“Mrs. Lockwood, sorry for the delay. We came as soon as we could.”
Mrs. Lockwood waved her hand. “Nonsense. We’re happy you could make time. You remember my daughter, Helen?”
A beautiful young woman with elfin features and porcelain skin stepped from behind her mother and performed a perfect curtsy. Her sleek blonde hair curled in lush waves down her shoulders, in stark contrast to her fitted black gown. She smiled demurely at Derrick and blinked heavily fringed green eyes.
“Detective, it’s a pleasure to see you again. Our first meeting was under such horrid circumstances. I hope you’ll forgive my actions.” A blush infused her cheeks. “You were most kind to comfort me the way you did.”
Her sugar-sweet disposition made my teeth ache, and I narrowed a look at Derrick.Comforther? Must be great to be a Detective.
Derrick shook his head. “You’re forgiven, Miss Lockwood. Grief makes people act in ways they don’t expect.”
A sly glint flashed in Helen’s eyes before she cast them downward in a display of modesty. “You’re too kind, Detective.”
I fought and barely won against the urge to roll my eyes and move between them. The flattery followed us wherever we went! I cleared my throat. Derrick pressed his hand against the small of my back, and my irritation melted. At least he hadn’t forgotten I existed completely.
“Ladies, let me introduce you to Tessa Daniels. She’ll be assisting me in the investigation.”
Helen sent me a frosty glare. She wasn’t pleased with the competition. Not that I thought of myself as competition; I just didn’t like the way she was ogling Derrick. This was a murder investigation, not a matchmaking soiree.
“Miss Daniels, welcome to our home. As you can imagine, it’s a difficult time for us. Our poor Ella, we miss her terribly.” Mrs. Lockwood dabbed an embroidered handkerchief under her eyes. “How could something like this happen? She didn’t even want to attend the ball and insisted on staying home.”
“Why do you think she changed her mind?” I asked.
“Who knows? The girl was impulsive, always jumping without looking. Took after her father. I fear that trait made her cross paths with a killer. Are there any leads, Detective?”
“I know how anxious you are for information, but we’re still interviewing guests as well as examining the scene. As soon as we have something concrete to share, we will. I want you both to know that Ella’s case is the agency’s top priority.”
“Thank you, Detective.”
“Since we’re here and Miss Daniels is a late addition to the case, would you mind if we take a walk through Ella’s room? A fresh set of eyes can only help.”
“Of course. We haven’t touched a thing. Please, follow me.” Mrs. Lockwood swept from the sitting room and up a large, curved staircase. I trailed behind, scoffing quietly at the way Helen captured Derrick’s arm to climb the steps. Spare me the sight of an able-bodied woman needing help up a set of stairs.It’s one foot in front of the other, lady. Even a witch can do it. Look! No hands!I glared a hole into Derrick’s back, hoping he could feel it, but when he probed the spot with his fingers and glanced over a shoulder, I dropped my gaze to feign interest in the decorative handrail.
At the top of the steps, Helen stumbled on the edge of the carpet, forcing Derrick to catch her. She murmured a thank-you, clinging to his forearm like a squirrel around a tree branch. Derrick removed her hands, set her away from him, and continued down the hall. Placing a fist on her hip, she huffed and hurried along.
What a piece of work.
They turned left, disappearing from view, and I lingered to let my temper cool. I needed to focus on the investigation and not on watching Helen flirt with Derrick, which only made me want to stick a needle into a doll of her likeness. Realizing I was lagging behind and didn’t know the layout of the house, I hurried around the corner but came to an abrupt stop in the empty hallway. It branched off in multiple directions before a second staircase led to another floor.Blast.Which way to Ella’s room? I listened, hoping to hear their voices, but the house was eerily quiet.
A door creaked. Faster than I could process, something slipped through the gap.
My breath fogged around my lips as a sudden chill gripped the hall. The last time this happened, Ella had appeared. An instinctual pull drew me closer to the door. Derrick would be annoyed if I went off alone, but I had to go where Ella wanted to take me, and it seemed that was this way. I was going to have to investigate a bit on my own.
So much for rule number one.
Chapter 10
The door revealed a dark staircase that led to the servants’ quarters. At the bottom was another hallway. A musty odor infused the air, and water-stained floorboards peeked out from below the edges of a threadbare carpet. As the temperature plunged further, the symbols on my palm started to glow.
Why had Ella led me here? My palm pulsed with heat, luring me to wrap my fingers around the knob of a partly closed door. Heavy eyelids left me feeling like I’d been drugged. When they closed fully, I saw Ella huddled in front of a stone fireplace, packets of letters at her feet. She pored over them, tears coursing down her cheeks, before moving to a thin mattress and sobbing herself to sleep.
The vision faded. I entered the room, and the chill followed me inside. There was the fireplace where Ella had read the letters. A frayed mattress rested on a bed frame in the corner, and a small nightstand had been pushed against the wall. I knelt by the grate, noticing a footprint in a thin layer of soot, and sifted through the charred pile of ash. A few pieces of paper hadn’t burned all the way through, so I pulled them from the ruin, edges crumbling in my hands, but I was able to make out some of the words.
Dear Miss Lockwood,
I regret to inform you that we’ve done all we can to determine the cause of your father’s illness. We recommend that you make him comfortable in his final days.
There were only a few visible sentences on the second letter.
