She wondered if finally she would learn the answers to the questions which had plagued her for so long.
There were only a handful of people in the bar of ‘The Bull’ hotel. It was not yet noon and the lunchtime drinkers had still to appear.
Kelly sat over her orange juice, waiting for Joubert to join her. When he finally sat down opposite her she noticed how dark and sunken his eyes looked, a testament to the fact that he had been working all night. He sipped his own drink and watched as Kelly did the same.
‘You said you wanted to talk,’ the Frenchman said. “What had you in mind?’
‘For one thing, I’d like to know what the hell you and Vernon had been up to for the past month or so,’ she said, challengingly. ‘Ever since the two institutes began work on Astral projection and dream interpretation it’s been more like working for MI5 than a psychic research unit. What were you and Vernon working on?’
‘What happened to the famous English quality of tact?’ he said, smiling. “What do you want to know?’
if I asked all the questions that are on my mind we’d be here until this time next year. Right now I’ll settle for knowing why you and Vernon were so
secretive about the research findings.’
Joubert sipped his drink once more, gazing into the glass as if seeking inspiration.
‘How much did you know about Vernon?’ he asked.
‘Personally, not a great deal. Professionally he seemed obsessed with the work on Astral projection and mind control,’ Kelly said.
‘He was. But with good cause, as I was. We both had reasons for wanting the findings kept quiet until a suitable time.’
‘Reasons worth killing for?’ she asked.
Joubert looked aghast.
‘Certainly not,’ he said, indignantly. “Why do you say that?’
‘The death of Lasalle didn’t seem to make much of an impression on you.’
‘You thought I was responsible for Lasalle’s death?’ he said, although it sounded more like a statement than a question.
She nodded.
‘He was cracking up, close to insanity when he died,’ said Joubert. ‘No one could have helped him, least of all me. He was afraid of me.’
‘You gave him cause to be. I noticed the hostility between you.’
it was nothing personal. I was angry with him for revealing our findings so early. That was all.‘The Frenchman lowered his voice slightly. ‘Lasalle was a good friend of mine,’ he said, reflectively. ‘But he did a lot of damage to our research with that article he wrote. It brought too much media attention to a project which should have been fully completed before being put up for scrutiny. And, he ruined my chances of making a name for myself in our field.’
He went on to recount the story he had told Vernon, about how the limelight had been snatched from him once before. ‘So, perhaps you can understand my reasons for secrecy. That was why I was unco-operative with you. I didn’t want anybody or anything to interfere with my chances of making the breakthrough. /
wanted to be the one who was remembered for making one of parapsychology’s greatest finds.’
Kelly exhaled.
‘And Vernon?’ she said. ‘Why was he so fascinated by mind control?’
‘His reasons were even more genuine than mine,’ said the Frenchman.
‘One of my colleagues said that he was hiding something about his wife. He …’
Joubert interrupted.
‘Vernon’s wife has been irretrievably and irreversibly insane for the past six years. When you masqueraded as his daughter this morning you took a bigger risk than you could have imagined. Vernon has a daughter. Admittedly, he hadn’t seen her for six years and, as far as she is concerned, he had no place in her life but she exists nevertheless.’
Kelly raised her glass to her lips but she lowered it again, her full attention on Joubert as he continued.
‘He had a Grandson too. As he explained it to me, the child, who was less than a year old at the time, was being cared for by Mrs Vernon. She doted on the boy, worshipped him as if he were hers. Vernon himself has always been a nervous man, afraid of burglars and intruders. He and his wife owned two Dobermans. They were kept in a small compound during the day and released at night.’ He sighed. ‘This particular day, they escaped. The baby boy was crawling on the lawn. There was nothing Mrs Vernon could do. The dogs tore the child to pieces before her eyes.’ ‘Oh God,’ murmured Kelly.
‘She went into a state of shock and then slipped into a catatonic trance.
Vernon thought that if he discovered a way to unlock the subconscious mind, he could use it to cure his wife. That was his secret. Nothing sinister.” Kelly shook her head almost imperceptibly, if only he’d said something,” she whispered. ‘He never intended the truth to be revealed,’ Joubert said. ‘But now it doesn’t matter.’
‘Who would want to kill him?’ she asked, as if expecting the Frenchman to furnish her with an answer.
‘The same person who would want to steal those files,’ he said, i can’t think
what possible use they would be to anyone not acquainted with the paranormal.
Besides, who else but Vernon and myself even knew they were at the house?’ He shook his head.
i saw Vernon murdered,’ Kelly said, flatly. Joubert looked at her aghast. ‘In a dream,’ she continued.
‘Have you had precognitive dreams before?” he asked, somewhat excitedly.
“Never.’
‘Did you see who killed him?’
Kelly took a long swig from her glass, wishing that it contained something stronger. She nodded.
“His name is David Blake,” she said. ‘The man I’m living with.’
Joubert watched her across the table, aware that she was quivering slightly.
‘Could there have been some mistake?’ he asked.
She shrugged.
i don’t know what to believe any more.’
‘Kelly, if it’s true then you could be in a great deal of danger.’
‘He doesn’t know I suspect him,’ she said, her voice cracking. ‘Besides,’
Kelly wiped a tear from her eye corner, i love him.’ Her eyes filled with moisture which, a second later, began to spill down her cheeks. ‘Oh God it can’t be Him. It can’t.’
Joubert moved closer and curled one comforting arm around her shoulder.
‘He wouldn’t hurt me though, I know he wouldn’t,’ she murmured.
‘How can you be sure?’
She had no answer.
London
It was late afternoon by the time Kelly drew into the driveway outside Blake’s house. There was no sign of his XJS. He was either out for a while or the car was in the garage. She left her Mini where it was, locked it, then headed for the front door.
As she stepped inside the hall, the silence seemed to envelop her like an invisible blanket and she stood motionless for a moment as if reluctant to disturb the solitude. She glanced across at the cellar door.
It was open slightly.
Kelly approached it silently, listening for the noise of a clacking typewriter from below but there was none.
‘David,’ she called and her voice sounded hollow in the stillness.
No answer.
She walked back to the sitting room door, opened it slightly and peered in, calling his name as she did so.
Nothing.
Kelly wandered to the bottom of the staircase and looked up.
‘David, are you up there?’
The silence reigned supreme.
She opened the cellar door wider and gazed down into the subterranean chamber.