“This property has a lot of history to it. That church there was one of the first erected in Sovereign and the cemetery has many notables buried there. Some of the combatants in the bloodiest local battle of the Revolutionary War are interred there.” Myrtle looked at her with eyes that seemed to glow in the candlelight. “The Horseman is reputed to be among those buried in unmarked graves.”
Li gasped. Like every child born in Sovereign City, she knew the legend of the Headless Horseman and the way it had inspired a writer named Washington Irving to appropriate the story and, with minor tweaks, turn it into a part of American folklore.
“Don’t worry, my dear. I think you’re quite safe inside these walls.” Myrtle chuckled. “At least you’re protected from the threats that originate from without.”
Glancing at the older woman, Li asked, “What do you mean?”
“I mean that all of us should be on our guard.” Myrtle lowered her voice. “Look at logically… every member of the family who is here at midnight shares in the estate. If something should happen to drive one away… or if a terrible accident should end their life before that hour… then each individual piece of the pie gets that much larger. If all of us were to be removed from the picture, then the entire estate would belong to Maxwell’s lawyer, Jenkins.”
Li hid her nervous excitement, instead adopting the facial expression that would lead Myrtle to think that she was frightened by these suggestions. “Do you really think we’re in danger?”
“Stranger things have happened. In fact, at this time last night, there was a man named David Dinkins here. He was a relative on Maxwell’s mother’s side… I personally showed him to his room and Sebastian said he was definitely there at just past eleven because his room light was still on. But this morning — no sign of him! Nothing! All of his belongings are still in his room!”
“Did you call the police?”
“Jenkins advised us to wait until after tonight’s ceremony.” Myrtle smiled coolly. “Otherwise, any investigation might force the delay of the reading of the will. And no one wants that, now do we?”
Li agreed that this seemed to be the wisest course of action. The trek to her room resumed and Myrtle had little else to say, except to point out an interesting portrait or two along the way.
“Here’s your room, dear.” Myrtle opened the door to a room that was rather nice, if a bit dreary in terms of interior design. A large four-poster bed dominated the room but there was also a writing table, two chairs, a changing screen and a small washbasin, as well as a closet. Li’s bags were resting on the floor next to the bed. “I hope you’ll find it pleasing.”
Not wanting to let on that her own home was less than half this size, Li merely shrugged her shoulders and said, “It’ll do… it’s only one night, after all.”
Myrtle made a clucking sound, as if she were terribly embarrassed by the accommodations. “Have a nice rest, dear. If you wish, come and join us in the parlor at your convenience. Otherwise, I’ll have Sebastian fetch you at a quarter to twelve.”
Once she was alone, Li went quickly to the smaller of her two bags. From an interior pocket on the bag, she produced a tiny flashlight. Stepping over to the window, Li stared off into the thick woods that lined the back of the property. She flashed her light several times into the gloom, sending a message in code.
Within seconds, a reply came back, a series of flashes that told her that Gravedigger was in position. Li wondered how Gravedigger planned to safeguard her during the reading of the will but she pushed the idea out of her mind. She trusted her friend.
She had just started unpacking her bags when a rapping on the window made her jump. She turned back and saw a fearsome silhouette — the lithe body of a woman, swords and daggers sheathed at her sides.
Li opened the window, allowing Gravedigger to drop to the floor. “How did you get up here so fast? We’re on the third floor!”
“I’m fast.”
“That’s what all the boys used to say.”
Gravedigger grunted. “How many people are downstairs?”
“Let’s see… There’s a strange old woman named Myrtle — who might actually be a man in drag — and then there’s a lawyer named Jenkins; a butler named Sebastian; and a trio of other relatives.” She named them, making sure to remark on how handsome Cedric was.
“Don’t get distracted,” Gravedigger warned. “Have you seen anything unusual?”
“You mean besides the spooky house, a guy in drag and the fact that the Headless Horseman is buried outside? Not a thing.”
“The Headless Horseman?”
“Yep. Buried outside in the cemetery. Unmarked grave.” Li snapped her fingers. “Oh! And according to Myrtle, old Maxwell was involved with an occult group called the Sons or Daughters of Malfeasance.”
“You don’t remember if they were called the Sons or Daughters?”
“No, that IS their name. Sons or Daughters.”
Gravedigger shook her head in amazement. “I might have heard of them… supposedly they could shift their gender, amongst other things.” She turned back to the window but stopped when Li touched her arm. “Where are you going?”
“Exploring. I want you to go downstairs and get to know these people. Maxwell Hendry’s name was in Goldstein’s files, along with a notation that he was a dangerous person. If Josef thought he was worth keeping an eye on, that makes me really curious about what all the mystery surrounding his will is really about.”
Li nodded, then added, “Are you okay, though? It’s your first time out and about since… the explosion at Meeks’”
Gravedigger pulled away, her voice going icy cold. “I’m fine. Now go do your job, please.”
Li watched her friend vanish out the window. After a brief sigh, she did as Charity ordered.
It was time to go to work.
Chapter III: A Legacy of Evil
Cedric grinned when Li stepped back into the parlor. He rose from his seat and moved to join her. “You found your way back! I’m impressed. I got lost twice the first time I tried to navigate my way through this darkened maze!”
Li allowed Cedric to guide her over to the fireplace, where two seats were nestled close together. There was no sign of Myrtle but she noticed that Marlowe was still playing cards while Koepp was wandering around the room, lifting up lamps and other bits of furniture, staring at them as if he were appraising their worth.
Cedric confirmed that by whispering, “Baldy there is here for the money and nothing else. He’s a cold one.”
“And what are you here for, if not the money?”
“I’d like to reestablish the Hendry name in the business world,” he said, settling back into his chair. He crossed his legs and studied Li with obvious interest. “There was a time when you couldn’t go more than five feet in Sovereign without seeing the Hendry logo plastered on everything from matchbook covers to billboards. But Maxwell let it all go to seed. The family’s wealth is still immense but I want to restore it to prominence, as well.”
“You have your own business, don’t you?”
“I do. We manufacture refrigerator parts. But I want to go far beyond that.” Cedric smiled and Li recognized his type: upwardly mobile, with the view that everyone was just part of the ladder he was climbing. She knew what would happen if she ended up in bed with him — he’d ensure his own pleasure, not hers. And then she’d never hear from him again.
“May I ask what you do?” Cedric pressed.