Page 40 of Break Me: Smith and Belle

I sighed. We were getting nowhere. “I know that.”

“Who else would want to hurt her?” Belle asked.

“Maybe it wasn’t about hurting her,” Georgia mused. “Maybe it was about hurting you. What did Rowan say Miranda told his brother? She said something about how they were out to get her. Maybe she wasn’t crazy.”

Belle looked between us, her nose wrinkling with confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“There’s something I need to tell you, beautiful,” I began slowly. Belle listened as I revealed what Georgia and I had been investigating this whole time. When I finished she was silent for a moment.

“That’s what you’ve been up to? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to add to everything you were dealing with,” I admitted.

“Forever, remember? She whispered, so only I could hear. “You can’t keep things like this for me.”

“I won’t,” I promised.

“Do you want to share with the class?” Georgia asked dryly.

“You’re right,” I said, thinking about what she said. “All of this trouble started at Thornham.”

“Well, what can we do about it now?” Belle sounded as though she’d already given up.

“We need to find out what really happened last night.”

“How are we going to do that?” Georgia asked.

“By figuring out what happened fifty years ago,” I said. I kissed Belle on the forehead, then I did the same to Penny. I would drag the answers from the devil himself to protect them. I knew what I had to do now. “I’m going to visit Miranda Thorne.”

18

Belle

I was not capable of murder. I’ve had a lot of self doubt the last few months, but of that much I was certain. A tiny voice pushed back in my head, reminding me of what had happened two years ago in the London hotel room. That had been an accident. It had been self-defense. I wasn’t capable of actually hurting someone.

But I couldn’t deny that I had taken a sleeping pill and that I didn’t know for sure if I’d stayed in my own bed last night. Was it possible I had sought Nora out to punish her for trying to take my husband? For trying to take my family?

I wouldn’t!

I’d planned it out as I fell asleep. I would call the agency and let them know she was no longer working for us and why. I would handle this professionally, even though her own behavior didn’t warrant such consideration. But now she was gone, and I couldn’t explain what had happened to her. I couldn’t explain why I had woken up with bloodied hands and dirty fingernails. I’d wanted to go for a walk on the property to look for signs that I had been outside the night before, but Smith had insisted on leaving for Brighton immediately. Georgia had stayed behind to quietly remove any evidence of foul play. Neither of them would hear of calling the police.

But if something had happened to Nora, how would we cover it up? What if they were destroying the very evidence that would prove I had nothing to do with it?

What if they were destroying the very evidence that proved that I did?

I was so preoccupied with my thoughts I didn’t hear Mrs. Winters enter the kitchen. I turned and startled, waking Penny, who howled at the injustice. “Mrs. Winters!”

“Who else would it be?” She scanned me as she tied her apron around her waist. “I suppose Nora is gone then.”

“What?” I asked before remembering that she’d overheard me telling Nora to get out of my house. “Oh. Yes.”

“I’ll clean her room later today. I imagine you’ll be wanting it for a new nanny.” She peered over her shoulder with beady eyes. “You might consider someone a little older.”

“Yes.” I nodded in agreement. “I don’t think we’re going to look just yet, though. Smith and I have things under control at the moment. No need to clean her room out. I think she left some things.”

Mrs. Winters pulled a pot out of the cupboard and placed it on the stovetop. “Then, I’ll see that they’re boxed up.”

“That’s not necessary.” I searched for a reason to keep her out of Nora’s room, but drew a blank. “I was hoping you could make a cake, actually.”