by Gina LaManna
“I received a Comm from her driver, wondering where she was,” Leonard said. “The name of the carriage company is called Castle Caravans, and they are renowned for their work in Gilded Row.”
“Do you have the name of the driver?” Matthew asked.
“I don’t offhand, but the company will. They send a different driver depending on the night. They are all excellent.”
“Did you talk to anyone at her school?” Matthew leaned forward. “Did you confirm she arrived at the gala?”
“Yes, of course. I spoke with Margaret, who confirmed she saw my daughter at the gala. Margaret distinctly remembered complimenting Linsey on her tiara. It had been passed down from her grandmother, and Linsey told her so.”
“Okay, so Linsey arrived at the gala,” Matthew said. “What time did Margaret see her?”
“At the beginning. It’s customary for Margaret to greet the students as they enter,” Leonard said. “That’s when she last spoke to Linsey. There are over six hundred young elves who attend these functions; she can’t keep her eye on them all at once. There were plenty of other chaperones, but not one that has come forward with a memory of seeing Linsey after the grand march. The entrance, that is.”
“Okay, so she shows up,” I said. “Marches into the place. Neither Margaret nor any of the chaperones see her after that. So, it’s possible someone grabbed her right after the entrance march. Or, it’s possible she took off.”
“My daughter—”
“She’s seventeen,” I said. “I’m sure she’s a wonderful girl, but we have to consider the fact that she might have ditched the party to do something else with her friends.”
“Something else? Like what? Everyone she knows is at that event. All her friends and even her cousins. There’s nobody else she might have been with.”
“We’re operating under the suspicion that she was taken without her permission,” Matthew said smoothly. “Detective DeMarco is only suggesting that it’s dangerous for us to assume anything. Our first priority is to get your daughter back safely.”
“You will have to discuss further details with the school,” Leonard said. “I was not there, so I am basing all I’m telling you off hearsay.”
“We’ll go there next,” Matthew said. “I assume you can arrange a visit for us?”
Leonard gave a slow nod.
“Before we leave,” Matthew said, “I have a few more questions. Has your daughter’s behavior changed at all in recent weeks?”
“Changed?”
“Her routines, schedules, attitudes...even her sleep patterns. Has she been chattier? Quiet? Home all the time, or maybe not at all?”
Leonard’s pale face bloomed with the slightest hint of pink on his cheeks. “You’re assuming she left of her own accord, too.”
“No, but I am trying to understand your daughter,” Matthew said. “I need to know what she was thinking, where she was going, who she was talking to. There’s a very good chance your daughter wasn’t snatched at random.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means,” Matthew said, “that she might have been taken by someone she knows.”
“For what purpose?” Leonard asked. “Ransom money? Everyone she knows lives in Gilded Row—nobody needs her money. Her friends are all extremely wealthy—we’ve made sure of it.”
“Ransom is just one route a kidnapper might take,” Matthew said, “but I suspect you know there are plenty of other reasons why someone may have taken your daughter.”
Leonard looked livid. “Like what, Captain? What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that we need to know everything we can about your daughter. That’s all.”
“No,” Leonard said. “We are private. We don’t bother others. I don’t know who would have done this, let alone why.”
“Mr. Luca.” Matthew let out a long sigh. “We have discovered the bodies of two elves just this week. I’m hopeful there’s no correlation, but we have to take everything into consideration, and we believe your daughter’s life may be in jeopardy. If there’s anything at all you can remember about her or her friends and family, please get in contact with us.”
“We’re not missing any of our people from Gilded Row, and we do not associate with the residents of Silver Street,” Leonard said. “So, I don’t see how it’s related. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting I simply can’t reschedule.”
Matthew stood, and it was clear I was supposed to follow suit. He waited for me to walk ahead of him, probably so he could ensure I kept my trap shut for the rest of our stay.
“And, Captain,” Leonard said, his voice a thin ribbon winding a threat through the air, “I suggest you find my daughter. Fast. Or the new mayor will be hearing about this, and so will the chief.”
We let ourselves out of the house, though Edward scurried valiantly behind us in an effort to perform his duties as butler. By the time we climbed down the stairs, Matthew’s speed had picked up to a superhuman rate, and I had to jog to keep up.
“He’s hiding something,” Matthew said. “He knows something, and he’s playing a dangerous game. If he doesn’t come clean, his daughter could die.”
“What about Linsey’s mother?” I asked. “I’m willing to bet if she knows anything, she’ll talk. Why wasn’t she there?”
“She has taken ill,” Matthew said with thinly veiled distaste. “The stress of finding her daughter missing has made it impossible for her to entertain company.”
“Or so Leonard says?” I guessed. “We have to get her to talk. There’s something weird going on here. When you mentioned the bodies of the two elves being found, Leonard Luca tried to hide it, but he knew them. Or knew of Maybelline and Lillie, at least.”
Matthew bit his lip, surveyed the golden cathedral behind us. “All that glitters...”
I stood next to him, feeling the frustration radiating from his body. Resting a hand on his arm, I murmured quietly, tugging the sleeve of his suit away from the Luca residence.
“Come on,” I said. “We’ll find Linsey with her father’s help or without it. We have to meet Margaret before it’s too late. Which way to the school?”
Chapter 3
Margaret’s Finishing School for Young Elves was located in the center of a glittering park. A golden road led the way between carefully constructed pools of metallic liquids. A mercury like substance slid smoothly beneath the bridge as we crossed it, and glittering bulbs of silver and platinum bobbed in the grassy greens where flowers should have been.
It was an ethereal sort of place, perfectly manicured and dutifully exquisite. Places to sit were few and far between, and it was clear this beauty was meant for looking only.
Matthew and I made our way to the entrance of the stately building. The roof was held up by ten golden columns over a sleek golden floor. The sun glinted off every surface, and I had to squint my eyes until we stepped indoors.
“Do elves have bionic vision?” I asked. “I can’t see a thing out there.”
“They have incredible sight,” Matthew said, “and they’re drawn to gold. Wealth. Hence Gilded Row and the Golden District.”
“If I could just have one of those columns from out front,” I said, thumbing over my shoulder, “I’d never have to work again.”
Matthew gave a bark of laughter, which drew the eyes of the receptionist toward him. The rest of the lobby was silent as a tomb.
“You tried to give up work and stay away from the precinct,” Matthew said with a low murmur. “How’d that pan out?”
“Ha-ha,” I said, marching straight for the front desk. “Hi, I’m Detective DeMarco, and this is Captain King. Any chance you’re expecting us? We’re here to see Margaret.”
The stern receptionist blinked, her smooth skin crinkling ever-so-slightly in dismay, as if I’d dropped a dead fish on her desk, and she was trying to be polite about it. “Mr. Luca called and arranged for a meeting. Please have a seat, and Ms. Margaret will be with you shortly. Would you like som
ething to drink?”
I glanced toward the corner of the room. “Is that coffee I see?”
“Yes, help yourself.”
“I think I will,” I muttered to Matthew. “Better than the gunk at the office.”
“You love that gunk,” Matthew said. “It’s got character.”
“Well, this,” I said, pouring a smooth, piping hot cup of the stuff, “has taste. Which is infinitely better than character. At least when it comes to coffee.”
Matthew wrinkled his nose. “Your heart beats faster when you drink that garbage.”
“It’s easy to frown upon caffeine when you can’t have it,” I said. “I think synthetic blood is gross, but you don’t see me slamming you for drinking it.”
Matthew’s lips drew to a thin line, but at that moment, the receptionist dinged a little golden bell on her desk and called for our attention.
“Ms. Margaret will see you now,” she said, standing to show off a smart, clearly expensive skirt and shirt combo. “Right this way.”
We followed the trim, beautiful receptionist down a gleaming hallway until a large, heavy wooden door blocked our path. Our guide rested her hand on the outside, and it slid open under her touch. “Please have a seat, and Ms. Margaret will be right with you.”
I glanced down at my golden mug of coffee, debating if I was allowed to ask for a refill. Matthew cleared his throat, as if reading my mind, and I refrained.
“Where should I put this?” I asked instead.
“I’ll take it for you.” The receptionist pulled a handkerchief from her shirt and grasped the handle as if it contained a flesh-eating virus. “Thank you.”
Matthew and I glanced around, waiting for Ms. Margaret while studying the room around us. There were just enough plaques and trophies along the shelves to show her pride for her school, but not so much that it appeared cluttered. There was a delicate nameplate on her desk slathered in gold, and a gorgeous bookshelf built straight into the wall and filled with all sorts of tomes and manuscripts and texts.
I was running my finger along one of the books, scanning the title (Dainty Delicacies of Southern France) when a slight creak alerted me to another’s presence. Pulling my finger from the book, I hid my hand guiltily behind my back as if I were a kid in detention. It took a minute to remember that I was the cop, and I was allowed to be here asking questions.
“Good afternoon, Captain King,” Ms. Margaret said, addressing Matthew first. Then she turned to me. “I see you found something interesting, Detective DeMarco.”
I gave a nod, still too paranoid to open my big fat mouth and get Matthew upset with me all over again. To my surprise, however, he seemed almost as intimidated by the woman as I felt.
Ms. Margaret was slim, like most of the elves, with the customary point to her ears. She wore her silvery hair piled in an intricate braid on her head, and she was dressed in a smart black dress with no-nonsense gold jewelry. She gestured for us to take a seat.
We all sat. Matthew looked extremely uncomfortable in the straight-backed chair, and I took his lingering silence as the cue for me to kick things off.
“Thank you for having us, Ms. Margaret,” I said. “Your school is beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
“Obviously, we are here for a less-than-pleasant reason,” I said. “We are looking into the disappearance of Linsey Luca.”
“Linsey,” Ms. Margaret said. “Yes. A lovely girl.”
“You saw her last night,” I said. “Can you tell us about it? Everything you can remember, please.”
“As you appear to know, we host monthly galas at the school—a sort of luxury mixer for youths of the Golden District to meet and greet one another, to network and form relationships, and of course to dine and dance and have an enjoyable evening away from their parents.”
“Sounds...” I hesitated, on the verge of saying stifling, but I choked it back and nodded. “What a lovely event.”
Her eyes flicked to me, and I knew she wasn’t fooled. “We have our culture here in the Golden District, especially in Gilded Row, Detective. You may not understand it, but what you find dated and antiquated, we happen to cherish as tradition.”
I blinked. “Including the arranged marriages of eighteen-year-old girls?”
“I do not arrange marriages, and if families choose to do so, that is their right,” Ms. Margaret said briskly. “I, for one, believe it can be a useful tool in society. Regardless, let us return to your question. I did see Linsey last night; however, it was for a brief moment. She wore a beautiful gown as always, and she was an impressive display in the grand march.”
I bit back my thoughts on Linsey being no more than a display, a pretty little thing for people to examine and admire like a gem or a diamond. “After the grand march—did you see her? Did anyone see her?”
“I did not,” Ms. Margaret said. “I have compiled a list of all of the chaperones, as well as a list of our students, for you to have. However, we request you follow up with the chaperones first and leave the students out of this for as long as possible.”
“I think we can agree to that with one caveat,” I said. “We will have to speak to Linsey’s friends. Who does she spend time with at the galas normally?”
“Well, Harry, of course,” Ms. Margaret said. “Her soon-to-be betrothed. However, her best female friends are Marie and Claire. Both girls are Linsey’s age and of Gilded Row. Their families approve of their friendship.”
“Well, that’s great,” I said. “We’re going to need to meet with them.”
“I assumed so,” she said smoothly. “I’ve had them escorted to the school. When I learned of our meeting, I thought it best we take care of any... questioning here.”
I assumed that was code for: We don’t want cops going door-to-door in our gorgeous Gilded Row, but it worked for me. Less traipsing across town meant more time to focus on the case, which was the only thing I cared about.
“After you’re through with them, the rest of our young men and women will be left alone.”
I agreed quickly. “Did you notice anything odd at the gala? Were there any uninvited guests, any disturbances, anything out of the norm?”
“Our galas run with the utmost efficiency,” Ms. Margaret said. “If they didn’t, my name would mean nothing.”
“I understand,” I said. “And if you cooperate, we’ll do our best to keep our interruptions here to a minimum.”
“I am cooperating,” Ms. Margaret said. “I’m letting you talk to the children. When I spoke to the others, we agreed—”
“The others?” I interrupted. “Who did you speak to about this?”
Ms. Margaret held her gaze surprisingly even, though there was a noticeable hesitation in her words. “Yesterday evening when the Luca family Commed to inquire about Linsey, I discussed the oddity with the other chaperones and Mr. Luca. We agreed the other children shouldn’t be involved.”
I glanced over at Matthew, but he didn’t seem keen on her answer, and that made two of us. “Ms. Margaret,” I said, leaning closer to the desk. “It’s very important you tell the truth if we’ve any hope of finding Linsey alive.”
“I’ve nothing to hide,” she said coolly. “A young woman’s life is at stake. You have the full extent of our cooperation.”
“Two elfin women are already dead,” I said. “Linsey will be next. I’m just asking for you to mull that over while we speak with her friends.”
I stood abruptly and stormed to the back of the room. I had nowhere to go because Harry, Marie, and Claire were being brought to the office, so I returned to studying the inane manuscripts (Table Settings for Dinner Parties of the Rich and Famous) while Ms. Margaret and Matthew studied one another in silence.
“Detective DeMarco is correct,” Matthew reiterated. “If we don’t find Linsey soon, she won’t be coming back alive.”
Chapter 4
Matthew studied the three children standing before him in the hallway. Ms. Margaret called them young m
en and women, but to Matthew they looked like mere babes. It didn’t help that he was centuries old. However, unlike Dani, he understood some things she didn’t when it came to etiquette in the Golden District.
Matthew had been born in an era where courtships were entirely different than in modern society—he’d lived when civilizations had rigid, developed class structures and much was expected of them based solely on bloodlines. He could understand the nuances of Gilded Row in ways that Dani might never be able to comprehend.
“You first,” Matthew said with a nod toward the boy. “Harry, is it? Into the office, please.”
The two girls stood against the wall, eyeing Matthew. Fear radiated from them, as well as wild curiosity. They’d probably never seen a vampire before.
Dani and Ms. Margaret waited in the office while Matthew fetched the boy. Dani looked up, her eyes curiously raking over the young man’s frame, probably finding him far too young for marriage, just as she’d predicted. She was probably correct.
“Have a seat,” Matthew said. “Can we get you something to drink?”
“No, sir,” Harry said. “Is this about Linsey?”
Matthew was impressed by his stoic response. Many adults quaked when they met him, let alone children. Harry didn’t so much as quiver.
“It is,” Matthew said, then he glanced at Ms. Margaret. “Please give us a minute alone.”
“But—”
“We’ll just be a second,” Matthew said gently. “Thank you.”
He waited until Ms. Margaret had stood and moved lithely into the hallway to wait with the other girls. He hadn’t been able to tell whether Ms. Margaret wanted to stick around to ensure Harry’s safety, or if she wanted to make sure he didn’t say anything untoward. Best to get her out of the room either way.
Harry scratched at his wrist as he watched Ms. Margaret leave, her skirt swishing around her ankles as she whisked through the door, pausing for one last glance over her shoulder. Her eyes met Harry’s. Then she disappeared into the hallway.
“What was that?” Matthew asked, nonchalantly resting against the desk while Dani prowled behind the kid. “Ms. Margaret. That look.”
