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I did not bother pointing out that if he was so interested in learning, then he would have taken note the first time we’d had a conversation regarding his involvement with informing me of what I ought to do. And then he most certainly wouldn’t have made such a scene in anatomy class. Instead of expressing my exasperation, I simply said, “I need some time.”
“Understandable. I’ve never seen him so… affected before. All he’s doing is pacing around his chambers. Do you want me to pass a message along to him before I leave?”
I shook my head. I truly appreciated Daciana’s attempt at mending our friendship, but now wasn’t the time. I would not allow outside issues to affect what I’d come here to do—improve my forensic skills and earn a place in the academy. Personal distractions would be dealt with after I’d secured my future with one of those spots; I would not sacrifice myself or my goals. Not even for Thomas. It wasn’t something I felt anyone should do—especially a woman. The right partner would be supportive and understand that, even if they longed for things to be right again.
At this moment, I needed to understand how our classmate had lost every last ounce of blood in his body. How it happened within an hour. And how his corpse had been dumped in the middle of the village without any clues or witnesses. Though I supposed the headmaster had probably already inquired about that while inspecting the scene.
I hated that Uncle wasn’t part of this case. I’d have been right beside him while he spoke to investigators, not sent back to the academy to wait. Even Detective Inspector William Blackburn—and his many secrets—had included me during the Ripper crimes.
Ileana lay nestled in Daciana’s lap, lids half shut while Daciana ran her fingers through her hair. They spoke about where Daciana was traveling to next, which family she’d be visiting. Their tones were soft, caring, if tinged with a bit of sadness at the prospect of not seeing each other for a while.
Their distraction allowed my mind to wander back over what I had observed in the village. The way Wilhelm had been left. The lack of disturbance in the snow around his body. It was as if he’d been tossed from a nearby window…
I jumped off the chair and paced before the fire, something was breaking apart and coalescing in my mind but I couldn’t quite make sense of the merging pieces.
“Everything all right?” Daciana asked.
“I apologize,” I said. “I’m just thinking.”
She smiled and went back to quietly speaking with Ileana. I recalled the figure I thought I’d noticed in the window above what had become a crime scene. The shutter that had smacked against the wall, drawing my attention upward. Odd that the shutters would have been left open during the storm. Less odd if that were, in fact, the place from which his body had been thrown.
A knock came at the door, startling us all from our respective places. Ileana and Daciana quickly moved apart. Anastasia waltzed in, waving to Ileana and smiling widely at me before inspecting Daciana closely. I hadn’t been expecting her for a while, though I was quickly learning that Anastasia danced to her own rhythm in life.
“Are you the handsome one’s sister?”
Daciana narrowed her eyes. “If you’re referring to Thomas, then yes. And you are?”
“I’m the girl hoping to steal him away for herself.” Anastasia threw her head back and laughed. “I’m teasing! Your expression was marvelous.” She motioned toward me. “No offense to you, Audrey Rose.”
Daciana pursed her lips. I could only imagine what she longed to say. I knew how taken aback I’d felt at Anastasia’s bluntness at first. Anastasia knew what she wanted and wasn’t shy in voicing it. An admirable trait for a young woman being raised by the strict headmaster.
“I think I worked out where Wilhelm was killed,” I said, hoping to break the tension. I quickly told them about the shutter, the open window, and the shadowy figure. I left no detail out about the state of the body or the lone set of footprints that led down the adjacent alley. As if whoever had tossed him from the building had examined him before slinking away.
Anastasia had gone entirely still. Ileana touched a cross she’d pulled from beneath her embroidered shirt, and Daciana got up and poured herself a dash of wine from a decanter she’d sneaked in.
Once I finished filling them in, Daciana set her glass down, concern etched across her brow. “If he’d been tossed from a window, wouldn’t some of his bones have fractured?”
I lifted a shoulder. “Possibly. It’s something to investigate further, but I didn’t see any early indications of broken bones or bruising. The fall wasn’t that high, and if he was already deceased…” I didn’t finish the statement. Ileana appeared as if she might be ill.
“Well, I believe someone needs to find out who owns that home,” Daciana said. “Regardless of anything, it’s a very intriguing lead. You ought to tell the headmaster.”
Anastasia snorted. “She should do no such thing. We should inquire into it on our own. If my uncle is informed, then he will discover secrets and not share them.” She clutched my hands in hers. “This might be your opportunity to show him how valuable you are. Te rog. Please don’t tell him this theory. Let me assist you. Then he’ll see young women are capable of such things. Please.”
I swallowed my initial response. She very well might be correct. If we told Moldoveanu about this, he’d force us to stay behind while he investigated. Then what? He’d not share a thing with us. Not even acknowledge our role in assisting him with the case. Then there was the matter of not being permitted off academy grounds; he’d most certainly use that as an excuse for making us stay behind.
“For now we’ll keep this information to ourselves,” I said. “But we must plan to investigate in the village soon.”
Daciana and Ileana exchanged worried glances, but I pretended not to notice. Both Anastasia and I needed this.
Anastasia kissed my cheeks, smiling triumphantly at Daciana. “You won’t regret it!”
But as I bid good evening to my friends and wished Daciana well on the next stop on her Grand Tour, I couldn’t help feeling as if Anastasia was dead wrong.
Cannula and sounds.
TOWER CHAMBERS
CAMERE DIN TURN
