After an hour of nonstop dancing, Jack left Kate in a chair at their table and nodded toward the band. She understood. He was going to sing. She watched him talk to the five musicians and the female singer. They were smiling and nodding.
Kate wondered what he was going to sing. She recognized it within seconds. It was one of Byon’s songs. She’d heard them practicing it, but Jack hadn’t sung it all the away through.
Run away with me. Make my tomorrows your forever. Take my hand. Lead me away. I am yours.
As he sang, he kept his eyes on Kate. The audience saw where he was looking, and they stepped back, not blocking his view.
When the song was nearly finished, he handed the microphone to the female singer and she kept it going. Jack stepped down from the stage. He went to Kate, held out his hand, and she took it. Everyone cleared the floor as Jack led Kate in a slow dance, holding her body close to his. He dipped her back, then pulled her to him. Spun her out, drew her back into his arms.
When the singer finished, Jack held Kate tightly—and their audience burst into applause.
Smiling, Jack kissed Kate’s forehead, then led her off the floor and out of the pub. Laughing, they ran down the sidewalk to the car.
“Okay?” he asked.
“I’m good. In fact, right now, this moment, my happiness meter is at a high ten.”
He laughed. “Mine’s about a hundred. Ready to go back?”
“No, but yes.”
Twenty
Jack woke to a soft, warm hand on his cheek. “Kate?” he whispered.
“Alas, it’s only me,” Sara said.
He turned over, rubbing his eyes. There was no light around the curtains so it was very early in the morning. “What’s happened now? Found another body? Clive went berserk and killed everyone?”
“Puck wants us at her house. You usually sleep in a T-shirt but you don’t have one on now. Anything on below it?”
“None of your business.”
“Interesting,” Sara said. “You were hoping Nadine would slide into bed with you?”
“I’m holding out for the daughter. Turn around. I have to get out of bed.”
Smiling, Sara turned away as Jack slid on jeans and a shirt. “What’s going on? Or is that part of your new secrecy?” he asked.
“You and Kate have a good time last night?”
“I always have a good time with Kate. If you don’t answer my questions, I’m going back to bed.”
“Kate’s already up and ready to go.”
“Ah. You’re using enticement.” He sat down on the edge of the bed to put on shoes. “Any climbing to do? Tunnels?”
Sara’s face turned serious. “I don’t know. Puck wouldn’t tell me. That woman! If I didn’t like her I’d be afraid of her. This house is locked at night, and my door was locked. But she still got into my bedroom.”
“Wonder how she did it,” Jack said.
“When we see her, you can ask, but that’s not important. She said it was urgent that we get there asap.”
Jack stood up. “How are you and Byon doing on the script?”
Sara laughed. “So you heard about that. You figure it out or did Kate?”
“She did. She’s the brains—I’m the brawn.”
“Have you been running around shirtless to make her see that?”
“Oh yeah. I’ve been about to freeze, but the look on her face was worth it.”
They smiled at each other.
There was a quick knock on the door and Kate entered. She looked from one to the other. “What have you two been talking about?”
“Sex,” Sara said.
“Good,” Kate said. “You can teach Jack about it. You two ready to go?” She left the room.
Sara frowned at Jack. “You do know about boys and girls who love each other, don’t you?”
Shaking his head, Jack went through to Kate’s room. Behind him, Sara was smiling.
They tiptoed through the house, down the stairs and out through the empty kitchen. The big table was covered with bowls of chopped vegetables that Mrs. Aiken had prepared for the day’s meals.
“Dare you to mess them up,” Kate whispered to Jack.
“I value my life too much.”
Outside, the women followed Jack to find one of the little utility trucks parked under a tree.
Kate looked up. “Puck isn’t going to jump down, is she?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised by anything she did,” Sara said.
Jack drove them to Puck’s house and there were lights on inside. Outside was an old green Range Rover that looked like it had been used to ford rivers and climb rocks.
“Someone’s here,” Sara said.
“Oh good,” Jack said. “Another murder suspect.”
“Just so it isn’t another body, I’m fine with it,” Kate shot back.
Puck had to let them in through the downstairs gate. She didn’t say anything, but her eyes showed that she was excited about something.
Upstairs, they saw a woman, fortyish, with skin that looked like it had spent a lifetime outdoors. She was sturdily built, not fat, not thin, and she looked strong.
Jack and Kate stepped forward to greet her, but Sara stayed back.
“You’re Diana,” Sara said.
She smiled. “I am. I saw the paper on the newsstand. Murder at Oxley Manor. What a headline! I was going to call, but then I thought it would be better if I showed up. I do like to answer questions about my death in person. Are they all here?”
“Yes.” Sara sat down at Puck’s big table, Jack and Kate beside her.
“Did you tell her?” Sara asked Puck and she nodded.
Diana took a seat. “I haven’t seen the photos and I don’t want to. Sean...” Tears came to her eyes. “It was all because of me. But he told me to go. I begged him to leave with me but he said he couldn’t. He gave me his suitcase and I—”
“Wait!” Sara said. “Don’t tell us now. Byon and I are going to write it all down.”
“For the newspapers?” Diana sounded shocked.
“No,” Sara said. “Tonight we’re going to make a play about that night and act it out so we can find the answers. Unless you know everything and can tell us.”