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“Less talking. More searching.” I shook my head and felt along the crack between the mattress and box spring.
“It’s certainly not what I taught my daughter. Always ask for, and expect others to seek, consent,” Imogen said. “Be sure to respect other people’s boundaries.”
I hadn’t figured her the type to have kids. “You have a daughter?”
“I do.”
“Why are you here with me now, and hanging around Wendy in Piccadilly the rest of the time, instead of being with your daughter?”
“She’s in college,” she said. “She’d prefer Inottag along.”
Oh.
I found something under the mattress. I pulled out a small book—a journal—Silas’s journal. “Jackpot.”
“Is that a diary?”
“Of sorts,” I said.
“You can’t open that.”
“It’s his work journal.” He’d always used the same style of notebook on the job. Some things never changed. “It’s not personal, only information about the case. More field notes than diary.”
Imogen made a face, unconvinced.
“The man is missing, Imogen,” I said. “He’d want to be found, and he’d want us up to speed when we find him. This is the only way.”
“Is it?”
Imogen had certainly mastered the mom look of disapproval.
I tucked the journal into my bag. “There, happy?”
“Yes, quite.”
“Fine, we’ll at least have his notes for later. I know where we have to look next, anyway—the museum.”
“I really don’t want to go back to the castle. Remember the demon horse that almost killed us. And then there werethe sheep.”
This was probably not the best time to let her know that I had found a very large sheep in her absence, one that actuallycouldkill a person.
“I ran into the unicorn again,” I told her. “We’re friends now.”
She narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
“Come or don’t,” I told her. “I’m going to the castle, and I’m going to save Silas.”
A grin crossed her face.
“What?”
“You called itthe castle.I bet instead of magical tunnel, which sounds like a euphemism I might add, you’ve been sayingpotty portal.You have changed. You’re evolving, Lily Fernsby, like it or not.”
I ignored her and climbed out the window.
CHAPTER 27
Imogen had the Whats-a-ma-whatever driver guy wait for us outside the B&B, anticipating my desire to quickly leave for Kurnbottom’s estate. I was grateful for her foresight, and made a mental note to pay her for all of her expenses once our time in Inorog finally came to a close.
