Page 11 of When You're Safe

The place was truly ancient, anddespite the wall hangings, paintings, wood paneling, and rich carpeted floors,there was no covering up the sense of history that hung in the air. Beneath theplaster and wood, there was cold stone. Stone that had been quarried and cut tobuild a stronghold. A place that would have seen siege and battle alike. Aplace that was no stranger to death.

Finn found himself wondering ifMaggie DeGrey was simply one more corpse added to the heap of the castle’shistory. He shuddered at the thought.

Finn walked alongside Rob andWinters, treading on the soft carpet and lush rugs. The lighting overhead camefrom a mix of chandeliers and glass shades, electric light bulbs designed to exudethe yellow atmosphere of a lit candle.

In front of him, Thaddeus Lincoln,the keeper of the castle grounds, walked solemnly, and with him the youngwoman, Gwen, who had informed him of their change of plans.

Finn wondered who had been up atthat window listening. He was impressed by how Winters had made them changetheir mind.

Thaddeus walked with a slightstoop, and Finn felt each of the man’s steps as though the castle itself werecreaking under the weight of it all. Glancing upward, he saw the archedceilings of the hallways somehow held it together and had for untold centuries.

Finally, Thaddeus stopped beforean ancient-looking oak door. He turned the dark metal ringed handle halfwaydown the wood and then said, “This is the drawing room. Please make yourselvescomfortable. Mr. DeGrey shall be with you at his own discretion.”

With that, Thaddeus turned andleft, and not a moment too soon. Finn was unnerved by the man, and it took alot to make him feel that way.

Gwen waited behind. She showed thethree of them to rich upholstered seats around a cream rug with a cross patternon it. Rob sat down, but Winters and Finn remained standing.

“Can I get you some tea or anythingelse?” she asked.

“No thank you,” Winters said.

“None for me,” Rob answered.

“Do you have coffee?” Finn asked.

“Of course.” Gwen smiled. “I amone of the business administrators for the estate and I’m not used to servingdrinks to our guests, but I’ll make an exception for you, Mr. Wright.”

Finn was taken aback. “You knowme?”

Gwen’s eyes sparkled beneath theglow of an overhead light, the closed curtain making the room feel like night.

“Many of us followed your case inthe press,” she said. “They wrote a lot about you after Lord Van Reece’smurder.”

“All good, I hope?” Finn smiled.

“Some of it,” she said with adazzling smile. “I’ll be right back.”

Finn watched her as she left theroom. She must have been no more than twenty-three or twenty-four, but shecarried with her an air of someone who liked to get things done.

Gwen left and Winters turned to Finn.“Close your mouth, Finn, you’ll end up drooling on the rug.”

“I was not drooling,” Finnsaid.

“Oh no?” Winters asked, raising aneyebrow and putting her hands on her hips.

“No… I was merely admiring thewonderful… surroundings,” Finn said.

Rob was deep in thought, lookingat his phone.

“What are you thinking, Chief?” Wintersasked, sitting back down beside him.

“I’m thinking my life was much simplerbefore the Home Office got interested in using us to clean up murder amongstthe elites of British society.” He handed the phone to Winters.

She looked at it and sighed. “It’sstill not conclusive.”

“What is it?” Finn asked.

“The pathologist carrying out areassessment of the first DeGrey death from two weeks ago,” Rob said. “He’s notfinished his tests, but his preliminary finding is that it may not have beennatural. The deceased’s blood samples are off. He’ll be in touch later, he’swaiting on one more result.”

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