Mischief in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law, #2)(72)

“Then you’ll all stay here,” Catherine said and looked over at Sabine. “I’m so sorry about this inconvenience. If I’d had any idea the storm would hit here, we would have postponed dinner. Adelaide is finishing up with Frances. I’ll have her make up three guest rooms on the same hall.”

“Do you have any flashlights?” Beau asked. “Adelaide was going to bring some back with her.”

“Yes,” Catherine said. “We keep several in the kitchen for just this reason. I’ll go get them. William is bringing in more lanterns from the garage, and there’s the generator, of course, but it only produces enough power to light the kitchen. I’m afraid you’re going to have to relive ancient history for a night—except for the indoor plumbing part, of course.” She gave them a smile, then turned and walked toward the kitchen. Alford fell in step behind her.

“If you don’t mind,” he said, “I’d like to get one of those flashlights and check on my car. I think I left an interior light on.”

“Of course,” Catherine said and the two left the room through the entrance to the kitchen.

The light in the room faded with Catherine’s lantern, and once again Sabine and Beau were cast into darkness. “I don’t like it,” Beau said, keeping his voice low. “It’s not safe. I don’t want you in that room alone. I’m staying with you.”

“Catherine would never agree to that. It wouldn’t be ‘proper.’ ”

“Then I’ll sneak in after she’s gone.”

“With all of us occupying the same hallway? If you use a light, Alford or Frances will see it and if you don’t use a light, you’ll take out one of the five thousand antiques they have lining every hall in this monstrosity.”

“I’ll take my chances.”

Sabine opened her mouth to respond, but felt a jab in her side from Beau’s elbow. She looked over at the entrance as Catherine walked back into the room, carrying two flashlights. A second look revealed Helena strolling behind her, a worried look on her face. Catherine handed them each a flashlight and said, “Adelaide has already started putting out the linens. It will only be a bit longer before the rooms are ready. I know it’s a little early, but I figured it would be better to retire now than risk walking around with the lanterns. I worry about fire, especially in a house this old.”

Sabine just nodded, trying not to look at Helena, but dying to know what the ghost had found out.

“I don’t blame you,” Beau said. “Just let us know when everything’s ready. We’re not going anywhere.”

Catherine tried to smile at his attempt at a joke, but it came out more like a grimace. Whatever was bothering her seemed to intensify right along with the storm. She nodded and left the room.

Sabine watched as the light of the lantern faded away, then turned on her flashlight and faced Beau. “I know this wasn’t in the plans and I’ll admit this house and the people who live here give me the creeps, but this might also be the opportunity to get to the bottom of this.”

Beau stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. “We are trapped in this mansion out of a horror novel and you think this is some sort of opportunity? An opportunity for what—a shallow grave?”

“An opportunity to catch the killer in the act.”

“You’re not exactly convincing me of anything here, Sabine.”

“If I’m in a room alone, then the killer might take a shot at me.”

Beau shook his head. “Which is exactly my problem with all of this. No way. I’m not letting you stay by yourself.”

“But I have a plan—”

“Damn it, Sabine! You want me to sit in my room, and who knows how far away that is, and wait for someone to attack you? And what? Hope you can fight them off or yell loud enough for me to hear you and get there in time? That’s a bullshit plan and you know it. And if you want to throw in the insanity angle then our number one suspect is Frances and her room is on the same hall.”

“It’s not like I’m unprotected, Beau—you’ve seen me shoot. I’ll be fine. If they’d slipped anything into my food, I’d be laid out on the floor already, and I won’t drink the hot chocolate. That way I can stay conscious.”

“Really? And if the killer gets creative and pumps gas through a vent in your room—what then? You going to tell me you can shoot people in your sleep? Because if so, you should have warned me last night and I would have worn a bulletproof vest to bed.”

“Whoohoo!” Helena hooted and danced a jig. “Sabine got lucky.” Helena looked Beau up and down. “Really lucky. Damn.”

Sabine felt her checks burning red and was glad the flashlight didn’t give away her mortal embarrassment. Bad enough her roll with the sexy PI had been announced to Helena, but even worse, she’d had a vivid recall of just how good Beau Villeneuve looked in bed. She bit her lower lip, struggling with a way to let Beau in on her secret weapon, but there simply wasn’t any way to lessen the blow. “You trust me, right?”

“This has nothing to do with me trusting you. It’s about not trusting them.”

“What if I told you I could ensure that even if something happened to me, you could be notified?”

Beau shook his head. “Our cell phones don’t get a signal out this far. I’ve already checked. And even if they did normally, they wouldn’t in this storm. Maybe if the rooms are right next to each other, but I seriously doubt prim and proper Catherine is going to go for that.”