He toed her phone then stepped back. Winding the rope around her arm to make a short leash to keep Rab with her, she crept forward and grabbed it. Oh, for a world one could dial 999 in!
“Now move!”
Terror streaked through her, combined with something she’d couldn’t quite put her finger on. It would serve him right if she turned Rab on him, let the dog tear him to bits. There was no chance she’d take the risk with Rab’s safety, however. Aila would bet Donell hadn’t anticipated that either. She followed the command and pulled Rab down the tunnel with her which was no mean feat as the dog continued to bare his teeth and lunge back at Derne.
“Why would ye think I kent anything about it? I’d only just met Mr. Boyce.”
“And he liked you. That’s when I knew.” Derne’s foul chuckle drew the darkness in closer. “Seeing you outside earlier was a bit of a revelation; I’ll admit I hadn’t expected that. That ridiculous costume.”
She almost tripped over her own feet.
“Yes, I recognized you,” he went on. “Even if I did not possess an excellent eye for detail, your beast would have given you away. Fine work on your disguise, by the by. Worthy of The Old Vic.”
“Why hurt Mr. Boyce? He was a nice man.”
“He was stubborn. Even more so than his father,” Derne snapped. “For months, I’ve cajoled and threatened to no avail.”
A wooden door blocked the tunnel. Boyce had said the necklace hid the secret to the truth. She was curious to see what truth looked like, and was resentful of the fact that she couldn’t enjoy the moment. She stopped to glance over her shoulder. “All for some stupid necklace? It’s practically worthless.”
“For the key.” Derne gestured to the door with the barrel of the gun. “Do not play stupid with me, girl. It’s taken me fifty years to get here. To discover this place even existed, that the necklace given to Boyce’s father was actually a map to locate it. My patience has run thin. Now open it.” When Aila hesitated, he aimed the barrel toward Rab. “Open it!”
She bristled under his derision. Admittedly fear might be slowing her thought processes a fraction, but she wasn’t stupid. His finger tightened on the trigger.
“Ye leave him alone!” She searched her pocket and pulled the key out frantically. There was something so wrong about all of this.What?“I’m doing it. I’m doing it.”
“I’ve searched the castle high and low for this place. I was so close I could taste it.”
That explained why he was lurking in the passage the night she’d left the castle. He was right. He’d been close. Better for her if he’d found it that night.
While she fumbled with the lock, he savored his moment of glory. “To discover it was Boyce and his father before him who held the secret? Given to the elder for exposing me so long ago! I may have been stuck here for fifty years, but he came to a rather abrupt, tragic end.”
An admission of murder? Chills snaked down her spine. Hopefully he wouldn’t be inclined to go to such extremes again.
“Those plans of the castle the first duke set aside?” Derne went on conversationally. “It’s taken me all this time to convince the consecutive dukes to carry on with them. To build the new castle so I could destroy the old one. Brick by brick if need be to find my way out of this hell hole. And now, finally,Iwill have my reward!”
All that was missing was the villain’s maniacal laughter as the door swung open.
And the treasure revealed. No immediate revelations. No Cave of Wonders. It was a bit of a letdown, to be honest.
“In! In!” Derne prodded her in the back with the barrel of the gun, careful not to get too close to Rab. “Into that far corner with you, where I can see you.”
Aila dragged Rab along with her, the dog fighting her with each step. A dozen or more plain leather trunks of varying sizes were set around the small room. Some very small, some the size of steamer trunks. No mountains of gold coins to roll in or gold statues. No rare jewels sparkling in the light.
Until Derne kicked over the first trunk, at any rate. What a treasure it was! Aila couldn’t help but gape as coins spilled onto the floor. The second, more of the same. The third was a combination of jewelry and gold.
“Why kill Boyce?”
“What?” He tipped over another. “Where is it? Where is it!”
Unlike her, her captor was not thrilled by the sight. No pause to ogle the bounty, no hint of glee. What was he looking for, then? He continued to kick them open, proving himself to be rather spry for such an old man. Even so, Aila thought she should be able to take him in a fair fight. If she could get the gun away from him.
Unfortunately, even while Derne rifled through the bounty spilled on the ground, he kept the gun pointed at them or close enough that she was hesitant to release Rab, though the dog was eager to take a go at the fiend. He strained against the lead until the ropes burned her arms, salivating to sink his teeth into Derne’s stringy calf.
The next trunk got the same treatment, this time revealing the moth-eaten remains of military uniforms.
And swords.
If she could get her hands on one, she could even up this fight. Aila inched toward them.
