The Peculiar Case of the Red Tide Read online

“Ah, yes. That must be Robert then,” Agnes muttered, watching the two of us from the top of the ladder. “Come along girls. If he’s not keeled over, he will be most pleased to meet the two of you.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Robert, for all intents and purposes, seemed like a rather pleasant fellow. After the shock of having a snake thrown on him, he gently set it loose in the forests, where I could only pray it would not make its way back to the house. Agnes clapped a hand on his shoulder, laughing cheerfully as he raised up and brushed off his hands. I’d never seen Agnes quite as at ease as she was in the moment, and I looked to Isabella from the corner of my eye to see if she was as suspicious as I was. She simply had her hands tucked in her pockets, watching the two with a look of interest, but not suspicion.

  “Oh, Robert, dear. It’s so nice to see you after so long. Your first time meeting the girls, and you’re already saving the day,” Agnes smiled, pulling the man in for a quick embrace. He was an older gentleman, seeming to be in his late fifties or early sixties, and he considered Isabella and I in turn before offering his hand to Isabella. The dark haired woman moved to speak, but Agnes was swift to cut her off. “This is Isabella Dunn, she’s the one who has been living with me. She’s a rather sweet girl, if a bit obnoxious,” Agnes explained. I choked back a laugh, and Isabella raised a brow as she shook Robert’s hand.

  “She’s not giving me nearly enough credit. I’m extremely obnoxious,” she said with a sly smile, and Robert rumbled a warm laugh as he took Isabella’s hand between both of his own.

  “Yes, yes. Agnes has needed someone to keep her on her toes, give her a bit of a run for her money. It is my pleasure to meet you, dear. I notice that you’re using a walking stick from our girl’s collection. She must be rather fond of you, then,” he said in conspiratory tones. Isabella tossed her head back and laughed, while Agnes watched them with a faint smile. It was almost like watching some sort of family reunion, but I was crashing the party. It was safe to say I didn’t particularly feel comfortable with being the apparent outsider, but Robert quickly turned to address me as well. “And you must be Miss Abigail Bean. I’ve heard great things about you as well, young lady. Sharp as a whip, I’ve been told. I have no doubt that you will exceed all of Agnes’ expectations, though, I will warn you that she tends to put her assistants through the ringer,” he beamed, his deep British accent making the words sound all the more pleasant. I smiled awkwardly, shaking his hand when he offered it.

  “I take it you’ve met her previous assistants,” I prompted, and he laughed a deep belly laugh.

  “Dear girl, I used to be her assistant. Back in my prime, that is. We’ve both seen better days, haven’t we, Agnes?” He grinned, and Agnes looked taken aback for a moment before her smile returned and she nodded agreeably.

  “She has seemed a bit haggard. I just assumed it had something to do with little Bean and I turning her world upside down,” Isabella mused, giving Agnes a teasing nudge. Robert and Agnes exchanged a look that seemed to speak volumes before they both chuckled.

  “You two haven’t begun to see topsy turvy, dear. In time, though,” Agnes said a bit dismissively, and I felt irrationally annoyed at the bond the older woman seemed to share with this gentleman. I suppose it made sense that he knew so much about her, somehow being her previous assistant, but I had taken that role now. I couldn’t understand why she had to be so vague and cryptic any time I asked about our actual purpose in finding these journal pages.

  “In any case, I suppose the lot of you are eager to see the lake, yes?” He prompted, and Isabella threw her hands up, rushing inside for a brief moment. Those of us who remained looked at each other with confused expressions until Isabella tumbled back out with a load of fishing gear. Agnes looked prepared to admonish her, but Robert clapped his hands together with a gleam in his eye. “Excellent idea, dear girl. We will need to collect some samples for the old biddy to test,” Robert announced, and I could only assume Agnes was the old biddy in question. He may have been being ironic, but I knew for a fact that the elder woman wouldn’t stand for being called old.

  “I suppose you’re right. I will need some samples, and a fish extracted from the lake would do wonders for my studies,” she hummed, and I couldn’t keep my eyes from bugging. She was just going to let him say such things about her? If I called her old, or even insinuated it, I’d be fired on the spot. I was just sure of it. Like I said, Robert seemed a nice enough guy, but I couldn’t help feeling as if he knew too much. Whatever he knew, it was much more than I did. I worried that Agnes would never feel comfortable enough to be as open with me, and in spite of myself, I found that I felt rather jealous of the bond they shared. “Well, Isabella, sweetheart, go ahead and load up Robert’s car. He will be driving us to the lake. After all, it was my dollar that provided him such a luxurious vehicle, we might as well enjoy it,” Agnes grinned, and Isabella beamed as she moved to load up the SUV with all of the old fishing gear. I couldn’t believe it. She had even bought him a car. She was implying my car was somehow lesser in the same breath, which was a given, but come on.

  “Miss Bean? I assume you will be joining us?” Robert piped up, and as I was drawn from my thoughts, I realized the other two were already piling in his car, apparently apathetic to whether or not I tagged along. I narrowed my eyes, nodding silently as I made an effort not to outright storm over to the car. Isabella held her upper half out the window, waving frantically at me as I grew nearer.

  “Sit in the back with me! There are butt warmers! And, look! We even get our own cupholders. Snazzy, right?” She called out before settling back in the luxurious leather seat. I frowned, refraining from making a comment about her sweaty backside sticking to the leather she seemed so thrilled with. Instead, I tried to swallow any ounce of bitterness I felt as I joined my friend in the backseat. Agnes and Robert were engaged in some idle chit chat, with the man asking if she had found ‘it’, whatever it was. She replied to the negative before seeming to realize I was listening. She went quiet, and Robert seemed to take the hint as well as he started the engine of his car.

  “Now, hold on to your hats,” the man announced, shifting into gear and screaming out of the driveway with the tires squealing. I very nearly wet myself as we roared through the narrow road that presumably led to the lake, all while Isabella hung her head outside the window and cheered. She reminded me of an excitable dog, but much less cute. Alright, maybe only marginally less cute... she was my best friend after all, even if I was presently annoyed with her.

  “Get back in the car right now Isabella! Something might take your fool head off,” Agnes hissed, reaching back to grab at the dark haired woman. They reminded me more and more of a mother and daughter every moment they spent together, and in spite of my foul mood, I had to swallow a laugh as Agnes slapped her on the knee.

  “Come on, Aggie! Live a little,” Isabella called out, reluctantly settling in her seat. She hesitated a moment before grinning, settling even more comfortably. “Though, the butt warmers really are nice,” she mused aloud. Agnes rolled her eyes, but there was a grudging smile on her face.

  “Now to stick the landing,” Robert murmured from the front seat, and I could make out the expansive lake from the road. I expected him to park on the side of the road, but he seemed prepared to no such thing, swerving off road abruptly. Agnes held her arm in front of Isabella and I, presumably to keep us from flying out the windshield in a worst case scenario. I would have found it entertaining if I wasn’t so scared for my life. We were getting nearer and nearer to the lake, and I gripped the seat tightly as I prepared for us to launch into the water. He had been fooling Agnes all along, he planned to drown all of us—even if it meant taking himself out in the process!

  “Aw yeah!” Isabella cheered, ever oblivious of the oncoming danger. Poor, innocent Isabella. Just as we reached the edge of the lake, the vehicle lurched to a stop, and I fought the urge to vomit all over the leather interior.

  “You always did drive li
ke a madman,” Agnes muttered, turning to check on Isabella and I. “Abigail, dear girl, are you alright? You look a bit ill,” she asked gently, glaring as Isabella leapt out of the car, causing it to rock in the process.

  “Terribly sorry, young lady. I suppose I let the excitement of being with my old friend get the best of me,” Robert apologized sincerely, and it occurred to me to apologize for expecting him to try and kill us. Ah, well, what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

  “I’m fine,” I managed to get out, swallowing the bile that rose in my throat. I carefully opened my car door, all but sinking to the ground and kissing it once I was out. Isabella was already unloading the fishing gear, her face flushed from excitement. I shook my head in disbelief, idly wondering if the woman had an actual death wish. She caught my gaze, smiling gently and moving to guide me away from my safe spot beside the car.

  “You said your Dad likes to hunt... Do you know anything about fishing, then?” She implored, looking down at the tackle box with a chagrined expression.

  “The two aren’t really related, but... yeah. My Dad taught me to fish when I was a kid,” I breathed, clutching my stomach. Isabella nodded, looking concerned when I began to sway a little.

  “Are you okay? We can go sit by the lake if you want. Maybe it’ll ease your stomach a bit to sit down,” she murmured, taking me by the arm. I resisted, blinking to clear my vision before squatting down to look over the fishing gear. I wasn’t just going to stand by and look foolish while Robert took all the glory of preparing the gear—though he didn’t seem particularly concerned with it.

  “You want to fish, and I’m going to teach you. It’d be better if we had live bait, but these lures should do the trick,” I paused, bringing one towards my nose and giving it an experimental sniff. My stomach churned once more, and I very nearly emptied the contents of it on the ground beside me. Isabella watched me with wide eyes, and I offered her a weak smile. “It’s scented bait. Should do the job for catching trout,” I mumbled. She nodded quietly, and as I busied myself with preparing the gear, I could hear Agnes and Robert speaking in hushed tones a bit closer to the lake itself. The eldest of our trio seemed to have brought along some vials to collect water and soil samples in, and she was too occupied to notice I was trying to eavesdrop.

  “Is this ready? Can you show me now? I’ve always really wanted to learn,” Isabella requested, drawing me from my thoughts. I resisted the desire to groan, grabbing a rod and pressing it into her hands.

  “Just copy what I do. It’s pretty easy once you get the hang of the basics, but it doesn’t mean you’ll catch a fish for sure,” I explained, trying to sound encouraging. Isabella looked determined, watching me closely as I cast my line out into the lake. She copied me move for move, looking delighted as the bobber settled upon the water.

  “Now what?” She asked excitedly, gripping her rod a bit awkwardly.

  “You wait,” I smiled, expecting her to give up immediately. Instead, she nodded resolutely, watching the water with a faint smile. It was entertaining to see how thrilled she was to do something as simple as fishing, but the whole process tended to get a bit boring and tedious after about ten minutes. Isabella never drew her gaze away from the water, and while watching her from the corner of my eye, I strained to listen in on the conversation Agnes and Robert were engaged in. I could only make out bits and pieces, they were speaking so quietly.

  “Still haven’t found... after so long? Do... know what... looking for?” I heard Robert, putting together the last bit relatively easily—obviously, he was asking if Isabella and I knew what we were looking for. While I knew we were seeking the pages of some man’s diary, I still had no idea why.

  “... running out of time. Don’t know... long we have,” Agnes replied, her voice tinged with worry. I squinted, wondering what exactly could be contained in the pages of that diary. Some deep secret, obviously, but what? The bite on my line jerked me out of my thoughts, and I yelped as I dropped the rod like some dumb newbie. Isabella tossed her line aside, rushing after mine as it was dragged along the grass. She managed to grab it just before it went into the water, standing upright and looking at me with pleading eyes.

  “Reel it in! Use the reel!” I shouted, hating myself for how distracted I had allowed myself to become, and even more furious that the scene seemed to have distracted Agnes from her conversation with Robert. Realizing that I would have to bide my time a little longer, I watched as Isabella struggled with the fish. The rod was nearly bent in half, and I could only wonder how big the catch would be—that is, if she managed it. Taking steps back, yanking the rod, Isabella stumbled backwards and pulled the fish out of the water. My eyes widened as I took in our catch of the day, taken aback for a moment before erupting into laughter. It was barely three inches long, flopping frantically on the grass just beyond the water. “It... it’s so small,” I gasped out, nearly doubling over in laughter. Isabella frowned, getting her bearings as she picked the tiny thing up.

  “It had to have been some kind of super fish. I swear, this guy put up a real fight,” she murmured plaintively. Just barely in my line of vision, I noted Agnes and Robert exchanging a rather intense look. Agnes broke away, approaching Isabella and grabbing the fish before plopping it in a specimen jar of some type.

  “Alright, alright. Super fish or otherwise, we’ve got the samples we need. Now we just need to run them,” Agnes announced grandly, striding back towards the car. “But first, we have a stop to make,” she continued, settling her things in the back of the car.

  “Are we getting lunch?” Isabella asked curiously, seeming quite interested in the notion.

  “No. Not quite.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  The drive was a rather long one, and I couldn’t exactly blame Isabella from getting antsy as we made our way through a rustic looking town. Agnes and Robert were being exceedingly cryptic about where we were going, so I could only assume it was some sort of personal trip for the two of them. Just a couple of pals having a good old time. I tried to refrain from getting annoyed as they bantered back and forth in the front seats, but it was difficult with the woman at my side squirming anxiously. I had no idea what was bothering her, but after a moment, she jolted upright in her seat and clutched the bottom.

  “No. No, no,” she piped up, tapping Agnes frantically on the shoulder. I watched the exchange with confusion, the feeling only vaguely clarified as I saw the sign for the building we were pulling up to: Washington State Home for the Mentally Ill. For some reason or another, Agnes and Robert had decided to spend their jolly good time in an insane asylum, and Isabella looked completely petrified. I could understand why she was feeling a bit spooked, but I reached out and rubbed her shoulder gently. “Why are we here?” She demanded, her voice cracking. Agnes raised a brow, looking unamused.

  “Isabella, can you try to contain your melodramatics? We’re here to visit a patient who is important to our studies,” Agnes explained, and though Robert looked a bit more sympathetic, it didn’t stop either of them from getting out of the car. Izzy stared after them, her hands shaking a bit as she turned to consider me. My hand was on the door handle, and before I could push it open, she gripped me desperately by my shirt.

  “Stay. Can we... can we stay out here? Please?” Isabella implored, sounding strangely vulnerable. I was almost tempted to oblige her, but Agnes had mentioned that this trip would aid in our venture, and I wasn’t about to let Robert take my place.

  “Come on. It’s not that bad. All dangerous patients are locked up or knocked out,” I said as gently as I could manage, but my worlds only seemed to agitate her even more. “Izzy, I’m not staying out here. You can either stay out here and act like a scared child, or you can come inside and help Agnes and I. I know it’s intimidating, but what’s the worst that could happen?” I continued, growing a bit incensed. I couldn’t begin to fathom what had made her so hysterical, but we had a job to do, and I’d much rather she be part of our trio rather than Robert takin
g either of our places.

  “Okay,” she mumbled, sounding resigned. She released me, and I was undeniably proud as she pushed out of the car. She hobbled towards the door, and I had to refrain from racing ahead to catch up with Agnes and her apparent bestie. Isabella reached out to grip my wrist, but I drew away, leveling her with a serious expression.

  “Please, Abbie,” she implored, her voice cracking again. It was the first time she had ever called me Abbie, and perhaps that should have given me some indication of how sincerely troubled she was. Instead, I simply marched ahead. She struggled to keep up, and I heard her curse as she stumbled, but I was too determined to find Agnes to slow my pace. As we walked deeper into the building, the eeriness of it began to creep up on me as well. The place appeared so sterile, with no discernable sign that there were real human beings being kept there. The nurses who passed us in the halls walked with urgency, most with syringes gripped tightly in their hands. When I thought things couldn’t get any creepier, the sounds of shrill shrieks began to echo through the hall. I paused, glancing over my shoulder at Isabella. She was pale, her whole body shaking almost violently, but she continued to trail behind me in spite of her obvious fear. Once more, I was tempted to oblige her and simply wait outside for Agnes and Robert, but then I heard the voice of my boss speaking soothingly to someone. The screaming had risen to a fever pitch, and I could make out what sounded like some sort of strange formula. The patient’s voice almost seemed to skip at the same letter combination every time—some kind of chemical, maybe?

  “Agnes, I’m sorry we took so long. We just had a bit of trouble finding you guys,” I said, stepping into the room and watching as Agnes and Robert tried to speak to the patient. I heard Isabella inhale a sharp gasp as she stepped into the room behind me, but I was too entranced by the sight of the young man, younger than even myself, struggling against his restraints. They were leather, and his skin was inflamed and outright bloody in some places—showing his sheer desperation to escape whatever was trapped in his mind. It was a pathetic sight, and even Agnes looked a bit pale as she stroked the boy’s hair, speaking to him in hushed tones.