“I knew they moved the guests from Little Saint Michael’s to the Abbey House. I was in the hall when Fergus left your room.”
“You can sleep on the sofa,” Kendall said.
“Where will Nathan sleep?” Jake asked.
“You think you’re sleeping in the bed?” Nathan asked.
“It’s my room,” Jake said. “And Kendall’s.”
“And where’s she supposed to sleep?” Nathan asked, his eyes narrowed.
“In the bed, where she’s been sleeping.”
“Like hell.”
“What’s your idea?” Jake asked. “All four of us pile up in the bed?”
“We can worry about sleeping arrangements later,” Kendall said. “Right now, we need to search the area for the chalice. Todd might have dropped it.”
“We can’t go until the cops leave,” Jake said.
“That could be hours,” Kendall said.
“We don’t want them to catch us in the area,” Jake said. “We’ll try again in a few hours. They should be gone by then.”
“I hope they didn’t find it,” Kendall said.
“We’d better get a couple hours’ sleep,” Jake said. “This might be our only chance.” He glanced at the bed.
“Brandi and I will take the bed,” Kendall said. “You two can share the sofa or go sleep with Fergus.”
“Fergus and Marco are already sharing a bed,” Jake said. “And I’m not leaving you alone, not with her.” He glanced at Nathan. “Not with anyone.”
“I’m not leaving either,” Nathan said.
“I don’t suppose I could borrow your shower… and some clean clothes?” Brandi asked Kendall.
They were about the same size, and Kendall didn’t want her parading around in front of Nathan and Jake with only a bathrobe. “Sure.”
While Brandi showered, Kendall, Nathan, and Jake discussed the priest hole. They agreed not to mention it to Brandi. They didn’t know if they could trust her yet. The plan was to split up when the cops left the area. Nathan and Brandi were more familiar with the murder scene, so they would look for the chalice. Kendall and Jake knew where the priest hole was, so they would see where it led.
By the time Brandi exited the bathroom, dressed in Kendall’s yoga pants and T-shirt, Nathan and Jake had made up a bed on the floor, having decided that the sofa wasn’t long enough for either of them. Brandi got into bed—as far from the men as possible—and lay down. Kendall climbed in while Jake and Nathan were still sorting out pillows.
“You got anything to sleep in?” Nathan asked.
“I don’t usually sleep in anything,” Jake said.
“I’m not sleeping next to you if you’re naked.”
“I’m wearing my underwear,” Jake said. “Why are you asking? You have your own clothes.”
“I didn’t bring anything to sleep in. I don’t wear pajamas.”
“You’re sleeping in underwear tonight.”
Both men stripped to their underwear after the lights were out. But they could still be seen by the light from the alarm clock. Kendall looked over at Brandi and saw her watching.
“You’re one lucky girl,” Brandi whispered. “I think.”
“You don’t have to live with them. Sometimes I’d trade them both for a good piece of fudge.”
Jake and Nathan each lay as far to the edge of the blanket as they could, but the soft jabs continued.
“See what I mean,” Kendall said. “They do this all the time.” Kendall didn’t expect to get any sleep. She wasn’t completely comfortable next to Brandi, but she felt somewhat better knowing Jake and Nathan were a few feet away. Brandi was right about Nathan and Jake being handy in a fight. She’d put them up against almost anything. She drifted off, thinking about the chalice and the priest hole and woke in the middle of the night to an empty bed. Her first thought was that Jake was missing. Then she remembered Jake and Nathan were on the floor. Brandi was the one missing. Kendall got out of bed and walked toward the bathroom. A hand grabbed her ankle.
“Where you going?” Jake asked, leaning on one arm.
“I’m looking for Brandi.”
Jake let go of her ankle and stood. “Is she in the bathroom?”
“I was going to check.” They walked to the bathroom, but the door wasn’t closed. Kendall opened it wider and flipped on the light. Brandi wasn’t there.
“What’s going on?” Nathan asked.
Kendall turned and blinked. She had gotten sort of used to seeing Jake in his underwear. Not Nathan. “Brandi’s gone.”
Jake turned on the lights in the room and walked to the bed. He touched the side where Brandi had slept. “It’s cold. She’s been gone for a while. Dammit. She’s gone to find the chalice.”
“I told you I didn’t trust her,” Nathan said.
“Could you both put on some clothes?” She needed to focus.
They picked up their clothes from the sofa and started getting dressed.
“We know where she’s going,” Kendall said, grabbing her things and heading to the bathroom.
“Between your sixth sense and Nathan’s sense of smell, maybe we’ll get lucky,” Jake said.
Before they could leave, someone tapped on the door. “Maybe that’s her,” Kendall said.
“No, it’s Fergus.” Nathan opened the door and Fergus stepped inside. He looked disheveled. “Marco is gone. He was sleeping, and I woke up to go to the”—he glanced at Kendall—“restroom, and I saw he wasn’t in his bed. He’s probably wandering around the ruins. He kept talking about how long it had been since he’s been here.”
“Brandi’s missing too,” Nathan said.
“You don’t think she would have…” Kendall stopped.
“Kidnapped him?” Jake finished.
“He’s got all the knowledge she needs in his head,” Kendall said.
“We have to find them,” Nathan said. “We can’t let Brandi find the chalice first. Fergus, you stay here just in case he’s wandered off and comes back.”
Jake stuck his gun under his shirt. He handed Kendall a knife. “You don’t need a weapon,” he said to Nathan.
Kendall, Nathan, and Jake hurried toward the door leading to the abbey grounds. Halle, Rhonda, and Art’s mother were also there. Art’s mother was in tears.
“What’s happened?” Kendall asked.
“Her little boy is missing,” Halle said, looking at Nathan.
“Again?” Jake muttered.
Art’s mother wiped her eyes. “He disappeared from his bed. I’m afraid something bad has happened after those two murders.”
Kendall looked at Nathan and Jake. Another person missing wasn’t a good sign. If it was just Brandi and Marco, she would believe Brandi had taken the old man. “I’m sure he just went to explore.”
“But he’s scared of the dark. And after finding that dead body, he was terrified. What if the murderer came back to silence him? Oh, my poor baby.”
“Don’t panic,” Kendall said. “I’m sure he’s nearby. Little boys are braver than you might think.” Adam was.
“He was really excited tonight. He kept talking about a hidden tunnel and treasure. Art’s imagination has been even worse here. He was named after King Arthur, you know.”
“Why don’t you ladies let us look for him,” Jake said. “We’re experienced at this.”
“You’ve helped the police find people?” Halle asked.
“Kendall is excellent at finding things,” Jake said. “She’ll be able to focus better with fewer people there.”
“She is amazing,” Halle said to Art’s mother. “She contacted King Arthur, and we all saw a vision of Merlin. If anyone can find your son, she can.”
Kendall was touched at Halle’s faith in her, but she felt like a jerk knowing she’d deceived the group. “I promise I’ll do my best to find him.”
“What are you and Jake doing here?” Rhonda asked, her gaze drifting to Nathan.