Page 70 of His Haunted Desire

Grandma gapes at the detective. “That can’t be right, can it?”

Detective Drake purses her lips before responding. “We’re exploring all possible avenues, but I can’t go into detail about the case.”

“You’re here to rattle my cage,” I say, smirking. “Go ahead–rattle away. I know for a fact I didn’t kill anyone. Not here, not now, anyway.”

My knee aches as I think of my time in the Marines. It’s funny, but when I was with Aurora, I rarely thought about my knee.

“Have you been able to draw a line between me and Mr. Grayson?”

“As I said, I can’t discuss details about the case,” Detective Drake says.

“This is absurd. What about a line between me and the other guests? If that knife was meant for me, someone had a serious motive.”

“Such as?”

“Isn’t that your job, detective? I can’t imagine why anyone would do this. Julian betrayed me. Victor’s an ass. Sebastian has always resented me. But enough tokill?”

“Not this again,” Grandma mutters.

“You disagree with your grandson that Sebastian Hale could be a suspect?” Detective Drake asks.

“He’s been loyal to me for years. He wouldn’t do this.”

“How has he been behaving since the murder?”

“The same,” Grandma says, with a hitch in her voice. I don’t think the detective notices it, but I do. “He’s always been a loyal butler. A good person. He would not, I repeat,would notdo this.”

The detective leaves, saying she’ll keep us updated on any developments. I see her out, then join Grandma in the living room. She stands at the window with her hands behind her back, stiff, and tense.

“You’re hiding something,” I say.

“Don’t go there, Raiden.”

“I’ll go anywhere I want, Grandma. I love you. I want the best for you. But there’s something you’re not telling me, something to do with Sebastian. I know there is.”

“I know something too,” she says, turning to me with a conflicted expression. “I haven’t seen that lovely girl with you since the Retreat. I haven’t heard you mention her. I wasn’t going to say anything, but if you’d like an argument, let’s have one. You were never together, were you?”

I grind my teeth. “Don’t change the subject. Why are you protecting Sebastian?”

“This has nothing to do with Sebastian,”she hisses.

“I’d agree with you if it wasn’t for the fact you get so suspicious anytime I bring him up. Grandma, if you’re with him and you’re embarrassed about the age gap?—”

“Did you pay her?” Grandma cuts in with a blunt tone.

“I won’t judge you,” I finish.

“Did you pay Aurora to trick me? That’s the only explanation I can think of. You were head over heels at the Retreat. Now–nothing. I think about the challenge I gave you, to be settled and happyat the Retreat. I already know Julian hired someone to be his date.”

“How do you know that?” I demand.

When she turns away, a childlike, guilty look comes over her face. I know her well enough to be able to read it. Her expression says,You’re going to get angry if I tell you.

I seize on the truth. “Sebastian. He told you, didn’t he?”

“A good butler is an invisible, nonjudgmental observer.”

“He’s a goddamn meddler, Grandma.”