Tintin and the Will of Hartley Manor

by crayonsruletheworld

Tintin is given a new assignment - the will of Mr. Hartley. His money and estate was supposed to have gone almost entirely to charity, but distant cousins are now the sole inheritants. Is there a later will? Why are there men tailing Tintin? And what does the beautiful girl who just moved in across the hall have to do with this?

13. Chapter 13

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Chapter 13 – Breaking In

Hartley Manor was finally quiet when Tintin and Eva arrived.

"All the reporters are gone." She said quietly as they gazed at the house from the shadows across the street.

"Do you know a way inside?"

Eva glanced up at the journalist. "I know a way onto the property, and the cellar door should be unguarded. I didn't think of it last time I broke in, because it hasn't been used in so long. And if I had forgotten about it, they certainly won't think to guard it."

Tintin nodded. Words would be wasteful now; they both knew what had to be done.

The rain had turned into a light drizzle, making everything shadowy. All the better¸ he thought as he followed Eva across the street, and slowly down the side of the property.

After they had passed the side of the house, Eva stopped as if she had dropped something.

Tintin looked around, and said quietly, "All clear."

Turning to the tall, iron fence, she found the two bars she wanted and pulled. They came away soundlessly and effortlessly, and she gestured to Tintin. He stepped through, and found that as he entered the hedge in front of it, there was a cleverly disguised path through. You'd never see it unless you knew it was here. He turned back to see Eva fitting the bars back into place and turning to him.

"I found this place as a child, even my father didn't know about it." Tensely, she turned to the view in front of them. "The cellar doors are just behind those bushes there." She gestured to a small crop of plants at the side of the house. "There are guards patrolling, three of them. They stay mainly by the doors, but they added the third to the other side of the house, where I broke the window. Look, there's one coming past now."

They stayed silent as the hired muscle with the flashlight slowly patrolled the side of the building. As soon as he had turned the corner and was out of sight, Eva whispered "Now."

Silently, staying low, they made their way to the shrubbery. Getting behind it, they stayed perfectly still as another guard passed the side of the house, his flashlight cutting through the grey drizzle. After he passed, they stayed completely still and silent for a second. Then Eva began to quietly pull away patches of moss until two old, wooden cellar doors were revealed.

They froze as the third guard passed the house, then quickly swung the door in the ground open. Eva sighed at the silence, thanking their lucky stars for silent hinges. Stepping onto the first stair, she made her way down into the cellar as Tintin followed, quickly swinging the door shut.

For a few moments, they were perfectly still. Suddenly, Eva saw movement behind Tintin. Opening her mouth to warn him, her warning quickly turned into an unheard scream as he was hit over the head, and her mouth was covered by a large hand.