Page 14 of Kilty Until Proven Innocent
The more time she spent with him trying to hunt down the assassin, the more Brigit came to believe that Drum was telling the truth; that hedidn’tknow anything about the attempt on the King’s life.
If he was innocent, she wasn’t sure how she felt about it.
Well, of course she waspleasedif her lover turned out not to be a traitor. But if it wasn’t Drum who set that elaborate ambush, who?
That’s what ye’re trying to determine, remember?
“The armorer said the bolt came from a weapon issued to the guards,” Drum was saying, pacing behind his desk in the small office he used. “It has to belong to one of them.”
“Or he removed it from the armory,” she pointed out.
“He?” Drum asked, coming to a stop and placing his palms on the desk.
Brigit shrugged, then turned the motion into a rolling of her shoulders. She’d been sitting on this bench for over an hour, keeping notes as he interrogated the guards who were sent in, one after the other. “Whoever the guilty man is.”
“God’s Blood, ye’re right,” he groaned, leaning his weight forward for just a moment. “It could beanyone.”
Could it? “We ken it’s someone who has experience with weaponry. Someone agile. Likely someone tall to wedge the crossbow into that niche. Someone who kens the King’s schedule.”
His expression had turned grave. “There’s no’ many people in the palace who check all those boxes, lass.”
“Which boxes? Who said aught about boxes and checks?”
Drum shook his head. “I just mean, there’s no’ many who meet all those requirements.”
Deciding to push him, to see how he’d react, Brigit held his gaze and said very clearly, “Ye do.”
To her surprise, his lips tugged into a rueful grin and he straightened, scrubbing a hand across his face. His, “Aye,” was muffled until he dropped his hand. “But I ken I didnae do it.” He sent her a wink. “And ye’re too short, lass. So that’s two people in the palace I ken arenae guilty. Unless there’s something ye’re no’ telling me?”
It was said teasingly, but Brigit stood to hide her discomfort. There was plenty she wasn’t telling him, after all, starting withI’m a spyand going all the waytoThe Queen herself tasked me to find evidence of yer guilt so ye can be executed.
Better to laugh it off.
She waved airily as she crossed the door and pulled it open. Outside was the captain of the guard, a gruff older man who wasnotpleased to hear his men were under suspicion.
“What?” he barked. “Ready to interrogate another innocent? I cannae believe ye’re going along with this, Brigit!”
In her role as palace gossip, she kneweveryone. So, offering him a sweet smile, she said, “Och, Bartleby, ‘tisnae so bad. Yer lads arenae harmed and they get a bit of time away from their harsh taskmaster.” She sent him a wink to tell him she didn’t mean it. “Can ye send in the next one?”
“Matthias isnae even grown yet, but aye, if ye want to intimidate and hurt him, I guess I cannae stand in the way of the King’s Hunter, even if the bastard is just trying to foist his guilt on someone else!”
Another wink, although her words were sour in her throat. “I’ll take care of him, Bartleby, I promise. Matthias? We’re ready for ye.”
The captain hadn’t lied; Matthiaswaslittle more than a lad, gangly, pimple-faced, with that strange cockiness sometimes found in youth. He swaggered past Bartleby with an air of certainty that had Brigit sending the captain a teasing look as she shut the door.
Clearly, Matthias isnae terrified.
He sat on the stool Drummond indicated, chin held high as if he had naught to worry about.
Frowning, Drum crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at the lad. “Ye ken about the attempt on the King’s life?”
“Aye, and I ken ye did it,” the guard shot right back. “So why are ye asking us all these questions?”
Drum’s scowl deepened.No’ the tactic to take, laddie.“Because Ididnaedo it, and I’m trying to determine who did. ‘Twas an ambush with a crossbow, and the weapon is in our possession.”
A lie. The crossbow was in the possession of the Queen’s Angels, but the guard wouldn’t know that, and Drum was using it to gain information. Besides, he surely noticed how Matthias paled slightly?
He did.
