Chapter 3: Arrival at Ellison House

The sheriff's car drove slowly down the gravel road for a third of a mile. Jake noted they headed west while checking over his shoulder to see the deputy's vehicle still following them. Meanwhile, on the passenger side of the backseat, Phinn observed Ellison House and its surrounding buildings come into view as they rounded a slight curve to reveal the estate behind the forest.

Shortly before reaching the main home, a second gravel driveway split off to the right in a northwestern direction to lead to a barn. Continuing straight west, the teens could see two buildings. The first they reached faced south. This was a three-car garage with red siding, white trim, and white doors. If one continued to where the gravel turned into a cement circular drive, they’d wrap around a center fountain before coming to a rest in front of the main house.

A rectangular two-story home, it was built of red and dark brown brick. Similar to the garage, the trim and doors were white, as were each pair of window shutters. Surveying the property, Phinn saw a large greenhouse southwest of the home. Directly south appeared to be a small shed, and a large pond sat to the southeast.

A long, veranda-style porch ran around the front of the house, appearing to wrap around to the southern side. Jake nudged Phinn as they approached, noticing several people stepping out of the main double doors. Based on Leighton's description, both teens assumed Yvonne Ellison was the tall, strawberry blonde with her arm around a frazzled Paisley. Each junior sleuth appraised the mistress of Ellison House in their differing ways.

Phinn noted the caring way she treated her often selfish and uppity niece. Aunt Yvonne also appeared to take charge of the others, motioning for them to stay on the porch while she and Paisley descended the five steps to reach the ground. On the other hand, Jake admired the thirty-four-year-old’s appearance. If anything, he thought she looked no older than her late twenties. Free of any financial concerns, Yvonne carried herself in a cheery, happy-go-lucky manner. She also had bright blue eyes that he noticed while exiting the sheriff’s car, neck-length hair, large breasts, and an hourglass figure that Jake would wager had a curvy ass underneath her sleeveless floral sundress.

“Aunt Vonnie!” Leighton cried, leaping out of the front passenger seat and into the arms of her beloved relative.

"Jumping Jehoshaphat! You brought nearly half of the sheriff's department," Yvonne exclaimed.

“It was horrible; just horrible,” Leighton sobbed, clinging to her aunt and cousin.

“Now, now, it’s merely a misunderstanding,” the older woman reassured. “Troy can explain everything.”

“I believe you're correct on one of those points, Ms. Ellison. I did bring half the department as I left several deputies with the body,” Sheriff Wheeler revealed.

In his mid-fifties, with thinning, receding grayish brown hair and a growing potbelly, the county sheriff had been everything Phinn expected. After arriving on the trail and appearing slightly winded from the long walk, Sheriff Wheeler had spent most of his time muttering about the corpse around his mouthful of chewing tobacco. Every time an occasional wad of spit shot from his mouth, Phinn and Jake cringed at the crime scene contamination.

“Heavens to Betsy! Did you say a…a body?” Yvonne gulped the last word.

“I’m afraid so, ma’am. Your niece and these two young men stumbled upon the deceased roughly a mile down one of the hiking trails on the edge of Frank Noonan’s property,” Sheriff Wheeler revealed.

“I didn’t kill no one!” a man in his late twenties proclaimed from the veranda.

“Anyone,” Phinn corrected under his breath.

A medium-height, athletic man with good looks and sandy blond hair, Jake felt pretty sure that he was the same man he’d chased after in the woods. A young woman with dirty blonde hair attempted to hold him back, but the sandy blond man jumped several stairs at once to bring himself over to the sheriff.

“Might you be Troy?” Sheriff Wheeler inquired lazily. Yet, the sharpness in his eyes belied his soft words.

“Yeah, I’m Troy Curry, and you’re not pinning a **** on me.”

“Troy!” the dirty blonde gasped from the porch at his surly tone.

“Is that so?”

“I never even caught the guy! Lost him in the woods,” Troy told the law officer as the deputy finally joined the assembled group.

“Well, I’m mighty curious about you chasing him with an ax,” Sheriff Wheeler said before turning away to spit more tobacco juice on the gravel. “How about you start there?”

After a nod, Troy started his recounting. “I was off past the shed, near the treeline, chopping firewood.”

Nearly everyone turned to look at the far-off shed directly south of their location.

“Firewood?! On a day like this?” Jake challenged, unable to hold his tongue at the absurdity.

“Who the hell are you?” Troy shouted, flashing a quick trigger temper.

“Kid’s got a point,” Sheriff Wheeler noted, his shirt sticky from the hot, humid air.

“I’m a guest here and wanted to chip in anyway I can,” Troy explained. “I gotta earn my keep.”

“Goodness!” Yvonne gasped. “You don’t need to earn anything, Troy. You’re not a guest but an honorary member of our fellowship.”

“My girlfriend is a member, I’m not,” Troy responded.

Sheriff Wheeler didn’t seem startled at all by the mention of a fellowship, but Jake and Phineas reacted. The latter shot a glare over at Leighton for failing to mention the odd detail.

“Look, chopping firewood is a great stress reliever too,” Troy added.

“Hmm, you’re feeling stressed?” Sheriff Wheeler prodded. “Did something happen recently around here? Say, a few days ago?”

“Around here? No. We’ve been gone for the last week, and only returned on Sunday,” Troy replied.

Before the sheriff could ask, the dirty blonde supplied the information. “He had an audition in California.”

“Yeah, it didn’t go well,” Troy grumbled.

Wheeler nodded while keeping his thoughts to himself. Instead, he asked the quick-tempered man again why he had chased someone with an ax.

“I was chopping wood and thought I heard some rustling in the woods a few times. I didn’t think much of it. Those woods are always filled with sounds. But then, I got that feeling. You know, the one where it feels like you’re being watched. That’s what I felt, and it grew,” Troy recounted. “So, I shifted my stance to peek over toward the sound every so often. Eventually, I saw the bastard.”

“The bastard?” Sheriff Wheeler prodded.

“Damn paparazzi!” Troy shouted, unleashing his fury. “They always fucking show up to ruin our privacy just for a few damn pictures.”

“You saw a photographer taking your picture? You saw the camera?”

“No, I didn’t see the camera, but I know. Those vultures only want a damn picture! I hate those fuckers!”

“Hate ‘em enough to hurt ‘em?” Sheriff Wheeler queried. “Is that why you chased him?”

“What? No! I wanted to run him off. That’s it,” Troy insisted.

“An ax is a mighty fine tool for scaring folk.”

“Huh? No, no, it wasn’t like that,” Troy replied. “I didn’t realize I was still holding it until after I started running. At that point, I wasn’t going to drop it in the woods and lose it.”

“Did you catch your photographer? Perhaps teach him a lesson?”

“No! I didn’t find him or hurt anyone,” Troy insisted.

"We'll see. My men and several locals will search the area. For your sake, I hope we don't find your cameraman," Sheriff Wheeler warned. Then, he gestured toward his deputy. "In the meantime, Deputy Allen will take you down to headquarters for additional questions. We're going to need proof of your alibi for the last week."

“Are you serious?!”

“Sure am.”

“Don’t worry, honey. I’ll call Marty. He’ll find a lawyer. Don’t say a word until he arrives,” the dirty blonde ordered, rushing down to hug and kiss her boyfriend.

“I don’t need your manager’s help, Adora. I can handle this,” Troy insisted.

At this point, Jake would usually offer advice about always lawyering up. Ingrained into his brain by his criminal defense attorney mother, Jake would never forget rule number one for dealing with police questioning. Of course, he often ignored the rule during their cases so that their parents didn't know the full extent of their actions.

So when his partner didn’t speak up, Phinn glanced over his shoulder at him. Instead, Jake stood stunned while staring at Adora, Troy’s girlfriend. Following his best friend’s gaze, Phinn quickly scanned her. A dirty blonde with a shoulder-length cut, Adora had light brown eyes and large breasts. Clocking in at barely five feet tall, her short stature made her large beasts seem even more prominent and out of place on her frame. And with her wearing a tight tank top and minuscule jean shorts, Adora’s compact curves were on full display. A flicker of recognition hit Phinn over her name and appearance. Evidently, Jake also recognized her based on the jittery energy emitting from him.

“I’ll follow you,” Adora said as Deputy Allen escorted Troy to his vehicle.

“Marie can accompany you,” Yvonne informed the dirty blonde.

“No, I just need directions.”

“For Pete’s sake, your aura is off-balance. You shouldn’t drive,” Yvonne argued.

“I can drive her,” a slim young woman with caramel skin offered. “I can use the distraction.”

“Thanks,” Adora acknowledged.

"You're a doll, Hazel," Yvonne told the other woman before hugging her and Adora. Only Sheriff Wheeler, clearing his throat, caused the women to break apart.

“Ms. Ellison, I will eventually need to question all your guests. Perhaps one of them knew the deceased, saw, or heard something.”

“Did you find any identification, Sheriff?” Phinn interrupted, causing Yvonne to flinch as she’d apparently forgotten about him.

“No, we didn’t find a wallet. He was likely killed for it.”

“Killed?!” Yvonne squealed before dropping to a whisper. “Kitty whiskers.”

"Now, it's probably a vagrant passing through Lumlow, Ms. Ellison. So I wouldn't be too alarmed, as the man was killed several days ago," the sheriff assured. "However, it would be wise to lock all your doors for the next few days."

Phinn rolled his eyes at the correctly predicted theory.

“Lock my doors? Goodness gracious,” the strawberry blonde fretted. Around Lumlow, such a thing was unheard of.

“You haven’t seen any strangers recently? Maybe you gave someone food and water, as you’re known to do,” Sheriff Wheeler speculated, receiving a vigorous headshake in return. “Perhaps one of your guests saw something odd.”

“I haven’t heard anything,” Yvonne admitted. Next, in a hushed tone, she asked, “How did this man…how did he pass?”

“It appears to be a stabbing.”

“Oh, dear, oh, my.”

“Your niece’s friend tripped over the deceased while following your other guest and the possible photographer. They’ve been helpful, and I hope the rest of your guests will be as well. So as I mentioned, I will need to speak to them,” the sheriff reminded.

“Now? Most of them are away at the moment. Karter and Benji went for a hike. Jean-Paul, Selene, and Catherine are off on a session, and Portia is sleeping,” the estate heiress listed.

"That's fine. I have several other duties that need my attention first. Please make sure that no one leaves for now. I'll return tonight or early tomorrow," Sheriff Wheeler said before departing.

Phinn shook his head at the sheriff’s lackadaisical investigation. He should question the people here and wait for the others to return. Not go off and allow them to discuss the case amongst themselves. That taints their memories or provides time to get their stories straight. Well, I guess it’s up to us, as I expected.

“My goodness…my goodness,” Yvonne muttered before turning to hug Leighton again.

“It was awful, Vonnie. He’d been lying there for days. The body…he’d started to…you know,” the redhead said, causing Paisley to blanch at the image.

“Could it have been an accident?” the older woman asked. In her sheltered world, she couldn’t imagine someone being killed on purpose.

“They don’t think so,” Leighton responded, gesturing at Jake and Phinn. “The number of wounds has them thinking it might be mur—”

“Hello, Ms. Ellison. I’m sorry we had to meet this way,” Phineas greeted, stepping forward. He wanted to stop Leighton from mentioning their **** theory. While nudging the awestruck Jake, Phinn slid over toward Leighton for an opportunity to whisper into her ear.

“Oh, right,” Jake mumbled, shaking his head clear. “Hello!”

“My word! Where are my manners? Please, come inside,” Yvonne directed, turning to face a young woman with light brown hair and medium-sized breasts. “Marie, please bring a pitcher of iced lemonade to the sitting room for these young men.”

“Of course, they need a sweet drink after their ordeal,” Marie agreed before addressing the two investigators. “A cold drink will help your shock.”

“Yes, lemonade will soothe away most problems.” Yvonne agreed, speaking more to herself.

“Um, maybe we should get our bags from the car first,” Jake suggested. A moment later, his jaw dropped wide open as the screen door opened.

“What’s all the ruckus?” a college-aged young woman questioned.

The possible coed had slightly wavy, dark brown hair that reached the middle of her back, baby-blue eyes, and large breasts. Her bosom sat almost clear as the day in the gossamer-thin negligee she wore. Only strategically placed locations on the light blue satin material obscured her nipples, while a matching pair of sleep shorts provided more cover down below.

“Dear me!” Yvonne gasped. “I’m sooo sorry, Portia. I guess Troy can wake up a cricket without trying. Let's head into the sitting room to get you up to date.”

“And maybe put on more clothes,” Leighton muttered, gesturing for Paisley to get her car keys.

---

“It’s a sauna in here,” Jake complained, entering a short hallway for a batch of windowless rooms in the rear center of the first floor.

“No, windows?” Phinn noted, checking the four dorm-sized bedrooms.

“Sorry. Every room except the master suite is occupied or being used as an office or storage room,” Leighton apologized. “It’s this or the basement. And you don’t want to meet the bugs or critters who visit down there.”

“Doesn’t this house have air conditioning?” Jake asked, wiping his sweaty forehead.

“It’s too old for central air. We do have portable units for when it gets really hot.”

“Today isn’t one of those days?” Phinn challenged.

“Not quite. We mostly cool off from the breeze through the oversized windows,” the redhead admitted, shrugging her shoulders. “Now you see why most of my family doesn’t want this place.”

“Oh, gawd!” Jake groaned, fleeing the room he’d selected for himself. He immediately waved a piece of paper in front of his face.

“This trip is looking worse and worse,” Phinn remarked.

“Look, we have some extra portable units in the master suite. I think at least one of them doesn’t need a window to vent hot air. I’ll grab it for you in here,” Leighton reassured. “Plus, I’ll round up a couple of fans.”

“What are these rooms? Prison cells?” Jake challenged.

"The old servant quarters, I believe," Phinn guessed, getting confirmation from the redhead.

“Does Marie sleep in one of these rooms?” Jake inquired.

“Oh, no! Marie’s bedroom is upstairs near my aunt’s,” Leighton chuckled. “Okay, you can hold off on unpacking for now. Aunt Vonnie should have those refreshments ready.”

“Great! I’m dying,” Jake admitted with sagging shoulders.

“Hold up. We’d like to unpack a few items first,” Phinn said. “We’ll meet you in a few minutes, but remember what I said.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t tell anyone you suspect that guy was murdered. Or that you’re detectives. I understand,” Leighton assured before leaving the servants’ quarters.

“I don’t need to unpack anything that badly,” Jake informed his partner.

“Nor do I. But I wanted a moment to discuss what happened and our approach going–”

“I know! That’s Adora fucking Rose!” Jake exclaimed. “Holy shit!”

“This reaction is another reason–”

“You recognized her, right? You had to have!”

“Yes, I recognized–”

“Shit, she looks fucking fabulous still,” Jake praised. “She’s got to be twenty-five or twenty-six by now. Damn, that means Power Prep ended like five years ago. Too bad Planet Virago turned out to be a box-office disaster. It should’ve been a trilogy.”

“Yes, I recall,” Phinn noted about the dream girl for many teenagers when she played Dream Lass on the television show about a superhero school.

“Fuck, I think I last recall her in Carnal Cabin about two years ago,” Jake said, straining to remember. “The guys are going to be so jealous.”

“She also appears to have a boyfriend with a quick temper. So watch it,” Phinn warned. “I don’t need to rescue you when he gets jealous enough to chase you down with an ax.”

“Oh, shit, right,” Jake acknowledged, frowning.

“Leighton did mention that some of her aunt’s guests worked in entertainment,” Phinn reminded. “Troy is supposedly a small-time actor struggling to get bit roles. Did Hazel look familiar?”

“You know, I wondered about her. She seemed familiar, but not her name,” Jake admitted. “And that other hottie with the bombs, I’d know in a heartbeat if she acted.”

“That’s Portia Savoy, the socialite,” Phinn supplied. “She’s possibly the wealthiest person here.”

“That’s right. Sorry, Adora’s presence threw me,” Jake admitted. “So what does this all mean?”

"I'm now quite curious as to the identities of the other guests. We know Karter Terstad is one of them. A collection of famous and/or wealthy individuals is intriguing. It's also a fertile hunting ground for a con artist, if that's Jean-Paul Flamand's true nature."

“Makes sense. A lot of actors seek self-help gurus or spiritual advisors to help or guide their careers,” Jake responded. “What about the body I found? It would be an amazing coincidence.”

“And we never assume they exist,” Phinn stated.

“Not when the body appears around a mile away in a remote area known best to locals,” Jake surmised.

“If we are investigating a grifter, he may have accomplices. A falling out among thieves is always likely.”

“I’d say more like probable,” Jake remarked. “What are you thinking about our approach?”

“First, we need to meet and evaluate the guests. I’d like to make our own observations before conferring with Leighton…and I guess Paisley,” Phinn admitted, despite his desire to avoid the ice queen. “Second, I want to learn the lay of the land. Leighton should be able to assist us in learning the network of trails. Considering how far Troy must have been ahead of you, I find it interesting that he appears to have returned well before we arrived.”

“I wondered about that, too.”

"Third, I want to meet the nearby locals. This could help discern whether or not the man Troy chased worked as a paparazzo."

“Dude, if Adora Rose is here, that had to be the paparazzi,” Jake proclaimed.

“Adora isn’t the It Girl like she once was. It’s possible Troy assumed the wrong thing, or if he was right, they could be here for someone else,” Phinn speculated.

“Someone else? Could it be a major star?” Jake questioned after a long whistle.

"We'll see, but we'd better get back," Phinn said, checking the time. "However, I'm curious about two things. Yvonne Ellison's reference to a fellowship and–"

“And the mention of a session, right?” Jake asked.

“Right. Leighton will also have to answer for omitting some vital details.”

Exiting their sauna-like rooms, the two teens took a right down a side hallway, then another right into a central hallway that ran the length of the ground floor. Despite wishing to explore the grand home, they retraced their route back to the foyer. While passing through it, Jake and Phinn heard a familiar raised voice.

“No, I’m returning to Edgewater,” Paisley announced.

“Please, dear, you mustn’t.”

“Aunt Vonnie is right. Stick to your original plan to go back tomorrow,” Leighton argued.

“Yes, yes, the emotional distress you experienced is radiating negative energy from your being. You mustn’t travel in this state of mind,” Yvonne insisted.

“Actually, you can’t leave,” Phinn stated, entering the large sitting room.

“You don’t tell me what to do,” the ice queen shot back.

“No, but Sheriff Wheeler said that no one should leave until he returns tonight or in the morning,” Phinn reminded truthfully, although he enjoyed screwing up Paisley’s plan.

“He’s got you there,” Leighton pointed out.

“Ugh!” the pale blonde screamed before throwing herself onto a sofa.

Jake took the lead by selecting a two-person love seat. Phinn approved his partner’s choice as it sat in a corner of the grand room, allowing for a complete survey of everyone else. However, to Jake’s utter dismay, Portia had thrown on a flimsy robe that covered her more.

“Excellent timing!” Yvonne rejoiced as Marie entered with a second pitcher of iced lemonade for the boys.

The maid/housekeeper poured two tall glasses before refusing Yvonne’s request to join them. Marie wanted to start the prep work for tonight’s dinner. However, she stopped in the doorway to ask if either of the teens had any food allergies. Once satisfied that they didn’t, she disappeared.

The mention of allergies suddenly made Jake mindful of his twitchy nose.

“My goodness! I keep forgetting my manners,” Yvonne apologized again. Then she began to introduce herself when a pair of French doors leading to the southern veranda opened.

Two perspiring men entered the sitting room and paused upon seeing the group gathered. The eyes of the younger-looking of the two immediately flickered over toward Portia before dropping to the floor. He had a boyish face, reddish brown hair, brown eyes, and a slightly overweight body.

The somewhat older man with jet black hair and cold, dark brown eyes was known to the high school sleuths as a twenty-five-year-old tech developer. Karter Terstad's life story had been splashed across newspaper headlines, magazine profiles, and television exposés. A gifted whiz kid, he'd created a phone application that caused a minor shock in the industry when he just entered high school. However, his life had been filled with scandals, lawsuits, and product failures since that early success.

Those cold, dark eyes glared at Jake and Phinn.

“Who are these outsiders?” Karter demanded tersely.

“Friends of my nieces,” Yvonne announced cheerfully, as if she hadn’t heard the rudeness in the question.

Paisley snorted at the answer.

“Not that it’s any of your business, Terstad,” Leighton stated brusquely.

“Butterflies! One must be mindful of negative thoughts,” Yvonne reprimanded her niece mildly. “Perhaps, you should speak to Jean-Paul about dispelling your–”

‘’Not happening, Aunt Vonnie,” Leighton declared with Paisley nodding in agreement.

“Hi, I’m Jake Magnum,” the football player announced, standing up to offer his hand to the approaching Karter Terstad. However, the tech developer bypassed the teen without any reaction.

“Hi, I’m Benjamin Biddle!” the reddish brown-haired young man introduced himself while accepting Jake’s hand.

“Holy crap! You’re Albie!” Jake exclaimed, shaking Benji’s hand firmly.

“Um, yes, I played that character,” Benji admitted sheepishly.

“Don’t embarrass him, Jake,” Phinn ordered, offering a wave rather than a handshake. The new arrival smiled in appreciation at his words and hand wave.

“What? Oh, um, right,” Jake sputtered, suddenly recalling that the child star of Age of Albie had been open about his struggles with fame as a kid and failures as an adult.

While Jake felt poorly for possibly upsetting Benji, Phinn remarked in his head over the rather eclectic mix of former successes turned has-beens that either Yvonne or Jean-Paul had assembled.

“Now, I think you know proper manners, Leigh,” Yvonne prodded.

“Right. Sorry. Everyone, this is Jake Magnum and Phineas Farris,” the redhead introduced. “I met them years ago at Camp Little Weasel.

“Great Balls of Fire! These are two of your old camp friends? How wonderful!” Yvonne clapped before addressing Phinn. “Phineas is a marvelous name.”

“Uh, thank you,” Phinn said, unsure how to respond.

“I sense a kindred soul in you. We must confer.”

Paisley couldn’t hide her smirk and amusement at her aunt’s suggestion. She started to open her mouth to goad the interaction further, but Leighton’s glare and mouthed warning stopped her.

“Please, enlighten us with the ingredients of your being,” Yvonne encouraged.

“She means tell us about yourselves,” Paisley translated.

“Uh, well, I’m a member of my football team at North High School in Edgewater. I play linebacker and tight end,” Jake revealed, holding back his other hobby.

“You’re an iron man? Nice!” Benji applauded with a thumbs-up.

Crap! Phinn swore as everyone’s attention shifted to him.

“I’m not into anything special or drawing much attention like Jake. I’m mostly a nobody.”

“Nonsense! Everyone has their place in the universe,” Yvonne insisted as her rude niece snorted. “Expand your enlightenment. Inform us of what makes you tick.”

“Phinn’s a bookworm,” Leighton supplied, coming to his aid.

“Ah, jolly good! My insight proved true. We are kindred souls,” the strawberry blonde stated.

“Wait, you said Edgewater?” Portia interrupted, causing Jake to sit up straighter. He hadn’t failed to notice her eyes raking over him after the football reveal. “You’re from Edgewater. Are they friends of yours?”

“Hardly!” Paisley exclaimed indignantly.

“We go to different schools,” Jake explained.

“But still know one another,” Phinn added. They needed to establish a connection to justify their invitations to visit. Fortunately, Leighton recognized that need.

"As I mentioned, we all went to camp together," the redhead reiterated. "I might have left out that Jake was my camp boyfriend one summer. It was many years ago."

“Yue Lao’s work is at hand! I’m thrilled for you, Leigh.”

“Who?” Jake questioned in confusion over the name and Leighton’s lie about a past relationship.

“It’s something like the Chinese version of Cupid,” Paisley clarified, shrugging.

“Whoa!” Jake exclaimed, motioning no with his hands.

“Nothing is happening here, Aunt Vonnie,” Leighton insisted. “We’re just old camp friends catching up.”

“So,” Portia began, smirking at Paisley. “Does this mean that you and Phineas are destined soulmates?”

“No!” Phinn bellowed.

“Gawd, no!” Paisley screeched. However, she sensed her aunt’s forthcoming comment. “Phineas is gay.”

“What?!” Jake gasped.

“That’s delightful!” Yvonne cheered. “Your presence in this home brings additional balance. Fortune shines on us during a dark day.”

Phinn groaned as Leighton ordered him, with mouthed words, not to correct Paisley's lie. With resignation at dealing with the charade until they left, Phinn put the potential case and Yvonne's belief of a connection between them first. Still, his scheming mind had already run through potential **** plots against Paisley.

Suddenly, the French doors burst open, revealing a handsome, well-tanned man and two women behind him. Even on a hot, humid day, the stylish man wore a three-piece suit without a sign of sweat. He also wore a cape, which ensured Phinn would hate him.

“I sense a disturbance of great negative energy. Please, tell me what has occurred.”

Jake and Phinn shared a look with Leighton. Jean-Paul Flamand had entered the room.