CHAPTER 7 #3
“Like he wanted confirmation before somebody else moved.”
Romy caught the phrase.
“Moved what?”
“He didn’t say.”
“Did he believe the panel might disappear?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you warn anyone?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Who would I warn? Celeste? Marcus? The police because a critic was excited about upholstery?”
“Textile panel.”
“You know what I mean.”
Romy did.
Before Sebastian died, his interest in the panel would not necessarily have sounded urgent.
Afterward, every ignored remark became potentially significant.
“Did you see him after seven oh-one?”
“No.”
“Did you go into the Blue Study?”
“No.”
“Service corridor?”
“No.”
“See Marcus carrying anything?”
“No.”
“Adrian?”
“No.”
“Celeste after six forty-four?”
“Not until later.”
Romy studied her.
“You still have a problem.”
Sophie stiffened.
“What?”
“You lied about meeting the victim. You secretly supplied him material that could damage your former employer. You feared he would identify you publicly. And you were near the Blue Study at seven oh-one.”
Sophie lost colour.
“I did not kill him.”
“I didn’t say you did.”
“You’re thinking it.”
“I’m thinking the police will.”
Sophie looked toward Leo.
He did not rescue her.
Good.
“If there is anything else, now is the time.”
“There isn’t.”
“Any message from Sebastian?”
“No.”
“Arrangement to meet again?”
“No.”
“Any copy of what you gave him?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“Cloud folder and paper originals at home.”
“Do not alter either.”
Sophie nodded.
“Ellis needs to know.”
“I know.”
“You tell him.”
“Now?”
“Now.”
Fear flashed across Sophie’s face.
“If this gets out, I’m finished.”
“No. If you keep lying and it gets out, you may be finished.”
“That’s easy for you to say.”
The words struck harder than Sophie intended.
Romy felt it.
So did Sophie.
“I’m sorry.”
Romy looked away.
Easy.
No.
Elin had been judged through one accusation until explanation became an afterthought. Romy knew exactly why Sophie was afraid.
Which was why she would not let fear make the next decision.
“You don’t get to control whether the truth is comfortable,” Romy said. “You only get to decide whether you tell it before somebody proves you hid it.”
Sophie stared at the table, then took out her phone.
“His number?”
Romy gave her Ellis’s.
Sophie stepped away to call.
Leo waited until she reached the hotel entrance.
“You were hard on her.”
“Yes.”
“You sympathize with her.”
“Yes.”
“That was why.”
Romy looked at him.
“Training lesson. Understanding why someone lied does not make the lie less important.”
Leo nodded.
“And fear is not innocence.”
“Also not guilt.”
“Exactly.”
Sophie returned five minutes later.
“He wants me at the station.”
“I imagined he might.”
“He sounded angry.”
“He often does.”
“He said not to leave Merewick.”
“That is less routine.”
Sophie pulled on her coat.
Before she left, Romy said, “One more thing. The photographs in Sebastian’s ARDEN folder. You are certain you did not give him those?”
“Yes.”
“Could they have come from the proof you gave him tonight?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I never had those particular files.”
“But you’re in one.”
“That doesn’t mean it was mine.”
“Who took them?”
“Our studio photographer. I think.”
“Name?”
“Derek Moss. He freelanced for Celeste for years.”
“Could Marcus have had access?”
Sophie frowned.
“To Arden Studio files?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know.”
“Did he ever source objects for Celeste’s projects?”
“All the time.”
“How often?”
“Constantly. Celeste liked having one person who could find strange things quickly.”
“Did he supply anything for the project shown in those photographs?”
“I don’t remember.”
“Think.”
Sophie closed her eyes briefly.
“The brass screen.”
“What brass screen?”
“In the Brussels scheme. Marcus found an old pierced brass screen for the room.”
“Anything else?”
“Possibly lighting.”
“Textiles?”
“I don’t know.”
Marcus’s company had moved through Celeste’s professional world for years.
Not merely the Asterleigh panel.
Objects.
Sources.
Dealers.
Warehouses.
Provenance.
Sophie said, “You’re looking at Marcus now.”
“I’m looking at everyone.”
“That means yes.”
“Go see Ellis.”
Sophie reached the hotel door, then stopped.
Rain silvered the glass beyond her.
She turned back.
“There’s something you’re still getting wrong.”
Romy felt the room sharpen.
“What?”
“The photographs. The article. Me lying about the meeting.”
Sophie shook her head.
“All of that made Sebastian dangerous to Celeste.”
“Yes.”
“But that wasn’t what had him excited.”
“We established that.”
“No. I don’t think you understand how little he cared about the article by then.”
Romy stood.
“Sophie.”
“He’d spent months chasing the Celeste story. He had enough to hurt her badly. Yesterday morning he wanted names, documents, dates, all of it. Then he walked into that room and saw the panel.”
Sophie’s voice was steady now.
“He changed.”
Romy thought of Sebastian standing before the silk.
Where did you get this?
Marcus Fenn?
When?
Who authenticated it?
Sophie continued.
“He wasn’t trying to prove Celeste stole a room. He was trying to prove somebody stole the thing hanging in it.”