Page 62 of Dead Serious Case 4 Professor Prometheus Plume

“Hello! Danny! Tristan!” A voice calls out and we look over.

Ellis is standing at the edge of the lawn, wearing a big, warm coat and yellow wellies and holding a bright yellow umbrella with smiley-face emojis dotted all over it.

Danny takes my hand and tugs me over to him.

“I like your umbrella,” I say as we stop in front of him.

“Thanks.” He beams. “It was my Secret Santa present.”

“I wish I’d had a Secret Santa present like that,” I mumble under my breath, thinking about the candy underwear Jacob Marley had tried to eat.

“I just thought I’d let you both know there’s a mix and mingle for the murder mystery night this afternoon. We’re serving hot chocolates and freshly made cookies. You can have a cocktail if you want, but you both look a bit frozen.”

“What exactly does this mix and mingle entail?” Danny asks curiously.

“Oh, it’s going to be so much fun.” Ellis bounces on the soles of his wellies. “All the actors are in costume and in character, and all the guests will be there too! You can ask them questions, and there’ll be clues and red herrings for you to discover before the main event tomorrow night!”

Danny and I look at each other and shrug.

When in Rome and all that.

15

Aloud clanging echoes across the lobby as Danny and I descend to the last step on the stairs, and we turn to look. Ellis has an armful of metal shapes which appear to be pieces of the suit of armour. One glance at the plinth it had stood on reveals only two legs up to the knees. The rest of it is either scattered across the floor or in Ellis’ arms.

“Do you need some help?” Danny asks in amusement as he watches Ellis try to reassemble the suit like a giant metal jigsaw puzzle.

“Oh, no, thank you,” Ellis says brightly. “Brad fell over again.”

“I didst not fall over, some churlish buffoon hurled a small ball at me,” a strangely archaic voice says sullenly.

I shift around the curved newel post at the bottom of the stairs to see a man with closely cropped dark hair and a beard. He’s wearing a wool surcoat over his chain mail, his legs and feet covered with woollen leggings and boots. Sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, he has an enormous broadsword propped between his legs and that’s not a euphemism. He literally has a huge sword that looks like it could’ve been a prop fromGame of Thronesbetween his legs, the point set against the floor and the hilt leaning against his shoulder.

He looks up, his eyes narrowing as he sees me staring at him. “Art thou the one who can perceive my brethren and myself?”

“Mm-hmm,” I hum quietly and give a little nod while Ellis is distracted talking to Danny, or rather, I should say talkingatDanny.

“Thou must truly be gifted.” He studies me curiously then winces as Ellis continues to clank about with the pieces of amour, his words tumbling over themselves while Danny just continues to look amused. “Couldst thou please tell the small, blonde, child-like one to be quiet? He chatters like a bird. It’s most tiresome to mine ears.”

“Uh…”

“There, Brad,” Ellis announces enthusiastically. “We’ll have you back in one piece in a jiffy. Hmm, perhaps I should try superglue? Does it work on metal?”

“For the–” The ghost glances heavenward and sighs loudly as if searching for his patience. “Please inform him that my name isSirDevron Penhalen. I did not defeat the champion of the king and overcome fearsome wolves twice the height of a manandwin the fair lady Mairdrenn’s heart to be known asBradfor eternity.” He glances over at Ellis. “And please order him to unhand my codpiece!” he says indignantly.

“Um, sure,” I squeak, turning to the others. “Ellis.” I take the pieces of armour from his grip and set them gently on the floor. “Why don’t you come with us to the bar for the mix and mingle? You can introduce us to all the other guests.”

“Of course!” Ellis grins. “I have to announce the characters anyway. Come on.” He takes my arm and drags me along, Danny trailing behind us.

When we reach the bar’s threshold, Ellis lets go of me and I twist my head back towards the lobby to see the pieces of armour reassemble themselves on the plinth. Once whole again, Sir Devron inclines his head towards me, touching his forehead lightly with his fingertips as if in thanks before stepping back inside the suit of armour and disappearing.

Fuck, my life is weird.

Shaking my head, I head into the bar to catch up with Danny. Ellis turns and hands me a cup of hot chocolate and I hum in pleasure. This stuff is seriously addictive. I’m going to miss it when I go home—I don’t think Uber Eats is going to be up for delivering it to London for me whenever I’m in the mood for one.

“So over there we have Mr and Mrs Nakatomi.” Ellis points across the room at the middle-aged Japanese couple with friendly smiles who wave in return. “Then there’s Dr Walsh.”

He points to an overweight, balding man with a rather purple-coloured nose and small, bleary eyes. Swaying slightly as he leans against the bar, a half empty glass clenched in his fist, he appears to be well on his way to being drunk.