Page 62 of Robin and Marian
Tuck shuffled through the papers, shaking his head. “These aren’t even the most incriminating ones. Where are the rest? We’ll need the physical copies of all of these and the copies of the copies of the copies.” Tuck gazed longingly over at the safe sitting out in the open with the card reader in it. “Makes me wonder what’s in there.”
They had to get that open. Robin dropped to his knees in front of it and the two went to work.
Chapter 16
Marian hated being right! She’d warned Robin that he’d get caught looting Guy’s office and now she’d do anything to keep it from happening. She hurried through the door of Guy’s estate. The servants’ noses wrinkled as they saw her. Marian was covered in mud and twigs from Sherwood Forest. She set her riding hat and gloves into a servant’s waiting hands before running through the foyer. Jana and Guy talked in low voices behind her, their footsteps steadily tracking hers as she tried to beat them to Robin. What she would do for some cellphone service!
She stopped short when she almost ran into the sheriff at the foot of the stairs. He leaned against the railing, looking bored. He had dressed up for his meeting with Guy in a plaid button-up and gray slacks. He was in the act of turning that odd voodoo doll from the foyer upside down to inspect it when she almost ran into him. His forehead wrinkled, and he set it down hurriedly.
Marian attempted a weak smile. The sheriff had been here the whole time while Robin was upstairs ransacking the place. “Excuse me, Sheriff.” She moved past him, trying to look relaxed.
“Sheriff!” Guy greeted him behind her, and the sheriff’s eyes moved to him. “Shall we meet in the study?” Guy asked.
The idea terrified her, and she sped past the Sheriff and dashed up the stairs to get there before they did. Guy called after her, “Marian, where are you going?”
She glanced back. His hand was pressed against the railing of the stairs as he watched her, his face upturned. He wasn’t nearly as filthy as she was, though he had a ring of sweat at the neck of his blue, organic cotton shirt. “I’m a mess,” she said. “I need to get cleaned up!” His dark brows lifted.
Jana stood behind Guy, amusement spreading across her face. It was mingled with a look of superiority, accentuated by the Prada sunglasses she wore inside. She giggled as Marian turned and ran. “She’s a spritely thing, isn’t she?”
Oh yes, Marian, dimly remembered she still had flowers in her hair as she sprinted through the hall. She’d done everything in her power to stall them in the forest with the excuse of gathering as many boughs as was humanly possible and now she dripped with dirt. Scarlett gave out a yelp as Marian came her direction. She was still in her pajamas and looked exhausted, as usual, her hair messy. She dug her spoon into a cup of yogurt. “Where’s the fire?”
Marian took her friend by the arms to plead for her help. “Scarlett, Scarlett!” she lowered her voice to a harsh whisper. “I need you to stall Guy! He can’t go into the study yet! Just for a few minutes.”
“What?” Scarlett blinked tiredly. “Why?”
“It has to do with Robin!”
Scarlett woke up more at that, but Marian was wasting too much time explaining. Guy, Jana, and the sheriff made their way steadily behind her like she was caught in a nightmare and no matter how fast she ran they’d always keep up. “Just distract them!” she said quickly. “The sheriff is here. Robin can’t get caught.”
Biting down on her dainty lips, Scarlett wasn’t grasping the seriousness of the situation. Alan came out from the music room to the side, towering over them. Unlike his wife, he was wide awake and freshly showered with a clean shave that made him look five years younger. Though he was barefoot, he wore a t-shirt made of fine linen and relaxed gray jeans like he was dressed to go out.
Marian stepped back, afraid she’d said too much, but Alan pushed her towards the study with strong arms, his blue eyes concerned. “Go. I’ve got it.” He raised his voice as her pursuers turned the corner, “Sheriff! So good to see you. I’ve been meaning to talk with you. Guy, Jana? Come into the music room for a moment.” She listened to him call for Mrs. Koch. “Bring us some refreshments, please. Sheriff, do you prefer a late lunch or just a light snack?”
“I’m only here for a short visit.”
“Very good. We’ll get you a drink then. And what for you, Jana?”
Marian didn’t hear the rest as she traversed the short distance down the hall to the study. She wasn’t sure why Alan was helping, especially after he’d heard that it was Robin who was in trouble, but it didn’t matter. Nearing the doors, she heard a grunt before something sprang from the shadows. Her hands formed into fists until she saw it was Midge.
“You’re back?” he asked.
“They’re all back!” She pushed past him into the balcony that overlooked the study below. Robin and Tuck were in the office tinkering with the safe. Paintings were off the wall. Books lay scattered. Jewels dangled from an opened safe behind the book shelf.
Robin scrambled to his feet when he saw her. “Are you alone?”
“Let’s go!” There was no time to explain. She rushed down the stairs, taking two at a time before she reached the sunken floor and pushed up the paintings. “Did you have to leave such a big mess?”
Robin grabbed the jewels and closed the safe behind the bookshelf, replacing the books before stuffing the necklaces into a black bag.
“No, no,” she said. “Get those in my purse.”
Without arguing, he dumped them inside next to the flowers that she had gathered for Richard’s celebration that night. If he came walking out with that black bag, everyone would take him for a cat burglar. She stuffed it under the blindingly white, glossy couch. “We’ll come back for your bag later.”Or never.The servants were too efficient around there.
Midge jumped up and down on the squeaking couch in his excitement and she realized that they’d already broken the rule that she’d given him—they weren’t supposed to get into other people’s stuff without their permission. Of course, Midge saw the wisdom in what they were doing, as any young boy would. If she had more time, she’d feel guilty.
She snatched at his hand on their way out when he suddenly let out such a shriek that Tuck lurched to his feet in response. “No, no!” Midge wriggled away and flung himself at Robin. “I won’t go! I’m staying here!” Just as he shouted this, Guy and Jana came through the office door, followed by the sheriff. Marian’s heart plummeted. Alan hadn’t stalled them for long enough. Midge held his hands out to the newcomers, beseeching them. “Tell Robin I’m allowed to be in here! I won’t go!”
“Uncle Midge!” Robin caught on to the child’s brilliant deception and played along. “You can’t be in here. I told you.” He turned to Marian. “Thanks for your help. I’ve been chasing him all afternoon. Maybe you can talk some sense into him.”
