by Gina LaManna
“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 to 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 inve
stigating 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—”
“Shut up!” Marie said. “We don’t know anything, okay? I don’t know what secrets you’re talking about. You’re imagining things.”
“Fine,” I said. “Then I guess we’re done here. We’ll write off Linsey’s disappearance as voluntary because we have no evidence otherwise. Hope your friend shows up soon!”
“But—” Claire started.
I ignored her. “Matthew—let’s go. We’ve got another case waiting for us where people want to help put the murderer away.”
Matthew’s eyes widened slightly in alarm, but he knew better than to undercut me in front of our interviewees. He stood and followed as I stalked toward the door.
“Wait!” Claire called, just as my hand brushed the knob.
I smiled. Turned around. “Yes?”
“I’ll talk,” Claire said with a guilty glance at Marie. “But I want to speak to you alone.”
“Idiot!” Marie said. “You heard Ms. Margaret! They’re just prying for information on us. If you tell, Claire, they’ll kill you!”
“Quiet,” Matthew said, his voice a deep, cutting lull. “Let her speak.”
Marie clammed up, real fear glimmering in her eyes.
Meanwhile, I perched on the edge of the desk nearest Claire, close enough to appear friendly. “Contrary to what anyone else thinks, you are safe here. Matthew and I will do everything in our power to protect you from whoever they are. But we need you to help us.”
“I’ll help you,” Claire said, “as much as I can.”
“Tell me about Linsey. Has her behavior changed recently?”
“In the past six months, yes,” Claire said. “When we found out that she was supposed to marry Harry a few years back, me and Marie were giddy for her. A prince! How exciting!”
“But she didn’t want that,” I said. “I know. Harry told us.”
“She hated his guts,” Claire said, “which I thought was unreasonable. It wasn’t Harry’s fault—he was just as trapped as her. But she didn’t care and instead tried to make his life miserable. Harry’s such a good sport; he went along with it.”
Matthew cast another look at Marie, who remained sullen and silent, staring at the floor.
“Then about six months ago, I thought she started coming around,” Claire said. “She started spending more time with Harry, and when she talked about him, it was as if she actually liked him. She would sometimes even laugh when she told us something he’d said, and she started pointing out his good qualities instead of his flaws. You know, as if she enjoyed his company. I thought she was coming to her senses finally. I mean, she was set to marry a prince, and a nice guy at that. How much more can you ask for?”
“But that wasn’t the full story.”
Claire shook her head. “I found out that the reason she liked him was because he was cool—her words, not mine. They had worked out a little arrangement where Harry snuck off sometimes, and she snuck off other times. I don’t know what it is Harry does while he’s away—apparently it’s very secret and all hush hush—but I know Linsey was just out there exploring.”
“Exploring...” I prompted. “Men? The borough? Gambling?”
“Clubs, men, drinking,” Claire said dully. “Obviously, that’s not allowed for any member of Gilded Row, especially the soon-to-be princess. She met this guy, I don’t know his name, and he was showing her around. I’m not sure it was even romantic between them. It was more...big brotherly? I know, it sounds weird. I think he owned a club or something, and they hooked up on a party circuit.”
“Our little princess was sneaking out of her fancy galas,” I said, “and heading to the Golden District or beyond for nights of dancing and drinking?”
Claire nodded. “She said she was being responsible about it, but I don’t know. I mean, she was never gone for that long, and it wasn’t like she came back roaring out of control. For her, it was about the freedom. And the dancing. She loved to dance.”
“Do you have any idea what club she went to?” I asked. “Any insights on this guy she was seeing, or tidbits of information that you could give us?”
“There’s only one sort of seedy section in the Golden District,” she said. “The elders leave it be for one reason. They don’t want elves leaving the District, and they know some of our kind have less than savory vices. They’d rather control the vices and take care of bad behavior internally than let it seep into the borough. Appearances count for a lot when it comes to the elfin elders.”
“Apparently,” I said. “Let me get this straight. The Golden District tucks all of its substandard citizens into one little corner?”
“They call it Silver Street,” Claire said. “None of us are allowed there, of course. There’s gambling, drinking, lots of clubs, and even some Silver Collar workers—you know...”
“Escorts?” I prompted.
She nodded.
“Tell me, Claire, what was different about last night? Did you notice anything off about Linsey?”
“Well, I knew she snuck out—she asked me to watch her tiara. I, uh, have it at home, but I couldn’t bring it. Please, don’t make me bring it—her family will know I’m in on her secret, and my reputation will be ruined.”
“We’ll keep it under wraps for as long as we can. We’ll get someone to pick up the tiara later and anonymously reintroduce it as evidence. Fair?”
Claire nodded, and I saw Matthew nod as he made a mental note to have someone pick it up discreetly.
“Thank you,” I said. “When did you start to worry?”
“Right around ten o’clock,” she said. “Linsey wasn’t back for the grand exit. Her carriage guy was there waiting for her, and he was asking around to see if anyone had seen her. Nobody had, obviously. Then the driver called her father, her father called Ms. Margaret I assume, and here we are.”
“What is everyone hiding from us?” I asked her. “Who is going to kill you if you tell your secret?”
“I can’t tell you that.” Claire’s
voice was a whisper. “It wouldn’t help anyone, anyway. It has nothing to do with Linsey’s disappearance.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Please,” Claire murmured. “That’s all I can say.”
“In your opinion,” I asked, struggling to keep my voice calm. “What happened to Linsey?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you think she ran off on her own?” I asked. “This could be very important.”
“No.” Claire shook her head, then looked down at her fingers. “I know it sounds like she was wild and free, but I think...I don’t think she could have.”
“Why not?”
Claire looked up at me, pleading. “Because I think she was falling in love with Henry Thermont.”
Chapter 6
By the time Matthew and I wrapped up our interviews at Ms. Margaret’s finishing school, it was nearing the dinner hour. We’d blown right past lunch while we interviewed several chaperones who had been called into the school for questioning. None of them had seen anything, nor did they have any clue where Linsey might have gone during the gala.
And none of them would reveal the weighty secret that was the elephant in every room on Gilded Row.
“What the hell do you think they’re hiding?” I asked. “I can’t figure out if it’s something horrible and devastating, or something that’s so precious they don’t want outsiders to ruin it.”
“Or all of the above,” Matthew said. “It could be a tradition, or something in their nature that has been kept sacred for centuries. If that’s the case, I’m willing to bet that Linsey won’t have been the first life risked keeping the secret hidden. There will have been others.”
“I wonder if we could find the others,” I mused. “We could dig through old cases, records—something that links Linsey to others like her. We could start looking for patterns between them. And speaking of patterns, are you thinking Linsey’s disappearance is related to the elfin murders?”
