by Gina LaManna
“What look?” Harry chewed on his lip. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Fine, we’ll go a different route.” Matthew already felt his patience waning, but he worked hard to restrain it. No sense terrifying a child if he didn’t have to. “You’re seventeen, Harry?”
He nodded.
“Set to marry Linsey Luca next year?”
“Umm—” Harry glanced behind him at Dani. “Who told you that?”
“You’ve got royal blood in the elfin district. Doesn’t take anyone to tell me that.” Matthew smiled, deliberately letting the points of his fangs show in a way Dani had told him was “horrifying” to strangers. “I’ve been around awhile, as I’m sure you know. I knew your great grandfather some time ago.”
Harry’s face paled slightly, but he didn’t flinch. Matthew gave him credit for pure bravado.
“I have a lot of respect for you and your family,” Matthew said, “and I don’t want you to get in trouble, but I’m going to need some answers. Whatever Ms. Margaret wants you to keep quiet—I’m going to need to know that too.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Harry mumbled. “She didn’t give me any look.”
“Alright, let’s come back to that, then,” Matthew said. “How long have you known Linsey?”
“My whole life,” he said. “It’s like you already mentioned. Our families know each other, and we’re set to marry next year.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“Feel about what? I don’t feel anything. It’s just the way things are in Gilded Row.”
Dani let out a snort, then muttered a quick apology.
“You’re young,” Matthew prompted. “You haven’t wondered what else might be out there for you?”
Matthew felt Dani’s eyes on him. She knew where he was going with this line of questioning. Judging by the slight inclination of her head toward him, she approved.
“No, sir,” Harry said. “As you mentioned, I’m part of a royal lineage, and I must follow in the family tradition. There are no other options.”
“Unless, maybe, your betrothed was found dead.” Matthew crossed his arms, letting that sink in. Harry was a smart kid. He’d get it. “Then, you might have a little more time while your family searches for your next mate. Isn’t that right?”
Harry frowned first, thinking it through. Matthew watched as the gears clicked into place, and he looked up with understanding, then dismay. “Oh, sir. I would never do anything to harm Linsey!”
“Right,” Matthew said. “Yet, you were one of the last people to see her alive and well before she vanished. For all I know, the two of you don’t even like each other. Getting rid of her might have made things easier all around.”
“You’re wrong—I actually like Linsey!” Harry’s voice hitched slightly, panic setting in. “I didn’t do anything! I didn’t even think—is she dead?”
“You tell me.” Matthew was stretching, making educated guesses, pressing. It was exactly what he did best. He had sympathy for the kid, but he didn’t appreciate liars. And something was in the water of Gilded Row because everyone had a lie on their lips. “Did you meet Linsey’s carriage at the front entrance to the school?”
“Yes, that’s tradition,” Harry said. “I do that every month. I meet her out front. Everyone knows that we’re one another’s perpetual dates. There’s no question about it—for obvious reasons.”
“You entered the school together.”
“Yes. We do this grand march sort of thing where we parade in with our dates. The teachers and Ms. Margaret and the chaperones all watch and greet us. We know they’re examining our every move—the way we dress, wave, talk, smile. It’s all a show, but that’s what Gilded Row is all about.”
“Fair enough,” Matthew said. “Plenty of people saw her at the grand march. What was she wearing?”
The quick change of subject had Harry floundering for an answer. “Er, um. Some jewels, and, uh...” He hesitated, his cheeks pinkening. “She looked beautiful.”
“Sounds like a man in love,” Matthew said dryly. “When I’m in a relationship, I can tell you every detail of the woman I love. I can tell you that her hair curls when it’s damp, and she smiles at me when she thinks I’m not watching her. I can tell you that her fine black dress brings out the violet in her eyes, and I can tell you she smells like honeysuckle and sugar on a summer’s evening.”
Harry watched Matthew, stunned.
Even more stunned was Dani.
Matthew hadn’t meant to get so carried away, but his point had been driven home. He cleared his throat. “So, you’ll have to excuse me, Harry, when I venture a guess to say you’re not in love with Linsey Luca.”
“No,” Harry whispered. “I don’t love her, but I wouldn’t hurt her.”
“I know,” Matthew said. “I don’t think you did, but if you don’t help us, she will die. End of story.”
Harry shifted in his seat. He glanced at the door, antsy, and gave a shake of his head. “I like her, okay? I like her a lot. We’re friends.”
“I believe you,” Matthew said again, soothing, persuasive. He’d pushed, now all he needed to do was sit back, wait, and tease out the rest of the information from Harry. Matthew King hadn’t reached captain because he sucked at his job. “Start talking, and I promise you, Ms. Margaret doesn’t ever have to find out what you told us.”
“You swear it?”
“I won’t make any promises until after I hear what you have to say,” Matthew said. “Because when I do make a promise, I keep it.”
Harry seemed to think that was fair, so he gave a nod. “Linsey hated me. Or, at least, she used to. Despised my guts.” Harry paused, gave a quick smile. “We were both fifteen when we found out we’d be married as soon as we came of age. She didn’t take it well.”
“Finally, someone with a sane reaction,” Dani muttered, only loud enough for Matthew to hear.
“Linsey was...well, she is very independent.” Harry leaned on the last word, as if even that was being very generous. “She didn’t like being told what to do, and especially not who to marry.”
“Was there someone else?” Matthew asked. “Someone she loved?”
“It wasn’t that,” Harry said, almost wistfully. “It was more about the fact that she didn’t have a choice in the matter. She wanted to be free to travel, to leave Gilded Row, to do all sorts of stuff that other young people get to do. She felt trapped by our impending marriage.”
“You think?” Dani said. “And what about you? Don’t tell me you loved the idea of an early wedding.”
“No, but I have a strong sense of duty,” Harry said. “My family is counting on me to carry on the lineage. Linsey’s a very pretty girl, she comes from a good family. It could have been worse.”
“It could have been worse isn’t exactly a reason most people choose to get married,” Dani said, bringing her pacing to a close as she faced him. She stood at the opposite end of the desk as Matthew, and Harry frequently glanced between them, as if unsure who would fire the next question. “Besides your sense of duty...”
“Okay,” he said. “Fine. Yes. I didn’t love the fact that I was supposed to get married so young, but I wasn’t as opposed to it as Linsey. I’m not as...” He paused, looked down at his fingers. “I’m not as strong willed as her. My father would have been incredibly disappointed in me if I’d done anything to break our legacy, and I wasn’t willing to face that.”
“Linsey was?” Dani asked. “What specifically was she doing to escape?”
Harry shrugged. “I don’t know the details, but we worked out a sort of agreement.”
“Ah,” Dani said knowingly. “And that’s when she stopped hating you.”
“Yes,” Harry said. “Ironically, I would call her my best friend now. You have to find her, Detective. She doesn’t deserve to die.”
“Of course not—she’s just a girl.” Dani frowned. “Was she doing something that might get
her in trouble?”
“Well, yeah. If her dad found out she’d been sneaking off, he would’ve handcuffed her to his gilded doorknob until the day of our wedding. Leonard Luca is not an understanding man. My father would have done the same thing. Pride and appearances count for a lot in Gilded Row.”
“I’m beginning to see that,” Dani said. “Tell me about this agreement you two had.”
“I like music,” Harry said, in what appeared to be a quick flip in subject. “I love it. I play the drums. Linsey found out, and when she did, it was like we began to understand each other.”
“You’ll have to spell it out for me,” Dani prompted. “Because I’m not understanding. What’s wrong with the drums?”
“I’m in a band,” he said. “If my father ever found out, he’d put me under lock and key. If I wasn’t bound by my stupid familial line, I’d want to tour the world with my band. We’re called the Ogre Eaters. You should check us out sometime.”
“Great,” Dani said, a wisp of disbelief in her voice. “We’ll, ah, do that. So, music is frowned upon in Gilded Row?”
“Not exactly. But the type of music I like, yes. And there’s no way a prince is supposed to be a touring musician. My father would put the kibosh on that immediately.”
“What did Linsey like to do?” Matthew asked. “I assume she had a part in this agreement that worked for her as well?”
“She liked to explore,” Harry said. “So, we took turns sneaking out. Last night was her turn to sneak out.”
“Where’d she go?” Matthew asked. “And with who?”
“Look, I don’t know. I’ve already told you more than I should have, and that’s the truth.”
“How long has this been going on?” Dani asked.
“Months,” Harry said. “Probably upwards of a year. Linsey caught me sneaking out one night when we were supposed to be spending time together, and from there on out, things escalated. It was her idea, and I was happy enough to go along with it. On Thursdays, I play with my band while she signs us in to the study hall at the library. Our names are both on the list, and our parents are happy with the arrangement. I suspect they think we’re—I don’t know, canoodling or something. It’s quite the opposite.”
“Quite,” Dani said dryly. “And in exchange...”
“I cover for her when she wants to get out of a gala or whatever. It’s not hard. I often just go sit in a bathroom somewhere for a bit and come back and give people a little smile and say Linsey and I were busy.” Harry gave a dark sort of grin. “People assume a lot of things. Especially when they want it to be true.”
“I see,” Dani said. “And somehow, you became close enough to call her your best friend?”
He gave a sheepish smile. “It just sort of happened. Linsey knows more about me than anyone else—just by the sheer fact that we have to trust each other with our biggest secrets. Frankly, I wouldn’t even mind marrying her, but I don’t think she wants that. We understand one another now, though, and I think she almost likes me.”
“But she doesn’t want to marry you,” Dani prompted, “and that could ruin things for you. There’s still incentive for you to—”
“No.” Harry shook his head. “I wouldn’t hurt her. I like her too much. Also, I hate to say it, but my family would just find me another bride. I’m the prince—it’s not me who stands to lose a lot. It’s her.”
“And she was ready to risk it all for a chance at freedom,” Dani said. “Shame it turned out the way it did.”
“Where’d she go last night?” Matthew pressed. “You must have a suspicion for how Linsey used her free time.”
“She used it to get outside of Gilded Row,” Harry said, his eyes darkening. “I don’t know anything more than that. We didn’t get into specifics, in order to protect ourselves. I didn’t tell her where our band practiced or any of that.”
“That way you could both plead innocent if one of you was caught,” Dani said. “Or somewhat innocent, at least.”
“Yep,” Harry said, matter-of-factly. “Like I said, we were loyal. Neither of us wanted to take the other down if we messed up and got caught.”
“You think Linsey messed up?” Dani asked quickly. “She went too far?”
“I’m not saying that,” Harry said. “But she was supposed to meet me back at the gala at a quarter to ten last night. It was customary for me to give her a polite goodnight kiss on the cheek before the exit march. We tried to perform the ritual in front of Ms. Margaret if possible—we know she reports back to our parents—and then we’d say goodnight. Nobody pays attention during the actual gala, and people are always mingling around and moving from room to room. She’s snuck out maybe six of the last ten galas? We’ve never had a problem before. If she didn’t return, it’s because she’s in trouble.”
“Why her?” Dani asked. “What is it about Linsey that might cause someone to kidnap her?”
Harry blinked. It was as if the word kidnap hadn’t yet crossed his mind. “Well...she’s beautiful for starters,” he said, recovering quickly. “She’s the most beautiful elf in Gilded Row—that’s one of the reasons she was chosen to be my princess. She’s smart, and she’s fun—she’s really funny actually, once she doesn’t hate you.” Harry paused for a grin as he remembered something neither Matthew nor Dani could see. “I suppose she’s rich too—I don’t care about that, but someone else might.”
“Holy smokes,” Dani muttered under her breath. She moved closer to Harry, and louder, murmured to him. “You are falling in love with her, aren’t you, Harry?”
Harry’s head swiveled up to face Dani. He looked stricken, as if the realization had just dawned on him as well. “Oh, my God,” he murmured, his mouth parting in surprise. “I am in love with Linsey Luca.”
Chapter 5
“Poor kid,” I said with a wry smile at Matthew. “Nothing like realizing you’re in love, just after the elf of your dreams has been kidnapped.”
Matthew returned my grim smile with one of his own. “Sometimes it takes catastrophic events to make one realize how much they love another.”
I shifted uncomfortably under his piercing gaze, leaning back against the desk to avoid eye contact. I suspected he was referring to more than the smitten young Harry, and I didn’t know how to respond. Especially since Matthew and I couldn’t be together these days—what with me reporting to him and all. So, I reverted the focus back the investigation, lest we drift into dangerous waters.
“Harry really didn’t know where Linsey went,” I said. “He would have told us. He wants to see her returned alive, I’m sure of it.”
“I agree,” Matthew said. “But he’s still keeping something from us. He gave us plenty of reasons that she might be kidnapped, but I’m not convinced that’s everything.”
“You think they’re all keeping a secret from us,” I said. “Leonard, Ms. Margaret, Harry... the elfin population as a whole.”
Matthew steepled his fingers, staring at the desk. “Yes. I don’t know what, or why, but there’s something larger than the life of one girl at stake here.”
“I don’t know what else could be so important. She’s just a child!”
“Well, some secrets are devastating,” Matthew said, and again, I was under the impression he spoke from experience. “This must be one of them.”
The door opened to Ms. Margaret’s office, and the headmaster showed in both girls. Marie and Claire were two pretty young elves, both blond, both dressed in pretty little dresses with hair pleated and shiny.
“Hello, ladies,” I said as the door closed, and the headmaster retreated with Harry. “Have a seat.”
The girls took both chairs opposite the headmaster’s desk and looked down at their hands. They could’ve been twins for all I knew, though Marie was a bit rounder, softer than her counterpart. Claire was all sharp cheekbones and pointed ears while Marie had a little button nose and chubbier cheeks.
“Ms. Margaret tells us that you’re friends with Linsey,” I said.
“We’re investigating her disappearance and are operating under the impression that Linsey has been kidnapped. We can use any help we can get to confirm or deny that theory.”
“Is she okay?” Claire asked. “Will she be okay?”
“If you help us, and we find her, then we think it’s possible. We can only hope we’ll make it in time,” I said. “However, two other young elfin women were not so lucky this week. I encourage you to be honest with us, or else I’m afraid there’s a very real possibility Linsey’s life will remain in danger.”
“But I—” Claire began. “No! She’s got to be alive!”
“Why do you say that?” I asked. “Have you heard from her?”
“She means that Linsey is our friend,” Marie said, glaring at Claire. “She wants to see her returned safely.”
I focused on Claire, the more distraught of the two. I sensed she’d be the one to break first. Marie had obviously been warned, or coached, by Ms. Margaret or her parents, and for whatever reason, she would likely clam up if I pushed too hard. “Claire, you seem upset that Linsey’s gone. Tell us a bit about her. How long have the two of you been friends?”
“Forever!” Claire said, gasping with stress. “We grew up as neighbors! We have played together since we were kids.”
“Then you must know her personality, her patterns, her life very well,” I said. “Tell me about her now. Has she changed recently?”
“N-no,” Claire said, but her eyes flicked toward Marie as if for confirmation. “She’s always been outgoing and fun. She’s very smart, too, and a great friend.”
“A friend you won’t have if you don’t help me,” I said. “Look, I know there’s some secret you all are keeping from us, and frankly, that’s fine. You don’t want to divulge elfin knowledge to an outsider? That’s your prerogative. But the things you tell me could help save a young woman’s life. If it were you out there, Claire, wouldn’t you want Linsey to do everything she could to get you back?”
Claire’s lip trembled. “Y-yes, but—”
