I studied Ella’s stepmother from my seat near the window. Her red-rimmed eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Helen sat beside her mother’s elbow on the plush sofa, and Derrick remained standing, notebook in hand.
“Do you know anything about the padlock I found in her drawer? Was there a reason she might need it?” I asked.
Olivia wrinkled her brow. “I didn’t realize she had one. This is a safe neighborhood, and we’ve never had any trouble with the staff. I can only assume the lock was already in the room before she started using it.”
Derrick tapped his pen against the page. “After Sir Lockwood’s death, how was the relationship between the three of you?”
“Strained at best. It’s ironic now that I think about it, but I assumed the prince’s ball would bring us together.” Olivia smiled wistfully. “It was something to look forward to after so many months of sickness and mourning. But Ella refused to go.
“Did either of you speak with her at the ball?”
“No.” Olivia pressed a handkerchief to her trembling lips. “We didn’t know she was there until we saw her dancing with the prince. We lost her in the crowd, and a short while later, she was found in the courtyard. It was chaos, everyone terrified, pointing fingers. We were as shocked as anyone.”
Derrick closed his notebook and placed it in his jacket pocket. “Thank you for your time, ladies. If we have any other questions, we’ll be in touch.”
Mrs. Lockwood inclined her head as I passed by the sofa, but Helen wouldn’t meet my gaze. There was something about her that seemed off. A memory of shaking Ella’s hand made me pause.
“That’s a lovely emerald ring, Helen. May I see it?”
Helen pressed her lips together and lifted her hand, extending her fingers. I bent closer to touch her palm, faking interest in the ring. Her skin was smooth and callous-free, a stark difference from Ella’s hardworking hands. Turning her palm up, I noticed a two-inch gash starting at the base of her thumb and running to her wrist.
“That looks painful. How did you get it?”
Helen laughed and tried to tug her hand from my grasp. “I’m such a ninny. I was pruning flowers in the garden without wearing gloves, and the shears slipped.”
Olivia patted her daughter’s knee. “Helen has a green thumb. There’s a small garden shed around back. You can go see it, if you’d like?”
Helen smirked and indicated the scratch where the Lockwood cat had sunk its claws. “That’s a nasty gash you have yourself, Miss Daniels. You should put something on it, or it might fester. Infections can be deadly.”
The way Helen eyed my wound spoke volumes. If it was up to her, I’d lose the hand.
Derrick thanked them again and led me out of the house. He stood in the drive shaking his head.
“What was that about?”
“Did you see the injury on her hand? It’s suspicious, isn’t it? And her skin was smooth. Ella’s wasn’t. I thought Ella was a maid, not the daughter of a wealthy family. You should have seen the rags she had on. It doesn’t add up.” I chewed on the edge of my thumbnail.
Derrick crossed his arms and gave me an odd look.
“What? Why are you staring at me like I have two heads?”
“It’s surprising.”
“What is?”
“You.” He took my good hand and walked off the path toward the side of the house. An overgrown trail of tangled vines and branches made it difficult to go any further, but from where we stood, I could see the roof of a small garden shed.
Derrick gestured down the path. “Go on, this is your lead. I’ll let you have the honor of investigating it.”
He had to be kidding. I took a cautious step back, and my foot sank into a pile of dry leaves.
“What’s the matter? Where’s the intrepid witch determined to dive in and solve the case? I thought you wanted those fines removed?”
He was baiting me, the wretch. I eyed the untamed foliage on the neglected path. It couldn’t hurt me. There probably weren’t any snakes in the overgrown grass. I swallowed. There better not be snakes.
“You know, it’s not wise to taunt a witch.” I stomped past him, taking a face full of vines in the process. Spitting out a brittle leaf, I jerked an arm to untangle the vines pulling my hair.
Derrick chuckled under his breath. I considered letting a branch snap back into his face but chose the high ground. For once.
