There were always a few runners stationed near the office for ease of access, and I caught Ruffy’s eye as I came in close. “Ruffy, go to Judge Galbraith and inform his office someone has taken his files.”
Alarmed, the runner demanded, “Who?”
“Tell them to meet us at the old Aurora office, the one here in the palace.”
With a nod, Ruffy spun on his heel and took off like a shot. I truly envied his speed.
Phila, because she thought as deviously as I did, laughed aloud. Poor Sabrina didn’t seem to get what I was doing, though. For her, I explained.
“Trying to deny Princess Helena had anything to do with the files won’t do us any good,” I explained, all while speed walking toward the princess’s office. “They’ve set this up very neatly, and protestations of innocence only get you so far. It has less to do with fact and more to do with belief. If they can get enough people to believe she’s messing with things she has no business with, they win. So, we must take her out of the equation entirely. Instead, let’s shift the files to another location she has no interest in and no access to. There’s been much blowback about Aurora shutting down, especially from those who profited from it. They’re the easiest scapegoat right now. Also, the office should be abandoned, so if those files are found in there, it will be proof it wasn’t closed down fast enough. This will bemotivation to fully shut the company down and find who’s still using it. Two birds, one stone.”
“You’re moving the files and then finding them all over again,” Sabrina said, eyes lighting up. “Edwin, you’re so smart. Um, but that means I can’t find them, right? Because I’m the princess’s maid.”
“Also correct. Run, grab your sister.”
With a nod, she split off at the next crossway and ran for the servants’ stairs.
Tabitha wasn’t assigned to a particular place, instead cleaning any area needing attention. It would make the most sense if she found the files, and since most people couldn’t tell the twins apart anyway, I could claim she was the one who had reported it. I felt sure Sabrina had been seen going to my office this morning, so it was the neatest way to explain it away.
Phila still cackled like a drunken hen at my side. “You’re so evil. You realize, don’t you, it was likely some crony of Victor’s who planted the files to begin with?”
I shrugged. “If they don’t want shit touching them, they shouldn’t be throwing it around.”
Phila cackled some more.
I’d alert Helena’s people after this was all fixed, of course, because they clearly had a breach in security and would need to plug it. Right now, though, I needed the breach in order to fix the problem.
Helena’s study wasn’t far from us, so we got there without issue and without seeing anyone else. Thankfully. No, actually, where were her guards? She should have guards stationed in this hallway to prevent exactly what we’re doing. Had they been paid off?
I’d have to look into this later.
Phila and I easily found the files, as they were just openly sitting on top of Helena’s desk. Which honestly aggrieved me.If you were going to plant false evidence, at least make it look clandestine, not this obvious mess!
Ugh, amateurs.
Phila and I both grabbed the files, as they were heavy enough to warrant splitting the load, then we quickly exited the study, making sure the door shut behind us.
The old office for Aurora was across the hall from Victor’s rarely used study, which meant it was a hallway up. He’d had the head office kept in the palace supposedly for convenience, but it was likely to make it easier to cook the books. I jogged the distance, as fast as I could move with heavy files in my hands, and Phila scrambled to keep up. We had to beat Judge Galbraith—or whoever Judge Galbraith sent.
I barely had a foot in the office when Tabitha came running up to us. She was fair of skin like her sister, and the exertion could be seen in her flushed cheeks, but she was also hopping mad. Her dark eyes snapped with temper as she hissed, “Is someone trying to get our princess in trouble?”
Helena was so truly loved. Look at how many people were readily coming to her defense, and she wasn’t even aware she was being targeted. I’d have to tell her later. She’d be both mad and pleased to hear the story.
“Someone is,” Phila answered, pushing me through the doorway. “Quickly, quickly, drop the files on any desk.”
There were six desks, in fact, all lined up to face each other, and I dropped the files on the nearest one. Phila chose the desk next to this one, which was fine—it didn’t matter where exactly they were found.
I turned to Tabitha. “The story is you were dusting in here and cleaning up, saw files marked for judicial review, and weren’t sure why they were here. You reported it to Prince James’s office, as you know he spearheaded the shutdown of the Aurora project.”
She nodded firmly. “Got it.”
“You have no idea why they’re here and can’t even hazard a guess.”
“I’m very good at knowing absolutely nothing.”
I snorted. “Excellent attitude to have, in this place.”
From the hallway came the clack of a cane, and I tilted my head to track the sound. Oh? Judge Galbraith was coming here personally? He was the only one from the judicial branch who used a cane.
