Storm of Bells

36. Career Moves

The metal door at the back of the portrait swung open, revealing a slim compartment. The compartment was filled to the brim with tightly-typed documents, sealed envelopes and strange objects I wasn't even able to identify.

'Well, well...' I whistled. 'Look what we've found here.'

Karim eyes narrowed. 'What exactly have we found here?'

'No idea.' Reaching up, I grabbed handful after handful of the safe's contents and started stuffing them into my pockets. 'But if Dalgliesh thinks it's worth hiding, I know it's worth taking!'

'A philosophy I can most heartily agree with, Sahiba.'

Reaching out, he, too, started helping himself to the interior of the safe. Soon, both our pockets were stuffed full to the brim, and the safe was as empty as the bank account of one of Mr Ambrose's debtors. I had just pulled the last envelope full of documents out of the safe when, from somewhere in the distance, I heard a dull gong.

Whirling around, I stared at the door. 'Darn! What time is it?'

'What time?' Karim stared at me as if I'd lost my mind—or at least leased it out temporarily. 'Sahiba?'

'What time! Tell me!'

Slipping his hand into his pocket, Karim pulled out a simple pewter pocket watch. 'It's just about noon, why?'

'Bloody hell!' I smacked my forehead. 'That means it's time for lunch!'

Karim's bushy eyebrows drew together. 'So what? All the servants will be gathered in the servant's dining hall, cut off from the rest of the house. It'll make it all the easier for us to slip outside.'

'Perhaps I didn't make myself clear enough,' I said, taking a deep breath and pointing a finger at the prone form of the cook on the floor, still wrapped in the curtain. 'It's time for lunch.'

Karim's eyes widened. 'Oh.'

'Oh is right! I have a suspicion his absence in the kitchen will be noticed rather promptly.' Dashing over to the door, I pushed it open just a crack and peeked out into the corridor—only to slam it shut again instantly. 'Damn! The whole place is already swarming with servants! What are we going to do?'

'Sometimes, Sahiba, the most direct route is the best.'

Before I could even ask what the heck he meant, Karim leapt over to the window, grabbed a pillow from an armchair to wrap his hand in, and punched. With a crack, the glass splintered outward. A few well-placed shoves, and the remnants of the pane fell onto the ground outside.

'Are you crazy?' I hissed. 'If they heard—'

'Then we'd better move quickly, hadn't we?'

Grumbling, I marched towards the window and swung my leg over the sill. It was just about a yard to the ground, and no one was visible outside, but it was a long way to the woods—open country, where anyone glancing out of the windows could catch sight of us. The stables on the other hand...

My eyes drifted to the stable doors, judging the distance.

'Come!' Gesturing to Karim, I slid along the house wall, ducking out of sight under the windows whenever there was a break in the wall. Karim was close on my heels.

'Where are you going?' Karim demanded.

'To the stables,' I informed him. 'Now listen. Here's what we're going to do...'

I explained, quickly and succinctly. Two minutes later when we entered the stables, I was limping, supporting myself with one arm around Karim's shoulders. One of the stable lads, just in the process of rubbing down a magnificent black stallion, turned towards us at the noise, and his eyes went wide.