“No you haven’t,Mija. It’s only forever if you’re too stubborn and proud to go and tell that man that you love him.”
“Cielos Abuelo,I’ve known him for less than two weeks.”
He raised his eyebrows at me.“¿Y?”
“And everybody knows that isn’t enough time to fall in love with someone.”
“Why is your heart breaking if you didn’t lose someone you love?” He wiped a tear from my cheek. It only took one night for me to know yourAbuelawas the one for me. Maybe this young man is the one for you. Maybe he’s not. But whatever you do,Mija,don’t lose yourself too. You need to figure out who you are, who you want to be.”
His words reverberated through my soul, the resolution of a chord I hadn’t realized was incomplete. I hugged him. “Gracias, Abuelo.”
“You’ll figure it out,Mija.”
It took me about ten minutes to drive to the beach. North of the lighthouse there was a walking path, and I set off on it. I opened my senses fully, welcoming the wind that bit at my cheeks and nose, the smell of salt on the air, and the scrape of tiny grains of sand that covered the otherwise smooth path. The rhythmic crash of the waves against the rocks was comforting somehow, and I asked myself questions I hadn’t dared to consider. Things like, “what do I want from my life?” and “who do I want to be?”
After the second mile, I had come to terms with all the ways I hadn’t been true to myself. After another three, I had a plan.
I covered my face in enough makeup to mostly hide my splotchy eyes and made three stops: Rosings Park, the courthouse, and Ink by Inez, before heading to Lillian’s house.
She looked puzzled when she answered the door and saw me standing on her porch, but brightened when she saw the coat. “Thank you. I forgot I’d left that at…” Her shoulders slumped. “Come in.”
I followed her into her gorgeous craftsman home. It smelled of nutmeg and citrus and was decorated tastefully with holly sprigs above every window and a beautifully trimmed tree.
She gestured to a little couch that was covered with too many red and gold throw pillows. I scooted one to the side to give myself room to sit.
“I spoke to Walter,” I said. I was too miserable to bother with formalities.
“Oh.” Her cheeks reddened. “What did he tell you?”
“Only that you could confirm his alibi. He wouldn’t tell me what you two were doing, only that you were at the rehearsal hall during the murder.”
“I was, but I left before it happened, I promise. I was only there for a few minutes.”
“What were you doing there?”
She stiffened, and for a minute I didn’t think she was going to tell me, but she snatched up a throw pillow, hugging it to her chest. “I’ve been selling Walter my musical talent.”
Shock coursed through me. “How is that even possible?”
She straightened. “One day a few months ago he was whining about how he isn’t as good as me at the harp. I offered to tutor him, but he said he had a better idea.” She fiddled with the tassels from the pillow, not meeting my eyes. “He told me that his gift allows him to absorb other people’s talents. Languages, artistic ability, even physical skills. He told me he’d pay me if I let him borrow my talent, just long enough for him to be a soloist at the pops concert to appease his parents.”
Disappointment settled heavily in my gut. The thought of someone like Walter, someone who had everything handed to him, getting credit for Lillian’s talent didn’t sit right with me. “Lillian, if you needed money—”
“Don’t. It’smytalent. I’ve spent years honing it and I have nothing to prove. He paid me well and I was able to pay off this house early because of it.”
I swallowed. “I’m sorry. I’m not judging you, I just can’t help but think less of Walter.”
She shrugged. “It’s fine. After this concert I’ll be back to getting all the solos.”
“I’d noticed he suddenly sounded better,” I said. “When do you get your talent back?”
“Oh, the transfer doesn’t last more than twenty-four hours. We’ve been meeting before rehearsals so he can get charged up before he has to play. But when Fred called this extra meeting to check the sound, Walter asked if I could meet him at de Bourgh Hall. He snuck me in and I charged him up, then left. But I wasn’t as stealthy as I thought, because I forgot my coat. Thanks for bringing it back to me.”
“You’re welcome.” I realized I was still holding the coat. I stood and handed it over to her. “I won’t tell anyone about the talent,” I said. “It’s nobody’s business.”
“Thank you.” She walked me to the door. I was halfway down the front steps when she called me back.
“Anne, you forgot your tape!”
