She did not bark and wag her tail, but only because she needed to glare while she shifted an ice bag to her hip.
Owen deposited a cup of hot chocolate in front of her. “A little caffeine, enough to help your headache but not enough to do more damage.”
She took a sip and sighed. She could get used to being spoiled.
After digging around in a kitchen drawer, Owen came back with a battered tablet and a pen. “Who are the suspects?”
“Dante and I discussed that,” Connor said, “in the pool.”
Owen tapped the pen. “Any conclusions?”
“Nothing definitive,” Dante said, “and I could use insight from you both. You’ll see people differently because you weren’t raised in the culture.”
“The culture?” Maarja widened her eyes. “Is that what we’re calling it now?”
Dante ignored her sarcasm. “In no particular order—Jack. Ilike Jack for the next self-appointed crime lord. He went into the police to get a grip on the department, and during training, we lost him. His primary loyalty switched to the department. He’ll only give us what he considersappropriateinformation, and he’s been as pure as the driven snow.”
In a dun-dun-DUN tone, Connor said, “Or at least…so he says.”
Owen scribbled on the paper.
“Can we put Béatrice on the list?” Maarja asked. “She is so whiny, she’s not even real.”
Owen scribbled again, putting down names and notes.
“Sure. Not real is suspicious.” Connor nodded. “Not to mention she’s annoying. Jack is yourprimarysuspect, Dante?”
“I said in no particular order.” Dante’s expression became still and dangerous. “Andere.”
Maarja fought dismay. “I told you it wasn’t—”
“You told meyoukilled my father, not Andere.”
“And that bitch Tabitha heard me confess and told everyone.”
Owen scribbled.
“I didn’t mean she was a suspect,” Maarja told him.
“Who did she tell?” Owen asked sensibly. “Who passed it on from there? Who put her in place to listen? Tabitha’s a link.”
“And a stink.” Maarja touched her forehead with one finger. She hadn’t had enough sleep and she had a headache, and she was tired of being suspicious of everybody. Someone had to find a way to flush out the bad guys. Someone had to find a solution to this hard-fought and surreptitious battle. Soon.
Owen patted her hand. “You’ll get the hang of this sooner or later.”
“Sooner would be better, huh?” Like immediately. She turned back to Dante. “Why do you say Andere?”
“Because of your confession, I can acquit him of killing my father. Yet Andere came from a long line of sycophants to the Arundel family. He never wavered in his devotion to my father,regardless of what evil deeds Benoit performed. Andere suffered in the explosion and recovered, and I never questioned that his loyalty transferred to me. He has done whatever Mère and I required to enforce the changes we demanded.” Dante spoke to her as if she were the only one at the table.
She got the message. “Andere’s well-acquainted with evil deeds. He can torture. He has killed.”
Dante leaned back. “He has.”
“Who in your organization hasn’t?” She thought that was a sensible question.
No answer.
“The women don’t. For the most part, right?”
