Chapter Six #2
Emma blinked. “And this story about Violet’s betrayal,” she said carefully, “the story that came from Sykes’s own mouth. You know this to be true?”
Connor turned her way with a curious expression. “I told you. She married the man and lived with him until her dying d—”
“Willingly? You’re sure of this?”
His jaw worked as he tried to contain whatever he was thinking of her now.
“I’m only saying,” she went on, “what if he lied about her? What if she had nothing to do with what happened? What if—”
“She knew of the duel. Arthur warned me she’d heard of it and was bound to come. But she never did. Just as well, I suppose, that I didna have t’ look her in the eye.” He lifted his gaze to Emma. “Not till now.”
Ouch. She stood and turned to look out over the moor. The cool breeze buffeted them gently. “I suppose you feel better now. Having me to blame for what happened?”
“I thought I would. But…” He leaned his elbows disconsolately against the stone. “No. Not much.”
“I think you should consider the possibility that you were mistaken about her part in all that. That what they told you was a lie.”
“What would you know about it?”
She shook her head at him. “Funny you should ask that after accusing me of sharing her soul all this time. Because I feel, deep down, there is more to her story than you know.”
“I know all I need to know,” he said, stubbornly.
“All you want to know, perhaps.”
“ No. ” Connor pushed away from the stones and started down the ancient stairway, leaving her standing at the wall.
“I thought angels were all about forgiveness,” she called after him, starting down the stairs. “You are seriously playing against type here.”
He just kept stalking through the purple blossoms, leaving a small trail in his wake. She followed him but allowed some space to come between them. They didn’t speak again until he’d reached the bottom of the hill where the trail forked between the road and the sea cliffs. There he turned on her.
“Dinna presume to judge me or what I’ve been doin’ for the last…too many years—”
“I’m not—”
“—because I ken what I saw. I ken what happened.”
“Fine.”
“Right.”
“Good. So, you should look no further than that bastard’s word. That’s fair.”
He glared at her from beneath his brows. “Dinna twist my words, Emma.”
“You mean Violet, don’t you? That’s what this whole thing was about, wasn’t it?
To prove your point about my being your faithless fiancée?
Maybe you thought it would all come back to me—all my soul’s transgressions—in a guilty rush, then I’d confess?
And you could finally rid yourself of the bitterness that haunts you. But. Sorry. Not going to happen.”
He reminded her suddenly of a boy, denied a baseball that he’d come close to catching.
“Connor,” she went on, “in my soul, in my heart, I feel that something is wrong with that story. I think you know that, too.”
“She never came.” He shook his head. “She would’a come that day if it was a lie.”
“You’re right,” Emma said, touching his hand. “But what we don’t know is why she didn’t come.”
“Too late fer that. We canna know.”
“Did you ever ask your friend, Elspeth, the record keeper, about her?”
His jaw grew rigid again. “No. ’Twas not somethin’ I spoke of. Yer—well, yer—”
“I’m Violet, I know,” she finished. “But maybe Elspeth could help you. Maybe she’d have information in her—”
“I told you, she’s no guardian anymore. She’s fallen.”
“But you said she’s got an uncanny memory. You know where she is. Right?”
He stared at her, considering. “I might. Come. It’s time we get back.”
Emma hesitated, taking in the beauty of the land around them. “It’s hard to leave all this.”
He didn’t speak, but she could tell it was the same for him. Finally, with one last look, she took his hand. They left the country that had at once created and ruined him. The place that somehow lived in her soul.
*
Aubrey and Jacob prowled through the wreckage of Emma’s house, marveling at the thoroughness of the chaos. Nothing was left untouched. Filming the wreckage with her phone, Aubrey stared at the chaos in disbelief.
“You’re not going to post that,” Jacob said.
Aubrey shook her head. “Just documenting. But nobody would believe this.”
“Better to keep this part of it private. Who knows who watches those posts.”
Aubrey sat on the edge of a chair, scraping her fingers through her hair. “I can’t believe any of this is real. It’s so crazy. Who would want to hurt Emma?”
Winston wound himself around her ankles. She picked up the cat, resting him across her shoulder. The cat purred loudly, happy to have familiar company.
“Do you see anything missing?” Jacob asked.
“I don’t think so. My computer is broken,” she said, pointing to it upside down on the floor, “but it’s here. TVs, everything. Winston.” She ruffled his fur with her fingertips. “ You know who did this, don’t you?” she said to the cat. “Can’t you just tell us?”
Winston yawned, baring his teeth.
“Right. That about sizes things up. I know I totally forgot to feed him that night because I went directly to the hospital from our dinner with your parents. So, what kind of a robber feeds the cat on his way out anyway?”
“An animal lover?” Jacob suggested, topping off Winston’s nearly full bowl of dry food.
“Sure. Probably rescues baby bunnies when he’s not breaking and entering.”
“Yeah, that is a mystery.” Jacob lifted the scattered silverware drawer contents, putting the knives and forks on the counter. “For that matter, we don’t know it was a guy. Could have been a woman.”
“And leave this mess?” She shook her head. “No, a woman would have been much more methodical. This was definitely a man’s doing.”
Jacob side-eyed her while filling a glass of water from the sink. He handed it to her. “I’m sorry. It’s a lot.”
She nodded, gulping down the water as a knock sounded at the back door. The two of them exchanged alarmed looks. “Who could that be?”
“Stay here,” he told her and opened the back door.
The middle-aged woman at the back door was smiling timidly at him while peeking into the house behind him as she spoke.
“Oh, hello,” she said, her voice scratchy as an old LP. “I’m Clarissa Meyer. I live next door. I saw you and Aubrey drive up. I just wanted to come by and check on how Emma’s doing.”
“It’s okay, Jacob. Hi, Ms. Meyer.”
“Oh, Aubrey!” she said, edging her way into the house past Jacob.
“Oh, dear. I was so sorry to hear about your aunt. How is she? Oh! My! Look at this place!” She tsked with a sigh.
“I saw the police in the neighborhood yesterday. I told them what I know. They interviewed me you see. How is Emma, dear?”
“Holding her own. Thanks for asking,” Aubrey said. “What exactly did you tell the police?”
“Well, just that I heard some noises over here late that night of the accident and there weren’t any lights on. Not anything too loud, you understand. But loud enough to make me sit up in bed and wonder. But I just thought I should mind my own business, don’t you know?”
Well, that would certainly be a first. Aubrey suppressed her grin. “Did you see anyone over here? Through the windows?”
“No. Not even a light. I thought maybe I had imagined the noise after a while. But I can see now that I hadn’t.”
“See anyone leave or any cars parked where they shouldn’t be parked?” Jacob asked her.
At first, she shook her head, then said, “You know, now that you mention it, I’d forgotten this, but before I went to bed that night, I let my little dog, Reno, out for his nightly business.
There was a car parked down the street that I didn’t recognize.
But that in itself isn’t all that unusual.
The odd part was that someone was just sitting in the driver’s seat.
Smoking. I caught the glow of a cigarette burning.
It kind of gave me the creeps, but I just decided whoever it was was waiting for someone in a house down the street.
I didn’t think much more of it. I hurried Reno back in the house and went to bed. ”
“What kind of car was it?”
“Maybe…an SUV of some kind, I think. It was dark. You know how long we’ve been after the city for streetlights in this neighborhood? But if I had to guess, I’d say it was dark colored. Blue or black, maybe.”
“So, you didn’t tell the police about this car?”
“No. I’d forgotten all about it until just now. Did they take anything?” Clarissa asked. “I called a locksmith today. They changed all of my locks, got double bolts and bars for my sliders. This used to be a such safe neighborhood.”
“Good idea,” Aubrey said. “Thank you for stopping by. I’ll tell Emma when she wakes that you were asking about her.”
“Oh, thank you. If you need anything, Aubrey, just ask. Anytime. You’re not staying here, are you? Mercy! What a mess. It’ll take weeks to clean this up.”
“No, I’m not staying here. Don’t worry about me.”
Clarissa patted her hand. “You take care now, dear.”
After the woman left, Aubrey sat down on the edge of the couch, staring at the room.
“That’s good information,” Jacob said. “We should give that to the detectives.”
Aubrey grabbed her wrist, trying to stop her hand from shaking. “What if I’d been here? Was he waiting for me to come home or waiting to see if I’d left already?”
The worry on Jacob’s face deepened.
She reached for the necklace at her throat that she absently twiddled when she was stressed. She gasped. “My necklace! It’s gone!”
“Your mom’s peace necklace?”
“Yes! Did I drop it somewhere?” She crawled around the floor, looking under the jumble of stuff there.
“You’re going to cut yourself on the broken glass.” Jacob pulled her to her feet. “I didn’t notice it before. I don’t think you were wearing it.”
“I always wear it.” She hurried to her bedroom to look through the tangle of jewelry spread across her bed. “It’s not here.”