Page 41 of One Last Smile

I scan the letters to look for familiar names first. Many of the letters are many years old, and in a few cases, I can’t quite read the names. But the letters I’m looking for wouldn’t be that old, would they?

I get through all of the letters and don’t find anyone I know. That’s irritating. It makes it that much harder to find out which of Veronica’s many boyfriends also had an affair with Minerva Montclair.

But Alistair seemed so sure. I’m not ready to give up yet.

I look at the old letters again and read through the first one. The tone is somewhat sappy and syrupy—typical of a love letter—but it gives me the information I want when I reach the end and find that Veronica has recorded the recipient’s name again at the bottom.

I have to read that name several times before I’m sure I’ve read it correctly. When I’m sure, I still don’t believe it, so I read the other old letters.

All of them are addressed to the same person. The last one is dated twenty-six years ago.

The person addressed is Rupert. No last name is mentioned, but it doesn’t take a nuclear physicist to infer that the Rupert mentioned is none other than the illustrious Dr. Chalmers.

The final letter appears to be a break-up letter. In it, she apologizes for choosing Sebastian over him, but protests that with Sebastian, she can have a real future.

She ends the letter with the line, This doesn’t need to mean the end of our love, only the end of our courtship. You will always remain the first and brightest star in my sky.

I set the letter down and think about what I’ve just read. There are no more letters between them. That could suggest that their romance did indeed end despite Veronica’s promise.

But I saw the look in Rupert’s eyes when he came to visit. Clearly he still loves her. Yet, at the same time, Veronica was almost annoyed by him and eager to leave. It could simply be that she didn’t want me to realize how close they were. But then, if their dalliance ended decades ago, before she even married Sebastian, then why would Rupert still be chasing her? And why would he agree to help cover up Minnie’s pregnancy?

The more I think about the doctor, the more suspicious it all becomes. He is clearly in love with Veronica, but just as clearly he lusts after Eliza. And it seemed very much that Eliza was attracted to him. Probably she doesn’t know about her mother’s relationship with the doctor, but it certainly doesn’t paint the doctor in a flattering light that he is such a womanizer.

And Eliza is near in age to Minnie. That is evidence of Rupert’s attraction to younger women. But he still wants Veronica, so it’s not an exclusive perversion, as is the case with most violent sex offenders.

And he claimed Alistair was the killer. Not in so many words, but it was clear what he was insinuating. Then again, it’s clear Alistair holds no love for him. It’s equally clear Alistair suspects him.

One of them is lying. One of them is trying to frame the other to remove suspicion from himself. Or possibly both of them are lying, and they’re trying to obfuscate things so that no answer is ever found. Unlikely as it seems, I must also admit that it’s possible that neither of them are lying. Both genuinely feel the other is responsible but also feel that they’re not in a position to do anything about it. If that’s true, then it means that once more, I’m chasing a red herring.

One thing is true: Dr. Chalmers knows more than he admits. It looks like I’ll need to make another appointment with him after all.

I hear noise coming from downstairs, and a moment later, Veronica’s voice calls, “Lucas, darling? Are you here?”

I quickly throw the letters back into the box, lock it, and place it under the bed. I start to rush from the room, then remember the key. I curse and run back to the dresser, tossing the key back into the drawer. I hear footsteps climbing the stairs and curse again.

I rush from the room and reach the other side of the twin staircase, descending just before Veronica says, “I’m just going to change, then I’ll call Henri and see about an early dinner!”

Lucas calls back, “All right. Hey, have you seen Mary?”

“I’m here,” I call, reaching the first floor. “Have you finished your schoolwork?”

He pokes his head out of the study. “There you are. Yes, I’ve just finished. I’m caught up now.”

“Wonderful! Just in time for the weekend.”

I keep that smile and go through the motions of checking his work. All the while, my heart is pounding with a mixture of fear and excitement.

I can almost taste victory. Just a little more work, and Minnie shall have justice.

I will have accomplished my purpose.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

“You’re leaving us so soon?” Oliver exclaims. “You’ve just got here!”

Alistair gives him a smile that contains more than a hint of sadness. “Yes. I’m afraid duty calls.”

Sebastian and Veronica both appear shocked at this. “Duty?” Sebastian exclaims. “I thought… well…”

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