After a quick textto Seven telling him I’m thinking of him. I pack up some leftovers along with a bottle of wine to take to River and head to the safe house. The house is dark when I get there. I knock, but when no one answers, I let myself in through the unlocked door. It takes me a hot minute to make my way through the house and find him on the back porch, staring up at the stars. His horns reflect alabaster in the moonlight.
When he looks at me, he doesn’t smile.
“I brought you dinner,” I say.
“Already ate. I’m a chef. I don’t need you to feed me.”
“Okay.”
The silhouette of his head sways. “But thank you for thinking of me,” he says in a softer voice. “If you wouldn’t mind, put it in the fridge?”
“Of course.” I turn to take it inside but pause. “Is something wrong?” It’s a stupid question. Everything about this situation is wrong, and both of us know it. I’m just not used to him directing his disappointment at me.
“Do you think I’ll ever get out of here, Sophia?”
“Of course. I’m going to find who really did this and prove your innocence,” I say softly.
He scoffs. “But will it matter? Godmother has a scapegoat. She’s wrapped this murder up into a tight little package. So convenient.”
“Too convenient.” It’s crossed my mind before, but I’m not ready to guess what it might mean.
“Now you see what I see,” he grumbles.
“I’ll make her release you. I’ll go public with the murderer. I won’t give her an option.”
He sighs heavily. “I believe you’ll try. I just hope you don’t end up in here with me, or worse… in Ashgate.”
He turns his face, and his eyes glint in the moonlight. In all the time we’ve been friends, I’ve never seen River cry. In fact, I can count on one hand how many times I’ve seen him without a smile on his face.
“I’m willing to take that chance.” When he doesn’t say anything for a few minutes more, I add, “I took care of Jinx yesterday. He’s looking good. I think he’s going to survive this.”
That makes him laugh. “He’s probably taken over the place. I’ll come home to his wife and kittens nesting in my bed.”
I shrug. “Probably. He seemed like he was enjoying the place to himself.”
He stands and strides toward me. “Thanks for doing that for me. I’m not sure what I’d do without you.”
“While I was there, I noticed lipstick on one of the glasses next to your bed.”
“Hmm. I can’t say anything about that.”
“I know. But I also found a purple coat near the door. That coat had custom-made buttons that are almost exclusively used on garments worn by leprechauns.”
“You don’t say.” He steps closer, and I can see his face. He’s smiling, his eyes taking on a surprised twinkle.
“Your third is a woman and a leprechaun. That’s who you were talking to right before the murder. And I think maybe she’s the one who cleared the sidewalk. And the person who murdered Adam Barker, perhaps they took advantage of that.”
His eyes narrow. “That’s a good theory.”
“But you can’t confirm or deny it.”
He shakes his head.
“That’s okay. I think I’m right. I also found this.” I pull the rock from my pocket and hold it up in the moonlight.
At first he just stares at it as if he’s trying to figure out what it is; then he opens the door for me and ushers me inside, flipping on the kitchen light to get a better view. “You found it! That was in the victim’s hand.”
I nod. “Why do you think he’d be clutching this rock?”
