I grew cold at her response. “Do you know where he was before he showed up with you?”
Her brows drew together. “No. I received the news almost thirty minutes after they found Mom and Dad’s… bodies. So it wasn’t very long afterward.”
Except they were killed before their car had even started on the drive, potentially giving Uncle enough time to put their bodies in the car, spell it, and hurry over to where Georgiana was staying at a neighboring estate, using her as his alibi.
The wedding music stopped playing, followed by a stringed romantic melody.
Georgiana watched me pace back and forth. “Darcy, you’re not thinking that Uncle might have killed our parents?” She let out a little laugh of disbelief. “I mean to think that our parents were killed, and now you think it was done by our uncle? I just—” She shook her head. Waffles came over and sat at her feet, looking up at her in concern.
I knelt in front of her. “Georgiana, I’m sorry, I know this is a lot—”
“No, you should have told me earlier,” she said with emotion in her voice.
My heart twisted at her pain. “You’re right, I should have told you sooner. Forgive me.”
She slowly nodded. “What else do you need to tell me?”
My sister was amazing and could handle more than I gave her credit for. I needed to remember that in the future. We could draw strength from each other, and heaven knew we’d need it before this was over.
“I believe another death is linked to our parents’ demise. Clara Ashcombe on the council was killed using the same poison that killed our parents. Mrs. Trent… implied that Uncle might have killed our parents, and if that was the case, he most likely killed Clara Ashcombe as well—she was about to meet with me and tell me information about our parents’ death when she was murdered.”
“How long ago was she killed?” She scooped up Waffles into her arms, and the dog gave her a concerned lick on the back of her hand.
“Just a couple of nights ago. The same night I flew to Austen Heights, and Uncle flew to New York.”
“Uncle didn’t leave that long after you did. Did you check the family flight log?”
“I checked the flight log. It showed a nonstop flight to New York.”
“Well, then you see? It couldn’t have been him.” Her words reassured me, and I sat back nodding.
“You’re right.” Uncle had to have some logical explanation about where he was on the night of my parents’ death. I just had to ask him.
“Unless…” Georgiana bit her lip.
I glanced up at her. “Unless?”
“We can check with one more person to be sure. He’d know for certain what time Uncle arrived in New York.” She shiftedWaffles in her arms and pulled out her phone. “I wish this room would stop playing music.”
The melody in the room stopped, and only the silly engagement sign remained in the center of the space. Georgiana gave me a surprised look. “I didn’t know that would work.”
“Who do you want to check with?” I asked.
She put her phone on speakerphone and listened to it ring. “Dan.”
Our family’s bodyguard. Georgiana was a genius.
“Hello? Miss Georgiana? Is everything all right?” Dan’s deep voice sounded on the speaker, surprised.
“Hi Dan. Not to worry, I’m safe. I just wanted to ask you about the other night when Uncle James arrived in New York. You picked him up from the airport, right?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“What time did he arrive?”
“1:00 a.m., ma’am.”
Georgiana blinked, and I froze. “1:00 in the morning? Are you certain?” Georgiana clarified. The flight log had said he’d arrived at 10:15 p.m.
