Page 43 of Secrets of the Eternal Flame

‘Your couple name…’ I started.

She let out a sigh. ‘Yes, we know.’

‘Aw, you two already talked about a couple name?’

Her cheeks warmed further. ‘Let’s look for the evil book, shall we?’

I laughed. ‘I lovehow you prefer to talk about the vilest book in several generations rather than your feelings.’

She winced. ‘You’re not the only one to notice that. Apparently, I’m a little closed off.’

I nudged her shoulder. ‘Yanni, you’ve been single and putting the job first for a lot of years, and you’ve seen a lot of shit. Anyone would be closed off – but that doesn’t mean you can’t open yourself up.’

‘And you, Bea? Are you letting Fraser in?’

I smiled. ‘Do you know what? I think I actually might be.’

Her answering smile lit up the room.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Yanni lent me some gloves and we started searching Archer’s house in earnest. I explored the kitchen first, where it quickly became apparent that he was not the culinary type. He owned one knife, one fork and one spoon, one large plate, a pasta bowl, two chipped glasses and two mugs, neither of which was Gwen’s.

One of the mugs had an image of a green-and-red dial and the wordsMy Giveashitometer. I was fairly sure that was where his level of wit started and ended. I wondered whether he’d bonded with Scarlett over some mug humour, poor girl.

As I searched the rest of the cupboards, I didn’t find a single pot or pan; judging by the filthy inside of the microwave, it was clear Archer’s idea of cooking involved pressing ‘3 minutes’ and ‘Start’. Even so, I checked every cupboard and drawer before moving upstairs. I reallywanted to find the mug in this house but a sense of foreboding was creeping up my spine. Something told me we were going to be out of luck.

Eva snuffled round at my heels, but she didn’t indicate that she smelled anything out of the ordinary.

I had never had less desire to look in someone’s bedroom or bathroom than Archer’s but I was nothing if not thorough, so I sucked it up like a big girl. Much to my surprise, the bedroom was fairly tidy. A grey bed sheet was spread neatly across the double bed and an electric guitar hung on the wall beside an array of framed vinyls. A thick layer of dust clung to the guitar, which made me suspect that Archer couldn’t actually play it. It was probably there to impress the ladies, though that could only have worked on women with very low expectations who didn’t actually ask him to knock out a tune.

With nothing immediately visible, I had no choice but to look under his bed and through his drawers. As I could have predicted, there were half a dozen magazines I did not want – or need – to flick through to work out what they were, but there was still no sign of the mug or the grimoire. Eva sniffed around the room; although she didn’t look impressed by the musty smell, she didn’t find anything interesting either.

The bathroom was definitely a bachelor’s, but besides the dire need for bleach in his toilet bowl there wasn’t much to see: no interesting drugs in his cabinet, no hidden book or mug.

‘They’re not here,’ I concluded as I walked down the stairs to join Yanni. She’d turned the living room and dining room upside down and her face was glum: she’d reached the same conclusion. I voiced it. ‘Either he’s already sold them on, or he never had them in the first place.’

‘I’ll question him about them but what does your gut say?’ she asked.

I thought back to Scarlett’s comment and sighed. ‘Honestly? I think the grimoire was too big for him to have taken. As for the mug, he knew it was special to Gwen and stealing it would ensure that his game was up. Besides, he was stealing things he thought he could sell for money, so unless he knew what the mug and grimoire really are, there’s no way he would have taken them. Too much risk.’ I sighed unhappily. ‘I don’t think he took them.’

Yanni nodded. ‘I agree, but I’ll press Archer and see what I can get out of him. He’s facing time in jail, so I reckon he’ll sing like a canary about anything he knows.’

I told her about Archer paying small deposits into Scarlett’s bank so he could implicate her if necessary. I had no doubt he’d tryto point the finger at her. Yanni shook her head. ‘This is a mess. I’ll need to interview her and take a statement.’

I winced. ‘She won’t like that – she asked me to keep her out of it. For what it’s worth, I don’t think she was helping him willingly. Anxiety and guilt were rolling off her, and I sensed that she was desperate for me to believe her.’

Yanni put an arm around my shoulder and gave me a squeeze. ‘You were right about Mrs D, and you were right about Sonny. I believe you’re right about this, too.’

The lump in my throat was sudden and choking. She believed me. Just like that.

The sting in my eyes was surely due to the dust in the air and nothing else. I cleared my throat. ‘Thank you. Well, I guess the hunt for the grimoire and cup continues.’

Yanni nodded. ‘Let me know if you need anything. In the meantime, let’s see what Archer has to say for himself.’

‘You’ll tell me?’ I asked in surprise.

She winked. ‘Unofficially.’

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