Page 145 of The Dearly Departed

He gave his head a quick shake as we reached Gerald's closed office door, but I leaned down, pressing my hand to the wood to keep him from opening it.

"Where is he taking her, Dean?" I muttered through a tightly clenched jaw, towering over the man I’d begun to see as one of the few people I could possibly trust in this house.

How was I supposed to keep a watchful eye on Analise if I didn’t know where she was going?

He released a breath and reluctantly admitted in a quiet tone, "I don't know."

"Find out," I demanded, my tone clipped.

He looked as concerned as I felt about her well-being. His eyes glanced in the direction of Ike and Shawn, who had remained silent since leaving the protection of the hearse. He looked beyond them, into the hallway behind us, then toward the office door before looking up at me.

"I’ll do what I can, sir," he replied quietly, and I removed my hand from the door's surface.

"Thank you,” I muttered.

He offered a quick nod, then pulled the door open to reveal Gerald Crowley, sitting on his leather couch, and beside him was the last person I would've expected to see.

I entered the room, keeping my gait even as I approached, but my heart hammered wildly at the sight of Analise, always the image of perfection with her long black hair and makeup done just right and her dress fitting like it had been tailored to her figure.

Because it was.

"Ah, it's good to see you, boys," Gerald greeted as he rose to his feet. "Thank you for joining me at such an early hour. I was just finishing a discussion with Mrs. Seint-Nolan when you came in."

Mrs. Seint-Nolan. The use of such a formal title—her married name—was enough to make me expel every drop of coffee I’d drunk that morning.

She smiled graciously at Gerald before turning her smile back toward me and my brothers. She eyed their masks for a moment, likely wondering how it was that we’d suddenly multiplied.

Or maybe she already knows, I considered, eyeing her with skepticism. She’s leaving the manor, no longer providing her nursing abilities …

Dean’s no longer coming with me on missions …

Shawn and Ike are their replacements.

The realization dawned on me all at once. Had this been the plan all along?

"I'll get out of your hair now," she said, moving to stand when Gerald laid a hand over her wrist to stop her from leaving.

"Well, hold on for a second," he said. "Didn't you have something you wanted to say to our mutual friend here?"

Her eyes flashed with worry, and her smile faltered for only a second as she turned from Gerald to look at me, and then she schooled her features like a pro as she nodded, holding her head high.

"Ah, yes, that's right." She cleared her throat and lifted her gaze to where she knew mine had to be. "I wanted to apologize to you."

I kept my lips shut as Gerald removed his hand from her wrist, giving her the freedom to move as she saw fit. She stood to her full height and approached me, gliding across the floor with elegance and grace.

"I never should have expressed interest in you and added distraction to your work," she went on, folding her hands neatly over her stomach as she spoke. "But …"

She hesitated, glancing over her shoulder at Gerald, as if to ask for permission, and he nodded encouragingly.

"Go on," he said gently. "You can tell him."

She swallowed and turned back toward me. "We … we both f-feel it's only right to tell you … th-the truth."

"The truth," I repeated, my voice low and gruff as I tipped my head with curiosity.

"Yes," she replied, lifting her eyes to my masked face. "The t-truth is th-that … this entire thing … i-is all my f-fault."

“What?” I turned to face Gerald and asked, "What is she talking about?"