Page 16 of When You're Forgotten

“What’s the verdict?”she asked, pushing aside her vegetables.

"Penrose had a bad heart.The autopsy says he died of a massive heart attack.They found no direct sign of foul play or obvious toxin."Finn rapped a knuckle on the table."So… might be natural causes."

Amelia set down her fork, crossing her arms.“But it might also be that someone knew about his condition and exploited it.”

“Exploited it how?”Finn raised an eyebrow.

She shrugged.“If you scare someone with a cardiac problem enough, if you chase them, threaten them… they might collapse.It wouldn’t necessarily constitute homicide, but morally, it’s still murder.”

Finn grimaced, picturing that grainy figure crawling across the lawn.“You’re suggesting he literally died of fright?”

Amelia sipped water thoughtfully.“It’s possible.If that figure in the footage confronted him in some horrifying or menacing way, that alone could trigger a fatal shock.”

He leaned forward, elbows on the table.“So, if that’s true, it’s still a homicide in a sense—someone intentionally caused that shock.But we have no proof, just the presence of some prowler.And we don’t even know if James saw them.”

A pause settled in.Then a soft, distinct rap sounded at the door—three short knocks.Finn shared a look with Amelia, a prickle of caution along his spine.He rose, crossing the sitting room to open it, but found only empty hallway.The corridor lamp flickered and cast shifting shadows, revealing no one.

“Hello?”Finn called softly.No answer.He leaned out, scanning left and right.Silence.The floor creaked under his weight.After a final check, he pulled the door shut again, returning to the table.

“No one?”Amelia asked, eyebrows raised.

He shook his head.“Not a soul.This place can be downright creepy, I swear.”

She let out a half-smile that danced between amusement and concern.“We can rule out Brynmor’s ghosts as suspects… right?”

He exhaled with a sardonic look.“I’m not so sure.Between the bizarre shape outside, the empty hallway door knocks, and everything else, we might be dealing with more than ghosts.Or maybe nothing at all.”A wave of tension rippled through him; the manor’s atmosphere was certainly living up to its haunting rumors.

“But the Home Office wants us to see if there’s an actual murderer,” Amelia said, picking up the folded list Mrs Hughes had given her.“And if this is purely natural… at least we can confirm that.”

Finn dropped back into his seat, feeling the day’s events weigh on him.“We’ll look at these names tomorrow, see who might have had reason to be here after hours or to do something that spooked James.”He gestured at the list.“Anyone jump out?”

Amelia glanced over the sheet.“Donald, Mrs Hughes, Evan, Catherine, Marianne and the kids—those we’ve met.But there’s a handful of others we’ve yet to encounter.”

Finn nodded.“We’ll have to talk to James’s wife, Marianne, more thoroughly, as well as the children, though obviously they’re in mourning.And Catherine’s perspective might be crucial.She was around, or at least close by.”

“Sounds like a plan.”Amelia set the list aside, finishing the last few bites on her plate.“I’m about done.You ready to call it a night?”

His stomach felt content, but a small part of him resisted the idea of wandering these corridors alone.Still, the day’s fatigue tugged at him.“Yeah, let’s head up.”

They tidied their plates on the table, the remains of dinner left neatly for the staff.Amelia stretched her arms overhead, stifling a yawn.Together they left the sitting room, stepping into the corridor that led to the main staircase.The manor’s nighttime hush pressed in around them once more, an odd hush broken only by their footsteps.

Halfway up the stairs, a wave of nostalgia for simpler cases washed over Finn.He stole a glance at Amelia, noting the faint bruise near her temple that refused to fully fade.She caught his look, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

“Everything okay?”she murmured, voice echoing softly in the lofty stairwell.

He mustered a wry grin.“Just glad you’re here, even if this place unsettles me a bit.”

She smirked, gently bumping his shoulder with hers.“Sure does beat falling through a floor, that’s for certain.”

They reached the landing.The corridor lights here flickered as though the wiring might be outdated.At last, they arrived at Finn’s bedroom door—his cozy chamber from the other night.The door stood closed, the antique knob polished to a dull shine.Finn paused, turning to Amelia.

“Care to come in?”he teased lightly.“At least so I can be sure a ghost doesn’t drag me under the bed.”

She rolled her eyes but smiled.“I’m not sure being your girlfriend necessarily includes checking under the bed for monsters.”Then, in a gentler moment, she stepped forward, placed a light kiss on his lips.“But thanks for the invitation.”

A pleasant warmth spread through him.“Any time.”

Drawing back, she smoothed a hand along her blouse.“We need to be professional, though, right?We’re not on holiday.We’ve got an investigation to handle, and I’m sure if the Home Office caught wind of us being… Affectionate with each other around here, we’d be in a whole heap of trouble.”

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