Annaliese gave her nose a rub. “The ghost told Sanford that if he would help her rescue her partner from the dungeon and get all of the staff locked in that dungeon instead, she wouldshow him how to get back to his yacht without him having to go down the cliffs he had to climb to access the castle in the first place.”
“That’s right around the time Mr. Grimsby and I tried to take Sanford and the ghost by surprise by rushing into the parlor, armed with a rolling pin, spatula, and a few knives,” Mrs. O’Sullivan said. “Sanford took me out with one slap to the face, and poor Mr. Grimsby didn’t fare any better with the ghost, who conked him over the head with the rifle.”
“By that time,” Miss Tremblay added, “Riley and I had heard the commotion, so we went to investigate, but we probably shouldn’t have rushed into the room without a plan because we found ourselves threatened with being shot, and a few minutes later, found ourselves exchanging places with Sneaky Pete.”
“Which suggests we were wrong about Sneaky Pete working alone tonight,” Rhenick said.
“He was clearly not alone,” Annaliese said. “I’m sure he and his ghost partner were supposed to divide and conquer, the ghost probably being responsible for setting the stuffed ghost floating over the turret while Sneaky Pete started wandering around the great hall. I think Sneaky Pete’s partner must have taken to hiding after we caught him but then saw an opportunity to escape, as well as rescue Sneaky Pete, when Sanford showed up.”
“Any idea where Sanford might be heading with Irma?” Rhenick asked.
“I heard him ask Sneaky Pete if he knew what the best way was to get back to the Atlantic undetected. Sneaky Pete suggested Sanford wind his way through the Great Lakes, which means, if my grasp of the Great Lakes is accurate, he’s heading north. Sanford didn’t hesitate to agree to take Sneaky Pete and his partner with him after Sneaky Pete told him he was familiar with the waterways around the lakes.”
“What we haven’t been able to figure out, though,” Mr. Grimsby began, “is why Sneaky Pete and his accomplice seemed downright desperate to get away from Chicago.”
Rhenick ran a hand through his hair. “I would hazard a guess and say they’re desperate because we uncovered tonight that Umberto was not responsible for Pete being here. Loughlin MacSherry was instead.”
“The underworld boss you said was ruthless?” Annaliese asked.
“That’s the one, and MacSherry isn’t going to be pleased that Sneaky Pete wasn’t successful in running Drusilla out of town.” He blew out a breath. “It’s going to complicate tracking Sanford down, though, since Pete’s with them. He’ll be familiar with the lakes, given that he’s been working on the water for MacSherry and spent years on the water when he worked for Captain Harvey.”
Drusilla worried her lip for a second. “It sounds like the only way we’ll have a chance to find them is if we can find someone who has access to a boat and knows how to navigate through the lakes.”
In the blink of an eye, the perfect solution sprang to mind, and one that went by the name of Seth McCormick, Norma Jean’s brother and the man his sister Coraline was somewhat infatuated with.
“I might know someone who’ll help us out,” Rhenick said. “He’s an inventor, as well as a friend of mine, and he’s been tinkering around with what he calls a motorboat, a boat he’s somehow managed to get running off kerosene. He’s spent hours on the lakes as he’s done that tinkering, so if anyone can locate Sanford, it’s Seth.” He sent Drusilla a nod. “I’ll go speak to him now, and while I’m gone, I’m going to suggest that all of you try to get a little rest.”
“I doubt any of us will be able to do that,” Drusilla said.
“You can at least close your eyes because, if Sanford realizesthat Irma isn’t going to change her mind about sailing off into the sunset with him, the situation is bound to turn concerning. We’ll be much more capable of handling anything concerning if we’re not stumbling about half dead on our feet when we finally catch up to them.”
Thirty-Six
Drusilla shifted on the makeshift bench she was sitting on in Seth McCormick’s motorboat, surprised to discover she was wide awake even though she’d not been able to get any of that rest Rhenick had suggested a few hours before.
“I can’t thank you enough for providing us with a boat as well as agreeing to captain for us today,” she said, earning a smile from Seth as he shoved a strand of black hair that was definitely longer than most men were sporting these days out of his face.
“There’s no need to thank me, Miss Merriweather. I’ve been itching to test the improvements I made to the motor but haven’t found the time, as I’ve been tinkering around with a prototype for a water tank that might be able to deliver reliable hot water through pipes and by using only one faucet. This adventure of yours has gotten me out of my laboratory and breathing some fresh air for a change.”
“I’m not certain the air we’re breathing can be considered fresh, considering all the smoke your engine is coughing up,” Annaliese said, her voice rather muffled since she’d wrapped a scarf over her face to avoid breathing in all the smoky air.
“That’s due to the kerosene,” Seth explained. “I might needto refine the filter, but you’ll get a break soon because we need to make it to shore so I can fill up the tank from the cans of kerosene I brought with us.”
“Are you sure traveling with kerosene is a good idea? I’ve always heard that it’s incredibly combustible,” Annaliese asked.
Seth’s brow furrowed for the briefest of seconds before he brightened. “I’ve only caught on fire three, or, eh, maybe it was five times.” He nodded to a stack of floatation devices. “I came prepared, though, so if you do spot fire, just grab one of those and jump overboard.”
Before Annaliese could do more than gape at a man who’d just delivered a less-than-reassuring statement, Rhenick lowered the binoculars he’d been using to scan the water and nodded. “There’s a yacht anchored in that cove up ahead, but we’re still too far away for me to make out the name on the side of it.”
“Perhaps we should put into shore right past the opening of the cove, then go on foot to get a better look since we can’t very well sneak closer since Mr. McCormick’s motorboat isn’t what I would call the stealthiest of machines,” Annaliese said.
“I might have to see if I can weld a muffler onto the motor,” Seth practically shouted as his motorboat began making more noise than ever. “But mufflers aside, I bet someone on that yacht stopped in that particular cove because they know Miss Sally runs a beachside green grocery and lunch counter that caters to the local fishermen.”
“I can see Mother demanding a snack in an attempt to find a way to escape,” Annaliese said. “I can also see Sanford trying to appease her since I heard him mutter something to Mother before he shut me in the dungeon about how much he’d missed her.”
“Then let’s hope that is Sanford’s yacht and that everyone is on shore instead of still onboard since that might make it easier to rescue Mother,” Drusilla said as Seth began steeringthe motorboat toward a patch of sandy beach that was past the entrance to the cove.
Unfortunately, before they made it to shore, smoke began billowing from the engine, right before flames shot out of it and began licking their way over the side of the boat.
