Worried for Death

Chapter 8

Bernard was the definition of a worrywart.

He didn't like being worried, but the problem was, he was worried most of the time. This fact never failed to put him beside himself.

Aside from fine dust and unforeseen circumstances such as accidents, his mind was seldom at ease.

Smack in the middle of his never-ending state of anxiety was his boss, Ash. Ash was a man who liked the extremes of most things. While most humans liked to walk on the ground, he often decided to climb mountains and go exploring.

This time, however, when Bernard showed up to work on Monday with a cup of hot coffee in his hand as a peace offering for his boss, Ash was nowhere to be found.

Bernard clutched the paper cup of coffee slightly as waves of anxiety bloomed in his mind. A sickly feeling rose up in his belly.

"Ash would have left a message," he thought out loud and scratched his head. "Ash went to the suburbs around Highway 6 to look for the man in the portrait. But he should have been back by now, especially given the fact that the scary colonel gave him three days."

Bernard visibly swallowed and almost wished he could take a step out of the hot coffee in his hand. No. He shook his head and dropped the coffee on his boss's desk.

As he was leaving, he stopped suddenly in the doorway with a sudden thought occurring to him. Should he go? Should he go and check on his boss? Or should he go and tell the scary Colonel that his boss was missing?

Ash didn't call him the day before, more than the night before. Perhaps something was truly wrong. Bernard could feel himself beginning to shake. It started with his fingertips, then moved up into his wrist, and then his arm.

He turned back to the desk and looked at the cup of coffee. What do I do? He asked himself as tears began to fill up his eyes.

Suddenly, cutting through the silence of the room and the noise of his anxiety, was the ringing phone. He swallowed again, this time he made sure it took the tears that gathered in his eyes with it, and answered the call.

"Hello," he put a bright smile on his face as though it would curb the anxiety.

"Where is he? Has he forgotten? Has that goat forgotten that today is his last day? You put him on the phone right now, or I'll come to that office and arrest him myself!"

"My apologies, Colonel Jack, but he's not here. He's not in the office. I remember he went to the suburbs to check the one at Highway 6, but he hasn't gotten back yet."

"Then go and look for him. Go and look for him and tell him that this evening I will arrest the butler and the stupid manservant."

Bernard was truly beside himself. He had never spoken to Colonel Jack before, but he suddenly had a great level of respect for his boss being able to speak with such a person without being scared. Bernard felt his heart enter his mouth with each word the colonel said.

"I… I will… I promise I will go and look for him," Bernard finally managed to say after stuttering and struggling several times.

"Get to it then! I'm not a very patient person!" Colonel Jack exclaimed.

Bernard had no doubt the Colonel was impatient. It didn't take him much time to figure that out, especially since the first time he met the imposing man. They had been working on a case of a string of disappearing leather whips.

Bernard was actually convinced that the thief would begin to kill horses very soon.

They had begun to search around the race tracks for horses until they were suddenly interrupted by the colonel.

The colonel had imposed what he wanted on Ash, who had little choice in the matter. Bernard remembered the way his boss yelled back out of the corner on the phone.

Granted, they had continued their search, but somehow had tracked Ash down.

Bernard remembered the sheer fear he felt when he saw the man for the first time, as though he was watching a rhino charge towards them with the intent of knocking them out of the way and flattening them completely.

He shook his head, clearing his mind of the memory. He needed to find his boss very quickly.

He went back into Ash's office and took the cup of coffee before exiting the building in a hurry.

"Highway six, highway six, highway six…" he muttered to himself the entire journey to highway six. Once he alighted from the cab, the coffee had long since become lukewarm.

In front of him was the road to a suburban neighborhood, but it seemed so large. With a deep breath, he took the first step into what he knew would be a tiring day.

Bernard had a picture of Ash with him. His tactic was very simple. He would show the picture of Ash to people that he met on the road, asking them if they knew his boss or had seen him over the past few days.

Most people didn't spare him a glance, much less stick around to listen to what he said. It wasn't because he was shy or timid, but he knew he could barely get out a word himself when he came face to face with anyone.

Bernard spent the entire day walking around the winding streets of the suburbs. Though he was sure he got lost multiple times, he also was sure that he had been going around in circles.

Feeling as though all hope was lost, he made his way back to what he thought was highway six. He only ended up lost again.

If Ash stayed missing for one more day, Bernard knew he would have no choice but to call the police.

Colonel Jack knew that as a man of his stature, if he didn't do what he said, he would be seen as weak. If he didn't have action to back up his words, he would also be seen as weak.

He took his officers with him to listen to the St John's Estate once again. The security at the gate made no move to stop him.

"Stupid fellows," he thought to himself, "Couldn't even stop their bathroom from being robbed. They don't deserve to keep nearly walked at them as he climbed up the driveway."

"Where's the butler and the manservant?" he demanded of the woman with slicked-back hair.

"They have been given some time off, especially since they came back from the police station. Where are they now?" His eyes widened for emphasis.

The woman shook her head. "The butler stays here. The manservant must have gone back to his family."

"Where's that damned butler?" He pushed his way into the front door as his eyes began to move furiously around the reception area of the large mansion.

"He is in the service quarters." Her voice was in Stark contrast with his. Hers was soft and mellow, while his was harsh and loud.

" Get him for me… no! I'll do it myself. Just show me the bloody way!"

The woman led him through a door that led to a plain hallway. After a bit of a walk, they stood in front of a plain brown wooden door. Instead of politely knocking,

Jack kicked the door down to reveal a very startled butler. The man was not dressed in the signature suit and bow tie that Jack remembered him in the past few days.

"Can I help you, sir?" the butler asked in a polite tone that merely cut through the anger of the colonel.

"Can you help me? A little bit. You see, I'm going to a bit of a dilemma. I made a deal shortly after you were released. If we didn't find the true suspect, you and your friend would be arrested again. This suspect hasn't been found. Come with me. You're under arrest."

"We have been over this, sir. I didn't do anything. And you found me innocent. Why are you doing this?" the man protested as Jack signaled for his men to take the butler away.

"Where is your friend?" the colonel asked as his men handcuffed the protesting butler.

"He's with his family. Please. Unhand me this instant. I didn't kill Mr. St. John. All I did was to open the door to his study. I have witnesses. You cannot do this."

Jack's path was suddenly obstructed by the woman with the sleeked-back hair.

"You cannot take the butler away, kind sir. He has an alibi."

"And who is this alibi of his?"

"I am his alibi. I am always within the estate. I saw him around the time Mr. John's guests would have arrived. I assure you the butler did not have anything to do with it."

"Then you will come to the station and I will take your statement." Jack was the sort of man to never back down when his teeth were latched onto something.

"Take him away! And take her too. Maybe they're in on it together!" The colonel felt a swell of pride rise up in his chest as he watched the two staff members being taken to the police station on his orders. Now all he had to do was wait for Ash, the old goat, to show up empty-handed.

"Stop!" He heard a feminine voice cut through the little mayhem. He looked up the the staircase to find the lovely figure of the grieving Mrs St John clad in black.

"You will take neither of them."

Now look here, Lassie. I'm not going to argue with anyone. Words aren't my strongest suit." The woman smirked at his choice of words.

"But I'm taking them. And you're not going to stop me."

She cocked her head to one side and whispered something. "Leave my maid. I need her. The butler, you can take."

She looked at the butler. "Butler Jones, I'm sorry. But I can't let them take her."

The butler lowered his head. "I understand."

I left the maid and took the butler with a nagging feeling at the back of my mind.