wasn't sure precisely when it had stopped; she had been so startled by the vision that her ears had stopped functioning for a second or two.
They were functioning now. She heard herself gulp, felt the painful weight in her throat as she swallowed. The sound of her own heartbeat drowned out the gentle drip of water from the eaves.
For some time she stayed where she was, searching the darkness with eyes that began to ache with strain. Finally she drew back, and refastened the screen. Her first, instinctive need was for light. She found the switch and stood blinking in the flare of brilliance. When her eyes had adjusted she stared bewildered at the animals.
They were all awake. Two of the cats had already curled themselves up, preparatory to sleeping again; only slitted eyes betrayed their curiosity about her unorthodox behavior, and their annoyance at being disturbed. Franklin was sitting up, his long silky fur puddling around his haunches, his melting dark eyes fixed on her. He too was curious, but not alarmed.
The concentrated regard of all the eyes made Ellie feel self-conscious, like a child who has committed some gaucherie in front of grownups.
"A lot of help you are," Ellie said, addressing the group in general.
Franklin yawned. He lay down.
Ellie got into bed. Her feet were cold, although the night was not. She thrust them down into the warm areas produced by huddled cats, and looked at the telephone.
It was a terrible hour to call anyone. But Ted had said ... Ellie reached for the phone.
It took him some time to answer, and when he did
48 Elizabeth Peters his voice was fuzzy with sleep, but he brushed Ellie's incoherent apologies aside.
"I know you wouldn't call unless you had a good reason. What happened? Your handsome ghost again?" "No," Ellie said, and then, surprised: "Maybe. He might have been the second figure; ir was the same genera! shape ... "
She found it surprisingly difficult to produce any specific detail in her description, except for the shape of the woman's skirts.
"It was pretty dark," Ted said. He sounded thoroughly wide awake now. "I don't suppose you could make out details. I'm afraid I can't hand you a neat rationalized explanation, Ellie. There were no costume parties in the area tonight. I'd know about them even if I weren't invited--"
Ellie's nerves were keyed up; she found herself unreasonably annoyed at this touch of self-pity.
"That's beside the point," she said sharply. "This place is off the beaten track; no one would take a shortcut through Kate's shrubbery. Whoever it was came here deliberately. And what about the music, Ted?"
"That's unaccountable," Ted admitted. "Unless it was a bird--"
Ellie's snort of disgust made him drop this feeble suggestion.
"I'll get dressed and come over," Ted said.
"No, that's not necessary. I'm sorry I disturbed you, Ted. I--wait a minute."
"What's wrong now?"
"Wait a minute," Ellie repeated. She put the telephone down very gently; her eyes were fixed on Franklin, who had suddenly risen to his feet. His upper lip was drawn back. He was growling faintly, and his head had turned toward the open window.
Ellie ran across the room. This time she did not unhook the screen. She didn't have to. The figure DEVTLMAY-CARE 49
stood out with a queer distinctiveness against the dark background of trees. It was the figure of a tall man wearing a black suit of peculiar cut. The trousers were unusually narrow, and the coat was so tight that he resembled a stick figure. As Ellie stared she heard Franklin's growl rise to a queer keening note. Then the figure raised one black-clad arm in a gesture of menace. For a second Ellie fancied that she saw its face--a narrow, fanatical face with knife- narrow lips framed by a black beard. The eyes blazed
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