“Merrick!” he mouthed. “The clerk!”
My eyes widened and I looked back again to the figure on the tarp. We were close enough
not to be hampered by the mist, and the body was well lit by the portable lights set
up for the police and the coroner. When I took a second look, I realized Heath was
right. Disguised by the blue of his skin and the bloating to his body, he was hard
at first to identify, but that shock of red hair and the set to his chin were enough
to convince me. Well, that and the reaction of poor Mr. Crunn. “That’s my clerk,”
Arthur said, pointing feebly at the body. “Merrick Brown. He was supposed to be on
duty overnight.”
“What time did his shift begin?” the inspector asked him, scribbling furiously into
his notebook.
“He was on a twelve-hour shift,” Crunn said. “Six p.m. to six a.m.”
“That’s quite a long stretch to be on duty,” the inspector said, and I noted the hint
of disapproval in his tone.
“He’s allowed a cot in the hallway behind the clerk station. He can sleep the whole
night through if none of the guests require his services. It’s often a very quiet
shift, and Merrick prefers it. Er. . . preferred it.” Arthur seemed unable to tear
his eyes away from the tarp, and as the inspector was opening his mouth to ask him
another question, the poor old man swayed on his feet, and his hand fell out of mine.
In an instant Heath had him under the armpits, holding him up when Crunn’s knees gave
out from under him.
Inspector Lumley stepped in front of me to help Heath ease Arthur to the ground. “Arthur?
Are you all right?” Lumley asked as Crunn’s head wobbled on his neck.
I wanted to yell at him. Of course he wasn’t! I looked around and saw that one of
the men standing nearby wore a paramedic’s uniform. “Hey!” I called to him. He looked
up from the body and noticed Arthur sitting dully on the ground. He was in motion
in an instant.
I stepped out of the way and so did Heath, and we watched while the paramedic tended
to Crunn, who was now hyperventilating and complaining that he felt dizzy.
Lumley appeared rattled by the fact that Arthur had gotten so upset, and I could see
a bit of guilt cross his countenance as he helped the medic tend to the older man.
After taking Crunn’s vitals, the paramedic said, “He’s having a panic attack, Inspector.”
Lumley’s frown deepened. “Arthur,” he said as the medic placed an oxygen mask over
the old man’s nose and mouth. “I’m sorry for all this distress. Is your sister at
the castle?”
Crunn was taking heaving breaths and holding tight to the oxygen mask. He lifted one
hand and it shook violently as he attempted to point to the keep. The inspector seemed
to take that for a yes and stood up to call to a round man with droopy eyes and a
series of double chins, wearing a constable’s uniform, standing nearby. “Niles,” he
said. “Go inside and see if you can rouse Mrs. Farnsworth, Mr. Crunn’s sister.”
“What room is she in?” Niles said.
Arthur reached up and grabbed my hand. I bent down and he managed to gasp, “Kit. . .
chen.”
I placed a hand on his shoulder. “Do you want me to go with the constable to help
find your sister?”
Arthur gave one slow nod.
I stood and motioned for the constable to come with me. Heath tucked in behind us
as we backtracked along the same route we’d come by, moving up the hill again at a
faster pace this time. I was terribly worried about that poor old man. I wondered
if the sight of his deceased clerk had perhaps been too much of a strain on his heart,
and I was also a little furious at the inspector for exposing a fragile elderly gentleman
to such a grim and distressing thing.
We crossed the bridge without a word and I was the first to reach the door. Arthur
had left it unlocked, but the moisture was making it stick a little and I struggled
with it until Heath’s strong
My eyes widened and I looked back again to the figure on the tarp. We were close enough
not to be hampered by the mist, and the body was well lit by the portable lights set
up for the police and the coroner. When I took a second look, I realized Heath was
right. Disguised by the blue of his skin and the bloating to his body, he was hard
at first to identify, but that shock of red hair and the set to his chin were enough
to convince me. Well, that and the reaction of poor Mr. Crunn. “That’s my clerk,”
Arthur said, pointing feebly at the body. “Merrick Brown. He was supposed to be on
duty overnight.”
“What time did his shift begin?” the inspector asked him, scribbling furiously into
his notebook.
“He was on a twelve-hour shift,” Crunn said. “Six p.m. to six a.m.”
“That’s quite a long stretch to be on duty,” the inspector said, and I noted the hint
of disapproval in his tone.
“He’s allowed a cot in the hallway behind the clerk station. He can sleep the whole
night through if none of the guests require his services. It’s often a very quiet
shift, and Merrick prefers it. Er. . . preferred it.” Arthur seemed unable to tear
his eyes away from the tarp, and as the inspector was opening his mouth to ask him
another question, the poor old man swayed on his feet, and his hand fell out of mine.
In an instant Heath had him under the armpits, holding him up when Crunn’s knees gave
out from under him.
Inspector Lumley stepped in front of me to help Heath ease Arthur to the ground. “Arthur?
Are you all right?” Lumley asked as Crunn’s head wobbled on his neck.
I wanted to yell at him. Of course he wasn’t! I looked around and saw that one of
the men standing nearby wore a paramedic’s uniform. “Hey!” I called to him. He looked
up from the body and noticed Arthur sitting dully on the ground. He was in motion
in an instant.
I stepped out of the way and so did Heath, and we watched while the paramedic tended
to Crunn, who was now hyperventilating and complaining that he felt dizzy.
Lumley appeared rattled by the fact that Arthur had gotten so upset, and I could see
a bit of guilt cross his countenance as he helped the medic tend to the older man.
After taking Crunn’s vitals, the paramedic said, “He’s having a panic attack, Inspector.”
Lumley’s frown deepened. “Arthur,” he said as the medic placed an oxygen mask over
the old man’s nose and mouth. “I’m sorry for all this distress. Is your sister at
the castle?”
Crunn was taking heaving breaths and holding tight to the oxygen mask. He lifted one
hand and it shook violently as he attempted to point to the keep. The inspector seemed
to take that for a yes and stood up to call to a round man with droopy eyes and a
series of double chins, wearing a constable’s uniform, standing nearby. “Niles,” he
said. “Go inside and see if you can rouse Mrs. Farnsworth, Mr. Crunn’s sister.”
“What room is she in?” Niles said.
Arthur reached up and grabbed my hand. I bent down and he managed to gasp, “Kit. . .
chen.”
I placed a hand on his shoulder. “Do you want me to go with the constable to help
find your sister?”
Arthur gave one slow nod.
I stood and motioned for the constable to come with me. Heath tucked in behind us
as we backtracked along the same route we’d come by, moving up the hill again at a
faster pace this time. I was terribly worried about that poor old man. I wondered
if the sight of his deceased clerk had perhaps been too much of a strain on his heart,
and I was also a little furious at the inspector for exposing a fragile elderly gentleman
to such a grim and distressing thing.
We crossed the bridge without a word and I was the first to reach the door. Arthur
had left it unlocked, but the moisture was making it stick a little and I struggled
with it until Heath’s strong
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