Nightmare

51

Nightingale groped for his torch. He found it and switched it on, then he ran the beam quickly around the basement and up the stairs, his heart pounding. The wicks of the candles were smouldering. He frowned as he stared at the candles. There were no draughts in the basement but something had blown them out.

He was heading for the stairs to switch on the lights when his phone burst into life. It was the American.

‘Jack, are you okay?’ asked Wainwright.

‘Why do you ask?’

‘Just a feeling. What are you doing?’

‘I’m in the basement of Gosling Manor.’

‘That’s why I’m calling. Amy told me what happened. What’s going on?’

‘I was robbed.’

‘Amy said they took everything.’

‘Just the books. They left the artefacts and stuff, but cleaned me out of every single book. Must have taken them ages. Sorry I wasted your time.’

‘Don’t worry about that. But do you have any idea who might have done it?’

‘Hardly anyone knew that the basement was there,’ said Nightingale. ‘You, me, my assistant. Her friend. That’s about it, so far as I know.’

‘What about Marcus Fairchild?’

‘What? What about him?’

‘Did you ever take him down there, did you show him the books?’

‘No.’

‘You’re certain of that?’

‘Of course. Why? What’s going on?’

‘Word on the grapevine is that Fairchild has come into some books. Some very old, very expensive volumes. And bearing in mind what happened at Gosling Manor, that’s one hell of a coincidence, don’t you think?’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Jack, I wouldn’t be calling you if I wasn’t sure.’

Nightingale said nothing. He ran a hand through his hair. Marcus Fairchild? How had he discovered the hidden library? He knew about the mansion, but how could he have known about the books?

‘Jack, are you there?’

‘Yeah, I’m here, Joshua.’

‘What are you going to do?’

‘Do? I guess I need to have a talk with him.’

‘Be careful,’ said Wainwright. ‘He’s a dangerous man.’

‘I’ll be okay. I’ve met some real hard bastards in my time.’

‘Not like Marcus Fairchild. He’s off the Richter scale.’

‘Okay.’

‘I’m serious, Jack. Fairchild is pure evil. Don’t even think about taking him on. He’s got the whole Order of Nine Angles with him. You go up against one and you’ll be facing them all.’