Chapter Three
Penelope calmly left The Savoy and allowed the doorman to hail a cab for her. She tipped him and smiled her thanks as she entered the car. The ride to her former home took half an hour but the cabbie thanked her for the generous tip and said he would wait until she entered the house. She told him her governess had a cottage in the back and she waved him off. She quickly ran to the back of the house. She peeked to make sure the cab left then quickly ran around the large house. Of course, there was no governess, just a caretaker now that the house was empty. He was hired and all of the former staff was let go with three months pay. She hurried to the back steps and lay on her stomach. The basement window was her secret way into the house when she was younger and not allowed outside without supervision.
She slowly lifted the window and slipped inside. She secured the window by turning the four nails in each corner to lock it in place. Now no one outside could move the window. She slowly walked through the house. All of the furniture was still in place. When she reached the kitchen, the refrigerator was empty but there were canned goods in the pantry along with drinks. The light came on in the fridge so the electricity was still turned on. She didn't turn on a light however. It didn't matter, she knew her way around the house.
She walked through every single room. Her grandfather's study was still filled with books. She went to his hiding spot next to the fireplace and took out the keys he hid there. She opened the safe, lots of papers were in there along with cash. She helped herself to a number of bills, after all it was probably hers now anyway. She opened closets and wardrobes and examined the contents. She went into her old bedroom. There were a few outfits still in the closet and drawers. She removed several outfits so she wouldn't have to wear her school uniform as often. Finally, she entered her mother's room. The lump in her throat grew making it difficult to swallow.
She missed her mother. She touched the panels in the corner of the room and a sliding door moved. She went inside. Her grandfather showed her every secret the house held. About two hundred years ago, this room was a nursery and the nurse slept in this room next door. It was closed off when it was no longer needed and over the years it was forgotten. Penelope walked back and forth bringing clothing, books, and drinks into the hidden room. She would have to find some kind of food to eat. She figured she would need to stay hidden at least a week.
An idea popped into her head and she ran back downstairs to the basement. In the small room next to the wine cellar was the canning room. Pears, peaches, apples, jams, jellies, chutney, pickled cauliflower, lots of food that would last a long time. She made several trips taking only the items she thought she liked and then moving the jars so it didn't appear as though anything was missing. She also took a few empty jars in case she needed the facilities and it wasn't possible to leave the hidden room.
She took several blankets and pillows to the room as well as a torch and a lantern. The room had no windows and when the door was closed, no light showed through a crack or underneath the door. Then because she was always a practical person, she took a shower and washed her hair and dressed in clean clothes. She felt guilty for wiping the shower dry with a guest towel and then the sink after she brushed her teeth. She filled a couple of jars with water from the sink, in case she needed to brush her teeth and then making sure she had entered every room, she went inside the hidden room and took a deep breath.
While reading one of JB Fletcher's books she made notes of some of the plans the protagonists laid and why they failed. Since Mr. Sutherland would make sure Mrs. Fletcher didn't help her, she had to get help by other means. She just knew the lady wanted to assist her but Scotland Yard probably wouldn't allow it. So she had to use one of her alternate plans. After all, JB Fletcher wrote you should always have a plan A, B, and C whenever possible. Penelope knew that if she couldn't get anyone to help her, then she should hide. Reporters would get wind of it and do the investigating for her. Grandfather always told her that most people had no scruples and money made it easy to supply a ready source of leaks to the public. Some reporters would probably buy information. A copy of her birth certificate would list both of her parents' names and it wasn't illegal to mention her father, it might even be something scandalous that got him imprisoned.
Mrs. Fletcher also mentioned that when they use hound dogs to search for fugitives, they were invariably caught due to poor planning. So Penelope solved that problem by running around the entire house and walking into each room inside. The dogs would have no clue if she was inside the house. They would smell her everywhere. She was pleased that she had a logical mind but it didn't mean she wasn't lonely.
Ethan Landsford has always been an exemplary solicitor, like his father, grandfather, and great grandfather before him. He married and was now widowed seven years. He had no children but he had a nephew that stood to inherit. His nephew was continuing the family legacy and was working as a solicitor in the firm. He took on the legal guardianship of Penelope Henley as was his due. He followed her grandfather's wishes completely. Because the child's mother died before the grandfather, it was the grandfather's wishes that were validated, not that her mother contradicted any of Lord Henley's wishes.
One of the law clerks, who was fired almost immediately, had received a letter yesterday evening and instead of having it delivered to his home, he elected to wait until morning. His habit of arriving at the office at 7 AM to review files was just a chance that he saw the letter sitting on his desk. He immediately had Scotland Yard on the phone and got the ball rolling in locating his ward. His housekeeper had the evening off and he had been assured a meal would be provided and she could manage herself for approximately one hour. Now no one knew how long she was missing. No one had seen her since just after one in the afternoon yesterday. She had not slept in her bed.
Jessica was worried about Penelope. Had she run into trouble? She and George arrived at New Scotland Yard and were ushered into a meeting with the Commissioner as well as other high ranking officials. The arrival of Jessica and George caused a stir and they were immediately questioned although it was more of an interrogation until Jessica clapped back at questions being barked at her. She and George had been separated and she disliked being treated as an enemy. There was pushback until she requested the American Embassy be notified. She hoped George wasn't faring too badly.
"Mrs. Fletcher, a young girl is missing, possibly kidnapped, your cooperation will be greatly appreciated," stated the Commissioner.
"Of course," agreed Jessica. "She wanted to engage my services in finding out information on her father. We didn't get anything accomplished because she and I were both informed, by George, er Mr. Sutherland, that she was a minor and we couldn't do anything without permission from her guardian."
The chill in the air was dispelled and questions were now asked politely. Jessica didn't think she was under suspicion any longer, at least not to any large degree. George had sent notice to the law office because they didn't know who Penelope's legal guardian was. The child had been careful about not mentioning that tidbit. A report had also been filed by the constable that picked up the letter and delivered it so there was a paper trail of compliance with the law by George.
"We weren't together very long but she is an intelligent child and obviously had prepared for weeks. She is a fan of my books and in one specific novel I mentioned always having back up plans. I believe this is one of her plans." Jessica looked around the room. Despite the aggressive beginning now everyone was prepared to pay attention. A child's life was at stake, surely. "She must have decided if I wouldn't do it then someone else would have to do the research. Who better than the media? She's more than likely hiding and where would she hide?"
This brought about a lot of chatter. While they must assume she may have been kidnapped, she could also be a runaway. Eleven, nearly twelve, was a difficult age. The death of her parent and grandparents were also a huge impact on her young life. Jessica was allowed to stay as a child psychologist was called in as well as the headmaster of The Wentworth School for Girls. They were trying to locate her teachers as well. Her roommate Sarah Cartwright was brought in by her parents to offer insight and information hopefully.
Sandwiches were brought in with tea and sodas as the day wore on. The media was having a field day and it didn't take long until information on Penny's father was revealed. Herbert Benedict was put in prison at the age of twenty for embezzling funds from his employer. Apparently it was to impress Lady Eliza Henley, Penelope's mother. He was killed in prison two years later during a riot between separate gang factions. Lady Eliza was innocent of any wrongdoing as she didn't know about the source of Herbert's wealth. The marriage was annulled due to fraudulent misrepresentation.
Jessica's heart went out to Penelope. What must the child be feeling? Was she even aware about her father's demise? Would she return?
Penelope woke up early. The blankets didn't have enough padding and the floor was hard. She would have to make up a better bed for herself. She figured the house would be searched today but wasn't sure when so she hurried to the bathroom to relieve herself and brush her teeth. She wiped the sink dry again. The dirty linens in her room would start to stink if they stayed in the basket in her hidden room too long so she spread them out to dry. The clock said it was almost six o'clock. She quickly walked through the house again making sure her scent was everywhere. She didn't want it to be stronger in the bathroom or her mother's bedroom. She grabbed a few more blankets to provide more padding for her bed.
She made sure her radio had batteries and her earpiece worked. She ate a pickle and some sliced peaches for breakfast before opening one of her books and reading. Her backpack was in the room with her and it included her fictitious stock portfolio so she worked on that as well. At ten o'clock she thought she heard a noise but wasn't certain. She immediately stayed still and listened. The room wasn't soundproofed so silence was mandatory. She finally heard muffled footsteps and knew someone was in the house. It must be the caretaker because the police were noisy according to her grandfather.
She stayed still so long she eventually fell asleep. She woke up feeling refreshed as the additional padding allowed her to get some rest. She looked at her watch. It was nearly two PM. Turning on her radio with the earpiece already connected she listened to a news station. Her name was mentioned constantly. As expected, she was being searched for and unnamed sources were credited for a lot of information. Details were sketchy but it was mentioned that she was a product of the union between her mother and Herbert Benedict.
The sound of barking dogs reached her ears. She couldn't tell how many there were but it sounded as though there were four or five of them. She imagined them running around in circles and had to cover her mouth so she wouldn't make a sound. She was hungry but didn't dare eat in case the smell was detected. She picked up a book and started reading again. She had done it for years when her grandparents didn't want any noise while they read the newspaper and fashion magazines respectively.
It was late at night when Penelope deemed it safe to eat. She hadn't heard the dogs in hours and was no longer hearing voices or footsteps. It had been over two hours since she heard the creak from the front door closing. She quickly ate and silently opened the door and crept to a window in her mother's room. It overlooked the front and she looked out by peeking from the bottom corner of the window. There were no vehicles in the courtyard. She tiptoed from the room and walked through the dark house. She didn't notice many differences but doors that were previously closed were now opened. She found a trash can in the kitchen with food wrappers and had an idea. She hurried back upstairs and got the trash from the hidden room and placed it beneath the food wrappers. She saw an opened packet of biscuits on the counter and took them.
It was creepy being in the bathroom in the dark but she needed to wash and make use of the loo so she hurriedly took care of cleaning up. She had thought hiding out was a good idea but now she was lonely and the memories of her home were weighing down on her. She missed her mother, grandfather, and even her grandmother. She walked around the house, touching things and decided she needed to hear the news so she returned to the hidden room.
Jessica and George entered her hotel room exhausted. There was a coordinated active search for Penelope but no one had even a hint of where she could be. The possibility of a kidnapping became unlikely with each passing hour. Kidnappers would have made demands by now. Every student at her school was contacted by staff members with an officer listening in.
The bloodhounds had been a disappointment. They were taken to the school and her scent was found in the obvious and expected places. Then they were brought to the law office where again her scent was found in the expected places and not found in unexpected places. They were then taken to The Savoy where her scent was in the meeting room, near the front desk, near the administrative offices, and outside by the front doors and she had come or left from the east for at least blocks before the dogs stopped, no longer able to identify her scent.
Security cameras at the hotel spotted her leaving in a cab but Jessica mentioned the letter wasn't mailed so Penelope more than likely hand delivered it. So the security tapes were searched again and Penelope was spotted at the front desk and when she left, she turned and walked away. The clerk who handled the letter was identified and interviewed as well. Jessica couldn't help but be amazed at the subterfuge Penelope employed. She lied, was deceitful, anything to further her agenda.
What was worse, when the hounds went to Parsley House (The home of the Henley family for generations) her scent was everywhere. When Jessica revealed one of her books detailing bloodhounds searching for a fugitive, it was determined the child had obviously read the book because her scent was in every single room and encircled the house outside. A search of the house began but she was no longer there. The house was huge so it took hours to search each room, even the basement and the attics. The caretaker hadn't seen anyone at all in the months he had been employed.
The media was having a field day. Ethan Landsford, her guardian, released a few details to the media in the hopes that Penelope would hear them and, having no reason to keep hiding, would return.