The Party's Over (Dead Reckoning series - Part 41)

Continued from Episode 40 (It's My Party)

The story so far:  Josiah's 'on the rebound' romance with the woman he thought was his old flame, Jeanette DeVille, proved to be with her twin sister, Nenette, and led to him and Archibald being left for dead in the rapidly rising waters of the cellar of Evanley Hall.  Since then, there has been much to occupy the Merkin-under-Heathwood police force, not least the apparent suicide of a young man in the local reservoir (last seen in the company of Precious DeVille - Nenette's supposed daughter) and then the further apparent suicides of Nenette and her 'driver' Hames.  The common denominator in all of these deaths appears to be Precious.  Now, after the 'excitement' of the Oakshott and Underwood Christmas Party, Archibald has received a Secret Santa gift, but not the one he should have done.  Nevertheless, the luxury spa voucher he has received is right up his street, until he finds someone else in his hotel room:

“Did I startle you, Archie?” Precious DeVille swivelled her feet to the floor in one smooth movement and sashayed toward Archibald, through the gloom of the hotel room.
“Well, erm, yeah, you did!” Archibald admitted.
“There’s no need to be nervous, now is there?” Precious said in soothing tones, getting ever closer to Archibald, who was becoming increasingly aware that she was only wearing, very skimpy, lingerie.
“No, no, it’s not that..” Archibald began, spluttering somewhat, “it’s just…well, I wasn’t expecting nobody, was I?”
“No, of course not” Precious grinned, “otherwise, it wouldn’t have been a surprise now, would it?”  
Archibald was aware that she was pressed close to him.  He could smell the heady scent of her perfume and feel her breath upon his neck.
“Yeah, but how did you…” Archibald tried, again.
“Shhh, now” Precious placed a beautifully manicured finger to his lips, “no more questions”
He realised that she had snaked one of her legs around his.  It wasn’t an altogether unpleasant experience.  However, in one slick move, she spun him around and caused him to fall backwards onto the bed, with her on top.
“There now, that’s more comfortable, isn’t it?” She smiled.
Archibald had somewhat mixed emotions.  On the one hand, being pinned to a bed by a partially dressed, very attractive, girl was decidedly ‘comfortable’ but, on the other hand, the fact that she had left him to drown and might well be a serial killer, rather took the edge off any burgeoning passion he might be feeling.
“Erm?” Was the best he could manage, under the circumstances.
“You know, it’s a dreadful shame, Archie” Precious said, pouting a little, “I think, under any other circumstances, you and I could have got along really well”
“Erm?”
“But, as it is…” She sighed and retrieved something from under the pillow.
“’Ere, what’re you doing?” Archibald asked, panic beginning to edge into his voice.
“Oh, hush now” Precious shook her head, “You know your problem, Archie?  You’re convinced that you’re the prey, aren’t you?”
“Eh?  I don’t…”  Archibald felt a sharp pain in his left thigh.
“You’re not the prey, sweetie” Precious reassured him, leaning forward to whisper in his ear, “You’re the bait!”
And, with that, the night closed in on Archibald completely.

* * * *

Josiah and Samantha were shuffling around the Workshop, retrieving the detritus left from the previous afternoon’s ‘Christmas Party’.
“Seems really quiet, with just us here, doesn’t it?”  Samantha said, consigning a mince pie container to the black bin bag she was holding.
“Yes, it’s always a little unsettling to be somewhere which one normally associates with the hustle and bustle of a busy commercial enterprise, when it is, to all intents and purposes, closed” Josiah agreed.
“Who is ‘minding the store’ over Christmas and New Year>”
“We have a ‘skeleton staff’ arrangement, a term that Archibald finds somewhat risible…” Josiah began.
“I can see his point!” Samantha giggled.
“Well, yes, it is somewhat ironic” Josiah nodded, “However, the arrangement, such as it is, largely consists of myself and one other member of staff, from a rota I drew up a while ago.  For example, today should consist of myself and Mr. Strine”
“Ah!  Is he here?” Samantha looked around the premises, curiously.
“No, he is not.  In all honesty, I am not surprised” Josiah shook his head, “Given the condition he was in when he left the party, yesterday evening.  I heard, from the milkman, that he, Mr. Strine that is, then proceeded to The Frog & Crumpet, with the other employees, and was thrown out, not long after, for being loud, argumentative and, as the landlord put it, ‘rascally drunk’!”
“Oh dear!” Samantha stifled a titter.
“Normally, I would have hoped to have been able to avail myself of Archibald’s services, in his place, at least on a ‘stand-by’ basis” Josiah sighed.
“Did you try his home?”
“I spoke to his mother, my cousin Ophelia, which was not a pleasant experience for either of us, but it is fair to say that she is somewhat concerned”
“Why, what’s happened?”
“Apparently, he returned from work, yesterday, in a state of high excitement, whereupon he packed an overnight bag for himself and went straight out again, only saying, on leaving that (and I quote) ‘Old Mr. O.’s done me proud, Mam.  I’ll see you tomorrow!’  She, therefore, holds me personally responsible should anything have happened to him”
“And, she doesn’t know where he went, or with whom?”  Samantha frowned.
“No, she does not.  As of 9am this morning, there was still no sign of him”
“Should we go to the police, do you think?”
“And tell them what?”
“Yes, you have a point there” Samantha nodded, glumly.
In the distance, the office telephone could be heard ringing.
“Ah well, duty calls” Josiah said, with a sigh, and hurried off to answer it.
Samantha returned to her litter-picking duties.  A few moments later, Josiah returned looking bemused.
“Problem, Josiah?”  Samantha asked.
“Possibly” Josiah nodded, “It is most odd.  That was Ezekiel Cadwallader on the telephone…”
“The chap who runs the other Undertakers’ in town?”
“Yes, him.  Apparently, there was a fatality reported at The Merkin Country Club in the early hours of this morning.  A couple of his chaps went out to deal with it, and they have not been seen since.  He admitted that he was clutching at straws, but he wondered if they had returned here, for any bizarre reason” Josiah shook his head.
“How strange!” Samantha frowned, “I presume they would have a van?”
“Yes, of course, in which to transport the deceased”
“And that’s missing too, I take it?”
“Apparently so” Josiah nodded, “I counselled him to advise the police, without further delay”
“Yes, that makes sense” Samantha looked thoughtful, “The Merkin Country Club…” She mused, “might be the sort of place you would go to if you had an overnight bag, don’t you think?”
“Well, one of many such places, I suppose” Josiah agreed, “I take it you are wondering if there might be some sort of connection between the disappearance of Ezekiel’s two employees and the absence of Archibald?”
“When odd stuff like this happens, I worry about Precious”
“I think the tendency to ascribe anything strange, or potentially criminal, to the machinations of that young lady, has all the characteristics of conspiracy theorising!  I would strongly counsel against going down that particular rabbit hole” Josiah said, with a kindly smile.
The office telephone rang again.
“Duty calls, once more” Josiah sighed and disappeared.  When he returned, a few minutes later, he looked ashen.
“Is everything alright, Josiah?”
“Erm, yes, everything is fine” Josiah said, tersely, “I have to attend to a client”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“NO, no, that will not be necessary” Josiah looked about him, distractedly.
“Would you like me to call one of the other members of staff to assist, Egbert perhaps?”
“No, there’s no need.  I can manage perfectly well on my own” Josiah said, firmly, slipping on his overcoat and gloves, “However, when you have concluded clearing up in here, perhaps you might like to assuage your curiosity by popping out to The Merkin Country Club”
“Really?  You think there might be something in it, then?” Samantha sounded surprised.
“Indeed, I think that might be a potential line of enquiry” Josiah nodded, and then, much to Samantha’s surprise, he came over and kissed her tenderly on the forehead.  “You must take great care of yourself, Samantha” He hesitated, and stared at her for a few moments. “You may remember, yesterday, I mentioned that we might have a discussion about the future, by which I meant our future?”
“Yes, I wondered at the time…”  Samantha began.
“Just remember that I had hoped to have that conversation, will you?” Josiah said, before turning on his heel and striding out to his car.
‘What in the world was that all about?’  Samantha thought, as she waved him on his way.

You can find a lot more from Josiah and Archibald, including the prequel novel to this series, in The Undertakers collection.

Now read Part 42