Page 15 of Jane's Story
“Well, I could use some help with this. If we tell everyone you’re my girlfriend and staying here with me for the weekend, it might make sense. We don’t have any policy against having our personal relations being involved—it’s kind of an attempt to be family friendly.” Charles scrunched up his brows and raised his shoulders like he expected me to laugh. “It’s the only excuse I can think of for keeping you, well, and your observation skills, close this weekend.”
I nodded, settling things in my mind. Playing the pretend girlfriend meant he’d seen me only as a friend, and my heart sank a little. At least I knew how he felt, but part of me still clung to hope. I attempted to be nonchalant, but my voice wavered. “If you think it will help, I’d be happy to.”
“Thank you. That doesn’t make you uncomfortable, does it?” He tilted his jaw to the side and studied my face.
“It’s a little unconventional. But to help you and maybe catch a killer, it’s certainly worth it.” In all honesty, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself for abandoning a friend in such a situation. Even if Charles wasjusta friend.
“Jane, you’re the best. We’ll keep this suite. I’ll just take the spare bedroom here and get private rooms for the other guys who were staying in the other suite with me.” Charles relaxed his shoulders and grinned at me.
I gave him a soft smile. At least we were friends. I wanted more. But even as friends, he would be in my life, and his warmth and optimism were contagious. Those were things I could draw upon. It helped me see more possibilities in the world. “Sure. You know, I think there’s a connection between Margery and Armond’s deaths. We might want to see what we can learnabout her past.”
“That makes two of us.” Charles’s sharp jaw tightened. “It’s too much of a coincidence.”
I wondered if there was anything I could contribute to solving this case. Other than my personal observations, I had no special knowledge of the situation. However, I possessed a unique skill. I was a witch.
“I wonder if we can use magic to see what happened.” Magic had gotten my family out of some difficult situations, but we weren’t high fae like Charles’s and Darcy’s families. In fact, being half-witch made us inferior in the eyes of many. Most people didn’t understand that witch abilities didn’t make anyone inherently good or bad. Power came in many forms: money, fame… magic. How we used it defined our character.
“Oh?” Charles raised a brow. “I wish my magic would help. But I’m mostly limited to healing and a few other things.”
Magic could be unpredictable, and I didn’t want to get his hopes up. “I’m not as skilled as my sisters. But to solve a murder, I bet my Aunt Penny can guide me through a seer spell. They recreate a visual of the area where an event happened.”
“She’s the one who lives nearby? We can use any help we can get.”
A loud rap on the door announced our room service. Charles stood and let in a well-groomed porter, who set up the coffee table with steaming cups of tea and biscuits.
After the porter left the room, smiling at his hefty tip, Charles pulled over an armchair for me. “You were saying magic might help? Your aunt, maybe?”
I stirred my tea, breathing in the soothing ginger scent and considering a few options. “Yes. Aunt Penny—she’s done some of her research for the university with magic aiding her. This would be similar in a way. In Austen Heights, the police use magic all the time, and I wish I knew more about their methods. But my aunt’s fairly familiar with that investigative type of magic.”
“If you can get in contact with her, I can send a car to pick her up,” Charles said, but a flash of worry crossed his brow. “But I don’t want you to be in any danger, Jane. Who knows what we’re up against?”
“That’s what I’m wondering. We’ll need to be careful.” I nodded, sipping my tea. Then I pulled out my phone to call Aunt Penny. After I explained the situationto her, she gave it some thought. Her response was enthusiastic but nervous.
“Oh, I haven’t used a sight spell for years now, and I’m a bit out of practice. I would like to be helpful. You’ll have to guide it with your power, Jane. Yours is stronger than mine. Will we be able to access any of the victim’s things?” Aunt Penny fretted. The last thing I wanted was to put her in an uncomfortable position.
“I suppose I can try on my own,” I muttered.
“No, no, dear. I’ll do my best to guide you through it, and I have the supplies you’ll need. Have your fellow find an item or two of the victim’s. I’m looking for my glasses.” She spoke between breaths, probably rushing around her apartment gathering things.
Ending the call, I turned to Charles. “She’s coming. I’m sorry this happened.” I studied his face, still hardly believing I was sitting in a luxury suite, trying to solve a murder with Charles Bingley. It wasn’t at all how I’d envisioned the day going.
“Jane, what do you have to apologize for? You’re here with me during this horrendous time and are being nothing but gracious and kind. I….” Charles paused.
“You?” I encouraged him to continue, but stopped myself from begging for validation.
“Maybe I’m asking too much of you. Now that I think about it, it might be better if you went back home.” He brushed my arm with the back of his hand, just barely, like a whisper. “I worry this may be dangerous.”
His concern was touching, but I wasn't as delicate as I looked. “I’d rather stay. We at least have a plan now, and this is going to haunt me until we find some resolution.”
My implication was that I was talking about the case, but it wasn’t the only thing I wanted to be resolved between us. Broaching the topic didn't frighten me. In fact, I struggled to understand why I didn't, except that maybe I needed to see if Charles would own up to his inexplicable behavior on his own.
“I respect that.” Charles took in slow breath, his mouth forming a straight line. “I’d better make sure my team is all right. I suspect we’ll need to cancel the rest of today’s events. Would you prefer to wait up here while I take care of that?”
Being alone in a hotel suite after finding a dead body didn’t sit well with me. “I’drather tag along.”
"Good." Charles’s dimples made a brief appearance. “We’ll need to talk to a few people downstairs in the conference room.”
Chapter 6
