“I suggest that we wait a few more minutes,” Jeff said. “If Mr. Chesterfield hasn’t turned up, we should search the house and grounds in case he’s injured.”
Jeff turned to the assistants. “Since you know how the illusion works, you should check on places he might be when we leave the theater. That way, no one can accuse you of giving away how the trick works.”
While most of the guests and employees searched the house, Jeff and Robin volunteered to search the cliff behind the house. The sun was setting, but they could still see fairly well in the pale light that remained. The air had grown chilly, and Jeff draped his jacket across Robin’s shoulders.
“I hope we don’t find Chesterfield sprawled on the rocks where they found Lily Dowd’s body,” Robin said.
“That would be very creepy.”
Robin hummedThe X-Filestheme, and Jeff laughed.
“I can see that you’re not taking Chesterfield’s disappearing act seriously,” he said.
“I just don’t trust him. Regina didn’t like him. She wouldn’t say it, but I’m sure she thought he poisoned the chocolates that killed Sophie Randall. And his phony upper-class Brit act wears on you after a while.”
They walked down the cliff to the spot where Lily Dowd’s body had been found, but Chesterfield’s body wasn’t sprawled onthe rocks. After walking south for fifteen minutes more, Jeff and Robin walked back toward the house. Robin stopped when they reached the spot where a flight of weatherworn wooden stairs led to the beach. She looked down.
“That’s interesting,” she said.
“What is?”
“There was a speedboat moored at the dock down there. It’s gone now.”
“That is interesting. And so is that,” Jeff said, pointing to a door in the side of the mansion.
Robin walked over and opened it. Jeff flipped a light switch. They were in a mudroom stocked with items you would use at the beach or on a boat. There was also an ascending flight of stairs.
“Let’s see where this goes,” Robin said.
Jeff followed Robin up. There was a door at the top. Robin opened it and found herself in a short concrete corridor that led to the side of the stage in the theater. She walked around the dolly that had been used to bring the sarcophagus to the stage and looked out. Chesterfield’s assistants were sitting in the front-row seats.
Jeff looked at them. Then he smiled. “What do you say, ladies? Mystery solved?”
“We can’t answer that question,” one of the women said.
“Right. The nondisclosure agreement,” Robin said. “I don’t know how he got out of the coffin, but I’m willing to bet that your boss left by that door, went down to the dock, and hightailed it in the speedboat. I have no idea where he went next. Do you?”
The women looked at one another.
“Come on. This has nothing to do with the illusion.”
The women huddled. Then one of them said, “Honestly, we don’t have any idea. We really expected Mr. Chesterfield to be at the back of the theater.”
“Okay, I believe you. Jeff and I are going to tell the others what we found. Why don’t you join us?”
Jeff and Robin found Claire and several of the other guests in the living room. Robin told them their theory about the speedboat.
“Between everyone, we’ve searched the house and grounds,” Claire said. “There are still many places Bobby could hide, but I’m fairly confident that he’s not here, which makes your theory very plausible.”
“What do you want us to do, Claire?” Horace Dobson asked.
“I think Bobby is playing one of his games, and I, for one, am not in the mood to humor him. So I’m going home, and I suggest you do too.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Robin said, taking Jeff’s arm. “Shall we?”
“We shall.”
Claire turned to Miriam Ross. “If my husband shows up, don’t tell me.”