[67] House of Collections

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"I need an assurance from you that Trudy is unharmed," Jasper spoke up clearly trying to sound more confident than his shaking hands were giving away he actually felt.

The hooded figure glanced to Vera before speaking, "she is safe, for now. Where is the Dollhouse?!"

"it's coming but it takes time, meanwhile I've brought this." With that Jasper opened the bag and brought out Sarah's doll.

"where did you get that?" Vera demanded of the man.

"it belonged to Sarah Frobisher-Smythe," Jasper told the pair, "and it plays a message... listen."

Jasper went to pull the cord but was stopped as The Collector grabbed it from him before throwing it to the ground, "I don't need a doll!" he yelled, before grabbing Jasper by the neck and pushing him back a few steps in anger, "I need a dollhouse!" before he could do anything violent Vera stepped in and pulled The Collector of Jasper.

Jerome went to move forward but his foot stepped on some loose pipes which caused a clattering sound. All three of the adults froze and looked towards the area Jerome was hiding.

"what was that?" Vera asked quietly, "have you brought someone with you?"

"you better not have!" The Collector threatened as Vera adjusted her jacket and marched over to the spot determined to find out the truth herself.

Jerome held his breath as he slowly ducked down further behind a large tire. Watching the light of Vera's torch as it swung past him on numerous occasions with the woman's search.

"Woman we don't have time for this!" The Collector shouted after a few minutes of Vera's searching heeding no results. Thankfully Vera seemed to listen to the man's words and she backed away causing Jerome to sigh and look to the sky to thank whatever god was looking over him that night.

"you have 24 hours," The Collector threatened Jasper, "After that Trudy will pay the price, then your beloved Niece and Nephew." There was a pause before, "24 hours!" was shouted a little further away causing Jerome to believe The Collector was headed back to his car. He looked up from his hiding place to see Vera looking slightly alarmed as she glanced at the shaken Jasper before running after the hooded figure.

Jerome had to get that dollhouse... the twins and Trudy's lives were on the line.

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Fabian came up to the girl's bedroom after breakfast so they could look at the dollhouse once again. To try to understand what it was trying to tell them.

"The figurines are still in the entrance hall I see." Fabian sighed as he looked over the replica of their boarding house as far as clues went this was the vaguest one yet.

"yep, but the riddle doll defiantly isn't..." Nina added with a frustrated groan.

"so it must mean –" Camilla started, looking to Fabian

"-that they are pointing at something else." Fabian finished for her as he looked her way. The pair having had the same brainwave.

"but what?" Amber asked the two as Fabian pulled out his phone to look at the photo of the zodiac once again.

"Osiris," Fabian exclaimed excitedly.

"gesundheit!" Amber told him.

"No!" the boy laughed slightly before pointing to the screen, "it's here on the chart. Remember that old mosaic that was in the hall?"

"it was of Osiris!" Camilla realised, "the love story of Isis and Osiris, commissioned by Robert for his wife."

"oh yeah..." Amber agreed with the pair, "it was a really awful romantic gesture."

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