Odd. Adam Barker’s murder happened almost a week ago. Working in public relations might mean she’s exceptionally hard hit by the event, but I’ve never seen her this shaken about anything before, not even her father’s arrest.
“It’s terrifying that something like that could happen here, but Seven is a genius when it comes to security. We’re working with Godmother, and we are going to make sure it never happens again.” This is one of those times when I’m happy to know how to bluff. I have no idea if what I’m saying is true or not. I hope it is. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned since I’ve returned to Dragonfly Hollow, it’s to expect the unexpected.
She closes her eyes and gives her head a slow shake. “To think that the killer is still out there somewhere… It’s chilling.”
I stop, my morning brain grinding on that thought. “You don’t believe River is the killer?”
Her lashes flutter and she inhales deeply, collecting herself. “Do you? He hardly seems the type. I know he was over the body and everything, but what motivation could he have for killing that man? He counts on humans for his business.”
“I don’t believe he did it either. I guess that’s why Godmother assigned me to help investigate what happened.”
She sighs. “I’m glad you’re on this, Sophia. I trust you. You’ll sort it out.”
“I’m not a trained investigator. I’ve never shot a gun or served in a security capacity. Even what went down with your dad wasn’t completely my doing. I’m not qualified for this really, but Seven and his team are, and I’ll do what I can to help.”
She leans back, her mouth a straight slash. “You are exactly qualified for this,” she says. “You’ve always underestimated yourself, even when we were children. You have an uncanny ability to read people. You may not be a detective, but you can see right through a lie like no one I’ve ever met. What is solving a crime anyway but deconstructing the lies around it?”
Great. Eva is the third person to nudge at the idea that my ability to lie and to smell a lie are my superpowers. I don’t want to be known as a liar, not anymore. I thought I’d escaped all that when I came back here. Especially now, with Arden deciding to stay in Dragonfly and the life I’ve always wanted so close I can taste it, all I want is to be seen. I want my life to be genuine.
I glance at my watch. It’s almost time for my class to start. “Speaking of bluffing, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?”
She rubs her eye. “This actually. Have any of your students asked about what happened last weekend?”
I shake my head. “None. I’m pretty sure the humans see it as an isolated incident. Honestly, when I was living in America, shootings happened every day. Comparatively, Dragonfly Hollow is incredibly safe, and Godmother did a great job spinning it as a personal squabble between River and the victim even though we both know that’s not true.”
She frowns, her gaze drifting. “Let me know if it becomes an issue. I can give you talking points.”
“Okay,” I say, slightly confused as to why this warranted a personal meeting.
She gives me a dismissive smile. “Thanks for stopping in.”
ChapterTwelve
“Mr. Tannenbaum, you had a question?” I brace myself. He hasn’t won a hand yet, and none of my lessons seem to be sinking in. He’s playing the same way he did on day one.
The elderly man scratches his ear. “You keep telling us to assign a range to each of our opponent’s hands, but how is guessing what cards they have helpful? How should we know what they’re holding?”
“It’s true that unless you’re psychic, you don’t know for sure what cards are in your opponent’s hand until you see them, but you can assume a range based on what’s in your hand and what’s on the table. There are only four aces in a deck. If two are in your hand and two are on the table, how many does Marjory have?”
“None. But that kind of thing doesn’t happen very often,” he grumbles.
“No, it doesn’t. But keep an eye on your opponent’s behavior and you’ll have another clue. Do they glance at their chips? Are their fingers trembling? Did the corner of their mouth twitch when they first looked at their cards? Every player has their tell, you just have to learn to watch for it.”
He leans back in his chair and narrows his eyes on his wife. “What’s in your hand, Janice?”
She laughs. “You can find out at the end of the game or if you pry these two cards from my cold, dead body.”
A chill runs through me at the turn of phrase, and Adam Barker’s last moments flash through my mind. Adam guarded that rock with his fist until it rolled from his cold, dead body. I wonder if it’s still there. Did anyone but River notice it? Why would they?
I’m relieved when class is over. I promised River I’d check on his cat, Jinx. Apparently he’s an indoor/outdoor beasty, and River was certain he could fend for himself, but he asked me to change the litter and refill his food and water. Now that I know the creature exists, I plan to stop in every other day and make sure he’s okay.
His cottage is just past his restaurant, and the only way to get there is through a winding, wooded trail. I’ve never been there before, but I find it easily enough. Wind chimes strung from the porch ceiling play a tune welcoming my arrival. Nestled within a grove of oak trees, the yard is a collection of clover and wild violets. The home itself is stone with a chimney running up the south side and a dark purple door with a moon-shaped window.
Before I left him, River mentioned a key in the mouth of a toad near the front porch. I find the statue readily enough and stick my fingers into its laughing mouth. They hook on a key ring, and soon I’m inside.
Cozy. The main room has a fireplace, a plush sofa, and two recliners. A suspiciously misshapen knitted blanket on the back looks vaguely familiar, and I wonder if it was a gift from my grandmother. A driftwood coffee table is weighed down by stacks of books. There’s no TV, but there’s a four-foot-long fish mounted to the wall where one might go.
A galley kitchen runs along the back of the place. I find two empty bowls there and fill them with water and kibble from a full bin right beside them. I haven’t even stood up yet when Jinx appears in the open window behind me, his black fur shining in the sun. He leaps to my side and weaves between my ankles, his purr filling the room as I scratch his back and behind his ears.
