At mid-afternoon, Alfons paced the length of the King’s Study, his underground office. Nursing their drinks after a light lunch, Lirens, Arius, and Sam Tinetta sat in silence around the low table, considering the lieutenant’s report from his interviews with the Dowager Queen and Mrs. Luven. The prince had just heartily endorsed Tinetta’s plan to set a trap using Mrs. Luven and Sidy Parbour as bait. The captain had shrugged and judged it “worth a try.”
Shaken by the morning’s events, the king, however, remained unconvinced. “Lieutenant, tell me again how you intend to protect the women. Their safety is my highest priority.”
“Yes, sire,” he said, sitting straighter in his chair. “It is mine as well. The beauty of it is that they will never actually be in danger—or only as much danger as a coach ride across the city. We will drive them to a house with a unique feature. It was built into the hillside on the third level, and an underground passage and stairway connect it to a very fine house on the second level.
“So, the plan will proceed like a magician’s disappearing act. I will accompany Mrs. Luven and Sidy into the house on the third level, in full view of whoever is watching. Once inside, out of sight, I will lead them to its basement, into the secret tunnel, and up the long stair to the second-level house. A private firm will provide trustworthy guards for them there and ensure they remain unseen for as long as they need protection.
“Meanwhile, a few palace guards or members of Lirens’ company will conspicuously guard the lower house for as long as it takes, enticing the murderer and his goons to strike. We will have soldiers hidden in the surrounding houses, and when the enemy makes his move, the soldiers will converge on him and his men. And, we hope, we will take our murderer into custody.”
“Or kill him,” Lirens growled.
“Or kill him,” Mardans agreed. “If he and his men choose to fight, we should not hold back.”
“Hear, hear,” said Arius. “I cannot say I’m inclined toward mercy where this fiend is concerned.”
The king ignored their comments. “Do you not think he will attack the coach as we transport them to the house? Is that not the weak point?”
“The sooner we move them, the lower the chance of an attack,” Lirens answered. “A daylight attack is less likely, especially on city streets with hundreds of witnesses. I would think it will surprise the murderer if we act quickly to remove them from the palace. It would take even a master tactician some time to organize an attack on a moving target on public streets. This is a way to get ahead of him for once.”
Mardans sighed. “That would be wonderful! I’ve felt as if we’ve been playing catch-up this whole time.”
“Because we have been,” Alfons said. “We’ve been reacting to this son of the Devil since he stole Margonne’s Dagger. Lieutenant, you have my permission. Keep those women safe.”
“Yes, lord,” Mardans said, rising. “I will set the plan in motion.” He bowed and left with Lirens and Arius on his heels.
† † † † †
Prince Lirens and his company of soldiers shouldered the job of hiding in the surrounding homes and businesses. A new platoon in plainclothes would covertly relieve those on duty every six hours. The lieutenants and sergeants among them had the stressful task of watching for the attack. Each wore a horn to call their soldiers out of hiding and into the fray, but only after ensuring the house was truly under attack. Soldiers from the first platoon had already left the barracks in ones and twos to take their positions.
For his part, Arius summoned the entire palace guard to receive instructions. They met in their barracks, three shifts of a dozen men each plus officers. The captain assigned the night shift, those who had been working with Lieutenant Tinetta, to transport Mrs. Luven and Sidy to the safe house and mount a constant, rotating guard. The other shifts would cover their absence from the palace. He charged the morning shift, just about to come off duty, with sweeping the palace and its grounds for the young man who led Gemma away after the party. The evening shift would guard the palace as usual. Dismissed, the morning and evening shifts departed to their duties.
Mardans stood with Mrs. Luven and Sidy as Captain Arius finished instructing the guards tasked with transporting them to the safe house.
“Listen up, men!” Arius called. “In a minute, I will dismiss you to change into your full dress uniforms as quickly as you can. You will be acting as an honor guard as if we were attending the royal family. That means no slips of protocol! Everyone who sees you must think a royal personage is riding in the coach! Got it?”
The guards responded with a unanimous, “Yes, sir!”
“Keep your eyes peeled, gentlemen,” he continued, looking at them intently. “And be ready to defend the coach occupants. “A murderous fiend is on the loose, and he and his ruffians may try to silence these ladies, thinking they know something about him. We want to keep them safe! From the king himself, that is our top priority! Understand?”
“Yes, sir!” said a dozen voices.
“Good!” Arius responded. “When you arrive at the house, the privates will form a screen to either side of the coach door to the house’s entrance. The ladies will then hurry inside. Sergeant Tankin will then take a position at the front door, while Lieutenant Tinetta will be inside with the ladies.” This comment earned a few chuckles from the guards. Arius gave them a hard stare. “Must I remind you men that this was no laughing matter?”
“No, sir!” the dozen guards said, erasing the grins that had formed on their faces.
“Where was I?” the captain asked himself in an undertone. “Oh, yes! The rest of you should arrange yourselves evenly around the house’s perimeter and remain vigilant. We don’t know if there will be an assault on the house. We are inviting them to do so. If there is one, hold your own, and Prince Lirens’ men will converge immediately, trapping them between our two forces. The king has granted permission to use maximum force, if necessary. So, defend the house and yourselves, and if you cannot subdue and take them into custody, you can respond with lethality. Understood?”
“Yes, sir,” the men responded, but not with the same enthusiasm as before. The job had just become truly serious.
“Reassemble here in full dress uniform posthaste! Dismissed!” The men dispersed throughout the barracks.
Not ten minutes later, a royal coach rolled into the yard and pulled to a stop in front of the main door. Mardans quickly checked its interior, then signaled for the ladies to be brought out. Once Mrs. Luven and Sidy were safely inside, he and another guard joined them, and the remaining guards arrayed themselves around it. The sergeant took the footman’s perch at the back to give himself a better view and knocked twice on the coach's roof. They set off at a measured walking pace.
Outside the palace gates, Palisade’s citizens began lining the street, hoping to glimpse the king or queen. Mardans, though, had closed the curtains to maintain secrecy, depending on his sergeant to keep him apprised of any imminent trouble. Inside, they heard the swelling crowds cheering and shouts of “Long live the king!” Still sniffling into her handkerchief, Mrs. Luven sat enveloped in her grief while Sidy, grinning at her good fortune, luxuriated in the plush upholstery, her eyes absorbing every detail of the coach’s elegant interior.
“Wait till you see that house you’ll be staying in tonight,” Mardans said.
“Is it grand?” she asked, eyes wide.
“All the luxuries that money can buy,” he answered with a nod. “The chef is first-rate, I hear. And the hostess is a marvel.”
Sidy let out a squeal of delight. “Did you hear that Mrs. L?”
“I did,” Mrs. Luven said in a small voice. “I’m sure it will be very nice.”
Sidy shot an embarrassed look at Mardans and sank into the cushioned seat, chastising herself for forgetting her friend’s death in her excitement. He smiled back, as reassuringly as he could, while saying to the older woman, “It will be peaceful, and all your needs will be taken care of. You can stay for as long as you like.”
When the coach finally stopped at the house a few minutes later, Mardans breathed easier. All that remained was getting Mrs. Luven and Sidy inside the house. While the exterior guards lined a path to the front door, he and the guard who had joined them stepped down to the street, helping the women exit the coach and hasten into the house. As soon as the coach door thumped shut, the coachman clucked the horses into motion, and the guards scattered to their posts. All had gone according to plan. From the barracks to the safe house, the entire operation had taken under a quarter-hour.
Mrs. Luven and Sidy were hidden and safe and about to be lavishly pampered by Tiena Santinetta.
Outside and down the hill, a tense, watchful silence descended.
A note:
Of course, the Santinetta family—the “private firm” Lieutenant Tinetta mentioned in his brief—owned both the house on the second level and the connected one on the third. Tiena’s agents used the tunnel and stair to “disappear,” eluding the eyes of parties too interested in their business. The upper house was a spacious, luxurious, fully staffed, and well-maintained mansion, which the Santinettas used to house guests or hold important meetings. Oftentimes, Tiena offered its use to Satelen VIPs in town on either public or private business. The lower house, of a meaner variety, saw only rare use as a domicile. Mostly, it was an entrance or egress for clandestine activity centered on the second-level mansion.
Hopefully, the murderer will fall into the trap!