Page 23 of Spellbound After Midnight

Prince Marcus winked and released my hands. “Yes, I won’t keep you. I’m on my way to a meeting with the director.”

“Well, he has all my notes and can give you an update on where we stand.”

“Excellent. Tessa, it was good to meet you.” Prince Marcus inclined his head and moved to the door, closing it gently behind him. You could hear a pin drop in his wake.

I let the silence extend, feigning interest in a speck of dirt under my fingernail.

“Since you appealed to the prince and got your way, there are going to be ground rules.”

Dirt forgotten, I tensed as Derrick moved closer. “I expected as much.”

“Think you can handle it?”

“I can handle any rule you throw at me.”

“We’ll see. Rule number one, you’re not allowed to investigate on your own.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You’ll tell me everything you know about the case, including the roses and the other girls?”

Derrick nodded.

“Okay. Always stay by your side, got it.” When he moved another step closer, I smelled the scent of his skin and the woodsy cologne that made me want to breathe deeper until it filled my lungs.

“Rule number two, keep your ghostly encounters between us. No one else can know.”

“My friend Vivian already knows, but she’s a medium and can see Ella too.”

Derrick sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Don’t you have any normal friends?”

“Define normal.”

He ignored my question and stated rule number three. “Trust no one. This is the highest-profile murder investigation in the kingdom. Anyone and everyone is a suspect.”

I nudged him playfully in the arm. “I bet you thought I was a suspect at first, didn’t you?”

He blinked, his face deadpan. I squirmed and scratched the back of my neck.

“You did, didn’t you?”

“I follow my own rules.”

“Well, I only have one rule, Detective. When you’re with me, you call me Tessa.” I snapped my fingers. “And keep an open mind about my abilities. No more calling me a con artist to my face.”

“That sounds like two rules.”

“It is. I’m adding one.”

“Deal.” He held out his hand, and I slipped my palm against his. Like the first time, a flare of heat shot up my arm. Derrick was right about one thing: we were playing a dangerous game, one I had little experience in. Unease trickled through me. Between battling wits and trying to ignore a growing flare of attraction, finding the killer might be the easy part.

Chapter 9

Five days and countless interviews later…

My head bobbed into my chest.

“Did you get that, Miss Daniels?”

I jerked my eyes open again and caught the notebook before it slid off my lap. “Ah, yes.” Checking my notes, I began hastily, “Let’s see… First, you danced with Mr. Raymund. He went to get you a glass of champagne, and then, you danced with Sir Thomas. You stopped for a plate of toasted figs, and last, you spoke to the Drummonds about a new carriage purchase. Was there anything else?”