Page 46 of Jonathon, After All

“A Monsieur LeBeau. He’s with Interpol, sir,” she added in a shaky whisper.

“Show him in!” Leo said as he wiped his lips with his napkin and tossed it on his plate. He looked at Sabine but she simply shrugged.

A moment later, a tall, older man with thin white hair followed Frau Fischer into the dining room.

“Herr von Hessen,” he said as he bowed, then addressed the rest of the room as Leo stood and held out his hand.

“Welcome to Schönbühel. How can we help you?”

Monsieur LeBeau offered him a slight nod and scanned the faces around the table. “Which of you is Muriel Hormsby?” he asked the women and Jonathon groaned as he rubbed his temple and sank in his chair, pointing at his aunt.

“What have you done now, Muriel? Let’s pray I have enough cash to cover this.”

She laughed but Leo and Sabine appeared alarmed while LeBeau blinked at Jonathan, shaking his head. “Madam Hormsby notified the Duke of Kent and he forwarded her concerns on to us. Her instincts proved correct: a wanted criminal has been hiding at Schönbühel.”

“Mein Gott!” Sabine whispered, clutching the collar of her blouse. “Here? With us?”

“I knew it!” Muriel declared triumphantly. “I told you he wasn’t a real butler,” she said to Jonathon and LeBeau nodded.

“His real name is Carl Aber and he is wanted in several countries across Europe for numerous crimes, including identity fraud, embezzlement, forgery, and he is the prime suspect in the disappearance of Catherine DeMarsch.”

“The perfume heiress?” Muriel gasped and exchanged stunned looks with Sabine.

“Indeed,” LeBeau confirmed, causing Leo to chuckle wryly.

“Perhaps Interpol should hire Ms. Hormsby,” he said but Sabine cleared her throat.

“Perhaps we should. You’re going to need security once you’re Margrave and clearly, Muriel’s more adept than whoever was responsible for hiring ‘Weber.’”

Frau Fischer whimpered as she twisted the front of her apron. “We cannot find Herr Weber,” she whispered to Leo. “No one has seen him since last night.”

“You might try Kensington Palace,” Muriel said, raising a brow at Sabine accusatively. “Perhaps he’s transferred to a different royal house.”

Sabine’s face fell and a red rash spread up her neck. “I thought something might have been off about him, but I assumed Herr Weber had been vetted by the Foundation or the last Margrave’s people,” she babbled quickly and took a large gulp from her tea cup. “I’m so sorry, Leo. I won’t let this happen again.”

He shook his head, turning his attention back to LeBeau. “We knew nothing about the man before we arrived a month ago, but you will have our full cooperation,” he stated and Sabine grimaced at LeBeau.

“Can we cooperate from Vienna? I understand that you have an investigation to conduct but we have a ceremony to attend and Herr von Hessen cannot be late,” she stated and LeBeau waved it off.

“There won’t be much for us here if Aber has already fled. We will be questioning the rest of the staff and searching his quarters, but I can’t see the value in detaining any of you. Although, I would like a word with Madam Hormsby,” he said, smiling as he bowed his head at her. “She has managed to beat Interpol’s best investigators and there is a reward,” he informed them.

Muriel’s face pinched in disapproval. “I find it appalling that you would suggest that I am in need of a job and short on funds. Give the reward to your investigators. They might try harder next time if they’re better compensated,” she suggested and signaled that she was ready to get up. “I want to take a walk before we leave, Jonathon. We’ll be cooped up in cars most of the day so I want to get some exercise.”

“Yes, Aunt Muriel,” he said as he jumped up to help her stand. “Monsieur LeBeau,” he said with a duck of his head at the older man, then smiled at Sabine as they passed her. Jonathon risked a quick glance at Leo, silently agreeing to meet him in the library once their walk was finished.

“I will never doubt you again, Muriel,” Jonathon had vowed as they walked through the castle’s garden one last time. “My very own Miss Marple,” he declared.

She laughed and patted his arm. “Yes, you will, and you absolutely should. Half the time I am making it up just to amuse myself or so I can say I was right later. I enjoy being the embodiment of a broken clock and only right twice a day.”

“No one likes a know-it-all,” Jonathon had agreed.

He kissed her on the cheek when they parted ways in the hallway outside her room. Jonathon had books to return to the library and wanted to take another pass around the castle to make sure he hadn’t left anything behind.

“That was unbelievable!” Jonathon had laughed when he was pulled into Leo’s arms for a brutal, possessive kiss.

“I don’t give a damn about Weber,” Leo groaned into the corner of Jonathon’s neck. “This is the last time I’ll be able to touch you or taste you until I can sneak into London in a few months and I won’t be able to do anything but shake your hand downstairs. I’ll have to act indifferent and impatient when all I want is to cry and give you a proper kiss goodbye.”

Jonathon grabbed his face and tapped their foreheads together. “Stop! I have to believe that it won’t be that bad or I’ll start crying. I love you and I’ll wait for you forever if I have to, just don’t leave me hanging.”

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