Page 44 of One Last Whisper

There is no wall behind it. The floor ends in an abrupt drop. I can hear the crashing of the waves and know where we are even before a flash of lightning illuminates the ocean.

It’s clear now what happened to Sarah. At some point, she was set upon and dragged down here to Lord Edmund’s torture chamber. There she was used, undoubtedly in the most cruel and vile ways imaginable, tortured until Lord Edmund had his fill.

Then she was taken here and throne to her death.

Theresa is shaking. I can’t tell if it’s fear or anger that provokes her reaction.

“We need to tell someone,” she says. “We need to show this to Inspector Hargreaves.”

I remember my cell phone. “I can take pictures,” I tell her. “We’ll collect evidence and give it to the inspector. Maybe he can get a warrant to search the property, especially if we tell him we’ve seen this for our own eyes.”

Theresa’s eyes widen. “You have a cell phone? That’s wonderful!”

"Yes. I have a friend I can send these pictures too, as well. That way, if something happens to us, he can share them with Scotland Yard on our behalf."

“Nothing will happen to us,” she says firmly. “We’re going to take these pictures, go back upstairs, send them to Inspector Hargreaves and bring that miserable dog to justice.”

“I wish I had your confidence,” I tell her.

“You’ve got to,” she insists. “We’re in the trenches now, Mary. If we’re going to survive, we have to believe that we’ll win, even if all of the odds are stacked against us.”

I meet her eyes and see strength in her gaze. There’s fear there too, powerful fear, and anger as well. But her strength overcomes it all. I have had poor experiences with friendship in the past, but I hope very much that this one will last.

I take the pictures and try to send them to Sean and to Inspector Hargreaves, but the lack of cell coverage means my messages don’t go through. I tell that to Theresa, and she sighs. “That’s all right. We’ll go upstairs and get it done.”

“And just what the devil are you two doing down here?”

Theresa and I both shriek. We spin around, and our flashlight lands on the stern, ice-cold eyes of Lord Edmund.

“Everywhere I find you, I catch you meddling in something, Mary,” he says. “And now you’ve dragged poor Theresa downthis path with you. When will you learn to leave well enough alone?”

I don’t answer. Fear has stopped my tongue.

I am trapped underground with a serial killer.

CHAPTER TWENTY

“Didn’t I tell you not to intrude into my library?” Edmund demands. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

I glance at Theresa and once more see strength. I find my own courage and say, “We heard her scream, Lord Edmund.”

“What? Heard who scream?”

“Sarah. We heard her. We heard her screaming from her bonds.”

"Sarah… what?" He throws his hands up in the air and looks out at the ocean as though praying to the sea for guidance. "The women in this house have all gone mad," he says. "How in God's name did you hear her? What, did she call your name? Did she shout, 'Hello, it's the maid, Sarah. I’m trapped underground, please come rescue me?’”

“She cried for help,” Theresa says. “When you have all of us hearing it, including Master Oliver, it’s not madness, my lord.”

Lord Edmund takes a step toward us, causing us both to backpedal. “Don’t you dare bring my nephew into your madness! It’s bad enough that he’s trapped in that bloody hospital bed for God knows how long. I won’t have his mind poisoned as well.”

I am keenly aware of the drop five feet behind me. We may need to fight to escape him, but even two against one, I'm not sure that we can overcome Lord Edmund.

I try to talk him down first. “Think of Oliver, my lord. He needs you. He needs Lady Cordelia. He needs both of us. Think before you do something you’ll regret.”

Lord Edmund laughs bitterly and sneers at me. “Oh yes, he needs you, all right. I looked you up, Mary Wilcox. I learned all about your history. You were in a madhouse for three months. Drove your sister off so you could keep her inheritance and then took advantage of your sick mother to keep her house and allof her money as well. Then you’ve made a career out of sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong and driving families to ruin. If I’d had the sense, I would have insisted on vetting you before Lady Cordelia hired you. Well, I’m going to rectify that mistake right now.”

I steel myself for the fight, but Theresa moves first. She shrieks and rushes Lord Edmund, barreling into him with all of her strength, scratching and clawing. Lord Edmund cries out and stumbles backward, shielding his face from the attack. I am so stunned by her ferocity that I don't react at first. It's only when he grabs hold of her shoulders that I join her.

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