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“What if I do?” she demanded.
“Then I imagine you must feel pretty silly right now, having led me into the garden alone,” Jeffrey countered.
Charlotte’s throat tightened. “It very well could be my last mistake.”
At this, both Jeffrey and Charlotte laughed. Charlotte was mesmerized at how much she liked laughing with this strange man. He looked at her as though she owned the world.
“I didn’t kill your cousin,” he finally returned, calming his laughter.
“How can I be sure you didn’t? You’re handsome, certainly. The sort of man I’d love to stand here beneath the moon with. But a murderer? You very well could be that, as well,” Charlotte said. Her smile fell.
Jeffrey placed his hands on his hips and said, “I believe that your cousin was murdered by someone, absolutely. It was never an accident.”
“Why do you say that?” Charlotte asked. She stepped towards him with sudden urgency. “What do you know?”
Jeffrey pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek. “To be honest with you, I don’t know much. Not as much as I’d like to know.”
“Tell me.” Charlotte’s heart fluttered in her throat.
“I have a theory, at least. But don’t put too much stock into it,” he said. “I believe that Brooks was having an affair. And I believe that this woman might have had something to do with his death.”
Charlotte’s lips parted in shock. “How did you know he was having an affair?”
“I knew Brooks before I left town,” he said. “He was always the sort to have a woman—both married and not. He never went public with his affairs, as he felt that it was altogether too boring to operate within the realms of society.”
“I see.” This was a side of Brooks Charlotte couldn’t have guessed. “I found a letter from a woman in Brooks’ room. It asked for forgiveness and suggested they meet on the very night of his death. I gave the letter to the investigator.”
“I see,” Jeffrey said. He rubbed his palms together excitedly.
Charlotte wasn’t sure why, but she felt Jeffrey’s words were truthful. His eyes reflected the weight of it.
“What do you make of the fact that the mystic told me about Brooks’ death before it occurred?” Charlotte whispered.
Jeffrey gave a light shrug. “I still don’t know.”
“I have to find out who killed him,” Charlotte continued. “The mystic has laid this horrible guilt upon my shoulders. I must rid myself of it any way I can. But it seems to me that you have pieces of the puzzle that I cannot have.”
“What are you saying?”
“I suggest that we work together,” Charlotte said.
“Only moments ago, you suggested that I was the very man behind the criminal act,” he said.
“I’ve got over that,” Charlotte said.
“Altogether?”
“I don’t suppose I’ll ever lose my complete suspicion of you,” she said. “I’ll carry it like a beacon.”
“I appreciate that. It’s essential, should we work together, that we keep ourselves alert at all times.”
“You’re suggesting, then, that you suspect me?”
“I can’t not,” Jeffrey said.
Charlotte chuckled, despite it all. After a pause, Jeffrey spoke.
“You shouldn’t feel guilty about your cousin’s death. I hate that you do. It wasn’t your fault.”
