Queen of Hearts (Royal Spyness Mysteries) (29 page)

The heat became unbearable as fire engulfed the house. Burning embers and flying bits of timber rained onto us. On the far side of the house the garage caught on fire and we heard terrifying explosions as the petrol tanks blew up. A palm tree behind the pool ignited and went up in flames. Animals stampeded around in blind panic, not knowing where to go. A couple of antelopes leaped into the pool with us, and in the forest others burned and screamed as they died. It was truly horrible, and it seemed to go on forever.

It wasn’t until the fire in the parkland below finally burned itself out that we heard the sound of approaching fire engines.

“Better late than never, I suppose,” Mummy said and began to remove her hair curlers.

We hauled ourselves out of the pool as the first of the fire engines came through the blackened forest toward us.

“Let’s get you out of here,” the fire captain said. “Can’t do anything to save the house, I’m afraid. It’s gone.” He started to assist us up onto the truck. This wasn’t a simple process as embers were still flying out from the burning house.

“My suitcase,” Belinda exclaimed and ran to retrieve it.

“No space for that, ma’am,” the fireman said. “We’ll bring it down later if we can. At the moment my priority is to get you away from here.”

“But I can’t leave my things behind,” Mummy said. “Look how tiny I am, Captain. I really don’t take up much space and I could sit on my suitcase. . . .”

“Fine with me if you don’t want to come,” the fireman said. Mummy hastily grabbed an armful of clothing from her case before nimbly hopping aboard. The firemen piled us onto the truck and drove us down to the gate. The area around the gate itself had escaped from the fire as it rushed up the hill. It was a shock to suddenly come upon green trees by the fence and a giraffe and several zebras cowering there. I was glad they hadn’t all met a horrible end and found myself wondering about Juan. Had he also found a place of safety by the fence? I have to say that I no longer felt as charitable about him as I had done. Anyone who can condemn innocent people to being burned alive is truly despicable. I hoped the sheriff’s men caught him and that he did have to face execution.

The sheriff’s truck with the dog handlers had arrived and was waiting on the road.

“Keep an eye on the fence, boys. I don’t want that bastard trying to slip past us,” the sheriff said.

We climbed down, shivering now in our wet clothing.

“How on earth are we going to get out of here?” Belinda asked. “All the motorcars have been destroyed.”

“We’ll take you back to our headquarters in the truck,” the sheriff said. “It will be a bit of a tight squeeze but we’ll manage. We’ll need statements from all of you.”

I turned to see Stella looking at her sister with wonder. “It really is you,” she said. “I began to think it must be my guardian angel come to save me.”

“It’s really me, all right,” Bella said. “Maybe I am your guardian angel.”

“It’s a miracle, Flossie. What were you doing here?” Stella asked.

“Come to visit my big sister. What else?” Bella grinned at her. “It’s been a long time, Gertie.”

“Too long. I’ve missed you.”

“Really? I thought you were too busy being famous.”

Stella smiled. “We used to have good times together, didn’t we? We only had each other.”

“You left me behind. You said I held you back.”

“I know. It was stupid of me. And hurtful. And now you saved my life. I’ll try and make it up to you if I can.”

The sheriff helped her climb aboard. Bella watched her sister with a kind of fierce longing. Then it was my turn to join the others. The doors were shut and off we went. It wasn’t until we finally reached our destination that we realized that Bella was not with us. She had somehow managed to melt away as we were busy boarding. I can’t say I blamed her, and secretly I wished her well.

A
T
THE
SHERIFF
’
S
HEADQUARTERS
AND
AFTERWARD
BACK
IN
B
EVERLY
H
ILLS

A
UGUST
4

The next few hours were a blur of being cold, hungry and in shock. We had to make statements. We were given blankets and mugs of coffee but all I wanted to do was to climb into a safe warm bed. I wished Darcy was with me, and wondered what he must be going through if he had arrived back at the estate to find it burned to the ground. At least the men at the gate could reassure him that we were safe, but he’d be worried nonetheless.

By midafternoon, taxicabs were ordered to drive us back to Beverly Hills. I had forgotten that so many of us were celebrities and was shocked, as we emerged from the sheriff’s headquarters, to face a hail of flashbulbs going off in my face. Mummy, completely recovered and having changed into one of her retrieved outfits, posed as if nothing had happened and answered questions prettily. She joined us in a cab with the two maids.

“I do hope the firemen will remember to bring me my suitcase,” she said. “It was so good of you to save that much, Claudette. I shall send you home on holiday as a treat.”

“You are too good, madame,” Claudette said.

“How fortunate it was only a weekend’s jaunt and the rest of my things are safe and sound at the hotel.” Mummy examined her hair in the taxicab window.

“All right for you,” I said. “The good clothes you bought me in London have gone up in smoke.”

“We’ll just have to get you some more, darling. I expect they have passable clothing in Beverly Hills.”

“I’ve lost the rest of my things too, miss,” Queenie said. “My spare knickers and all. I got new ones, special, ’cos we was traveling and I thought the ship might go down.”

The thought of Queenie’s spare knickers suddenly made me laugh. We were safe. We had survived and all would be well. There were more reporters waiting as we drove into the Beverly Hills Hotel. I noticed Tubby Halliday among them. He had the nerve to wave. Then one man pushed his way through the mob and ran toward me. It was Darcy.

“Thank God.” He wrapped me in his arms, not seeming to notice that flashbulbs were going off around us. “I’ve been out of my mind with worry. The telephone lines were down and when I got there . . .” He took my face in his hands and kissed me hungrily. And if the reporters were watching, I didn’t care.

“Well, I suppose that is the end of my motion picture career,” Mummy said as we ordered drinks and sandwiches beside the pool. “I can’t see anyone else wanting to take over that particular picture. It really was awful, wasn’t it? Absolute bosh. And I can’t say I’m sorry. Max would have been furious, I expect, and I really enjoy a life of privacy and leisure these days.” She picked up a chicken sandwich and took a delicate bite. “I suppose I was flattered that the world still saw me as a star. But now I look back on it I suspect that Stella only wanted me to take the part of Mary because she thought I would make her look younger and more beautiful.”

“She didn’t succeed,” I said. “You looked much better. And acted much better too.”

Mummy looked genuinely pleased. “Well, aren’t you the sweetest thing. What a nice daughter I have.”

I turned to Darcy. “And I’m afraid that’s the end of your movie career too,” I said. “Unless you want to try your luck auditioning at some of the other studios.”

Darcy looked at me fondly. “Can you really see me as a film star? I only agreed to take on the role because I thought it would give me a chance to observe Stella Brightwell. And then, of course, I realized that I might make enough money to enable us to marry. So now we’re back to square one, old thing.”

“Not quite,” I said and filled him in on all that had been happening while he’d been gone.

“Her sister.” His face lit up. “How very clever of you to work that out.”

“It made sense,” I said. “Mummy had told me about their sister act when they were children and then people saw Stella Brightwell in places that she couldn’t be. Just think how clever it was, Darcy. Bella slipped in to all the house parties where Stella was a guest, and if anyone saw her, they assumed she was her sister. But on every occasion Stella had a perfect alibi for all the actual robberies.”

“You don’t think they were in it together?” Darcy asked.

“I’m sure they weren’t. Stella was amazed to see her sister after all this time. They hadn’t communicated for years. It was a touching reunion, actually. Especially because Bella saved her sister’s life.”

“And where is this sister now? Do the police have her in custody?”

“I’m afraid not. I don’t know where she is,” I said. “There was a lot of confusion when we were being loaded into a truck and I think she took her chances to slip away then.”

“Pity,” Darcy said. “So it looks as if I might go home empty-handed. They won’t like that.”

“But you know who did it. The port authorities can be on the lookout for her if she returns to England—although I must warn you that she uses disguises and travels under a false passport.”

Darcy sighed. “That’s cheerful, isn’t it? Fat chance of catching her, then.”

“I wonder if she might not give up her career in crime now that she has reunited with her sister,” I said. “Stella certainly makes enough money to look after them both.” Although as I said it I wondered if Stella’s career might now be at an end with Mr. Goldman’s death.

I looked at Darcy and tried to sound casual. “So you’ll be going home now, I suppose.”

“I’ll have to cable Scotland Yard and see what they want me to do and whether they want the American police to get involved. Since she hasn’t stolen anything in America, that’s not likely.”

“And what about us?” I asked Mummy. “We can’t stay here now, can we? Now that there is no film to shoot. I suppose we’ll have to go back to that awful little house in Reno.”

“Not immediately, darling,” Mummy said. “We need time to recover from our ordeal, don’t we? Treating us to this hotel is the least Golden Pictures can do for us after we were nearly burned to a crisp. And I’ll need to do some shopping for the items I lost. All my cosmetics, darling. I don’t know how I’m going to replace them here. I suppose somebody in America knows how to make face cream.”

“There’s always Helena Rubinstein or Max Factor,” Darcy said.

Mummy looked dubious. “But they only make it for the masses and the movies, don’t they. Not delicate skins like mine. I need things like monkey glands that aren’t in normal cosmetics.”

I glanced across at Darcy and grinned. “You could always ask Stella Brightwell. She looks quite good for a woman of her age.”

Mummy shook her head. “Darling, she has wrinkles. It’s the California sun. You notice that’s why I never go out without a hat. Besides, she’ll be in mourning for poor Cy. The whole world will be mourning him, won’t they? He brought happiness into the lives of so many little people.”

I stifled a smile. Only my mother could get away with saying something like that.

She looked up suddenly. “I’ve a brilliant idea! Why don’t you two lovebirds rent a motorcar and take a little drive up the coast?”

“That sounds wonderful.” I turned to look at Darcy.

He nodded. “I’m sure they won’t expect me to take the very next train back to New York. I’ll ask the reception desk to procure a car for us.”

“That’s settled, then.” Mummy looked smug. “You should find a delightful little wayside inn and have a night of unbridled passion.”

“Mummy!” I couldn’t even look at Darcy and my cheeks were burning.

“Well, why not?” she said. “I would. And poor Darcy’s positively panting for it.”

“I’m not like you,” I said.

“And I don’t think that I could justify a night of passion at an inn on expenses,” Darcy quipped, to spare me my embarrassment, I suspect. “We’ll settle for a day out alone, with no interruptions. Right, Georgie?”

I beamed at him. “Perfect,” I whispered.

Mummy stood up and smoothed down her linen slacks. “And if you do decide to spend the night along the way, don’t worry about your poor, aged mother, left all alone here. I’m sure I’ll survive.”

“No doubt Mr. Chaplin is in the neighborhood and he’d be delighted to keep you company,” I teased. “By the way, what was he like?”

“Rather fun, actually. Only please, this must remain
entre nous
. Max wouldn’t like it.”

Darcy and I exchanged a grin. He got to his feet too. “I’d better send that cable to England right away. As soon as I know my instructions I’ll be able to rent that car for us.”

“Heavenly.” I beamed at him. “And speaking of cables—did you ever learn the truth about Algie Broxley-Foggett?”

“I did. He’s exactly what he claimed to be—a silly young twit. The family is quite wealthy and he’ll inherit a title one day. Hasn’t exactly been a good boy all his life. Sent down from Oxford for cheating. No criminal record since. Father’s a military man who despairs of him.”

“So he really was sent to America to make a man of him,” I said. “I don’t think it will work, do you? I think he’s a dedicated sponger and con artist.”

“Good God. Speak of the devil,” Darcy said. We looked up to see Algie coming toward us, followed by Belinda. Their clothing was now dry, but they definitely looked like survivors of a shipwreck—as I had done when I first glimpsed myself in the mirror back at the hotel. Algie’s white flannels were smudged with soot and horribly crumpled. His white V-necked pullover appeared to have shrunk. Belinda’s normally perfect hair hung limp and straight and she was wearing no lipstick or rouge. For once she didn’t look better than me!

“Oh, there you are. Jolly good show,” Algie said. “We hoped we’d find you here. We’re orphans in the storm, you see. No clothes, no money and nowhere to go. Don’t quite know where to turn, either. Simply can’t wire the pater for a handout.”

“I’m so glad to see you, darling.” Belinda went over to hug me. “I thought we’d never leave that horrible little office in the middle of nowhere. And then when a car was finally procured and the driver said, ‘Where to?’ we realized we had nowhere to go.”

“So we thought we might bunk in with you, if that’s all right,” Algie said. “Until we decide what we’re going to do next. I’m bally well going to tell Golden Pictures that they owe me a job. I don’t care if there is no Mr. Goldman, his studio will go on, won’t it?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “I rather feel that he was Golden Pictures. We’ll have to wait and see. Do you really think you’re cut out for the motion picture industry, Algie?”

He looked rather hurt. “Who, me? Jack-of-all-trades, you know. I sort of see myself as the next Douglas Fairbanks, but I’m willing to lend a hand at painting scenery or whatever.”

“And be on set at six in the morning?” I asked.

“If I bally well have to. I wonder who is in charge now? I wonder if we’ll be paid a nice sum to compensate us for what we went through. After all, we were nearly killed, weren’t we?”

“In the meantime you could always do what your father wanted and find your job on the cattle station,” Mummy said coldly. “I still blame you for speaking the words we never speak from the play we never mention—”

“What,
Macbeth,
you mean?” Algie asked.

There was a horrified intake of breath from my mother. “Someone get that boy out of my sight before I kill him personally.”

“Your friend Tubby Halliday still seems to be hanging around,” I said. “He was among the journalists when we arrived. Why don’t you see if you can bunk in with him? I don’t think you’re too popular around here.”

“Good old Tubby,” Algie said. “Well, that should count as a scoop, shouldn’t it? Claire Daniels rescued from death and all that. I must go and see him. He can interview me and I can give him all the dramatic details: How I survived a fire at a movie mogul’s castle. Yes, that should finally make Tubby’s name as a journalist, and maybe I’ll get a fee for being interviewed.” He paused, and I could see the wheels of his brain turning over. I rather suspected that in his version of the story he might be the hero who saved us all from fiery death.

“I’d better go and hunt out old Tubby, then,” Algie said. “As soon as I can round up some respectable clothing. At least the studio should have to spring for new togs, shouldn’t they? I mean these were decent flannels, completely ruined. And my evening clothes, the lot, all gone. Actually that chap Craig Hart was being awfully decent. He said if I liked to come and see him, he’d take care of me.”

“You should definitely do that, then.” Belinda and I exchanged a smile. “Do you think you have a little corner for me, darling?” she said. “Just until I fall on my feet again. I’ve decided to stay on in Hollywood for a while. I’m going to use the publicity from the fire to get myself hired as a costume designer. I had these brilliant designs with me that Mr. Goldman had requested, but unfortunately they all went up in flames.”

“What brilliant designs?” I asked, then I shook my head. “Belinda, you are as bad as Algie.”

“We’re survivors in a cruel world, darling. It’s a pity I don’t fancy him.”