Read Online Silent as the Grave by Bill Kitson - Free Book Online Page B

Tony’s cousin Russell Rowe who was next to ridicule my ideas, ‘I’m afraid you’re barking up the wrong tree there, old chap.’
    â€˜Perhaps he wanted to meet someone and wanted to keep that meeting secret,’ was all I could suggest.
    â€˜He wouldn’t have to go outside to do that,’ Russell pointed out. ‘There are more than enough secret meeting places within the castle walls without going outside. No, I’m afraid you’ve been reading too many of your own thrillers, old man.’
    Russell was beginning to irritate me and the smug expressions on the faces of some of the others at my discomfort didn’t help. I decided I’d had enough and switched from defence to attack. ‘Very well, then,’ my voice was tinged with sarcasm from the start, by the finish it was deeply coloured, ‘as you’ve all returned with your hands as empty as your brains from searching inside the castle, perhaps one of you brilliant detectives would favour us with your own, more convincing explanation of Edgar Beaumont’s disappearance. In the unlikely event that you can do so, I’ll be more than happy to hear it, because all you’ve done so far is to pick holes in my theory, the only theory we have, may I remind you, without offering up an alternative,’ I sat back and waited, ‘Go ahead, I’m listening. Just don’t all talk at once.’
    It was another great Adam Bailey conversation stopper. The angry silence was broken only by Tony who gave an embarrassed cough. No other explanation was forthcoming but I could tell by the expression of deep disapproval on most of the congregation’s faces that my stock was at zero; if not below. Not that I was particularly upset by that. I expected no support. Even though, as I’d pointed out, it was our only theory and was a pretty wild one. I was as surprised as the rest of the gathering therefore when I found I had two allies.
    â€˜I don’t give a toss what the rest of you think, I reckon Adam has a point and I think we should at least make some effort to investigate his idea,’ Eve told them.
    If I’d silenced the audience a few seconds earlier, Eve’s outburst stunned them. They were still recovering from this unexpected shock when my second supporter added his voice. ‘I agree with Aunt Evie,’ Charlie piped up. ‘I think you’re all being a bit mean to Adam. At least he has got an idea, which is more than can be said for the rest of you. I think we should go have a look outside.’
    His final remark had everyone glancing out of the window, including me. My heart sank. Any prospect of raising a worthwhile search party was remote. The snow was beginning to fall heavily once more. Anyone not totally committed to the idea would see that as sufficient excuse. That meant virtually everyone.
    Charlie was as successful at creating silence as Eve and I had been. He waited then said, ‘Come on, Adam, you and I will go look. Leave the rest of them by their cosy fireplace.’
    The stinging rebuke implicit in this remark uttered by a twelve-year-old was a bit strong for a few of the party and I could see one or two about to respond when Eve entered the fray once more. ‘Good for you, Charlie, I’ll come with you as well.’
    â€˜You’ll risk missing your Christmas dinner, we plan to serve it in an hour,’ Polly’s tone was just a little catty.
    â€˜Yes, and Cathy’s taken great pains to inform us we should be ready on the dot,’ Harriet backed her friend up.
    I could see Tony was becoming more and more uncomfortable by the signs of an impending rift. I was about to make some soothing remark but I was beaten to it by Eve. ‘If you lot are more concerned with feeding your face than looking for a missing guest, then all I can say is you’re a miserable shower that I wouldn’t want to sit down to Christmas dinner alongside,’