Chapter 20 Robin #2
Willow and Mavis enter carrying their luggage, suitcases rolling behind.
They’re polar opposites, the latter in soft creams and Willow in signature black.
Her leather jacket is oversized and I'm pretty sure it's guys, the garment far different from the high couture she usually is dripping in. It even contrasts against the small laced dress she wears underneath, knee-high boots and a neck ribbon suggesting she’s going somewhere other than this orangery.
Mavis, too, looks wrapped up, ready to face the storm outside.
"We’re leaving." Willow’s tone is monotone and she’s looking past our group.
"Like fuck you are." Cardinal says, my head snapping in his direction.
"I really don’t care for your opinion. We need to get back to London for work." She flips her dark hair over her shoulder, staring him down with a stance like a lioness.
Mavis shifts uncomfortably beside her and looks over at Phin, tilting her head. “I’m really sorry, but I just want to go home. The hotel is lovely, thank you so much Phoenix for letting us stay.”
He gives her a warm smile but then screws up his lips.
"Detective Starling said we shouldn’t leave, it's not our decision and I don't want you to get in trouble. Maybe you both should ask him about heading back to London, but you’re not going to be able to travel on these roads. They’re all flooded and the bridge is shut. "
She sighs. "There must be another direction to get onto the motorway. You can’t honestly be telling us that tiny village is the only road that leads here? What about the other properties around the lake? They have their own drives and property lines."
"Those houses are all further down this road; it curves round and opens up more to the lake for the general public to fish and stuff."
She scrunches her nose.
"What’s wrong, Princess? Not getting your own way? Starling said we’re not allowed to leave whilst they investigate, so sit fucking down." Cardy glares at her, which she returns tenfold. It's like watching a game of tennis, their anger stimming to hotter temperatures.
"Again, when I care for your opinion—oh wait, I never will. Go bore someone else with your pathetic brooding."
"Did he really mean we’re not allowed to leave at all? Surely he can’t do that?" Mae asks, clearly worried on whether to leave.
"He’s an officer of the law, Mae. If you leave, you might get in trouble.
" I say, smiling apologetically, but Willow scoffs–causing my big mouth to function without thinking.
"Greeaaaat. sarcastic scoffing, brilliant dialogue." I can’t help myself, not even our depressing reality can stop me from sparing with her. Wren coughs to try to grab my attention, but she’s already pinned her feline gaze on me.
"It’s so funny to me that you get a little D and find this new confidence. You should have asked; I could have told you all about Wren’s magic dick." Internally, I want to grab her head and smash it into the window panes, but I refrain from violence and push down the urge to blush.
"It’s incredibly funny that you’re still using his name to find any importance in yourself." I say, seeing I hit my mark when her left eye twitches. I expect someone to stop us, any of the guys really, but to my surprise Lily crosses her legs and shakes the ice in her glass.
"Oh hush, Wil Darling, you can’t try to hold any high ground when you throw around the band's name. I’m pretty sure selling those stories was the only reason you landed that page spread in Italian Vogue—Mark in wardrobe is a huge Larks fan.
" I feel Wren tense beside me, my friend completely unaware of what she’s done whilst she rattles on about her favourite editorial.
"Want to tell me which stories?" His voice is cold, hand dropping from my hair, and he stares at the two guests still lingering by the doors. Neither woman says anything, but Willow stands her ground, jutting her chin up. I could swear there’s regret I see plaguing her eyes.
"All our secrets are going to be found, so there's no point in hiding our little shameful moments. I don’t know why you didn’t just ask me for the cash, Darling, but anyway—she sold stories and photos of you to the press.
" Lily pushes the straw around her melting ice, shaking her shoulder lightly.
"Only a couple, no point anyone getting their panties in a twist."
The only noise that fills the room is the patter of thick drops on the glass roof and that damn metal straw clinking against the ice.
"You were the one who sold that story about my Mum, didn’t you?
" His voice sounds rougher, his hands flexing in front of him before he pins them to his knees like he’s trying to keep himself up.
"I did wonder how the hell they knew I was at the hospital. She hadn’t been dead for more than an hour before I was told there was press outside.
The staff wanted me to deal with it quickly, like I wasn’t having to say goodbye to my absolute everything. She was my only parent.”
An ache fills my chest for him and honestly, I could cry. He tries to clear his throat but just looks down at his bruised knuckles wrapped around his knee.
I look up at Willow, her mouth opens a fraction, but no noise follows because Cardinal's deep voice cuts through.
"Enough. Grab your bags, I’ll go with you to the cars and see if we can get them out.
" Whilst he looks spectacularly bored, his tone has an edge that no one argues with. Both women grab their bags, and Willow doesn’t look at anyone before bolting.
Mavis giving us all another apologetic smile before heading out too.
"Those cars aren’t going to budge, man. The gravel's flooded and getting higher." Phin says to him, but he doesn’t glance back as he walks out with his hands in his suit trousers.
"You shouldn’t have acquired a hotel on a fucking floodplain, then." He does snipe however, a little parting gift.
Both siblings continued to bicker about Lil’s inability to not cause drama, whilst Wren leaned forward with his elbow on his thigh and his strong jaw in his palm.
Neither of us say anything, but I rest the side of my head upon his shoulder and stroke the back of his arm slowly.
He hums a little at my touch, and we wait like that for a while, until finally Merle emerges and throws a bunch of folded paper onto one of the low coffee tables.
"Well, Starling is keeping Bran locked in his room like a caged monkey. He won’t let me speak to him, and he’s going to get himself arrested for trying to hit an officer.
I swear Goldie is winding him up on purpose.
" He seethes tiredly, running thick fingers through his short dark waves.
"I also knocked on Jay's door and he didn’t answer, so it’s just us. "
Lil drops the next stresser. "Cardinal and the girls are going to attempt to drive out of here. Willow’s going to stand in one puddle and retreat right back inside, so I wouldn’t worry about it too much." The ice clinks again and I see his eyebrow twitch.
"Well, let's not wait. Clues are on the table, the latest one is still in the envelope.
" He throws his large frame into a love seat by the windows and continues to rub at his temples. He doesn’t look at Phin and my best friend says nothing, but he gets up to kneel by the low table and takes the card from the envelope.
Continents spin with liquid delights.
We all ponder the question in silence, but Lil doesn’t feign interest. Liquid delights could reference any of the bars set up around the hotel, but the continents part stumps me.
Traveling? Is there a mini bar in Cardinal’s room, which is the adventure-themed bedroom?
We’d draped the four posters in sandy drapes and there were woven baskets and rugs in there, along with golden illustrated constellation maps in the wallpaper.
It was one of my favorite rooms because it was so different, the vision coming together perfectly.
A stone drops in my stomach. If my name was on the deed, did that mean I currently own Nightingale house?
My eyes flick to Merle, who is facing away from our group with his eyes closed. If it was easy for the detectives to find out, then I was sure he had the deed in his office upstairs. Could I slip away when we looked for the clue and make sure?
Placing the card down, Phoenix looks over the rest of the papers scattered on the table and stands. "Should we check all the bars? It sounds like it could have something to do with where we keep alcohol.”
I realise he’s posing the question at me, his light eyes looking hopeful.
I’d managed to work out most of the clues pretty quickly and hadn’t been wrong so far.
“Sure. It makes the most sense. The continents part could either relate to the room you put Cardinal in or if guests are travelling, maybe any luggage holds. Anywhere they’d wait to depart.
” I grasped at straws, my thoughts trying to count how many secrets we’d already found and who were still hidden.
“We need to find Brans, Jays, Mavis’, Merles and mine,” I say, making sure my voice carries across the room.
Bingo.
Merle tenses up and the rubbing of his temple stops. His eyes open straight at me and I know he understands what I’m doing. “That’s right, isn’t it?” I ask again, raising my brow directed at him.
“Yeah, sounds right. I have no clue at this point who kept their secret or told the group. Maybe I should have laid off the alcohol.” Phin says, his sister letting out a bitter laugh.
“Quite an understatement, Brother. I’d be surprised if you don’t bleed bubbly fizz.”
I watch as Merle moves his head stiffly, like he’s chasing the urge to crack his neck but can’t get there. I don’t think he cares about her jabs, I think he’s bothered that his boyfriend has been a total wreck. He looks not only disappointed but disgusted.