Date: 2017-06-23 04:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Paranormal; Mystery; Cozy Mystery
Description: A haunted castle full of suspects and an eccentric ghost who refuses to rest. Lorna Shadow has a challenge on her hands this time! Lorna is excited, and little nervous, about starting a new job at Gilham Castle, rumored to be the most haunted place in the country. But when her first day reveals the ghost of eccentric former owner Leo Babbington, she must help him to figure out who killed him and why they did it. Leo's beloved cat sanctuary is also under threat, with his widow threatening to have them all removed, and Lorna refuses to abandon the unloved furballs. With Lorna fighting to help Le

Ghostly Business

Lorna Shadow Cozy Ghost Mystery, Volume 5

K.E. O'Connor

Published by K.E. O'Connor, 2017.

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

GHOSTLY BUSINESS

First edition. June 24, 2017.

Copyright © 2017 K.E. O'Connor.

Written by K.E. O'Connor.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 1

“If we take out this old fireplace, the room will be much bigger. This could be a great sized living room.” Zach Booth tapped his knuckles on the top of the crumbling fire surround.

“I sort of like that fire. It adds character to the place.” I did a slow pivot as I looked around the room of the house we were considering buying. All the rooms had lovely high ceilings and a spacious feel. And the place was empty, so we’d be able to buy it quickly. I should have adored it, but couldn’t shake off the sensation I was being watched. Every time I turned my back it felt as if there was a pair of eyes boring into my shoulders.

“We can keep the fireplace.” Zach walked over and wrapped his arms around me, resting his stubbled chin on my shoulder. “What impression do you get of the place?”

I gave a shrug, not wanting to let him down when he’d worked so hard to get us through the door of the house as soon as it came on the market. “Like we might be spied upon in bed.”

When Zach asked me about the feel of a place, he wasn’t talking about the vibes of the house, and if it felt cozy and loved. He wanted to know if any ghosts were living there. My ability to see ghosts had been a sticking point in our relationship, but Zach was slowly coming around to the fact that if he loved me he had to at least tolerate the ghosts. We’d decided to buy a house together, but one that had no resident ghosts in it. This was proving trickier than I thought it would. We were on our tenth house, and every time I'd viewed a property I'd seen a ghost. It sometimes felt like they were stalking me.

“There are plenty of other places we can view,” said Zach. “I only suggested this one because the location is so good."

“It’s a great location, nice and central.” I leaned back against Zach, relaxing in his embrace and enjoying the feel of his strong arms holding me tightly. This was a good step in our relationship, and it would be the first time I’d ever shared a house with a boyfriend. I had to admit, I was nervous about the move, but it was coupled with excitement. If only we could find a place we loved that didn't come with any ghostly sitting tenants.

“Let’s check out the dining room.” Zach took my hand, his calloused palm feeling warm and solid. As a gardener, Zach would always be a little rough around the edges, but I liked him that way.

We walked out of the empty living room and across the hallway, into the dining room. There was no furniture in this room, but the large bay window let in plenty of light, and dust motes danced around in the autumn sunshine as I checked out the space.

Flipper and Jessie bounded into the room, chasing each other in play. Flipper turned towards Jessie and ducked down, before bouncing up and out of her reach. Jessie’s dark eyes sparkled and her black fur gleamed in the sunshine as she gave a bark of pleasure before chasing after Flipper.

“Those two have given it their seal of approval,” said Zach, grinning as he watched the dogs playing.

“They’ll live anywhere, so long as they have each other.” I turned and ran a hand down Zach’s face. “Same goes for me. I don’t mind where we live, just so long as we’re together.”

“So, if I suggest a tent in the middle of Dartmoor, you’d be happy with that?” Zach grinned at me as he tucked a strand of my dark bob behind my ear.

I snitched my nose at him. “You’re pushing this relationship too far by suggesting a tent. And we’re not the only ones we need to consider here.”

“The dogs won’t mind a tent.” Zach’s grin widened.

I jumped as I heard the sound of stamping footsteps over our heads. “I wasn’t talking about them.” My best friend, Helen Holiday stomped around upstairs, her voice high and angry. And I knew the reason for her frustration, it came in a tall dark package, just like Zach. But this particular package had confidence oozing out of his pores, and never let Helen get one over on him.

“You don’t need the room with the attached bathroom. Look at the state of you, you can’t spend more than two minutes a day in the bathroom. I doubt you even have a shower in the morning.” Helen’s voice grew closer as her feet pounded down the stairs, closely followed by another set.

“We can share the room.” That was Gunner Booth, Zach’s older brother.

We were all buying a house together, and so far, the four of us hadn’t been able to agree on where we wanted to live and what we wanted. I kept seeing ghosts in the houses; Helen complained that the bedrooms were too small and she needed an attached bathroom; Zach wanted outside space so he could hone his already amazing horticultural skills, and Gunner, he was easy. He just needed a place to rest his head and plenty of food in the refrigerator. But he liked teasing Helen every time she set her sights on one of the bedrooms.

Helen charged into the dining room, bright pink spots of color on her heart-shaped face and her lips pressed together. “Gunner is not having the room with the attached bathroom.”

“He’s only teasing you,” I said. “I bet if you ask him nicely, he’ll give up his claim on the bedroom.”

Gunner strolled in behind Helen, his hands shoved into his dark jeans pockets, and a smug smile on his face. “As to your accusation about my grooming habits, Helen, I look this good naturally, but still like the idea of an attached bathroom.”

I had to stifle a laugh as Helen stamped her foot.

Gunner grinned at her response. “You're protesting too much about this bathroom. Or maybe you're just getting over excited at the prospect of seeing me hanging out in the kitchen in only my towel.”

“As if I’d want that.” The color on Helen’s cheeks increased and she shot a glare at Gunner.

“Give me the attached bathroom and you’ll never see me naked.” Gunner waggled his brows at Helen.

I shook my head. Part of me wanted to tell them to stop fighting, but I was also enjoying seeing them banter. Every time they spent time together, Helen would get flustered and Gunner would get extra cocky. They had to like each other, and although Helen had never said anything to me, she was into Gunner. But there was the dilemma, Gunner was not her usual type. He lived in jeans and T-shirts, had a rough London accent, and worked for the Police. He was not Helen’s idea of an upper-class gentlemen who wore cravats and spoke with a cut-glass English accent. But there was something between them, and when we had time alone I was determined to grill Helen about what she really thought of Gunner Booth.

I smiled up at Zach. I’d already found my dream man, and now we just needed to find a house together.

“Lorna, tell Gunner he can’t have the bedroom,” said Helen, shooting me a pleading look.

“None of you can have any of the bedrooms in this house,” I said. “I’m not sure this is the place for us.”

Gunner groaned and tipped his head back. “This place is great. Plenty of rooms, we can move in quickly, and it’s less than an hour for me to get to work.”

“Lorna’s not feeling it,” said Zach. “And we’ve got more places to view before we make a decision.”

Helen shot Gunner another glare before walking over to me. “More ghosts?”

I looked around the room, not seeing anything otherworldly but knowing something was lurking not far away. “There's something here. I can’t put my finger on it, though.”

“Have you looked upstairs yet?” asked Helen. “The rooms are lovely.”

I could tell she liked this house but didn’t want to pressure me into a decision on it, knowing how badly ghosts could affect me. “Not yet. We thought we'd let you and Gunner have the bedrooms first.” I winked at her.

“In his dreams,” muttered Helen. “Take a look up there. Maybe you’ll feel better once you’ve had a look around everywhere. You can put your mind at rest that there’s nothing lurking in the walls.”

I looked over at Gunner and saw he was staring at me with a curious expression on his face. My ghost seeing abilities had been mentioned to him before, but I’d never told him I could see ghosts. It wasn’t an easy topic of conversation to bring up, but was something that needed addressing before we made our living arrangements permanent. I didn’t want him to think I was losing my mind when he wandered in and discovered me talking to myself.

“Okay, we’ll have a quick look at the bedrooms.” I gestured to Zach, and we left Helen, Gunner, and the dogs in the dining room.

“Don’t be pressured into buying because Gunner and Helen like the place,” said Zach. “Gunner will sleep anywhere. And his work takes him all over the country, so he can’t complain about where we’re based.”

“It is a nice house.” I trailed my hand along the antique wooden banister as we walked up the stairs. It needed some redecoration, but other than that it was a solid building. But I just wasn’t feeling love for the place.

We checked out the first two bedrooms and one bathroom. So far, everything looked ordinary, but the sliver of unease I felt remained with me.

Zach pushed open the next bedroom door and walked in. “This would make a nice main bedroom. We’d get the early morning sunlight in here.”

I walked in behind him and stopped, my hand flying to my mouth to stifle a gasp. Standing in the corner of the room was a ghost carrying his head under one arm. It looked like something out of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, with a large ruffle around the stump of his neck and long, dark stringy hair on the head tucked into the crook of his arm.

“What do you think?” Zach turned to me.

“I think it’s time to leave,” I said, not able to tear my gaze from the ghost. “And I’m never going to sleep in this room.”

Zach raised his eyebrows and turned to look at the corner I was staring at. “An unwanted guest?”

I scrubbed my hands up and down my arms. “One without a head.”

Zach opened his mouth and then snapped it shut. “Right. Let’s get out of here. We can carry on the house hunting another day.” He grabbed my elbow and hurried me out of the room and back down the stairs.

Helen had her back to Gunner and was staring out the dining room window as we re-entered the room. Gunner was sitting on the ground, his legs stretched out in front of him, and Jessie was sitting next to him, enjoying having her ears tickled.

“This isn’t the house for us,” said Zach.

“Weird vibes upstairs?” Helen turned away from the window.

“The weirdest,” I said. “Sorry to disappoint you both.”

“It’s fine.” Gunner got to his feet. “Helen convinced me this isn’t going to be our love nest while you were gone.”

“It will be your final resting place if you keep on with that nonsense,” said Helen.

Gunner laughed and held his hand out to Helen. “You can only resist me for so long, gorgeous.”

“I’m planning on making it forever.” Helen played with her blonde curls and then looked away from Gunner.

My mobile rang and I pulled it out of my bag. I recognized the number, it was the agency I found some of my personal assistant jobs through. And I’d been waiting for this call. They were interested in hiring Helen and me at a beautiful sounding castle in Yorkshire, home to wild moors and dramatic scenery. I was hoping the jobs would be ours.

“Lorna, it's Josie. Hope you're having a lovely day so far.” Josie's over-the-top bubbly voice sounded too loud in my ear.

“Great, thanks. Any news on the Gillan Castle jobs?”

“Happy to say Lady Cordelia Babington was most impressed with the CVs she received from you and Helen. She has collected your references and would like you to start immediately.” Josie trilled brightly down the phone.

I smiled at Helen and gave her a thumbs-up. “That’s great news. We’re house hunting not far from Lady Cordelia’s castle, and we brought our bags just in case she decided to make use of us. We just need to collect them from the hotel we’re staying at and can be with her by the end of the day.”

“She will be pleased,” said Josie. “I’ll email you the details, but you know everything about the salary and working conditions. And Gillan Castle is so beautiful, you’ll feel as if you should be paying her for working there.”

I shook my head at Josie’s enthusiasm. She might be able to work for free, but I needed a salary, and so did Helen. Especially if we were both going to be investing in a property with Zach and Gunner. “Tell Lady Cordelia we’ll be there within three hours.”

“I knew I could rely on you, Lorna,” said Josie. “Let’s hope this time you get to stay for a while. I’m sorry about what happened at your last place.”

I grimaced as I recalled my last employer, Lady Reynold, who’d been stuck in a gentrified past and not able to see all the weird things going on around her, including the fact her son had an unhealthy obsession with his sister and it led to him killing both her and her lover. I’d stuck the job out for eight months as Lady Reynold got used to her son being found guilty for murder and sent for extensive psychiatric evaluation, followed by a lengthy prison sentence. But there was only so much snapping and coldness Helen and I could bear, and we’d given in our notices and left as soon as we could.

“We weren’t the right fit for Lady Reynold,” I said, deciding diplomacy was the most mature route to take. “I’m sure things will be lovely at the castle, and we’ll fit right in.”

“I did have a bit of trouble persuading Lady Cordelia to let Flipper come with you,” said Josie, a note of worry in her voice.

“That’s not open to negotiation,” I said. Flipper went everywhere with me. He was my early warning detection device whenever there was a ghost around. Although, it looked like today he’d been too busy playing with Jessie to let me know there was a headless ghost in one of the bedrooms.

“Don’t worry, I persuaded her Flipper had to come,” said Josie. “But I need to warn you, there are a lot of cats in the castle. How does Flipper feel about felines?”

“Flipper loves cats,” I said. “He always tries to make friends with them whenever he sees one out on our walks.”

“Well, I knew you were an animal lover, so figured the cats wouldn’t be an issue for you.”

“A few cats aren’t going to be a problem. And Flipper will be happy to have the company when I’m working.”

“It sounds perfect for you,” said Josie. “I’m emailing through the details now and will give Lady Cordelia a call to inform her you’ll be arriving this afternoon.”

We said our goodbyes and I shut off my phone.

“Did you say Gillan Castle?” asked Gunner.

“That’s right,” I said. “Have you heard of it? It’s a Grade One listed building, and such a gorgeous pile of ancient stone. When I saw the vacancies come up, and they fitted both of our skill sets, I had to go for it.”

“I’ve heard of it,” said Gunner. “Isn’t it supposed to be the most haunted castle in the country?”

Zach narrowed his blue eyes and looked at me. “Is that right?”

Helen shushed Gunner and waved her hands at him. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Gillan Castle isn’t haunted. I bet they say that to bring in the tourists.”

“It might be a little haunted,” I said reluctantly. “It is over five hundred years old. There will have been a few people who died within the castle walls.”

“Were you aware of all these ghosts before you applied for the jobs?” asked Zach.

“The ghosts won’t be a problem.” I linked my arm through his elbow. “You know me, I ignore them unless they ask for help.”

Gunner’s intelligent gaze shot from me to Zach. “I’ve been meaning to ask you about the ghost thing.”

I felt Zach’s arm muscles twitch and bit my lip. This could get tricky.

“Another time,” snapped Helen. “All you need to know is Lorna is amazing and Zach is lucky to have her.”

“I am.” Zach grinned down at me, the tension easing, and kissed my forehead.

“I’m not doubting that.” Gunner looked at me. “But I keep hearing about ghosts. Do you really believe in them?”

I looked over at Gunner and nodded. “I’ll tell you all about it one day.”

“That’s a story I’m looking forward to.” Gunner rubbed the stubble on his chin.

Zach bent down until his mouth was by my ear. “Just make sure you keep out of the ghosts’ way in this new job. I don’t want you getting into any trouble. If any ghosts start causing problems, let me know.”

“Are you going to call your ghostbusting friends to come in and help me?” I kissed his cheek. “You know what I do. But I won’t go looking for any problems. Chances are most of the ghosts in the castle will be old memories, ghosts just acting out the same behavior over and over because that’s what they’ve always done. Ancient history that won’t impact on me.”

“If there are any missing their heads like the one upstairs,” whispered Zach, “get out of there. You don’t always need to go in and save the day.”

I shrugged. “I sort of do. You don’t meet many people who can see ghosts. And sometimes they need helping.”

Gunner cleared his throat. “You sure you don’t have time for that ghost story now?”

“No, we don’t,” said Helen. “Come on, Lorna, we’ve got a castle to get to.”

Chapter 2

The four of us and the dogs piled into Zach’s Land Rover and he drove us back to the hotel we were staying in. The hotel was a quaint place with a sagging thatched roof and ceilings so low Zach had to stoop in the bathroom.

Zach came with me as I went to collect my bag, shutting the hotel room door softly behind him as I hurried to the closet and emptied the contents into a shoulder bag. I was excited about starting this new job, and loved working in old buildings, there was always so much history to absorb.

“I’ve got more details of other houses to read through. Do you want me to view them without you?” asked Zach. “I can take photos and send them through if I like something.”

“Sounds good.” My thoughts were on my new job as I pulled my main suitcase out of the closet and stuffed my cosmetic bag into it. “You have a look first, and if you like it, I can arrange another viewing with you. And we’d better bring along Helen and Gunner as well.”

“I’m not sure the two of them living in the same house is such a good idea.” Zach caught hold of my arm and spun me into his embrace. “All they do is fight.”

I raised my eyebrows. “You do know why that is?”

“They’re both as stubborn as each other?”

“Stubborn! That’s your family trait.”

Zach gave me a mock frown. “It runs in your family as well.”

I smacked Zach on the chest. “They might both be stubborn but that’s not it. They’re into each other.”

Zach made a choking sound. “You can’t be serious? Helen and Gunner?”

“Haven’t you seen the way Helen goes red around him?” I asked. “And Gunner starts flexing his biceps and getting all smoldering.”

Zach cocked an eyebrow. “Gunner smolders?”

I laughed. “I don’t think he does. But Helen thinks otherwise.”

“Helen behaves like that because Gunner annoys her so much,” said Zach. “And I grew up with the guy, so I know how she feels.”

“Helen gets like that when she likes someone.”

“So why doesn’t she ask him out?”

“Because he doesn’t come with his own estate and a closet full of cravats.”

Zach laughed as he pushed my hair away from my face. “Would you like to see me in a cravat?”

“What else would you be wearing?”

“Whatever you want me to.” He gave my lips a gentle kiss.

“I’ll give it some thought.”

“And while you’re thinking about the cravats, make sure you keep focused on our house hunting.”

“I promise I will,” I said. “As soon as we’re settled in at the castle, I’ll get straight on the internet and start looking. And the location of the job is handy. If you find anything it will be easy for me to come out after work and do some viewings with you.”

“If it weren’t for the rooms full of ghosts in this castle, I might agree with you,” said Zach.

“I never said there were rooms full of ghosts,” I said. “That’s Gunner putting ideas into your head.”

“There sounds like there will be more than one ghost, though,” said Zach.

“And most of them will be benign,” I said.

“And if any of them aren’t?”

“Then I’ll set Helen on them,” I said.

“What’s she going to do? Smack them over the head with a stiletto and tell them to behave themselves?”

“She would if she could see them. And that method works with Gunner,” I said. “But seriously, I’ll take it easy. It’s not always fun being bothered by ghosts. And although you seem to think I enjoy it, I wouldn’t mind having a normal job for once. One that involves lots of paperwork and organization.”

“So long as you take care of yourself, that’s all that concerns me.” Zac gave me another kiss and then waited as I gathered my final few things, before carrying my cases down the stairs, where we met Helen and Gunner in the hotel lobby.

Jessie and Flipper were sitting next to each other by the door and seemed reluctant to let each other go. Flipper kept nuzzling Jessie with his nose and gently whining. I was the same when it came to Zach. I hated spending too much time apart, but our jobs often called for it. And he had a few things to finish at his last place of work before he could start looking for something local. But I’d see him at the weekends, and we kept in touch by phone. We were used to long distance.

Gunner made a grab for Helen just before she got in the car and tried to plant a kiss on her cheek, but she shoved him away. “Keep your hands to yourself.”

Gunner placed his hand over his heart and pulled an exaggerated frown. “I was only being friendly. Lorna will let me kiss her goodbye.”

I offered him the back of my hand. “Just don’t try any of your funny business. Helen’s warned me what you’re like.”

Gunner pressed a kiss to my hand under Zach’s watchful gaze. “As if I’d do anything like that. And with my baby brother standing next to us, it would be more than my life’s worth.”

“You’d better believe it,” growled Zach. “Lorna is off the market.”

I enjoyed feeling my toes curl as Zach became all possessive over me.

Our suitcases were in the back of Helen’s car, and Flipper gave Jessie one last nuzzle before climbing onto the back seat and settling himself in for the journey. I checked my email on my phone, before keying in the information on the satnav to get us to Gillan Castle without getting lost.

I waved goodbye to Zach, Gunner, and Jessie, who all stood outside of the hotel. I was looking forward to living with Zach and putting an end to these goodbyes, and was sure it would be fun to live with Helen and Gunner too. We just needed to find a place that suited us all.

“I can’t wait to see what our new home will be like.” Helen glanced at the satnav, before heading towards the motorway.

“It’s been awhile since we’ve worked in a castle,” I said.

Helen glanced over at me. “And you’re not worried about the possibility of lots of ghosts? I remember when we spent a month in that French château, you got woken several times a night by icy fingers from restless spirits. And didn’t one of the ghosts trap you in the wine cellar?”

I gave a shudder as I remembered the horrible four weeks we’d spent in France. Despite the beautiful countryside, fabulous weather, and easy work, I’d been exhausted by being bothered by ghosts. I’d had to hand in my notice, driven out by ghosts who wanted nothing more than to annoy me.

“Maybe the French ghosts just didn’t like me,” I said. “But Gillan Castle will be different.”

“And Yorkshire is such a lovely place,” said Helen. “You never know, you might even convince me to go out on one of your walks.”

“Are you sure you’re all right,” I said. “I don’t think you’ve ever volunteered to come walking with me.”

“Only if it’s sunny,” said Helen. “And if there’s a pub lunch at the end of it.”

I laughed. “I reckon we can get that sorted.”

Flipper started snoring as he drifted off to sleep, and I relaxed into my seat and switched on the radio, and we spent the next hour singing along to pop songs in our best out of tune voices.

“So, what’s going on with you and Gunner?” I asked, as I turned the music down.

“What do you mean?” Helen shot me a sideways glare. “I try to keep out of his way as much as possible. He enjoys winding me up and teasing me.”

“You must hate the attention.”

“And he’s too grabby for my liking,” said Helen. “He’s all big hands and muscles. And he’s always invading my personal space.”

“That must be horrible for you,” I said. Gunner was a good-looking guy, he shared that family trait with Zach, and Helen had noticed as well. The first time they’d met she’d come over all flustered and started pouting and smoothing her hair. Classic flirting Helen style.

Helen let out a sigh and stared at the satnav. “Don’t distract me. I don’t want us to get lost, and we’re almost there.”

“I’m not distracting you, but I need to know what’s going on. We’re all going to be living together, after all. I don’t want to stumble over you and Gunner having a secret tryst when I come down for hot chocolate and cookies in the middle of the night.”

“Nothing is going on. You don’t have to worry about anything like that happening.”

“Would you like there to be something going on?”

“No! He’s not my type.”

“How about if we dressed him in a nice suit and gave him a shave and a house of his own?”

Helen glared at me but then shrugged. “I like his stubble. And he’s not hideous to look at.”

I clapped my hands together and laughed. “I knew you liked him.”

“I don’t!” said Helen. “I like my men posh and well-educated. Gunner is neither of those things.”

“He must have a decent education,” I said. “He’s a chief superintendent in the police. You don’t get there by not having sat a few exams.”

“Fine, so he’s got some brains,” said Helen. “But I’ve had this dream ever since I was a little girl of living in a big stately home and being treated like a princess by some rich older man.”

“And that’s a lovely dream to have,” I said. “But maybe real life is going to be a bit different than that. And the trouble with older guys is, well... they’re old. You want someone you can have fun with, someone to make you laugh and chase you around the room. You don't want to get stuck with some old guy with a walking frame and a comb-over.”

“I don't mean that old! But Gunner is an enormous pain,” said Helen. “He’s always picking on me.”

“Like boys used to do in the playground when you were growing up?”

“Just like that,” said Helen. “He's so childish.”

“And you had your pigtails pulled by boys who were sweet on you but didn’t know how to say it. Gunner's teasing is the same thing.”

“This is nothing like that,” said Helen.

“It’s exactly like that,” I said. “The two of you should sit down and have a talk. I bet when you get Gunner on his own, he’s completely different.”

“I’d be wasting my time,” said Helen. “And I bet I find my Prince Charming in Gillan Castle, anyway. There could be some lonely gorgeous bachelor drifting around the estate just waiting for me to arrive.”

“And if there isn’t?” I asked. “Will you consider Gunner then?”

“I wouldn’t consider Gunner if he was the only man left on Earth,” said Helen.

I snorted out a laugh. “He’s not that bad. And if the two of you get serious, and I marry Zach and you marry Gunner, that would make us sisters. Wouldn’t you like that?”

Helen grinned at me. “We’re as good as sisters as it is. But I guess that is one good reason to consider Gunner. But aren’t you getting ahead of yourself? I haven’t had a single date with him. And I’m not sure he’s the marrying kind. He’s more of a flirt like mad, get what he wants, and then run for the hills sort of guy.”

“I think you should give him a go,” I said. “It would get rid of all the frustrating tension in the air every time the two of you are in the same room together.”

“I’m only tense when I’m around Gunner because I’m waiting for him to start winding me up,” said Helen. “That’s the only tension I can imagine you’re referring to.”

“Remember what I said about boys and pigtails.”

“Do be quiet,” said Helen. “This is the exit we want, and I need to concentrate so I don't drive us into a ditch.”

I smiled at Helen, but decided not to press her any more on the matter of Gunner. They’d get there eventually, and it would be fun watching the two of them bickering until they figured out their feelings.

And as for this job, I had a good feeling about it. It was going to work out. There might be a few ghosts in the castle, but they would be happy to drift around without getting in our way. And they’d have plenty of tourists to bother and keep out of my way. I drummed my fingers on the seat. Or was I being foolishly optimistic? I hoped not.

“I love this song!” Helen turned the sound up on the radio and started an off-key rendition of the theme tune from the movie St Elmo’s Fire.

I grinned and joined in with her. No, I didn’t think I was being naive. We were going to love Gillan Castle.

Chapter 3

“This must be the place.” Helen stopped the car and we both stared wide-eyed at the enormous sandstone colored castle in front of us. It was like something out of a medieval fantasy and looked more like a fortress than a private residence.

Gillan Castle was privately owned, but the family, the Babingtons, opened some of the castle to the public, and they were allowed to walk through velvet roped-off rooms and admire the finery the family had acquired over generations. The gardens were also extensive, having twenty-five acres, containing a maze, a formal rose garden, and an elaborate vista of neatly trimmed hedge animals.

Helen nudged me with her elbow and showed me the screen on her phone. “There’s a dungeon in the castle.”

“I expect they only use it for staff who misbehave.”

Helen tutted at me as she scrolled through the information on her phone. “And they have rooms dedicated to different kings as well. Oh, and there’s also a torture chamber.”

“That’s one for you,” I said.

“Oh dear, and there’s something else.” Helen shot me a worried look.

“What could be worse than a dungeon and a torture chamber?” I was still admiring the roof turrets and flags waving over the top of the impressive roof.

“It says here that it’s one of the most haunted places in the country.” Helen grimaced at me. “I hate to say it, but Gunner was right.”

“Don’t let him hear you say that,” I said. “He’ll hold it over you for ever.”

“We’ll have to hope the ghosts are all friendly,” said Helen, as she put her phone away. “And they don’t need your help.”

“Old ghosts don’t usually need help,” I said. “It’s the newly deceased ones, the ones who ran into trouble not so long ago and have issues that need to be resolved that are the most difficult. I don’t mind encountering a few thirteenth-century ghosts in the dungeon. And even if I do, there’s not much I’ll be able to do to help them. If they were killed or came to a grisly end, then their killer is long since dead, so there’s no point in them hanging out here and getting in our way.”

“Let’s get our bags and go take a look,” said Helen. She parked the car around the side of the castle and let Flipper out. We pulled our suitcases out of the trunk, before walking past the public entrance and to the private access which read staff only.

As we waited for the door to open, a large black cat strolled past us. Flipper’s ears pricked up and he took a step towards the cat. The cat’s hackles instantly raised and it hissed at Flipper.

I patted Flipper’s head. “Better luck next time. Not all cats love you. You might look a bit scary to them.”

Flipper whined and looked back at the cat who was now spitting and stepping backwards slowly, its narrowed green eyes not leaving Flipper, just waiting for him to start chasing.

“I meant to tell you, there’s a lot of cats living in the castle,” I said to Helen.

“Most likely to keep the mice and rats down,” said Helen. “These places always have a problem with vermin.”

“Josie didn’t say why there are so many here,” I said. “Maybe the owner just likes cats.”

“Well, I definitely prefer cats to rats, so I don’t mind a few cute fuzzballs hanging around the place,” said Helen. “Although I’m never a fan of clearing up their mess when they bring up a fur ball or two.”

The staff door opened and a middle-aged woman with bright red cheeks looked out at us. She wore a black dress, covered by a red apron with dusty handprints smeared on it. “May I help you?”

“I’m Lorna Shadow and this is Helen Holiday,” I said. “We’re here to start work for Lady Cordelia.”

“Are you the new personal assistant and seamstress?” The woman smiled at us both. “I’m Daphne Jones, house cook. Come in, the two of you.” She stood back from the door and pushed it open wider, gesturing at us as she did so.

We both nodded a greeting as we walked into a dimly lit corridor with brightly patterned floor tiles. The pleasing smell of baking bread drifted towards us.

“Lady Cordelia said to expect you,” said Daphne. “Our butler is off sick, so I’ve been running around doing two jobs. I’m a bit behind on the cooking, and things are manic here today. The castle is open for visitors, and Julius, Lady Cordelia’s son, has just said he wants guests for afternoon tea. How am I supposed to rustle up two dozen scones out of thin air? Not to mention the sandwiches and little cakes he likes. That boy tries my patience sometimes.”

“I can help with that,” said Helen. “I love cooking.”

Daphne’s dark brown eyes widened and she smiled at Helen. “I think I’ve just been sent an angel. Can you really help?”

“Of course!” Helen smiled at Daphne. “Give me five minutes to put my bags away and I’m all yours.”

“Well, looks like Lady Cordelia did a good thing hiring the two of you. Let me show you to your rooms and then we can have some tea while we bake.”

“Sounds lovely,” I said, hoping I wasn’t being included in the baking offer. My skills when it came to baked goods revolved around eating them, not making them.

We followed Daphne along the corridor and down a short flight of concrete stone steps. We turned right and walked along another corridor.

“All staff have their own quarters down here,” said Daphne. “It’s comfortable enough and it’s always lovely and warm. You both get your own room and there are attached bathrooms in each of them.” She stopped by a closed door, unlocked it, and passed me the key. “This one is yours. Use anything you like that’s in there.”

I poked my head inside the room and saw a large double bed covered in a baby-pink colored bedspread. There were a dozen pillows on the bed and a warm looking blanket. There was also a dark wooden closet and a chest of drawers.

“All looks great,” I said.

“Helen’s room is right next to yours.” Daphne unlocked the next door and gave Helen her own key. After a quick inspection of Helen’s room, which was similar to mine, and putting our bags away, we followed Daphne back up the stairs and into an open plan kitchen. Several other staff hurried to and fro, opening and closing wooden cabinets and checking the stove. There was a large well used table in the center of the kitchen that must seat twenty people.

Daphne shooed a stripy tabby cat out the back door, before shutting it. “You’ll get used to the cats. They turn up everywhere. They’re lovely, but I can’t risk getting cat hair in the food.”

“The owner must be a fan of cats,” I said, as I sat at the kitchen table next to Helen.

“Lady Cordelia isn’t a big fan,” said Daphne. “But her late husband, Leopold, was. Everyone called him Leo, and it suited him. He absolutely adored cats and picked up every stray he could. And they all seemed to know to come here when they wanted a good feed and a cuddle. There’s a cat sanctuary on the grounds and we have staff looking after the cats full time.”

“How did Leo die?” I asked.

“Suffocated in his sleep by a cat,” said Daphne.

“That’s awful,” I said, resisting the urge to check over my shoulder, expecting to see Leo's ghost lurking behind me.

“Exactly how many cats have you got here?” Helen stood and rolled up her sleeves, before tying the apron Daphne gave her around her trim waist.

“I’ve lost count,” said Daphne. “But there must be at least fifty cats.”

“Fifty!” I looked down at Flipper who sat patiently by my feet, taking in his new surroundings. “Looks like you’re going to have lots of furry new friends to play with. I hope Jessie doesn’t get jealous when she comes for a visit.”

“Is your dog good with cats?” asked Daphne. “He’ll need to be if he’s going to stay here. They run the place.”

“He won’t be a problem,” I said. “Flipper stays by my side most of the time. He’s my assistance dog, you see.”

“What does he assist you with?” asked Daphne, as she pulled out flour and sugar from the cupboard.

“Lorna sometimes faints,” said Helen.

“Oh dear, I hope it’s nothing serious.” Daphne gave me a concerned look.

“It’s nothing to worry about,” I said. “And Flipper always tips me off before I get dizzy.” That was my story, and I was sticking to it.

“I’m sure you’ll fit right in,” said Daphne. “And I bet Flipper likes treats as well. I do enjoy baking, and he’d be welcome to a little cake or two if he gets hungry.”

“We all like treats.” I grinned at Daphne.

Daphne placed cups on the table and then handed me an empty teapot. “You make the tea while we do the cooking.”

“No! Let me.” Helen grabbed the teapot out of my hand. She knew better than to let me loose on something as simple as making tea.

Daphne raised her eyebrows. “Make sure to warm the pot first.”

“I always do,” said Helen. “I warm the pot, rinse it out, warm it again, and then empty it and make the tea.”

“That’s just how I do it.” Daphne smiled at Helen. “The two of us are going to get along.”

I was just enjoying my first sip of tea when the kitchen door opened, and a willowy, ash blonde-haired woman with blue eyes walked in. She exuded good taste and refinement, and I knew instantly it must be our new employer.

“We have guests?” The woman’s gaze shifted from me to Helen, who was dusted in flour and had a blob of strawberry jam on her hand.

“Your Ladyship. I should have brought Helen and Lorna to meet you.” Daphne rinsed off her hands and dried them on a dishcloth. “I got a bit carried away making scones and treats for Master Julius.”

“That would have been nice.” Lady Cordelia stepped forward. “I see Daphne has been getting you to work straight away. She’s good at doing that. She keeps this place running.”

I stood and shook hands with Lady Cordelia, and Helen held up her flour-covered hands and simply nodded.

“I showed them to their rooms and they said they were only too happy to help,” said Daphne. “What with Alfred being off sick, I’m running around like a headless chicken here.”

Lady Cordelia raised her hands. “That’s fine, Daphne. You’re welcome to make use of them, so long as neither of you mind.”

“We don’t,” I said. “And it’s been a nice introduction to the castle.”

“I suppose it must be,” said Lady Cordelia, looking at the empty cup in my hand.

There was a scratching sound on the kitchen door, and Daphne opened it to reveal three identical looking black cats. They charged into the kitchen and ran around, their tails up, eyeing the countertops.

“Don’t you dare let them up near the food, Daphne,” said Lady Cordelia. She grabbed a cloth and flapped it at the cats, who scattered in all directions. “Those cats get everywhere. I even found one on my bed the other day, and I always keep my bedroom door shut. Sometimes I think they have magical powers and are able to sneak through walls.”

“You don’t like having the cats around?” I asked.

“They were my late husband’s obsession not mine,” said Lady Cordelia. “They leave fur everywhere.”

“Why did your husband like cats so much?” I asked. “Daphne was saying there are fifty living here.”

Lady Cordelia flapped out the cloth she’d grabbed and set it over the back of a chair. “Honestly, what Leo used to do was a mystery to me. Now, perhaps we can meet over dinner and discuss your real work duties in more detail. We dine at seven.”

“That sounds fine,” I said. “We’re both ready to start work whenever you want us to.”

Lady Cordelia eyed the mound of warm scones that appeared from the oven. “It looks like you’ve both already started.”

“Would you like one?” asked Daphne, a twinkle in her dark eyes. “They are for Julius and his friends, but I always make extra.”

Lady Cordelia smiled and swiped a scone. “Just the one. I can never resist your cooking.”

Daphne blushed and smiled. “I’m only doing my job.”

“I’ll see you ladies at dinner.” Lady Cordelia sashayed out of the kitchen, pulling apart the scone and popping a piece into her mouth as she did so.

Daphne walked over to the table and leaned her knuckles on it. “She’s not a bad employer. Can be a bit scary at times, but if you work hard, she likes you. I’ve been here five years and never thought about leaving. She pays well and offers good accommodation. Once you get past her airs and graces she can be quite a laugh. Especially since she’s found herself a toy boy. He’s brought a certain sparkle to her eyes.”

“Lady Cordelia has a toy boy?” Helen chose her own scone and sat back at the table.

“Oh yes, he’s a good-looking one as well,” said Daphne. “I expect you’ll meet Sebastien over dinner. She gets all soppy when she’s around him. He’s so different from the late Lord Babington. He doesn’t come from a wealthy family, but moves in the right social circles, and he caught Lady Cordelia's eye. They’ve been together ever since. There’s even a rumor she might marry him. Although, I'm not sure what the children will think about that.”

“Lady Cordelia has more than one son?” I asked.

“A daughter as well,” said Daphne. “Tabitha. She is a strange one. I try to keep out of the way whenever I can. She never eats cake, and that’s not natural in my eyes. Who doesn’t like cake?”

“That is odd.” I smiled as I looked at the scones. “What else is weird about her?”

“I can’t put my finger on it,” said Daphne. “She seems lovely on the surface, but there’s something not right about her. Maybe it’s me being daft. It’s probably my hormones making me think something strange.”

“I think hormones are a reliable source of information,” said Helen.

“Me too,” I said, giving Helen a smile.

Daphne joined us and passed around the scones and topped up our cups. “We deserve some of these.”

I smiled as I bit into my warm sweet scone. Gillan Castle was definitely being good to me.

Half an hour later, we were stuffed full of delicious scones and it was time to leave and discover more about the castle.

We said our goodbyes to Daphne and headed out of the kitchen.

Helen had her gaze focused on her phone as she read out more information about the castle and missed the sleek grey cat who crossed her path. She tumbled to the ground with a surprised yelp, her phone flying out of her hand.

The cat hissed at Helen and fled away along the corridor.

“I’m going off cats.” Helen rubbed her knee and looked up at me as she grabbed her phone off the ground.

I wasn’t paying Helen any attention. Flipper was whining and pawing at my feet, and my bones chilled and my flesh goose bumped. I swallowed the irrational fear I felt every time I stumbled across a ghost.

“Hello! Your best friend has fallen over,” said Helen. “I could do with some sympathy. And any chance you can give me a hand up?”

I nodded and held out my hand to her, but my gaze remained fixed to the end of the corridor, where the ghost of an old man stood watching us.

Chapter 4

Helen grumbled as she got to her feet and brushed down her tan dress. “What’s got you so interested?”

Flipper dashed towards the ghost and stared at it for a few seconds, before running back to me and checking I was doing okay.

“We’ve got company,” I said.

“Our first ghost?” asked Helen. “I’m surprised you haven’t seen one already, since this is supposed to be the most haunted place in the country. What’s the ghost doing? Is it a creepy one, an ancient knight, or a grizzled warrior?”

“Nothing like that. He’s just looking at us, and he’s not scary,” I said.

“Is he an old looking ghost?”

“He’s got a white beard,” I said. “He looks a bit like Richard Attenborough.”

“That’s not what I meant,” said Helen. “Is he from centuries ago, wearing chainmail like an old-fashioned knight?”

“No, he looks like a modern sort of ghost,” I said. “He’s got a suit on. And you’ll be pleased to know he’s wearing a cravat.”

“He sounds like my sort of ghost,” said Helen. “Is he paying you any attention?”

“He is,” I said. “And prepare to feel cold, because he’s coming this way.”

The ghost drifted along the corridor, slowing as a cat darted out in front of him. He bent and attempted to stroke the cat, but it spat at him and dashed away. The ghost frowned and shook his head, before continuing to draw closer.

“He’s here,” I said, feeling my skin goose bump as the temperature lowered.

“Is he giving you any clue as to who he is?” asked Helen.

The ghost turned his attention to Helen and he bowed before turning and doing the same to me.

“I think you’d like him,” I said. He’s got old-fashioned manners.”

“That’s a good start,” said Helen. “Anything else?”

“He’s pointing up the stairs, so I guess he wants us to follow him somewhere,” I said.

The ghost nodded and drifted past us, causing us both to shudder. We turned and followed the ghost up the stairs into the main hallway of the castle. This area appeared to be out of bounds to visitors because no one was around, and it was full of antique furniture and dozens of oil paintings.

The ghost drifted halfway along the hallway, before stopping by a painting and pointing at it.

I hurried over and read the small gold-colored plaque on the painting. “This must be our ghost. Leopold Babington.” I looked up at the stately figure in the painting, which showed a white-bearded, white-haired man in a smart pale suit. He had a small pot belly and a walking cane in one hand. His expression in the painting was firm and his blue eyes looked bright and warm.

“That’s Lady Cordelia’s late husband,” said Helen. “What’s he doing still hanging around the castle?”

I looked at Leo. “You want to tell us why you're here?”

Leo nodded and then turned as a white cat strolled into the hallway. He moved towards the cat and it instantly bristled and narrowed its eyes before darting away, its fur bushed up around it.

“You’re scaring the cats,” I said to Leo. “They might not know what to make of a ghost. When you get near to me, I feel cold, so you could have that same effect on them. And you know how much cats like to be warm.”

Leo shook his head sadly and his gaze followed the cat as it hurried along the corridor and out through the flap in the door.

“Guess you love animals as much as I do,” I said to him, looking down at Flipper and stroking his head.

Leo nodded and smiled at Flipper, before holding his hand out to him.

Flipper sniffed the air where Leo’s hand was and gave a gentle whine before looking back at me.

“Flipper likes you,” I said. “That’s always a good sign. So, how can we help you? Did you leave something behind when you died? Any last requests you want us to pass onto family members?”

Leo scratched his beard and then pointed in the direction the cat had gone.

“Is it something outside?” I asked.

Before Leo could attempt to communicate any more, the door at the end of the hallway was pushed open and a younger taller version of Leo strolled through. He was followed by a dark-haired, slim, classically handsome man in a checked waistcoat and dark blue suit.

“And I said to her, if she’d just wear her skirt two inches shorter, I was sure she’d get the promotion she wanted.” The younger version of Leo laughed loudly and took a sip from a silver hip flask he held. “I couldn’t understand it when she slapped me across the face. I was complimenting her great legs, that was all.”

The man in the checked waistcoat nodded but a grimace passed across his face. “I have an idea why she might have slapped you.”

“Women these days are too sensitive.” The man looked over in our direction and smiled. “Looks like we’ve got company.”

Leo vanished through the wall, leaving me and Helen none the wiser as to why he was still in the castle. I walked towards the two men and held my hand out. “I’m Lady Cordelia’s new personal assistant, Lorna Shadow.”

“Charmed. I’m Montgomery Babington, Leo’s younger brother.” He pumped my hand firmly, his fingers caressing my palm as he did so. His confident gaze ran over me before turning to Helen.

I introduced Helen and then looked at the man in the checked waistcoat.

“I’m not a Babington,” he said, as he waved away Montgomery’s offer of the hip flask.

“You're definitely not,” said Montgomery. “But I expect you will be soon enough. Cordelia is not going to change her name once the two of you get married.”

The man shook his head at Montgomery. “I’m Sebastien Arden.”

“Cordelia’s bit of stuff,” said Montgomery. He laughed as Sebastien scowled at him. “Oh, come on, everyone knows it’s true. You’re half her age and twice as attractive. I wonder what you see in her sometimes.”

“Cordelia is a very attractive older woman. Her maturity is appealing,” said Sebastien stiffly. “It’s not all about looks, anyway.”

“Don’t know what else it could be about,” said Montgomery. He looked over at us. “My friends call me Monty, and I insist you ladies be my friends at once. It gets so boring around here, it will be good to have some more company to liven things up.”

“We’re here to work, not entertain you,” said Helen tartly.

“Just looking at you is entertainment enough.” Montgomery grinned broadly at Helen.

Helen crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

Sebastien smiled at Helen. “I like your dress. It makes your hair look really bright.”

Helen’s glare softened and she stroked her hands over her dress. “Thanks. It’s one of my favorites.”

“Stop flirting you old hound. Looks like Helen’s a feisty one, so make sure you don’t get on the wrong side of her.” Montgomery’s grin only widened as Helen huffed at him.

“Best not to annoy them.” Sebastien shot me and Helen an apologetic look. “Cordelia won’t like you pestering her new staff.”

“And she won’t like you thinking you’re going to have some fun with one of them,” said Montgomery. “Besides, everything I do annoys Cordelia. She’d ban me from this place if she could. Lucky for me Leo insisted I could stay for as long as I like. She couldn’t kick me out if she wanted to. Leo was always good at getting the lawyers involved and making things watertight. If he hadn’t done so, Cordelia would have turned this place into an amusement park to make a bit of extra money.”

“How much of the castle is open to the public?” I asked him.

“About half of it,” said Montgomery. “Have you had the grand tour yet?”

“We’ve seen the downstairs staff area,” I said. “But that’s about it.”

“Well then, we’ve got time for a tour before dinner.” Montgomery grabbed my arm and tucked my hand through his elbow. “Let’s show you around and welcome you to your new home.”

Despite Montgomery being a little on the sleazy side, I got the impression it was the drink talking more than anything else. I accepted his offer, and the four of us walked along the hallway and into an enormous room full of glass cabinets, Flipper following closely behind, his nose glued to the carpet.

“This is the Witch Room,” said Montgomery.

“Why’s it called that?” I asked.

“Rumor has it that anyone who tries to steal from the castle gets cursed by our local witch.”

“I can imagine that puts a lot of people off of getting light-fingered.” I cast a cautious look around the room, but didn’t feel anything otherworldly in there. Not that I believed in witches. But then most people didn’t believe in ghosts, and I could see them.

“This room is a mess,” said Sebastien. “There’s that stuffed dummy of the witch over there, but then there’s all the photographs about the trip your great-uncle made to Everest, and there’s one of the sleds he used on his trip covered by an old tarp. How can that be mixed in with a load of witch memorabilia? Are you trying to sell your relative as some ancient mystical warlock?”

“He’d shoot you if you called him that,” said Montgomery. “Shame he’s not alive to chase you around the castle.”

Sebastien chuckled. “I’d have liked to have met him. He sounds like fun.”

“He was. But you’re right, it does need a good sort out in here. People love the mismatch of stuff, though. They spend hours gazing into these cabinets. They're full of witch stones.”

“Witch stones?” asked Helen.

“People used to lay them on their doorstep to ward off evil and keep the witch from escaping the castle and coming to jinx them.” Montgomery took me over to the next display. “And see this massive bowl in here? It was used for pouring boiling oil on unwelcome visitors when the castle was under siege, which I believe it has been on several occasions, though never when I’ve been at home.” He laughed at his own joke before showing us the next room.

Montgomery and Sebastien showed us around the armory, a medieval courtyard, and the Great Hall, which was a vast space covered with weapons and trophies and had several original twelfth-century arrow slits carved into the thick stone walls.

We were also treated to a look in two rooms dedicated to late kings of England, all luxurious in their finery with velvet-covered wall hangings and deluxe four-poster beds.  We were introduced to the main museum, another room crammed full of curiosities, and then shown the chapel, a place that was off-limits to the public during family services.

The next room was full of prehistoric finds, old flint axes, primitive tools, and maps showing the dispersal of modern humans across the country.

“This next bit is my favorite,” said Montgomery. “I hope the two of you don’t get spooked easily.”

I shot Helen a knowing look. “Not much scares us.”

“Glad to hear it.” Montgomery pulled open the door with a flourish. “Welcome to the castle’s torture chamber.”

I descended a short flight of stone stairs, the air getting colder with every step, and walked into a stone chamber.

Helen hurried past me and grabbed a vicious looking set of thumb screws. “I bet you can do some damage with these.”

I nodded as I inspected a gruesome looking executioner’s block, complete with its own basket to catch heads in, and worryingly realistic dark stains on the wooden chopping block.

“All of these are the real deal,” said Montgomery. “They’ve been used in this castle. But you’ll be happy to know we only have them on display now. Although Cordelia would probably like to use them on people who don’t do what she wants them to.”

“He’s exaggerating,” said Sebastien. “Cordelia has a gentle nature.”

“Compared to a pit bull, she does,” said Montgomery.

“This would make anyone talk.” Helen opened an iron maiden, its dull interior spikes looking long and menacing.

I ran my fingers over a scold’s bridle, used on gossips who didn’t know when to keep their mouths shut. “It’s an impressive haul of torture devices.”

Helen joined me and looked around the rest of the room. “It’s not so scary.”

“It would be if you were inside the scold’s bridle or the iron maiden,” said Montgomery. “Can I tempt you to try either of them?”

“Not likely.” Helen frowned at Montgomery.

“This is one of my favorite places,” said Montgomery. “Just imagine all the horrible things that happened down here to our enemies? All those people who tried to break into the castle and steal from us. Most castles have rooms like this, it’s only right you punish people who do things you don’t want them to.”

“You don’t have to torture them,” said Helen. “Simply telling them not to do it again should be enough.”

“Not when they’re trying to raze your castle to the ground it isn’t,” said Montgomery. “But I think we need a few more instruments of torture in here. I always liked the look of those balls with spikes on them, the kind you swing at your enemy when in battle. They would leave a nasty bruise.”

Helen shook her head at Montgomery. “We’ve seen enough of this room.”

Montgomery downed the contents of his hip flask. “It’s almost time for dinner, anyway. Let’s go and see what Daphne has rustled up for us this evening. She always puts on a good spread.”

“We’ll meet you in there,” I said. “Just want to freshen up before dinner and unpack.”

Montgomery shrugged. “As you like. Although you both look decent enough in what you’re already wearing. We don’t go for anything fancy here, unless Cordelia dresses you.” He looked over at Sebastien and winked at him.

Sebastien glowered in response and tugged at the hem of his tailored suit jacket.

We said our goodbyes, and I grabbed Helen’s elbow and hurried us towards our rooms.

“I thought we might get a chance to speak to Leo before dinner,” I said to her. “He was trying to tell us something just before Montgomery and Sebastien arrived. He disappeared through the wall, though, so I guess he didn’t want to do the castle tour.”

“Leo must have seen those rooms thousands of times when he was alive,” said Helen. “Isn’t it a shame the way he died, killed by something you love.”

“Maybe that’s why he’s still here,” I said. “Maybe a cat didn’t smother him.”

Chapter 5

I entered my bedroom and discovered a fat ginger cat sitting on the end of the bed, his large bushy tail tucked around him, covering his nose. One yellow eye opened and he regarded us calmly.

“I wonder if we both get a cat in our bedrooms.” Helen walked over to my bed and sat down, before offering her hand to the cat.

He inspected her hand carefully, before settling his head back on my bed. It looked like he approved of her.

“He certainly seems at home there,” I said. “How did he get in, though? The door was shut.”

“The window’s open,” said Helen. “Maybe he jumped in and decided to have a nap.”

Flipper wandered over to the bed and stared at the ginger cat. The cat lifted his head and blinked at Flipper.

“Do you think Flipper has found a new friend?” asked Helen, watching their interaction with interest.

“That is one enormous tomcat,” I said. “Flipper had better watch his nose if he doesn’t want to get it scratched. Not all cats like dogs.”

The cat hopped up, stretched his back and then curled himself around Helen several times, weaving between her arms and butting his head against her side.

“He’s a cutie,” said Helen. “If you don’t want him in your room, perhaps I can have him.”

“Cats decide where they want to go,” I said. “But if he’s willing, you’re welcome to him. Flipper usually shares the bed with me, and a large cat like that might make it a bit of a squash.”

The cat jumped off the bed and walked over to me, his tail in the air. He sat at my feet and gave the sweetest meow I’d ever heard.

I bent and stroked his head, hearing a deep purr rumble through his chest. “He is quite charming.”

I heard Flipper whine and looked up to see him standing by the door, a glum expression on his face.

“Don’t worry, you’re still my favorite,” I said to him. “You always will be.”

Flipper paced backwards and forwards, his attention no longer on me. The cat backed away rapidly, his eyes also on the door, just where Flipper was looking.

The air chilled and suddenly Leo popped through the door.

Flipper danced on his paws, and the cat moved to stand next to him, his fur bristling all over his body and his eyes narrowed.

“I’m guessing Leo is here,” said Helen, as she watched Flipper and the cat.

Leo tried to stroke the ginger cat, but he spat at him and backed away.

Leo shook his head, his mouth turning down as he watched the cat grow fluffier, his fur bushing out, making it look like he had a ginger afro.

“He was trying to pet the cat,” I said to Helen.

“Poor Leo,” said Helen. “It must be so hard for him, not being able to interact with the cats. Sounds like he was fond of them when he was alive.”

Leo nodded at Helen’s comment and drifted slowly towards us.

I sat next to Helen on the bed and looked at Leo. “So, this is how it works; I can see you and I know you can see and hear me, but I can’t hear you. You’re going to need to be inventive if you want to communicate with us.”

Leo scratched a hand through his beard and then nodded.

“I’m guessing you’re still here for a reason,” I said. “Have you got something you want to pass onto a loved one?”

Leo glanced over at the ginger cat, who was now less fluffy and was licking a paw, his gaze still not leaving Leo.

“Does it have something to do with your cats?” I asked. “I hear you have quite a collection here. Did you want to leave them some money so you know they’ll be well cared for?”

Leo shook his head.

“If it’s not about the cats, could it be about Lady Cordelia?” I asked. “Are you unhappy she has found somebody new?”

“I hope you aren’t the jealous type,” said Helen. “It’s only fair your wife isn’t alone.”

Leo looked down at his ring finger and shook his head.

I glanced over at Helen. “It’s not the cats and it’s not his wife.” I looked back at Leo. “We met your brother this evening, has your being here got something to do with him?”

Leo shrugged and his bottom lip jutted out.

I let out a sigh. “He doesn’t seem to know why he’s here.”

“How does Leo think he died?” asked Helen.

“Good point,” I said. I looked at Leo. “What do you think happened to you? Daphne said you were smothered by a cat when you were asleep.”

Leo floated closer to the bed and pointed at a pillow, his hand squashing down on the middle of it.

“He’s trying to do something with my pillow,” I said.

“You think he was smothered by a pillow and not a cat?” asked Helen.

I grimaced. “I hope not. What a horrible way to die.”

Leo pointed at Helen and nodded.

“Oh dear, but it looks like you’re right,” I said.

Leo flopped onto the bed and rolled around a bit. I had to stifle a laugh as he flailed his arms and legs around.

“What’s going on?” asked Helen. “I can feel the bed moving. What’s Leo doing?”

“Re-enacting his last moments,” I said. “At least, I think that’s what he’s doing.”

Leo climbed off the bed and straightened his cravat and jacket. He pointed over at the ginger cat.

“He keeps going back to the cats,” I said. “If someone did smother Leo in his sleep, maybe a cat witnessed what happened.”

“That’s not going to be any help,” said Helen. “Or are you going to suggest a cat goes under questioning in a murder trial?”

I smacked her arm. “Of course not. But Leo thinks it’s important.”

“Maybe he keeps pointing at the cats because he was so obsessed with them when he was alive,” said Helen. “You always hear about mad cat ladies, those women who have given up on love and simply surround themselves with dozens of substitute fur babies, but you don’t often hear about men who get obsessed like that.”

“Are you ever tempted to go down that path?” I asked Helen. “You have been single a long time.”

“I haven’t given up on love just yet.” Helen shot me a glare. “And I’m not over the hill either. There are plenty of men out there who will consider me a catch.”

“Of course they will.” I looked over at Flipper and smiled fondly. I could understand why people get so obsessed with their animals. Flipper was my fur baby, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“What do you want to do about Leo?” asked Helen. “Aren’t you supposed to be keeping out of the way of all the ghosts in the castle?”

“I don’t think Leo will be a problem,” I said. “He looks like a sweet old man to me, and is much more interested in his cats than anything else. Maybe he doesn’t want to leave them.”

“He won’t want to leave if he was smothered and someone got away with killing him,” said Helen. “And if he really was smothered to death, it’s only right we help him.”

I looked over at Leo, who was trying to get closer to the big ginger cat, who I decided should be called Big Ginge. He skipped out of his reach every time Leo got close enough to brush his fingers down his spine.

“It could be one of his family members got annoyed with Leo’s devotion to the cats and decided to get rid of him,” I said.

Leo pointed at me and nodded.

“He agrees with that idea,” I said.

“Since Lady Cordelia has so much to gain now Leo is dead, and she’s got herself a hot new lover, we should start with her as our main suspect,” said Helen.

“You could be right. And she didn’t act like much of a grieving widow when we met,” I said. “Okay, let’s do some discreet looking around and see what we can discover. But keep it discreet. We don’t want to lose our jobs before we’ve even started them.”

“Discreet is my middle name,” said Helen.

“I thought it was flirt.” That comment earned me a smack on the arm.

“I never flirt,” said Helen. “Now, let’s hurry up and go see what we’ve got for dinner.”

Chapter 6

I had a quick freshen up, and then met Helen outside my room, before we headed up the stairs to find the dining room. We were accompanied by Big Ginge and Leo, who drifted along beside us, occasionally pointing at pictures on the wall.

The sound of laughter alerted me to what was most likely the dining room, and I pushed open the door, to discover an antique-blue painted room, with a black fireplace and white mantel surround. Gold candlesticks dotted numerous surfaces, and the center of the room was dominated by a large, dark wooden table, set for dinner.

“Glad you found us.” Sebastien hurried over and smiled. “We didn’t get around to showing you this part of the house. This is the family only part, so no tourists allowed in here.”

“Not a problem,” I said. “It was easy enough to find.”

“I wanted to say sorry about Monty’s earlier behavior,” said Sebastien. He glanced over his shoulder as Montgomery laughed loudly to himself. “He’s a decent enough guy, but a bit too fond of drinking. He’s been like it ever since Leo died. I think it’s hit him harder than he cares to admit.”

“It must be his way of coping.” I looked over to where Montgomery stood. He had an empty whiskey glass in one hand and was studying a number of bottles of alcohol in front of him.

“Now you’ve made me feel bad for snapping at him,” said Helen.

“That won’t bother Montgomery,” said Sebastien. “And if he likes you, nothing will put him off. Just a word of warning, he does like blondes.”

“Perhaps I’m not available to be liked,” said Helen.

“A lovely girl like you must have a queue of suitors waiting to take her out,” said Sebastien.

Helen blushed and smiled. “I can see why Lady Cordelia likes you.”

Sebastien ducked his head. “We get on well, she’s a nice lady. A little demanding at times, but then she is used to getting her own way, given she’s now in charge of this entire castle.”

“Do you mind me enquiring about her late husband?” I asked, as I kept half an eye on Leo as he drifted around the room, his fingers trailing over objects as if he was remembering his time here when he was alive.

“That’s a bit of a sad story,” said Sebastien. “You’ve probably heard the rumors.”

“Tell us what they are,” said Helen.

“Well, as you may have noticed, there are lots of cats around.” Sebastien lowered his voice and leaned closer.

“Daphne said there’s a cat sanctuary somewhere on the grounds,” I said.

“That’s right. Leo was mad about cats. Even named his daughter Tabitha, because it’s his favorite cat’s name.”

“Bet she loved that,” said Helen.

“It suits her,” said Sebastien. “Anyway, Leo always had a cat on the bed when he slept at night. And one night, the cat decided to sleep on Leo’s face and suffocated him.”

“I had heard that’s what happened.” I looked over at Leo. Maybe he’d been mistaken about how he died, and hadn’t been suffocated by a human, after all. It could be easy to mistake such a thing if you were half-asleep when a cat shoved its fat behind over your mouth and sat down.

“I doubt Leo would have known what was going on when it happened,” said Sebastien. “And the cat wouldn’t have had a clue what it was doing. It probably got cold and decided to snuggle next to its favorite person.”

“How old was Leo when he died?” asked Helen.

“He was about fifteen years older than Cordelia. But that only made him sixty when he died, so he wasn’t an old man,” said Sebastien. “Cordelia was all for getting rid of every single cat after it happened, but then she calmed down and realized the cat didn’t do it deliberately.”

“I’m sure you’re right,” I said.

Sebastien looked towards the dining room door, where quick high-heeled footsteps could be heard approaching. “Cordelia doesn’t like anybody talking about Leo, so best you don’t mention this conversation. Don’t want to upset her.”

“Sebastien, darling!” Lady Cordelia dashed into the dining room and grabbed hold of his arm. “I was thinking you’d abandoned me. Why didn’t you come up and find me?”

Sebastien kissed Lady Cordelia on the cheek; it was an oddly formal gesture. “I’ve been counting down the minutes since I left, just waiting to return to your side.”

“You’re such a romantic.” Lady Cordelia fussed over Sebastien’s jacket, a small frown on her lips. “I thought you were going to wear the new tweed jacket I got you?”

“I decided to have it altered,” said Sebastien. “The tailor has it. I’ll wear it another time.”

“It makes you look even more handsome,” said Lady Cordelia. “As if that’s even possible.” She giggled like a schoolgirl, not seeming to have noticed we were standing right next to Sebastien.

“I’ll fix you a drink,” said Sebastien, as he gestured towards the drinks cabinet.

I saw Lady Cordelia’s spine stiffen as she locked gazes with Montgomery, who was still pondering over the drinks. “I hope you haven’t been leading Sebastien astray again?”

“I do my best to,” said Montgomery, not raising his gaze. “But he’s a hard one to corrupt. He barely drinks, doesn’t smoke, and seems worryingly attached to you. I suggested we go to London and spend an evening at the Gaslight Gentlemen’s Club, but he didn’t think much of that idea, so we settled on a boozy dinner here instead.”

“Of course I didn’t.” Sebastien shook his head as he fixed Lady Cordelia’s drink. “What pleasure would I get out of watching scantily-clad women gyrating against a pole?”

“I can think of some pleasure.” Montgomery snorted a laugh as he fixed himself a whiskey.

“Sebastien would never want to go anywhere so coarse.” Lady Cordelia sniffed as she took a tall glass of gin and tonic from him.

Sebastien looked over at me and Helen. “Would you ladies like anything?”

“Oh, of course! Don’t stand on ceremony,” said Lady Cordelia, finally noticing us. “You can get your own drinks. Or Monty will fix you drinks if you want one.”

“What’s your poison?” asked Montgomery. “We’ve got it all here.” He gestured to the full drinks cabinet.

I decided to stick to something soft and Helen had a glass of champagne.

“We’ve been showing your new employees around the place,” said Montgomery, as he handed around the drinks before topping up his own.

Lady Cordelia nodded. “We’re short-staffed at the moment. I would have had the butler show you around if he hadn’t put his back out. I’m also busy planning a big charity gala, otherwise I’d have done it. I hope the boys haven’t been too much of a nuisance.”

“They’ve been very helpful,” I said. “I think I can find my way around without getting too lost down the corridors.”

“It is something of a maze,” said Lady Cordelia. “But it’s home and you’ll get used to it if you stay here long enough.”

Flipper and Big Ginge started following Leo around the room, staying a few paces back as he drifted around. Leo stopped by Lady Cordelia’s shoulder, and Flipper joined him and sat by her feet. Big Ginge remained a few steps back.

“Is your dog well behaved?” asked Lady Cordelia. “I did have my doubts about letting him come into the castle, given the amount of cats we have to have here, but was assured he is well trained.”

“He’s not a problem.” I tried to keep my attention on Lady Cordelia, despite the fact Leo was prodding her with a finger and frowning.

Lady Cordelia wrapped her arms around herself and shuddered. “Well, he can sit in the corner while we have dinner. I won’t have animals begging at the table. Leo always insisted on having a cat on his lap whenever he ate, and would feed little tidbits to it off his plate. It was so unhygienic.”

That comment earned her several more prods from Leo. He was not happy with his wife. I wondered if it had more to do with her involvement in his death than her cold comments about the animals.

“Flipper won’t do any begging,” I said. That wasn’t strictly true. He did, but only with people he knew. And he was guaranteed to get a treat off my plate whenever the opportunity arose.

I settled Flipper in the corner, Big Ginge seeming happy to come along as well. I stroked Flipper's head several times to calm him as he kept his gaze on Leo. “I think he’s a nice ghost,” I whispered. “Don’t go getting yourself too worked up that he’s in the room with us. He won’t do me any harm.”

Flipper gave another whine and nudged me with his nose, before sitting down. Big Ginge curled up next to him. Both of them were watching Leo.

Leo was watching the group in the dining room with interest, shaking his head when Montgomery became too loud, but his gaze kept returning to Lady Cordelia. Perhaps he missed his wife, and was sad he hadn’t had an opportunity to say goodbye to her before he died. I could be making assumptions about his death, and this could be the reason he was here, and it had nothing to do with the way he died.

I walked back to Helen’s side and turned away so no one could see me talking, pretending to inspect a painting on the wall. “Leo is very interested in Lady Cordelia. See how she’s shivering, it’s because Leo keeps prodding her.”

“She’s got a lot to gain by him being gone,” whispered Helen, as she pretended to look at the painting as well. “Having your very own castle must be quite tempting.”

I turned back to the group and watched as Lady Cordelia continued to fuss over Sebastien. He didn’t seem to be enjoying it. Although there was a smile on his face, it looked strained, and his eyes were narrowed as Lady Cordelia picked imaginary pieces of fluff from his jacket.

“Someone needs to watch out, being clingy is not attractive,” muttered Helen.

The dining room door opened, and a tall, narrow-faced man with a mess of blond hair entered. He was closely followed by a plump blonde woman with brilliant blue eyes and a pouty mouth.

“Darlings! You’re just in time for dinner.” Lady Cordelia hurried over and kissed them both. I could instantly see the family resemblance. This must be Julius and Tabitha Babington.

“We weren’t sure we’d make it, Mommy,” said Julius. “Tabitha insisted on stopping off for a drink with some of her awful friends. I only just managed to drag her away in time.” His hands fluttered over his chest before he jammed them in his trouser pockets.

Tabitha yawned and looked around the room, boredom clear on her pretty face. “I arranged to meet my friends weeks ago. I couldn’t let them down. It would have been rude if I hadn’t turned up.”

“You’re both here now, that’s the main thing,” said Lady Cordelia. “Let’s all sit down, the food will be served in a moment.”

Helen and I waited until everyone sat in their usual seats, before picking our own chairs. I ended up sitting with Sebastien on my right and Helen on my left. She had the misfortune of being next to Montgomery who was already turning up his flirting abilities and pouring her a large glass of white wine.

“Children, this is Helen Holiday and Lorna Shadow,” said Lady Cordelia as she gestured towards us. “They’re starting work for the estate. Helen will be our seamstress and Lorna will oversee all of the administration I require doing.”

Both children barely acknowledged us, Julius managing a brief smile before turning to speak to his sister.

Sebastien leaned down towards me. “In case you haven’t figured it out, that’s Tabitha and Julius Babington. They live here some of the time, and Julius considers himself in training to take over the estate at the earliest opportunity.”

“What are you whispering about?” Julius glared at Sebastien from the other side of the table.

“I was just telling Lorna who you are,” said Sebastien. “Since you can’t be bothered to tell her yourself.”

“She should know who we are,” said Tabitha. “Since she’s working here.”

“That’s no way to welcome our new employees,” said Lady Cordelia. She was sitting at the head of the table and leaned over to pat Sebastien’s hand. “They’re being high-spirited, darling. Don’t pay the children any attention.”

Sebastien’s eyes narrowed but he nodded. He leaned back to me. “More like they’re being rude. It’s their default setting.”

“I heard that,” said Julius. “Why don’t you go and do something useful. What is it you do again for money?”

“Asks Mommy for it.” Tabitha tittered a laugh and shoved her napkin over her mouth.

“Now don’t go teasing Sebastien,” said Lady Cordelia. “You know he does a lot of work for charity. He’s very dedicated to his passions.”

“None of which he gets paid for,” said Julius. “I’ll be having some work done on the estate soon, you can always join the work crew. I’m thinking of having a new swimming pool installed and we need some extra hands to dig out the hole.”

“That won’t be necessary,” said Sebastien. “Thanks for your generous offer, though.”

“I pay above minimum wage.” Julius’s blue eyes narrowed as he glared at Sebastien. “Not sure what your experience is. Have you ever worked before?”

Sebastien thumped a hand on the table. “You know I have.”

“There’s no point in annoying each other.” Lady Cordelia patted Sebastien’s hand rapidly, a look of concern on her face. “Let’s all get along and have a nice dinner together. No squabbling allowed.”

Sebastien huffed under his breath a few times, but didn’t say anything else.

The food arrived a moment later, providing a welcome distraction. There was a rich tomato and basil soup with crusty homemade bread to begin with, and after the soup bowls were cleared, we all had a generous portion of salmon and balsamic roasted vegetables.

The whole time the meal was being eaten, I was keeping an eye on Leo as he drifted around the table, occasionally pausing to listen to what people had to say, before drifting back to Lady Cordelia’s chair and resting his hands on the back of it. I could see he was very interested in his wife, which made me all the more convinced she was involved with his demise.

“We had a record number of visitors today,” said Julius. “I checked the log before coming here.”

“It’s good we’re so popular,” said Lady Cordelia. “It will mean we can get the new heating system put in before winter sets in.”

“It will take more than a few extra grubby tourists to pay for that,” said Julius. “We need to find at least another forty thousand pounds before we sign off on that project.”

“The money will come in,” said Lady Cordelia. “So far, autumn is proving to be lovely, and the sunshine always brings the tourists here in droves. Another few good weekends with lots of visitors, and we’ll be able to get the heating done.” She rubbed her hands over her arms. “And I feel the need for it tonight, this room feels so cold. I must be sitting in a draft.”

I bit my bottom lip. It wasn’t a draft causing the problem, but her husband’s ghost.

“This doesn’t feel like home anyway,” said Tabitha. “All those strangers traipsing around, getting in the way.”

“They don’t come into your private quarters, darling,” said Lady Cordelia. “We do have our own rooms we can retreat to when the tourists get too much. And they never see the real castle, not what goes on behind the scenes. And you know we need to keep the tourists coming in.”

“And I have an idea for that.” Julius adjusted the collar of his shirt.

“No, I don’t want to keep talking about business over dinner,” said Lady Cordelia. “This should be family time.”

“If it’s family time, why are there two staff members and your boyfriend sitting at the table?” asked Tabitha.

“Castles don’t pay for themselves,” said Julius. “And they definitely don’t pay for your expensive taste in clothes for your toy boy.”

“I am not a toy boy.” Sebastien spoke through gritted teeth. “And didn’t your mother recently buy you a brand new car?”

“It was a business expense,” sneered Julius. “I need to look presentable when I go out to meet potential new clients. The Babingtons have a reputation to maintain.”

“Daddy would never have wanted the castle to turn into this.” Tabitha stabbed at a piece of carrot on her plate. “He would be embarrassed to see what was going on. With the castle and with you and your man friend.” She gestured across the table at Sebastien.

Helen kicked me under the table. This family discussion was getting out of hand.

“Your father would be happy I’ve found somebody else,” said Lady Cordelia. “He wouldn't want me to be on my own. And I do hate to be lonely.”

“He wouldn’t want you to be with him,” said Tabitha. “I should be dating him, not you.”

“I didn’t know you cared,” said Sebastien.

“I mean you’re more my age,” said Tabitha. “I would never want to go out with you. I have no idea what your background is. I doubt it’s anything good, though. The first time I met you, you were wearing worn-out leather shoes and a second-hand jacket.”

“Children, please! You know I’m fond of Sebastien, and he’s staying here,” said Lady Cordelia. “I want him around; he makes me happy.”

“What about our happiness?” Tabitha pouted. “Don’t we get a say in what goes on in our own home?”

“If you did, you would close the doors to all the tourists and we would lose everything,” snapped Lady Cordelia.

“Daddy didn’t like the tourists coming in and staring at us in our home,” said Tabitha.

“Your father didn’t care what happened to the castle,” said Lady Cordelia. “He only loved his cats.”

I looked at Leo and he gave an embarrassed shrug and then nodded.

“He loved me,” said Tabitha.

“Only because you spent so much time with his wretched animals,” said Lady Cordelia.

Tabitha stroked a hand down what looked like a suspiciously real fur collar on her fitted black pullover. “That had nothing to do with it. I was his only daughter. Of course he loved me.”

Leo gave another shrug and looked down at his hands.

“He wanted an enormous animal sanctuary in the grounds,” said Julius. “That’s hardly going to make the estate enough money to keep going.”

“The sanctuary we have is large enough,” said Lady Cordelia. “From now on, I’ll be looking to get rid of the cats, not take any more.”

Leo shot into the air and spun around the table, causing an icy cold draught as he did so.

Flipper jumped to his feet and barked, and Big Ginge's ears flattened against his head.

Lady Cordelia glared at me. “I thought your dog was well behaved?”

“Something must have startled him,” I said, gesturing at Flipper to lie down. “I’m sorry to hear you won’t be helping any more cats. Especially since it was your husband’s passion.”

“His passions have no importance here anymore,” said Lady Cordelia. “He spent far too much time and money on those creatures when he should have been focusing on the estate.”

“Without filling it with tourists,” said Tabitha.

“We need them,” said Lady Cordelia. “If it weren’t for the visitors every year, we would have to sell the castle.”

“Father was on the right track when it came to animals, but he was thinking too small,” said Julius.

“You want more cats here as well?” Tabitha shot an incredulous look at her brother.

“Not cats, you idiot,” said Julius. “The damned things make me sneeze. We need big animals. We should turn the grounds into a wildlife park. People pay big money to drive past dangerous animals.”

“That’s a ridiculous idea,” said Sebastien.

“You don’t get to have a say in how the estate is run,” said Julius. “Mommy, can’t you keep him under control?”

“I’m not a dog,” said Sebastien.

“You do remind me of one,” said Tabitha, her blue eyes narrowing. “The way you chase around after Mommy, begging for handouts all the time. That does have a dog-like quality to it.”

“He doesn’t do that,” said Lady Cordelia. “Ignore them, darling.” She smiled at Sebastien.

Leo kept spinning around the table, his agitation clear, and I shook my head as I began to get dizzy. He needed to calm down or everyone would soon be affected.

“All this talk of business is making me bored,” said Montgomery. “Why don’t we play some after-dinner games?”

“Games are for children,” said Tabitha.

“We could play cards for money,” said Montgomery.

“I wouldn’t mind a game,” said Julius.

“How about you, Sebastien?” asked Montgomery. “You might have a score or two to settle after this evening's fun dinner. You can do that with a card game.”

“I’m leaving.” Sebastien pushed back his chair and stood.

Lady Cordelia grabbed his hand and jumped up. “There’s no need for you to leave. Why don’t we go for a walk around the grounds?”

“Either he goes or we do,” said Julius. “We’d never have come to dinner if we’d have known he was going to be here.”

“Sebastien will remain as my dinner guest for as long as I wish it.” Lady Cordelia’s eyes narrowed as she glared at her children. “You will learn to like him.”

“So long as you don’t go marrying him and we end up having to call him daddy, I really don’t mind.” Tabitha tittered out another laugh. “Can you imagine that, Sebastien as our stepfather?” She nudged Julius with her elbow.

“We are not getting married,” said Sebastien.

“Well, not yet, darling,” said Lady Cordelia. “But maybe one day.”

Sebastien looked at Tabitha and then Julius, cold fury clear on his face. “It’s time I left.”

“Don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” called Julius.

Sebastien reached the door at the same time as Leo, who was making another dizzying circuit of the room. He shot straight through Sebastian without stopping. I grimaced, knowing how bad that would feel, having experienced ghosts passing through me. It was like you’d been dumped in an ice bath and then left to drip dry in a freezer.

Sebastien staggered back several steps, before shaking out his arms and shooting a surprised look over his shoulder.

“Is everything all right, darling?” asked Lady Cordelia. “You’ve gone pale.”

“I might be coming down with something.” Sebastien pressed the back of his hand to his forehead.

Lady Cordelia touched his cheek and Sebastien jerked away from her. “You do feel a little clammy. Would you like me to send for the doctor? And you can always stay here if you feel unwell.”

“If he’s sick then he needs to leave,” said Tabitha. “I don’t want him infecting me.”

“I’ll be fine.” Sebastien pulled open the door. “I’m already feeling better.”

“I’ll show you out.” Lady Cordelia hurried after him.

“You’ll get used to this.” Montgomery grinned at me and Helen as he topped up his whiskey before returning to the table. “It’s never a good dinner party without a family argument.”

“Uncle Monty, don’t be mean,” said Tabitha. “You know we don’t like Sebastien being here.”

“He’s not so bad,” said Montgomery. “And he keeps your mother happy. And if she’s happy, it means she’s not picking on me, and I get to have as much fun as I like.”

“Have you had a chance to look over those plans I gave you?” asked Julius.

Montgomery waved a hand in front of his face. “Not had a chance. It’s got something to do with your animal park?”

Leo knocked over three candlesticks on the table and we all jumped.

Montgomery leapt up and extinguished the candle flames before they could do any damage to the table. “Wonder what made them do that?” He tested the weight of one of the candles in his hands.

Flipper gave another bark as Leo continued to bump against the table, making the dishes rattle.

“Could be an earthquake,” said Julius. “They happen in this country, but they’re so weak, most people don’t notice them.”

“What nonsense, an earthquake in Yorkshire,” said Tabitha.

“I’m telling you, it does happen,” said Julius. “Now, Uncle Monty, about this animal park. It will be a winning opportunity. There’s a lot of initial upfront investment, but once it’s open, it will be a goldmine.”

Tabitha gave a loud yawn and stretched her arms over her head. “Let’s not waste our time talking about the silly animal park. Let’s go and play Uncle Monty's dumb card games instead.”

“The park is a brilliant idea,” said Julius.

“And my card games are never dumb,” said Montgomery.

“Oh, whatever.” Tabitha stood and dumped her napkin on the table. “But I need something to be entertained with. Your card games will have to do. But bring along that bottle of vodka over there, we might as well make it a lively one.” She grabbed Julius’s elbow and dragged him out of the dining room, still telling him to shut up about the park every time he opened his mouth.

Montgomery walked over to grab a bottle of vodka and an open bottle of champagne. He looked over at me and Helen. “You’re welcome to join us. Tabitha and Julius are spoiled brats, but they’re family, so I let them get away with it. Don’t have much choice really. If I get on their bad sides, I might have my allowance cut.”

I looked over at Leo, who had stopped spinning around the room, but now stood next to the table, his arms folded over his chest and his mouth set in a frown. “We’ll pass. It’s been an entertaining enough evening already. Can’t have too much excitement in one night.”

“And we should get an early night,” said Helen, as she faked a yawn. “All this excitement is exhausting.”

“You look like a woman who can hold her own.” Montgomery grinned at Helen. “I’ll get you playing cards with me one night.”

“I’m not a gambler,” said Helen.

“Then we can play strip poker,” said Montgomery.

“Good evening, Montgomery,” said Helen, as she stood and turned her back on him.

Montgomery laughed as he left the room, the bottles of alcohol tucked under his arms.

“You can calm down now,” I said to Leo. “No more spinning around the room like that. It makes me feel sick.”

“You weren’t the only one,” said Helen. “I couldn’t see what the ghost was doing, but I could feel it. It felt like I was on board a ship, and I don't have the best of sea legs. The salmon I ate at dinner is very unhappy at the moment.”

“Mine too,” I said. “And Leo upset Flipper and Big Ginge as well.”

Leo looked mournfully at the ground.

“I understand you’re not happy with some of the plans your family have, but there’s no point in trying to scare them out of the castle.”

Leo gave a shrug and then nodded.

“I might be tempted to do that if they were going to get rid of all of my beloved animals,” said Helen, “and replace them with some hippos, or whatever it is Julius wants to do. It’s so unfair Lady Cordelia is closing the sanctuary.”

Leo rattled the table and nodded.

“I agree. But this evening has shown us some useful things,” I said. “We now have a whole load of new suspects who would benefit from Leo’s death.”

Chapter 7

Despite sharing my bed with not only Flipper but also Big Ginge, I’d had a good night sleep, and awoke convinced Leo needed help. Even if it was just to help him figure out how he really died, I got the impression he wasn’t going to leave this castle until he knew what happened to him. And that meant he wouldn’t leave me alone until we’d resolved the reason for him remaining here.

And the more I found out about Leo and his family, the more I realized there were plenty of people who would benefit from his death, so murder was looking ever more likely.

I showered, and dressed in a smart black suit, before going to the kitchen with Flipper, Big Ginge following closely behind us. Before we got to the kitchen, he made a detour out of a cat flap and vanished.

Helen was already sitting at the kitchen table when we arrived, and Daphne was pouring boiling water into a teapot.

“Good morning,” said Daphne brightly. “I hope you enjoyed your first day in the castle.”

“Dinner was interesting,” I said, as I sat next to Helen.

“Helen was telling me all about it,” said Daphne.

“I’d just got to the part where Julius told Sebastien he was a greedy toy boy,” said Helen.

“And, let me guess, they then had a big argument?” Daphne set the teapot on the table and handed me a white cup.

“That’s right,” I said. “I’m guessing that’s something that happens around here often.”

“It does, but it’s the children who are the problem.” Daphne leaned on the back of a chair. “They’ve got lots of half thought-out ideas about what they want to do with the castle, and don’t consider anybody else. It’s not my place to say, but I think since Leo died, they’ve been allowed to run wild. They both have their own places down in London, all paid for by Lady Cordelia, plus they’ve been given their own car each. And neither of them works. Well, Tabitha goes into some little fashion magazine a couple of days a week, but I don’t think she gets a salary. And Julius struts around the estate make-believing he owns the castle. They run Lady Cordelia ragged and she’s struggling to hold things together.”

“Do you think Lady Cordelia misses Leo?” I asked.

Daphne scrubbed the end of her nose. “They were fond of each other, but it wasn’t the sort of love that set the sheets on fire every night. To begin with, I don’t think the age difference was an issue, but the older Leo got the more eccentric he became. And it irritated Lady Cordelia that he spent so much time on his passions.”

“You mean the cats?” I asked.

“He did love his animals,” said Daphne. “Have you been over to the animal sanctuary yet?”

“Not yet,” I said. “We might get a chance later after we've finished our work.”

“Leo spared no expense on the animals. I think that’s one of the things that irritated Lady Cordelia so much. He was happy to spend thousands on a new indoor heating system for the cats, but didn’t want to upgrade the system in the castle.”

The kitchen door slammed open and two women dashed in, both wearing matching black trousers and jackets. One of them held a hanky to her nose and the other’s cheeks were bright red, her eyes full of tears.

“Sandy! Nell! What’s the matter?” Daphne bustled over to them, a look of concern on her face.

“That dreadful woman is threatening to shut down the sanctuary.” The taller of the two women blew her nose into the hanky. “She’s got such a cold heart. How can she throw all those angels out? She’s hateful.”

“Sandy, that’s no way to talk about Lady Cordelia.” Daphne flapped her hands at Sandy. “Come sit at the table both of you and calm yourselves before you say something you’ll regret.” She ushered them in front of her and they both took seats.

The women eyed me and Helen and then looked at Daphne.

“You wouldn’t have met Lady Cordelia’s new employees, Lorna Shadow and Helen Holiday.” Daphne made the introductions.

“Sorry you’re having to work for such an awful woman,” said Sandy.

“What were you saying about her closing the sanctuary?” I asked.

“She hates cats.” Nell pushed her dark blonde messy curls off her face and scrubbed her eyes. “And she was jealous of the amount of time Leo spent at the sanctuary.”

“We were just talking about that.” Daphne passed around more mugs and filled everyone’s with strong tea. She put two sugar cubes in Nell and Sandy’s mugs.

“She can’t get rid of the sanctuary,” said Sandy. “Where will all the cats go?”

“And Leo would be dead against it if he was still here,” said Nell. “He always talked about having a permanent place for unwanted cats to live. He was adamant about that. But now he’s gone and Lady Cordelia can do what she likes. And I know Julius has been sniffing around as well, talking about having wild animals running loose in the estate.”

“With a bit of luck, one of them will eat him if he makes it happen,” said Sandy. “That will serve him right.”

The kitchen door was shoved open again, and this time Big Ginge strolled in, his tail raising as he saw us all sitting around the table.

“And here is one of Leo’s favorites.” Nell jumped up and grabbed hold of Big Ginge. “The two of them were inseparable. They went everywhere together. This little sweetie used to sit and watch for Leo to come to the sanctuary and would follow him around, double checking everything was under control with the other cats.”

“And Lady Cordelia hates the cats even more now,” said Sandy. “Since one of them smothered Leo in his sleep.”

Big Ginge struggled out of Nell’s grip and hopped to the ground, before strolling over and sniffing noses with Flipper.

“Is that what you think happened?” I asked Sandy.

“Not for a second,” said Sandy. “I’m sure something fishy is going on over the way Leo died. It was all kept quiet because the family didn’t want a scandal.”

“They think it will affect the bottom line if tourists know someone was killed here,” said Nell.

“You think Leo was killed?” asked Helen.

“What nonsense,” said Daphne. “It was a horrible accident that’s all. Don’t go putting daft ideas into these girls’ heads. They might decide to leave if they think the family are skulking around the corridors at night with dark intentions.”

Nell shrugged. “Lady Cordelia can do what she likes now Leo’s gone. I bet she did snuff him out. And by killing Leo she also removed the barrier that's been stopping her from getting rid of the cats.”

“And that means we’re out of work,” said Sandy. “We’ve lived on the estate for five years and I’d hate to leave. It would break my heart worrying about what happens to the cats. I expect Lady Cordelia will throw them in the lake.”

“Stop all this nasty talk,” said Daphne. “Lady Cordelia isn’t that bad. She may have ideas that are different from her late husband’s, but that doesn’t make her an evil person. You know things need to change here if they’re going to keep the castle running. Have you seen the East Wing? There’s damp on the walls and a hole in the roof that needs fixing.”

“So change something other than the sanctuary,” said Nell. “Open up more of the inside of the castle. Tourists would get a thrill if they saw the family sleeping in their fancy four-poster beds at night. They could even have peep shows when they’re in the shower. That would draw people in, if they got a chance to see how posh people take a wash.”

“You’re just being silly.” Daphne flapped a dishcloth at Nell. “I don’t agree with getting rid of the cats, but perhaps we can have both wild animals and cats in the grounds. That way everyone is happy.”

“I bet Lady Cordelia won’t like that.” Sandy snuffled in her hanky before drinking some tea.

“And it’s Julius who’s obsessed with having wild animals stalking around,” said Nell. “He thinks the cats are a waste of money because they don’t bring in a, what did he call it when he was explaining his stupid vision the other week, good return on investment, I think. As if you need to think about things like that when you’re looking after unwanted animals. The man has no heart. Just like his mother.”

“And Leo had too much.” Daphne gave a sad sigh. “He was too soft with the animals and the people who worked with them.” She gave Sandy and Nell a stern look. “Things will be different, but we all have to get used to that. It’s been almost a year since Leo’s gone and we knew changes were coming. I don’t imagine Lady Cordelia will want to change things quickly.”

“Maybe she’s hoping we’ll leave first and save her the trouble of firing us,” said Nell. “Every time she visits the sanctuary she always finds something to complain about. She’s just looking for a reason to get rid of it all.”

“Then make sure you do your jobs properly and she won’t have any cause for complaint,” said Daphne.

“Mind if we drop by the sanctuary at some point?” I asked Sandy and Nell. “I love animals, and it would be great to meet the cats.”

“You’d be welcome,” said Sandy. “We’re there every day. But if neither of us is around, feel free to look about. The cats always like visitors.”

“But you’d better hurry,” said Nell, a scowl making her blue eyes pinch at the corners. “Otherwise they’ll all be gone, thanks to Lady Cordelia.”

Sandy downed her tea and then stood. She looked over at Nell. “Come on, we’d better get back to the sanctuary. The cats need feeding and their litter cleaned out. There’s always so much work to be done.”

Nell tried to stroke Big Ginge, but he skipped around the kitchen just out of her reach. “The cats are much better company than people anyway.”

“I’m sure you don’t include us in that,” said Daphne.

“I guess you’re all right.” Nell stomped out of the kitchen, closely followed by Sandy.

“Welcome to the world of crazy cat ladies,” said Daphne. “Those two are so dedicated to their work, I’m surprised they don’t grow whiskers and tails of their own. I’m sure they’d be happier being cats than humans.”

That didn’t sound like a terrible swap to me. Cats got to spend most of their time sleeping, eating or exploring. Not a bad life if you can get it.

“They were right about Leo spending so much time at the sanctuary,” said Daphne. “I do hope Lady Cordelia has a change of heart and doesn’t shut it down. I’m not sure those two are suitable for working anywhere else. Leo spoiled them, and now he’s not here to look out for the sanctuary, they could fall apart.”

“We need to see this sanctuary for ourselves,” I said.

“If you’re into cats, it’s the place to be.” Daphne walked over to the kitchen counter and began arranging muffins on a plate.

I helped myself to two blueberry muffins Daphne placed on the table in front of me and then gestured to Helen to follow me out of the kitchen. We had suspects to discuss.

Helen grabbed her own muffins, and after a quick goodbye to Daphne, we left the kitchen, Flipper hot on my heels in the hope of getting some muffin of his own.

“Sandy and Nell don’t think much of the family.” Helen bit into her blueberry muffin. “And Lady Cordelia and Julius are on the top of their hate list.”

“I’ve been thinking Lady Cordelia was the main suspect in Leo’s death. But with Julius hating the way the castle is run and having his eye on changing things, we need to consider him a serious contender.”

“And Tabitha as well,” said Helen.

“What did she do to make you think she’s involved?”

“She was mean to us,” said Helen.

“Which makes her a killer?”

“Which makes her not a nice person.”

“She was pretty mean to Sebastien,” I said. “Okay, we may as well consider all possibilities.”

“And what about Sebastien?” asked Helen. “A younger lover with no money of his own arrives on the scene. Did he see an opportunity and decide to get rid of Leo so he could snag some cash?”

“I wonder how long he’s been around? Perhaps Lady Cordelia met him before Leo died.” I shook my head. “Sebastien doesn’t strike me as a money- grubber, though.”

“I don’t think he’s here for love,” said Helen. “You saw how he was getting annoyed with Lady Cordelia for fussing over him. She’s trying to shape him into her perfect boy toy by buying him gifts and clothes and showing him off to her friends.”

“He can go on the bottom of the list for now,” I said.

“And then there’s Montgomery,” said Helen. “A charming drunken younger brother who squanders all of his money.”

I immersed myself in a sweet blueberry muffin as I considered the growing list of suspects. “Let’s focus on Lady Cordelia first. I’ll see if I can find out anything useful when we’re working together today.”

“You think she has her world domination plan tucked away in a filing cabinet?” asked Helen.

“It would be handy if she did,” I said. “But I’m more interested in anything she has to say about Leo. She didn’t appear sad about his death when I mentioned it the first time we met. And she does have an awful lot to gain by him no longer being here. Maybe she got tired of having a much older husband who loved animals more than her. Then she met Sebastien, saw a chance to be wealthy and take a younger lover, and decided to do something about it.”

“There’s taking charge of your life and then there’s being a selfish animal hater who kills her husband,” said Helen.

I finished my second muffin, feeding Flipper the last bite much to his delight. “Let’s meet later at the cat sanctuary and I’ll let you know what I find out.”

Helen gave me a quick thumbs up as we parted ways, and I headed to Lady Cordelia’s study to start my first day of work.

The door was already open when I got there, and as I entered, I saw a wall covered with books, a large desk set by a bay window, and an enormous stone fireplace dominating one end of the room.

Lady Cordelia sat behind the desk. She had a pair of glasses perched on the end of her nose, and her hair clipped off her face as she studied a document in front of her.

She glanced up from her paperwork and gestured to a seat on the opposite side of the desk to her. “I hope you’re settling in well.”

“I think so.” I sat in the chair. “Thank you for dinner last night.”

Lady Cordelia peered at me in silence for several seconds. “Yes, dinner was an event. We didn’t get a chance to talk about your duties. My family can be feisty at times, and they rather took away my attention.”

“Sometimes you have the worst fights with the people you love the most.”

“I didn’t realize I’d employed a philosopher as well as a personal assistant.” A small smile played on Lady Cordelia’s lips. “But that is very true of this family. It won’t happen again. And I have a specific task for you to focus on in your first few weeks here.”

“What’s that?” I expected to be given the usual task of re-organizing the filing system or typing dictation and sending out letters.

“You’re to dispose of the cats.”

I blinked at Lady Cordelia. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Leo’s wretched cat sanctuary needs to go.” Lady Cordelia smacked a hand on the desk. “We need to change things on the estate, and the cats are a burden we can do without. Do you know how much it costs to run the sanctuary?”

I shook my head. “An animal sanctuary is never going to make you any money. But didn’t your late husband like animals and want to help them? He wouldn’t have set it up to make money.”

“He did adore animals. But as you rightly pointed out, he’s my late husband and doesn’t get a say in how this estate is run anymore.” Lady Cordelia’s top lip curled. “And I want those cats gone. It costs us almost one hundred thousand pounds a year to feed them and pay the staff bills. And they have indoor heated rooms. They’re animals for goodness sake, they don’t need heaters, they have fur.”

“Perhaps you can buy cheaper cat litter to cut down on costs?”

“There’s no point in trying to reduce the costs at the sanctuary,” said Lady Cordelia. The best thing to do is get rid of them. It will leave the way clear for us to expand and develop the estate without those mangy animals getting in the way.”

Any feelings of goodwill I had towards Lady Cordelia vanished and I narrowed my eyes. “And you want me to oversee getting rid of the sanctuary?”

“I know it’s not typical work for a personal assistant, but we need all hands on deck,” said Lady Cordelia. “Having looked at your CV and taken up your references, I know you’re a woman who can turn her hand to anything. Do this for me, and I’ll consider raising your salary when you’re successful.”

I blinked several times, processing the information, a sinking feeling in my stomach. “What do you suggest I do with the cats?”

“Do what you like with them.” Lady Cordelia shrugged her narrow shoulders. “Probably putting them to sleep is the best thing. No one else is going to want them.”

“You want me to arrange to have the cats killed?” My fists clenched in my lap as my feelings for Lady Cordelia morphed into hate.

“Or whatever you like,” said Lady Cordelia. “Get them out of my way and do it quickly. The sooner they’re gone the better. Consider this a test of your abilities, so I can see how adaptable you are.”

“I need some time to consider this,” I said. “Relocating fifty animals doesn’t happen overnight.”

“I want you to make it happen, and don’t take long about it. Having those cats everywhere is a reminder of Leo and what he used to spend his time on.” Lady Cordelia let out a sigh as she removed her glasses and cleaned the lenses. “Lorna, do you believe in reincarnation?”

“I’m not sure,” I said slowly. Would a ghost be considered a form of reincarnation? The dead were coming back, but in their same form. I guess that could be reincarnation. “Why do you ask?”

“Because if such a thing exists, I know for sure Leo would have come back as a cat. For all I know, he might be one of the new intakes at the sanctuary, stalking around and seeing what the rest of us are doing.” Lady Cordelia laughed bitterly. “And I know, if he could have done, he’d have married a cat.”

I bit my bottom lip. “I don’t think that’s legal.”

Lady Cordelia placed her glasses down gently. “Yes, well, just deal with the cats. That’s your first and only task for now. I hope you won’t let me down on this.”

I swallowed. I could hardly refuse my new employer the first task she’d given me, despite the thought of having to send those cats away to goodness knows where was making me feel sick. “I’ll look into it right away.”

Lady Cordelia stood and strode out from behind her desk. “You may use whatever resources are in here, and you have your own laptop over on that desk.” She pointed behind me to a small desk set up in the corner of the room. “But get to work on dealing with the cats first. We’ll sort out the rest of your duties at a later date.” She left the room and closed the door behind her.

I looked down at Flipper, my stomach churning with a mixture of shock and horror.

Lady Cordelia was now back on the top of my suspect list.

Chapter 8

I spent the morning researching local animal sanctuaries, thinking I’d be able to relocate the cats to other places that loved animals as much as Leo had. I had a list of contacts to call, but felt in need of a break before I started. And since I was going to be the one in charge of getting rid of the sanctuary, I needed to see it for myself.

The autumn sun was still warm as I walked into the grounds, Flipper by my side, his nose in the air as he caught an interesting smell. So far, autumn seemed to be holding off, despite the hints of orange and brown in the trees.

I spotted a sign saying Sanctuary, and headed along the path towards it.

Flipper increased his pace and his ears shot up.

“You go steady with these cats,” I said to him. “Some of them will not like you and you don’t want to scare them.”

Flipper gave me a look as if to say as if I would. But he slowed his pace and remained by my side.

We reached a small wooden office block, and I knocked on the door and walked in.

Sandy was behind the desk, three cats sitting on top of the reception area. They all paused in their grooming activities and regarded me with large eyes.

“I hope you don’t mind me dropping by,” I said to Sandy, instantly feeling guilty at knowing what I was going to have to do to the sanctuary. “I’m earlier than I’d planned to be.”

Sandy stood from the desk and smiled at me. “You’re welcome. Fancy coming and hanging out with some cool cats?”

“If you’ve got the time to show me around that will be great,” I said. “And Flipper wouldn’t mind tagging along as well. He loves cats.”

“So long as he behaves himself, then he’s welcome,” said Sandy. She scooped a large white cat off the counter and settled him in her arms. “This one’s called Stevie.”

“You name all your cats?” I tickled Stevie behind his ears.

“Every single one.” Pride resonated through Sandy’s voice. “Some of them come to us with names, but others we have no clue about their background, so we pick a name that suits their personality.”

Stevie purred loudly and pressed against my hand.

“I’ll show you the animal homes.” Sandy pulled open the door and I followed her out with Flipper. “We don’t like to call them cages. And they’re top of the range, with all the toys and luxuries a cat could dream of. And some of the cats have had such a bad time of it, they deserve to be pampered.”

It was like Sandy was deliberately trying to make me feel even guiltier, being the tyrant who’d be throwing out these poor abused babies. We walked along a neat gravel pathway, and I could hear the sound of cats meowing as we drew nearer.

“We have ten cat homes per row.” Sandy pointed at the large, metal cages. “They have an indoor section where they can sleep or get away from prying eyes if they want a bit of privacy. And then they all have their own outdoor runs. Each cat is separated if they don't come in with a sibling or friend, so there’s no problems with fighting or any of them sneakily getting together and breeding. But we neuter and spay the cats when they arrive if it hasn’t already been done. Kittens are so cute, but they need a lot of looking after.”

Flipper poked his nose at one of the cages, and a large black paw appeared and swiped at him. He backed up swiftly and gave me a worried glance.

Sandy laughed. “That’s Panther in there. And he lives up to his name. He’s the biggest black cat I’ve ever seen with a temper to match.”

I peered cautiously into the cage, and was met by a pair of unblinking green eyes. “He’s beautiful, if a little scary.”

“We’ve had him here a long time,” said Sandy. “Most of the cats here have what I call special needs. Some have behavioral problems or have been so badly treated they don’t trust people any more. Can’t say I blame them when you hear some of the horror stories about what people do to their animals.”

I ruffled Flipper’s fur, recalling our first meeting, when he’d been dumped on the side of the road as a puppy. “People can be so thoughtless.”

“At least we’re here to show there’s some good in the world,” said Sandy.

I nodded, guilt running through me like acid. I would find these cats amazing new homes.

Sandy led me along the rest of the pens, introducing me to all the cats and giving me information on each of their backgrounds. It was such a great setup, and I could understand why Leo was so passionate about helping these animals.

“When I think about what Lady Cordelia wants to do to the sanctuary, it makes me sick.” Sandy walked me and Flipper back to the office, Stevie now asleep in her arms. “She wasn’t always like this, though.”

“What made her change?” I asked.

“Ever since Sebastien came on the scene, she’s been different. Until then, Lady Cordelia was content enough to let Leo get on with his work with the cats. She didn’t like it, but I think it gave her the chance to have some time on her own.”

“Did she meet Sebastien before Leo died?”

Sandy deposited a sleeping Stevie on the desk. “I wouldn’t know. But he showed up quickly enough after Leo died.”

“And Sebastien is making Lady Cordelia get rid of the animals?” I didn't think Sebastien had shown any dislike of the cats when we were looking around the castle, and hadn't complained about Flipper and Big Ginge when they were in the dining room.

“I don’t know much about him,” said Sandy. “He seems too young for Lady Cordelia. But I can see why he’s interested in her. She’s a recent widow with money. I guess a man can overlook a few years if he can get his hands on some of that cash.”

“I’ve met Sebastien, he seems like a nice guy to me.”

“I didn’t say he wasn’t nice,” said Sandy. “But nice guys can’t live on fresh air.” She bent down and stroked the back of a skinny tortoiseshell cat who emerged from behind the desk.

“The sanctuary is great,” I said, deciding it was time to come clean. “And I hate to have to tell you this, but Lady Cordelia has put me in charge of making sure it closes.”

Sandy’s green eyes narrowed. “So you’re here finding out how the place is run? You’re trying to see what we’re doing wrong so you have good reason to shut it down?”

I held my hands up as I shook my head. “Absolutely not. The sanctuary is an amazing place, and I’m not happy she’s put me in charge of closing it.”

“So stop her from doing it,” said Sandy. “Tell her she’s wrong and you can see how important this place is.”

“She won’t listen to me, her mind’s made up. But I’ll do what I can to slow things down,” I said. “Perhaps you can get Lady Cordelia out here and show her all the great things you do? That might make her think differently about the place.”

“She won’t be interested in that,” said Sandy. “The few times she has been out here since Leo died, all she’s done is complain. She loathes this place. Giving her some fancy tour and trying to get her excited about unloved cats is out of the question. And she wouldn’t want to mess up her designer shoes.”

“I’m on your side with this,” I said. “If we can find any way to keep the sanctuary going, I’ll make sure it happens. But if I can’t, then at least between us we can make sure the animals go to safe places. I’ve already got a list of local rescue centers that could take them in.”

Sandy folded her arms over her chest and gave a huff. “It’s not right her making you do this. If she wants to get rid of these lovely animals then she should do it herself. She should look each cat in the eye and see just how mean she’s being.”

“Best if Lady Cordelia's not directly involved. She did mention putting them to sleep.”

Sandy gave a strangled sounding cry. “I won’t let her near them if she thinks she’s going to do that.”

“And neither will I,” I said. “I’ll keep you informed as to what’s going on. You won’t come here one morning and find all the cats gone.”

“Well, I should be grateful for small things,” said Sandy. “When I tell Nell she’ll be furious. She’s more obsessed with the cats than me. She hates the idea that Lady Cordelia is going to change things.”

“Tell her gently,” I said. “Perhaps the two of you can take some of the cats home with you.”

“That’s another problem,” said Sandy. “We both live on site. The jobs come with accommodation, so not only are we going to have no work, we’re going to be out of our homes.”

I shook my head, wishing I could say something else to reassure Sandy. “I’ll do what I can to help you.” My mobile rang and I gave Sandy a quick wave goodbye, before answering it. I smiled as I recognized the number.

“How’s your first day at work going?” asked Zach.

“I’m surrounded by cats.” I walked a few steps away from the sanctuary.

“Cats?”

“That’s right, and Flipper is in his element,” I said. “He’s trying to make friends with every cat he meets, but they don’t seem sure about him.”

“And dare I ask about the castle’s other residents?” Caution threaded through Zach’s words.

“I’ve only seen one ghost,” I said. “Actually, I’m quite disappointed about that. I expected to be walking into them every time I turned a corner. It seems like the castle isn’t as full of ghosts as the website claims.”

“That’s a relief to hear,” said Zach. “I was thinking you’d be surrounded by unhappy ghosts demanding your attention. But one ghost is okay.”

“I can handle this one. In fact, he seems like a nice old man. He’s not caused me any problems.” I paused. Zach would not like me revealing this next bit of news. “But I don’t think he died of natural causes.”

I heard Zach exhale down the phone. “You think he was murdered?”

“Looks like it,” I said.

“Do I need to warn you to be careful?”

“I’ll do the best I can,” I said.

“That’s all I can ask of you,” said Zach. “If you get into trouble let me know.”

“You know you’re my favorite ghost hunter.”

Zach snorted. “I’m not a ghost hunter, but I like to make sure you’re safe.”

“Okay, you’re my gardening knight in shining armor.”

“That compliment I will accept.”

I grinned to myself. I loved having Zach as my protector. I’d held back from accepting his help in the past, but it didn’t feel right when he wasn't around, and I liked to know I had him to rely on, no matter how spooky and weird the situation became.

“I was also calling because I’ve seen details of a house that looks good. Plenty of bedrooms, needs a bit of work, but well within budget,” said Zach.

“Sounds great,” I said. “Fix up a time and we’ll go and see it.”

“How about tomorrow evening?”

“It’s a date,” I said. “Shall I bring Helen?”

“Maybe not,” said Zach. “Let’s have a look at it just the two of us to begin with. If we think it’s got possibilities, we can get Gunner and Helen along for a second viewing. I’m not sure I can take any more of their bickering right now.”

I laughed. “I've mentioned the bickering to Helen, but I’m not sure it’s going to help at all. And she’s determined to prove me wrong, and show she’s not interested in Gunner.”

Zach sighed down the phone again. “I’ll look forward to their next round of bickering then. I’ll send you the details of the house so you can have a look and see what you think of it.”

We’d just said our goodbyes, and I turned back towards the house, when the air around me chilled and a wave of dizziness ran through me.

“Leo?” I clutched my arms around my stomach, my vision going blurry. Where was Flipper? I’d been so busy chatting to Zach I hadn’t noticed him disappear.

The air got even colder and my teeth began to chatter. “Leo, stop messing about. I know you’re here.”

In the distance, I heard Flipper bark, and a spitting hiss from a cat. I spun around and saw Flipper facing off with an angry looking tabby and white cat.

“Flipper, I could do with some help here.” My words croaked out of me as my bones began to chill.

In front of me, a haze spread across the ground. I staggered backwards as the figure of a lady in a long blue gown appeared. Her eye sockets were hollow and her mouth opened in what looked like a silent scream.

My hand went to my own mouth as the ghostly lady shimmered in front of me and raised an arm.

I heard Flipper bark again, but it sounded far away this time.

Leo suddenly popped into view, caught hold of the other ghost, and they both vanished.

Chapter 9

I let out a shaky sigh as the temperature returned to normal. I got the impression the blue lady ghost was not a benevolent one.

Flipper dashed to my side, and away from the cat he’d been trying to make friends with. He gave me what I thought was an apologetic look as he circled the spot where the two ghosts had been.

Leo reappeared in front of me and gave me a bow.

“Thanks for helping out with the other ghost,” I said to him.

He nodded and looked down at Flipper who was now circling him.

“Don’t worry, I think Leo is our friend,” I said to Flipper. Now Leo had arrived, I was already feeling better. It was that initial energy sapping arrival of a ghost that always got to me. Especially when that ghost didn't look like she wanted to make friends.

Leo nodded and patted the top of Flipper’s head.

“I’ve been spending some time with your lovely cats,” I said to him as I shook the chill off and continued to walk back towards the castle.

Leo smiled and looked over his shoulder at the sanctuary.

“I’ve also been trying to find out who could have killed you,” I said. “If you’re convinced it wasn’t a cat, then we have a few suspects we need to look into.”

Leo drifted along beside me as a cool breeze slipped through the garden. He pointed at his ring finger.

“You think it was Lady Cordelia?” I said to him. “Do you remember seeing her before you died?”

Leo shook his head and then looked around the garden. He disappeared, returning a few seconds later with a yellow daisy in his hand.

“Is this for me?” I took the flower quickly, knowing how strange it would appear to anyone who was watching me and saw a flower bobbing along next to me.

Leo shook his head, took the flower back and held it to his nose.

I grabbed the flower again. “You smelt flowers just before you died?”

Leo tilted his head from side to side.

“Not flowers, but something floral,” I said. “A woman’s perfume?”

Leo nodded.

That was another black mark against Lady Cordelia. “I’ve been discovering your wife is not happy with all the time and money you spent on the cats.”

Leo gave a shrug.

“Was she was unhappy enough to do something about that?”

I got another shrug in response to that question.

“What about Tabitha?” I said. “If you’re sure it was a woman who killed you, she might have been wearing the perfume you smelled. Did the two of you have a falling out before you died?”

Leo shook his head and gestured at the flower again.

The sound of two women arguing drifted towards me. I increased my speed and rounded the corner of the castle to find Lady Cordelia and Nell glaring at each other.

“You’re no longer welcome here.” Lady Cordelia jabbed her finger at Nell.

Nell’s cheeks paled as she took a step closer to Lady Cordelia. “You have no right to get rid of me. Leo wanted me here. He knew how much I love those animals.”

“You’re as crazy as him,” said Lady Cordelia. “And it’s time all of you went. I want you gone and I want the cats gone too.”

“You can’t get rid of them,” shouted Nell. “Leo won’t allow it.”

“Fortunately for me, Leo is dead,” said Lady Cordelia. “Which means I can do whatever I like to the cats because they’re on my estate. As are you.”

“This was Leo’s estate,” said Nell. “You probably married him so you could get your hands on all of this. You should respect his wishes.”

“What do you know of Leo’s wishes?” Lady Cordelia folded her arms over her chest and raised her chin.

“Even though he’s no longer here, you know he loved those cats,” spat out Nell. “He would never want them gone. You’re dishonoring his memory by even thinking about getting rid of them.”

“I don’t care what you think about my late husband, or those animals,” said Lady Cordelia. “I want you to leave this estate. You are no longer employed here.”

“You can’t make me leave.” Nell stamped her foot. “I will not abandon the cats.”

“I will call the police if you don’t leave the estate immediately.”

Flipper spotted another cat skulking across the grass, and ran out from behind the bush, where I’d been discreetly watching Lady Cordelia and Nell.

Lady Cordelia glanced over and spotted me, her lips pinching together as she moved away from Nell towards me. “This conversation is over.”

I took a deep breath and approached Lady Cordelia. “I didn’t mean to listen in, but heard you arguing and came to make sure everything was okay.”

“Everything is not okay,” said Lady Cordelia. She looked back at Nell who hadn’t moved. “But I am sorry you had to see this. Nell has always been a difficult employee. I would have let her go a long time ago, but Leo was stubborn and insisted she stayed. He called her a cat whisperer, said she could bring around the most timid of cats.”

“I only met Nell this morning, and she seems very into her animals.”

“She does have that in common with my late husband,” said Lady Cordelia. “If anything, she’s worse with the cats than Leo was. But Nell will calm down. She always gets angry and starts shouting before she’s had a chance to think.”

“This isn’t the first time you’ve argued?”

Lady Cordelia smiled wryly. “No, and I’ve seen her like this before. But it’s time for her to move on, her and Sandy. I want to give them time to get themselves sorted and find somewhere new to live. And I know taking away the animal sanctuary is not a kind thing to do to them, but I have to think about the bigger picture.”

“You never know, Nell might take some of the cats with her when she goes,” I said. “That will help you out.”

“I’ll be glad if she does. And she’ll need the company. No man will ever want Nell and her cat obsession.” Lady Cordelia tapped her manicured nails on her thigh as she stared at Nell. “Although, I did wonder...”

“What did you wonder?”

“Well, Leo and Nell were close, always had their heads buried together, fussing over a cat.” Lady Cordelia laughed. “It’s silly really, but I wondered if sometimes they were closer than they should be.”

My eyebrows shot up. “You think Nell had a relationship with Leo?”

“Not really,” said Lady Cordelia. “Maybe I’m just jealous that they had something they shared. It’s been a while since I’ve had that with anyone.”

“Sebastien seems nice,” I said. “You must be able to share things with him.”

Lady Cordelia looked over at me. “I do, but it is different. Anyway, how are you getting on with removing the cats?”

“I went to the sanctuary this afternoon,” I said. “The setup there is great. Is there no way you can keep it?”

“It’s out of the question,” said Lady Cordelia, her gaze hardening. “Just get a move on with whatever it is you have planned. I don’t want any more flea bags running around in my castle.”

“I’m working on it,” I said. “But I’ll need a bit more time.”

“I want to see results in the next two weeks,” said Lady Cordelia. “If you haven’t figured out where those cats are going, I’ll have to put my own plans into action. And Sandy and crazy Nell won’t like that.” She strode away across the gravel towards the main entrance of the castle, ignoring Nell as she did so.

I watched Lady Cordelia leave, with a heavy heart. This was definitely not in the job description I’d read, and I couldn’t help but feel peeved at being given such a thankless task. Whatever I did, someone would be unhappy, and if I annoyed Lady Cordelia too badly she might decide I wasn’t suitable for this job and I’d find myself out of work.

I called Flipper away from his pursuit of another cat, before turning and almost walking into Montgomery.

“Listening into Lady Cordelia’s little spat were you?” He lounged against the castle wall, dressed in crumpled linen trousers and a matching green jacket.

“Not deliberately,” I said. “But it was hard not to listen in, given how loud they were being.” I glanced over my shoulder and saw Nell storming off.

“Cordelia’s always arguing with somebody,” said Montgomery. “She’s never happy unless she’s making somebody else miserable.”

“Does that include you?”

“Most of the time.” Montgomery grinned at me. “Fancy a drink and I’ll tell you all about my sad little life?”

I wasn’t much of a drinker, but having just spent a stressful afternoon trying to help fifty unloved cats, a drink sounded like a good idea.

“Why not,” I said. “Lead the way.”

Chapter 10

Montgomery held his arm out, and I took it as we made our way inside the castle and along a dark, stone passageway hidden behind a tapestry in the hallway. It was lit with buzzing electric bulbs that gave the space an eerie vibe.

“Where are you taking me?” I peered at one of the denser looking patches of shadow, Flipper reassuringly pressing against my leg. “Better not be back to that torture room.”

Montgomery laughed. “Oh no, I always save the torture room for a special occasion.”

“Like a romantic third date?”

Montgomery grinned. “Women can’t seem to get enough of all that blood and torture stuff.”

I shot him a sharp glance out of the corner of my eye and he laughed again.

“This doesn’t look like it’s a part of the public route around the castle.” I brushed a cobweb aside with my hand.

“You’d be right there,” said Montgomery. “This castle comes with its own set of secret corridors. They were created when the monasteries were dissolved under Henry VIII and the poor priests needed somewhere to hide. There are all sorts of secret corridors and priest holes in here. This corridor runs parallel to the main hallway in the castle. It comes out in the games room.”

I felt a shiver of excitement at the thought of being able to creep around the castle with no one knowing where I was. There could be dozens of wide-eyed tourists standing on the other side of the wall, and they’d never know we were there.

Montgomery stopped and pressed his hand against the wall. I heard a click and a crack of light appeared in front of us. “It’s pretty nifty, isn’t it?”

I nodded as I watched him pushed the door open to reveal the games room.

Montgomery led me and Flipper into the room, which was full of comfortable chairs, a large overflowing drinks cabinet, several games consoles, and an enormous pool table. “Will you join me for a martini?”

“Sounds good.” I did a quick circuit of the room, inhaling old cigar smoke and a hint of whiskey as I did so.

“Take a seat.” Montgomery walked over to the drinks cabinet and began to mix the martinis. “Sometimes you need one of these after working here. I find martinis make the world a happier place, give everything a pretty glow.”

“My first day wasn’t so bad,” I said, as I sat on a brown leather sofa and Flipper settled by my feet. “But Lady Cordelia is insisting I help to get rid of the cat sanctuary. I hadn’t planned on leaving my mark on the place by doing that.”

Montgomery shook his head as he carried the drinks over and sat next to me. “She does know how to puncture people’s happiness. My brother loved those cats, so I guess that’s why she wants to get rid of them.”

I took the martini glass from Montgomery and took a sip. It almost made my eyes water it was so strong. No wonder his world got fuzzy after drinking a couple of these. “Do you think she’s doing it out of spite? Getting rid of something Leo loved because she was unhappy with him?”

“She could be.” Montgomery leaned back and draped his arm along the sofa. “I try not to get involved in castle politics, though. Being the younger brother, it means I don’t have any responsibilities. I was never expected to do anything, and Leo always loved that kind of thing. He enjoyed organizing and making plans for the future. So long as he gave me a bit of money now and again, I was happy to play along and agree with whatever he wanted. And I enjoyed getting to hang out here. As you see, the castle is a lot of fun.”

“You must miss him,” I said. “Was Leo your only brother?”

Montgomery nodded and the glitter of amusement in his eyes faded. “It was just the two of us. But I knew Leo would always want to be in charge of the castle. He didn’t even try to teach me the ropes, and was planning on bringing in an estate manager when he retired.”

“And you weren’t the tiniest bit jealous that Leo got all this?”

Montgomery shrugged. “I don’t handle stress well. Can you imagine what a nightmare dealing with this place is? All the staff, the noisy tourists hanging around, and the money you have to look after! No, I never wanted to have anything to do with this place. Leo had the right idea wanting to bring in a professional to look after everything.”

I risked another sip of martini. “Isn’t Julius taking over?”

Montgomery laughed. “I’d do a better job than he would. That kid will give himself an ulcer if he doesn’t learn to relax. I don’t think he’s ever given himself a day off in his life, always chasing after some new scheme or trying to figure out how to run things. Why bother? Give someone else the job and take the profits.”

“Julius seemed convinced over dinner that he was now looking after the estate.”

“I don’t see it happening,” said Montgomery. “And I’m going to have to step up a bit more now. Cordelia’s been hinting that she’s going to stop my allowance if I don’t start working for it. She mentioned me becoming the entertainment manager.”

“That could be interesting.”

“I can’t think of anything worse.” Montgomery grimaced. “But the work will fit with my hours. I’m a night owl, so you never see me about much before noon. And I do enjoy a good party.”

“That might not be the sort of thing Lady Cordelia was thinking of,” I said. “I expect she wants to see events for families and children not boozy soirees and late-night parties.”

“You’re probably right. What about you, Lorna Shadow, do you like to play?” Montgomery twirled a strand of my hair around his finger.

“I do with the right person.” I inched away from Montgomery. “My boyfriend.”

“You’ve got one of those,” said Montgomery, dropping his hand and returning to his drink. “That’s disappointing. And I suppose you’re blissfully happy with this chap?”

“I am,” I said. “We’re buying a house together.”

“That’s horribly serious,” said Montgomery. His expression brightened and he gave me a wicked grin. “But what about Helen? Is she single?”

I paused as I considered the question. She was single, but I knew she liked Gunner.

“Your hesitation is making me interested,” said Montgomery. “Please tell me she’s a party girl. I’ve been looking for someone to have some fun with. My nephew and niece are more of a nuisance than anything else, and now Leo’s gone, I’m all alone. Partying on your own isn’t much fun.”

“It’s complicated,” I said. “There is someone on the scene, but they aren’t together. I think it’s only a matter of time before something happens.”

“That means Helen's single,” said Montgomery. “I should ask her out.”

“It does mean she’s single, but the person who’s interested in her is a police officer. It might not be wise to tread on his toes.”

Montgomery downed half of his drink and then hiccupped. “I don’t want to mess with a cop’s totty. Fair enough, you’re both out of bounds. But if anything changes, let me know.” He winked at me.

I smiled at him over the rim of my glass. Montgomery was an incorrigible flirt, but nothing more. “Will do. Did you and Leo often go out partying?”

“When we were younger,” said Montgomery. “But there’s a sixteen year age gap between us, and as he got older, he wanted to play less. Or maybe Cordelia didn’t like him going out with me. Whatever the reason, he spent more and more time with his cats. Better that than hanging out with Cordelia, I suppose.”

“And now Lady Cordelia is going to get rid of them,” I said.

Montgomery took my glass and refilled it before returning to his seat. “There’s something of a mystery there.”

“What kind of mystery?” I took the glass from him and leaned closer.

“Cordelia has been secretive in regards to Leo’s will. I was sure he’d updated it, and he mentioned to me something about leaving things for a friend of his. But he was elusive and I couldn’t get much out of him. At the time, I wondered if he’d found himself a lady, someone sweeter than Cordelia.”

“Did you ever see him with another woman?”

“No, and he didn’t mention her by name. But he told me he wanted to rewrite his will so the cats would be properly cared for as would his new friend. I pressed him on it, but he wouldn’t give me any more information. He did say something about wanting this friend to help with the cats.”

“And you think Lady Cordelia is hiding this information?” I asked. “Could she have this new will and not be telling people about it?”

“Haven’t got a clue,” said Montgomery. “All I know is what Leo told me. And I was surprised when his will was read.”

“How did Leo divide his assets up?”

“Just as everyone thought he would. Cordelia was to take over the estate. There were trust funds for the children, and a small amount of money for me, although I wish it had been more. But nothing about this mysterious person or the cats. And that shocked me.”

“How could Lady Cordelia hide this new will?” I asked. “Won’t there be copies stored with a solicitor?”

“Money has power.” Montgomery tapped the side of his nose. “If she wanted the will to vanish, she could make it happen. Her uncle runs the law firm that deals with all the family business.”

I wasn’t so sure wills could simply vanish. Since Montgomery was being so open, I decided to push my luck. “You don’t think something bad happened to Leo?” I watched Montgomery intently as I asked the question. After all, I did have him on my suspect list.

Montgomery laughed. “Do you think someone got rid of him so they could get their hands on his cash?”

I looked around the expensively decorated room. “Money does make people do strange things.”

“Then you’d better include me if you think something like that happened,” said Montgomery. “I’m poor since Leo died. And if Cordelia carries out her threat to cut me off if I don’t start working for the estate, then I’ll be in even more dire straits. And women do not chase after poor men, so I need a lot of cash.”

I chewed on my bottom lip as I studied Montgomery. For all his bluster, he did care for Leo, and I wasn’t getting any sense from him that he would kill his only brother. “Just assuming someone did want to hurt Leo, who would you put at the top of your suspect list?”

“Whoever’s got the most to gain from him dying.” Montgomery sat up straight in his seat, his martini glass shaking slightly in his hand. “You’re being serious? Do you really think somebody hurt Leo?”

I placed my glass down and clasped my hands together. There was never an easy way to tell someone this sort of news. And I wasn’t going to reveal to Montgomery that his brother’s ghost was the reason I was investigating his death. “Leo wasn’t old when he died, and I was surprised to learn he’d been smothered by a cat.”

Montgomery scratched his hand through his messy blond hair. “It’s not your typical way to die. But I can’t imagine anyone in this family being mean enough to actually hurt Leo. I don’t think he ever fell out with anybody. Well, never had a serious argument with them. And he was never the sort to go to bed on an argument. Even when Cordelia was being a proper cow to him.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” I said. “I’m known for having an overactive imagination.”

Montgomery raised his eyebrows. “That’s something I’d be interested in exploring.”

I shook my head, feeling my cheeks heat up as Montgomery’s grin widened. “It’s not as exciting as you’re imagining.”

Montgomery laughed and downed the rest of his drink, before slapping his thighs and standing up. “Enough of this serious talk about cats, horrible sister-in-law, and who’d want to snuff out my lovely brother. Let me see how good you are at playing pool.”

I took another sip of my drink, before accepting the pool cue Montgomery handed me. As I watched him rack the balls and take the first shot, I mulled over our conversation. The missing will could be crucial in Leo’s death. Lady Cordelia would have benefited from hiding the updated will to avoid missing out on some of the estate and the cats having to stay.

I needed to find a copy of this new will and reveal what it had to say.

Chapter 11

The sound of grinding gears and shouting woke me the next morning. I gave Flipper a quick cuddle before hopping out of bed and peering out the window to see what was going on.

In front of the house, stood three white work vans and a yellow digger.

I dressed quickly and hurried out of my room, almost colliding with Helen as I did so.

“What’s all that noise about?” asked Helen. “I was having a lovely dream about a prince coming to rescue me from an evil dragon. The prince was all buff and hunky, and kept bossing me around in his posh voice.”

I grinned at her. “Found any princes in the castle yet so you can live out that fantasy?”

“None that aren’t mounted on the wall in a painting,” said Helen. “The lack of eligible bachelors around here is an annoyance.”

“Not interested in Julius?”

“He’s a child!” said Helen.

“He must be at least twenty.”

“Too young for me,” said Helen. “Anyway, what’s going on outside?”

“Looks like they’re having some work done on the estate,” I said. “Shall we go and see what they’re up to?”

Helen nodded and we headed out the main castle door. I spotted three workmen in fluorescent jackets wandering about between the vans.

“Look, it’s Julius,” said Helen.

Julius stood in front of one of the workmen, a clipboard in one hand and a phone up to his ear. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but his tone sounded petulant and was too high-pitched to be anything good.

The man next to him kept shaking his head and frowning. Whatever was going on it didn’t look like good news.

“What’s he up to?” I said. “I hope it’s not got anything to do with his animal park plans. This place is not set up for the arrival of tigers.”

Julius threw his clipboard to the ground and gestured wildly at the man in front of him.

“Montgomery thinks Julius needs to calm down,” I said, as I watched him jabbing his finger at the other man.

“When did you speak to him?” asked Helen.

“Yesterday evening,” I said.

“I wondered what happened to you,” said Helen. “I had to eat dinner alone.”

“The sacrifice was worth it,” I said. “As was my martini headache this morning. Montgomery was very chatty and had useful information about a missing will.”

“A missing will! Does he have any idea what this will said?”

“We had a few guesses, but he wasn’t sure. There was mention of a secret friend of Leo’s and some money for the cats. Montgomery thinks Lady Cordelia is hiding the will so she doesn’t lose out on what she thinks she’s entitled to.”

“Another good reason for Lady Cordelia to kill Leo,” said Helen. “If she thought she was going to be swindled out of some money by a bunch of cats, she’d want to put a stop to that.”

Julius shouted in alarm, and I looked over to see one of the workmen had him by his jacket lapels. “Come on, looks like Julius needs saving.”

“If you think I’m going to take orders from you, you jumped-up little brat, then you can think again.” The muscled workman who had Julius by the collar, was resting his forehead against his. I could smell the testosterone in the air as we approached.

“It’s what you’re paid to do,” squeaked Julius. “I’m your boss.”

“No you’re not,” said the workman.

“Is there a problem?” I asked, as I reached Julius’s side. I could see his legs were shaking.

“This little shrimp needs to learn some manners,” said the workman, not taking his angry glare away from Julius. “He’s ordering me around like he owns me.”

“Bruce won’t do what I want him to,” said Julius. “All I asked was that he start on the foundation work this week.”

“And I told you that’s not possible,” said Bruce, his dark eyes narrowing. “We have a schedule here, and those foundations don’t get started for another two months.”

“But I’ve ordered the giraffes!”

“You’ve done what?” said Helen.

“I got a good deal on two giraffes from a zoo who needed to get rid of them.” Julius struggled in Bruce’s grip, but he refused to let go.

“Maybe you need to take a break.” I touched Bruce’s muscled forearm as he growled at Julius.

He shot me an angry stare but then let out a sigh and dropped his hold on Julius. “This guy doesn’t know what he's doing. If we start those foundations now, then the security measures for the lions aren’t going to be ready in time. You will have caged lions with no outside space. It won’t be safe for anyone, and it won’t be right for the big cats. I’ve done this sort of work before, and they don’t do well in enclosed spaces.”

“Big cats and giraffes,” said Helen. “I thought the animal park was only an idea?”

Julius brushed down his jacket and frowned at Bruce. “You can go.”

Bruce took a step towards Julius and he scuttled backwards.

“We’ll try to calm him down,” I muttered to Bruce. “I’m sure he’s just made a mistake.”

“He’d better have made a mistake.” Bruce scrubbed a hand across his stubble. “I’ll pull my men off this job if I have to.” He stalked away, shooting menacing glares over his shoulder at Julius as he did so.

“I knew I’d made a mistake hiring him.” Julius retrieved his dropped clipboard and brushed dirt off it. “He’s supposed to be an expert when it comes to creating new wildlife parks, but the man doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

“You’re really doing it?” I asked Julius. “The animal park is happening?”

“Of course,” said Julius. “I’ve been planning it for months. I talked about it with father several times but he never took me seriously. Now I get the chance to prove I can create something from this failing place.”

“The castle looks like it’s doing alright to me,” said Helen. “There’s already a queue of visitors waiting to get in.” She pointed to the long line of people waiting by the ticket office.

Julius shrugged. “Those people pay for the basics, but we have to expand and grow our income. The animal park will ensure we do that. I have everything in hand. Although, I need to get a better work crew. I’m not going to work with that idiot.”

I looked over to where the workmen were gathered, muttering to each other and staring at Julius. Seemed like the feeling was mutual.

“Is Lady Cordelia happy with the animal park?” I asked Julius. “She didn’t seem so certain when we had dinner the other night.”

“Mommy is far too busy with her toy boy to care what goes on here,” said Julius. “Besides, I’m in charge. Father left the estate in my hands.”

I was sure that wasn’t true. If what Montgomery said last night was reliable, then Lady Cordelia inherited everything at Gillan Castle.

“Will your animal park include the cat sanctuary?” I asked.

“Those ratty old things are going to have to go,” said Julius. “I have plans to put alpacas on that site and offer people an alpaca trek experience. They pay money and get to walk around with a friendly alpaca for an hour or two. People love that sort of thing.”

“Won’t the big cats eat the alpacas?” asked Helen.

“And the people walking the alpacas,” I said.

“They’ll all be separated.” Julius gave an irritated sigh as he looked at his clipboard. “I do know what I’m doing.”

I doubted that. “There must be room for the cats. You’ve got plenty of acres here to fit everything in. And people can never resist a sad-faced cat. It could be another feature of the animal park.”

“There’s no room for those cats,” said Julius, not bothering to look up from his clipboard. “Every acre is accounted for. Alongside the animals there will be visitor lodges, so people can spend a weekend here. There will also be lodges for the additional staff and places to store machinery and feed for the animals. I can’t have domestic cats taking up valuable space. No one will be interested in them.”

A three-legged black and white cat limped towards us, and Flipper walked over to greet it. The cat was initially cautious, but they were soon bobbing heads, and it followed Flipper back towards us when he returned to my side.

“You see that thing there.” Julius pointed at the cat. “Absolutely pointless. Who is going to be interested in seeing a bag of fleas like that? All that thing does is eat and poop, and then expects someone to clear up after it.” He kicked out towards the cat.

Helen shoved Julius in the shoulder. “Don’t you dare try to hurt that beautiful creature! How can it defend itself against you, it’s only got three legs?”

“They’re a nuisance.” Julius glowered at Helen as he rubbed his shoulder. “And I’m glad Mommy has come to her senses and is getting rid of them. Father was obsessed with those animals, but they only irritated my allergies.” He took a step towards the cat.

Flipper’s hackles raised and he growled at Julius and lowered his head, his teeth bared.

“None of us like that idea,” I said.

“I don’t care what any of you like.” Julius waved a hand at me, his gaze settling on the workmen who were watching us with interest. “I’ve got those cretins to deal with, I can’t waste anymore of my time with you.” He stalked away without a backward glance.

“I hope Bruce punches him.” Helen bent and tickled the cat’s chin.

“Me too,” I said. “And this time, I won’t step in and stop him.”

“Is my brother annoying you?”

I turned to see Tabitha walking towards us sporting a big bandage on her head and the beginnings of a black eye.

“What happened to you?” I asked.

“The stupid brakes on my car failed.” Tabitha’s fingers went up to the bandage. “I could have died. Spun right off the road last night. I’ve only just got out of the hospital.”

“That’s terrible,” said Helen. “Was anyone else hurt?”

“I was alone,” said Tabitha. “But that will teach me to go out driving by myself. I never was good behind the wheel but couldn’t be bothered to wait for a cab to turn up. I’ll have to rely on Mommy’s chauffeur more. At least it means I can go out and have a few drinks and not worry about getting caught when I’m a bit worse for wear.”

“Were you drunk when you lost control?” I asked, my initial sympathy for Tabitha waning.

Tabitha sniffed. “Absolutely not. I was on my way to a drink’s party if you must know. Barely had a drop before I left.”

“You were lucky not to be badly injured,” I said.

Tabitha shrugged. “Tell me about it. I stamped on the damn brake pedal several times, but it didn’t respond. I hit a sharp bend and ran right off the road. I woke up a few minutes later with a bump on my head.”

“Glad it was nothing more serious,” said Helen. “These country roads can be tricky.”

“Not that anyone around here cares what happens to me,” said Tabitha. “If Daddy was still here, he’d have taken the best of care of me. But all Mommy said when she found out what happened was to get a cab home when I was ready to leave the hospital and she’d pay the bill. She didn’t even come to see if I was all right. And as for Julius, he’s got his head buried so far into this animal park idea that he wouldn’t care if I was dead or alive.”

“I’m sure that’s not true,” I said. “Julius is just doing his job.” I wasn't sure why I was sticking up for him since he had just been so mean to us.

“It's true. But Julius is a joke around here. He reckons he’s in charge of this estate, but it would fall apart if he really took charge. Poor Mommy is left to do it all.”

“What do you think about Julius's idea for the animal park?” I asked.

“He keeps trying to sell me on the idea, but I like the cats,” said Tabitha. “I want to keep them around. I love nothing more than stroking their soft fur and cuddling them. And I know Daddy would like that. We always enjoyed spending time with the cats, just me and him. It was our favorite thing to do together.”

Big Ginge rushed out from behind a bush and ran towards Flipper and the three-legged cat.

Tabitha clicked her fingers at Big Ginge and beckoned him to her. “Here pretty kitty.”

Big Ginge’s hackles raised and he hissed at Tabitha and swiped a paw at her.

“That one has always hated me.” Tabitha sighed dramatically. “The other cats are all fine, but that one was always Daddy’s favorite and wouldn’t have anything to do with anyone else.”

I exchanged a surprised glance with Helen. Big Ginge had been friendly to us from the moment we discovered him. And he kept appearing when we were around and asking for a head rub. I couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t friendly with Tabitha, unless she’d done something to make him wary of her. Mistreat a cat once and they will always remember.

“Are you going to fight to keep the cats here?” I asked Tabitha. “It would be a nice legacy for your dad if you did.”

She shrugged and inspected her fingernails. “Not sure I can be bothered. They’re nice to have around, but Mommy’s convinced they need to go, and I hate fighting with her. Maybe Julius is right, an animal park will bring in more money. And I’ve got some big plans for next year. I’m getting married.”

“Who are you dating?” asked Helen.

“I’m not serious with any one person,” said Tabitha. “But I always knew I’d get married when I was twenty-five, and that’s next year. Therefore, Mommy needs to put aside a heap of money for my wedding. And I'll need a house of my own. The apartment in London is not suitable for a married woman.”

I stifled a smile. “Sounds like you’ve got your whole life planned out.”

“Of course,” said Tabitha. “I can’t spend my life drifting around this crumbling old place. Julius is welcome to it, whatever he decides to do. He can paint it pink and turn it into a fairy castle. Actually, that’s not a bad idea.” She tried to stroke the three-legged cat, but it swiftly limped out of her way.

“Don’t know what’s wrong with these animals today.” Tabitha stood and glared at the cat. “Well, I’m out for lunch so I need to go get ready.” She gave us a finger wave and then strode back to the house.

“For someone who claims to like cats so much, they don’t think much of her,” said Helen.

“That’s just what I was thinking,” I said. “Maybe she’s not as nice to the cats as she reckons she is when no one else is around. Or maybe a cat saw Tabitha doing something she shouldn’t.”

“You think the cats all warn each other to stay away from Tabitha?” Helen grinned at me. “I know Flipper is clever, but I’m not sure they’re up to that.”

“Don’t be daft. But she could be feeling guilty and is giving off a strange vibe the cats are picking up on. They’re sensitive to human emotions just like dogs.”

“A guilty vibe as in I-killed-my father-and-am-trying-to-conceal-the-fact sort of thing?”

“Why not? If there was a cat in the room when Tabitha smothered Leo, every time she sees a cat it will remind her of what she did.”

“She does give out mixed signals,” said Helen. “And claiming she likes cats but then they all run away from her is weird. And she said she loves the cats but can't be bothered to fight to keep the sanctuary here.”

“I saw Leo in the garden yesterday, but he doesn’t think Tabitha has anything to do with his death. But maybe the cats know better.”

“You think we should start questioning the cats?”

That comment earned Helen a shove. “No! But I do think they’re picking up on something strange about Tabitha. We need to keep an eye out for her.”

“A cat hating killer.” Helen shivered. “Can’t think of anything worse.”

I shook my head. Sadly, I could, and we'd met a few of them in the past. “Come on, we need to get to work or Lady Cordelia will start complaining.”

Chapter 12

I’d been on the phone for three hours, phoning all the animal sanctuaries I’d discovered, to try to find homes for our unwanted cats. Things were not going well.

“And you’re sure you’ve got no spare cages? You can’t even take half a dozen cats from us?”

“I’m sorry my love,” said the elderly lady on the other end of the phone. “I wish I could help you, but there are so many animals needing our assistance. And it sounds like you’ve got a good setup already. I’m sure you can keep them for a bit longer.”

“I really need your help. The owner of the sanctuary is considering having the cats put to sleep if I can’t find them somewhere else to go.”

“That's a shame,” said the woman. “I wish I could magic up more room. I’ve got your details and will give you a call if we get any vacancies. But we have a waiting list of three months. We’re not going to be able to assist you.”

I briefly considered begging, I was so desperate to find places for the cats, but knew the lady was doing her best. We said our goodbyes and I slumped into my seat. Every conversation had been the same; there were so many unloved animals and no room for them. And I wasn’t going to let Lady Cordelia get rid of the cats by having them killed.

Lady Cordelia walked into the study and raised her eyebrows when she saw me. “Don’t you have any work to do?”

I tapped the list in front of me and sat up straight. “I’ve been working my way through these animal sanctuaries. So far, none of them can help us with the cats. Looks like they’re here to stay for a while.”

“What have you offered them?” asked Lady Cordelia.

“Well, I’ve offered them the cats,” I said. “What else was I supposed to offer?”

“Give me that list.” Lady Cordelia snatched up the list of sanctuaries before I could pass it to her. “You do realize these are all charities?”

“I do,” I said.

“And charities are always in need of money.”

I slowly exhaled. I must not lose my temper with my employer. “You want me to bribe them into taking the cats?”

“Not a bribe, but simply offer them a generous donation and a few cats at the same time.” Lady Cordelia smiled thinly. “Charities never have enough money, and by helping us with our cat problem, we can help them.”

“So long as the cats get somewhere decent to go to,” I said. “I don’t want the charities put under pressure to take them.”

“They’ll be fine. Let me show you how it’s done.” Lady Cordelia picked up the phone and dialed one of the telephone numbers on the list, before shooting me a cold smile.

I returned the smile, not liking to see how money could be misused in this way.

“Everybody has a price,” said Lady Cordelia. “We just need to find out what the charities price is and offer it to them.”

I nodded and looked over at Flipper who was snoozing in a patch of afternoon sunshine filtering in through the window. I had to remember this was for the cats. If a bribe was what it took to get them new homes then I’d just have to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in my stomach and let it happen.

“Hello. This is Lady Cordelia Babington. I would like to offer a donation to your charity.”

I watched as she nodded and tapped her neat coral painted nails on the desk.

“Yes, I know how good the cause is and what excellent work you do. And I’d like to offer you a donation of five thousand pounds.”

From where I was sitting I could hear the excited babble of the person on the other end of the phone. I guess they didn’t get these kinds of offers too often.

“That’s all very good,” said Lady Cordelia. “And I wonder if you might do me a tiny favor in return for this donation? I have six cats who need new homes. They have all been well looked after but there is no longer a suitable place for them. If you can help me out with this I’d appreciate it. I can send them along with the donation.”

I really hoped the person on the other end of the phone would stick to their morals and realize what Lady Cordelia was doing, but the smile on her face suggested otherwise.

“That’s excellent,” said Lady Cordelia, her smile turning smug. “I’ll have the money and the cats with you soon.” She placed the phone down and looked at me. “You see, offer them something they need and they’ll do anything for you.”

I nodded, but it didn’t feel right, bribing desperate charities who needed money, and then adding conditions to that donation.

“Can I trust you to get back to the other sanctuaries you’ve contacted and see if a little money will make the cats disappear that bit quicker?” Lady Cordelia handed me back the list.

“I’ll make a start on the calls,” I said.

Lady Cordelia walked around to the other side of her desk and pulled out a chair. “Oh, for goodness sake!”

I looked up in surprise at her outburst. “What is it?”

“One of those wretched cats has been in here and left an enormous fur ball on my seat.” Her nose wrinkled as she backed away from the seat.

I fought hard not to smile. It was as if the cats knew Lady Cordelia no longer wanted them, and were having their own sort of revenge on her. Good for them if that was the case. I hoped there’d be plenty more fur balls appearing on Lady Cordelia’s seat, along with a few well targeted piles of vomit in some of her designer shoes.

There was a knock on the study door and Sebastien poked his head in. “I hope I’m not disturbing you.” He smiled when he saw me.

“Sebastien, darling, it’s lovely to see you.” Lady Cordelia hurried over to him, smoothing down her sleek hair as she did so.

“I wanted to see if you were free to go for a late lunch or an early dinner,” said Sebastien. “What would you call an early dinner? Afternoon tea?”

Lady Cordelia fussed with Sebastien’s hair as he spoke, and I watched with interest as he struggled not to flinch away. She needed to stop fussing over him like he was a toy or their relationship wouldn’t last.

“That’s a lovely idea,” said Lady Cordelia. She looked over at me. “Can I rely on you to get on with the work I’ve given you? Don’t take no for an answer from any of them.”

“What are you doing?” asked Sebastien.

“Getting the cats rehomed,” I said.

Sebastien frowned. “I like having the cats about.”

I was surprised to hear that, since Sandy suggested he was the reason Lady Cordelia wanted them gone.

“We can keep one or two if you really have to have a cat around,” said Lady Cordelia. “We’ve got too many here, though. And they remind me of Leo. It’s time I moved on.”

Sebastien nodded. “I understand that. I imagine you’ll do what’s best for the animals and make sure they all get lovely places to live.”

I pinched my lips together. She wouldn’t if she had her own way.

“Of course. Now, let’s talk about something interesting,” said Lady Cordelia, as she guided Sebastien to the door. “We need a romantic weekend away together.”

“Just the two of us?” Sebastien tugged at the collar of his shirt.

“It wouldn’t be all that romantic if I brought along all the staff as well.” She flashed me a smile. “Paris is lovely this time of year. Or we could try Italy. Have you ever been? It’s so beautiful.”

Sebastien rubbed his forehead. “I like the idea of getting away from it all, but I’ve got a lot on right now.”

“We could make it a romantic winter getaway instead.” Lady Cordelia wrapped an arm around Sebastien’s waist, seeming to forget I was in the room. “Just imagine the two of us in front of a roaring fire, sipping mulled wine and enjoying ourselves. We so rarely get to spend any time together.”

I focused on the list of animal sanctuaries and tried to tune out of their conversation, just in case Lady Cordelia started sweet talking in poor Sebastien’s ear.

“I’ll check my diary and see when I’m available,” said Sebastien. “But you know I have commitments.”

“If it’s only your silly charity duties you shouldn’t worry about that,” said Lady Cordelia. “You don’t have to do the work for them. It’s not as if they pay you.”

“I do it because I want to,” said Sebastien, his tone sharp. “I get a lot out of doing my charity work. And I can’t let them down just because you want to go away and have some fun.”

“No, well, think about it,” said Lady Cordelia. “We’ve been together a while now, and we’ve yet to have a holiday. And it will be my treat, you don’t have to worry about a thing.”

“I will think about it.” Sebastien's phone rang and he pulled it out of his jacket pocket and looked at the caller display. “I need to take this.”

Lady Cordelia watched Sebastien leave the room, a girly smile on her face.

As much as Lady Cordelia was into Sebastien, I got the impression he was lukewarm to her. I could understand him getting annoyed by her clinging and constant fussing, but he almost seemed repulsed by her. Maybe Julius and Tabitha were onto something when they said Sebastien was only in this relationship for the money and free holidays.

“I need to make some private phone calls before I go out with Sebastien.” Lady Cordelia pulled out her chair and then grimaced as she saw the fur ball again. “Give me twenty minutes and then you can get on with your own duties.”

“Of course.” I hopped up from my seat and headed to the door. Flipper was still soundly sleeping in the sun, so I left him to it and hurried out in search of Sebastien. I wanted to talk to him and see if I could figure out what he was really doing with Lady Cordelia. If he wasn’t in this relationship for love, and decided to target Lady Cordelia for her money, he'd have had to get rid of Leo before standing a chance of getting access to the estate and all its wealth.

I had a quick look in the downstairs rooms, but he wasn’t in any of them. I pulled open the front door and walked out into the autumnal afternoon. I could hear a man talking, and hurried closer to the sound, convinced it was Sebastien.

Sebastien appeared around the corner of the building, turned on his heel and paced away.

I ducked behind a bush before he saw me and listened into his conversation.

“I can’t do this any longer,” said Sebastien. “She’s getting too much.”

I raised my eyebrows. He must mean Lady Cordelia.

“She’s talking about going away together, just the two of us. Can you imagine what it would be like to be trapped in a room with that woman? I don’t think I’d come out alive.”

Sebastien really didn’t like Lady Cordelia.

“And you know what she’s going to make me do.” Sebastien’s tone was mournful. “I’ve made as many excuses as possible, including the one where I want to save myself until after we’re married. But that’s only made her start hassling me into giving her a ring. I thought she’d get bored of me after a couple of months and I’d be able to get us what we need and get out before things got serious. But she’s acting like some starry-eyed teenager.”

Although Lady Cordelia could be a bit of a bitch, I felt a sliver of sympathy for her. From the sounds of it, Sebastien was using her.

“I’d better go. I promised I’d take her out this afternoon. Maybe I can get her so drunk she passes out and I can have the night off. Honestly, she’s got arms like an octopus. I’m always finding her hand on my backside or somewhere else it shouldn’t be.”

I shoved my hand over my mouth. I wasn’t sure who I felt sorrier for, Sebastien or Lady Cordelia.

“And that’s not funny!” said Sebastien. “You try being in a relationship with Lady Cordelia and see how much work it is.”

I jumped as something soft and silky pushed past my legs. It was a skinny grey cat with enormous amber colored eyes. It gave a soft meow and blinked up at me.

I pressed my finger to my lips, hoping the cat wouldn’t give away my position and reveal me to Sebastian.

The cat meowed louder and pawed at my leg.

I knelt down and stroked the cat, hoping to keep her quiet, but only made her more excited.

I shooed the cat gently away with my hands, but she refused to budge, and danced out from behind the bush, looked back at me and made the loudest meow I’d ever heard.

“Lorna! What are you doing behind the shrubbery?”

Chapter 13

I scrambled out from behind the bush, trying to make my sudden appearance look completely normal and not as if I’d been eavesdropping. “I was just admiring the foliage.”

“I didn’t know anybody else was out here.” Sebastien looked at the phone in his hand. “I was talking to a friend.”

I decided to come clean. “I sort of heard some of your conversation. And it sounded like more than a friend to me. It also sounds like you don’t think much of Lady Cordelia, even though you’re supposed to be dating.”

“You misunderstood what you heard,” sputtered Sebastien.

“Explain it to me?” I said. “Why are you seeing Lady Cordelia if you don’t like her?”

“I am fond of Cordelia.” Sebastien scuffed his polished shoes across the gravel. “But she can be difficult at times.”

“You’re taking advantage of her,” I said. “Lady Cordelia doesn’t deserve that. If you’re only using her you should end things before she gets hurt. She likes you and you shouldn’t lead her on.”

“Oh dear.” Sebastien ran a hand through his hair. “This has gotten out of control. I never wanted to cause anybody pain. But I’m hurting myself, Cordelia, and Jasper.”

“Who’s Jasper?”

“My boyfriend.” Sebastien shot me a guilty look. “He’s wonderful. He’s an artist but is struggling for money.”

“You and Jasper decided to take advantage of Lady Cordelia and get your hands on her cash?” I asked. “That’s not a great thing to do. She must be lonely after Leo died and you've abused that.”

“And I know it,” said Sebastien, not looking me in the eye as he spoke. “It was Jasper’s idea. Last year, he was commissioned to do a couple of pieces for Leo, portraits of cats who’d died, and he wanted some sort of memorial for them. When Jasper was here, he saw how wealthy the family was. He needs start-up capital so he can establish himself as an artist, get a new studio and a whole host of materials.”

“He should go out and earn some money to pay for all of that.”

“I’ve suggested that, and I help him when I can, but you heard Cordelia say I don’t make much money. I volunteer at a number of charities because I love the work they do. I’m dependent on Cordelia, and Jasper is dependent on me to get enough money to keep us both going.”

“So what were you planning to do?” I asked. “Steal from Lady Cordelia?”

Sebastien waved his hands at me. “Not so loud, someone might hear.”

“And you wouldn’t want that!”

“No, I wouldn’t!” Sebastien sighed. “But I wasn’t going to steal. I was going to ask for an investment in a business idea. We haven’t got the details figured out, but we were creating a business plan to make everything legitimate. If we could just get our hands on half a million we could head off somewhere exotic, like Hawaii or even Thailand, buy a place, and Jasper could do his art and I could focus on my volunteering, and we’d both be happy.”

“Lady Cordelia would be miserable, though,” I said. “And she’d be down half a million pounds. That sounds a lot like stealing to me.”

“Cordelia has many millions in the bank,” said Sebastien. “I’ve seen some of the statements, so I know she wouldn’t miss the money.”

“But she would miss you,” I said. “She is fond of you. It could break her heart if you decided to leave.”

“And I realize that now,” said Sebastien. “But when we first started this, I saw things the same as Jasper; Cordelia was an entitled, privileged rich woman who spends her money on ridiculously expensive pieces of furniture and designer clothes, when she should be investing it into helping others, or giving money to charity. I sometimes have to prise the cheques out of her fingers for the causes we’re involved in. She doesn’t give away anything without getting something back that benefits her.”

I nodded as I recalled how Lady Cordelia used her donation to the animal sanctuary to get what she wanted.

“You aren’t going to tell her about me, are you?” asked Sebastien, his face pinched with worry.

“No, but I think you should be the one to tell her what you’re doing,” I said.

Sebastien grabbed hold of my hand. “I know it’s wrong what I’ve done, and I will make amends. I’ll let her down gently, let her know we can’t keep seeing each other. Perhaps I could say I’ve been offered a volunteering opportunity in deepest darkest Africa. I know she’ll never follow me out there, she likes to stick to her European breaks.”

“Let her down gently, and do it without stealing from her,” I said.

“Jasper will be so unhappy with me if I don’t get any money, though.” Sebastien's bottom lip jutted out. “He was relying on this money to change our lives.”

“Then get the money honestly,” I said. “Jasper can get himself a job and you could get one as well, and start saving. That’s what everyone else does.”

“I know, you’re right,” said Sebastien. “But Jasper is so sensitive. I don’t think he’d be able to handle a real job.”

“He should try,” I said. “They’re not that bad. Well, providing you don’t get the boss from hell. Stealing is not going to solve your problems.”

“I am worried that if I tell Cordelia what’s going on she might get revenge on me,” said Sebastien. “She has got a bit of a temper on her. Especially when she doesn’t get her own way.”

“She’ll be angry and upset with you, but I can’t imagine she’ll do anything bad.”

Sebastien glanced up at the house. “What about Leo?”

“What’s Leo got to do with this?”

“I’m not sure his death was accidental.” Sebastien chewed on a manicured nail. “What if Cordelia had something to do with it?”

My heart sped up. “What do you know that makes you think that?”

Sebastien looked around. “Nothing for sure. But Cordelia told me she needed to stop Leo changing his will. He’d decided to leave money to different people and set up a charity so the cats in the sanctuary would be cared for after he died.”

“And Lady Cordelia was unhappy about that?”

“She tolerates the cats but I don’t think she likes them,” said Sebastien. “And with the changes to the will, she would be down a lot of money and have to keep the animals. Leo was planning to set up the sanctuary so it would run in perpetuity, and Cordelia would never be able to shut it down.”

“Has Lady Cordelia ever told you she did something to Leo?”

“No! But she talks about being glad he’s gone, and she told me their marriage wasn’t a happy one. She even thought he might be seeing somebody else.”

I’d heard that rumor already, it was something I needed to look into. A mistress should be on the suspect list if one existed. “I think you could be right about Leo’s death not being an accident.”

Sebastien swallowed loudly. “And if I break things off with her, she’ll come after me and Jasper as well.”

“Maybe you deserve it.”

“I’ve been such an idiot,” said Sebastien. “What should I do?”

“How about you help me figure out what really happened to Leo, and I’ll keep your secret.”

“You won’t tell Cordelia anything?” Sebastien’s face lit up.

“I won’t tell her, but you need to deal with it. You can’t keep stringing her along, it’s not fair.”

“Even if she did have something to do with Leo’s death?”

“If she did kill Leo, that’s something the police will deal with. It doesn’t mean you can get away with taking money from her and manipulating her affections.”

Sebastien sighed and looked at the ground. “I hope Jasper still wants me after I do this.”

“Sebastien, you’re a lovely guy. If Jasper really does want to be with you, he’ll stay whether you’re wealthy or poor. And if he does decide to leave, then at least you’ll know he was only in it for the money.”

“I can’t bear the thought of that.” Sebastien’s hand went to his stomach and his face paled. “He could be using me just like I’m using Cordelia. I feel terrible.”

“And that’s exactly how Lady Cordelia will feel if she discovers what you’re doing,” I said. “So, will you help me and let Lady Cordelia down as gently as possible? Do we have a deal?”

“We do,” said Sebastien. “Where do you want to start?”

“By finding an up-to-date copy of Leo’s will,” I said. “Any ideas where that might be?”

“If she kept it, it could be in her bedroom.” Sebastien shuddered and glanced at an upstairs window. “I try to avoid going in there whenever I can. She’s very frisky for an older woman.”

“Can you sneak me in there now? Lady Cordelia is on the phone, so I have a few minutes to look around before she expects me back.”

Sebastien nodded and took hold of my hand, and we hurried back into the house. “Let’s go there now before I change my mind. She keeps papers in the bedroom, but I’ve never paid them much attention, so you might find what you’re looking for.”

After a quick check to make sure the way was clear, we dashed up the stairs together. Sebastien hurried me along the corridor and into a sage-green and cream bedroom with an enormous four-poster bed and expensive antique furniture.

“I’ll keep a lookout by the door and alert you if anyone’s coming,” said Sebastien.

I hurried to a cabinet and rifled swiftly through the drawers, not finding anything of use in them.

“Why do you think something bad happened to Leo?” whispered Sebastien.

“You might say I’ve had a tip-off,” I said.

“Somebody else thinks Leo was killed?”

“They definitely do.” I decided not to mention it was Leo himself who believed he’d been murdered.

“How awful if it was Cordelia,” said Sebastien. “I’ve been dating a murderer.”

“And you’ve also been trying to con a murderer, you should be more worried about that.”

“Good point,” said Sebastien. “Found anything useful?”

I closed the drawer on the cabinet. “Nothing so far. She might have destroyed the will to make sure there was no evidence.”

“Leo was good with his money,” said Sebastien. “I bet he made copies.”

“Did the two of you ever meet?”

“Yes, a couple of times at some of the charity things I’m involved with. He seemed like a decent guy. Absolutely besotted with his cats. We had a conversation for over an hour about them at one event. But he knew his stuff and was good with investments. He even gave me a few tips for investing in different businesses.”

“Then you owe it to Leo to uncover if anything bad happened to him.”

“You do realize I have a lot to gain by Leo no longer being alive,” said Sebastien.

I turned slowly on my heel and stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest. Had I just made a huge mistake and revealed what I knew to Leo’s actual killer?

Sebastien grinned at me. “You’ve gone really pale. The Goth look suits you.”

“Not funny,” I said to him. “But you’re right, with Leo out of the way you could start working your magic on Lady Cordelia in order to get your hands on the money.”

“Sweetie, I’d never do such a thing,” said Sebastien. “I can’t even squash flies. I’m all for everyone having a shot at life. Did Cordelia tell you I’m a vegan?”

“She didn’t,” I said.

“She hates it, and is always serving me gross piles of dead animals. She thinks real men should eat meat,” said Sebastien. “But I read a study saying meat lowers testosterone levels, and I need as much of that as I can get. I’m hoping to have a child with Jasper one day. Well, a surrogate will carry the baby, but I’ll be the father.”

“Sounds wonderful,” I said.

“So, I don’t hurt any animals, and I definitely wouldn’t hurt people. Even ones with arms like an octopus.” He grimaced.

I was convinced enough by his argument that I turned my back and had a look through the final drawer in the bedroom. I let out a frustrated sigh. “There is nothing here. Does Lady Cordelia have any other private rooms she uses?”

Sebastien squeaked and dashed away from the door, flapping his arms at me. “You need to hide. Cordelia’s coming.”

Chapter 14

I pulled open the door to the closet and jumped inside, concealing myself behind a row of dresses just in time. A second later, I heard the bedroom door open and Lady Cordelia walked in.

“Darling! What a lovely surprise,” said Lady Cordelia. “What are you doing in here? Hoping for a little afternoon delight, you naughty boy?”

I clamped my hand over my mouth, feeling a shred of sympathy for Sebastien at the saucy tone Lady Cordelia was using. What he was doing was wrong, but people do crazy things when they’re in love, and he sounded like he’d fallen for this Jasper.

“Oh, no. Nothing like that. I was just... looking for a missing cufflink,” said Sebastien.

Even to me, that lie was so obvious.

“And there was me thinking you were planning some romantic surprise,” said Lady Cordelia. “We have been together for nearly six months. I am ready when you are.”

An uncomfortable feeling ran through me as I listened into their intimate conversation. I didn’t want to have to hear the two of them getting it on.

“We aren’t even engaged,” said Sebastien. “And I wouldn’t want to think I’m rushing you into anything so soon after losing Leo.”

“I lost Leo to those wretched animals years ago,” said Lady Cordelia. “And they’re the cause of all of my stress at the moment. And I’m beginning to have doubts about that new girl, Lorna.”

My eyes widened and I pressed my ear to the door of the closet. What problem did she have with me?

Sebastien cleared his throat. “Why don't we go downstairs and make you a cup of tea and you can tell me all about it?”

“I’d much rather have a gin and tonic and go out like you suggested,” said Lady Cordelia. “Lorna doesn’t seem all that good at her job, though. I’ve given her the simple task of sorting out the cat problem, and so far she’s done nothing but create problems. Anyone would think she doesn’t want the animals taken away from the estate. She’s only been here five minutes, she knows nothing about what we do here, so I can’t understand why she’s being so difficult.”

“Let’s get out of here.” Sebastien sounded anxious. “I fancy some fresh air.”

I appreciated Sebastien’s efforts to get rid of Lady Cordelia so I could escape from the closet, but it didn’t seem to be having the right effect.

“She wasn’t even prepared to do some gentle bribery when trying to get rid of the animals,” said Lady Cordelia. “Lorna claims to have plenty of experience dealing with the upper class, but I’m not sure she’s used to being around our sort of money. Old money behaves differently to newly found wealth. I’ll have to investigate her background some more and make sure she wasn’t making any false allegations about her experience.”

My mouth fell open and my hands balled into fists. I was great at what I did.

“I’m sure she wouldn’t do that,” said Sebastien. “From what I know of Lorna, she seems like an honest person.”

“You don’t know her,” said Lady Cordelia. “She might be playing us all for fools. She’s supposed to have worked for several lords and ladies across the country. I’m going to get in touch with some of them and see what I can find out about Miss Shadow. But she’d better pull her socks up in regards to her work ethics, or this relationship is going to come to a speedy end.”

I resisted the urge to jump out of the closet and tell Lady Cordelia exactly where she could stick her job. I’d had better paid and more pleasant places to work. Just because I wasn’t willing to bend the rules and bribe some desperate charities to take on the cats, that didn’t mean I was a bad employee.

“You look stressed out,” said Sebastien. “How about that fresh air?”

“I might take a nap,” said Lady Cordelia. “I can’t find Lorna, and I wanted to try her on some different administration tasks, see if she’s any good at anything she claims to be. If she keeps hiding like this then she’s going to have to go.”

I pressed my lips together. I was hiding right at that moment, but I didn’t have much choice. If Lady Cordelia caught me snooping into the very real possibility that she’d killed her husband, I’d be out of this job before I’d gotten started.

“Come and give me a cuddle,” said Lady Cordelia.

My toes curled at the girly tone she used on Sebastien. No wonder he cringed every time she got near him.

“I think I’m coming down with a cold,” said Sebastien. “Best I don’t get too close in case I’m infectious.”

“Darling, you always seem to have colds these days,” said Lady Cordelia. “I’m going to ask my doctor to give you a thorough medical and make sure you don’t have anything more serious. I like my men to be fit and strong, after all. I’m sure it’s because you don’t eat any meat. Are you sure you get enough protein?”

“I get all the protein I need,” said Sebastien.

“Well, I don’t mind your cold germs,” said Lady Cordelia. “Come and give me a squish.”

I cringed again as I heard the sounds of kissing. If this went on for much longer I was going to have to reveal myself. I couldn’t stay in here the whole time if things got hot and heavy between the two of them.

Lady Cordelia let out a sigh. “I feel better already.”

“Let’s go and find you that gin,” said Sebastien. “That’ll make everything seem better.”

“It’s going to need to be a strong one,” said Lady Cordelia. “I just had Julius bending my ear about his animal park again. Did you see all the workmen he brought onto site? I didn’t say he could do that, but he’s already drawn up plans and put out a contract to tender. Anyone would think he’s in charge around here. But he’s got a lot to learn before I hand over the estate to him.”

“Just make sure he doesn’t get ahead of himself,” said Sebastien. “You don’t want him spending all of your money.”

“I’m not worried about that,” said Lady Cordelia. “He has his own trust fund, and I’m happy to give him some money for a sensible business idea. But this isn’t it. And Leo would not approve of the park going ahead. They argued about it on several occasions. He was adamant the park shouldn’t happen. He didn’t want wild animals dragged in here for people’s entertainment.”

The more I got to know about Leo the more I liked him. He had a good heart when it came to animals and appeared to have more interest in them than he did people. I guess being married to Lady Cordelia might do that to a person.

I grimaced as I heard the sounds of more smooching and my stomach gave an uneasy rumble. Now I was feeling sorry for both me and Sebastien having to put up with Lady Cordelia and her frisky advances.

I heard a loud, false-sounding sneeze from Sebastien.

“Darling! You must be coming down with something after all,” said Lady Cordelia.

“I did warn you I had the sniffles,” said Sebastien. “We’d better lay off the kissing for a bit. I don’t want you to get sick as well.”

“You could be right,” said Lady Cordelia. “I do so hate having a cold. Let’s go and find that drink, and you can have a hot toddy. That will make you feel better.”

I waited a few moments after the bedroom door had closed before jumping out of the closet. I had another quick look around the room to see if I’d missed any hiding places for the will, but turned up nothing.

I slipped out of the bedroom and back down the stairs. I hadn’t found the will, but what Lady Cordelia had said about Julius and his insistence on the animal park, raised my interest in him again as a suspect. If Leo had refused Julius any chance of having the park, he might have decided to remove the obstacle and get on with his plans anyway.

I was going to speak to Julius again and see just how far he’d go to make his dream of the animal park a reality.

Chapter 15

I’d borrowed Helen’s car for the evening, and was parked outside a large, grey-stone detached house, just in time to see Zach and Jessie arrive in his mud spattered Land Rover.

I gave him a wave as I hopped out of the car with Flipper and joined him by the front door, kissing Zach's cheek as I did so. Flipper and Jessie snuffled noses and then sat down.

“What do you think of the place from the outside?” Zach looped an arm around my waist. “It could do with a whitewash, but will look great when it’s smartened up.”

I looked at the wide bay windows at the front. The frames were partially rotten. “It will need a bit of money spent on it.”

“But it’s a bargain,” said Zach. “And I don’t mind putting some time in on the house if you do like it. And Gunner’s not bad at getting his hands dirty when I force him into action. Although he’ll tell you otherwise.”

“It’s got potential,” I said.

A sleek black car pulled up and a man of about twenty-five with slick-backed blond hair and an off-the-peg suit stepped out.

“Nice to see you both,” said the man. “I’m Johnny. I’ll show you around this lovely place. Lots of room to grow in, and plenty of opportunity to put your stamp on it.”

We both shook hands with Johnny and waited as he jimmied the key in the lock several times, before forcing his shoulder against the door and giving it a shove. He stumbled through and skidded on a pile of uncollected mail.

“We’ll need a new door,” muttered Zach, as he let the dogs go in ahead of us, Flipper leading the way and Jessie close behind.

“Most of the restoration work is cosmetic.” Johnny straightened his tie and grinned at us. “And the hallway has a lovely wide vista. And these flagstones will scrub up to perfection.”

I grinned at that as I inspected the grimy cracked floor. I was used to hearing the usual nonsense estate agents spoke as they tried to sell something that had been neglected.

“No problems with subsidence?” asked Zach.

“Not a problem,” said Johnny. “These old buildings are usually sound.” He tapped on the wall and some dust drifted off. “Nothing a good clean and some paint won’t cure.”

We wandered into the front living room, which was bare of any furniture, not even a carpet on the wooden floorboards.

“These will look nice varnished,” I said. “Or we could put a whitewash on them.”

“Good idea,” said Johnny. “And you could open up the fireplace as well if you like that sort of thing. Make it a real feature of the room.”

“We do like open fires,” said Zach. “How long has the place been on the market?”

“About two months,” said Johnny. “So, if you’re thinking of making a low offer, I’d suggest you do. The owner is keen on moving on. It’s been in his family for years, and his mother couldn’t afford to keep the repairs up.”

“She didn’t die here, did she?” I asked, as I peered into a dark looking corner.

Johnny gave me a worried look and shook his head. “No, she became ill and was taken into a home. The place was empty for about seven months before the son put it up for sale.”

“That’s good to know.” I looked around the room, tuning into any ghostly vibes that might be present, but didn’t sense anything. Flipper was also relaxed as he snuffled the ground, Jessie never far from his side.

“Come and take a look at the dining room, and then I’ll show you the kitchen,” said Johnny.

We followed him into another empty room and then into a dated kitchen that would need to be replaced.

“How many bedrooms?” I asked.

“Five bedrooms,” said Johnny. “Three good-sized doubles, with the potential for putting attached bathrooms in if you wanted, and then some smaller rooms, more suitable for guests, a study, or even a nursery.” He flashed us a cheeky grin.

“Maybe one day,” murmured Zach.

We checked out an equally dated bathroom and then headed out into an overgrown garden. It was already getting dark, but I could see there were several months of work that needed doing on the garden. But there was plenty of space for Flipper and Jessie to run around in, as they were ably demonstrating, and with some imagination, it would be lovely.

A large shed dominated one corner of the garden, its felt roof sagging and the door hanging off its hinges. I wandered over to take a look.

As I peered through the grimy window, the face of a wizened elderly man stared back and a shudder of cold slid through my veins. He jabbed his finger at me and frowned.

I looked over my shoulder to see Zach talking to Johnny about the boundary fence, before turning back to the ghost. “I’m guessing this is your shed?” I whispered.

The ghost’s eyes widened and then he jabbed another finger at me.

“I’m just looking around. I hope you don’t mind, but we’re thinking of buying your house.”

The ghost shook his head and blinked out of sight.

This didn’t look too promising. If there was an angry ghost hiding in the garden, he might decide to appear through the walls in the house.

The elderly ghost appeared in front of me. He was shorter than I was, with an old cloth cap in his hands and a scowl on his wrinkled face.

I walked farther down the garden, making sure I was out of earshot of Johnny and Zach. “We’re not doing any harm. But we want to find ourselves a place to live. And we thought this looked nice.”

The ghost frowned at me and then looked over at Zach and Johnny.

“They’re not doing any harm by being here either,” I said. “Wouldn’t you like a family to move in and make the house warm and friendly again? It looks like it hasn’t been loved for a long time.”

The ghost’s eyes narrowed before he swooped away and spun in a circle around Zach and Johnny.

I walked over swiftly, trying to keep my panic under wraps. This ghost was getting agitated and that was never a good thing.

Zach raised his eyebrows as I got near and rubbed his hands down his arms. “It’s getting cold out here.”

“Won’t be long before winter arrives.” Johnny gave an affable nod. “So, what do you think of the place? Fancy putting in an offer? You can have another look round on your own if you need some more time.”

Zach looked at me and nodded. “I like it. What do you think?”

“Come and check out the shed.” I grabbed Zach’s hand and pulled him away from Johnny.

“This shed will need taking down,” said Zach, as we approached it. “But I can put something up easily enough. Don’t let the shed put you off.”

“The shed is fine, but it’s what’s lurking inside that isn’t so great,” I said. “That cold you felt was a ghost, and he’s not happy with us being here.”

Zach let out a sigh and ran his hands through his dark hair as he peered through the dirty window. “So, this one’s not for us?”

“I don’t think so,” I said. “I’m all for doing a bit of renovation, but we would be doing nothing else but that for the next couple of years. It’s too much work with us both having full-time jobs. And if we have to throw a pesky ghost into the mix as well, I don’t think it will be fun for anybody.”

Zach looked at the house and shrugged. “Speaking of ghosts, how’s it going in the castle? Anymore spooks turned up to trouble you?”

“I’m still trying to figure out what’s going on with my only ghost,” I said. “He’s got a lot of people who’d be happier to have him dead than alive, so it’s taking a bit of time to work out who’s involved.”

“Just take care around the living and the dead,” said Zach. “And keep out of trouble.”

“I don’t even know the meaning of the word.”

Zach kissed my forehead and grumbled under his breath. “And as for the troublesome living, Gunner’s been asking questions about Helen.”

“He has!” I grinned at Zach. “Do you think they’re going to get together?”

“They’re both single, so it’s possible, but I can’t decide if it’s a good thing or not,” said Zach. “Gunner’s been on his own for years. He has girlfriends, but the second any of them get serious he runs in the opposite direction. And I get the impression Helen is looking for a husband.”

“She is, and posh husband material at that,” I said.

“Maybe they could just have some fun together.”

“And that won’t get awkward if we’re all living together and Gunner decides he wants the fun to stop.”

Zach shook his head. “Let’s hope they can both be adults about this.”

I wrinkled my nose, knowing how quickly Helen dreamed up fantasies with men after she’d only been on a couple of dates with them. “Maybe nothing will happen between them.”

“We don’t need to referee their relationship,” said Zach. “You keep me busy enough. And when there’s a ghost around, I barely get a look in.”

“I’m not that bad!”

Zach grinned at me. “You’re perfect.”

I turned to walk back to the house and stumbled straight through the ghost of the angry old man. Chills ran up and down my spine and a cold sweat broke out on my forehead. Flipper jumped up at me and licked my hand, his gaze intent on mine.

“So, do you fancy making an offer?” Johnny rubbed his hands together. “There are other people interested, so I’d advise you to get in quickly.”

I shook my head, my tongue feeling numb and my brain frozen. “This is not the house for us. Maybe the next one.”

Johnny scratched his head. “If it’s the price, I’m sure you can get a deal and knock a few thousand off at least.”

“It’s not the price. I just don’t get the right feel for the place. We’ll be in touch.” I grabbed Zach’s hand and staggered out of the garden and back to the cars with the dogs running alongside me.

A grumpy ghost was definitely on my deal-breaker list. We’d just have to keep on looking.

Chapter 16

I met Helen for breakfast the next morning in the kitchen and gave her an update about the latest house hunting disaster.

“We’ll keep looking until everyone’s happy,” said Helen, as she smothered her toast with raspberry preserves. “I don’t want you compromising on where we’re going to live. If there are ghosts in a house that bother you then they bother me. Ignore Zach and Gunner and we’ll find something that suits both of us. They’ll just have to come along for the ride or get lost.”

“You’re telling me to get rid of Zach if he doesn’t agree with where we’re going to live?”

“Keep him if you must.” Helen grinned at me. “But I’d be more than happy for Gunner to take a flying leap.”

“Speaking of Gunner, Zach mentioned he’s been asking about you.”

“What’s he been asking?” Helen’s blue eyes widened. “I can’t imagine why he’s interested in me.”

I returned her wide-eyed look of innocence. “I can’t imagine what he sees in you either. All that big blonde hair and those gorgeous curves. It’s enough to make a man feel queasy.”

Helen smacked my hand. “You’re just being silly. Gunner’s not my type and I’m not his.”

I ate my toast as I studied Helen. I’d never seen her like this around a guy before. She was quick to fall head over heels in love, but it burnt out quickly and she would find some small reason to get rid of the guy. But it seemed different with Gunner, there was a spark every time the two of them met, but they were both denying it. Well, maybe Gunner wasn’t denying it, but Helen was fighting this so hard it made me think that this time her feelings could be genuine.

“Gunner likes you. Maybe you should consider him, perhaps go out on a date and see how the two of you get on away from the stress of house hunting.”

Helen placed her toast down. “He’s only teasing. I can always tell when a man is being honest with me.”

“Is that why you went out with a secret cross-dresser?”

“Even you were fooled into thinking Henry was a decent guy.” Helen glared at me. “And as soon as I saw him investigating my shoes I knew something was off with him.”

“All I’m saying is give Gunner a chance, you might be surprised.”

“Enough talk about the annoying Gunner,” said Helen. “I heard Lady Cordelia complaining that you were missing yesterday. What were you up to?”

I gave her a quick update on my failed attempt to find the new will. “And you’re not going to believe this, but Sebastien has a boyfriend and is trying to con money out of Lady Cordelia. He also thinks Lady Cordelia might have killed Leo.”

Helen’s jaw dropped open. “I knew their relationship was a strange one. And Sebastien is so well-dressed and smart.”

“Meaning what?”

“Just that gay guys have a sense of style that men like Zach often fall down on.”

“Zach has great style,” I said.

“He pulls off the casual and crumpled gardener look well,” said Helen. “But he could learn a thing or two from Sebastien. And Sebastien commented on how nice my dress was when we met. I should have picked up on that.”

“Stop with the stereotypes around gay guys,” I said. “Anyway, I agreed not to tell Lady Cordelia, so long as Sebastien lets her down gently and doesn’t steal from her. In return he’s helping me investigate what’s going on with Leo.”

“It will be handy to have someone on the inside,” said Helen. “All we’re finding so far are more suspects and no real clues.”

I nodded, and was just contemplating a second round of toast when I heard raised voices outside. I jumped up and looked out the window.

“What’s going on?” asked Helen.

“Not sure,” I said. “But that sounds like Lady Cordelia. Let’s go take a look.”

We hurried outside and discovered Lady Cordelia standing next to her black Bentley. Her face was bright red and her hands were on her hips. Spray painted on the side of the car were the words cat killer in shaky bright-green paint.

A police car was in the driveway and Nell was standing by the car, her hands cuffed behind her back.

I shot a surprised look at Helen and we stopped a short distance away.

“It has to be her! She threatened me just the other day. And now this.” Lady Cordelia jabbed a finger at the damaged car. “Who knows what she might do next.”

“We’ll take her in for questioning,” said one of the police officers. “And we’ll keep you informed as to what we discover.”

“I told you to leave the estate.” Lady Cordelia glared at Nell. “You are not welcome here. I’ll have a restraining order put on you if I have to. You’re not to step foot on my land or in my property again. And you are never going to see any of those cats again either.”

Nell returned Lady Cordelia’s glare. “I knew you hated those cats. And I also know you want to kill them. Sandy told me what your plans are.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Lady Cordelia. “And what I decide to do with those animals is my business. You no longer work here.”

“Because you unfairly sacked me,” said Nell.

“I can’t deal with this.” Lady Cordelia waved a hand at the police officers. “Take her away.”

The police officers exchanged an amused glance, before one of them encouraged Nell into the back of the police car.

“What’s going on?” I asked Lady Cordelia, as I walked closer with Helen by my side.

“I’m getting rid of a problem.” Lady Cordelia watched the police car being driven away before turning to me, her expression cold enough to freeze my blood. “And none of this would have happened if you’d gotten rid of those cats like I asked you to. Nell keeps coming back despite me insisting she leaves. No matter how many times I tell her she’s fired she keeps turning up to feed and clean out the cats. And now she’s done this.” She pointed at the car again.

“Did you see her do it?” asked Helen.

“No, but who else would it be?” asked Lady Cordelia. “She’s getting petty revenge because she lost her job.”

“Maybe some of the other staff on the estate are unhappy the cats are going,” I said. “People like them being around. They’ll be missed.”

“I don’t care if they’ll be missed,” said Lady Cordelia. “This is your fault, Lorna.”

“I’m doing what I can to find homes for the cats,” I said. There was no way I was taking the blame for Nell getting handy with a tin of paint. It’s not like I told her to wreck a car costing more than a hundred thousand pounds.

“You need to work faster and better,” said Lady Cordelia. “I want those cats gone by the end of the week or you’re going to need to find yourself a new job as well.”

Tabitha ran out of the house, still wearing her silky pink pajamas. “What’s going on? Did I see a police car taking Nell away?”

“Don’t worry yourself about that,” said Lady Cordelia. “Nell’s got herself into a bit of trouble. She won’t be back here again.”

“What did she do?” Tabitha smoothed her bed-messy blonde hair down over her bandaged head.

“Ruined the Bentley.” Lady Cordelia gave an irritated sigh. “Go inside Tabitha, you’re not presentable to be seen in public.”

“But who will look after the cats?” asked Tabitha. “Our little fur balls need someone to keep them well-groomed.”

“They’ll be gone soon,” said Lady Cordelia.

“Nell was always so good with the cats,” said Tabitha. “And she let me play with the kittens. They're the softest of all.”

“Get inside and put some clothes on,” snapped Lady Cordelia. “It’s not decent to be seen outside in your nightwear.”

Tabitha stared at the spray paint on the car before shrugging and turning back towards the castle. As she did so, I spotted Julius and Montgomery standing by the front door. Both were dressed as if they’d come in from a posh night out, and wore crumpled tuxedos, their bow ties hanging loosely around their necks. They were huddled together and looked deep in conversation.

Seeing Julius again reminded me I needed to find out more about his plans for the animal park and just how determined he was to make it happen.

Everyone else slowly dispersed, and I was just going back to the house with Helen and Flipper when Sandy ran up. “I just heard Nell has been arrested.”

“Lady Cordelia think she vandalised her car,” I said, gesturing to the Bentley.

Sandy’s eyebrows shot up. “She does have a fiery temper, and she was furious when Lady Cordelia banned her from coming to see the cats. But I’m not sure she’d do anything like that.”

“Lady Cordelia is convinced,” said Helen.

“Are you going to be all right at the animal sanctuary on your own?” I asked Sandy. “That’s a lot of cats to take care of.”

“I’ll stay until I get everything done,” said Sandy. “It’s not fair the cats miss out because Lady Cordelia’s firing anyone who says a bad word about her.”

“I’ll come and give you a hand on my lunch break,” I said.

“I’d appreciate that,” said Sandy. “Fifty litter trays do not get emptied on their own.”

I wrinkled my nose but nodded. “I’ll meet up with you later and we can tackle those litter boxes together. I looked over to where Julius and Montgomery had been standing, hoping I’d be able to have a word with Julius, but they’d both vanished. My interrogation of him would have to wait.

***

I grabbed a quick sandwich from the kitchen at lunchtime, before heading over to the cat sanctuary to give Sandy a hand with the feeding and cleaning, and hopefully tickling lots of cute cats.

She waved as she saw me round the corner and gestured me over.

“Glad you could make it. I fed them all at breakfast, but there’s still plenty to do.” Sandy passed me a plastic apron and pointed at a pair of green welly boots. “Best to put those on, you need to make sure your shoes are free from germs so you don’t spread any infections around.”

“You must be missing Nell,” I said, as I tied the apron around my middle and shoved my feet in the boots.

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” said Sandy. “I’ve never known anybody work harder than her. She was devoted to the cats. I still can’t believe she’s been fired, and now Lady Cordelia’s had her arrested. It’s not fair.”

“You don’t think she vandalised Lady Cordelia’s car?” I took the broom Sandy held out for me.

“I wouldn’t have said she’s that spiteful, but it’s possible,” said Sandy. “She loves cats more than people. And with Lady Cordelia insisting on getting rid of the cats, I can’t say I blame Nell for letting her anger take over.”

“Maybe when Lady Cordelia calms down she’ll have a change of heart about Nell.” I followed Sandy along a row of cat houses, slowing occasionally to tickle the chin of a waiting cat.

“I shouldn’t think she will,” said Sandy. “Lady Cordelia is determined to get rid of the sanctuary and us as well. I’ve been looking around for another job, but no luck so far. Come on, we’ll work our way along this row first.”

She let me into an animal house, and three timid little black faces peered out at me from the indoor enclosure. I knelt down and beckoned the cats to me. “What do you think about Julius’s idea for an animal park?”

“Not much,” said Sandy. “And I don’t know why he’d want such a thing, he doesn’t even like animals. The last time he came to visit the sanctuary with Leo he complained nonstop about having allergies and said his face swelled up. If the cats do that to him, imagine what a lion will do.”

“He thinks it’s going to make money for the estate,” I said, lowering my voice as one of the black cats crept closer, its nose snitching up as it inhaled my scent.

“I get the impression young Julius is trying to make a name for himself,” said Sandy, as she emptied litter trays and changed the water in the cats’ bowls. “He was always presenting some wild idea or other to his father, and none of them were taken seriously. Julius needs to take a holiday and get a girlfriend, and stop worrying about his reputation. He can get stressed when he’s middle-aged and has a pot belly and high blood pressure.”

“If he offered you a job in the animal park, would you take it?

Sandy looked over at me and shrugged. “Beggars can’t be choosers, but I wouldn’t be happy about it. I’m not even sure keeping wild animals in a place like this is right. Imagine if one of them got into the castle when it was full of visitors? It’s a big responsibility to have such dangerous animals in the park. We even get complaints occasionally from visitors when one of the cats scratches them. Think of the compensation claims if a lion got loose and decided to take a bite out of somebody.”

I grimaced as I imagined the front page news stories that would create. It wouldn’t do any good to the estate’s income if something like that happened. I finally managed to coax the cats out and gave them all a stroke before cleaning their enclosure.

We were just about to start on the next pen when Big Ginge strolled up, his tail flicking lazily in the air as he sidled along the outside of the houses.

“Here comes trouble,” said Sandy, as she spotted Big Ginge.

“He does like to make himself at home,” I said. “My first day here, I found him asleep on my bed.”

“You’d better be careful if he takes a fancy to your bed,” said Sandy. “He’s the cat who was found asleep on Leo’s face.”

“Big Ginge suffocated Leo!”

Big Ginge narrowed his eyes at me and hissed.

“That’s what Lady Cordelia reckons,” said Sandy. “He was the only cat in the room when Leo's body was discovered.”

Big Ginge hissed again and his fur bushed up.

“He doesn’t seem happy about being accused of killing Leo,” I said.

“That’s one clever cat,” said Sandy. “We used to have him in a pen, but he kept escaping. No matter what we did or how many locks we put on the door, he’d always get out. He’s like the Harry Houdini of cats. But he was Leo’s favorite, which is why he got to sleep in his bedroom. It’s a shame their friendship had such a sad ending.”

I stepped outside of the cat house I was in and tried to give Big Ginge a stroke, but he backed away from me, his ears low and his eyes wide. He was definitely unhappy about being accused of smothering Leo.

“Let’s go, plenty more cats to clean out.” Sandy unlocked the next house and ushered me in.

I stepped inside and began cleaning, but paused and watched as Big Ginge strolled away. If Big Ginge was innocent in all of this, then I was getting more interested in Julius as Leo’s killer. It was time to pin down the prodigal son and see what secrets he was hiding.

Chapter 17

After my time helping Sandy clean out the rest of the cat houses, I was in need of a shower, but didn’t dare take the time to do it until I’d finished working with Lady Cordelia. She barely spoke to me the whole time I was in the study with her, and the atmosphere was frosty between us. I still hadn’t forgiven her for bitching about me to Sebastien, and from the way she was treating me, it seemed she was equally unhappy.

I was glad when she curtly dismissed me and I hurried to my room to take a quick shower before dinner.

I was just scrubbing the smell of litter trays off me when Leo’s head popped around the shower curtain.

“Get out of here!” I hurled my loofah at him. “No ghosts in the shower.”

Leo ducked his head back and vanished.

I grumbled under my breath as I swiftly washed the conditioner out of my hair. That was one rule I had when it came to ghosts; they did not disturb me when I was in the shower. No pervy ghosts allowed. I groped around for a towel, and then wrapped it around my body, before stepping out of the shower.

Leo was still in the bathroom, but had his back to me and his face to the wall.

I swiftly wrapped a pink fluffy towel around my hair. “I’m decent now. But next time, wait until I’m out of the shower before making your presence known.”

Leo turned around slowly, a sorrowful look on his face, and he kept his eyes on the ground.

“I still haven’t figured out who killed you,” I said, as I wiped steam off the bathroom mirror. “But I am interested in Julius.”

Leo shrugged and shook his head.

I massaged cream into my face. “Do you know Julius is going ahead with his wild animal park? Everyone I've talked to has told me you were dead set against the idea. So, I’m thinking he decided to get you out of the way so he could carry on with his plan.”

Leo shrugged again, not seeming enthused by my idea.

“Wait for me in the kitchen,” I said. “I need to get dressed, and you’re definitely not watching that. Perhaps we can come up with some useful information together if we spend time considering each suspect.”

Leo nodded and vanished from sight.

I still waited a few seconds before dropping my towel, not wanting him to unexpectedly arrive when I was naked.

I dressed in my favorite pair of soft, grey trousers and a black pullover, before swiftly drying my hair and then heading to the kitchen with Flipper to see what Helen had cooked us for dinner.

As I walked through the doorway, I could hear Helen talking to herself. But then I spotted our extra guests; Leo was drifting around in one corner and Big Ginge was perched on a seat by the table, his gaze intent on Helen as she cooked.

“Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness, you know.” I sat at the table and grabbed a hunk of warm homemade bread from the plate in front of me.

Helen brandished a wooden spoon at me. “I’m not alone. I know Leo is here because I’ve been shivering for several minutes. We also have a four-legged guest. He is interested in everything I have to tell him.” She gestured to Big Ginge who was washing himself and rubbing his paw over his ears.

“Am I forgiven yet?” I asked him.

Big Ginge paused from his washing and regarded me with large bright eyes.

“What did you do to him?” asked Helen.

“I was with Sandy at lunchtime,” I said. “She reckons Big Ginge was the cat who suffocated Leo. He thinks otherwise.”

Leo rushed over to the table and spun around it several times, shaking his hand and rattling the cutlery.

“And from the way Leo is behaving he also doesn’t agree with that theory.” I gripped the edge of the table as I waited for the dizziness to pass.

Flipper began chasing after Leo and snapping at him.

“Whatever Leo’s doing tell him to stop,” said Helen. “The kitchen feels like we’re in a freezer, and if I get too dizzy I won’t be able to finish dinner.”

“You heard the lady,” I said to Leo. “You need to calm down so we can discuss what’s going on.”

Leo stopped by Big Ginge and pointed at him before shaking his head. Flipper ran straight through Leo and then turned around and jumped up at him.

“I get that you don’t think Big Ginge had anything to do with your death,” I said, as I patted Flipper’s head to calm him down.

“The newspaper reports suggests otherwise.” Helen sat at the table.

“What do you know?” I asked.

“I’ve been doing a bit of research,” said Helen. “I looked up the media reports on Leo’s death. Turns out he had cat fur lodged in his throat. That’s why they believe a cat suffocated him in his sleep. And it was ginger fur they found.”

Big Ginge’s narrowed his eyes at Helen as if he understood what she was saying.

“Be careful what you say next,” I cautioned her. “Big Ginge is not amused.”

Helen shot the cat a cautious look. “The newspapers also reported that swabs of Leo’s skin were taken and they found cat saliva on his face.”

“That does seem damning evidence,” I said, my attention still on Big Ginge.

Big Ginge shook himself and a cloud of fur floated from his body.

“You see.” Helen pointed at the fur. “And he’s a big cat, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to curl up on Leo’s face and suffocate him.”

Big Ginge growled.

“Even if he didn’t mean to,” said Helen swiftly.

I wished Big Ginge could talk and tell us what really happened.

The kitchen door banged open and Sebastien hurried in, glancing furtively over his shoulder as he did so. “I’m glad you’re here.” He looked at Helen and then raised his eyebrows at me. “Is it okay if we talk about you know what?”

“Helen knows everything,” I said. “Sit down, we were just about to eat dinner if you want to join us.”

“No thanks, but I found something that might be interesting,” said Sebastien.

“Is it the will?” I asked.

“No, but it’s got something to do with Julius and this park idea,” said Sebastien. “I haven’t got long, Lady Cordelia is on the hunt for me. She wants us to have a romantic dinner out.” He grimaced at me.

“Remember what I said, be nice to her.” Not that I thought she deserved it anymore.

“I’m doing my best,” said Sebastien. “But she’d try the patience of a saint.”

“What did you find out?” asked Helen.

“It’s a big loan agreement Julius wants to take out.” Sebastien pulled out several sheets of paper from his inside jacket pocket and handed them to me.

I read through the paperwork quickly. “Julius wants to remortgage the castle for millions and gamble it on this wild animal park idea.”

Leo spun up to the ceiling and flew round the table several times.

Sebastien grabbed the back of a chair and the color leached from his skin. “Is anyone else feeling giddy?”

Leo knocked over the condiments on the table, his face livid as he shot past me again. Someone was not happy with Julius’s loan idea.

“Why don’t you sit down?” Helen jumped up and grabbed hold of the condiments, setting them upright. “Maybe you’re feeling lightheaded because you haven’t had any dinner.”

Sebastien nodded and fumbled his way into a seat before putting his head in his hands. “I get these strange feelings sometimes when I’m in the castle, like everything’s tilting. If I didn’t know better, I’d think this place was haunted. And I’ve walked through plenty of cold spots when I’ve been here as well. That’s supposed to be a sign ghosts are around.”

I looked at Leo who was still spinning around the kitchen. “Old places often carry rumors about ghosts.”

“I’m open-minded to the idea of ghosts,” said Sebastien. “I had a great aunt who used to be able to read people’s futures from their tea leaves. She would brew a disgustingly strong batch of tea, make you drink it down and then spill the remains of the cup into a saucer, and she'd predict what was going to happen to you. I was never sure if I believed her, but she did tell me she saw me living in a castle, so maybe there is something to that sort of thing.”

I gestured at Leo to slow down, and after another spin around the room he stopped by my chair and glared at me.

“This loan agreement gives Julius a strong motive for killing Leo,” I said. “We need to confront him about it.”

“You need to be careful,” said Sebastien. “He’s your employer’s son, he could have you sacked. I know he’s made up stories about other members of staff he didn’t like so he could get rid of them. And Cordelia always sides with Julius, so you won’t stand a chance if he wants you gone if you start asking awkward questions.”

“Having heard what Lady Cordelia had to say about me when I was hiding in her closet, I expect she’s looking for an excuse to fire me,” I said.

“Is there any way we can ask him discreetly?” suggested Helen.

“Would you be up for doing some of your amazing flirting with him?” I asked. “You could get something useful out of him if you smiled sweetly.”

“Not this time,” said Helen. “I’m rationing my flirting to men I consider serious husband material.”

“And you won’t get that with Julius,” said Sebastien. “He’s barely out of short trousers and is too busy trying to be the boss of this place to notice you. Not that you aren’t lovely.”

Helen smoothed down her hair. “Thank you for noticing.”

“Is your hair color natural?” asked Sebastien. “It’s so shiny. You must use a treatment on it.”

“It’s all mine,” said Helen. “The color and the shine.”

“Let’s talk about hair dye another time,” I said. “We need to figure out a way to get Julius to open up about this loan and find out what he told Leo about his plans to remortgage the castle.”

Leo jabbed a finger at the loan paperwork and shook his head.

“Could be Leo was in the dark about the loan and Julius was going behind his back,” I said, more for Leo’s consideration than anyone else’s.

Leo nodded along with my theorizing.

“And if Julius became suspicious that his father was on to him, and he didn’t want him to put a stop to the loan, he may have acted hastily.”

Leo tilted his head to one side and frowned.

Sebastien groaned and raised a hand. “I’ll be your sacrificial lamb.”

“What do you mean?” I asked him.

“I can’t stand being mauled by Cordelia anymore. And since I’m not going to get any money out of this, I need to bring it to a halt. I’ll confront Julius with what we’ve found out and see what he’s prepared to tell me. I can use this as my way to escape from Cordelia and maybe even help Leo at the same time.”

“Julius isn’t a fan of yours,” I said. “We saw that over dinner the other night. He might not tell you anything.”

“I’ve always made it clear to him that I thought he wasn’t mature enough to run this estate and he’s never forgiven me for that,” said Sebastien. “Confronting him about this loan will only enrage him further. And if I upset Julius enough, Cordelia will side with him and fall out with me. It’s just the excuse I need to get out of here.”

I raised my eyebrows and nodded. Sebastien had an ulterior motive for confronting Julius but it worked in our favor. And if he could find out what we needed, I was prepared to offer him up as our sacrifice. “Okay, then we need to make some plans to get you and Julius in the same room and find out what he knows.”

“And we need to do it quickly,” said Sebastien. “If I have to spend one more night fending off Cordelia’s advances, there might be another murder to investigate.”

Chapter 18

I disinfected my hands before leaving the cat houses. I’d spent an hour with Sandy after work helping her tidy everything. She was still struggling on her own, and Lady Cordelia wasn’t being any help and kept saying the cats would be taken away soon, so Sandy didn’t need extra help.

I hurried back to the castle with Flipper to find Helen already waiting for me outside the gatehouse.

“You’re late.” She grabbed my elbow and hurried me around the side of the castle.

“You can’t hurry a fussy cat when they won’t eat their dinner,” I said.

“Sebastien is already on his way to see Julius,” said Helen. “We don’t want to miss what he has to say.”

Sebastien had convinced Julius to meet with him that evening and discuss a fictitious business opportunity. They were meeting in a downstairs study so we’d be able to listen in through the window.

Big Ginge came running out from a hedge and ran alongside Flipper as we neared the window.

“Not a word out of either of you,” I said to Flipper and Big Ginge. “We need to be discreet.”

Both animals looked up at me with big innocent eyes.

As we reached the window, I could hear the sound of a quiet male voice.

Helen risked a look through the window and then ducked back. “Julius is in there on his phone. And he’s got one leg in plaster.”

“That’s odd, he was fine when I saw him this morning. I wonder what he’s done?” I was about to take a look myself, when there was a knock at the door, and we listened as Julius finished his phone call.

The knock sounded again, this time louder.

“Enter,” said Julius, his tone already sounding irritated.

“Julius, how are you?” It was Sebastien, and he sounded nervous. “You’ve hurt your leg.”

“Well spotted. But I’m busy,” said Julius. “What did you want to talk to me about? You said something about a business opportunity. I’ve already got a lot going on right now, so can’t take on too much additional work.”

“Yes, I imagine you have with your plans for the animal park,” said Sebastien.

There was a short pause. “What do you know about that?”

There was the rustling sound of paper and I exchanged a glance with Helen. Sebastien must be showing Julius the loan papers he’d discovered.

“I found some interesting information about how you’re raising the finance for your park,” said Sebastien.

The silence lasted for so long that I couldn’t help but look in the window. Julius was staring at the papers Sebastien had laid on the table. Two bright-red spots of color were on his cheeks and I could see he was grinding his teeth together.

“This is none of your business,” said Julius, his tone low and threatening.

“I’m making it my business,” said Sebastien. “Does Cordelia know about this loan?”

“What my mother knows is also none of your concern,” said Julius. “You are her plaything, and I know she’s already getting tired of you.”

I looked down to see Flipper and Big Ginge listening into the conversation intently, their heads cocked to one side. Big Ginge was nestled between Flipper’s paws.

“And my relationship with your mother is none of your business,” said Sebastien. “But it does worry me that you might be taking advantage of her.”

“And you’d know all about that,” said Julius. “I know you’re not here because you love her.”

“I do care for your mother,” said Sebastien. “And I care that you might be abusing your position as her son.”

“How much do you want?” asked Julius.

“Excuse me?”

“If you pretend you’ve never seen this paperwork and suddenly decide you have to leave on urgent business and never come back, how much money would it take to make that happen?”

I opened my mouth and stared at Helen. I hadn’t expected Julius to bribe Sebastien, and I knew how desperate he was for money so he could start his new life with Jasper. This could ruin our plans.

Sebastien made a few garbled-sounding noises before clearing his throat. “It’s not about money.”

I let out a relieved sigh, glad Sebastien wasn’t going to cave in.

“You’ll have your price,” said Julius. “You must have, otherwise why would you be with my mother?”

“It’s not right that you’re going to remortgage the castle without her knowing,” said Sebastien.

“And it’s not right you’re dating a woman twice your age,” said Julius. “Seems both of us have got a few things wrong.”

“I only want what’s right for Cordelia,” said Sebastien. “And you selling this castle out from under her isn’t it.”

“She won’t lose a thing,” said Julius. “The investment is sound. The new park will pay for itself within five years. All I need is this initial investment. Once I have it, all the work can begin. I have everything planned out. And you are not going to get in my way and stop me from doing it.”

“I could stop it if I told Cordelia what I’ve found out,” said Sebastien.

“She won’t believe you if you go telling tales about me,” said Julius.

“Why do you think Cordelia is still running the estate?” asked Sebastien. “She doesn’t trust you to do a good enough job of an existing business. Do you really think she’s going to let you loose on turning the grounds into some free-for-all full of bears and elephants?”

“I’m not having bears.” Julius’s tone was sulky.

“Your mother thinks you’re a joke,” said Sebastien. “And she’ll think that even more when she discovers what you’re trying to do. You’ll have to get her to sign off on this loan, and she’ll never agree to that.”

I bit my bottom lip as their voices raised. This wasn’t going how I’d planned it. They weren’t supposed to be trading insults with each other. Sebastien should be asking Julius about Leo and what he knew about the loan for the park.

“Maybe we need to intervene,” whispered Helen.

“Give Sebastien one more minute,” I whispered back. “He might be trying to rile Julius up so he makes a mistake and confesses.”

“It’s an interesting interview technique if it works,” said Helen.

“Why don’t we get Mommy in here and see what she has to say about this?” asked Julius. “And she’ll be interested to hear that you accepted money from me to disappear.”

“I did no such thing you little snake,” said Sebastien. “I should have done, though, this family is a nightmare. But what you’re doing is wrong and I want that straightened out.”

“You haven’t been straight with us since you stepped through the front door,” said Julius. “I see the way you covet things around you and wish you’d been born into such wealth. It won’t be the same if you do marry my mother. She won’t give you what you want, she’ll keep you on a tight leash to make sure you do everything she expects of you, and if you don’t, the money will be cut off. And when your looks begin to fade she’ll find another replacement. You’re not that important to her.”

“That is not how our relationship works,” muttered Sebastien.

“So you’d be with her if she was poor?”

I let out a sigh. This definitely wasn’t going how I’d planned it. Julius had the upper hand and was now interrogating Sebastien.

“Cordelia is a nice person,” said Sebastien. “If she was poor, I wouldn’t care, so long as we were both happy.”

Julius laughed quietly. “Of course you would. So, I’ll ask you again, how much is it going to take for you to keep your big mouth shut and leave this place for good?”

I closed my eyes, sending out a wish in the hope Sebastien wasn’t going to give in.

“Half a million,” muttered Sebastien.

I gasped and jumped up but Helen pulled me swiftly down. “You’ll be seen if you’re not careful.”

“Didn’t you hear him?” I said. “Sebastien’s going to accept a bribe. We should never have trusted him.”

Julius laughed again. “I knew you were only in this relationship for the money. Now I have your words recorded on my phone, I’m going to let Mommy know all about it. You’re not going to get anything from us.”

“You little sneak,” growled Sebastien. “Give me your phone.”

There was the sounds of scuffling and a startled yelp from Julius.

I looked through the window and saw Sebastien holding Julius in a headlock. I grabbed hold of the window ledge and hauled myself through. “Stop fighting you two.” I caught hold of Sebastien’s shoulder and tried to pull him away from Julius but he clung on tightly.

“He tricked me,” said Sebastien, his normally neat hair sticking up. “He recorded our whole conversation.”

“I know that,” I said. “But you can’t choke the information we need out of him.”

“I’ll give it a good go,” said Sebastien. “Search his pockets and get his phone off him.”

“Let me go!” yelled Julius. “I’ll have you arrested.” He smacked his hands against Sebastien’s arm.

“Not if I throttle you first you won’t,” said Sebastien. He reached inside Julius’s jacket and grabbed the phone, before stamping on it. “Now your evidence is gone.”

“You’d better let Julius go,” I said to Sebastien. “He’s injured. You don’t want to make things any worse.”

“I can still tell Mommy that you were willing to accept money from me,” choked out Julius. “She’ll believe me over you.”

“You need air in your lungs in order to do that,” said Sebastien.

Helen jumped through the window and fell on the floor. “What did I miss?”

“Just a couple of idiots,” I said, before turning back to Sebastien. “No one’s choking anybody, and no one’s going to tell tales to their mommy.”

“But he deceived me,” said Sebastien.

“And you were trying to do the same to him,” I said. “We all were.”

“What are you talking about?” Julius’s eyes bulged in his head as he stared at me.

“Let him go,” I said to Sebastien. “You’ve destroyed the evidence, so he can’t do you any harm.”

Sebastien released his hold on Julius and he fell to the floor, his hand around his neck as he gasped in air. “You could have killed me you madman.”

“Like you did your father,” said Sebastien.

Flipper and Big Ginge suddenly leapt through the window together. Big Ginge careened across the room and landed on top of Julius, making him grunt as he squashed the air out of his stomach.

Flipper charged after Big Ginge, only just missing Julius by leaping over him at the last second, causing him to cower and yelp.

“What are these crazy animals doing in here?” Julius pushed Big Ginge off his stomach and sat up. “Has everyone lost their mind? And what are you talking about, me killing my father?”

Big Ginge hopped nimbly onto the desk and curled his tail around him, his gaze going around the room as he took in the scene before him. Flipper sat on the floor next to him and gave me a doggy smile.

“Tell us about your loan arrangement,” I said to Julius. “Did Leo stop you from doing it so you decided to get rid of him?”

“You’re all crazy.” Julius staggered to his feet and continued to rub his neck. He leaned on the desk, and Big Ginge swiped a paw at him, making Julius jump away and land on his leg cast. “I wouldn’t kill my father over this place.”

I grabbed a chair and offered it to Julius, seeing the pain etched on his face. “What happened to your leg?”

Julius slumped into the seat without a word of thanks. “One of the work’s vehicles went out of control this morning. Lucky I wasn’t crushed to death under the wheels. It must have been dodgy brakes because no one was in the vehicle. It’s only a fracture, so the hospital patched me up with this splint and a cast and sent me home. But I’ll be in this cast for three months.”

I wondered if one of the workmen hadn’t deliberately released the handbrake on the vehicle after Julius had been so rude to them. “Getting back to the park loan, I know Leo wasn’t happy about what you wanted to do.”

Julius shrugged. “He was old-fashioned and set in his ways. Of course he wasn’t happy, but he understood a good business plan. I’d have talked him round if I’d had the opportunity to. But that wretched cat killed him before I got the chance.”

“Or you did,” muttered Sebastien.

“I didn’t touch him.” Julius glowered at Sebastien. “I liked him. He let me do what I wanted and try out different things. In truth, he didn’t care that much about me to be invested in whatever it was I was doing. And now he’s gone, I’m just getting on with things, making the best of it.” He looked at the ground, and for a second I felt some sympathy for Julius. It must be hard to be second best to a bunch of stray cats.

“But he can’t have agreed to this loan you wanted,” I said. “It would have been too much of a risk for the castle. If it went wrong you would have lost everything.”

“As long as the cat sanctuary got to stay he wouldn’t have minded,” said Julius. “We talked about it a few times and I could see he was beginning to warm to the idea. I got the paperwork drawn up and was going to talk him through it step-by-step, showing the repayments and the expected return on investment. It isn’t a high-risk deal.”

“So, why did you bribe me to get me out of the picture?” asked Sebastien. “Why the secrecy over this paperwork if it isn’t a problem?”

“You’re a separate problem to this.” Julius shot an angry glare at Sebastien. “I want you off the estate because you put silly ideas in my mother’s head. Just last night she was talking about opening a section of the castle as an artists’ retreat. Where did she get that idea from?”

I also glared at Sebastien. “You didn’t mention that to me. And are you serious about taking the bribe Julius is offering?”

“I was briefly tempted,” muttered Sebastien. “And the ideas I’m offering Cordelia aren’t stupid. I think an artists’ retreat would make a decent amount of money for the castle. Bring in a different audience.”

“Artists won’t bring in money,” said Julius. “Most of them are poor.”

Sebastien nodded his head and then shot me a guilty look.

Julius looked around the room at us all. “If you’re trying to pin my father’s death on anyone, it’s not just me you should be looking at if you think this loan has something to do with it.”

“You mean other people are involved?” I asked.

“Tabitha and Uncle Monty also want the animal park,” said Julius. “If you’re going to accuse me of killing my father so the park can go ahead, you need to ask them what they’re going to get out of this.”

Chapter 19

“Hold on a minute, all of you are involved in getting this park up and running?” I leaned against the sofa in the study and rubbed my forehead.

“That’s right,” said Julius. “Uncle Monty is always hard up for money and Tabitha doesn’t care where the money comes from so long as there’s lots of it to spend. They all have a stake in the castle as part of our trust agreements, and agreed to use it as collateral so we can secure the loan.”

“So any one of you could have killed Leo,” said Helen.

Julius shot Helen a curious look. “It was just bad luck father was smothered, wasn’t it? Why do you keep saying he was killed?”

“We’re not so sure his death was an accident,” said Sebastien. “Lorna thinks Leo might have been killed.”

Julius turned to me. “What makes you think that?”

“Because he’s worth a lot more dead than alive,” I said.

Julius shook his head. “He may not have cared for me all that much, but he was still my father and I loved him. I wouldn’t want to kill him.”

“What about Tabitha?” I asked, recalling how Leo smelt flowery perfume just before he died.

Julius considered my question, his hand idly rubbing the cast on his leg. “She can be cruel.”

“Cruel how?” asked Helen.

“You always hear about those odd kids who enjoy setting fire to ants’ nests and pulling the wings off butterflies for fun,” said Julius.

“Your sister used to do that?” I asked.

“She did. And now she’s graduated to cats.”

My mouth fell open. “Tabitha hurts the cats in the sanctuary?”

“She told me she only takes the sick ones, the ones too ill to recover,” said Julius. “But honestly, she creeps me out. She has their fur made into slippers and collars on her clothes. She’s always stroking the fur on her outfits and talking to it as if it’s a living animal. And have you noticed how she stares at the cats whenever they’re around, as if she’s sizing them up to see if their fur will match her next outfit?”

“Did Leo know about this?” I swallowed the horror I felt.

“Of course not,” said Julius. “He thought she loved the cats. And I guess she does in her own twisted little way.”

My hand went to Flipper’s head and I gave him a stroke, more to reassure myself than him. “Tabitha needs help.”

“That’s disturbing,” said Helen. “And it doesn’t take much of a leap for her to go from killing cats to killing her father.”

“It’s a bit of a stretch,” said Sebastien. “But I agree it is creepy.”

It made sense now why the cats ran away from Tabitha whenever she tried to get near them. They probably knew she was considering them for her next pair of mittens. “Did you know Leo was planning to change his will?” I asked Julius.

“He’d mentioned it to me,” said Julius. “But I never saw any new will. It was the same old one he’d always talked about; leaving trusts for me and Tabitha, the main estate to Mommy, and some donations to various charities. It was nothing out of the ordinary.”

“He planned to leave some money to a close friend,” I said. “Do you know who that would be?”

“Father’s only friends were the cats,” said Julius. “I suppose you’re going to tell me he planned to leave everything to them?”

Tabitha strolled through the doorway of the study, wrapped in a long fur-trimmed shawl. She paused as she saw us all. “This looks interesting. What are you all doing?”

“I’m glad you’re here,” I said to her, failing not to shudder as I saw the fur on her shawl.

Tabitha took a step back and glared at me. “What do you want? I don’t have any filing if you’re looking for extra work. Although, I hear you’ve been enjoying yourself with the kitty litter.”

“They know about the park loan.” Julius sighed. “You may as well come in, they know you’re involved.”

“I don’t have time to discuss boring loans.” Tabitha waved her hand dismissively. “I was looking for Uncle Monty. He promised to take me for dinner and I’m getting hungry.”

“Dinner will have to wait,” I said.

Tabitha’s nostrils flared. “How dare you talk to me like that.”

I eyed the fur on her shawl again and grimaced. “Nice outfit. Where did you get it from?”

“Somewhere you’d never be able to afford,” sneered Tabitha.

“They think someone killed father,” said Julius.

Tabitha blinked several times and grabbed hold of the door. “Whatever makes you think that?”

“Do you know anything about it?” I asked her.

“You think I did it?” asked Tabitha.

“You do have a lot to gain by him being dead,” said Julius.

Tabitha trailed her fingers across the fur on her shawl. “If I have anything to gain by Daddy’s death, then so do you.”

“Maybe it’s time we get the police involved,” said Helen.

“There’s no need for that. You’d just be wasting their time. Daddy’s death was an accident.” Tabitha backed away, a panicked look crossing her face.

“Just tell us what you know,” I said to her.

“I don’t know anything!”

“You should confess if you’ve done something stupid,” said Julius. “We’ll find out in the end.”

I looked at Julius in surprise. It appeared we were suddenly on the same side.

“So should you!” Tabitha narrowed her eyes at Julius. “I wish that lorry had run over your head and not just your leg.”

“Then you could have inherited my portion of the estate as well.” Julius struggled to his feet, waving away Sebastien’s hand. “You do know something about father’s death, don’t you? What did you do to him?”

“What rubbish,” said Tabitha. “I had nothing to do with it. A cat sat on his stupid face. You think I trained a cat to do that?”

“Tabitha, we only want to help you,” I said. “If you got angry and lashed out at Leo, the police will understand.”

Tabitha’s frantic gaze shot around the room. “Stop ganging up on me. I had nothing to do with it.”

“We aren’t,” I said.

“I’m telling you, I won’t have it.” Tabitha wobbled on her black heels, before turning and running out of the room.

“Don’t let her get away,” I yelled, and dashed after Tabitha, along the hallway and to the front door, closing in on her with every step. There’s a lot to be said for preferring practical pumps over high heels.

“You stay away from me,” shouted Tabitha, as she yanked open the door and slammed it in my face just as I reached her.

Pulling open the door, I hurried outside and saw Tabitha fleeing across the gravel towards the cat sanctuary.

I whistled for Flipper and he shot out the window, closely followed by Big Ginge, and they joined me as I ran across the grass after Tabitha.

I was gasping for air by the time we got to the cat houses, and Tabitha was nowhere to be seen. I looked down at Flipper and Big Ginge. “Go find Tabitha.”

Flipper set his nose to the ground and began to sniff, while Big Ginge nonchalantly strolled past all of the houses, peering in at each resident as if to show off his freedom.

I crept along the rows of cat houses, trying to see if Tabitha had snuck into any of them and was hiding.

Flipper barked, signaling he’d found something, and I ran to join him. Tabitha was crouching in a corner by a maintenance door. “You stay away. Don’t let your dog bite me.”

“Flipper won’t bite you,” I said. “Why did you run away from us?”

“Because you just accused me of murder!” Tabitha spun around and pulled open the door to the maintenance room.

I dashed in behind her, the door slamming shut, and ran straight into her back.

“Uncle Monty!”

I peered around Tabitha’s shoulder and saw Montgomery unconscious and tied up on a chair.

Chapter 20

“What happened to him?” I hurried over and checked Montgomery’s pulse. I let out a relieved sigh as I realized he still had one, and quickly untied his hands and feet.

“Who would do such a thing to him?” asked Tabitha. “We were supposed to be going to dinner.”

Montgomery groaned and his eyes flickered open. “I feel like I’ve been kicked in the head by a horse. Who hit me?”

I gently slapped his cheek to keep him conscious. “Montgomery, it’s Lorna. Do you know what happened to you?”

“I was in the garden,” said Montgomery, “waiting for Tabitha. I decided to take a look at the cats. All I remember after that is hearing someone walking up behind me and then getting smacked on the back of the head.” He moved his fingers up to his head and winced.

“You didn’t see who hit you?” I asked.

Montgomery blinked slowly and gently shook his head. “Not a clue. Where am I?”

“Someone tied you up and left you in one of the maintenance rooms,” I said. “Do you think you can stand?”

Montgomery took a deep breath and slowly got to his feet. I let him take hold of my arm until I was certain he wasn’t going to fall over.

“Are we still going for dinner?” asked Tabitha.

I sighed and shook my head. She was surprisingly unconcerned at just having discovered her uncle knocked out and tied up.

“Maybe another night.” Montgomery patted Tabitha on the shoulder as he staggered past. “Got a bit of a headache to deal with.”

“But you promised,” whined Tabitha.

“In case you haven’t noticed, someone’s just tried to kill your uncle,” I snapped at Tabitha.

“He looks fine,” said Tabitha. “You are okay, aren’t you, Uncle Monty?”

“Just perfect,” sighed Montgomery.

I tilted my head and looked at the bruise on Tabitha’s forehead. “Remind me again what happened to you? How did you get that bruise?”

“A problem with the car,” said Tabitha stiffly. “The brakes failed.”

“And you’re sure it was a fault?” I said. “Has anyone checked to make sure the brakes were faulty?”

“I’m not sure,” said Tabitha. “Why do you want to know?”

“What if the brakes had been tampered with?”

“You think someone is trying to bump us all off?” Montgomery laughed. “Who would want to do such a thing?”

“Tabitha’s car was tampered with; Julius got run over and fractured his leg; and you’ve been whacked over the head. That’s too much of a coincidence,” I said.

“Why would anybody want to kill me?” Tabitha looked at Montgomery. “Uncle Monty, make this woman stop talking nonsense.”

Montgomery scratched his chin. “Lorna might be onto something. It is strange how all of us have been injured recently.”

I heard scrabbling at the door and opened it to find Flipper, Big Ginge, and Helen waiting outside.

“What’s going on?” asked Helen. “Has Tabitha confessed to killing Leo?”

“I’ve confessed to nothing.” Tabitha pouted and folded her arms over her chest. “Because I’m guilty of nothing.”

“Using cat fur on your clothes doesn’t make you innocent,” I said coldly.

Tabitha’s lips flapped open and shut a few times. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“We’ll deal with that later.” I turned to Helen. “We just found Montgomery tied up in here.”

“Lorna thinks someone tried to kill me,” said Montgomery.

Helen’s eyes widened. “The broken leg, the bump on the head, and now this.” She gestured at Montgomery.

“I don’t feel very well.” Tabitha sagged against Montgomery, and he awkwardly patted her shoulder. “All this talk of killing is ruining my appetite. And I was looking forward to some juicy veal or a bloody steak.”

“Everything will be okay.” Montgomery looked over at me and shrugged. “Perhaps we should go back to the castle and discuss this? And I need something for my headache. Whoever hit me didn’t do it gently.”

Five minutes later, we were back in the study with Julius and Sebastien. Montgomery had updated them as to what happened, while Julius sat in a chair, his hands clenched around the arm rests and a look of surprise on his face.

“Any idea who would want to get rid of you all?” I looked around the room but nobody seemed all that keen on meeting my gaze.

“Dare I mention Lady Cordelia,” said Helen.

“Mommy would never harm us,” said Tabitha, who sat stiffly on the sofa.

“She doesn’t like the prospect of an animal park in the grounds,” I said.

“She was coming around to the idea,” said Julius.

“She wasn’t,” said Sebastien. “Cordelia complains about it all the time to me. She detests the thought of the estate being used in such a way.”

“I hate to be the one to say it, but we were being reckless trying to get the animal park off the ground without Cordelia’s support,” said Montgomery.

“But the castle eats money,” said Julius. “This is a logical step for us. We need to move forward and diversify the castle’s business interests.”

“Setting the park to one side,” I said, “can any of you think of a common enemy you have? If your accidents weren’t in fact accidental, and someone is trying to bump you off, who would benefit from you all being dead? Who’s next in line to inherit the estate?”

Montgomery drummed his fingers against his knee and stared at the ceiling. Tabitha plucked imaginary pieces of lint from her trousers, and Julius scratched his chin.

I groaned and rolled my shoulders. “There must be somebody! What about nephews and nieces or relatives of Leo’s?”

“It was just the two of us,” said Montgomery. “Leo was always the sensible older brother. And as for other relatives, we’re a small family. Our parents are dead, but there are a couple of great aunts. But they’re both wealthy and won’t be interested in this estate.”

“What about business partners?” asked Helen. “Perhaps one of them has their eye on the estate. If they can get rid of everyone who benefits from it they might try to buy it at a bargain price.”

Julius shook his head. “Father always kept business in the family. He didn’t like having outsiders involved. Diversifying with the park was a problem for him because I wanted to bring in outside investors.”

“Which is why you killed him.” Tabitha glared at Julius.

“Shut up,” said Julius. “Stop trying to make people think I’m involved in this. You’re the one with the weird urges to kill anything that has fur on it.”

Helen leaned over to me. “None of this is getting us any closer to figuring out what happened to Leo.”

I looked around the room again and realized we could be sitting with Leo’s killer only a few feet away.

“I think the attempts on your lives extend to your father’s death,” I said. “Leo didn’t die by accident, and your injuries were staged to look like mishaps.”

“Apart from mine,” said Montgomery. “Someone very much intended to bash me over the head and leave me to starve in the maintenance room.”

“Maybe whoever hit you was going to make your death look like an accident,” said Helen.

I nodded. “Somebody is trying to kill you all.”

“And that someone is in this room,” said Sebastien.

It was as if he’d read my thoughts. “That’s also possible.”

“You think I faked being run over so I wouldn’t be considered a suspect in my father’s death?” Julius snorted and shook his head. “Nobody killed father, he was smothered by a cat.”

“Where were you all when Leo died?” I asked.

“We’ve already been over this with the proper authorities,” said Tabitha. “I was with Julius working on the plans for the park.”

“And I was out at a bar,” said Montgomery. “I’ve got dozens of witnesses, and a rather pretty young lady who’d happily vouch for me.” He raised his eyebrows and winked at me.

Sebastien shrugged. “They’re right. And I was with Cordelia all evening. We had the police here questioning everybody after Leo died. But after the autopsy showed the cause of death, the investigation ended. The police were convinced nothing untoward happened.”

“You all need to be careful,” I said. “If there is a killer on the loose they could still be targeting you. They must have a reason for wanting all of you gone, and the one thing you all have in common is this castle.”

“So make sure you watch your backs,” said Helen.

“I don’t suppose you want to watch mine for me,” said Montgomery.

“You’re big enough and ugly enough to look after yourself,” said Helen. “Well, you should be.”

Montgomery touched his injured head. “I didn’t see the attacker coming. Whoever it was snuck up on me and got me before I knew they were there. I need extra protection.”

“And that suggests your attacker knows their way around the estate,” I said. “If they can move around undetected, you most likely have all seen them before and don’t think it’s odd they’re on the estate.”

“But we have dozens of staff here,” said Tabitha. “Along with the ones in the kitchen and the garden, we have the seasonal staff who manage the castle itself.”

“And we have several dozen volunteers involved in giving castle tours,” said Julius. “It could be any of them. I wouldn’t expect it to be unusual to see them in the grounds. Some of them like to look around and make up their own tour presentations, so you often see some stranger wandering about looking at the castle and muttering to themselves. I don’t pay them any attention anymore.”

I tipped my head back. All of these potential suspects would take weeks to investigate, and I wanted Leo to get some peace, and for me to get back to doing the job I was meant to.

Julius and Tabitha started bickering again, and Montgomery excused himself to go lie down after his kidnapping experience.

Sebastien patted my hand, just before leaving the room. “Sorry I wasn’t much help.”

“You were great, thanks for what you did.”

“I’d better start getting my stuff together,” said Sebastien. “When Cordelia hears about this she’s going to be fuming. The two of you need to look out as well. Julius is going to tell her everything.” He turned and left the room.

I sighed and looked over at Helen. “Where shall we start? I have a bad feeling we’re not going to be welcome here for much longer. And Leo still needs our help.”

Helen pursed her lips as she stood. “How about we get some tea and cake? All this arguing and running around is exhausting.”

I smiled and left Julius and Tabitha to their bickering. Helen was right, tea and cake always made the world look brighter, and it might give me the energy I needed to start work on all the new potential suspects.

Chapter 21

“Can you bring me through some clean newspaper?” shouted Sandy from the other end of the cat houses. “I’m all out down here, and I like to put clean paper in the bottom of the litter trays.”

I raised my hand in acknowledgement, and headed to the boxes of old newspaper in the store room.

It was almost the end of another day of working with the cats. After all the confrontations yesterday, I was glad when Lady Cordelia had announced I was to work with Sandy in the sanctuary until further notice. Although it wasn’t what I was used to doing, I liked being away from Lady Cordelia and her sarcastic remarks about my abilities. It also gave me time to think through the next steps in finding Leo’s killer, something the tea and cake hadn’t helped with, although it had been lovely. Plus, it was fun to hang out with some friendly moggies. Maybe it was time for a career change, I could get used to looking after animals all day. And Flipper also loved it.

I looked down and grinned at him. He had several cats following him around and was in his element as he strutted along with his new friendly felines. If Jessie could see him now, she’d be jealous of all the attention he was getting.

I grabbed the newspaper and hurried over to Sandy.

“Thanks for this,” said Sandy. “And whenever you want to start on the ones at your end, they will also need their paper changing and fresh litter.”

“I’ll get right on it,” I said.

“Any more news about what’s happening to the sanctuary?” Sandy brushed her hands together and then began to separate the newspaper out.

“I think you’ll have a couple more weeks,” I said. “Any luck in finding a new job?”

“Nothing so far. But I did speak to Julius about the possibility of me getting involved with the animal park. It’s not my ideal job, but I’ll take it if I have to.”

“He’ll have to keep you on,” I said. “You’re great with animals. And there can't be that much difference between looking after a cat and a lion. You'll be top wild-animal keeper in no time.”

Sandy smiled at me. “You’re not so bad yourself. Don’t suppose you fancy giving up a life of paperwork for a minimum wage job that involves all the free fur balls a woman can handle?”

I laughed. “The thought had crossed my mind.” I walked back along the cat houses to the boxes of newspaper. I grabbed my own handful and opened the first house.

One litter tray down and I was on to the next one. I shook out the cat litter and was just about to grab the dirty paper from the bottom when I noticed strange looking writing on it. I peered at the paper and realized it wasn’t usual newspaper print. I dragged it out and shook off as much of the dirt as I could. The air suddenly felt heavy and sweat broke out on my brow. I was looking at a copy of Leo’s will.

The edges were soggy and stained, but I didn’t care about that as I carried it out of the cat house and into the small office Sandy used.

I flattened out the paper, and despite the smudged ink, could see Leo had left almost everything to establish a charity so the cat sanctuary could remain on the estate forever. No wonder Lady Cordelia and anyone else who saw this will would want to keep it hidden.

I continued to read down the will, slowing as I saw a line about leaving money and assets to different individuals. There were small sums left for Julius, Tabitha, Montgomery, and Lady Cordelia, but it was the next line that was of most interest.

I hereby leave twenty percent of my remaining estate to Melinda Nell Babington.

Melinda Nell Babington? Nell was the first name of the cattery helper who’d been arrested for damaging Lady Cordelia’s car. Did this relate to her? And if so, how was she related to Leo? If they shared the same surname they must have some kind of familial connection.

My heart caught in my throat. Could she be Leo’s secret wife? Perhaps he’d married her without divorcing Lady Cordelia. That would explain why he needed to keep their connection a secret.

I looked up as I heard the office door open and my mouth went dry. Nell stood in the doorway, her narrowed gaze on me.

“Looks like you’ve found something you shouldn’t.”

Chapter 22

“I thought you’d been arrested,” I said to Nell, glancing around for a place to hide the will.

“I got released without charge.” Nell closed the door behind her and leaned against it. “Lady Cordelia didn’t see me damaging her car and the police weren’t prepared to go with just her word that I was the culprit. Seems like money can’t buy you everything.”

I looked down at the will and swallowed. “You know about this?”

“I should, since I’m in it.” Nell took a step towards me.

Now the door was shut, I caught a whiff of flowers. It must be Nell’s perfume, the perfume Leo smelled just before he died. “I didn’t know you and Leo were related.”

“Nobody does,” said Nell. “We’re brother and sister.”

So much for my secret marriage theory. “Why the secrecy?”

“I’m his half sister,” said Nell. “Our mother had an affair and I was the result. She was sent away in shame to give birth to me and then I was put up for adoption. It was a big scandal at the time, but the family was determined to keep it a secret.”

“Leo found out about you?”

“I found out about him,” said Nell. “It’s hard to ignore a name like the Babington’s. I came to the castle a few times as a visitor and looked around. It took me a while to believe I was supposed to be a part of this.”

“You must have been angry you missed out on so much,” I said. “All the wealth and social status of living here.”

Nell shrugged. “The family who adopted me were decent enough, but I always knew I was meant for greater things. I never fitted in with them, despite the places they took me and the schools they sent me to. In the end, they shoved me into some private school and I only saw my adoptive parents in the holidays. As soon as I could, I left home and spent a few years drifting around trying to find a purpose. I read about this place by chance in a magazine and then started to do my own investigation. You can imagine how surprised I was when I found some reference to Lady Babington going away for a summer sabbatical just around the time I was born. I traced back the records and what do you know, I was a part of all this.” She waved around her arms and laughed.

“Leo must have been thrilled when you told him you were his sister.”

Nell smiled and some of the anger slid from her face. “He was. Leo was a decent man. He took me under his wing, gave me this job, and told me he’d figure out a way to make me a proper part of the family. I’d been here a year before I realized he didn’t mean it, and was embarrassed about me.”

“I’m sure he wasn’t,” I said.

“He never told any of his children about me,” said Nell. “And he never told Lady Cordelia or Monty.”

“Maybe he was just waiting for the right time,” I said.

“If it had been the other way around I’d have introduced him to everyone without a second of hesitation. I’d have been so proud to have Leo as family. I’d have shown him off to everyone.”

I looked carefully at Nell and saw how nervous she was, her hands shaky and her eyes darting around the office.

“And then Leo died,” I said. “That must have hit you hard. You were only just getting to know each other.”

“It probably hit him harder.” Nell tittered and slapped a hand over her mouth. “I shouldn’t say that.”

I straightened my spine and took a deep breath. “I don’t think Leo’s death was an accident.”

Nell’s eyes narrowed. “What do you think happened to him?”

“Someone smothered him in his sleep.”

“Have you asked Lady Cordelia about that? She didn’t think much of her husband.”

“And what did you think about Leo?” I asked. “If he was embarrassed about introducing you to his family that must have been hard to take. Perhaps so hard you decided to do something about it. And he has left you a lot of money in this will.”

Nell snorted a laugh. “That will is pathetic. You should have seen the one he wrote before that.”

“There's another will! What was in that one?”

“He left me everything,” said Nell. “Well, almost everything. He decided his family had enough assets and they could do what they liked with the castle. But he planned to set up a charity just for the animal sanctuary. He was going to get me to run it, and was leaving me eighty percent of everything he owned, so I would have enough to keep the sanctuary going forever. It was going to be his legacy. I was going to make it happen, make him proud of me.”

I raised my eyebrows. “That was generous of him. But what changed? Why did he write this will instead?”

“He said he wasn’t sure I could be relied upon. Something about me being unhealthily obsessed with the cats. I didn’t have a clue what he was talking about, he loved them as much as I do. He was always hanging out here talking to the cats and telling them his secrets. He seemed to think only he had the right to do that, and I was the crazy one because I wanted to spend my time with four-legged friends rather than him. So, he made an amendment to the will, he still left me some money, but he didn’t want me to be involved with this sanctuary. And that wasn’t right. I had to make sure that didn’t happen.”

“So you killed him.”

Nell carried on as if I hadn’t spoken. “Leo said he was going to set the sanctuary up as a charity and get a professional in to run it. I’m professional when it comes to the animals. I love them and always do what’s best for them. But he wouldn’t listen to me, he kept telling me I should get some help and needed to spend more time with actual people.”

I looked at the will again. “After you killed Leo, you realized you had the rest of his family in your way. And you needed to get rid of them and then reveal your connection to get the rest of the estate. Was that your plan?”

“People are harder to kill than I thought they’d be,” said Nell. “I was sure I’d crushed Julius with that truck. But when I looked out the cab window he was still waving his arms around and screaming. I was just about to reverse over him when I heard shouts from inside the castle and realized he’d been spotted. I only just managed to get away without being seen. And I was sure I’d be able to get rid of Tabitha thanks to her terrible driving. I knew what cable I needed to cut through, so it would be easy to make her crash look accidental. But she survived.”

“And Montgomery? What were you going to do with him?”

“I couldn't resist the opportunity to take him down when I spotted him lurking around the cat houses.” Nell's eyes glazed over. “I was thinking of throwing him in the lake. I was going to do it as soon as I’d knocked him out, but I heard footsteps and had to hide him and disappear before someone spotted me. I didn’t think anyone would discover him in the maintenance room, so it would have been easy for me to return and finish the job.”

“And Lady Cordelia? Was she also on your hit list?”

An evil smirk spread across Nell’s face. “I had big plans for her, especially considering what she wants to do with our lovely cats.”

I shuddered. “And Leo?”

“Poor Leo,” said Nell. “I smothered him with a cat bed. The one he kept in his bedroom that the enormous ginger cat liked to sleep in. That poor cat got accused of all sorts of things after Leo died.”

I recalled how Big Ginge reacted every time someone suggested he had sat on Leo’s face and killed him in his sleep. No wonder he got angry.

“I did feel sorry that I had to do that to Leo. But he wasn’t listening to reason. Every time I confronted him about the changes he was making to his will he got angry. What you’ve got there is his most recent will. None of the family have seen it, other than Cordelia, and they won’t like it when they do. It means their money will be diverted to the cats.”

“Lady Cordelia knows about you?”

“She had her suspicions, especially since she’s read that will and seen my name in there. Of course, I use a different surname in day-to-day life, so she couldn’t prove anything right away. But I knew she was looking into my background and she wanted me out of the way. That’s why she sacked me and had me arrested for spray painting her car.”

“You didn’t do that?”

“She probably did it herself,” said Nell. “She’d do anything to get rid of me. But believe me, the feeling is mutual.”

“The family have a right to know what happened to Leo,” I said.

“And I have a right to what’s mine,” said Nell. “And these cats have a right to live out the rest of their lives without worrying about being thrown away or abused like they’ve already been. Nobody should ever be abandoned, it’s not fair.”

The door behind Nell seemed like a long way away as she advanced towards me, her fingers reaching out towards the will on the desk.

“I can’t let you have this.” I grabbed the will and clutched it to my chest, ignoring the scent of cat pee that drifted up my nose. “It’s only fair that Leo gets justice for what happened to him.”

“So long as these cats are well looked after, Leo won’t care what happened to him.” Nell held her hand out. “Give me that will. I thought putting it in a litter box was a fitting end to the copy I had. But then I got arrested just before I was able to burn it. And now you’ve found it, which is a shame, because I get the impression you love animals.”

I backed away from Nell. “I do. I love them. Nothing bad will happen to these cats while I’m working here.”

“But you’re not going to be working here for much longer,” said Nell. “I need you out of the way so I can get rid of the family and claim what’s mine. If you go telling the police or anyone else what you know, my plans will be ruined.”

I continued to back away and walked through an intense cold spot. My breath plumed out in front of me and I shuddered as I saw Leo materialize by the desk.

“What’s wrong with you?” asked Nell.

“I’ve just seen a ghost,” I said.

“You’ll soon be a ghost.” Nell crouched down and glared at me. “I’ll take that will from you if I have to pry it from your cold dead fingers.”

“I could do with some help here,” I said to Leo. “Here’s your killer.”

Nell’s eyebrows shot up and she glanced over her shoulder. “Who are you talking to?”

I licked my lips. “Leo.”

Nell laughed, but her gaze shot around the office. “Leo is dead. I should know, I was there when he took his last breath.”

Leo frowned at Nell and then looked over at me.

“She did it,” I said to him. “She didn’t like the changes you made to your will. She wanted more of the family estate. She felt she was owed it after what happened to her.”

“I was owed it,” said Nell. “Stop talking to yourself and give me that will.”

Leo shot through the air towards Nell and shoved her backwards.

She staggered a few steps and frowned, before advancing towards me again.

Leo wrapped his arms around her and spun towards the door.

Nell let out a yelp. “What’s happening?”

“Leo is not happy with you,” I said.

“But Leo’s... dead.”

“But he’s not at rest,” I said. “How can he be after you killed him?”

“I only did it to get what I was entitled to,” gasped Nell, as Leo let go of her and spun her towards the door.

Nell flung her arms in front of her face as Leo shoved her again. She staggered backwards and landed in one of the big buckets of cat litter stored in the corner of the office.

Leo flung the office door open and Flipper, Big Ginge, and the three cats who’d been following Flipper around, ran into the room and launched themselves at Nell.

She screamed and covered her face with her hands as Flipper landed on her chest and lay down, while the cats circled her, hissing and nipping her hands and any exposed pieces of skin they could find.

“Get them off me!” Nell tried to push Flipper off her chest, but he bared his teeth and growled at her.

“I thought you loved animals,” I said to her, relief running through me as I saw Flipper and the cats doing an amazing job of restraining Nell.

“I normally do,” said Nell. “But these ones are possessed. I don’t know what’s wrong with them, animals love me.”

“They don’t love you now,” I said. “Not after what you’ve done to Leo, or what you tried to do to everybody else.”

A whimpering moan came out of Nell. “I deserve that money.”

I looked over at Leo and could see his ghost was already fading. “Are you happy?” I asked him. “We found out who killed you and you can be at peace now. And the rest of your family are safe as well. I’ll make sure the police know what happened and your new will is read.”

Leo drifted over towards me and pressed an icy kiss on my cheek before blinking out of sight.

I lifted the phone on the desk and dialed the police.

Chapter 23

“And as a thank you for what you did apprehending that dreadful Nell, you may stay in your job if you wish.” Lady Cordelia peered at me from the other side of her desk.

“And no more cat litter duties?” I asked.

Lady Cordelia pressed her lips together. “No more litter duties unless you wish there to be. And the sanctuary is staying. It can be Leo’s legacy. He clearly wanted the cats to remain here.”

“And what about his new will?” I asked. It had been twenty-four hours since Nell had confessed to everything. Since then, I’d barely had a moment to myself as I'd explained everything to the police, updated the family, and made sure they all got to see what was in Leo’s most recent will.

“That’s a family matter.” Lady Cordelia leaned back in her chair and sighed. “But I will ensure his most recent requests are undertaken. I might not agree with his fascination with cats, but I see they were the biggest love of his life and he wanted to make sure they were well provided for. The relevant paperwork is with our solicitors and the matter will be taken into hand. The cats’ futures are secured.”

“That’s all I wanted to hear,” I said.

Lady Cordelia looked at the corner of her desk, where Big Ginge was fast asleep, curled in a patch of sunshine. She leaned over and stroked his head. “And I must admit, this one is beginning to grow on me. I just wish he wouldn’t keep leaving his fur balls everywhere.”

“Love cats, love fur balls.” I stood and smiled at Lady Cordelia. “And since I did help figure out what happened to Leo, I don’t suppose Helen and I can have the rest of the day off? We’re house hunting you see, and need to go and look at a few places.”

Lady Cordelia narrowed her eyes but then nodded. “Take the day off. I could do with some time off myself. Finding out Leo was murdered and some crazy woman was trying to bump off the rest of us is enough to give everybody a shock. Let’s start afresh tomorrow morning. You meet me here and we’ll get to work on my admin.”

I left the office with a smile on my face, giving Helen a thumbs-up as I spotted her on the stairs. She grinned at me and raced away.

I got the impression everything was going to be okay between me and Lady Cordelia from now on. We hadn’t gotten off to the best of starts, but I’d shown her I was more than capable, and now Leo’s ghost had gone, things would get back to normal.

As I walked out the front of the castle, I saw Sebastien standing by a waiting taxi. He raised his hand when he saw me.

“I’m glad I’ve seen you.” He walked over to me. “Just been getting my final things together.”

“So it’s all over with you and Lady Cordelia?”

“I promised you I’d finish it with her,” said Sebastien.

“And how did she take it?”

“Better than I thought she would,” said Sebastien. “She was angry with me for the way I spoke to Julius. And he did exactly what I thought he would, and told her all about our fight. But I refused to apologize and said I couldn’t handle her spoiled children. I also said I wanted some freedom to go traveling, and she hated that idea. We’ve agreed to remain friends.”

“And did you take any money from her?”

“Not a penny,” said Sebastien. “And before you ask, I didn’t accept Julius’s offer of money either.”

“But you were tempted,” I said to him.

“It was half a million pounds!” Sebastien gave me a look of mock surprise. “Even you’d have been tempted by that amount.”

I gave him a hug and we said our goodbyes just as Helen hurried out of the front door, her car keys in hand.

“Come on, we’re going to be late.” She grabbed hold of my elbow and led me to her car.

“I’ve never seen you so keen on house hunting.” I slid into the passenger seat and Flipper jumped into the back seat.

“Zach reckons this place is ideal,” said Helen, as we shot along the driveway and out onto the road. “It’s only half an hour from here as well, so if you decide not to tell Lady Cordelia where she can stick her job, it will be perfect for us.”

“I’m keeping the job,” I said. “I’ve come to an understanding with Lady Cordelia. And I even think she’s thawing on the issue of the cats.”

“I knew she would,” said Helen. “She knows how brilliant you are at what you do, and who doesn’t love cats.”

“The sanctuary stays as do all the cats,” I said. “And Sandy gets to keep her job as well.”

“But not Nell,” said Helen.

“No. She was in shock after being hassled by the animals,” I said. “Plus the ghost attack by Leo. She was babbling to the police as they led her away about some spirit attacking her. She’s not going to have anything to do with cats for a long time.”

“Serves her right,” said Helen. “What about Tabitha’s gross cat fur addiction? They won’t be safe from her if she’s still around.”

“Lady Cordelia was made aware of that nasty problem, and Tabitha is being packed off on an extended retreat. I have a feeling it will involve a lot of therapy.”

“And the animal park?”

“On ice for now, but I think it will happen in the future.”

“Well, so long as the cats can stay and they’re safe, that’s the main thing,” said Helen. “And of course, Leo isn’t bothering you anymore.”

“Leo’s gone, and he seemed happy now all his requests can be carried out.”

“Excellent. Now, keep a look out for a sign for Beaumont Fields.”

“Is that where the house is?”

“It’s around that area.” Helen grinned at me as she guided the car around a corner.

I looked at her suspiciously. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“Just you wait,” said Helen. “But I think you’re going to love it.”

Fifteen minutes later, we pulled up behind Zach’s Land Rover. Zach and Gunner were both leaning against it when we arrived.

Zach walked over and gave me a kiss as I got out of the car.

“So, where is this wonderful house?” I looked around the country lane we'd stopped on and only spotted a couple of tiny cottages, a village shop, and a pub.

“I thought we’d go for a drink first,” said Zach.

“And it sounds like you need one,” said Gunner. “I’ve been hearing all about your exploits in your new job. You caught a killer.”

“It’s not so unusual.” I grinned at Helen. “But what about the house? We don’t want anyone else to snap it up if it’s as good as you think it is.”

“Nobody is going to steal this house from us.” Zach took hold of my hand and led me over the road into a thatched pub called the Drapers Arms. We ordered our drinks and sat around a table. From the smiles on Zach and Gunner’s faces, I could tell they were in on the secret Helen was keeping from me.

“What’s going on?” I asked. “Why all the secrecy about this house?”

“Zach’s had an idea,” said Gunner. He pulled a roll of paper out of his jacket and spread it across the table. It was an architect’s drawing of a house.

“Since we’ve been having so much trouble finding our own home,” said Zach, “I figured we might as well build our own. We all know what we want, but we can’t find it in one building.”

“Creating it ourselves is the only answer,” said Gunner.

Zach looked over at me. “What do you think?”

I stared at the plan, looking at the spacious bedrooms, massive downstairs living area and lots of outside space. “It looks amazing.”

Zach took hold of my hand and smiled. “We can have it just how we want it. And there will be absolutely no risk of any unwanted visitors.”

Gunner glanced at Zach. “Not sure what you mean by that.”

“He means the ghosts, idiot,” said Helen.

Gunner’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, yes. The ghosts. It all makes sense now.”

Helen tutted at Gunner and he grinned at her.

“Where are we going to build our dream home?” I asked Zach.

“There’s a plot of land just down the road from here that's for sale,” said Helen.

I shot her a surprised look. “How much do you know about this?”

“I’ve only known for the last couple of days,” said Helen. “Zach and Gunner made me promise to keep it a secret from you because they wanted to tell you themselves.”

“I hope you don’t mind,” said Zach. “I swore Helen to secrecy because I wanted to show you the plans first. We can finish these drinks and go and look at the land next. But I’m sure you’re going to love it. Loads of space for the dogs, amazing views. And it will all be ours.”

I looked down at the plans again and a big smile crossed my face. This was the perfect solution. We could all get what we wanted; I wouldn’t be bothered by restless ghosts lurking around in an old house, and we could take our time creating our ideal home.

I raised my glass. “This calls for a toast.”

“To a ghost-free home,” said Zach.

Gunner opened his mouth, but Helen frowned at him and he shut it just as quickly.

I shook my head. “To a home where everybody is happy.”

“To having the biggest bedroom and an attached bathroom,” said Helen.

“To having space for all my vinyl and a place to play the drums whenever I like,” said Gunner.

Helen frowned. “You play the drums?”

“I’m in a band, baby,” said Gunner. “Do you think musicians are sexy?”

Helen's cheeks flushed and she looked at Gunner with wide eyes.

I laughed as we clinked our glasses together, and I grinned at everybody around the table. This was going to be paradise. Noisy, messy, sometimes difficult paradise, but I’d happily take it.