Page 39 of Unbroken
“As if the Waites are any better.”
Sebastian cocked his head to one side. “Should I be concerned that the Endicotts have arrangements in place for cleaning up crime scenes?”
“You should be grateful not to go to jail for killing the Norrises.”
He couldn’t argue with that.
CHAPTER 18
Irene looked exhausted when she came by to drive them to work the next morning. As soon as they were in the back seat, Noct asked, “Are you all right, darling?”
She stifled a yawn. “Just tired. Mrs. Norris’s house has been cleaned and put in order, by the way, and the staff told that the Norrises departed for a sanitarium in New York for their health. Rupert had the bodies brought back to the estate for examination later today—they’re under various enchantments to keep them cool and slow any further rot, but they were hardly in the best form to begin with.”
“He means to autopsy them?” Ves asked in surprise.
“Well, have Cousin Terrence do so. He’s studying medicine at Harvard, but is coming on the first train available.” She brought the auto to a halt to let pedestrians cross the street. “I’ll pass along anything of interest, of course. In the meantime, let’s hope Mortimer has managed to track down Mr. Fuller.”
With nothing else immediately demanding his attention that morning, Ves spent a few peaceful hours in the bindery, until a junior librarian brought him a note.
10:30 am - Mr. Rune
A man who said he’s your grandfather called at the ticket booth. Asked you to meet him for lunch at Marsh’s.
Dread unfurled in his gut, and his limbs turned leaden. So much for his quiet morning after last night’s excitement.
He didn’t have to go. Grandfather couldn’t force him to do anything. He could just stay here, immerse himself in work, and…
He wasn’t fooling even himself. Feeling as though something constricted his lungs, he kept one eye on the ticking of the clock, which seemed to move much more quickly than he really wanted. When it reached ten minutes until noon, he took up his coat and hat and set out.
Marsh’s was a popular lunchtime spot for the museum staff, as well as for clerks and shop workers from the surrounding area. He found Grandfather in a booth at the back, perusing a menu with a cup of coffee at his elbow.
Ves sat across from him. “What do you want?”
“Why, a pleasant lunch with my grandson.” Grandfather smiled over Ves’s shoulder as the waiter approached. “What are the daily specials?”
Ves didn’t hear a word the waiter said, just mumbled an order for coffee and a fish sandwich. Once the waiter had left, he said, “It’s more than that.”
“Is it?” Grandfather looked suddenly tired, the lines in his face deeply etched. “I don’t understand your hostility toward me, Vesper. I love you and your brother. I thought you and I could at least share a meal together. I want to know about your life, your hopes and dreams, your plans for the future.”
The waiter returned with Ves’s coffee, then hurried away again. “Very well. My plans are to put an end to these damnable Books of the Bound without getting killed.”
Grandfather nodded. “It’s hard, isn’t it? Why, I remember?—”
“Why did you trick Ambrose into talking about his family?” Ves cut in.
“I didn’t trick him. We conversed as equals, two old men whose glory days are behind us.” Grandfather took a sip of his coffee, winced, and spooned some more sugar into it. “You’re too young to understand.”
“And it’s just happenstance that you did your conversing with one of the Endicotts?” Ves arched a brow.
“Who else? Oh, I’m sure there are a few monster hunters scattered about this town, but he’s the one I encountered.”
Anger boiled in Ves’s veins, hotter than the coffee. The waiter returned and placed a fish sandwich in front of each of them, before another table called him away.
“I don’t believe you,” Ves said, fighting to keep his voice steady. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not a child anymore, to accept whatever you tell me.”
“Believe me, I have noticed.” Grandfather sounded irritated by the fact, as though Ves had inconvenienced him by growing up. “Ordinarily I would have stayed away from the Endicotts, but they’ve involved themselves in our family’s business.”
“You mean Noct and Irene.”
