The Lion's Circle by Amelia Ellis

Author:Amelia Ellis [Ellis, Amelia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery
ISBN: 9783905965100
Publisher: NPI
Published: 2011-02-27T16:00:00+00:00

27

* * *

Twenty minutes later, we were sitting in my car, discussing what to do next.

‘I think it’s high time we took some action ourselves,’ I said. ‘Forgive me for speaking bluntly, but it’s definitely no longer time for holding back. It’s life or death for Samantha. I don’t believe the kidnappers really intend to release her. No, I’m convinced that she will be tortured and then killed in the big ritual on Sunday. I think the kidnappers only said they’d free her to keep the police off their trail until after the ritual. It could be that they expect something of it which makes subsequent police intervention appear irrelevant.’

For a moment an oppressive silence reigned; then McMillan spoke.

‘I think Miss Fox is right. We met the kidnappers’ demands, but they haven’t kept their side of the bargain. Why should they do so in future? There’s no way I can just sit around and wait for next Monday, in the hope that in the end they will actually keep their word. We’d never get through Sunday! Are we going to sit at home, imagining Samantha suffering one of the rituals in those books, being tortured and killed?’

‘In any case, all the signs indicate that seven women are to be gruesomely killed on Sunday,’ I said. ‘Even if Samantha isn’t one of them, it’s still our responsibility to try to prevent that. We can’t just sit on our hands because Samantha might be released on Monday.’

‘Very well, Miss Fox,’ said Anson. ‘What do you suggest?’

‘I will pay a visit to the Lion’s Circle this evening,’ I replied, ‘and I’d be glad of Mr McMillan’s company.’

Just after four, I entered my office. After making myself a cup of tea, I dialled DS Wilson’s number.

‘Wilson, can I help you?’ he answered.

‘Hello, Sergeant,’ I began, ‘Nea Fox speaking. I was wondering what the latest was on the Crimonmore Gate case.’

‘Good to hear from you, Miss Fox,’ he said, ‘although I haven’t any news for you. We’re still waiting for the lab results. And we’re still trying to trace the cars from their tyre prints. There is no new evidence from the blood samples either, apart from the fact that there is blood from at least nine people.’

‘I see. What about the fingerprints?’

‘Nothing new there either. The only one on record is that of the missing woman from London that I told you about last time we spoke. Have you made any progress yourself?’

‘No, I’m afraid not,’ I lied.

After saying goodbye, I called Harry to ask if he’d found out anything more about the seven books. We had scanned the first twelve pages of one of them and emailed them to his friend in Oxford.

As it happened, Harry had just received some preliminary information from his friend. He’d had a look at the text and sent Harry the rough gist of the contents. He was still working on an exact translation. It appeared that the twelve pages described in minute detail how to unite the

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