“No, that was everything. Let me ring for more tea, and I’ll tell you about later in the evening.” Miss Lancaster strode toward the bell pull.
Unlike me, the woman’s grandmother was allowed to give in to temptation and had fallen asleep in her chair. A light snore whistled from her nose, and every once in a while, she mumbled something about the good old days.
I glowered at Derrick. “I know what you’re doing.”
“What am I doing?” He stretched his legs in front of him and folded his arms over his chest.
“Don’t play innocent. You’re dragging me around the kingdom trying to bore me off the case with useless interviews. You don’t attend half of them and then quiz me on my notes afterward. You’re just waiting for me to leave to start doing the real detective work. I’m onto you.”
He shrugged. The nerve! My fingers itched to wipe the bland smile off his face. I’d been subjected to nothing but cool disregard from him for days, and it was beginning to grate on me. After the heated looks in our early encounters, his lack of interest made me want to test his patience, get under his skin, affect him in some way.
“Do you honestly think I’d go to such lengths to make you resign?”
“I do.”
“And is it working?”
“No, and avoiding me won’t help. What are you afraid of, Detective?” My knee brushed the outside of his thigh, and I felt him tense, his bland smile faltering. “Are you worried I may prove useful? That you might enjoy working with me? Maybe you’ll decide to keep me.”
“You’re delusional.” His words were strained.
“And you’re in denial.” I flashed him a smug smile as Miss Lancaster returned to her seat.
“Where was I? Have I told you about my stroll through the garden?”
Clearing the rust from his throat, Derrick turned his attention back to her. “What time would that have been, Miss Lancaster?”
“Early in the evening. I’d say around nine.” She clasped her hands in her lap and blinked coquettishly at Derrick.Oh, for the love of spell books.If boredom didn’t make me want to gouge my eyes out, having to watch another simpering female drool over Derrick would.
I exhaled an irritated breath. “Let’s skip ahead. Did you see Ella? The prince? Anything relevant to the case at all, Miss Lancaster?”
This was insane. Nearly a week in, and I had nothing. I wasn’t any closer to finding Ella’s killer and collecting the reward. I couldn’t very well tell Argus I’d need more time because every witness went starry-eyed in the face of the famed detective. We needed to move this along.
“Actually, I believe I did witness something.”
My back straightened. I hadn’t expected that. Didn’t these people realize they were supposed to lead with the relevant details?
A servant arrived with the tea, and I nearly groaned while waiting for it to be poured. Miss Lancaster took a dainty sip and offered Derrick the plate of biscuits. He declined. My stomach growled, but she’d already set them aside.
“You were saying, Miss Lancaster?”
“Yes, while I was strolling through the gardens, one of my ruby hairpins must have come loose. I went out again later to find it, and that’s when I saw Ella.”
“Did you notice the time?” I asked.
Miss Lancaster reached for a biscuit and chewed thoughtfully. My mouth watered, and I pressed my hand against my stomach as if it would prevent another embarrassing rumble.
“It was shortly before midnight. I remember because of the clock tower in the courtyard. Ella was sitting alone on a bench, and she kept looking up at it. She appeared to be waiting for someone.”
Derrick reached across the table and placed two biscuits on a napkin. He set them down in front of me and returned his attention to the witness.
“Thank you,” I murmured. The pleasing scent of shortbread teased my nose, and I nibbled on the rich, buttery cookie, darting a glance at his profile to catch the brief crook of his lips before he schooled his features.
“Did you see anyone else while you were out there?” he asked.
“No, but I did find my hairpin. I went back inside, and it wasn’t long after that they found her body. Just think.” She shivered. “It could have been me. I’m grateful to you, Detective. I feel safer knowing you’re on the case.”
Oh, jeez.My teeth ground the shortbread into dust.Here we go again.
