look, which is when I thought I detected movement inside. “Hello?” I said, hearing my heart pound inside my chest.
“What is it?” Rex asked.
“Honey, I think there’s someone in there.”
He looked spooked, but I could tell he was putting up a brave front. “Nah,” he said.
I recoiled when I thought I heard door hinges creak. Frightened, I turned back to the pathway, picking up my pace to a sprint and then tripping on the root of a tree. I let out a cry of pain as I landed on my elbow.
“Addison!” Rex called from behind me. “Are you OK?”
Blood dripped from my arm when Rex found me a moment later. “Oh, honey, you’re hurt.”
“Sorry,” I said from the safety of the hillside. I could see the roof of the outbuilding below. Its sagging moss roof practically blended into the orchard. “I got a little spooked.”
“Come on,” he said, helping me up. “Let’s get you bandaged up.”
Rex and I left our muddy shoes by the door, and walked to the foyer, where I hung up my coat.
“I see you’ve been out in the gardens,” Mrs. Dilloway said from the stairway.
“Yes, we have,” Rex said. “Though it wasn’t the best day for a walk.”
“No,” Mrs. Dilloway said. “Not at all.”
I felt her eyes boring into me as we walked to the stairs. And then it hit me.
Hertzberg.
I spun around. “Rex, did you leave the newspaper on the terrace?”
“I think so,” he replied.
Mrs. Dilloway shook her head. “I brought it in when it began to rain,” she said, pointing to the side table. “There.”
A few raindrops had soaked the paper, but I could still make out the type. I tucked it under my arm and walked toward the stairs. I didn’t stop until Rex and I had made it to the second floor and had closed the bedroom door behind us. I laid the newspaper out on the bed, and set the camellia book beside it. The article stated that Lila Hertzberg had been abducted on the second of January in 1931. I turned to the Petelo page in the camellia book. The remaining digits read “31:2:1.” I gasped.
It must be a date.
I scanned the article, reading about Lila Hertzberg. She was born in Sussex.
Sussex.
I reread the cryptic botanical name below the code:
L. sussex Hertzberg
. Rex’s eyes met mine. “My God,” I said, shaking my head gravely. “What have we just found?”
That night, Rex took me to Milton’s, the pub in the village. “What will it be, spiced beef sandwich or fish and chips?” he said, setting the menu down.
“Well, I know what you’re getting,” I said, smiling as I pushed the menu aside and took a sip of the wine that the waiter had just uncorked and poured. Rex could never pass up the fish and chips.
Neither of us could shake the discovery we’d made in the garden today. “Rex, I don’t know what to make of things in the orchard.”
“Me either,” he said, rubbing his head. “But do you think the abductor would really lay out this information?”
“I don’t know,” I said, taking another sip of wine. “Maybe it’s his calling card.” I nodded to myself. “Or maybe Lady Anna was trying to piece it all together.”
“I’d vote for the latter,” he said. “Maybe she knew something sinister was going on at the manor. Maybe she was looking for clues, and she found them in the orchard.”
I refolded the napkin in my lap. “Do you think Mrs. Dilloway knows anything?”
“Oh, I’m sure she does,” Rex said. “She’s lived at the manor so long, she’s bound to know something.”
I sighed. “But getting her to talk is the real challenge. I’ve never met anyone so tight-lipped.”
“Hey,” he said. “Let’s take off our detective hats for a bit and enjoy the night.” He reached for my hand. “What do you say?”
“OK,” I said, cracking a smile.
He drew my arm toward him and ran his finger lightly against my skin until he stopped at my watch. “You know something crazy?” he asked, cocking his head to the right. “I don’t think I’ve
“What is it?” Rex asked.
“Honey, I think there’s someone in there.”
He looked spooked, but I could tell he was putting up a brave front. “Nah,” he said.
I recoiled when I thought I heard door hinges creak. Frightened, I turned back to the pathway, picking up my pace to a sprint and then tripping on the root of a tree. I let out a cry of pain as I landed on my elbow.
“Addison!” Rex called from behind me. “Are you OK?”
Blood dripped from my arm when Rex found me a moment later. “Oh, honey, you’re hurt.”
“Sorry,” I said from the safety of the hillside. I could see the roof of the outbuilding below. Its sagging moss roof practically blended into the orchard. “I got a little spooked.”
“Come on,” he said, helping me up. “Let’s get you bandaged up.”
Rex and I left our muddy shoes by the door, and walked to the foyer, where I hung up my coat.
“I see you’ve been out in the gardens,” Mrs. Dilloway said from the stairway.
“Yes, we have,” Rex said. “Though it wasn’t the best day for a walk.”
“No,” Mrs. Dilloway said. “Not at all.”
I felt her eyes boring into me as we walked to the stairs. And then it hit me.
Hertzberg.
I spun around. “Rex, did you leave the newspaper on the terrace?”
“I think so,” he replied.
Mrs. Dilloway shook her head. “I brought it in when it began to rain,” she said, pointing to the side table. “There.”
A few raindrops had soaked the paper, but I could still make out the type. I tucked it under my arm and walked toward the stairs. I didn’t stop until Rex and I had made it to the second floor and had closed the bedroom door behind us. I laid the newspaper out on the bed, and set the camellia book beside it. The article stated that Lila Hertzberg had been abducted on the second of January in 1931. I turned to the Petelo page in the camellia book. The remaining digits read “31:2:1.” I gasped.
It must be a date.
I scanned the article, reading about Lila Hertzberg. She was born in Sussex.
Sussex.
I reread the cryptic botanical name below the code:
L. sussex Hertzberg
. Rex’s eyes met mine. “My God,” I said, shaking my head gravely. “What have we just found?”
That night, Rex took me to Milton’s, the pub in the village. “What will it be, spiced beef sandwich or fish and chips?” he said, setting the menu down.
“Well, I know what you’re getting,” I said, smiling as I pushed the menu aside and took a sip of the wine that the waiter had just uncorked and poured. Rex could never pass up the fish and chips.
Neither of us could shake the discovery we’d made in the garden today. “Rex, I don’t know what to make of things in the orchard.”
“Me either,” he said, rubbing his head. “But do you think the abductor would really lay out this information?”
“I don’t know,” I said, taking another sip of wine. “Maybe it’s his calling card.” I nodded to myself. “Or maybe Lady Anna was trying to piece it all together.”
“I’d vote for the latter,” he said. “Maybe she knew something sinister was going on at the manor. Maybe she was looking for clues, and she found them in the orchard.”
I refolded the napkin in my lap. “Do you think Mrs. Dilloway knows anything?”
“Oh, I’m sure she does,” Rex said. “She’s lived at the manor so long, she’s bound to know something.”
I sighed. “But getting her to talk is the real challenge. I’ve never met anyone so tight-lipped.”
“Hey,” he said. “Let’s take off our detective hats for a bit and enjoy the night.” He reached for my hand. “What do you say?”
“OK,” I said, cracking a smile.
He drew my arm toward him and ran his finger lightly against my skin until he stopped at my watch. “You know something crazy?” he asked, cocking his head to the right. “I don’t think I’ve
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