Page 18 of The Highland Heist
“But?”
“But why would Lillias want us to deliver this letter to her former maidbeforethe police interviewed her? That seems … odd, doesn’t it?”
He couldn’t deny it. The same thought had been nagging him since Lillias made the request, but between their brief conversations and Grace’s rather spirited driving, there hadn’t been an opportunity to bring it up.
“Grace.”
“The letter isn’t sealed, Frederick.” Her wide eyes implored as her voice dropped to a whisper. “What if reading it could stop something worse from happening? Isn’t it better to be prepared?”
Frederick exhaled a short laugh. “Darling, I admire the heart behind your reasoning, but I also know your keen sense of justice. You’d regret tampering with it later.”
She studied him for a long moment, and then her shoulders drooped. “You’re right. I would.” She sighed, lips twitching faintly. “Mostly.”
“Perhaps if we deliver it directly into Miss Steen’s hands, we can observe her reaction and gather information without compromising Lillias’ trust.”
“You’re right, as usual. My mystery-loving spirit got the better of me. I needed your good sense to rein me in.”
He exited and rounded to her door to assist her. “I don’t think it was the mystery-loving spirit as much as your protective heart,” he said, offering her his arm and starting toward the front door of the house. “This is different from all our other … adventures. It’s your family, Grace. But I hope it will be much more short-lived than our previous cases.”
“Cases!” Her eyes flashed wide with her smile. “Oh, you called them cases. I love it when you refer to us as proper sleuths, Frederick. It’s so exciting.”
Her smile wavered—just the faintest flicker so subtle no one else would have noticed. But Frederick did. He knew those tiny shifts, those rare flakes of vulnerability in her bright optimism. The current situation hit her much more deeply than she let on.
“And,” she added quietly, “with all thefactualdifficulties surrounding this particular situation, it helps to add a little fictional delight. Just enough to soften the ache of reality, don’t you think?”
“One of the many benefits of fiction, darling.” He placed a hand over hers on his arm, his voice dropping as he met her gaze. “But we’re in this together, as we have been. Fiction or no.” A playful wink accompanied his words. “But let’s keep our detective minds sharp until we figure out what your sister has dragged us into, shall we?”
“Yes,” she agreed, squeezing his arm with a conspiratorial smile. “Something feels more unsettled in that house than just the death of my brother-in-law.”
Indeed.
Frederick reached the door first, keeping Grace just a step behind him in preparation for whatever they may find on the other side. His first knock brought no answer, but the second stirred movement. The door creaked open to reveal a much more composed Miss Steen.
“Can I help you?” she asked, her accent carrying the rounded tones of the nearby mountains.
Frederick nodded. “Miss Steen, isn’t it?”
“It is.” Her chin lifted, her eyes narrowing as she gave him a thorough once-over.
“Good afternoon. We’ve come regarding Mrs. Dixon.”
Miss Steen’s sharp gaze darted to Grace, then back to Frederick, and she cast a wary glance at the street. After a moment’s hesitation, she opened the door wider. “He told me you’d be coming, but I didn’t expect you till this evening or tomorrow morning.”
Frederick’s unease deepened.He?How did anyone know they were coming when they hadn’t even known it themselves?
A silent exchange with Grace conveyed the same question. To her credit, her expression remained perfectly neutral save for a subtle quirk of her brow.
“Did he prepare you for our inquiry?” Frederick asked, keeping his question ambiguous.
“Said you’d want to know about the Dixons’ house and all that was going on there.” She chuckled and waved toward a pair of chairs poised around a simple table in the middle of the room. “With what he paid me, I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
Frederick’s mind raced.Paid her?Who exactly did Miss Steen think they were? He gestured for Grace to take a seat, concealing his mounting tension with an obligatory smile. “Thank you for your cooperation. We’re eager to get to the bottom of this matter.”
“Ain’t much guesswork to it.” Miss Steen looked over at Grace. “Is that your secretary or is she one of them new female detectives I’ve heard tell about?”
“The latter, Miss Steen.” Grace perked up at the mention, sending Frederick a saucy grin. “Detective Percy has been an excellent mentor in the process.”
Detective Percyindeed. Frederick’s brows lifted, his lips twitching, but he quickly masked the amusement, turning to Miss Steen with a polite nod.
