Page 52 of Spellbound After Midnight

“Who was that?” Derrick asked.

“That was Vivian. She doesn’t get out much.”

“Ah, the medium.” He held out his arm, and I placed my gloved fingers over his sleeve so he could guide me down the steps to a waiting carriage. “Are you ready?” he asked after climbing in behind.

I met his searching gaze through the dimly lit interior. “I think so.”

Derrick knocked on the roof of the carriage, and we jolted forward. The wheels clacked over the ground, hitting every bump in the roadway. I sat rigid, trying not to sway into the wall. Minutes passed as we traveled in silence.

“About our plan tonight,” Derrick said, breaking the quiet.

“Don’t worry, I’ll hold up my end.”

His voice rumbled in the enclosed space. “We don’t have to do this.”

“It’s what’s best for the case. You said so yourself.”

He leaned closer, resting his arms on his knees. “Maybe I want what’s best for you.”

What was best for me? I hardly knew what that was anymore.

“I need the money,” I said, turning my head to look out the window.

“Forget the money for a second—”

“I don’t have that luxury. I don’t live your life. We need to find Ella’s killer so you can get back to yours, and I can get back to mine.”

“Is that what you want?”

I let his question go unanswered, stifling my emotions, then redirected the conversation. “The prince wants us to play this part, and I will. But before we do this, I need to tell you that I saw the man from the crime scene yesterday. The one hiding behind the hedge.”

Derrick tensed. “What happened?”

I told him about Liam switching masks with the prince and ruining the young royal’s alibi. “We can’t trust Prince Marcus. It’s time to consider he might be involved.”

Chapter 17

“This is what they call a small party?” My gaze roamed over the ballroom.

It seemed half the kingdom had been invited. Helen and Olivia Lockwood were at the head of the receiving line, dressed in black satin and smiling softly at the guests’ condolences as they shuffled through.

Derrick offered his arm for us to descend the wide marble staircase. “It’s a distraction. A gathering like this so soon after the murder shows the rest of the kingdom there’s nothing to fear, and it’s an honor to be welcomed by the royal family.”

“If you ask me, it’s insulting and in poor taste. Ella’s dead, and they throw a party? If someone you cared about had been killed, would you be able to stomach this affair?”

The muscles in Derrick’s forearm clenched, and he paused on the steps. “If someone I cared about was murdered, I wouldn’t stop until I found their killer.”

“That’s your job, Detective.”

“Yes, it’s my job. I’ve made it so.” Something lurked in his tone, a painful note that hinted of past hurt. Had he lost someone he loved? It was ridiculous that I envied whatever memory formed his hardened expression.

“Maybe there’s more to you than I thought,” I said, as we reached the bottom of the stairs and stepped into the receiving line. His arm wrapped around my middle, pulling me against his chest. Our act had already begun. To our left, a trio of guests whispered behind their fans, watching us with gossiping intent.

“What do you mean?” he murmured close to my ear.

“Well, on the outside, you’re nothing but rules. Straitlaced, methodical, impassive.”

“Coldhearted, if I remember correctly.”