though.”
“The innkeeper is not the brightest of men.” He let his gaze wash over her boy’s clothing in a pointed fashion.
Kate swallowed at the look in his eyes as they locked back onto hers. “Don’t you think we should search another room? Freewater is not exactly suspect.”
Christian turned to glare at the knobby desk in the corner. “There’s nothing else here,” he muttered, irritation in every crease of his face.
“What did you expect?”
He waved her off. “We need to search the people too.”
She stared at him, her mouth dropping slightly. “You think the murderer just brought the weapon he used down to breakfast?”
Christian shrugged. “You never know.”
Benji huffed back through the door. “Mrs. Wicket said that no one was sent to Janson after midnight.”
“Thanks, Benji. What is the atmosphere in the dining room? Anyone getting anxious?”
Benji looked uncertain. “Mr. Crescent was particularly interested in what was happening up here. Mary said he had cornered Mr. Freewater earlier and badgered him about something. And of course Mr. Desmond is especially upset.”
Christian’s face became pensive. Benji watched him anxiously, and even Kate held her breath, though why she was holding her breath she couldn’t say.
“We should search the Crescents’ room next.”
Surprise ran through Kate. She had little doubt they would find anything more than drab yet officious clothing.
Sure enough, between the three of them they discovered nothing of interest in the Crescents’ room. Christian appeared agitated. He hadn’t even made an inappropriate remark in the past hour, and that said something about his state. Surely he hadn’t expected to find anything of value?
“Benji, are you sure you lowoked under the tick?Mattresses make excellent hiding places. No heavy poles or crops? Not even, perhaps, a journal?”
“Mr. Black.” Kate gave him a pointed stare. “We have searched this room three times. We searched through Freewater’s nigh on five times. I don’t know what you expect to find. A loose floorboard? A sign proclaiming where the weapon is hidden?”
Christian cast a speculative glance at the floor and Kate threw her hands up. She was tired of his single-mindedness. She would never have guessed the man would be so thorough. It would be a good trait if expressed in any way other than his obsession with the two rooms they had searched…two rooms at the very bottom of the suspect pool.
She marched forward to tell him so, but a knock at the door stopped her in place.
“Enter,” Christian called out.
Sally opened the door, and Kate’s eyebrows rose as color flooded Benji’s cheeks. The inn was turning into a veritable feast of potential lovebirds. “Pardon me, Mr. Black, Mr. Kaden, Benji, but Mr. Wicket would like to know when the patrons can return to their rooms.”
Christian gave the floorboards one last frustrated glance. “Tell Mr. Wicket that we will be down in ten minutes. Thank you, Sally. Benji, youcan go with Sally. Please report what we talked about to the Wickets. Thank you for helping.”
Benji was hot on Sally’s heels, as he hightailed it from the room.
Christian leaned his head against the wall. “Well, we should get downstairs and search Freewater and Crescent to make sure they aren’t hiding anything.”
“They aren’t hiding anything, Mr. Black.”
His brows rose at the irritation clear in her voice. “How do you know, Mr. Kaden?”
“It doesn’t make any sense. You are just making things difficult for them because they are miserable men you obviously dislike.”
“If that were true, Desmond’s room would be upside down by now.”
“Desmond is a much more likely suspect.”
Christian’s full lips thinned. “Perhaps. Let’s go downstairs, search a few people, and call it a day.”
“What?” Kate felt cold. All of the positive traits she had recently attributed to Christian Black withered under the growing storm of anger,
“The innkeeper is not the brightest of men.” He let his gaze wash over her boy’s clothing in a pointed fashion.
Kate swallowed at the look in his eyes as they locked back onto hers. “Don’t you think we should search another room? Freewater is not exactly suspect.”
Christian turned to glare at the knobby desk in the corner. “There’s nothing else here,” he muttered, irritation in every crease of his face.
“What did you expect?”
He waved her off. “We need to search the people too.”
She stared at him, her mouth dropping slightly. “You think the murderer just brought the weapon he used down to breakfast?”
Christian shrugged. “You never know.”
Benji huffed back through the door. “Mrs. Wicket said that no one was sent to Janson after midnight.”
“Thanks, Benji. What is the atmosphere in the dining room? Anyone getting anxious?”
Benji looked uncertain. “Mr. Crescent was particularly interested in what was happening up here. Mary said he had cornered Mr. Freewater earlier and badgered him about something. And of course Mr. Desmond is especially upset.”
Christian’s face became pensive. Benji watched him anxiously, and even Kate held her breath, though why she was holding her breath she couldn’t say.
“We should search the Crescents’ room next.”
Surprise ran through Kate. She had little doubt they would find anything more than drab yet officious clothing.
Sure enough, between the three of them they discovered nothing of interest in the Crescents’ room. Christian appeared agitated. He hadn’t even made an inappropriate remark in the past hour, and that said something about his state. Surely he hadn’t expected to find anything of value?
“Benji, are you sure you lowoked under the tick?Mattresses make excellent hiding places. No heavy poles or crops? Not even, perhaps, a journal?”
“Mr. Black.” Kate gave him a pointed stare. “We have searched this room three times. We searched through Freewater’s nigh on five times. I don’t know what you expect to find. A loose floorboard? A sign proclaiming where the weapon is hidden?”
Christian cast a speculative glance at the floor and Kate threw her hands up. She was tired of his single-mindedness. She would never have guessed the man would be so thorough. It would be a good trait if expressed in any way other than his obsession with the two rooms they had searched…two rooms at the very bottom of the suspect pool.
She marched forward to tell him so, but a knock at the door stopped her in place.
“Enter,” Christian called out.
Sally opened the door, and Kate’s eyebrows rose as color flooded Benji’s cheeks. The inn was turning into a veritable feast of potential lovebirds. “Pardon me, Mr. Black, Mr. Kaden, Benji, but Mr. Wicket would like to know when the patrons can return to their rooms.”
Christian gave the floorboards one last frustrated glance. “Tell Mr. Wicket that we will be down in ten minutes. Thank you, Sally. Benji, youcan go with Sally. Please report what we talked about to the Wickets. Thank you for helping.”
Benji was hot on Sally’s heels, as he hightailed it from the room.
Christian leaned his head against the wall. “Well, we should get downstairs and search Freewater and Crescent to make sure they aren’t hiding anything.”
“They aren’t hiding anything, Mr. Black.”
His brows rose at the irritation clear in her voice. “How do you know, Mr. Kaden?”
“It doesn’t make any sense. You are just making things difficult for them because they are miserable men you obviously dislike.”
“If that were true, Desmond’s room would be upside down by now.”
“Desmond is a much more likely suspect.”
Christian’s full lips thinned. “Perhaps. Let’s go downstairs, search a few people, and call it a day.”
“What?” Kate felt cold. All of the positive traits she had recently attributed to Christian Black withered under the growing storm of anger,
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